"Here comes the sun...here comes the sun, and I say... it's all right ..."

The sun made its first appearance in weeks the day before Kell's birthday and decided to stick around for a while..."and I say, it's all right..."

The Puppet Theater... 

Kukla Theater, once a church, now converted into a puppet and drama theater, is on the banks of the Ganja River near the city center. A few weeks ago, Dustin and I were walking around taking pictures and stopped for a few of the old building. The basement door opened and a few people came out to see what we were up to. We were expecting to be shooed away...asked to leave,  but they waved us over and invited us inside what turned out to be the sketch and sewing room. They gave us tea and cake and an impromptu Azeri lesson. We've gone back several times and have gotten nothing but kindness and generosity and continued invitations to return. Dustin and I started to wonder - would we have reacted the same way in our own country? Had we seen a "foreigner" snooping around our home or workplace, would we have shown them the same hospitality and goodness that these sweet people have shown us? Humbling...

Here are a few shots of the sketch room and the puppets...

The Drama Club... Jack and the Beanstalk

For the last few months, we've been leading a drama club at a local language institute. The goal was to build English language skills in a creative way. Some of our best moments in the country have come from these sessions. We have no clue what we're doing, but we're having fun, and I think our actors are too. They range in age from 15 to 23, and they are working so hard. They are doing the best they can with limited resources and time, but they're doing their best. Our performance is on the 29th...keep your fingers crossed.

 

The Wall of Fame...

Kelly-Made Cow...Nice, huh?

Little Bitty Birthday Party...

Every experience here seems a little surreal...a Twilight Zone version of "real life"... We were glad to have our friend Vivian (a fellow PCV and Texan, by the way) over to the house to celebrate my Twilight Zone birthday and bring a little bit of normalcy and home to the day... Thanks, Viv!

Lemon Birthday Cake -- Thanks, Vivian!

Kelly and Vivian

Gul, Kelly, & Nabat...In Our Birthday Best...

"All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim." -- Christopher Morley, Where the Blue Begins

We got a chance to go to Baku, the capital city, last weekend.
Here are a few shots from our trip.

 

The Maiden Tower , known as the symbol of Baku, was originally built between the 4th and 6th centuries and completed sometime in the 12th. Countless myths and legends tell tales of the structure's existence and purpose -- most of which involve incest, lust, and suicide -- guess they beat Shakespeare to it. The Caspian Sea, now several hundred feet away, once lapped at the base of the tower. The architecture itself speaks of the cultural collisions that define the country -- a fusion of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman influences. Very cool...

Baku -- East meets West ...Ancient meets Modern

Made a stop at the local tattoo parlor... Old Star Tattoo's the best! Thanks, Khazim...

Paisley Scarves -- Paisleys, an Azeri symbol and tradition,  are the ancient representation of life and eternity...