From AZ to Turkey to Washington, DC

Much has happened since my last post in July. I was in a traffic accident July 22nd while vacationing in Turkey with another PCV. We both suffered broken shoulders and multiple bruises and abrasions, but received very good care at a hospital in Nevsehir and then a hospital in Istanbul.  Photos of black eyes to follow!
Peace Corps has been exceptional in providing care - including both an air ambulance plus the AZ PC doctor accompanied us to Washington DC re: Medevac and all the attendant paperwork.
It seems so many days ago but I am regaining my energy, seeing a physical therapist regularly, and trying to comprehend the impact of what happened. Returning to finish my PC service is on my mind and I am very hopeful that I can return for several months to work with my English teachers at Digah School.

For now, I am learning to accept the care and many kindnesses of others. I have my right arm in a black sling and people have been so sweet to open doors, carry my things, and even tie my shoes. It is not easy to type yet, so my posts will be short and few.

Turkey Trip - Day 6: Konya

Saturday morning. After breakfast in the hotel's lower level, Elaine and I walked to the fascinating Mevlana Museum which was crowded with pilgrims plus a wedding party.

This popular museum is the burial site of Rumi and features multiple tableaux of the lives of his followers at that time in history. (And pleasantly surprised by the nearby bike rack.)

Later, we walked to the Aladdin hill and another mosque, then returned via taxi for lunch at the Dervish hotel with the owner's older brother who had an international carpet business. That meant a trip to his office where we both photographed many carpets. However we excused ourselves once he began talking about his meeting up with an old love in Istanbul.

Time for another taxi trip to a tile museum followed by a walk to the Stone and Wood museum.

In one museum, I was excited and stunned to see a set of nesting bowls that is similar to a set of bowls I have at home in Minneapolis. Mine were bought as American Express premiums years ago and I always thought they were oriental. They are so precious to me that before I left for the Peace Corps, I had distributed my nesting bowls to 5 friends to keep while I was away. What a surprise to discover they were of Turkish design aka yes, oriental!

Always anticipating our next excursion, we bought bus tickets to Pammulke, then opted for pizza at Sifa restaurant in Konya. The Saturday evening performances by the Sufi was the primary reason for our visit to this out-of-the-way town. A new 2100-seat Cultural Center had been built for this, and we were not disappointed. We were joined by 2 Taiwanese tourists Debbie and Peggy who we had met earlier in the day. The evening ended with a round-about walk to our hotel looking for a place that sold Efes beer. To our disappointment, no alcohol in any shops.

Turkey Trip - Day 5: On our way to Konya

Early morning breakfast at the hotel before we left to get a comfortable Kamil Kac bus to Konya. This daylong trip was the best way to get to Konya, the home of the “whirling dervishes,” i.e., the Sufi sect of Islam that is considered a living heritage in Turkey. Our bus tickets included seat assignments and several stops along the way to pick up more passengers. One stop had the driver escorting me to the restroom, waiting for me, then escorting me back to the correct bus.

The mountain scenery and fields of wheat and barley were mesmerizing, but I did get in some reading of The Hunger Games on my Kindle as well as a nap. At one stop I wrote that we apparently feasted on an onion snack, sesame balls, almonds, cherry juice and chocolate. At the 30-minute stop at Anhara, the bus driver asked for my email address even tho' he couldn't speak English, and he gave me his. Oh my!

We arrived in Konya about 8:30 pm, but the local taxi driver couldn't find our recently renovated Hotel Dervis. Our Azerbaijani didn't work so well, but we finally arrived at the hotel which was a large home recently restored into a delightful hotel. The younger brother of the owner drove us in his pick-up truck to a restaurant that was still open. In its large outdoor garden, there were two long tables nearby of about 20 men eating. It was Friday after mosque. We seemed a bit of curiosity to them. After a dinner of lamb and vegetables, we somehow found our way back to Hotel Dervis walking in the dark. Feeling very safe.

Turkey Trip - Day 4: Haram Museum and 1453 Panorama

We walked to Topkapi Palace(25 TL) for 9am opening plus the Haram Museum (15 TL) within. Took lots of photos before my camera battery died: caftans, jewels, gifts from other governments and royals.

It was built in the 15^th century as an official complex then made by Suleyman into official residence.

After long morning tour, we took the tram to the Eminonu stop for a winding walk to the Spice Bazaar. An upper restaurant Pandeli was recommended for a lunch of eggplant salad & ayran. It seemed pretty dead, so we headed down to the warren of shops. Then a long walk to Sulimonye Mosque by Sinan architect – no photography allowed.

Returned by tram to the Topkapi stop where guide Carl had earlier shown us the breach in the Roman wall. We wanted to view this incredible diorama of the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. By far, this was the best educational tourist stop with audio tours in 8 different languages.

Returning to Sarnic hotel, we had our photo taken with Nadira, and the hotel staff helped order a bus for us for travel to Konya on Friday. For dinner, we ate at the hotel's rooftop restaurant where we were greeted effusively by a young waiter. Then we waited 20 – 25 minutes for our drink order to arrive! My appetizer sampler (dolmate, tomato salad, eggplant salad, & fresh cheese) was out done by Elaine's order of sea bass which was painstakingly de-boned by the same youthful waiter. Alas, dessert and service went down hill as we waited nearly 20 minutes for our check. Then back to our room to pack for the next morning's travel.

Turkey Trip - Day 3: Blue Mosque and more

Continental breakfast at 8am in the lower level of our hotel. Although much updated, the halls and stairs in this older building were narrow and confusing. It seems like every older building in Istanbul has some kind of spiral staircase that was an after-thought when the building was first constructed.

Quick walk to the Blue Mosque and Sofia Haqqia (25 Turkish Lira entry fee is about $10 US), then lunch at nearby “Cafe Meatball.”

For souvenirs, I spotted a felt doll and bought 3 sets of postcards of 3 different historic sites. After a nap, we figured out how to take the train to the Grand Bazaar where I bought a unique purse. Heading back to the hotel, we spent some time looking for a T-shop for mascara. At one point we realized that many restaurants are rooftop and not easily seen at ground level. We were hungry and thirsty so the Pierre Loti Hotel was our choice for beer and lemonade and a visit from a freeloading pigeon!

Turkey Trip - Day 2: Arriving in Istanbul

So sweet to have Elaine's host father, mother, and sister drive us to the airport at 6:30am for our 8:30 flight to Istanbul via Onur airlines. We arrived at 10:30 at Ataturk airport Istanbul, fumbled around for visa entry money in Turkish lira, then took a taxi to the Sarnic Hotel in the oldest part of Istanbul. Our room wasn't ready, so we left our bags and walked to an area along the Bosphorus for calamari lunch. When we returned to the hotel, we got a quick tour of the building from young hotel employee, Nadira. She was excited to tell us that she began learning English from PCV Ralph Murray/Murphy in her native country of Kazakhstan. She still remembers his name and admitted to having a crush on him.

I used the computer at the front desk to got an internet connection to the Vayama website. That's the site for arranging personal tours, so we agreed to meet up at 4pm with Carl McMahon, native of Boston and history tour guide in Istanbul. We started with a train ride to the Topkapi stop, saw part of the old wall, toured Kariye Museum - formerly a Christian church - then shared a taxi to get to a ferry boat heading north on the Bosphorus.

Ferries are a traditional and much used way for Istanbul residents to cross from the European side to the Asian side. One of the 2 suspension bridges crossing the Bosphorus was only finished in 1988.

We 3 disembarked for real yogurt, then took a “dolmas” yellow taxi to Kadikoy. Nothing like a fried cheese salad and Efes beer at a restaurant in an old ferry building. Elaine and I were on our own taking a ferry back, then the train, and finally the hidden walk to our hotel. The tour provided a good overview of places we'd like to see again, plus how to manage the ferries and train to get around to more of Istanbul.

Turkey Trip - Day 1: Getting to Ganja

For 7 manat ($10), I boarded a large un-air conditioned bus in Masalli to meet up with Elaine in Ganja for the start of our 2-week travel in Turkey. I was prepared for a 7-hour ride that included a one-hour stretch over the worst unpaved road in AZ. This particular bus was already 2/3 full of chairs for delivery somewhere enroute from a furniture factory. Midway thru the trip there's a pit-stop for tea and lunch and maybe purchase a phone card.

During the summer families are often traveling to visit relatives in other parts of Azerbaijan. Sometimes women approach me to ask where I'm from, are helpful in showing me the path to the toilet, or may want their daughter to meet me. I use my limited Azerbaijani language for basic conversation, might practice English with a school girl, and may even accept their invitation to sit with them and eat together.

As the bus approached Ganja, it veered off the road to a newly constructed wedding palace to unload the chairs. The driver enlisted the help of other male passengers before we continued to Ganja.

Another surprise as the bus approached this large city: the main bus station in Ganja was under-construction! So instead of stopping nearby, the driver just started announcing where he would stop. (As if everyone knows where they want to get off in a city of 250,000!) I got off at some intersection where others were getting off, and began texting Elaine furiously about my location. Since her Russian host family was picking me up, we had 3-way messaging going with her English-speaking host sister. While I'm standing at some busy corner, I heard my name called out and there was Sabrina and her parents in a car to pick me up. What a relief! Elaine's host mother has prepared a huge supper for us, and we made plans for the next morning's flight from Ganja International airport to Istanbul!

2 Week Vacation in Turkey - July, 2012

So glad that fellow PCV Elaine is a great traveler and planner. She's taken charge of making air, bus and hotel arrangements as we leave for Istanbul, Konya, and Cappadocia before we end our Peace Corps service in December. There's a 90 day window before the Close of Service when we cannot be out of Azerbaijan, so we're traveling during the hot and quiet summer before we need to stay at site.
First I'll take an 7 hour bus trip to Ganja to meet up with her, then we'll fly together to Istanbul and begin out trek. Thanks to Trip Advisor, Elaine has identified a hotel in the heart of old Istanbul and walking distance to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the spice bazar. My contribution was to find a local English-speaking guide via Vayama to give us a 4-hour history tour of Istanbul. We'll also travel via bus to Konya to see the Sufi "whirling dervishes", stay in a cave hotel in Cappadocia, and take a hot air balloon ride! So many things to do, and great to have a travel friend.

It's the little things that matter

Recently I got a ride home from the father of one of my teachers. It wasn't the first time someone has offered me a ride or gone out of their way to help me. 

This particular man is a gentleman about my age, and has worked as a translator at the Astara border crossing to Iran. His daughter Shalala is becoming my best English teacher because it is only her second year of teaching and she is eager to become a good teacher.

As I got out of his car he emphasized, "please call me for anything you need at all," and added, "Consider me your brother as I think of you as my sister." To me this has great meaning in this culture because men's role is to protect women. Even young boys are expected to look after their older sisters at school and through out their lives. Essentially he was offering to look after me as he would a sister.

Earlier that day two young boys in the photo shop assisted me promptly. Usually men get waited on in stores before women. I could be standing at the counter, but if a man comes into a shop after me he gets waited on first. But this time the boys in the shop recognized me from school and printed a document I needed for school first.

Often when I am riding in a marsrutka, people who recognize me will pay my fare. Sometimes I don't realize this until I am getting off and the driver indicates that someone already paid for me. Other times I am waiting for a marsrutka, and a driver will stop their car and open the passenger door for me to ride in the back seat. Several times this has been people I hardly recognize. I always feel safe.

The mother of my student Georgie has twice sent him over with plov (rice pilaf) and roast chicken for my dinner. During recent hot weather he has also brought me a carton of ice cream.

It is just those little things that make me smile at how I am seen here. First of all being older is a definite asset. After I started riding my bicycle to and from school, I could hear my name Peggy Hanum spoken as I rode past houses and stores. Little boys want to race me on their bikes, but I draw the line there. No way!

Here's a photo of Afat, an English teacher at another school. We get together once a week to practice our foreign languages. By the way, she only wears the scarf when she walks outside. This one is particularly lovely.

Time flew during summer activity week!

I took a week long break after the last day of school, and tried to sleep in for a few days. But the dogs, ducks and chickens next door don't have the sense God gave geese. They would join in the call to prayer at 4:30AM with howling, quacking and crowing. So I'd get up too, make coffee and read the news on the internet.

I spent that week preparing for Summer activities for 10 and 11 year old kids at my school. That meant finding some easy-to-teach games that require minimal supplies. As much as I'd love to purchase paint, markers, paper, yarn, crayons, etc for these kids, I decided they could learn a few games to play when I'm no longer here. Also, to me my school kids are especially weak in team-playing. Most focus on individual sports and accomplishments rather than playing as a member of a team.

Although I used a Games for Girl Scouts book, I got the best assist from PCV Elaine who stayed with me for a week. Each afternoon we plotted how to fill up 3 hours of time for the following day. Each morning we'd arrive at my school at 9:30 wondering how many kids would show up. There were about a dozen kids each day, but 22 different kids over the entire week. Three boys were quite surprised the first day when we told them not to come back because they were particularly rude to me and Elaine. That was an unplanned lesson: that there are consequences for bad behavior.

Each day started with the name game. That was followed by "Who's the Leader", 4 Corners, and the daily favorite, "Down by the banks of the Hanky-Panky . . ." Outdoors the kids practiced throwing and catching frisbees, played relay games, London Bridge, and gently tossed water balloons. Indoors, Elaine provided marshmallows and spaghetti for tower building by teams. One day they made origami helicopters, and another day colored cards depicting summer activities to give to their mothers!

Of course, the best part was having another PCV to unwind with, and beer and chips seemed the best way to do that! Elaine also made sure the cow and calf in my yard had water.

A Week of Frustrations & Inspirations

It's been a frustrating week as the school year closes. Every little thing looms large due to the discomfort I have in my left foot. The smallest problem becomes a bigger irritant – slimy slugs leave a trail on my kitchen sink, biking boys trick me by braking in front of me, teachers chat with each other during class, the store is out of my favorite tandir bread. Grrrr. I've yet to find the word for “crabby” in the Azerbaijan language. Even my English teachers know I'm irritable.

Wednesday I decided to stay home from school and try to stay off my feet. It has been a month since my foot became swollen and painful on the top - not at the ankle. I saw an orthopedist in Baku, but I haven't started feeling relief until this past week by taking ibupropen daily and riding not walking to and from school. I'm paying more attention to how fast I walk, the shoes I wear, and the amount of gravel I walk on. I suspect it was sharp gravel under the ball of my foot that caused this problem initially.

This morning I'm sitting outside in the sunshine waiting for either the water truck to come by or a “master” to arrive who can repair the water pump so that it fills the water tank for my house. I only need to fill it about every 6 weeks but wıthout water I can't cook, bathe, wash clothes, etc. It's a frustrating weekend when I can't do household chores. Well . . . there is one thing I learned to do for my mental health back in Minnesota: pull weeds! My yard is without the grazing of a cow and her calf. One of them snapped the electric wire leading from my house to the water pump, so the landlady won't allow the farmer use my yard again. (My neighbor Sakit spliced the electric line, but the pump still doesn't work.)

I do a little self-talk to get me out of my pissy mood by thinking instead about all the positive things that happened last week. Here goes:

• great language sessions with my student Georgie; he loves the visual dictionary
• Georgie brought me tandir bread from his father's store
• I killed those slugs with slug pellets
• my home phone and internet are working again
• a shy 5^th form boy started speaking English in class this past week
• students gave me many red roses on Friday
• I introduced another English teacher to the new restaurant in Masalli
• the new school director requires assembly and national song before school starts each day
• I am reading All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
• Facetime video chats with Anton, Tracy, and Deb S. this past week!

For added interest, here are a couple photos from a weekend in Baku with PCVs Elaine and Suzi. 

We went to the site Atashgah where Zoroastrianism began (fire worshipers) plus located several homes (now museums) of early 20^th century oil barons, and the Aristocrats Society in the old city. Best of all we had great meals (Shamrock burgers and Caesar salads and white wine) and laughs (don't ask about whales) together.

Toys have their own personalities!

I've been invited to 6 or 7 toys (weddings) since I arrived in Azerbaijan in Sept. 2010. Last night (April 7th), I attended the toy for the daughter of my English teacher Irada. I'm starting to notice that not every toy is the same. In fact this one had the additional intrigue of including my school's director Naila after it became known last week that she has been ousted from her job! Naila and Mother-of-the-Bride Irada were classmates years ago, so that friendship meant Naila was seated with family and friends of the bride. She did not sit with the other teachers. There has been much talk in the teachers' room but my reliable source told me that she had been given a warning already last September. (That issue requires a separate blog.)

At other toys, I've been seated with friends of the couple, but last night I was seated at one of the many tables for teachers. That was the first thing that I noticed was different - the teachers' tables were not up close to the couple's throne. Then the family and friends of the couple walked into the room ahead of the bride and groom - women and men came in separately of course. Also notable to me was the fashion worn by many of the women relatives - and I don't mean 6 inch heels, but stylish, non-black dresses! 

After the grand entrance by the bride and groom, they stood together for a few brief words from their parents, but there was no ceremonial cutting of a red ribbon around the bride's waist. The muscians included a fiddler and the music was a mix of mugam (traditional) and some popular songs. I did chuckle to myself that the musicians were dressed alike in plaid western-style shirts with elbow patches.

The above photo shows the lovely couple Huseyn and Leyla with Irada standing next to her daughter. English teacher Mehpara, best friend of Irada, is standing next to the groom. I'd never seen either of my teachers with their hair down.

The food was similar to every toy I've been to. Individual loaves of bread, bottles of  juice and water on the table, mimosa and capital salads, roast chicken, cucumbers and tomatoes, cooked beef, and platters of kebobs followed by a plate of plain plov with a dish of toppings. I sat with the older women teachers and this was the first time they were snobbish enough to not touch the plov. I guess it didn't meet their standards. I was the only one who thoroughly enjoyed the grilled lamb chops - also a first for me.

 Also a first (for me) at this toy were the male and female teachers dancing together. Well, not really together, but at the same time in separate dancing circles. That was thoroughly enjoyable, but alas I had no one use my camera to get even one photo of me with my school's teachers. There was a video camera taping me, so I'm sure I'm on the wedding video to be played over and over again in the future.

It was also good to see my first counterpart Qafur Muellim who had been forced to retire due to his age. Since I came with my next door neighbor/teacher, I also agreed to leave with her early. That meant missing the balloon drop and wedding cake. For some reason, I was really hungry for ice cream when I got home, but that season doesn't start here until after May 1st.

I'll have a separate picasa album of the many other photos I took. 

Building boom in Masalli

I took some photos when I first arrived in Masalli a year ago, so it's interesting to see dramatic changes in the streets and shops in this town. I first started recording photos of the wonderful tandir bread shop located near my former host family's apartment. I was able to look down on the shop from Sally's balcony for the first shot. The second photo was taken in January when a small sign was surrounded by empty store fronts. On March 30th I climbed through construction scaffolding (bottom photo) to discover new ovens and many women working again.

A long stretch of the main street in Masalli, Heydar Aliyev Prospektus, looks very similar to the photo above. Many small shops were demolished, and none - except the bread shop - have re-opened.

Masalli also renovated a former community building that was located next to the Cultural Center. Gone is the squared-off style of the soviet era, and a new facade has arching windows similar to the nearby Cultural Center. It will now be a youth center with meeting rooms, a gallery and auditorium.

Two weeks ago, the President of Azerbaijan visited the new youth center, new telecom building, and the new green house which is located a stone's throw from my house. The road he traveled on was spruced up as well as any buildings along the route. Even the local garbage burner was demolished, fences put up and trees planted. Here is an earlier photo of an abandoned building plus the photo of how it looked when the President went past it.

Retraction: Spring is not here yet!

What was I thinking 10 days ago when I noted some signs of Spring? Overnight, (it's Saturday morning, March 17th), Masalli had 3 inches of heavy snow and the forecast is for -5 degrees Celsius on Sunday! I'm back to putting up a clothes line in my bedroom, wearing layers of warm clothes, keeping that heavy sleeping bag on my bed, cranking up the gas stove, and being amused by cold-blooded ducks wallowing in the muck in my yard. I have not heard a bird chirp for days.

Azerbaijan is in the midst of celebrating Novrus - the anticipation of Spring - but I think we are all in a funk. Reports of snow and ice and cold and wind are not exciting. One comfort is the food that is prepared for evening meals. 

I went "off text" Wednesday morning for 10th form class and asked students to name in English all the different foods they ate the night before; and also what things they did for Novrus. They reported jumping over fires seven times, hat-tossing, fire-crackers, telephoning or visiting family members, and watching Novrus in Baku on TV. 

They ate different things though, and it was fun to hear them discover what their classmates' families eat. Plov and roast chicken were traditional for all, while others said sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, mimosa salad, vegetable greens baked in scrambled eggs, dolmas, plain yogurt, fruit juices, fresh fruit, nuts, dates, Coke and Fanta. Of course, tea is served with lemon, sugar and candy.

I had dinner with site mate Sally at the home of her school's director, and recognized his wife's great culinary skills. I've eaten many of these same dishes during the past year, but hers were notably the best tasting. I suggested to Sally that we invite ourselves to her home for cooking lessons before we return to America. 

Here's a photo taken at the end of the meal. Note the wheat grass symbol.

Next Tuesday, March 20th the actual first day of Spring, I'm invited to the home of Naila, my school's director. I'm more interested in helping her with her leadership skills, but mostly curious about what her house is like and what food she will prepare. And what is her husband like???

How to Tell if it's Spring Yet

Little things I notice as the weather gets warmer:

• I can hang clothes outside on the clothes line
• Tiny blue flowers poke thru the trashy weeds in the yard
• I cut back on the layers of clothes I wear
• Only 1 pair of gloves instead of 2, and no need to wear a hat (some days)
• I can turn off my gas stove for several hours
• I can take the brown monster sleeping bag off my bed
• The roads and mud start to dry out
• I don't have to wear my rubber boots to school
• Lots of walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds for sale at the bazar
• Birds are chirping in the morning; and baby lambs bah-bah-ing
• Daylight comes earlier and stays later; fewer cloudy days
• People seem in a good mood.

The snow from a recent overnight storm has already melted. But the slog to school that first morning meant few kids attended plus the school had no heat. I did capture one brave little boy as he made his way ahead of me. It's no wonder that Novrus is so anticipated. It's been a long Winter.

 

Getting through February

It's day #3 of frozen water pipes, but I'm not complaining because it's day #10 of frozen pipes for a fellow PCV in Ganca. I'm in the southern region of Azerbaijan, so the cold wave seems not as bad here. And thanks to the year around water-truck delivery system, it is possible to get some water. The truck drove through the neighborhood yesterday, sounding a distinctive horn so that everyone could set out containers to be filled. I regretted not buying large empty jars last Fall, but managed to fill a large canning kettle. And after the truck left, I spent some time visiting with my neighbors over tea.

Although the water pipe from the holding tank to my house runs underground, there's a 10 foot long section that runs up the side of my building. I'm assuming that's where the pipe is frozen and it'll stay that way until it warms up. So far we've had snow every day for the past 6 days totalling maybe 4 inches. School has been closed 4 days due to the weather, and one morning I simply was afraid to walk due to the slipperiness. Here's a wintery scene of a house near mine.

With no water coming out of the faucets, I minimize the use of the water I do have. I use a little bit of water in a basin for washing dishes, heat a bit more to rinse the soap off, but make sure that rinse water runs back into the basin. When that water gets dirty enough, it's used to flush the toilet. I've washed a few clothes, but I don't rinse out the soap as much as I'd like to. Water becomes precious since I don't know the next time I'll have more.

Nevertheless water is essential for the national drink here - tea - which is kept ready for guests. Loose tea leaves are first put into a wire basket inside of a small teapot. Boiling water is poured from the large teakettle into the small teapot to make strong tea. Some of that tea is poured into a cup and boiling water added to fill the rest of the cup. In that way, the tea is strong or weak tea depending upon the amount of tea first poured into the cup. Both teapots are kept on a stove (petch) like mine so it is always hot. For fresh tea, simply toss out the tea in the small pot and start over. Sugar cubes or wrapped candies are always served with tea.