Stuff that bums me out:
Waking up and wishing I were with my favorite person
Walking through 1/4 mile of mud twice a day
The dead cat near Beth's house
Cramming onto buses
Speaking my classroom Azeri and not being understood
All the damn Masazir construction that screws up my daily, and expensive, commute to Sumgayit
Stuff that makes it worthwhile:
Unhurried, sunlit mornings in the kitchen with my mother, an Azerbaijani language teacher
Persimmon jam
Freshly baked bread
Kittens
My awesome and beautiful host sister
My adorable host cousins
Moments of genuine Azeri hospitality
Azeri teachers of English who are excited to speak English with me
The slow but perceptible improvement in my Azeri language skills
My host relatives' excitement and enjoyment of my Azeri cultural learning
Yesterday was a typical rollercoaster day. I managed to have my first moment of mutual comprehension with my host mother's mother - yay! I looked at crafty blogs describing apple cider and Halloween treats and got really homesick - boo! I did a decent impromptu American-style English lesson to 8th grade students - yay! I walked home through the mud in near dark - boo! My host mother and relatives gather together to help me practice for my language assessment interview - yay!
I keep on keepin' on.
Shira and I in Gobustan.
1 comment:
Way to fight through the mundane troubles of your day-to-day to find bits of joy in your new experiences. I'm sure you're becoming more sure-footed with each passing day, and I hope that the days come out more and more positive on the balance.
Along with the nice parts of Seattle, you're also missing some crap weather. The summer lulled us into complacency, and now autumn leaves us with wet toes and short days. I constantly have dirt splattered on my bike and bag. (Gotta put those fenders back on!) Still, there are a few gems to this time of year; I'm watching the scullers glide through the cut on today's cold, quiet morning, popping in and out between the reds and yellows of the tree's turning colors. Vista Café is empty.
Can't wait to see some more pics of your home and surroundings. Put some up when you find the time.
Good luck with the language assessment interview!
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