After a great night sleep, we had coffee with JM in our room before we departed. Our driver from earlier in the week, who was outstanding at getting us around the countryside, came and picked us up for our trip to the airport. It was a quick ride to the airport, and once inside, the lines were even faster. Before we knew it, it was time to say our good byes and keep moving. JM returned to the Hyatt for sleep and one more shower and we were off to Istanbul, Turkey.

As someone once said, “Funny thing happened to me on my way to .....” (you can fill in the blank) We arrived in Istanbul early to change planes. For whatever reason, we spent 45 minutes on the tarmac waiting. We missed our connecting flight to JFK and ended up spending an unscheduled day in Turkey. We learned a lot. First, you can buy your Turkish Visa in the airport for $20 US. Next, when the airlines are preparing to board their flights, there is no counter service to help you out, and this was 60 minutes before departure. So, give yourself time!!!!

A quick call to Hilton Honors and we had a room at the Conrad Istanbul, a VERY nice hotel. Did I say very nice?? The views of the Black Sea were stunning, and the lounges were superb. If you get stuck in Istanbul, I highly recommend this establishment.

At this point Russ had a bit of his father’s luck. He went to the concierge and said, “I have four hours to see Istanbul. What do you recommend?” The concierge arranged a car and driver at a reasonable rate to show us the sites. After mapping out our tour, we left the hotel only to realize our driver spoke no English. So, off we went not knowing what would happen. Now for the amazing part. This driver had a special pass that allowed us to drive all the way up to each site we planned on seeing. From the Archeological museum to the Blue Mosque, we bypassed many tourists on foot, taxis, security, etc and entered each site. Miraculously, when we walked out of each site, he was there, sometimes waiting in the middle of traffic. We saw many sites that afternoon, including the grand bazaar and the spice market. Both are definite “must sees” while in Istanbul.

We have mentioned that you always meet someone from Ohio or one who has been to Columbus. It was no different in Istanbul. While entering the Blue Mosque, a gentleman approached Russ and told him the afternoon prayer was starting in five minutes and the mosque would close to visitors. He guided us to the back where we gained entrance and saw the beautiful interior the blue mosque is known for. When we exited, he was there waiting to take us to his rug shop. We did not have time, but as we talked more, we learned this man had not only been to Ohio, but had been to Columbus, shopped at Easton Town center and eaten at Café Istanbul. He travels to the U.S. about once a year and always stops in Ohio to visit. We exchanged contact information and hope to meet up with him again.

We returned to the hotel exhausted and amazingly thrilled we had the opportunity to see Istanbul. We ended the evening having a quiet dinner overlooking the Black Sea and watching the sunset in Turkey. A beautiful sight and one that brought this wonderful trip to a close as we knew tomorrow we were headed home.

We were so fortunate to make this trip to see JM and the wonderful country in which she is working. Now, when we speak with her and she mentions her friends or places she is located, we know who these friends are or where she may be. Thank you JM for giving us the opportunity to experience this country! We will now end our blogging and turn this back over to JM. We hope you find time to share your experiences with all who follow your blog, if even a few sentences. Take care, Love Dad and Jackie

Our last day in Baku was spent running errands to make sure JM was well stocked with provisions and to pick up our rug. First let’s tackle the provisions – JM took us to the new mall to shop. The mall has three floors with many stores, and it looks and feels just like a mall in America!! But the real bonus was that is had an Apple resell shop. That was great because we needed to find the international plug/adaptor for the laptop and we did. (Many thanks to the AZ 7 mom in the lobby of Hyatt who loaned us her adaptor and clued us in to the device!!!) Next we head to the basement where a very well stocked grocery store sits. It was there the real damage was done. From spices, to food and other ancillary items, we believe we left her well stocked. Good luck in getting all of this home on the bus. Turns out, she did it!!! Now for the rug.

I had previously mentioned JM introduced us to a rug merchant when we first toured the city. At that time we found an item we liked and knew we still had several days of travel ahead of us and would not want to carry it around. So we set out walking from the mall to the store on what was supposed to be a short walk. Did I mention it was hotter than when we first arrived in Baku earlier in the week??? According to JM the store was only 10 minutes away, about a “couple” of kilometers. We were not certain she understood the conversion to miles, but we went along with it. Lesson learned – make sure if someone is giving directions in metric they know how to convert to non-metric. A handy tip is take kilometers and multiply by .6 to convert to miles. If that is difficult, just take half of the distance in kilometers and use that figure. It is close enough. We eventually made it and thank goodness we had a hat and water with us.

We arrived at the rug merchant hot and sweaty. He was happy to see us and visited with JM in Azeri for a bit while making hot chai for us. And, he turned on the air conditioner for us! A luxury. After some haggling, we became the proud owners of a new and beautiful hand tied silk rug done in a traditional Azeri pattern. Interesting note, it is actually two rugs not yet cut, perfect for a long wide runner. The rug was packed and off we went to catch a taxi back to the Hyatt for our last night and dinner with JM, Sanyo and his prize student who were in town for PC conference.

Sanyo and his student met us at the hotel early evening for dinner at the Hyatt. Sanyo arrived looking rather dapper in his coat and bow tie!! (Many thanks to his mother for his wardrobe and his cooking skills.) Dinner was outdoors, and the weather was beautiful. Perhaps one of the greatest joys of our trip occurred that evening when we told Sanyo to order anything off the menu. His eyes were brighter and he was beside himself at the selection offered to him. Not too mention, he requested a bucket of ice, and soon one appeared for him. After starting with the antipasti plate, we all ordered our first and second courses. Everyone had an outstanding meal, and Sanyo proclaimed he would have prepared his dish in the same manner. A compliment to the chef.

After a long and leisurely meal, we learned that they would be taking the bus back to their hotel. Hearing this, Russ arranged for a London taxi, new to Baku, to take them to the hotel. The two of them learned of this they were delighted and ready to take on the next day. A great ending to a great night!

Another tip we learned is the London taxis are metered, and no more expensive than the other taxis in Baku. This helps when negotiating a taxi fare in the city.

This is being posted after our return to the states.

After three wonderful days and two nights staying with JM in Deveiche, we head back to Baku to give JM a little R&R as belated birthday presents. The time spent in Deveiche was an incredible experience. The people we met were incredibly welcoming of strangers to their homes, and more importantly, very appreciative of the work JM and Sanyo are doing. It was extremely rewarding to experience all of this first hand.

After a leisurely breakfast outside with fruit, bread and cheese, JM and her father head out to the bus station to negotiate a taxi to Baku. Soon, they appear and we pack our bags and head off to Baku!! Typically, it takes about two hours or so to get to the city, but in this case we arrived in 90 minutes. We traveled through a “brown-out” where a sand storm is so thick you cannot see the car in front of you, people arbitrarily crossing the highway with no regard to traffic and buses stopping in the middle of the road to pick people up on their way to the next destination. An interesting ride, but not as unusual as we may have thought. We finally arrived at the Park Hyatt (our home away from home) in tact and ready to relax for the afternoon.

We spent the afternoon at the pool and spa planning our last two days in Baku. JM selected the dinner spot, Paul’s steakhouse near the old section of the city. The steaks were good, but the potato salad was amazing!! And, if you order the fries and like them plain, say that when you order or else they appear with a steak sauce drizzled all over them. It was a quiet night and an early night as we knew our last day in Baku and with JM was approaching.

Dinner With the Site Host family

JM and her friends use the term “guesting” for making visits to someone’s home. Guesting can be both full of surprises and exhausting at the same time. For JM, those moments requiring her translation skills are demanding as people want her to tell us something then her father wants her to tell the family something. Yikes, this makes me tired typing this.

After visiting with Ida and her family, we returned to JM’s home to rest. Her host family in Deveiche had invited us to dinner at their home later that evening. It is 7 o’clock and we head out to meet her host family, Joshgu, Fatima and their three children. Our walk takes back thru the main part of the town and by Sanyo’s school. We arrive, appetites ready and excited to meet the family JM lived with for four months. Truly, this is where she improved her Azeri skills the most and where she started her job teaching English,

The family greets us as we walk through the gates and quickly ushers us inside. They are a warm and loving family as we were all greeted with big hugs as if long lost friends are reuniting. We remove our shoes and go into the dining room for hot tea and sweets. Joshgu, the father, is a big, muscular man so different than other Azeri men. And, he has a big personality to match. I knew the moment I met him he and Russ would get along well, and they did.

Back to tea, we were seated in the dining room and served tea and sweets by Joshgu and his son Josef. The sweets at this home are unbelievable. Fatima made baklava, a favorite of JM, which was fabulous. This is not the baklava we purchase in Ohio, rather it has less phyllo dough and honey, and more nuts. I thought it was not as sweet as any baklava I have ever had. Next came the cookies…..a large bowl of cookies, crackers and finally blackberry jam. The jam could be used in your tea or with cookies, however everyone just ate it off the spoon. I need to mention that Sanyo also joined us, again he is part of the famly and we were thrilled to have him with us.

Following tea, the men started the grill for kabobs, while Fatima prepared food in the kitchen. While all of this is going on, JM took us to her room to show us her quarters for four months. Some things had changed, but it was still the same room she lived in. Because she had sent us pictures, we were already familiar with her surroundings. While it was off the main house, Joshgu’s mother told him it was alright for JM to live away from the main house because she was a good girl. We then went outside and watched the grandmother flip the wool and air it out in preparation for winter. This wool will be stuffed in the mattresses [put azeri word here] for sleeping. It was fascinating to watch.

Kabobs were soon served along with roasted tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh homemade bread. This was all great food and we thought this was the meal. Oh no, not for JM’s family. Kabobs were followed dolma that was followed by birthday plove. We thought our training in feasting would prepare us, but nothing could prepare us for the meal we were served. It was truly non-stop and we actually ran out of room on the table. Throughout this time, the men had an amazing conversation, some translated by JM and some just men communicating. Once more, we learned that this man would not let anything happen to JM and he gave his word to Russ to watch over her. It was incredibly touching to see the JM’s two “fathers.” These men found more in common than anyone could imagine. After much toasting to family and daughters, these men were friends for life.

After touring the gardens, we had coffee and bid our farewells. We left with full stomachs and full hearts for the wonderful family we just dined with. s we were walking home, I realized I forgot my cell phone. JM calls her father, and surprisingly the men of the family were following us to ensure we got home safe. My phone was quickly retrieved as was the present given to JM for her birthday that she forgot. We later learned that in spite of our assurances we could get home safely, they still followed us all the way home and waited for JM to lock the gate. Then, after quick telephone call to ensure we were locked inside Joshgu and his brother departed. Amazing.

A few things I have not mentioned while writing. First, I mention touring lush vegetable gardens as they are an important way of life for Azeri families. The fruit and vegetables are harvested to eat daily, but a great deal of time is spent canning for the winter when vegetables are sparse. Second, we gave presents to each family to thank them for their kind and caring support of JM during her training and now during her teaching. It was important to Russ and I to show our thanks to these wonderful people. And, they often had gifts for us. It was a show of deep respect and gratitude from both families. Last, the Azeri men appear to be very stoic and reserved on the outside. Given the opportunity to get to know them better, we learned these men are truly proud and honorable men who have served their country. They have great respect for male family and friends who have served with them.

Going to bed that night, Russ and I could not have been more thrilled with the town JM lives in and the people around her. There could not be a better friend than Sanyo, her sitemate. He makes sure she eats (he is an amazing cook) and is there to watch movies with, talk to and basically live life daily. Thank you Sanyo. The families we met who have embraced JM and have taken her in as one of their own. She is fortunate to have them around her. With that, we pack for our return trip to Baku as our time in Deveiche is over.

JM’s Birthday

We celebrated JM’s birthday with 6 of her fellow friends who are also AZ8. [Emily, Josh, Mercedes, Di, Cari and Jody]. Let me first start out by saying how honored and truly humbled we were to be sitting amongst some of America’s finest talent who elected to serve their country thru the Peace Corps. To the many others we did not meet and those past and future volunteers, thank you.

On to the birthday celebration….we chose a restaurant above McDonald’s because it had a large selection of food and drink, and a great view of the plaza. After everyone had arrived, Russ asked each person to provide their full name, where they were from, what school they attended and what was their occupation prior to joining the Peace Corps. We learned a lot about the group, and it was like catching up with old friends due to the blogs they write. The infamous Josh [BatfishinginMontana] and Cari [Cariazeri] are two blogs spots we follow just to name a few. More importantly, we found two more Ohio connections. Josh and Mercedes. It is uncanny how one can go anywhere in the world, and always find a connection to Ohio! Go Bucks!!

A note for others, read the blogs JM recommends and others recommend as these blogs contain a wealth of information and experiences while in the PC.

The party continued until our appetites were satisfied and thirst quenched……that is until the cake (from Ohio) arrived. With three spectacular candles, trust me 25 of these would have taken the cake down, we sang happy birthday and watched JM turn officially 25!!! Large pieces of vanilla cake and butter cream icing were served and everyone was beyond full. It was an enjoyable evening and one we shall not forget. We left the group to return to the hotel and they continued the celebration through the night.

Visiting Host Families

We have been in Azerbaijan for one full day and have found so many similarities to other foreign capital cities we have visited. Baku is a very cosmopolitan city, with considerable development and growth. Large and newer buildings surround the old town where a walk along the cobblestone streets gives you an idea of the original city. We walked past the Maiden’s Tower, a historical landmark now neighbored by a very modern building. Continuing our walk we saw the new Hilton that will open at the end of the month, a new Four Seasons under construction and many very nice buildings also under construction. We walked along the boulevard along the Caspian Sea and marveled at the beautiful vistas around us. Ironically, the other side of the boulevard is lined with the chic, high fashion shopping. A contrast to the old city a few blocks away. We are very fortunate to be here and are now off to visit JM’s host family during pre service training.

JM lived and studied Azeri in the town of Tagiev, a suburb of Sumgyat. We were invited to dinner with the family to meet the wonderful people who took care of JM for three months. Our drive took us about one hour north of Baku on a 4 lane highway littered with auto marts where one could buy a fresh kabob, fill up on petrol or purchase anyone of the fruits currently in season. Soon, we took a right turn when least expected and entered Tagiev.

Arriving in Tagiev brought about two different sets of emotions. For JM, excitement and enthusiasm for the family that took her in as one of their daughters for three months when she had limited communication skills, and for us imagining the feelings and emotions these volunteers felt as they embarked on a change beyond our imaginations. To say we were experiencing change is an under statement.

We turned on the main street toward the merchants shops and saw JM’s host mother and daughter. Her host mother runs a tailoring/seamstress shop in town. After a very warm and welcoming greeting we were taken to the grandfather’s home for a feast. The trip there consisted of taking unpaved roads, some with large potholes requiring skilled maneuvering of our driver. We would refer to these roads as paths.

The family showed up en masse to greet us and immediately took us in as their family. The Azeris are incredibly warm and welcoming people. While I had earlier mentioned they do not smile, what I learned is behind the gates to their homes, they are all about family and some of the most inviting people you will meet. Our driver, who is the brother-in-law of JM’s landlord from Baku was invited into their home and treated with the same hospitality as us. Their truly caring and warm manner made it very easy to feel at home. One must think there was a language gap, but I beg to differ. The grandfather and uncle made it very clear to Russ that JM was their daughter too and they were there to take care of her. He did not need a translator for that.

The visit opened with hot tea, fruit and pastries served out side the family home in the yard wile seated under a natural pergula made of grape vines providing wonderful shade from the sun. Grapes were picked right off the vine, washed and served. Fabulous. Fruit and herbs are also grown in the yard. Fresh figs, peaches and plums were ample and tasty. Pomegranates (nars) were just coming in and will be ready in the fall. The backyard was lush and beautiful. We talked a lot…asking questions not normally asked of someone you just met such as, “How old are you? What type of car do you drive?” The Azeri’s are inquisitive and seem to want to learn as much as possible. JM did a lot of great work translating our words, and we learned very quickly that there is something about being with family that doesn’t need translating. It was AMAZING!!!

During this time, the men started a fire in the open grill and soon it was time to cook. The tea cups were removed and cleaned, and the men stoked the fire to prepare it for chicken kabobs. Grandfather skewered the kabobs himself, first chicken then tomatoes. These skewers were easily 3 feet long……something we need to have for our grills at home. The men cooked the kabobs by laying the skewered meat and tomatoes right over the open fire to cook with no grate. Interestingly, salt was sprinkled on the coal right before cooking. Meanwhile, the women garnished the table with bowls of fresh cucumbers, onion and tomatoes (all from the garden) and fresh bread. One of the breads immediately reminded us of tortillas although much thinner. The men pulled the kabobs off the grill, the meat was placed in bowls and dinner was served.

As with most ethnic cultures, family celebrations are often around food and this was no different. We ate until we could eat no more. Throughout dinner, the men drank vodka and toasted to fatherhood and family. It was a great celebration by all full of much laughter and conversation.

Dinner was followed by fresh fruit and tea, only the tea was made outside in a samovar by the men. A samovar is a metal container that uses wood to heat the water and ultimately the tea kettle. It is wonderful sight to see. The evening continued with many more conversations and pictures. Let me stop here and discuss pictures. Many, many pictures were taken. The Azeris love to take pictures!!! We took pictures of the men, picture of the women, family pictures, sister pictures. You name it and we captured it in a photo. Our time spent with JM’s host family was great fun and will provide many years of fond memories. We were sad to leave, but had to drive back to the hotel in Baku. After many hugs, kisses and tears, we left feeling we have family any time we visit Azerbaijan.

On our trip back to Baku, we were very fortunate to go see Fire Mountain. A must see for anyone traveling to Azerbaijan. Fire Mountain is a natural phenomena due to the abundance of oil and gas. Literally, a fire burns off the side of a wall …much like an eternal flame. You could walk down to the wall that was very hot, but worth the trip. For the Hodge’s, it was a Christmas card worthy photo. While there, we met a gentleman speaking Spanish who lived and studied English on Columbus Ohio. Talk about a coincidence?! He and his family are originally from South America and have moved to Baku for work. We learned from him that there is a large contingent of Spanish speaking people in Baku. While you will here many other languages being spoken in Baku, this was the first time JM has heard Spanish. Yet another indicator of a large, cosmopolitan city. We returned to the Hyatt tired and happy knowing our travels would take us to JM’s permanent site the next day.

JM’s Home

We woke up, ate and packed for our next journey to visit JM’s home in Shabran or Devechi. Devechi loosely translates into camel riders and the bus station sits where the camel market was once located. JM’s landlord Mir Haydar and his brother-in-law met us at the Hyatt and drove us to her home that is part of the family compound. Our trip took us on the same highway out of Baku, pass Tagiev and further north about an hour to Devechi. We stopped by one of the road side markets to buy fresh watermelon which is in season. Looking out toward the west we were able to see [five finger mountain (Besh Barmaog) and the mosque]. Completely unexpected to see from where we were stopped.

As we drove we thought the landscape had many similarities to southwestern / western United States. It was dry with a lot of fine dust like the high prairies of far western Nebraska.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the entire family - the landlord’s wife, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. After much fanfare, we took to JM’s home, unpacked and rested for a bit until it was time to eat and celebrate.

JM lives in a family compound of two small homes situated behind large metal gates that are always secured. Her place is comprised of a small kitchen, a living room and a bedroom. She has decorated with photos of family and favorite things. It is interesting to be in home that she pays rent on and has decorated to he liking with items sent from Ohio. It is cozy and provides her with a lot of room to live in. Her landlord opened the back room up for us to sleep in, and new linens were purchased for us. How nice. Her shower is in another small building about 10 feet away as is the toilette. As with the first host family, the yard is filled with fruit trees that not only provide fruit in season but shade as well. Herbs are grown throughout the yard as are tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. We cannot figure out how this land is able to grow so many fruits and vegetables in abundance. The dirt resembles the clay in Ohio that is very difficult to grow crops in.

On to the celebration. The family prepared a wonderful birthday celebration for JM and the family. Her site mate Sanyo was invited over to join us as he is as much of the family as is JM. As with typical feast, the meal started with tea, pastries and fruit. As a tea lover I very much enjoy this. Following the tea, the men embarked on a conversation on family and fatherhood. Once more, Russ learned that JM is considered a daughter to her landlord and he would take care of her while she is living there. It was touching to see the heartfelt concern displayed by these gentleman. Soon it time for the meal, and we were served three sisters dolma. Dolma is a meat and rice dish wrapped or stuffed and baked in butter and oil. There are three different types of dolma. They are grape leaf, cabbage and three sisters. Three sisters dolma includes stuffed peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions were served along side. As is typical with Azeri celebrations, there was more than enough food and everyone’s appetite was satiated. Soon dessert followed which was a homemade birthday cake for JM by Durdana the landlords wife. A candle was lit and Happy Birthday sung. Durdana makes wedding cakes for a living and this showed it. It was truly a wonderful gift.

One of the unique aspects of the evening was the men toasted with Johnny Walker scotch whiskey instead of vodka. This was to pay respect to Russ being American and the father of JM, and the belief that all Americans drink whiskey. Once more, it did not take translation to understand the importance the men place on family. It was a thoughtful gesture and Russ certainly appreciated it.

Now lets talk about the candles. As we indicated candles here are spectacular. This candle was right up there in the candle hall of fame. It was one big candle with about 6 candles within it. Once completely lit, then Happy Birthday was played. From what we learned, there are many more spectacular candles than what we saw. It would be worth bringing them home with us.

The evening ended with more tea, family and conversation. Soon the family packed up and headed back to Baku. The four of us went into JM’s home and talked until late in the night. Sanyo walked home and we called it a night.

A Day In Deveiche

The next day started with the roosters crowing and daylight streaming into the window. JM made coffee for her father and her in the French press we brought with us, and tea for me. Her neighbor Ida came by to pick mint from the garden and she invited us over for a lunch of plove, a favorite dish of JM. We quickly dressed and set out to walk around the city. We walked to the main street past several men’s tea houses and to the bazaar. The bazaar was full of vendors selling fruit, vegetables, legumes, spices, etc. It is open each morning for about four hours and is an opportunity to purchase the ingredients for your daily meals. JM has her favorite vendors we visited with and purchased dried apricots. We visited the stores to see what they have to offer buying water and coke light. While the selection is not great, one can still purchase some staples. It is a bit pricey and I understand the need to send things from home.

We continued to walk throughout the city, to the bus stop, by Sanyo’s apartment and to the park. Finally, we made it to the school where JM teaches, except it was closed for the holiday. We snapped photos and JM guided us from the outside to see where her classrooms were located. It was great to see the school and it completed the puzzle that is now JM’s life. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet her teachers or any of her students. That would have been nice, but school has yet to start here.

Walking home, we stopped in a park to enjoy the peaceful and beautiful surroundings. It was a fairly quiet morning and not many people were out. As we approached home, we stopped at the neighbors to visit. Ida was not yet home, and her father-in-law graciously welcomed us into his yard for tea and sweets. He told us his yard has been used for four weddings! You could see that with the way the grape vines have grown in and provided shade. It was really a beautiful yard.

Ida’s son served us tea, that was unusual, but we later learned the ladies of the house were visiting the cemetery. Soon the ladies arrived home, and before you know it, another fabulous meal appeared – plove. Plove is like rice pilaf with cooked down fruits and onions on top. It is very good, and as we learned you only eat plove with a spoon. Never a fork and you will be gently corrected if you do it wrong. Ida’s daughters cooked for us, while we conversed outside. Her mother and father – in-law, son, daughters, and nephews joined the meal. Ida speaks good English and wants her son to study at university in America. So Russ had the young man sit right next to him and make him speak English. He was firm and did not allow him to go back to Azeri or Russian. It was a good time for both of them.

The meal ended and we soon started taking pictures. As before, we took many pictures of the table, the family, the in-laws, you name it. While Azeri’s love picture taking, they do not like to smile. So we have taken to saying “pandir” which means cheese in Azeri. After explaining, why we would say “cheese” everyone had a big laugh and we even had the family saying cheese. It was a great time.

Cooking, as you might have guessed, is very important as there are not fast food establishments outside of Baku. The ladies are taught to cook from their mothers and pass it down to their daughters. Ida and I had a wonderful conversation on making plove. There is one Azeri spice I do not have, but it would be nice to make it. (I am certain the internet has a recipe for it!!) And, Ida said she will teach JM to cook! She wants to make sure JM is eating properly and take care of her. Truly, the generosity of the people we have met has been overwhelming. I hope every visitor to Azerbaijan experiences what we have.

This update is being made by JM's parents who traveled to Azerbaijan to see the country and celebrate JM's 25th birthday. First and foremost, Happy Birthday JM!!!!! It has been great celebrating with you in Baku!!!

Traveling to Baku is an adventure. After 3 "interruptions" (as they are called by the airlines) we made it to Baku in 25 hours and our one checked bag lost. A couple of hints for those who endeavor to travel here:

1. Take your bag of personal clothing for the trip as a carry on. The bag that did not make it has gifts and presents for JM and her host families.

2. When re-routed as we were sent through Frankfurt instead of Istanbul as planned, ask the airline for a ticket manifest. We arrived in Frankfurt with nothing more that a printed itinerary and used boarding passes looking to get on a different airline.

3. Speaking of boarding passes, do not throw away ANY boarding passes!!! You will be asked for them.

4. And, do not lose or throw away your checked luggage tags. They, too, are requested at ANY ticket counter. Not too mention it is useful to have in case your luggage does not arrive.

The upside is we made it here and the hotel (The Park Hyatt which is quite lovely by the way) is working on finding our luggage. Latest is it is on Turkish Air for arrival tonight. Keep your fingers crossed.

Clearing customs was a treat. Long lines and finally we get customs agent 007. Actually his badge was 0007 but it got the man to smile and he let me smile for our entry picture. There is not a lot of smiling in this country. So if you are coming here, always remember they love James Bond! I did not know that when I called him 007 but it worked. And for those of you who like trivia, one of the movies was filmed here.

Enough of the travel details, on to the adventure. To celebrate JM's birthday, we carried a cake from her favorite bakery Mrs. Goodman's Baking Company in Worthington OH on the plane. Are we crazy? Perhaps. But the cake will be a tasty treat tonight. The cake arrived in tact, and a little smashed on one side. When ordered, we asked for it to be frozen and placed it in a plastic cake carrier inside of a Sam's Club freezer bag. It worked.

Of course the first order of business upon arrival was for Russ to teach the bartenders on the preparation of the perfect martini....surprise!!??? He is happy and the bartenders at the Park Hyatt are well schooled in martini making. As I am writing, at the bar of course, a lovely couple arrived and asked for a vodka martini. Lucky for Imran the bartender, Russ is here to give pointers!!!!!

Now that the drinks are under control, let's talk food. Not regional but hotel food. First dinner, how do I say this......there was a lot of food, and good food too, on the table?? Steak, spaghetti, pizza, salad........for JM it was a food fest. JM had to be careful to not overeat and get sick. Sticking with the hotel food, and after 10 hours of sleep, we enter the breakfast buffet. Did I say BUFFET?????? For the Hodges, there is no better word to the ears. Can I say bacon and sausage???? For JM, it was a dream, a luxury. Half a plate full of bacon and sausage and she is ready to go. For those of you who don't know this, pork is generally not eaten here, and when it can be purchased, it is expensive. Let me also add, the small bottles of jams an jellies provided by the hotel are the perfect items for JM to take to her home. As we have learned, the food can be bland so any jams and spices are wanted items.

The adventure continues after breakfast with a tour of the old city and the beautiful monuments in the city. The monuments honoring those lost in battle are very recent in the 1990's. The scars are still fresh..many died unnecessarily as the country evolved. In the old city, we saw a lot but it is raining and windy. Baku is known as the windy city -- the Chicago of Azerbaijan. A fan of Chicago as my sister lived there, they are not kidding with the comparison. As we continue on, JM takes us to her friend the rug guy. As we get ready to purchase, turns out I cannot do the bargaining!!!! I am truly the queen of bargaining...give me a cell phone and I am ready. Unfortunately, the rug guy only wanted to deal with Russ, "the man of the family." Not certain if we got the best deal, but it all worked out.

So here we are at the bar. Still enjoying the cocktails and the fine company of the Americans who joined us. Tonight is JM's birthday dinner celebration. We have 6 PCV's (that we know of) joining us. We know the word is out that parents (aka human ATMs) are in town for a free meal. Who cares......it should be great fun That is all that matters.

The journey continues and there will be more to come. Stay tuned!!

ug, I don't know why, but I never feel like blogging. Maybe because I just don't think that my life is all that interesting right now. It really is just the same old thing everyday. Going to school, going to the bazar, hanging out with my sitemates, and doing a little traveling. Right now I am in the city of Mingecevir. It is a large city with lush green trees, and even a bar, one that women can go to, called Wild West, go figure. Tonight I met a Serbian who works for the sports complex here. And for all of you who know what I wrote my senior thesis on...talking to him was quite a treat and good for my research. I am here for a meeting about the girls summer leadership camp GLOW, which is a Peace Corps world wide program. I am excited for summer, as I will get to do some summer camps and other youth development activities. My new house is great and I had a wonderful Easter brunch for the volunteers who live around me. I went to church in Baku on Sunday with my sitemates, which was really great. Hope you all had a great Easter as well! Miss you and talk to you soon!

I am currently in the lovely northern city of Xachmaz with my two sitemates. We came up here to enjoy some internet time and to do some shopping. Sanyo and I are moving into our new home this weekend and some household items were needed. For me, this meant some pretty blue, french style fabric for curtains and a new evil eye ornament to hang above my bedroom door.

I realize that I have not really told any stories yet, so here is one for your entertainment

Two weeks ago I traveled to see my friends in the central town of Zardab. At the bus station in Baku my azeri friend made sure that the marshooka (small van) would drop me off there even though it was not their destination. It was a pretty nice ride, three hours later when we reached the town of Ucar the driver stopped, pointed down the road and told me to get a taxi. Apparently Zardab was not on their way. As I couldn't come up with the language to argue with him in my shock, I got out and they drove off. The taxi drivers near by all bid for my ride and finally I went with the guy who looked the least creepy. Night began to fall and it was raining and since the drivers here fly down the road in their old soviet cars, this made me nervous as usual. After thirty minutes of dodging pot holes we finally arrive in Zardab. But now we can not find where my friend's street is. Finally after asking pretty much the whole town, a man climbs in the front seat with my driver (of course a woman would never sit in front) and tells him where to go. 15 manat later I am there, only to find out that he over charged me, of course. oh well, I was there and that is all that mattered. The next four days were relaxing as we cooked yummy food, laid out in the sun while trying to avoid the noisy neighbor seeing us in our shorts, oober scandolous. When I tryed to go up to the second story unfinished portch as Allison's house, she did not tell me not to walk on the boards and my leg fell right through the partical wood. Thank goodness for all those shots we got.

There was a good scratch on my leg, but it is healing quite nicely.

My busride back to Baku was fine, and I realized how spoiled I am living only an hour and a half from Baku. I thought we would die a couple of times, as passing on two lane roads is like a jousting tournament here, that and the smoking of cigs just meters from the petrol station. But, Mashallah I am in good health.

Mentally my health is better as well. Moving into my new house will bring much needed feelings of independence as it usually not acceptable for women to go out at night, or to any tea houses. Usually the young ones do not walk alone, but that is something I just have to do. Now when men raddle off prices for services as I pass by, I just laugh. I correct children to address me as teacher, and if something is bad, I tell my host father. I told him about a group of teenagers that were calling 'hey baby' to me from the computer gaming place, and how I turned around walked my butt right in and yelled at them. But he went later that night and Olmazed hardcore! (olmaz = that is not allowed!) while this may not seem like a big deal in the states, it is very inappropriate to do here, and those boys know better than that. The staring has gotten better as people are becoming used to my presence, but sometimes, ahhhhh. But men like my host father and the guy who gave me a free cab ride in baku because I was super lost remind me that there are plenty of good respectable ones out there.

Till next time!!! op op!

It is official! I have found a house here. It has a small kitchen, big living room, and two other rooms. My lad guy says he is redoing the hamam (bathroom with the shower) with tile!!! I have a yard with a pomagrante tree and will be moving in one month. If you are interested in sending house warming gifts :) I could use lots of candles, some salad dressing since I wil be going on a diet, and any other food/ household items you can think of.

School continues to be going alright, and next week we go on a ten day break for the Novruse holiday which celebrates the coming of spring. I have a wedding to go to tomorrow night, and hopefully I will not be forced to dance or go up and take that awkward picture with the less than happy looking couple. No one smiles in pictures here and I always feel so strange taking one. But I do know that the food will be awesome and the teachers at my school will be there to protect me from the men at the next table getting drunk, as my host father is very very concerned for my well being from them. Toodles!

finally! Time to write a blog. As I said, I have found internet at my school, but usually when I get on, I am surrounded by student saying ello teacher, ello or Salam Mualima. and then proceed to stare at my screen. But alas, I have found the computer room on the second floor that was opened today. This room is for teaching teachers in computer courses, and the woman who comes from Baku everyday gave me chocolate and tea, oh yes, this room will do much better. Hopefully in will be open more, Inshallah. Unfortunilty though there is not much to report. Life continues to go on here in the region of Shabran. I am currently looking for an empty house for my sitemate and I to move into in April. Everyone assumes that because I want to move I am having problems with my family. But I tell them that everything is wonderful there, as it is, and just explain that in America people my age do not usually live with thier families. How American is that! My students are great and we are starting to build relationships. Life out here in the region is quite different than that of Baku, or my nearby training city of Sumgayit. I no longer here jets flying over head with the call to prayer in the back ground, or loud buses honking. It is quite here and the air is fresh. We had our first major snow fall this week, and I played snowballs with my kids. I would say that finding a weekly routine has made the weeks go by much faster. I can not believe I only have seven weeks left with my host family. And once summer comes and there is no school to teach, when the TEFL volunteers become Youth Development volunteers, I have a feeling that I will be quite satified and that time will pass quickly. Ok, time to go home and eat some lunch! Bye, miss and love you all!

Hello all! a quick shout out to my family members who sent me christmas packages. Thank you so much, things like peanut butter and starbucks VIA to go are always welcomed! Also, if you ever come accross any teaching materials that you think would be good for teaching english...feel free to send it my way! Things are going well here in Shabran. My family continues to be most wonderful to me and I am so lucky to have two amazing sitemates who are the most have been helping me get through the tough times. my students are what makes this all worth it, and hopefully my teachers will come around soon enough, as we say here yavash-yavash, bit by bit. I think being here is teaching me to just live each day as it comes and to realize the small successes. For example, one of my teachers is starting to pronounce her TH's after watching me give a lesson on it to the kids. We may not be fully lesson planning until next year, but hopefully by the end of all this, we will have a complete transfer of skills. Yet sometimes it is difficuly to try to help people who don't want to work for it, yavash-yavash. Hopefully now that I have discovered internet at my school, I can do this more often. Although it gets scary in here when the teacher gets out his stick to swat the kids with. eesh! tootls!

Hi everyone!

I certainly am no professional blogger as is evident in that my family is getting better updated on my adventure through my friends' blogs more so tham mine. Shabran has no internet access, and I am currently 30 minutes north in my friend Josh's city Xachmas. For a good run down of my Christmas I suggest checking out his christmas post, on the first blog link here to the right. We went Sheki up north and partied with our friends, then I went with a group of girls christmas day to a 5th century Albanian chruch. It was very old, and very cool. It has been converted into a museum of that historical period, or so says the Azeries. However Ricky and I prayed anyway, and the woman said we were not allowed, and that now it was not a church anymore. Or friend Lori said 'well, they are in the middle of prayer.' No more was said. We then went to a movie theare and watched elf, then had dinner at a very lovely hotel. New Years was spent with my family and news day my sitemate and I went down to Baku and went out with friends that had spent the weekend there. It in very nice to have Baku so close, and I happen to pass by a fencing club, so maybe I can go check that out soon. Well, I must run, my bus leaves soon and I have to go pick up an excersise band....this fat must go!!!

I'll write soon again, when I can make it back to either Xacmas or Baku. Happy New Years everyone!!!!

Hello all! I am so sorry that I have not posted in so long. But we were told at orientation not to go off and write off steam when you’re having a bad day and post it. That we should sit on it, and so back when we are feeling better. Well, I'm afraid that steam has been coming out of me all month. I have decided that adjusting to a new culture is like a twelve step program. Month one was discovery, observations, and mental note taking. Month two was adjustment. Two was when the observations became reality and instead of looking in from the outside, I was in it, all the way in it. From getting touched on the bus, to getting sick, to having to actually teach my own azeri class, it all hit me in a matter a few weeks.But now I'm on month/ step three- acceptance. After two day trips to Baku and finding out my sight, I feel much better. Things are the way they are here, and I am learning how be myself and still accept where I am. Hopefully step four will bring a fondness for it. One step at a time, which I have a feeling will be the theme for the next two years. SO.....I am going to Shabran. A town 75 miles up the shore from Baku. I will have a sightmate, and my new host family has a grandmother, father, mother, 11 year old sister and 13 year old brother. This week we had a counterpart conference where I met the director of my new school. He seemed like a very nice man, and I am relieved to have a director who is taking a personal interest in the work I will be doing at the school. My school is in the center of town and the building I will be working in was built just last year. I am looking forward to getting to sight and starting my service, although I will miss my current host family very much! I can only hope that my next family is just as kind and loving. I hope everyone back home is doing well. I will email my new address when I receive it. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I just got back from my site visit up north to the mountains of Balaken. It was beautiful. I traveled with four other volunteers for our site visit to see current volunteers Baily and Stephanie. The air was crisp(er), and the people were friedly. This is the place for me. Although I know I am not suppose to get my hopes up about getting a site, I am going to shoot for the moon and request to go up north, so I need all the prayers I can get for it! On the marshooka ride into the city up there a couple got on that looked questionably not azeri. Then we got to talking. They were Americans living in Azerbaijan trying to get a mountain adventure company going. YES! They said we could tag along with them and be their testers for climbs. ALSO they said they need help with getting horses involved, another YES! so, I want to be up north so I can keep in contact and go climbing with them. I mentioned taking kids up and doing camps and they were totally up for the idea. Again, things are starting to come together. I know this one is short too, but I just have not found time for proper reflection and analysis. I'll write next week too. Bye for now!

I seriously have nothing to write about this week. Well, I do, but my mind is scattered trying to piece this place together. Since I'm an analytical learner, as I learned in technical training, I can't bring my thoughts together on the fly right now to try and make sense of all of this. Perhaps that is why I find the need to put everything into an anthropological context. Topics to look forward to next week for sure: My first wedding experience, Azeri views on health and illness (aka anything cold makes you sick. period.) and anything else that may come to mind while I prepare a blog BEFORE getting to the cafe. Im also going to try and bring my flash drive with some pictures on it...we'll see if I actually find time in the week to do all of it. Sag Olun!

Hello Friends and Family!

I am writing to you from an internet cafe in Sumgayit. Sundays are our day off and this is when I can come blog. So far, I like it here. The first night was tough. Getting used to the smell of burning trash in the morning and the sad look on the stray dogs' faces while I wonder if touching my hair in public is accetable was a little overwhelming. But in just five short days, I already feel like a part of my host family and am begining to find my way around.

My host family lives in one of the forgotten soviet apartment buildings accross from the shops in town. I have a mama, bagi (sister) and a gardash (brother). Thier dad is away working in Moscow. They lived in Russia for many years before coming back to Azerbaijan. My brother is 20 and went to Russian schools. He has a hard time reading the latin alpabet. My sister is 18 and does all the work in the house. She cooks, cleans, washes, everything. While my mom is a tailor in the shop accross the street. I did not think it would be possible to become family after a few short days with no language, but it is.

During the day I go to language classes in the morning, then take the marshooka, a small van/bus thing to technical training in the afternoon.

Last night was a much needed mental health night as my family went to a wedding and I got to stay home. I showered, ate Domea (meat wrapped in cabbage and cooked) infront of the TV with BBC on and drank some tea. ahhhh, alone time. Watching BBC last night really helped me put everything into precpective as I got updated on the chilean mine workers, and the elections in Bosnia. I was reminded that I am acting as part of the global community here, and in a sense, living out one of my dreams. Watching international news while in a forgien country, eating strange yet familiar food, listening to children play outside, yelling in a language I hope to learn soon... its all finally coming together, and this is just the beggining. PS - BBC over here is way better than BBC America. Like, better graphics, more world coverage...Im so nerdy.

As for Azerbaijan itself, it is much more industrial than I anticipated. Old forgotten oil wells and nuclear cylos run along the Caspain like the old aparment buildings do intown. The Russian obviously exploited what they could and left them with hardly an infastructure. The Russians did however build schools and railroads and get the Oil pumping started. As for culture, because of the economic situation, women are more independent than I thought they would be because they have to work. Yet they are still expected to do everything at home. Private is the woman's domane and public is the man's. I can not go to the tea houses unless I am with a group of mixed company, work walk alone with a man, or sip out of a bottle in public, or wear anthing exposing my knees. So it looks like Russia, but acts like the modern Middle East. Next week I plan to have a better, more eloquent account of this paradox. Sal gon!

Greetsing from Azerbaijan!

I have traveled many hours, with 62 others, to a place that can so far, only be described as a strange mix of Russian and Middle Eastern culture. We have been in a hotel for the past four days, and in a few short hours will be moving in with our host families. Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. But also excited to get out into the country and culture and start to learn. We have had some language classes and it is tough, but I think I will get the hang of it all.

I wish I had more time. More time to spend with friends and family, to re-discover the city I grew up in, to make bad decisions and to live out the rest of my early twenties as the ever forgetful, accident prone, and intrinsically lazy girl that I am. However, my time has come. Time to grow-up. So, as I go forth in faith and action, I am to remember how to use the brain that got me through college and the sense of wonder that has brought me constant joy these 24 years.

Now I go from Columbus to Phili. Bus to NY the next day, then NY to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Baku.

Adieu!

I leave you with this little ditty I wrote when a friend was moving this past year:

You can beg a gypsy soul not to go, but the addiction to independence and thirst for new experiences it too strong. We will always go, even after we have been the ones left behind.

I’m writing with no theory, no thesis and no direction! This is an abomination to the years I spent listening to professors tell me how the only way to write a good paper is focus, focus, focus! Now it seems that is the only way I know how to write. When I tried naming this blog, the only things that came to mind were phrase like “The Human Element: A holistic approach to the peoples and culture of Azerbaijan,” a title that would look great on a dissertation, not a novel. The danger in writing without direction, based purely on experience and observation is that you may go to Virginia Wolf mode, slipping into a stream of consciences. Therefore, I’m going to make this simple. The way I intend to write this blog is a mixture of my day-to-day experiences and social observations. Looks like I will have to experience my theories before I can write them.

Preparing one’s self to move into a completely different culture than your own is a mental game to say the least, and what a more opposing culture for the classic all American woman to integrate into than that of the Central Asia. Although Azerbaijan is said to be the least religious of the Muslim countries, traditions of conservative dress and separation of the sexes still persists. To what extent, I will find out in a few short weeks. Azerbaijan was not my first pick. I was hoping for something more along the lines of Eastern Europe, familiar yet different at the same time. I thought, ‘didn’t these people see that I went to an all girl’s high school and all women’s college, and they are sending me to a country where women do not enjoy the same freedoms as the men. Are they insane!’ Yet coming from the other end of the gender role spectrum, a culture where women are expected to have their sexuality defined and exposed by age twenty only to have it judged and thrown back in their faces by the media, I am, dare I say it, somewhat looking forward to keeping me to myself for a few years. The more I think about it, the more excited I become. To go to the intersection of the ancient Silk Road, with its enchanting architecture and mysterious social order, is the highest adventure I could have asked for. And I did ask for it after all.