August 29-Septmber 5
Today my family’s “washing machine” broke. I put the quotations because really, in my American mind, it is more like an “agitator”; a big drum barrel that swirls the clothes around in more or less soapy water and then in 3 or 4 minutes is finished. From the time I’ve been here the process of washing clothes has taken about 30 minutes as you can only put about 3 or 4 articles of clothing in the drum at a time, and of course afterwards the rinsing and hanging must be done.

But today I was given a whole new perspective. A perspective my Ana says, through laughter, “I must learn”. This is of course because, as she has told me several times, where I’m going it will be very difficult. “So hot” she says, “many mosquitoes”, “no running water”.

Of course I have already been to where I am going, and though I have not been there in the wintertime, I could not see very many differences. But I think she is right, I must learn how to wash my clothes by hand because chances are, I will have to do this again in the future.

So I learned to wash my clothes by hand. One by one. I hadn’t washed clothes in about two weeks, so I had more than usual. Plus I had my big, fluffy towel ready to be washed. Let me tell you, big, fluffy towels are much lighter dry! My bacı sat next to me the entire time laughing. Then she helped me with my towel and graciously helped to rinse and hang my clothes. But she laughed the entire time. Especially when I said in my still poor Azeri, “Mən oyunmalıam” which I meant as “I need to learn” but actually means, “I need to play” Then after her giggles continued I retorted, “Mən güməli dir, bilirəm” which I meant as “I’m funny, I know” But really means, “I is funny, I know” Then as she walked away to hang my clothes I called after her my corrections, which of course made her laugh even more.

But as I was sitting there, bent over the wash bin furiously rubbing my clothes against one another I thought, why in the world do I have so many clothes? Realistically speaking, how many shirts does one person need?

These types of questions have not yet come across my mind with any frequency, but I expect them to flow freely where I’m going. Because it’s true that some PCT’s will become PCV’s in homes with air-conditioning, washers and dryers, indoor western-style toilets and beautiful scenery, where I’m headed next week is nothing of the sort. It’s as we have begun to call it the, “true Peace Corps experience”

So as it may be, as my Ana says, “very difficult” I feel up to the challenge. After all, each challenge prompts a new thought and forces a fresh perspective. And I believe now, as I have always believed, that wherever you are, there you are, and we are always where we ought to be.