December 7, 2010
Jim left me a comment in my “blog” pointing out that I was now living in a dream. I never thought that serving Peace Corps is like living in a dream. It is one of the many things I wanted to do in life, but having survived this past cold winter and endured some the most uncomfortable living conditions, I would hardly call my experience a “Dream”. It is more like a “seen it, had it, and done it” kind of experience. Nevertheless, his comment makes me ponder.
Here in Azerbaijan, I don’t have to worry about the US economy. I can imagine how stressful it is everyday in New York to hear about unemployment rate, jobless claims and home foreclosures. Although the allowance I receive from Peace Corps is meager, if I live in a frugal life, the money is more than enough to support my living here. As far as medical, Peace Corps provides us excellent health care. I just had my annual check up and teeth cleaning, entirely free of charge. Whenever I had a little discomfort, I would call up PC doctor, and if my condition was bad, a PC driver would come to my apartment immediately and pick me up to the hospital. Once, PC doctor paid me a home visit just because I complaint about a little dizziness.
Every day, I have time to read, to write, to work, to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have time for my daily exercise, to shop in the bazaar and I even have time to bake a cake. My working hour at the bank is from 9:30am to 4:00pm. There are no deadlines, no pressure, no boss to make my life miserable and definitely no work on the weekends. In terms of material things and luxury life style, I admit, I have none. For a whole year, I only brought two T-shirts for $3 and they were from a second hand store. I never once ate in a restaurant. I do not miss shopping at a fancy clothing stores or dinning at “Mr. Chow” or “Phillip Chow”. Occasionally, I craved for my favorite dish, sweet and sour pork but I could satisfy myself eating chicken marinated with the local pomegranate sauce. The sauce has the same sweet and sour favor. Only when I traveled with other PCVs, I would spoil myself with a glass of cheap wine or a good Turkish beer (8.5%). This summer, Mariel and I traveled to Turkey and we shared a beer. She weighted 85lbs and I weighed 95lbs at that time. We both ended up drunk by that beer, and flirted shamelessly with a Turkish boy. Other than that, I really live in a very simply life.
But it is this simply life that makes me very healthy and fulfilling. I look at the mirror in the morning, high humidity of this country makes my wrinkles disappear, my daily exercise keeps me strong, a well balanced, greasy free, and cholesterol free diet keep me in good shape. Last but not least, a stress free environment helps me to maintain an optimistic altitude. I feel younger and happier each day.
Perhaps I am in fact living in a dream. Thanks Jim for pointing that out.
Jim left me a comment in my “blog” pointing out that I was now living in a dream. I never thought that serving Peace Corps is like living in a dream. It is one of the many things I wanted to do in life, but having survived this past cold winter and endured some the most uncomfortable living conditions, I would hardly call my experience a “Dream”. It is more like a “seen it, had it, and done it” kind of experience. Nevertheless, his comment makes me ponder.
Here in Azerbaijan, I don’t have to worry about the US economy. I can imagine how stressful it is everyday in New York to hear about unemployment rate, jobless claims and home foreclosures. Although the allowance I receive from Peace Corps is meager, if I live in a frugal life, the money is more than enough to support my living here. As far as medical, Peace Corps provides us excellent health care. I just had my annual check up and teeth cleaning, entirely free of charge. Whenever I had a little discomfort, I would call up PC doctor, and if my condition was bad, a PC driver would come to my apartment immediately and pick me up to the hospital. Once, PC doctor paid me a home visit just because I complaint about a little dizziness.
Every day, I have time to read, to write, to work, to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have time for my daily exercise, to shop in the bazaar and I even have time to bake a cake. My working hour at the bank is from 9:30am to 4:00pm. There are no deadlines, no pressure, no boss to make my life miserable and definitely no work on the weekends. In terms of material things and luxury life style, I admit, I have none. For a whole year, I only brought two T-shirts for $3 and they were from a second hand store. I never once ate in a restaurant. I do not miss shopping at a fancy clothing stores or dinning at “Mr. Chow” or “Phillip Chow”. Occasionally, I craved for my favorite dish, sweet and sour pork but I could satisfy myself eating chicken marinated with the local pomegranate sauce. The sauce has the same sweet and sour favor. Only when I traveled with other PCVs, I would spoil myself with a glass of cheap wine or a good Turkish beer (8.5%). This summer, Mariel and I traveled to Turkey and we shared a beer. She weighted 85lbs and I weighed 95lbs at that time. We both ended up drunk by that beer, and flirted shamelessly with a Turkish boy. Other than that, I really live in a very simply life.
But it is this simply life that makes me very healthy and fulfilling. I look at the mirror in the morning, high humidity of this country makes my wrinkles disappear, my daily exercise keeps me strong, a well balanced, greasy free, and cholesterol free diet keep me in good shape. Last but not least, a stress free environment helps me to maintain an optimistic altitude. I feel younger and happier each day.
Perhaps I am in fact living in a dream. Thanks Jim for pointing that out.
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