I put together a few bits and pieces of my sisters emails from Azerbaijan...thought you'd enjoy them as much as I did.........
OK, you gotta love this one... I'm sitting here in my lovely bank (banks are the same worldwide...always nice surroundings!!) and a lady just walked in with a live chicken....she's got it hanging by it's feet and it is just flopping around looking at everyone... I'm in hysterics!! I think even the clients that are waiting are a bit surprised... She first came up to my desk and I didn't notice the chicken but said something in English...that always scares people away...so she went off to another person and that's when I saw the chicken. I just love it!!
As I look across the lobby, all I see is a sea of black... Everyone wears black all the time... when you see color, you just gawk.... Ah, there's an old guy with a grey hat and a dark green coat... refreshing... and the polis guy has a blue shirt on... wonderful.... I love the scarves that all old ladies wear though...on their heads... all kinds of fun wool patterns... They look at me like I might die cause my head isn't covered... that's what God made umbrellas for!! OK, one guy has a fake fur hat on... that's cute... Oh, and there goes a brown leather jacket all cozy warm....and the cleaning lady has on a royal blue cotton house coat over her "black" skirt and black shirt. Of course, I'm dressed in black slacks and a black sweater... why not?? But I do have fancy earrings... dangly sparkles... everyone one wears them..they cost 1 manat ($1.25) so why not!!
No cool clothing stores although one of the volunteers told me about one called H&M that she used to shop in in NY so Judy (she was here this weekend) and I went shopping...she found a fun coat for 25AZN and I found a pair of black (of course!!!!!) jeans that will work...with shortening... for 12AZN. Not bad.... It was a fun, we'll go back often.
Yes, I love scarves... I buy them, but always forget to wear them... Just got a great turquoise one on Saturday... 3AZN. They really add a little warmth around your neck, but I refuse to put them on my head... hair is getting thin enough without compressing it!!! Found a hair dryer on Sat also... Since taking a shower is totally random,,,when the water is hot which has no pattern!!.... I sometimes have to wash it in the morning and heaven forbid if you go out with wet hair...you might die or entice some random male to want sex...not sure which is the main reason...anyway, I will enjoy being able to dry it if I get to wash it in the morning!! Ah, life is always fun. Again, every once in a while you just step back and say..."wow, I'm really adapting and enjoying the whole experience... just have to laugh at what you are doing and how things are done..." And to think, I'm still living out of 2 suitcases!! What a hoot.
The people here are very handsome/beautiful... I can see your kids in them...that slavic look...dark hair, big noses, no curls though.... well, better do something...
Just had lunch with the boss... he is so funny... "miss gretchen, what would you like to eat today for dinner?" This is a daily occurance... So, I just said "anything, I'm starved" so we had kabob... in other words it was BBQ'd meat... sheep and cow...yummmmmmy. Whatever seasonings they use, it was wonderful. I think I am starved for meat... chicken is good, I'm getting plenty of protein, but MEAT!!!! yum. There were big chunks on the plate in the middle of the conference room table and 2 small plates across from each other (every day!!). So, I asked for a knife to cut the meat and he immediately jumped up and got one...but added, "it's much better if you eat with your hands"... so I did. But I hate getting my hands dirty so after I'd had my meat, I washed and then enjoyed the greens...with my fingers and pickles and bread... this all followed by tea!! What a "civilized" dinner...
Not getting skinnier... Just toner. I still laugh everytime I just nonchantly grab my flashight, take off my house slippers, slide on my fake crocs, and stomp out in the cold, stopping to bug the chickens, and then go into my potty, turn the light bulb, set the flashight down (on it's end cause if I laid it on the floor, it would roll into the hole), squat, do my business, turn off the light, and walk back to the outdoor sink to wash my hands, then change into my house slippers at the door and I'm done. You have to roll your pantlegs up above your knees so you don't splatter while emptying the bladder!! Gotta love it. We all comment on the fact that it's hard to get over not flushing... that is the strangest part... just pee and walk... very strange, I'll probably forget to flush when I get home!!
OK, you gotta love this one... I'm sitting here in my lovely bank (banks are the same worldwide...always nice surroundings!!) and a lady just walked in with a live chicken....she's got it hanging by it's feet and it is just flopping around looking at everyone... I'm in hysterics!! I think even the clients that are waiting are a bit surprised... She first came up to my desk and I didn't notice the chicken but said something in English...that always scares people away...so she went off to another person and that's when I saw the chicken. I just love it!!
As I look across the lobby, all I see is a sea of black... Everyone wears black all the time... when you see color, you just gawk.... Ah, there's an old guy with a grey hat and a dark green coat... refreshing... and the polis guy has a blue shirt on... wonderful.... I love the scarves that all old ladies wear though...on their heads... all kinds of fun wool patterns... They look at me like I might die cause my head isn't covered... that's what God made umbrellas for!! OK, one guy has a fake fur hat on... that's cute... Oh, and there goes a brown leather jacket all cozy warm....and the cleaning lady has on a royal blue cotton house coat over her "black" skirt and black shirt. Of course, I'm dressed in black slacks and a black sweater... why not?? But I do have fancy earrings... dangly sparkles... everyone one wears them..they cost 1 manat ($1.25) so why not!!
No cool clothing stores although one of the volunteers told me about one called H&M that she used to shop in in NY so Judy (she was here this weekend) and I went shopping...she found a fun coat for 25AZN and I found a pair of black (of course!!!!!) jeans that will work...with shortening... for 12AZN. Not bad.... It was a fun, we'll go back often.
Yes, I love scarves... I buy them, but always forget to wear them... Just got a great turquoise one on Saturday... 3AZN. They really add a little warmth around your neck, but I refuse to put them on my head... hair is getting thin enough without compressing it!!! Found a hair dryer on Sat also... Since taking a shower is totally random,,,when the water is hot which has no pattern!!.... I sometimes have to wash it in the morning and heaven forbid if you go out with wet hair...you might die or entice some random male to want sex...not sure which is the main reason...anyway, I will enjoy being able to dry it if I get to wash it in the morning!! Ah, life is always fun. Again, every once in a while you just step back and say..."wow, I'm really adapting and enjoying the whole experience... just have to laugh at what you are doing and how things are done..." And to think, I'm still living out of 2 suitcases!! What a hoot.
The people here are very handsome/beautiful... I can see your kids in them...that slavic look...dark hair, big noses, no curls though.... well, better do something...
Just had lunch with the boss... he is so funny... "miss gretchen, what would you like to eat today for dinner?" This is a daily occurance... So, I just said "anything, I'm starved" so we had kabob... in other words it was BBQ'd meat... sheep and cow...yummmmmmy. Whatever seasonings they use, it was wonderful. I think I am starved for meat... chicken is good, I'm getting plenty of protein, but MEAT!!!! yum. There were big chunks on the plate in the middle of the conference room table and 2 small plates across from each other (every day!!). So, I asked for a knife to cut the meat and he immediately jumped up and got one...but added, "it's much better if you eat with your hands"... so I did. But I hate getting my hands dirty so after I'd had my meat, I washed and then enjoyed the greens...with my fingers and pickles and bread... this all followed by tea!! What a "civilized" dinner...
Not getting skinnier... Just toner. I still laugh everytime I just nonchantly grab my flashight, take off my house slippers, slide on my fake crocs, and stomp out in the cold, stopping to bug the chickens, and then go into my potty, turn the light bulb, set the flashight down (on it's end cause if I laid it on the floor, it would roll into the hole), squat, do my business, turn off the light, and walk back to the outdoor sink to wash my hands, then change into my house slippers at the door and I'm done. You have to roll your pantlegs up above your knees so you don't splatter while emptying the bladder!! Gotta love it. We all comment on the fact that it's hard to get over not flushing... that is the strangest part... just pee and walk... very strange, I'll probably forget to flush when I get home!!
Oh, and our mattress is fresh sheep fleece stuffed into a bag...very soft, easy to move... very good... I sleep on one, and under one every night... and my pillow is stuffed with more wool... Thus, no wool yarn!!!
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