Its gone around that Azerbaijan is part of the Posh Corps. We're not sleeping outside in mosquito nets or having to dig our own latrines, but instead get to sleep inside on beds where our feet can hang off and squat over holes. For some reason, some volunteers in struggle with this feeling they're not getting the full Peace Corps experience. I have none of these concerns and feel more than blessed to have running water and electricity. One gets a pretty legit experience simply from living in a developing country, speed learning a language, and trying to work with youth and adults who speak little to no English.
Instead of having to adapt to a completely different way to exist within the natural world, the biggest adaptation required has been back to a lack of independence. We have been, accurately, described to the families that host us as incapable of doing what they might think are the most basic tasks. Cooking our own food, washing our own clothes, etc. Now this is only partly true. It is not that we are incapable of accomplishing these items, only that we are not versed in the Azerbaijani style of doing it. Thus we trainees recess to the capability of a child in this environment remembering with nostalgia and angst our time in the US, as an adult.
The food has been a mixed blessing. Azerbaijan natively grows a massive variety of foods, yet the day-to-day cuisine is startlingly limited and swimming in oil. However, this past week offered a glimpse of future salvation. On Monday we all left for Site Visits and I got to stay with a Volunteer who lived on her own, transforming into an independent adult again. The site visit was awesome in every way, but most exceptional was the ability to cook again. The three of us (myself, the volunteer, and another trainee) were all cooks and eaters. The following is what we ate. All the ingredients were fresh and local. Prepare to drool.
Monday lunch: Eggplant and tomato pasta
Monday dinner: Deep dish pizza with homemade tomato sauce, gouda, peppers, eggplant, and onion
Tuesday breakfast: homemade granola and milk
Tuesday dinner: leftover pasta and pizza, zucchini fritters, gouda apple flatbread sandwiches
Wednesday breakfast: homemade granola and milk
Wednesday lunch: chocolate pomegranate pancakes
Wednesday dinner: fried green tomatoes, twice baked potatoes, beans, homemade salsa, homemade pita chips
Total cost: 28 manat (about 35 bucks), cost per person: about 9 manatee.
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