I don’t have as many ridiculous stories as some of my compatriots here. Part of me is disappointed by this. Go figure. Squat toilets take some getting used to, there’s no two ways about it. Figuring out how to clean one’s self without toilet paper is no easy task. Toilet technique is easily one of our most common conversation topics. We compare experiences, differences in technique, and a host of other related subjects. The stories get pretty hairy for some people, and I almost feel left out not having some ghastly story to share with everyone. I’m sure they’ll come, though. Karma has a way of making that kind of thing even out.
However, here are some experiences up till now:
1. Three other PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) and I have taken to celebrating our half-day Saturdays by going to a local “bar” to have a few drinks and a bite to eat, talk about the week, and play cards. After a very long week, it’s been very relaxing and calming. It seems like it’s one of the few places where we can be without being the center of attention (though, compared to India, I feel like I’m more or less invisible most of the time anyway). However, the other day we were joined by a man who wanted to understand the game we were playing and what we were doing in Azerbaijan. Foreigners are still rare in the country, at least outside of the capital. However, they do get some exposure to foreign images and styles through television, so a number of misconceptions have formed amongst many Azerbaijanis. One of those is that Americans in the country are probably with the CIA. We spent some time explaining to the man that we were not in fact CIA spies, but were volunteers with the Peace Corps. Explaining this is hard normally, but when the person in question is extremely intoxicated, it becomes that much harder.
2. On Friday, we were set to meet with the organizations we will be working with during training. Another volunteer and I were assigned to the Modern Knowledge center, which we believe is some sort of technical school—meaning language and technology classes. However, come Friday, we were told that the organization was moving offices that day, and could not meet till Monday. Moral of the story is: Flexibility, thy name is Azerbaijan. I will share more of this soon; we have two more sessions after we get back from our PCV Site visits.
3. To get to and from school every day, my neighbor and I (another PCT) have to take the bus into Xirdalan-central. Our bus stop is named (bus stop is a loose term here, see note about flexibility) Rembo Barq, or Rambo Well, referring to a well that was named after a soldier the conflict with Amernia who was nicknamed Rambo.
4. I have now visited and touched the Caspian Sea, and can happily report that I have not lost any appendages, nor have I grown any new ones (also, I don’t glow in the dark). Sumgayit is still listed as one of the most ecologically devastated places in the world. Still, the beach only seemed moderately littered with trash, and the water looked no worse than the Inner Harbor. There was a nice breeze as I walked along the beach, the sand packed solidly beneath my feet. There were few people on the beach that day, obviously no one actually in the water. My one regret is that there were no oil derricks to be seen. I don’t think I would have been able to pass up the chance to dive off one of those, regardless of what color the water was.
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