bus rides and forests...

We had Thursday off because it was Republic Day in Azerbaijan, so the staff took advantage of the time off and decided to get away for the day. Our destination was Quba (Guba). I had heard that it was gorgeous and that I would have to spend two or three days there in order to see and do everything-- I was very excited and formed certain expectations, which was a mistake, but it was still great to get out of the city.

Emily and I arrived at 6:05 am because the bus was supposed to be pulling out at 6:30 am..... well... we were of course the first to arrive-- and at 6:45 when we had been sitting on the bus for about 20 minutes, we still weren't ready to leave. At about 7:20 we rolled out of the parking lot-- with more people than accounted for... meaning some poor souls were going to be sitting on the "baby" chairs that were "strategically" placed in the center aisle of the van.



We made a few stops along the way-- picking up more people to add to the sardine-like can... I mean van. It was okay after a few readjustments at Besh Barmak-- but no sleep on this 4 hour trip. Seeing the countryside was definitely worth the cramped conditions in the van. Stepping off the bus in the town of Quba (Guba), I felt the difference in the air. It was easier to breathe and refreshing.

While Xayyam was getting supplies for kabobs in the town (Quba), I decided that finding a bathroom was a necessity. A few of the girls went with me to translate-- which was definitely needed here. Rema was horrified by the bathroom these two men in a "ditch" said we could use. She wanted me to go around the building on the outside-- which would have been fine at this point-- but the men told us that we couldn't. I won't go into too many details, but lets just say there were maggots being carried away by ants and the hole in the ground was no longer a hole. Pretty disgusting-- but definitely needed.

When we were all safely back on the bus-- after sanitizing our hands, arms, shoes, pants, etc. -- we continued up the mountain. The driver wanted to find a big open spot for us-- at a park of some sort- so we drove up and down some pretty rough roads (26 people all being jostled around-- lots of fun).



At this point, I was a bit confused. I thought that we were going to a mountain top place or something and that from there we were going to hike and do what we wanted to do, so when we continued to venture down various paths that led to small park areas, I was a bit baffled. The plan I had in my head was different from everyone else though-- we pulled into a really big and beautiful forested area, unloaded the bus, claimed a "spot" or covered area, and that was that. I wasn't disappointed by the fresh air, the forest, the landscape, or that we were getting off the van, but I had expected that we would be spending our time differently (not just picnicing and lounging at tables). Which is way after hiking down to the river and around the area a bit, Emily and I decided to join Xayyam and Vaxid at their make shaft "camp" in the woods.

Xayyam and Vaxid had started a fire and were preparing the meat for their kabobs, so we plopped down by the fire and didn't return to the tabled area again. It was a bit chilly in the forest anyway-- so the fire was pretty nice. I love the smell of campfires -- made me feel at ease.



It is so easy to forget where you are when you are in the mountain areas because it can be so quiet and the air is so fresh. However, it is evident that you are in another country when hiking around and having to dodge, walk through, or jump over someone's trash that was left behind. I just don't understand why people don't comprehend that by leaving their garbage laying around, they are ruining the beauty. I know that it is a part of the culture and the "someone else will pick it up" mentality, but it is an awful sight.



After eating, Xayyam and Vaxid joined Emily and I in a "friendly" game of two on two tackle ultimate. It was quite funny really-- that is after we cleared the course of the dangerous obstacles (broken glass and such)... the not so dangerous obstacles (tree stumps, uneven ground, etc.) made the game even more intense. Vaxid had to take a break, so Xayyam decided to show Emily some self defense moves.... looked more like a monkey dance to me. *** Click on the picture to watch!



Each of us got a chance to "fight" Xayyam-- and he really isn't a man to be reckoned with... we were both very afraid!

The fire became an attraction for others in our group too-- because the air was cool and had a bite to it, so everyone wanted to get warm. The day went by relatively fast because if we weren't gathering firewood, climbing trees like kids, playing tackle ultimate, fighting, or playing Catch Phrase. We left at about 6:30 -- packing into the van again-- and I was a bit sad to have to head back to the city so soon. It would have been great to stay and campout.... maybe next time.

birthdays and dancing...

Emily and I attended Rauf's daughter's sixth birthday party, on Wednesday night. Rauf was so excited to have us come that he called a few times making sure we knew the time and the license number of the taxi he was sending for us. The taxi driver picked Em and I up and then we went to get the Schafer crew.



When we got to the destination, Filiz Shadlig Evi, I was a bit awed. It was a huge place to celebrate a birthday for a 6 year old. We entered and walked up a marble laid spiral staircase. At the top of the stairs were big double doors that opened into the banquet area. All of the tables were "lavishly" (in a gaudy sort of way) decorated with fake flowers, candles, and colored tool (as in the material). There was an Azeri band, a head table (set for a king and queen), camera crew (videographers), and tables loaded with colorful and very decorative assortments of food and drinks.



I had heard that Azeri celebrations warranted an ungodly amount of eating and piling of food on the tables, but I didn't have a realistic picture in my mind until I saw our table. The food was laid in a beautiful array right in front of you, and yet your server gets it for you-- for the most part. Having a personal server was pretty shocking-- he was very vigilant, and as soon as the last bite of food was placed into your mouth, he was there to offer more food. I would finish a drink, set the glass on the table, and the server was filling it again before I could say no. That is another thing. I knew that vodka was the choice drink at celebrations, but to witness the way in which it is tossed down the hatch so frequently made my own stomach queasy. There were little "wine glasses" --they were actually shot glasses with a stem---and the vodka was poured to the brim, a toast was conducted, and the vodka was gone. I am sure the faces I made as they swallowed the drink were all telling-- because I could almost feel the burning sensation for myself and I didn't have a drop of the stuff.

When Rauf's daughter entered the banquet area-- they played the happy birthday music, had a confetti machine blow out confetti as she walked down the "white" carpet, and then the family danced around her. She was in a "Cinderella" dress, with her hair and nails all done-- it was like the prom, at 6 years old!





As the night wore on, I decided to be brave and try to dance like they do-- arms, hands, and feet moving more than any other part of the body. AND by golly... I think I have found a dance that isn't so awkward for my long wings (arms). It was fun to dance to music I didn't understand and didn't have to move according to the beat-- because no one was!



We left after the traditional Azeri dance-- Rauf had special dancers come in and preform for everyone-- it was interesting, almost like a show would be at a medieval dinner.

adding to one list...

Today LouAnn and I went with the 10 and 11 year old students to visit the Polish Embassy, and it was very impressive. A conference room was set up with treats (cookies and juice), we learned a bit about Poland's history, met the Ambassador, watched a great video on places to visit in Poland, and the students "applied" for VISAS (and they were "approved" right then and there)! We all received gifts -- books on Poland and a variety of Polish souvenirs. It was a wonderful visit-- very informational and fun!

As I looked through my new travelers guide (for Poland) and listened my new CD (Chopin Preludes) tonight.... it occurred to me that I have yet again added to one of my many lists--- Poland has now been added to my "places to visit" list. The prospect of traveling there is exciting-- maybe another train ride from London (what a way to see some more of Europe).

puzzles...

one month to go, and i am so looking forward to getting back to the states. i can't wait to see my family and friends, to drive my truck, to understand most everything people are saying, and to again feel that feeling of 'home'--- yet there is also an anxiety that i haven't felt in a long time lingering and mixing with the excitement.

i know i have said this before-- that i feel like a piece of a puzzle that either doesn't quite fit in the place it seemed to belong, or the lone piece that has been/is/was missing (which ultimately means, the puzzle was discarded) and doesn't have a place any longer. makes me wonder about a lot of things... causing me to be a bit anxious--- knowing that life has been going on without me and accepting that life has been going on without me are two very different things. i feel like i have been missing out and falling behind on so many important events, laughing moments, firsts and lasts.... how is it possible to catch up on everything in one visit? that question alone makes me a bit anxious. however, the anxiety doesn't outweigh the excitement by any means-- just adds a few random and fleeting thoughts to the mixture.

everybody and everything has a place, right? it must be possible then, to fit into many different puzzles-- depending on the situation and experiences at the time. which makes me wonder, how many puzzles one can possibly be a part of throughout their lives??

pishik...

It is finally clear that Pishik escaped without injuries.. so I will share the story of her great feat/feet!

Last Sunday, I woke up to an eerily quite apartment. Normally Pishik is running around and getting into trouble-- trying to wake me up. So.. I called her name, but didn't get the usual response (pitter pattering of paws). I searched everywhere-- saving the balcony for last because I definitely didn't want to find her sprawled out on the cement! Needless to say, she wasn't in the apartment, so dared to look over the edge of the balcony. AND remember I am on the 11th floor....

I scanned the ground for any sign of a fallen cat, and finally found her huddled next to the edge of the building. She was crouching and watching the people/cars go by. I quickly made my way out the door, down the elevator, and around the building-- and when I was about 10 feet away from her I called her name. Pishik looked at me, and then walked to me-- meowing the whole way. She seemed to be fine, but I was still nervous that something else was wrong with her.

This was at 7 in the morning (on a Sunday-- and Monday was a holiday here-- so nothing was open). I decided to keep a close eye on her for a while-- and she acted a bit weird, no doubt due to shock. Eventually I was able to get a hold of an animal clinic to get her checked out. The "vet" said she was fine and gave her a shot of some sort, then sent us on our way.

It has been a week-- and Pishik is completely fine! The 11 story "fall" has not effected her spirit what-so-ever! I have to change her name to something else now-- because Pishik just doesn't fit after this whole amazingly insane event!

I could call her a thief!

cinco de mayo

I intended to post this on Cinco de Mayo-- but it didn't happen. Hope everyone enjoyed the celebrations-- we did at BIS.



It was quite humorous to watch-- I think that Hayyam enjoyed making it very difficult for them.....

book week..

last week was book week at BIS. we had a variety of activities that revolved around the celebration of books. the students seemed to have a good time sharing, reading, and celebrating the books. the final day of the celebration involved dressing as your favorite book character-- i chose to dress as the tree (from The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein). Miss Laiza and all of the IE students in my morning classes dressed up as well-- they were great! we had characters from Cam Jansen, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Flat Stanley, and Champ. they all looked fantabulous!



we are still celebrating books-- it is an everyday thing-- currently the students are trying to decipher The Watertower. they are a bit disturbed by the fact that i don't have all of the answers for them-- and it is driving them insane because they want to know what the symbols mean and why the people all look so "weird".

petroglyphs and mud volcanoes

Sunday was a day of adventure... we escaped the city for the day and traveled to Gobustan and the Mud Volcanoes. It was a gorgeous day to be wandering around outside of Baku. Gobustan (home of the petroglyphs) is bigger than I remember. We 'hiked' around for a bit and checked out the stone drawings, the old quarry that the prisoners would work at, and the surrounding terrain. It is amazing to think about the Caspian being up to the point that we were standing on-- so amazing.



The petroglyphs haven't changed too much since I was there in August-- however, I still enjoy seeing them and trying to figure out the story being depicted. Below Gobustan's petroglyphs resides an old prison (which we didn't visit), and when it was in use the prisoners would work in the quarry above the petroglyph area. The ladder that the prisoners had to climb, to get to the quarry, was -- well a bit shaky, but stable enough. When we reached the top we were a bit mystified, because at this point we didn't know it was a quarry. The archaeologist (Amy) and the scientist (James) went to work in deciphering the use of this massive surface. Meanwhile, I thought about how it could possibly be a great pitch for frisbee!

After finding various fossils, a skeleton, and an "secret bomb shelter" (it wasn't-- but we had no other explanation for it) we headed back down the ladder. It was a bit awkward, but we all arrived to the bottom safely.

We fueled up (on snacks and water) and ventured off, in the Mitsubishi, toward the Mud Volcanoes. Mark Elliot wasn't exactly clear (or at least for the first hour and a half or so of the journey) to us-- his directions really weren't being fully comprehended. Needless to say, I was the navigator and I didn't do a very good job! It was a great (rough) ride through the hills/mountains though.

As a result of poor navigating, we found a religious site that had quite an interesting story. I can't exactly remember it all, but it was something like this--- it is written in the Koran that a priest was fleeing from enemies (or something) and he took refuge in a cave. As soon as he was inside the cave a spider web was spun, which concealed the cave and saved the priest. So now people make offerings (some pretty bizarre ones) and pay homage to the priest/cave/site (not really sure).

We didn't actually go up to the cave, but we now know where it is located. There were quite a few people there, so we didn't want to enter the area.

After that 'mishap' we stumbled upon a dead end and then a few great 4-wheeling roads/paths. Eventually we back tracked and made our way closer to the volcanoes. I had to get out once to determine the best route-- but that was nothing! It was a great day to get 'lost' and explore!

When we finally made it to the Mud Volcanoes we were so excited-- it was almost unbelievable that we made it-- it was at this point that we completely understood how to read Mark Elliot's directions. I didn't have any expectations, so I was pretty impressed. The volcanoes are bubbling masses of mud/clay. They make some crazy sounds as the gases make their way to the surface.




The mud is surprisingly cold-- which is why it is a great form of entertainment for those of us that enjoy acting like children. The volcanoes were really a sight to see and very interesting. They are found spattered throughout the world, but astonishingly around 300 of the earth’s estimated 700 mud volcanoes lie in Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea.

It was a very refreshing and needed day out of Baku. I am looking forward to 'escaping' again soon....

dinner and quiz night

Chef Kent did it again-- along with a great dessert making assistant, Jessica! The Thai was tasty and the dessert was fabulous! I even acquired a recipe-- I intend to make it.... one day.



Saturday night's Quiz was a success. Team S.I.R took second place (by a half of a point)! I am so glad that I had such intelligent teammates-- I was lucky to know one answer in each category. Each table had 10 players and there were 7 categories (all beginning with an 'A'), plus the picture identification round. One of the "practice" questions that our mighty team leader sent out was included in one of the categories-- we all rejoiced with that one. The night was a bit intense at points, but a lot of fun!

recent events

Thursday was a terrible day for many people in Azerbaijan. a "shooting" occurred at one of the oldest and most upheld academies in Baku. even with the conflicts that seem to plague Azerbaijan's borders--- a tragic event such as this is the first of its kind.

our school was "locked" down so to say as a safety precaution, because so many conflicting reports were flying around Baku. it was said to be a terrorist attack, then different nationalities of shooters, and finally it was deemed an isolated incident where a lone gunman took his own life along with almost a dozen others.

i have decided to not read up on the latest accounts or watch anymore footage of the whole situation because it is extremely depressing and very disturbing. i do continue to hear many people say that this sort of thing just doesn't happen in Azerbaijan-- "it happens in the US and in Europe, but not here." i am just sad that it happens at all.

revolutionary road

there is something to be said about reflection and interpretation. i watched a movie tonight that made me reflect on the roads that were taken in order for me to be in this place, this moment. obviously every circumstance and interpretation of that circumstance is different-- which is why the movie may not be as relevant to some-- but the overall theme still exists and has the ability to make you ponder about life and the roads that we choose to travel....

i am not sure that i really enjoyed the film, but it has the ability to leave you with some things to think about.