Several months ago, we received news that an American reality show would be coming to Azerbaijan. Speculation flurried and it quickly became the worst kept secret in Baku: The Amazing Race was on its way. Several volunteers and Azeri counterparts interviewed to help the production as aids and interpreters, and while most begged off due to the time commitment, a couple went ahead with helping. That was all we heard for awhile.
Last week, the episode that was filmed in Azerbaijan aired. It’s funny how seeing a bunch of American stereotypes running around the streets of Baku, past familiar sites and landmarks, can be revealing about a culture and absolutely wrong at the same time.
The Amazing Race people dashed out of the airport I’ve gotten to know all too well waiting for guests and out into the London-style taxis that have appeared recently in the capital. Sure, they were missing out on the joy of Ladas, but they made the smarter choice as the London taxis have meters. And they noted the primary trait of all taxi drivers here, they drive like they’re on the Autobahn or in Indy. Perfect for a bunch of people in a contest called The Amazing Race.
The taxi took them to the Atesgarh Temple, the temple with the perpetual flames due to natural gas, though they didn’t mention this on the show. When the contestants arrived, they were bombarded with traditional music and dancing, which was completely in line with my experiences. And just like us when we first arrived at the hotel a year and a half ago, the racers joined in awkwardly at first, but soon were laughing and enjoying themselves.
The contestants had two choices in their contest in the country: search a car filled to the brim (literally) with apples, or wipe down a man who has bathed in oil. One of these I am all too familiar with, the other was as new to me as it was to the contestants. Every Sunday at the market I see cars filled with fruits and vegetables. The trunks lined with plastic tarps, the passenger seats removed for more storage space. In the contest, the racers had to search through a car of apples to find one apple with a ribbon on it. I do not envy them that. They also quickly noticed the fact that they were being stared at as they rooted through the cars. This is a common and at times infuriating aspect of the culture here, and can cause major fishbowl-itis, though I can’t blame people for watching some crazy Americans sitting in a car trunk looking for one apple among many.
The second task, in which a man has bathed in oil for health reasoning, was new to me. It must be a thing for people living nearer to the Caspian, because out here in Ismayilli, there’s just enough oil and gas to cook and heat our homes, if that. The fact that the men the contestants were washing down were hairy as all get out wasn’t too surprising, though.
Finally, the contestants had to find their way to a carpet store in the old part of Baku (which is called Icheri Sheher, not Old Town, thank you very much) and then the boulevard along the Caspian Sea (which the show called Esplanade, which I have never heard anyone call it, to us it’s just Bulvar), to meet the host. Here the taxi drivers reared their stereotypical head again, when one taxi driver stopped on the side of the road, seemingly to ask for directions, though given that they were just around the corner from their destination, I’d guess it was more likely he was seeking out a toilet or some cigarettes.
Watching the show was in many ways like watching our service in an hour, or at least our times in Baku. I recognized familiar places, normal Azeris in the background, and customs and ideas that I’ve grown to know well. While I think I would do pretty well on a show like The Amazing Race, I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to spend time in the countries I’ve visited, to get to know the culture better and become more comfortable. While there was much that was familiar to me in the show, I doubt the contestants were able to think of too much else than what they had to do next. Sure it’s a contest, but Ferris Bueller had some choice words for the kind of life they were living.
No comments:
Post a Comment