4/21/09

Playlist #7: thesearetherunningsongs

“Sasha, what are you doing?” Common question here, warranted or not.
“I’m running.”
“Why?”
“It’s good for your health. And since I’ve been in Azerbaijan I’ve gotten bigger.” I roll my hands over my stomach.
“Aren’t you cold?” I am wearing a neon green Azerbaijan t-shirt and black sweats to cover the unmentionable parts of my body i.e., my knees.
“A little. But I will run and then I will be hot.”
“You will get sick.”
“No, I will be fine.”
“Sasha, please put a jacket on.”
“No, I’m running, I’ll be fine.”
I throw a wave and take off, iPod sharing Wilco’s “Misunderstood,” apartment’s skeleton key in pocket, positive thoughts for “five months, five pounds,” and not a clue as to where the dirt path may lead.
I’ve been here for over 20 months, but the farthest I walk is to my counterpart’s, 15 minutes from my apartment, 10 if I take the side roads.
Two things come of this: 20 pounds, and me not knowing my 2 by 0.5 mile village.
My first day running puts me behind School #1, straight into a group of disrespect. Soccer boys, high on maleness, in unison, stop to stare. I begin to run toward a fence since I can’t see into the deep sun, but one of the boys from my seventh grade class uncharacteristically warns me otherwise: “Go over the ditch, Sasha Teacher!”
I U-turn, and placing one slow foot in front of the other, balance a slippery mud pipe under my feet. Below is trash, feces, and chickens eating the trash and feces, and if I fall I remind myself I have no place for a decent shower so I construct I detailed scuttle across the big metal cylinder, which means fast, real fast.
Then I run: for 20 minutes, on soft, uneven dirt road.
I see the woodshop teacher driving with his car of young sons, three of which I didn’t know he had, and when we make eye contact he laughs. At me. So I wave back and laugh too, which has been a pivotal lesson in my Peace Corps service: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
I run far and jump piles upon piles of fresh manure.
Khanims, old and young, see me coming and drop their big potato bags full of bread and ask me what the hell I’m doing. “Exercising,” I say, and I keep running with concentration, determination and The Clash screaming, “Everybody wants a ride on the rockin’ roller coaster.”
I’m in the clear till I hit the levy on the crazy Kur, where rabid dogs are sure to congregate. I run into three, four, and each time we back off one another, in hopes that he won’t bite and I won’t throw heavy rocks.
I run off the levy, back to the three-house street I pleasantly consider my neighborhood.
The shop owner Abdullah turns, they all turn, like it’s the first time they’ve seen this here American. In reality it’s just the first time they’ve seen this American this fast, this determined, this sweaty, and being this American.
This was two weeks ago and since, I feel like I’ve made real progress in my quaint but conservative Azerbaijani settlement.
“Are you exercising today too?” asked Nativan Teacher. “That’s good, Sasha. If I could, I would run with you.”
Allow me to translate: If people wouldn’t judge me, I’d run. If they wouldn’t say I’m trying to catch the attention of men, I’d run. If all the traditions, and all the silly social norms and gender roles didn’t dictate my everyday and what I want for my children and the whole of my country, I would run.

5/5/09

Just finished Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Highly recommended.

Playlist #8: hisfaceistopographicallychallenged

On my first day of school in my small village town, a terribly short, crater-faced man most literally ran up to me to announce: “Hello, I am Shahin Teacher. I have a music tape.”
“Oh, that’s great. It’s in English?”
“Yes, in English. It is Jane Child. She have very nice voice.”
“Oh, good.”
“But only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know what she says.” I look away, like I don’t know what’s coming. “Can you transcribe tape for me?”
“Sure, Shahin Teacher. But I just got here, so when I have time.”
“You can?! Oh, that is great. Thank you. I wait long time to meet American.” To transcribe a Jane Child tape. Glad my skills are coming in handy my first week as a Volunteer.

Modern Talking

Shahin and I talk about music a lot, mostly because music and T.V. is where he’s learned most of his English from.
It’s for this reason Shahin, as a geography teacher, has superior listening and speaking skills to most English teachers’ here. Shahin says things like, “No problem” instead of “It is not a problem,” and “I’m good” instead of “I am very well, thank you.”
The other day were talking about Obama’s blackness (Which is usually like, “Obama is black,” and I say, “Yes, he is.”) when I asked, “What are some other singers or groups you like, Shahin? Did you say you like Talking Heads?”

“Uh, Modern Talking. Also, Michael Jackson, Sarah O'Connor, maybe Kanye West.” ‘Maybe’, which is a synonym for ‘kind of’ in Azerbaijani-English, tells me Shahin likes pop and rap.
“Would you like a mix of songs, Shahin? On a CD?”
“Oh no, I have no CD. Only tape.”
“Are you going to buy a computer like other teachers here?”
“Oh no, I don’t need. But maybe I can take CD to other friend’s house and listen. If I like, I keep, if I don’t like I—“ He flipped his hand to the side like he was throwing crumpled paper to the waste basket.
“Ok, Shahin.”
“Can you bring tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“But can I ask you question?”
“Sure, Shahin.”
“Why you take that photo of monument in Europe?”
“What?”
“That photo of child.” He’s referring to the delicate, if half-heartedly amusing naked baby peeing into a concrete bowl in Prague. It’s quite
“Oh, you know, it’s nice. I take pictures of buildings, nice architecture, statues.”
“Oh, I was just thinking, just wondering because—do all American girls like this?” Penises?
“Sure, art. We like art, Shahin.”
“Ok, thank you, just wondering, you know.”

Here is my soundtrack to Shahin Teacher:

Walk Like an Egyptian, the Bangles
Pony, Ginuwine
Dancing With Myself, Billy Idol
Crossroads, Bone Thugs N Harmony
Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me, Boy George and Culture Club
Gonna Make You Sweat, C&C Music Factory
1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New), Coolio
Slap! Slap! Slap!, Da Brat/Jade/Missy Elliot
Down For Whatever, Ice Cube
Like I Love You, Justin Timberlake
Lost in Emotion, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
Gin and Juice, Snoop Dog
Love Rollercoaster, Ohio Players
Big Time, Peter Gabriel
Shoop, Salt-N-Pepa
You Can’t Hurry Love, Phil Collins
Champion, Kanye West

Playlist #9: ilikeforher

“Why is sheep not in circus?”
“I don’t know, Nushaba.”
“Have you ever seen sheep in circus? You see bear, horse, lion, zebra, bird, everything, no sheep.”
“True. I don’t think I’ve ever seen sheep at a circus. But I’ve only been to a circus once.”
“Why? Because they are dumb animals. Sheep. My husband wants to get sheep, but I think, why? I don’t know, I was just thinking about this maybe few days ago. No, I don’t want these, sheep.”