Babble

I can’t believe that it’s already time for me to pack again. It really does feel like I just got here, but on Friday morning I’m flying out of Baku for Halifax. No more Latvian potato chips for a while for me. I’ll be spending Friday night in London and will arrive in Canada Saturday afternoon. Somehow, I think I should be planning what I’m going to take with me, but my head hasn’t gone there yet. It feels too soon to leave. Before I go, I still have one Azeri language class (plus the homework) and dinner at Ali’s tomorrow night to think about. John is planning to take Thursday afternoon off and if Roza can’t reschedule our 3 o’clock lesson to an earlier time, I think we’re going to pass on this one so we can spend the day together, wandering the streets like a couple of tourists. (Here’s to Roza being all booked up tomorrow so I can also avoid my homework and pack….or watch Desperate Housewives.)

Last night John took all of the staff out to a Turkish restaurant for dinner….nothing fancy but great food, menus in three languages, and big huge slabs of warm flat bread brought to the table. I think I had the best chicken soup I have ever tasted in my life last night for less than two bucks. The entire bill for a party of eight with beer, appetizers, soups, entrees, tea, desserts, and tip came to $125. On the way out the door, we each got a free squirt of lemon hand wash…..which I was told is what is done when you leave a Turkish restaurant.

During our dinner, the conversation turned to the subject of Ali’s sister’s wedding which is coming up soon. First will be the bride’s family’s reception which will be attended by the bride’s friends and relatives, and close relatives of the groom. We’re talking 400 people, here. The following week it’s the groom’s family’s turn to put on the spread which will be heavily attended by his friends and family, and close relatives of the bride’s. I’m not sure when exactly the actual marriage takes place but I do know that it’s a civil ceremony and that the bride goes back to her father’s house for the week in between. I guess that would mean they aren’t married until the groom’s party is over because that’s when they go off to their new place. The groom’s family buys the couple a house and it is the bride’s family’s responsibility to outfit that house with EVERYTHING! I’m not sure who gets the better deal here. Ali and his family had been out shopping all day for electrical things: refrigerator, TV, DVD player, washing machine, espresso machine, iron, toaster, hand mixer, kettle, and so on. I think they’ve already bought the furniture and still have to get the sheets, towels, curtains, rugs, cutlery, dishes, and all that other stuff. Ali said they have to buy everything for the house.

In order to pay for all of this, the whole family must contribute. His brother is supposedly selling his car, and John mentioned something about Ali trying to sell a cow back in January….for the day that they donate animals to feed the poor. (Usually it’s sheep but if you have lots of money a cow is considered an appropriate donation.) I’m not sure if he was kidding or not when he offered the cow to John….. we’d be sheep level donors back in the States. And if I get into how they bring the sheep into the city so people can buy them for slaughter that day, I’ll get way off track….so I’ll save that for later….except, I hear that they actually kill them for you on the side of the road. And, well…..someone like me isn’t about to lead a sheep home at the end of a rope for slaughter in the backyard, so I see that there’s a reason to provide the service…but still…..I know it’s for charity and all that….but…ick! I believe that’s on January 10^th and I could definitely arrange to be still back home on that day…….or learn not to be such a baby.

So….back to the wedding which I am sadly going to miss….John will go for both of us and leave an appropriate monetary gift at the door. Money is the traditional wedding gift (since they seem to have everything else right down to the salt and pepper shakers). The money is used to pay for the wedding. The amount of your gift depends on two things; your closeness of your relationship to the family, and how fancy a spread they put on for the party. Someone will be waiting at the door to record your gift in a ledger as you enter…..I love it!

Novruz is coming to an end now and that means the traffic will be back to its usual crawling by the weekend. It’s been great getting around the past week or so. The only real congestion has been right in the downtown core and it’s been much better, even there. I guess the only bad thing about less traffic is that four lanes of partially open road (more than 2 car lengths in front of you) encourages people to drive a lot faster. I have no idea how entire families, toddlers included, can venture out into the middle of speeding traffic to negotiate crossing eight lanes of cars moving at fifty miles per hour. I tried it once…..standing frozen on the center line, while a herd of Mercedes Benz’, BMWs, and Range Rovers competed for three lanes of space with a bunch Ladas, and old rickety trucks. It was enough to make me pee my pants in anticipation of becoming the latest piece of road kill. John was there, too, and he pushed me as I stood immobile on the yellow line…”GO!” I went….but crossing the big ones isn’t for me. You have to commit or you’re doomed. Running back and forth between lanes like a frightened fox on the interstate will get a Toyota logo branded into your backside for all eternity. I guess that’s why they take the babies out there, so they learn how to do it properly from the time they are old enough to wander out between parked cars. I mean…..these people look so calm out there and for all the crazy-make your own lane-pass wherever there’s a free inch-drive on the wrong side of the road kind of driving, there aren’t really many accidents. I don’t remember seeing one since I’ve been here. **Edited to add that there are usually over 400 car pedestrian accidents in Baku a year.**

Maybe that comes from attitude. The other day, this guy in a white Mercedes cut us off….big time close call and Ali’s hand flipped out the open window. White Mercedes guy’s hand flipped out his window and they had a little hand to hand as we sped along to the next red light. There, Ali pulled up behind him, stuck his head out the window and apologized. When was the last time I saw that happen?

The people here are very nice….to each other….to everyone. That is the biggest impression I’m taking away from my first month in Baku.