My Life in Azerbaijan - The Azeri Locals

June 25, 2011

Before joining Peace Corps in 2009, I worked for three multi international organizations and dealt with many senior executives. I have to admit, never once did I feel connected with them. Majority of them built a wall around them, remained “professional” all time and occasionally they tried to be personal or funny with me, nevertheless I did not feel their sincerity. One of them was a CEO, and he was alcoholic, used drugs to conceal his loneliness and desolation. Eventually he lost his job. Today, he still has money, but that is all that he has. Another executive I know is old enough to retire, but he does not know what to do with his retirement. He fears to sit and die alone at home. Years of climbing the corporate ladders have left these people in isolation. They have lost touched with others and most importantly, they have forgotten how to be human.

Contrary, ten years traveling abroad, I have met many working class folks, not so well-to-do locals. I found most of them were down to earth, warm, caring, had a sense of humor, and always generous and giving. Some of them were very poor, could not afford to be generous but were still willing to give. Their hospitality was the most genuine and they expected nothing from return. I met these folks in Nepal, in Venezuela, in China, in Peru, in Tanzania and in many remote parts of the world. Today, I met a few in Azerbaijan.

One of them is a street vendor, selling greens on a side walk, probably making just few dollars a day. Each time I passed him, he would give me the warmest greetings; hold my hands as if I was her closest relative. Another one is an amiable old man. I happened to pass by his home one day. He was tending his small garden, and I watched him picking fruits from his trees. As soon as he saw me, he grabbed a basket of fruits and offered them to me. His silver grey hair glittered in the afternoon sun, like the halo of an angel. They both were strangers to me, but somehow, I felt the connection.

Perhaps that is why I choose to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. It gives me the opportunities to connect with people like them; kind, generous, still have the old value, culture, still believe in happiness could derive from simple life.

Another four months, I will have to return to that strange cold place where I once called home. I am beginning to have fear…….

(local summer fruit, they are sweet, sweet and sweet)

My Life in Azerbaijan - Scallion Pancake, Flower and Coffee

June 11, 2011

The plant I brought back from Georgia last summer is growing nicely. Two weeks ago, I discovered a small bud. I was elated. Every morning, I gave my plant a cold shower, and watched the bud getting bigger and stronger. Last night, it finally bloomed.

This plant is similar to the one that I had in my New York apartment. They have the same type of leave. My plant in New York only bloomed at night and the bloom usually lasted just a few hours. It died around midnight. The size of the flower is enormous and it is absolutely beautiful. (I know, all flower is beautiful to me). This one appears to be slightly different, but I am sure they are related to the same family.

Yesterday morning, I noticed the tip of the flower burst; it is a sign of “ready to bloom”. I brought it inside and took pictures of its every move. By 10:00pm, the flower opened up more, now I could see the hollow inside the flower. When I went to bed, the flower was still alive and this morning, I found the flower grew even bigger. She said “salam” to me. I was having a wonderful morning.

To make my morning even better, I decided to make some scallion pancakes (all of PCV friends know I make the best scallion pancake) to go with my coffee. I had my plant next to me. We enjoyed each other’s company, ate pancake, drank coffee and had a fabulous time.

Remember what Edward Abbey once said: “We can never have enough of nature”. Amen. Amen and AMEN!

My Life in Azerbaijan - One Stormy Night in Azerbaijan and...

June 8, 2011

Clouds are gathering, storm begins to build but it has not rained yet. Soon I can hear the thunder mutters ominously in a distance, lightning flashes and the storm moves closer. Suddenly a clap explodes directly overhead and lightning pierces the gloom. Eventually clouds burst, rain begins to fall. At first, tentatively, soon, gaining confidence, heavily. Before long, rain lashing down in torrential sheets whips my bedroom window surface. I sit and watch the sky weeps. I LOVE rain!

No one whom I know is as enamored of a rain as I do. I always fancy the rain, especially the one that comes late at night. It has a steady and soporific rhythm that could induce me not only to sleep but also to dream…..

Outside, loud peals of thunder crash and reverberate in the darkness. Rain continues to come streaming down. I close my eyes and eager to start my dream….. I hope tonight, I will see my love ones again.

Wake up early in the morning, already forget the forgotten dream. Look outside the bedroom window, the sun gleams out of ragged clouds, birds are singing and rain, no more. I open the window to let in some fresh air, a horrible odor hits me, it is the raw sewage again! I should have known better. Every time when it rains, most of the alleys and streets in my neighborhood would be flooded. All the “ugly & smelly” stuffs would ooze out from underground and inundate the sidewalks. The pipe systems in Azerbaijan are abysmal and they desperately need to be replaced, but it is not the priority of “X” (not allowed to criticize per PC policy). I shut the window and try to make myself a cup of coffee and ……NO WATER!

Oh well, I do not get frustrated anymore. Occasionally no water, no electricity and no gas are just part of daily life here in Azerbaijan. The only thing that bothers me is the water bill; it was once 0.8 manat ($1.0) and now is 2.32 manat ($3.0).

I dry clean myself a little, pick up a book and begin to relax. It is a book about nature, my kind of book, and a story about rain, my favorite subject!

I still LOVE rain, even here in Azerbaijan….

My Life in Azerbaijan - Flattered but NO!

June 1, 2011


It was six months ago that I first met this Azeri gentleman in the park. At first, he just stared at me, few days later; he began to say “salam”. Few weeks later, he stopped me and started talking to me. Although I could not fully understand what he was saying, I could hear some “danger” words, like “chox” (very much) “sevimli” (love) “xoshma gelin” (like), cay ichmek (drink tea). Watching his expression, I further convinced myself that I had understood him correctly. I was very flattered, but did not like those words at all. If he were an Asian man, I probably would tell him to get lost. I did not want to hurt his feeling, so politely, I told him “thank you, thank you” “don’t like tea, No” and “goodbye”.

One spring day, running by the sea, I saw him again. He was with a group of Azeri gentlemen. This time, he did not stop me, just waved and said “salam”. As usual, I said my “salam” as well. Couple of days later in the same wooded area, we met again. This time, he was alone, in fact, he was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he approached me and started using those “danger” words again, and this time, he used them a lot! With my broken Azerbaijani, I tried very hard to explain to him that I was married (of course I lied). He understood me all right, but still was reluctantly to let me go. His body language was telling me that “yes, you are married, I am married, so what”. Oh good God, I was embarrassed. Before I had a chance to run away, he held my hand and started kissing it. IT IS AN OMAZ! (Forbidden in Azeri society).

Now he was holding both of my hands, grinning at me, showing me all his 24k gold teeth. (that means he is quite well off) Maybe for the Azeri women, he is a handsome and rich middle age man, but to me, he is not so desirable (don’t want to use the “u” word), especially with all those yellow teeth. Again, I told him that I was married. Turning around, I ran as fast as I could.

This afternoon, he was there again and this time, he was NAKED! I was not sure he was completely naked for I could only catch his upper body. I really did not want to see the rest. He yelled out “Salam”. I pretended that I could not hear him and ran out of the wood like a shooting bullet. Good God, what did I get myself into!

Maybe starting tomorrow, I need to change my running route

My Life in Azerbaijan - Local Produces and My Healthy Dishes

May 28, 2011

Today is Azerbaijan independent holiday. Get up early in the morning. Clean the apartment, do laundries and hang them outside, have a healthy breakfast: coffee, French toast (local whole wheat bread) and home made fig jam. Afterward, head out to the Bazaar.

Weekend in the Bazaar usually is very busy. I get there a bit early; some of the fresh vegetables have just arrived. Spring ends soon and summer is approaching, varieties of vegetables are already available in the market, and the prices are getting cheaper; cucumber 3 kilo for $1.25, cauliflower used to be so expensive in the winter, and now is only $1.0 for a kilo. Beet is my favorite root vegetable. The young one has thin smooth skin and dark burgundy color. It looks like a ruby gem. My vegetable man shows me some fresh oriental beans, which are still inside a pod. He opens one and let me taste it. It is so tender and sweet! The price of cabbage comes down significantly as well, only $0.5 a kilo. Some of the vegetables actually come from someone’s gardens; they are freshly picked just this morning!

I am overjoyed by all the fresh fruits and vegetables. I purchase a kilo of apple to make cabbage salad for lunch. This is a healthy dish I experimented last summer, all my friends loves it. Simply cut the apple and cabbage to thin strip, add salt and black pepper, few drops of sesame oil. The final touch is two teaspoons of ginger vinegar, put in the refrigerator for an hour to chill. It is healthy, tasty and inexpensive. As for the fresh oriental beans, I will steam it with the cauliflower, add only salt and pepper. They will definitely go well with my homemade vegetable dumplings. That will be my dinner tonight, yum yum!

Return home, cutting all the vegetables, make a big bowl of salad. After lunch, take a long stroll in the park, bring home some wild roses and sit by the kitchen window, watch the day fade…..my day slips by unnoticed. I have grown to love more and more this effortless, uncomplicated and peaceful life style, it really soothes me. This, I reckon, is how life is meant to be….. At this moment, New York seemed distant, tenuous and marginally real….

Peace Corps encourages us to extend our service for another year, it even adds another 100 manat ($125) to our monthly living allowance, AND, a job offer from the bank ….. tempting, really tempting…..