Home Sweet Home Again, and Again

For those of you who are counting, this is my 6th move in 2 years! My new place is the bottom floor of a house.  I have two rooms and two beds (no mattress) and a table.  My site friend and I moved a desk from outside into the room and I took a chair from the yard.  I have asked the host family (a mother and daughter) for dosacks (thin mattress pads).  I got one and finally after two days, received a blanket as well.  My friend from Ag Saray gave me sheets and pillow cases with a couple of toss pillows.  I bought a hammer and some nails so I can put up a few things. I asked for a dresser but I have no place to hang my clothes.  So I am going to run a clothes line and hang them on that.  I do have a kitchen and bathroom across the way.  The shower has hot water and no limit on how much water I can use (that's the good news), but the toilet (western) does not flush at all, you have to flush water down it and there is no heat in the kitchen or bathroom (bad news). I am closer to the center of town, and to my favorite market and my school. I think once it is fixed up with my maps and pictures it will be more homey.  A real positive is that I could bring my kittens here and they all love the big yard.  Bounty got caught up in the tree, she climb up but couldn't climb down!!  I miss Mint a lot but don't want to chance bringing her here (I do not want to push my luck).  This is a good family and I am hoping that one of the volunteers in the next group will be assigned to Zaqatala and they can actually move into my place (and adopt any kittens I have).  I finally got Internet, everything always takes a lot more time and energy, but I have Wi-Fi intermittently though still trying to get the bugs out but maybe I can SKYPE to my family and friends again!

Bedroom

Living, dining etc. room

My kitchen and bathroom from my living room

Kitchen Stove outside

Snickers and Junior love the new place

It has been a little harder to settle in as my site friend Kaylee had camp this week in Muxax, so I been going there each day to help.  It was a group camp and she had an awesome turnout.  She taught them dental hygiene and gave a presentation on trash and the environment and each day an art project.  On Thursday, we handed out trash bags and gloves and picked up around 10 bags of trash within a hour.  Then at the end, Kaylee gave out prizes and watch a slide show of pictures we took all week.  The kids were so happy to have camp.  Kaylee and several volunteers and I got to go to Chardaghlar village to see the Parigala or Fairy Castle.  This castle was believed to be built between the 4th and 8th centuries.  No one knows who built it, when, what its purpose was or when and why it was abandoned.  This site is inaccessible. see pictures below. On this web site it talks about a legend with Khangis Khan.  If you want more information I found a great web site: www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/a133_folder/133_articles/133_gallagher.html

Parigala or Fairy Castle

Alisa, Kaylee, Sam & Me

Now next week, I will be going to Baku for COS (close of service) conference and of course I need to go to the Embassy and I am also taking Bounty in to get spayed.  I have a student I a working with coming over to feed the boys until I get back.  And then the following week schools starts here.  What happened to summer, it just flew by!!!

Life Challenge: Don't dwell on what went wrong.  Instead, focus on what to do next.  Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answered....  Denis Waitley