Ode to Nene

Well, this has officially been my last week/weekend living with Nene. I can move out on Wednesday at 12:01am (I actually may wait until 9 or 10am though). I just did my last two huge loads of laundry so I can put off hand washing stuff for as long as possible. I’ve been extremely lucky in my service so far that I’ve had two amazing host families. It has made my stay in AZ much easier and a lot more fun. Several of my friends have had not so good situations, had to change families a few times, and it has made their time here a lot more stressful that it needs to be. All week Nene has been giving me the semi-guilt trip. Here is a sampling of what she’s told me this past week: she will call me when she’s making a good meal so I can come eat “good food”, I can come eat every breakfast and dinner if I want, Tom can take my place and move in, she wants another Volunteer if one comes down here, my family should still stay here when they come visit, I can’t take care of myself because I’m a baby, she’s asked me how/what I’m going to cook for myself about 50 times, etc. She will miss me and I’ll miss her, but I’m only moving 5-10 minutes away and I’m sure I’ll be over here at least once a week (and a lot more once she starts trying to teach me Russian in a few months). Plus, the week of the 20^th of March is a big holiday week so I’ll visit a lot and then she turns 70 on the 27^th, so we are going to have a big party for her!

Last week I heard some good news that I am going to get my first little grant to build a safe playing area for a local orphanage for disabled kids with the help of kids from two local schools, so that is exciting. Tom and I are starting to plan an America Day in Lenkeran for May (we are going to one in Agjahbedi this weekend that Rikki George and Kasey planned). I am also starting to work on ideas for larger scale projects with my co-workers and boss, so there is a lot more interaction in our office, which is nice.

Here is a poem I wrote a couple of months ago for our PCAZ news letter that a few Volunteers send out every few months:

Ode to Nene

By Ashley R. Seuss

I have only one Azeri Nene, yes I do.

I have only one Azeri Nene, how about you?

She’s 70 years old, but acts like a youth.

She’s 70 years old, but it doesn’t seem like the truth.

She calls me “baby”, maybe I am.

She calls me “baby”, because she can.

I live with my Nene, and that is all.

I live with my Nene, and she is a ball!

She names our chickens, yes she does.

She names our chickens, just because.

She burnt our hamam, believe me she did.

She burnt our hamam, and laughed like a kid.

She watches US movies, with me every day.

She watches US movies, and says “Wow” and “Hey”.

I live with my Nene, and that is all.

I live with my Nene, and she is a ball!

When she dances to music, she likes to get down.

When she dances to music, it looks like the doll version of James Brown.

She likes McDonald’s and Kool-Aide, you better believe.

She likes McDonald’s and Kool-Aide, and I taught her to say “Geeeeeze”.

When she speaks English, she sounds like E.T..

When she speaks English, I laugh uncontrollably.

I live with my Nene, and that is all.

I live with my Nene, and she is a ball!

She cooks the same meal, for three meals in a row.

She cooks the same meal, and won’t let me say no.

She had a sleep over, with Rikki, Rachel, and Kasey.

She had a sleep over, tucked them each in and said “good night baby”.

She is the best Nene, that there ever was.

She is the best Nene, and I love her just because.

I live with my Nene, and that is all.

I live with my Nene, and she is a ball!

The pictures are of: the flowers Tom and I bought her for International Women’s day (March 8^th-the entire country has work off for this day), Nene’s room (she has bunk beds-not seen), 2 single beds pushed together, one “sleeper couch” an armoire, wall furnace, and small chest of drawers), a storage room under our house, all of the jars of pickled eggplant, pickled tomatoes, pickles, pickled peppers, etc. and jars of natural fruit juices (of course with tons of sugar added so it is like natural Kool-Aide), a bed under the house with tons of basketballs, soccer balls, skate boards, and other random spots stuff, and a Russian music cassette tape I found in her kitchen cabinet-a complete surprise because unlike me, Azeris don’t like hot chicks in bikinis really, so her Russian living style is showing through here, and of course Nene.