anecdote

OK! so the blog below segued into something a bit too serious for some of my blog readers. Here's the anecdotal one. ^.^

More Baku stories! I found nuoc mam! I really can't get over it because I feel Vietnamese again. Nuoc mam is that super pungent/stinky fish sauce we use in EVERYTHING. mmmm...already tasting it in my mind.

I got mistaken for an Azeri on the marsutka (the foreigners in Baku I guess never take public transport and why should they? They've got loads of money compared to us poor Peace Corps volunteers) and I said to the guy...are you sure? Then I lifted my sunglasses off my face and looked at him funny. I told him I was from America and he asked me if I'm sure I wasn't from first Thailand then Japan. Note, this is at me in myAFTER I told him I was from America in my perfect West coast English, his English was pretty good too. This was hilarious due to the fact that 2 days prior, I almost got deported.

Deportation story: My sitemate and I were checking into a hotel with the help of an Azeri friend. A policeman who walked by the lobby decides to step in and say hello to Will, shakes his hand. Then the policeman turns to me and asks to see my passport, saying he's immigration all with a bit of a hostile tone. My Azeri friend, Nurxanim, turns to him and says in Azeri that I am American. All of a sudden he's laughing and saying "oh oh, problem yoxdur" meaning there is no problem then. The only Asian women in Azerbaijan are the wives of expats who live in Baku with nice houses or the ones that sneak into the country from China to hawk wares on the streets or probably got human trafficked in to work as prostitutes. Hilarious. The other Asian Peace Corps girls have some equally "humorous" stories.

The Peace Corps lounge at the office is AMAZING. Really it makes me happy. I spent a lot of time there this weekend recovering from nightly warrior status. More accurately, I spent a lot of time underneath the big table because I decided I would build a fort in the lounge. It's just so nice and chill. It has that parent's basement kind of feel. Messy, a few couches and lazy American kids watching movies. We even had pizza delivered to it.

I hate indoor smoking. Like really really hate it. I hate it more than the local vodka.

I really like dancing, bendy straws stolen from the bar for me from one of my closer PC buddies and how amazing it is that I really do feel like us volunteers are like family out here. My mom will hate to read this but I shared a hotel room with 4 boys (we're poor and splitting costs makes it cheap) and I trusted every single one of them to treat me with respect even after consuming copious amounts of alcohol, which they did. Being chivalrous (well most of them) offered me the bed by myself so I wouldn't have to share nor sleep on the floor. Amongst the volunteers there really is a more what's mine is yours mentality and a few of us has literally given the other the shirts off our backs. Oh wait. That was my sitemate getting puked on this weekend. haha.

speaking of, I have the best sitemate in the world. Mr. Will Karrow...now that is one hilarious guy. Yesterday we spent a good amount of time shopping online (well I was the one shopping, my birthday is 2 months away ::hint, hint:: and my reactions to some of the shoes @ nordstrom right now he was laughing at) and looking for free ringtones for our phones. Remember that song that came out awhile back.."my milkshake is better than yours" ??? Will is that awesome and confident of a man that it is now his ringtone for his phone. That's right. Will's milkshake is better than all of yours, so be jealous.

I have a new address, leave a comment w/ur email or email me directly if you want it. care packages with candy, hello panda, pocky sticks, or these shoes greatly appreciated. here is where I end since there are 4 Azeri guys staring over my shoulder in both directions staring at the Japanese (american) girl sitting in the corner with her laptop. sag ol!!