Thailand Part 3

And for our final evening in Thailand, we tuk-tukked over to Patong Beach (think Miami South Beach meets New Orleans Bourbon Street). Before heading into the craziness, Kyle and I lit a traditional Thai lantern. It sailed out over the sea with our wishes for a prosperous year with it.

Brooke & Kyle with our "love lantern"


Thai woman claps as our love lantern is stratosphere-bound


And now, I should mention the infamous Thai "lady boys" who were prancing all over the Patong Beach area. Apparently, Thailand is home to hundreds of transgendered people and is the place for all international people to have this specific surgery. Fascinating really - trying to decipher who is an original girl and who used to be a boy, but is now a girl. I swear, they have it down to an art, because you really can't tell which is which. Sorry, but I don't have any pictures to prove my point. Trust me, I stared at the lady boys plenty, but I couldn't bring myself to be as rude as to outright take their pictures.


Brooke & Kyle toasting our last night in Thailand


And then, we were back in Baku, where Kyle's suitcase didn't show up for 2 days. And when it finally did, there is no delivery service, so back out to the airport he went. As for me, I had a stow-away lizard jump out of my suitcase during unpacking. He was small, only about 4 inches long. Last time I saw him, he was making a mad dash under my feet while I was going to the bathroom. Think I didn't scream like a little girl? He took cover between the wall and bath tub. I hope he likes his new home in Baku.

Thailand Part 2

While in Thailand, we hooked up a few times with our Baku friends, Max and Adriana, who were also vacationing there, just at a different resort. Adriana organized a surprise and belated birthday party for Max, with Kyle and I as the only guests. A fabulous evening was had by all, until....


The Baku Bunch in Thailand


Max cutting his birthday cake

...Max awoke the next morning with food poisoning. He spent 2 full days and 1 night in the Phuket hospital. Sounds scary? They said that it was just fine. In fact, Adriana said the facade was a little lacking but that the interior and Max's room specifically were incredible. I suppose that the facility was so nice because it specializes in cosmetic surgeries for tourists and for "lady boys" but I'll come back to that topic in a couple of paragraphs. With the help of antibiotics, Max made a full recovery, but being on medication meant that he could not imbibe, which gave us the perfect opportunity to label it as "No Booze Novruz."


Kyle and I seized the opportunity of a cloudy morning to visit Big Buddha. He's a new addition to the landscape in the predominantly Buddhist country. He is still under construction and is perched on top of the highest point in Phuket and well, he's just big.

Big Buddha


View from the top of Big Buddha's hill


Another shrine atop Big Buddha's hill


We also visited several Buddhist wats or temples and Old Town Phuket, where we stopped in for some traditional Thai food at a little cafe. I had a surreal "where AM I moment" as a slurped spicy noodles, Taylor Swift played on the radio and we saw this walk down the street:

Buddhist monk on the streets of Old Town Phuket


Kyle at Wat Chalong


A long day of sight-seeing meant time for relaxing. I chose a fish-eating-the-dead-skin-off-of-my-feet pedicure and Kyle opted for a mean Thai massage, where he declared that the tiny Thai lady used so much pressure with her little bony fingers that, "she poked a hole right through me."

Brooke getting a fish pedi


We're almost to the end, but there will be a "Thailand Part 3" blog. It's coming shortly.

Thailand Part 1

How was your Novruz? Ours was great! We enjoyed a day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and 5 days in Phuket, Thailand. When I was gathering my thoughts for this blog, I decided that not only did I want to share these amazing places with you, but I also wanted documentation for myself, so that 10 years from now, I can recall the exact things that made the trip a true experience. So, I apologize if this reads more like a journal entry than one of my normal blogs, and you are warned in advance that this will be lengthy, but here we go...some of the more memorable moments:

With a 14 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we had enough time to check out the highlights of the city. Notably, the Petronas Towers, which are the second tallest buildings in the world, and China Town with its aromatic smells, knock-off jewelery, purses and DVDs, and food galore. KL was hot and humid, prompting Kyle to stop in Gap for a pair of shorts to replace his jeans. I had been forewarned that KL is quite conservative, so I was wore a dress that covered my knees (almost) and my shoulders. Thank God (pun intended) that I didn't have to wear a veil because it was too sticky for that! And, I'm not embarrassed to admit that with jet-lag setting in and knowing that a week's worth of Thai food was waiting for me, I hungrily ate a foot-long Subway sandwich (which we don't have in Baku, so it was actually an indulgence!).

Brooke & Kyle in KL


Petronas Towers


Petaling Street


Our resort in Phuket, Thailand, was an hour drive from the airport, which was just fine, because it gave us an opportunity to observe the locals and their customs. Like, that 80% of the population uses scooters to commute around the city. It was common to see 3 or 4 people deep on one scooter and often a small child was scrunched in the middle as well.

Avista Resort was located at the top of a HUGE hill, overlooking Kata Beach. We had read reviews on TripAdvisor about our hotel and had noticed that everyone mentioned this hill. They failed to properly describe just how steep it was. It was so big in fact, that it was the Tsunami Evacuation Site for the area, which did allow me to sleep peacefully at night, knowing that I would not be washed away, but gave us fits every time we walked to the beach or into town. To add to our growing dislike for the hill, I hurt my foot on day 2, so that I was unable to walk much of anywhere. I hobbled around in pain and was prime bait for the tuk tuk drivers.

The tuk tuks were the best and most convenient way around Phuket. Once, they offered us a real taxi for the same price as a tuk tuk and Kyle was pumped to ride in air conditioning, but he relented after I pouted. I mean, we can ride in a taxi any ole day, but rarely do we get a tuk tuk experience.


View from our hotel room



Avista Resort


A tuk tuk. No mom, this thing does not offer seat belts.


Brooke & Kyle inside a tuk tuk


Kata Beach was nice, just full of tourists. Surprise, surprise. I may be biased, but I still think that beach for beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama, has the best beach with the whitest sand. The water clarity may not be as ideal, but I spend very little time in the ocean anyways. However, I love trying out Thai food, and I will take Pad Thai any day over fried chicken. Do I have to surrender my "American card" for saying that?

Picture of a stray dog taking himself for a swim; Thai long boat in the back ground


Brooke enjoying the beach and people watching.

"Thailand Part 2" is coming. Check back soon...

Novruz

Novruz sign displayed on the Bulvar.

As an American living in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet state and a Muslim country, I am learning of a new springtime ritual here, Novruz. The locals have explained that it is not religious, but a pagan celebration.

The following was described to the Baku International Women’s Club from a local Azeri:

Novruz is celebrated on the first day of spring. According to some, the holiday dates 3500-5000 years back. Novruz is when nature starts to awaken, and it is honored for an entire month. On each Tuesday a specific element is honored: first Tuesday is water, second Tuesday is fire, third Tuesday is land and the final Tuesday is wind. According to folk belief, the water purifies and stirs. The fire, land and wind make the trees begin to blossom.

Azerbaijan is known as the land of fire, and Novruz also has interesting traditions related to it. The fire is the symbol of purification and clarification. Bonfires are made in Novruz and before the holiday comes, people, despite of age and gender, jump seven times over one, or once over seven bonfires and say, “Give me your redness and take my yellowness.” The fire is never put out by water. It burns down by itself. Young boys and girls take the ash of the fire and throw it far from the house. It is thought that all the mischance of the family is thrown away with the ash.

Azeris pay particular attention to how the table is laid for the holiday. There should be seven varieties of food on the table, the names of which start with letter 'S'. For example sumakh (a kind of spice), sirke (vinegar), sud (milk), samani (grown wheat, looks like grass), sebzi (fried meat with greens). A mirror, with colored eggs and candles placed upon it, should also be on the table. The candle is the symbol of fire and light (keeping a person from damage) and the mirror is the symbol of happiness. According to tradition, all members of the family should be at home on the first day of the holiday. People say, “If you are not at home on the day of the holiday, you will live without home for seven years.”

Interesting stuff, huh? I definitely think so. But, not ones to waste a week-long, government-granted holiday, we will be celebrating Novruz in Thailand. So, happy Novruz everyone! Check back to this blog in a week.

Pictures from the International Women's Club Novruz Luncheon:

Our entertainment, traditional Azeri drummers....

And dancers....

And singers...

And pastries with hand-painted eggs for decoration.

The Saint

Religions are fascinating. I've been taking an online class, "Ritual and Religion in Prehistory." Great stuff. We've studied mortuary rituals, domestic rituals, fertility rituals, ancestor worship, shamanism, a case study on Stonehenge and now we're on cosmology and astronomy. I would like to think that I've gained a better understanding of the development of the world's various religions. Or at least I can pretend to.

Imagine my delight when a local lady, Galina, recently befriended me and invited me to tour the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Baku, the Cathedral of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Wives. A little history on this church: It was originally constructed in 1907 by an oil baron, millionaire, Muslim Azeri, but the church's doors were soon shut in 1917 when the Soviets took control of the country. The church was then used as a type of gym for soldiers and fell into complete ruin. The church was eventually destroyed during the 1990 war for independence, but again was saved by a local wealthy Muslim man who vowed to restore the church, which was finished in 2001. How interesting is that? This church owes its thanks to two Muslim benefactors.

I've visited numerous Protestant and Catholic cathedrals in Europe, a church turned mosque turned museum in Istanbul, but I have never quite experienced something like this...

As we stood in the back of the cathedral, fussing over our scarves, which we were using to cover our heads, the senior priest approached us. He was my image of a stereotypical Russian man: tall, robust, booming voice. He looked better suited to a fur hat and bottle of vodka instead of the robe and cross he was wearing. But, this very generous man set about giving us a personal tour of the small cathedral. In Russian (with Galina translating for my benefit), he explained the religious icons along the walls, the church's tumultuous history, the significance of lighting candles and the patron saint of this church, St. Bartholomew. I asked many questions that popped into my head and he patiently answered each one.

As we were wrapping up our conversation, he asked us if we'd like to touch the church's sacred relic, supposed pieces of bone of St. Bartholomew. My initial mental reaction was, "eek! ick!" but Galina nudged me with her elbow, so I nodded my head in approval. We were led through a restricted gate to an embellished chest that creeked on cue as the priest opened it. Galina eagerly stepped forward, crossed herself and took a few moments in prayer. Then, I hesitantly approached and looked down into the chest to see a few bone fragments covered in plexiglass. I delicately placed the tips of my fingers on the glass and mumbled a few words of gratitude. I don't buy easily into this sort of thing, but I swear I felt a jolt of electricity run through my arm when I pulled away.

As we exited the church, Galina was overjoyed, "That was truly a special experience! They don't ever let the local parishioners touch the holy relic!" She continued, "The priest must have wanted to make a good impression on a foreigner!" I was humbled. Here I came waltzing in to the cathedral, not knowing what to expect, and I got to touch something that few people ever get to see. I felt even more fortunate when I looked around at the day's visitors, several poorly dressed babuskas who were praying their hearts out to the icons. It should have been them, not me.

I walked away from the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Wives Cathedral with a song in my heart, a broad smile and an encounter with a saint to always remember.

Fast Food

I aim to please. I take request for topics. This one is for my Aunt Vicki. She asked about the fast food options in Baku.

You guessed it, there is a McDonald's. Two of them actually. I believe it is the most maddening place in Baku, well, besides visa check at the airport. Not to beat a dead horse, but...there are no lines to order food. Everyone, and I mean like 30 people, are gathered around the counter, elbows out, pushing and attempting to shout out their order to any employee who will listen. The menu is comparable to those in the USA. I personally like the McFlarries (that is the correct AZ spelling).


Besides the golden arches, there are "doners," which are little stands offering take-away food only. Usually kolaches, little pizzas, limitless bread products, fresh juice and a local fav, sliced lamb right off of the leg, which you put in a pita-like bread. Quite delicious.


Brooke with a "doner" on the left and a juice stand on the right.

Women's Day

Today is Women's Day. Rejoice girls of the world because this day is just for us! We do not have to share it with any stinkin' boys. I'm not kidding, it's a real, everybody-has-the-day-off-of-work, holiday honoring us fabulous women. My, how nice of them!

According to my brief research (thanks Wikipedia!), the first International Women's Day was recognized in 1911 by the Socialist Party to show, "respect, appreciation and love toward women and to celebrate women's economic, political and social achievements." Recent conversations with several of my Russian-heritage friends confirm that the holiday is "a big deal" in Eastern Europe, Russia and former Soviet bloc countries. I personally recall being in Kazakhstan last spring, just before the holiday, and noticing mass marketing materials in the theme of, "Don't forget, Women's Day is coming up!" I get the feeling that it is a mix of Valentine's Day and Mother's Day all rolled into one. Bosses are expected to give gifts to female employees (and not just measly chocolates), lovers should present flowers, students should give cards and so on.

Women's Day is celebrated on March 8, every year. It just so happens that is falls on Mardi Gras this year. So, while I'm on the subject of holidays, do you know that Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday is called Shrove Tuesday in many parts of the world? As a Protestant growing up in the Bible Belt of America, I had never heard it referred to as Shrove Tuesday until my British friends here in Baku enlightened me on the topic. Humor me if you already know this...."shrove" is the past tense of the word "shrive" which means to obtain absolution for sins by doing penance. Those who honor Shrove Tuesday indulge in pancakes (think crepes, not American-style flap jacks) because pancake recipes call for sugar, fat and eggs, which were traditionally restricted during Lent. I think the pancake idea is quite charming, seeing as how Mardi Gras is often associated with mass amounts of alcohol consumption.

And now you are ready to tackle the day....whether it be Women's Day, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday!

Elevator

We live on the 15th floor of an apartment building. Not ideal with 2 dogs, but we do the best we can. We have a set schedule. Out the door first thing in the morning, just as the sun is rising. I like to walk them before all of the pedestrians are out and about. We go outside again late in the afternoon, which is a little more precarious because lots of people are meandering around. And then again after dinner and right before bed.

I say "precarious" because as I've mentioned before, the Azeris hate dogs. They think dogs are unclean and most people here are frightened of them to boot. Hoping to make a good impression, we try to keep our distance from everyone and I always pick up after the dogs. We rarely enter through the front doors of the apartment building. Instead, I lead the furry kids down the ramp to the parking garage and we walk through the basement to catch the elevator.

Even with all of these precautions, we sometimes end up riding the elevator with other people. Many of the other tenants are expats, so they do not have any problem with our medium-sized terrier mixes. But, all locals come to a screeching halt when the doors open and there I stand with 2 dogs sitting next to me. Some people will flat out refuse to ride with us. Fine by me, because then I don't have to be so concerned about offending anyone.

Recently, the elevators were under maintenance, and it was taking much longer to get a ride. So imagine my surprise when people started hopping on with us. By the time we reached the first floor, there were us 3 Americans (2 panting + me) and 4 locals: a couple of maintenance workers, a businessman with his briefcase and a woman in a full-length fur coat.

All eyes were on us, as Zoey shook, sending fur flying onto the businessman's black slacks, and Bailey sneezed on everyone's shoes. It was a proud moment. Really, I couldn't do anything but chuckle. Such is life with 2 mongrels.


How you could not love these furry faces?