Monday, March 31, 2008
Novrus
We just finished up our Novrus holiday. It is in celebration of spring and all Azeri people will tell you the calander new year may be January 1st but this is the real new year – the time of year when life returns and everything is growing – I think they are write – I was also told today that during their days in the soviet union they were forbidden to celebrate Novrus – but I think that was not exclusively for Novrus – I think it applied to all traditional Azeri holidays. The activities for Novrus stretch the whole month of march – Actually Novrus is on the 21-22 of March – but for some reason it is celebrated on the 20-21 now(?) For 4 Tuesdays before this date you make a bonfire – tonga- and jump threw it three times saying I leave all of my illness in this fire – then the Thursday before the final fire jumping Tuesday is the day all families – and by families I mean women – go to the graves and clean them and what not. On the last Tuesday/fire day the have the lost of extra fun and games – where they all cam from I am not sure – I don’t know if they are all Azeri traditions or have been picked up from other cultures – a lot of there holidays seem to have different elements in them – There is fortune telling – for the girls it revolves around marriage, one it you take a cup of water and a hair and ring from a married woman – you tie the ring with the hair and dip it in the cup of water 3 times them let it swing around in the cup clinking on the sides – however many times it clinks on the sides is the age you will be married – on that night some girls also eat VERY salty bread – then that night is they dream of a boy and he offers them water and they take it they are going to marry that boy - They also "paint" eggs (easter)– my family took eggs – tied them tightly in socks with pretty leaves pressed to them and boiled them in water with onion peals – they were beautiful – after eggs we did the hat thing – they take a hat – put it outside someone’s door knock on the door and hide – then the who ever opens the door is supposed to put goodies in the hat and put it back outside the door then you go get it (Halloween) Another ritual is that on actual Novrus night – in this case the night of the 20 and 21 people listen at others doors – if they people in the home are talking about good things it means you will have good luck for the year – if they are fighting and saying bad things you will have bad luck to everyone tries to say only good stuff – otherwise everyone is mad at you. Also every one grows this grain in a dish and then ties it with a red ribbon –just the grain is called samani and then there is another that is the grain but is surrounded by all type of food called xonca
For Novrus day yesterday I went with my family out to the village to visit their family – we went to 5 different houses in 6 hours and I was ate 4 different meals – I though I would be sick – And I did have fun but after hours of lots of new people speaking Azeri all at the same time, fast and being peered at(though not in a bad way) my head felt numb and I was exhausted – My family and all of their relatives are IDP’s. They are originally from the Agdam region, which is now occupies by Armenia – I guess my oldest sister was 1 or so when they fled – Two of the houses we went to were in n IDP camp – mad of tarps, mud bricks, plastic, reeds, old tin, what ever – it is strand though – even the most desolate house usually has a TV if not a satellite dish – Two other homes were in The New Settlements that have been built for IDPs – they are like freaky utopia, not because they are just perfect but because of how they look, especially in comparison to typical Azeri homes – all they houses exactly the same with little yard surrounded by chain link fences and individual pumps and outhouse – I love to watch the transformation – slowly they fence is covered with reeds and sticks - strand extra building are added made of any random think they can get their hands on – animals of any sort move in - etc. I just like it – the last house was my dads dad – he is a farmer – he lives in what during soviet times used to be a car garage – but by now it is all dilapidated with just skeletons of buildings left - by the time we got there it was dark but I want to go back when it is light – I hear he has two huge dogs – oh speaking of dogs, I saw something very interesting driving through the village the other day – there were two huge dogs on string with a group of people looking at them – I can only imaging by their size and the way the men were looking at them they were sheep dog and being sold – you would never see that in the city –I have on several occasions – especially when riding though the deserty sheep herders regions – seen people interaction with dogs – even petting them – I remember seem a man with a puppy following him one time – you could tell it was going to be huge and you knew it was his because he let it follow him – usually they chase them off viciously – another time I say a man just standing in the middle of nowhere with his hand resting on his dogs head - and even though they may not be respected they are valued in the villages for the service they provide – protection – I really want to get a herding dog and take him home –
For Novrus day yesterday I went with my family out to the village to visit their family – we went to 5 different houses in 6 hours and I was ate 4 different meals – I though I would be sick – And I did have fun but after hours of lots of new people speaking Azeri all at the same time, fast and being peered at(though not in a bad way) my head felt numb and I was exhausted – My family and all of their relatives are IDP’s. They are originally from the Agdam region, which is now occupies by Armenia – I guess my oldest sister was 1 or so when they fled – Two of the houses we went to were in n IDP camp – mad of tarps, mud bricks, plastic, reeds, old tin, what ever – it is strand though – even the most desolate house usually has a TV if not a satellite dish – Two other homes were in The New Settlements that have been built for IDPs – they are like freaky utopia, not because they are just perfect but because of how they look, especially in comparison to typical Azeri homes – all they houses exactly the same with little yard surrounded by chain link fences and individual pumps and outhouse – I love to watch the transformation – slowly they fence is covered with reeds and sticks - strand extra building are added made of any random think they can get their hands on – animals of any sort move in - etc. I just like it – the last house was my dads dad – he is a farmer – he lives in what during soviet times used to be a car garage – but by now it is all dilapidated with just skeletons of buildings left - by the time we got there it was dark but I want to go back when it is light – I hear he has two huge dogs – oh speaking of dogs, I saw something very interesting driving through the village the other day – there were two huge dogs on string with a group of people looking at them – I can only imaging by their size and the way the men were looking at them they were sheep dog and being sold – you would never see that in the city –I have on several occasions – especially when riding though the deserty sheep herders regions – seen people interaction with dogs – even petting them – I remember seem a man with a puppy following him one time – you could tell it was going to be huge and you knew it was his because he let it follow him – usually they chase them off viciously – another time I say a man just standing in the middle of nowhere with his hand resting on his dogs head - and even though they may not be respected they are valued in the villages for the service they provide – protection – I really want to get a herding dog and take him home –
Sunday, March 16, 2008
is work is work - and thats is as in work
With spring has come more work for me – Most people join the PC and are in a hurry to do something – anything – change something – get people going – Well they tell you flat out that at first there will not be much to do – that you have to make sure you are doing thing for them or things that they don’t really want in your eagerness to do something – and that even when you find people it will take forever – they are slow – For some reason people don’t listen – Maybe it is just my nature but I took another rout – I did not fight my org trying to get work – I offered – still offer but they don’t use me so I o my own stuff – not so say I have done much since I got here – I have been waiting – I figured it the people really wanted help they would come to me – if they did not have enough passion to seek assistance than they di not have that much passion for what they wanted – Well they have shown up –what PC id not say is that if they come to you they are probably moving at warp speed – too fast for me - I have one small cheese factory in a village( he searched me out in my office) – I am working with a group of Azeri women to develop a women’s center(they came up with the idea an asked for help) and am now working on an environmental camp( Ok this is my baby but if you wait around for Azeri people to come to you about the environment you might as well ie now)
CHEESE
I have a Gentleman named Habil – he used to work in Baki – the capital – evidently making good money but decided to quite and move to a the region into a village and start a business – for himself an to be able to give back to the rural community – he now has a small cheese producing plant – He had a couple problems he wanted help with – what he wanted the most was funding help – What I wanted most was to help with the business –I consider him fate because I grew up on a airy farm and my dad makes cheese now – So I have slowly moved funding to him and I am working with cheese – see ALL AZERI CHEESE IS EXACTLY THE SAME! It is white and either gooey or very salty – an oddly enough they don’t use a culture to make it so no take really – besides the salt – and one top of that every industry is dominated by monopolies to it is hard to sell it you are not the monopoly – so we are working to make a different cheese – one with culture and taste and maybe even color – if you were azeri here is where you look skeptical or maybe just baffled – we are making presses – and soon will have a recipe book to decide on a cheese then it will just be getting culture – we will have to had some stuff into his set up but it will be good - I am excited – I am also working on a label and logo for him so his cheese will be easily picked out – I just don’t know what to draw yet
THE LADIES HOUSE
My women’s center is a project I am SUPER DUPPER - cheesy excited about –They have voted to call it “The Ladies House” or “Xanim Evin” in Azeri - Ok I am trying to impress the need for a mission statement among other thing so I will give you mine and once I get one out of them maybe I will repost it –
Mission: To empower women through education and camaraderie
Well that is is in basic for – We want to offer all inclusive women’s services – genecology, cosmetology, psychology ,ect. –these services will be at a fee and will be how will are able to pay the bill – well some of them – but I am still pushing to have them offer at reduce fees especially for those who can not afford to pay – then we will have training on every thing useful an anything requested – family planning (though I hear the govt does not like this one but we will try) domestic abuse, woens rights, early childhood development, prenatal car, dental hygene. An last we want clubs and classes – computer club(there is no public place for women to go to the internet) lamaz classes, a dancing club, culinary classes, English clubs what not – and as much as anything just a place for women to be able to gather together – out side of there own homes so we want one room to be a “women’s cay xana” or women’s tea house – with couches to relax of and books to read. There is nothing like this in the region and it is desperately needed – the few org that do really work with women are located in Baki where it is much more liberal as it is – I am so excited but nervous too – I lay awake some night thinking about it – mainly sustainability- Azeris seem to get so eager sometimes they don’t stop to think about things like that – how will it last – how will we pay ALL the bill – who will run it – will they really care about it – what kind of structure will we give it – they are moving like 40 going west and it is hard to direct them to those logical problems – but I have faith – it will get there – all the same wich us luck.
My environmental camp is new and wont be held till June – they only other project I am really working on it with another volunteer at the preschool – we do art with them and we just build a small garden so we can plant whatnot and I am going to try to teach them about compost – we will see…… - me and sarah also just made them some puppets – but not sure why and they want us to paint a mural on the wall but I am not sure yet about that b/c paint is hard to come by sometimes. But I think it would be really fun to do that to I am thing about it – I have a few other this and that’s here and there but too tedious to mention – So I guess I am keeping busy these day – and to be honest it is better for me – too much down time do not sit well on me, especially here, and being able to help with things that I not only enjoy but I can see they are about gives me courage – it brings to mind why im here and sometimes I need that –
“Whatever you can do, or believe you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”
- Goethe -
CHEESE
I have a Gentleman named Habil – he used to work in Baki – the capital – evidently making good money but decided to quite and move to a the region into a village and start a business – for himself an to be able to give back to the rural community – he now has a small cheese producing plant – He had a couple problems he wanted help with – what he wanted the most was funding help – What I wanted most was to help with the business –I consider him fate because I grew up on a airy farm and my dad makes cheese now – So I have slowly moved funding to him and I am working with cheese – see ALL AZERI CHEESE IS EXACTLY THE SAME! It is white and either gooey or very salty – an oddly enough they don’t use a culture to make it so no take really – besides the salt – and one top of that every industry is dominated by monopolies to it is hard to sell it you are not the monopoly – so we are working to make a different cheese – one with culture and taste and maybe even color – if you were azeri here is where you look skeptical or maybe just baffled – we are making presses – and soon will have a recipe book to decide on a cheese then it will just be getting culture – we will have to had some stuff into his set up but it will be good - I am excited – I am also working on a label and logo for him so his cheese will be easily picked out – I just don’t know what to draw yet
THE LADIES HOUSE
My women’s center is a project I am SUPER DUPPER - cheesy excited about –They have voted to call it “The Ladies House” or “Xanim Evin” in Azeri - Ok I am trying to impress the need for a mission statement among other thing so I will give you mine and once I get one out of them maybe I will repost it –
Mission: To empower women through education and camaraderie
Well that is is in basic for – We want to offer all inclusive women’s services – genecology, cosmetology, psychology ,ect. –these services will be at a fee and will be how will are able to pay the bill – well some of them – but I am still pushing to have them offer at reduce fees especially for those who can not afford to pay – then we will have training on every thing useful an anything requested – family planning (though I hear the govt does not like this one but we will try) domestic abuse, woens rights, early childhood development, prenatal car, dental hygene. An last we want clubs and classes – computer club(there is no public place for women to go to the internet) lamaz classes, a dancing club, culinary classes, English clubs what not – and as much as anything just a place for women to be able to gather together – out side of there own homes so we want one room to be a “women’s cay xana” or women’s tea house – with couches to relax of and books to read. There is nothing like this in the region and it is desperately needed – the few org that do really work with women are located in Baki where it is much more liberal as it is – I am so excited but nervous too – I lay awake some night thinking about it – mainly sustainability- Azeris seem to get so eager sometimes they don’t stop to think about things like that – how will it last – how will we pay ALL the bill – who will run it – will they really care about it – what kind of structure will we give it – they are moving like 40 going west and it is hard to direct them to those logical problems – but I have faith – it will get there – all the same wich us luck.
My environmental camp is new and wont be held till June – they only other project I am really working on it with another volunteer at the preschool – we do art with them and we just build a small garden so we can plant whatnot and I am going to try to teach them about compost – we will see…… - me and sarah also just made them some puppets – but not sure why and they want us to paint a mural on the wall but I am not sure yet about that b/c paint is hard to come by sometimes. But I think it would be really fun to do that to I am thing about it – I have a few other this and that’s here and there but too tedious to mention – So I guess I am keeping busy these day – and to be honest it is better for me – too much down time do not sit well on me, especially here, and being able to help with things that I not only enjoy but I can see they are about gives me courage – it brings to mind why im here and sometimes I need that –
“Whatever you can do, or believe you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”
- Goethe -
spring
Spring oh Spring la di da – its shiny it bright it makes me light – oh la da da dancing a jig - if only I was irish and the river dance did not look so much like the azrie stomp these days – la fa di da, spring
The apricots are the “1st”to come into full bloom – well the first of the fruit trees – there were some before it but they are not fruit trees – the weeping willows are early to bud too and are a beautiful neo – lime green for a while. Thing have been budding out for several weeks and the Apricots have began bloom for over a week – a sour green fruit – I cant remember its name but don’t think we have it – was nest and the cherries are coming now – and I saw apples trying to do something – I love this time of year – It have been spring for weeks and weeks but the flowers make it all the better – I did hear that because we ha such a sever winter we might have a hat spring soon- but that might just be Azeri hoopla –
Turkeys are funny creature – we have several in our yard along with lots of chickens – they have always lived peacefully but a week or so ago a Turkey-Chicken war broke out - - who knows why – literally is was the roosters vs. the Turkey hens(im not sure if the have another name) the gobbler just fluffed way up and did a turkey dance – screaming – We just got another gobbler - they say he will be Novrous dinner – Well him and the other turkey have come to a truce but for a while were going at it we had too pull them apart – they are sort of funny when they fight – it is almost slow motion – another interesting thing about turkeys to me is the fact that the toms – yea I thing that is the name for the male – the change colors like a chameleon – One min there head will be a pail color – I will come back later it will be bright red and will even turn vivid robin blue –
The apricots are the “1st”to come into full bloom – well the first of the fruit trees – there were some before it but they are not fruit trees – the weeping willows are early to bud too and are a beautiful neo – lime green for a while. Thing have been budding out for several weeks and the Apricots have began bloom for over a week – a sour green fruit – I cant remember its name but don’t think we have it – was nest and the cherries are coming now – and I saw apples trying to do something – I love this time of year – It have been spring for weeks and weeks but the flowers make it all the better – I did hear that because we ha such a sever winter we might have a hat spring soon- but that might just be Azeri hoopla –
Turkeys are funny creature – we have several in our yard along with lots of chickens – they have always lived peacefully but a week or so ago a Turkey-Chicken war broke out - - who knows why – literally is was the roosters vs. the Turkey hens(im not sure if the have another name) the gobbler just fluffed way up and did a turkey dance – screaming – We just got another gobbler - they say he will be Novrous dinner – Well him and the other turkey have come to a truce but for a while were going at it we had too pull them apart – they are sort of funny when they fight – it is almost slow motion – another interesting thing about turkeys to me is the fact that the toms – yea I thing that is the name for the male – the change colors like a chameleon – One min there head will be a pail color – I will come back later it will be bright red and will even turn vivid robin blue –
Saturday, March 15, 2008
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