Spoiled Rotten

I’ll admit it, as difficult as Peace Corps and life here can be, I have been spoiled in many ways during the last 10 months I’ve been here in Azerbaijan. The most obvious signs of this were made apparent to me again recently when my host brother left for America, and our washing machine broke.

Let’s start with the latter. Our washing machine broke somehow, and had to be sent to Baku to be repaired. In the meantime, I had to suck it up, after several weeks of being out of town and not having time, to do my wash by hand. This takes FOREVER when you save up as much washing as I had. I had to do three rounds—whites, darks, and blacks/pants. First the soaking an agitating in soapy water. Then, rinsing, and rinsing again and again, until the soap was out. And finally, hanging them out to dry on the line. All this out in the yard, hunched over the tub, stirring and squeezing and wringing and aching. I definitely didn’t do a great job, especially as the water was running lower, and there are still a couple shirts stiff as cardboard. This whole by hand thing is not ideal, even though I know it’s the standard washing method for PCVs worldwide. Here’s what makes me even more spoiled: both of my host families so far have had washing machines. This past week was my first time washing by hand. And the irony of the situation: after a month straight of sun, barely a cloud in sight, just when I finish my laundry, two (and counting) days of clouds and rain.

Now, the former, my lost host brother. He left last week for America as a part of the MUSKIE program. He’ll be studying journalism and mass communication at Kent State University for the next two years, depriving me of a great resource. You see, he was fluent in English, having been a translator for several years. Now, I have to understand everything that’s said to me by myself! Oh woe is me! And unlike the washing machine situation, this one won’t get any better. My only recourse is to get better at Azeri!

The horror. The horror.