Just when you think you have a routine going, and life is finally making a little sense....bam...someone throws a wrench into it. I worked my class schedule so that I do not teach on Fridays. So I take that day to get up a little later, take a warm shower (I am not allowed a shower in the mornings that I teach, as my host family is afraid I may get sick so I have to take them in the afternoon). So Fridays, I can take an early shower, make breakfast, wash clothes and do a little bit of homework before my tutoring in Zaqatalla. I was just sitting down to finish my homework and I received a call that the post office had two packages for me (thank you Sue & Shawn). I thought, I will go to the post office and get back in plenty of time to hang my clothes and go to tutoring. I have to tell you whenever I receive a call that a package is for me, I get so excited because it is like being home and Christmas all in one!! So I am skipping to the post office (of course I get looks, it is a regular event in a village) and I get a call from a PCV (who is our warden I will explain), we have an emergency (it is a test but treat it like a real situation), you must go to your consolidation point. This means, I have to get out of dodge immediately. All PC's in Azerbaijan has certain places that they meet and depending on the emergency (if we have to be evaluated) where our next move would be. Being close to the Georgian border (35 km) it would make sense to send us there and not to Baku (over 400 miles), but who knows. A warden is just a person who is in charge of a certain numbers of PCV's and who's house where we gather. But priority first, I picked up both packages and took a marshurutka home, picked up my backpack with my directions and essentials (didn't open the packages, darn it will have to wait). Told my host family about the EAP (emergency action plan) and told them I would hang my clothes out on the line when I returned and ran out of the house. Got back on another marshurutka and I was off to Zaqatala. Whew.... it has only been 30 minutes, making good time. Once in Zaqatala, I have to find the marshurutka bus station to go to Danschi where the consolidation point is. I had only been there once, I know it is somewhere behind the large bus station, and behind the bazaar but the time I was there was the second day I was here in the city and I saw a lot that day. Oh no, where is it? I am looking all over and can't find it. Don't panic, I started asking people, and kept walking. I met up with the older lady and showed her my EAP book with Danschi village and she told me to come with her, she would walk me there. Whew.... she grab my arm and we started walking arm and arm. We walked by the large bus station and I kept trying to tell her.. no this is not the way. She mentioned taxi, and I told her I couldn't afford a taxi only a marshurutka. No, no, she led me to stairs (now I am starting to think, I am going to be kidnap and held for ransom!!). We went into an office where there was a women and a man and I realize they both spoke a little English. I explained that I have to get to this village ASAP and I need to go to the marshurutka bus station. The gentleman said he would call a taxi.. I said "no, no" I can't afford a taxi, I must take a marshurutka. He said, no, I will take care of it. He called his taxi driver and paid the driver and we were off. I breathe a little and thought I will make it to Danschi in the time limit they gave me. Well, when we got to the village, he brought me to a local school. I kept telling him that it is not at a school, it is at a home (evda). Fortunately, I had the address and a map, and kept pointing to it. After the taxi driver kept stopping people and asking for directions (imagine, a man who is a taxi driver actually asking for directions miracles do happen!!) I finally arrived at the consolidation house. I signed my name on the registered that I made it to the house, had coffee and peanut butter toast and got back on the next murshurutka back to Zaqatalla. Now I know where the house is, the marshurutka bus station and I was bless that total strangers help me find my way.
Life Challenge: Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted... John Lennon
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