Birthday Party!!!

PARTEHHHHH! This is what life's all bout righttttt?! About...like....uh......a week ago or something, one of my buddies turned, can you guess? 15!!!! Since like one of the only places you can go to have a party is the Baku Entertainment Center, this is where he had his party!!!! It's kinda smoky, as all of Baku is, but it's still hecka fun! =) There are drinks, (don't worry, I only sampled the Pepsi, nothin with alcohol) bowling, pool, and video games, but those cost mula, so we didn't bother with that. I was SO awful at bowling, but I had a blast! OH YEH! I was pretty unreliable when playing my game. A couple times I got strikes, while a few others I made gutter balls on both tries! Mostly, I only managed to knock over around 5 pins each time I was up. My friend who turned 15 is Lucas, from Austria. He's in M4 at TISA, and in my class; M4B. Each grade, or level is split into two classes: A and B. Some of the guys were experts at bowling, as there isn't much else for them to do around here, cuz they don't go shopping. TOP: This is a picture of me and some of my friends. The B-day kid isn't in this picture, though he's in some pics below. Top left: With hat, Amy. She's Korean. She's cool and fun to hang out with. To right of her:Aase, she's Norwegian and one of my best friends. Almost all Norwegian people are blond, it's crazy! Next over:Quitterie, she's French. She's just...crazy! It's true when people say French people are forward. They're not embarrassed about silly things like Americans at all. Sharmeen is next to her. Her and her sister Shirine are from Pakistan. They're twins and both in my class. Farid is next to her. He's from here, or rather, Azerbaijan. He looks a bit tall in this pic. Though he's tall, he's not THIS tall. I'm pretty sure he was standing on a chair or something, here. Of course, in the striped shirt you see, MWA!!!! Then, to the right if me is Hunter. He's not in my class like these guys. He's in M4A. Saying he's mental is a understatement. He's just Uber mental/crazy...but hilarious at the same time.

Here again are Quitterie and Amy. The other girl is Katya. She's from Alaska, and this is her first year here in Azerbaijan as well. And, she's a vegetarian! She's in M4A though, not my class.












Here's Aase, Sharmeen, and Quitterie with the birthday boy Lucas! He jumped up behind them for this picture, which is why he looks...weird? Tall?












CHEESE, EVERYONE!!!














Here's this one kid Marcel just being weird!


















Here's more weirdness!!! Why can't anyone just be normal? Lincoln in orange, Farid in white, Hunter in the triangle, and Sharmeen peering out from behind them. Don't worry, she's not crazy like them. :)

A Wedding Palace

The second week we were here, we were invited to attend a wedding, Baku-style. Here am I with a Vice-Rector from the Azerbaijan University of Languages, Jala Garibova, who kindly asked us to come with her. Note the numerous bottles of spirits (we drank juice) and plates of fruit/veggies/bread/other dishes.

These days for weddings folks in the city rent giant "wedding palaces" and throw a phenomenal party with a band so loud you can't talk (or, at least, you can't hear) and more food over several hours than anyone can eat. The nicest part, according to Marlys, was that we didn't have to sit through a long ceremony. There are brief rituals interspersed throughout the evening--a traditional dancer bringing a ring to the bride, waitstaff bringing in the national dish all aflame (a pastry covered rice and meat thing--I didn't eat the meat, but the rice and veggies were lovely), and of course numerous family members and groups of friends making small speeches and toasts interleaved with music--but this was largely just a very big, loud, energetic party. I commented on what this must cost and was told that because the custom is to give the couple and family money for their wedding, it generally equals out.

Here is the live band and singer. They played everything from covers of popular songs (one sounded a LOT like beach boys' barbra-ann, but was "Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Maria") to ethnic minority traditional song/dances (Lezghian). Music here is where the cultural continuity seems very strong--most of the poetry that still lives in everyday life seems to be through song and oral tradition. More on the strange world of Azerbaijani literacy another blog...

Note above their heads the video screen. There were several of these spaced around the hall, with a camera person constantly taping different parts of the wedding party (dancers, eaters, bride and groom, rituals) so that everyone in this huge hall of hundreds of folks could see up close the very party they were part of. So it was kind of like American Bandstand when the dancing started in earnest...



This is me making some attempt at the graceful arm and hand movements in Azerbaijani dancing. I was told I did well "for my first time." Mother of the bride in the gold dress is at right. Jala wasn't dancing because she was within a year of a death in the family and so the mother of the bride was kind enough to take us strangers onto the dance floor. Women danced with women, women danced with men, men danced with men. The dancing scene was as fluid as at a Greatful Dead concert, with folks moving on and off the floor and turning one to another at different times.

The men here like to dance and are good at it. There was one song that mostly men danced to with great foot stomping, building up to arms around each other's shoulders fast circle dancing. I was told the song was an old oil workers song and that's why mostly men danced to it. Footwork, like the women's hands and arms during dancing, was intricate and subtle. There was plenty of booty shaking from some men as well.

In general, same-sex friends are quite physically demonstrative and caring of each other with handholding and cheek kissing the norm for both men and women. Romantic couples, however, do not get physical in public with the exception of occasional handholding, or leaning on each other bench sitting down by the sea. And heterosexuality is very much the assumed norm, though a law was passed some years back explicitly making homosexuality NOT a crime. There is a certain general tolerance for others here that reminds me of Thailand. It seems very important to fit in, and one is aware of fairly conservative norms of behavior (and dress when in the countryside--shoulders and knees covered for both men and women) but on the surface diversions from the norm seem to be tolerated and are curiosities mostly. I'm sure I only see that surface right now though.

In the picture of Marlys and I dancing, notice the sparkly confetti on the floor? Every 30 minutes or so, a guy would wheel out a confetti "canon" made of what looked like big black PVC pipe, and fire it over the dancers--then wheel it back out of the way. I've never seen anything like it.

Also periodically, the bride and groom would return to their "throne" seats on the dais to let people takes pictures with them. Unfortunately, the pictures of us with them didn't download properly to this computer--so here's some other folks with the bride and groom. Next--I promise I will get Marlys on tomorrow here to describe the exciting fire we had across the street a couple weeks ago.-Alison

Caspian Swim Time

So, despite warnings about the pollution we took the plunge two Sundays ago and went to the beach west of Baku for a wonderful swim day in the Caspian. Yes, it doesn't LOOK polluted, so you can almost forget. And the water temperature is heavenly.

Our friend Parvin and her son took us on the city bus--about a half hour bus ride, less than 25 cents each way. We picked up the bus a short walk from our apartment. We brought a picnic lunch of veggies, fruit, and bread--Parvin also brought hardboiled eggs and boiled potatoes--and a local brand of fruit loops for snacking (loop colors are not quite the same as in the US).
Look closely at the pic to the left (none of us pictured) here and you'll see an oil rig out to sea.
The sand was raked clean of most cigarette butts and while every umbrella filled up during the day, it never got crowded. If only it weren't for that darn oil rig and I think tourism might have a good shot as a serious industry here. It certainly was as nice as Baha.

The newest university here is a university of tourism--includes economics and English and I hear good things about the Rector there.


Ah--here's a better shot of those durn oil rigs. Not surprisingly, many of the Americans here working for British Petroleum are from Texas. This is a shot of Marlys (left), Parvin (center), and Vatan. The latter's name means "Motherland." Nice.

The area here is as windy as Chicago (I take this on faith since I only remember driving though Chicago once) and I'm certain that together with the sun, the wind and waves could offer much renewable energy--and likely will, after the oil runs out. Who gets the money from the oil? No one is sure--or, they know who isn't getting enough of it: infrastructure and education.







And here are Marlys, me, and Vatan.







The play structures were used by a few families at the beach, but most folks who came were couples and groups of adults. Some wore very skimpy swimsuits that Parvin was not keen about, but no outright Euro-nudity. Folks did bring beer (piva in both Azeri and Russian) and seemed to be having a nice day of it. One funny thing--when we went to go wash up for lunch, the water was not on--and no one could seem to get it turned on. This is normal outside the center of the city, but I'd think it a bit challenging for a resort-like place!












And just to bring you and our sunburnt selves (yes, we wore sunscreen--which doesn't help if you spend fours hours in the sea in direct sun midday--duh) back to earth, below is our view as we waited out side the beach gate on the road for the next bus to come along. This is Alison signing off for now. Moooooo!

Taste of our Life

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RIGHT:Tic-tac-toe! Three in-a-row!
Here's a better pic of the kittens that I mentioned in the first post. By the way, this is Marlys not Alison blogging...Anyway, this momma cat and her three kittens (one's not in pic) have decided as of five days ago or something, that our parking lot isn't good enough for them anymore. We think they may have re-located to the vegetable market behind us.

WATERMELON PICS: As you can see, we got HECKA watermelons here right now! I mean, HECKA!!! They are sooooooo good too! :D These watermelons are sold everywhere at the moment since they are in season and RIPE. The pic below the two of watermelons galore is of me, for the second time, making the bombest juice!!! Can you guess what kind? :) Mom found a wooden hammer thingy that worked well at mashing up scoops of watermelon in a bowl placed over a colander. Ohhhh......after having her read this, she has just informed me that it's a pestle...RIGHT...and I was supposed to know THAT...ANYWAYS...after mashing up the watermelon (it pretty much drains right through to the colander) you get to DRINK IT!!!! yummmmmmm! As we have another half watermelon sitting in our fridge at the moment....I might be making some more of that stuff soon...



Well,as you can see these pics are of "Manats" here, which is their currency. The manat is actually higher than the dolar at the moment, as most currencies seem to be...Just thought you might like to see this. I have to say, their money is more original looking than ours is, that's for sure...

Pet Truck

From Alison: When I read other blogs I am amazed at how many good writers there are in the world. This is likely because I teach mostly academic writing--something pretty much nearly impossible to enjoy--the writing, not the teaching, thank goodness.

One of Marlys' friends wanted more pictures of Azerbaijan and we will oblige as we get better ones. Mostly we have been concerned with living here--finding the good groceries, good places to cross the streets, negotiating directions with taxis. It's amazing how the mindset shifts when you live in a place--not in picture-taking frame of mind at all.

But this is one scene I finally remembered to get the camera for after hours of watching the neighbor boy down in the back courtyard/parking lot lead his little SUV around on a leash. I wish I had a video of him carefully taking it up the stairs to his apartment and then tying it--again very carefully--to the railing on the porch when his parents called him in for dinner. Ok. So it's sentimental. But it was very cute nevertheless.

We found the "Hong Kong store" where the DVDs arrive in giant boxes from China and movies and TV series cost about $3.50--or 4 for $12. Of course we bought some, since our Satellite TV choices that the landlord preselected include 4 channels of news-ish stuff (BBC World, France 24, AlJazeerah, Russia Today) and about a 100 porn advert channels (which offer such explicit teasers I'm not why sure anyone would bother paying for the full films/phone ladies). Needless to say I ran through all 250 or so stations and wrote down the ones I thought had any value for us so that we could avoid repeatedly setting off Marlys ' "eewwww" alarms. One nice thing from the DVD store--they warn you when the DVDs are the "filmed in the theater" variety. They say "it is not real DVD--it is dark but watchable." Very helpful and honest, eh?

Marlys will be on tomorrow with a kitty update and perhaps more pics...And thank you to Doug for proofing our blog for us--gives you all a reason to return and read the "new and improved" versions! No promises they will be more correct, but they may get longer...