Something Nice

I feel like I pick on Baku too much. Sure, it's a tough place to live, with the fake milk and crazy drivers and pollution and inconsiderate locals and.....see, there I go again. A few good experiences have happened to me recently and it's enough to (almost) cancel out the negativity.

Back when temperatures were in the 90s and I was without a driver, I set out on a walking adventure through the city. I wandered aimlessly, taking pictures, shopping for a new summer dress and finally perused a local market, settling on some non-too-exciting bananas. I was heading in the general direction of home when the sweat rolling down my backside became too much to bear. I needed something cold to drink, stat. I entered the first cafe featuring a Wi-Fi sticker on the window and plopped down into a vinyl booth. The place had only a few patrons and the waiter approached and systematically offered me a Fanta (preferred soda of Azeris). I gladly accepted and then had him punch the Wi-Fi code into my I-phone. I let the sweat dry and enjoyed my orange drink, sitting with no particular purpose for at least 45 minutes. As I went to pay, the waiter refused my money. The drink was complimentary, he indicated. He gave me a big smile and said, "Free!" I returned the smile, thanked him repeatedly and left a good tip.



I will be making my grand appearance on Al-Jazeera television soon. The caption will read, "Uncovered woman has dogs on rope and picks up their poop." It was mid-afternoon and the dogs and I were enjoying the warm weather along the Bulvar. We were minding our own business, strolling through the grassy areas, when a Muslim family starting pointing at us. The mom was completely covered, the dad was videotaping and their two young boys were smiling in disbelief. They slowly approached, partially fearful, partially excited at the chance to experience such a spectacle. The children wanted to pet the dogs, but they were acting so erratic that they sent Zoey into a tizzy. The dad kept filming us as the boys touched each dog and then hurried back to their mom's protective cloak. This played out several times over the next few minutes. Pet, laugh, run back to mom, repeat. Kyle is of the opinion that the encounter is already posted on youtube. However, I stick by my first thoughts of that day: that this was my chance to show other cultures that dogs are not vicious creatures, but a cherished part of the family.



After a trip to the farmer's market, Kyle and I discussed pomegranates on the ride back to the apartment. We had noticed that the fruit is very popular in Turkey and just as common here in Baku. We joked that we'd love to try them, but have no idea how exactly one is supposed to eat it. The conversation was interrupted as we told our driver, Hikmet, good-bye. A few weeks later, as Hikmet was helping me to unload my groceries from the car, he handed me a large bag of pomegranates, "for the testing," he said. He had recalled our fascination with the fruit and bought a bag of them for us to try.


See, it's not all bad.