My Life in Azerbaijan - Reflection

August 16, 2011

Vivian and Carol were my teammates during the pre-serving training. Over the past two years, we have developed close friendship. After the training, we went on our separate assignments. Both of them currently live in Ganja, about 5-hour bus ride from where I live. Nevertheless, we manage to stay in touch and try to visit each other as often as we can.

Vivi, (name that I give her) was once a famous “Party Planner” in Dallas, she had some impressive clients; like Ronald Reagan and Prince of Saudi. Even Martha Steward called her for an advice. I enjoy cooking with her. Carol, is the Yale graduated and schoolmate of Hillary Clinton. For the past few months, Carol has been my “resume writing” advisor. Vivi and Carol are very different. Carol is extremely intelligent, calm and rational. Vivi is funny, dramatic and emotional. I like them both. If I have to make a list of my best Peace Corps experiences, “Knowing them” has to be the top item on that list.

I always assume that Carol is “Book Smart” and Vivi is “Street Smart”. Today, I realize that I am wrong. Not only Viv is “Street Smart”, she is simply SMART. Here is section of Vivi’s daily journal about her life with Peace Corps:

“…It’s not that I am smarter, just that my mind is a lot more “open” than before. I still hear things in the news that just makes me scratch my head and run to the kitchen. But I think about humanity in a broader sense, about true differences in world cultures, deeper spirituality and everything that flows with it. It is incredible how you feel as you listen to the Call to Prayer 3 times a day. I always stop to reflect for a moment, even at 4:48 AM every single day. This hauntingly beautiful cry is not just about Muslims; it transcends the boundaries of religion for me and brings me to a peaceful place to consider “ME” and how I want to continue living. Since I am getting anxious to get home and start this new living, I need to keep listening to the Call and feel the patience (no urgency) in its cry. “

Somehow, Viv’s profound spiritual revelation frees me from weeks’ of self-inflicted despair, urges me to forgo the past and inspires me to continue living intensely and richly after Peace Corps.

Like Vivian, I also eager to start a new life.