Comfort In The Familiar

Good morning school.

The beginning of school, Knowledge Day, is on September 15th.  And every year in Azerbaijan Knowledge Day has been and will be on the 15th, even if that 15th happens to fall on a Saturday, as it did this year.  The 15th of September is when school will be ceremoniously opened and a silly little weekend day is hardly enough to stop it.

So, just like last year, and many other celebrations throughout my service, I went over to my school and stood facing the center of the courtyard, waiting for the assembly to begin.  Its a cute assembly, all the new little first formers, dressed in their sunday best, boys wearing miniature 3 piece suits, girls with massive pompoms affixed to each pigtail, marched both solemnly and haphazardly, in a way only very young children can do, around.  Poems were recited, the flag was displayed, russian dancers, girls in little chick costumers...wait-I think I've seen this before..

At Knowledge Day, I realized how often I had seen these things before.  The same two students dancing the russian minuet danced it at our holiday party, and at graduation, and at a Novruz celebration.  And the adorable little chick costumers (it really is cute), its the same Azeri children's song sung every single time at every single celebration.  Further looking into this does not disprove the point-there may truly only be one Azeri children's song.

Other times in service I might sardonically reference the absurdity of Azerbaijan.  But I left Knowledge Day feeling happy; happy about the start of school, happy to see teachers after a long summer absence, happy to have lived in this community for 2 years.  There is certainly a bit of seeing everything through rose colored glasses towards the end, but its also an appreciation for the familiar.

My assistant director expressed how much more beautiful I look clean-shaven.  I knew he would love it.  In fact he's the reason I decided to shave for these next two months, that he would get such a kick out of it.

Coming the day before Knowledge Day to watch the poems being prepared.  I don't understand them, but I knew teachers and chosen students would be there, and its a great way to come back to school.

Little concern for the fact that school is starting this week, because its only the first week of school.  The schedule won't be set in stone by the time I leave in November, let alone in the first week.  I can ease into school again.

None of these are things I 'like' about Azerbaijan.  In fact, I might not even actively remember to miss them 5 or 10 years from now.  And that is the bitter of the bittersweet.  Right now I'm at a point where I appreciate them and can even riff off them.  And its sad to know that as time goes on, many of these appreciated moments will probably be the ones that get pushed out of my memory in favor of bigger events and more central actors.

These past three weeks have easily been my busiest weeks of summer.  Between COS conference and medical, PSN training and the Sheki Race.  In three weeks I went to Baku three times, traveled to 3 other regions, and was in Khachmaz for only three nights, non-consecutively.  Coming back to Khachmaz to so quickly go to Knowledge Day was a comfort for the soul, a Grandma Ginnie's Casserole in assembly form.  It was a really nice way to start the new year.