Ces Gəldi! Ces Gəldi! (Written on Friday August 16th)

Driving into the village after a long day riding the marshrutka (12 passenger van), we passed a group of kids who I could hear through the open window start saying to one another “Ces gəldi! Ces gəldi!” (Jess came! Jess came!).  I felt kind of like a celebrity!  Since then, that’s largely been the reaction whenever I go anywhere.  Apparently even though my family has been telling people that I would come back for the wedding, no one believed them so when people see me they finally believe that I’m here.

Since I’ve been at my house, things have been a bit crazy with wedding preparations.  Mama refused to let them prepare Raminə’s barxana (the mattresses, blankets, and pillows for her dowry) until I arrived (apparently the aunts and neighbors have been begging her to start but she wouldn’t) so my first full day here was consumed with bedding-making.  Except that my job was really to be photographer, food/tea preparer, and children entertainer and I didn’t have any part in the real barxana preparations (although neither did any of the other unmarried girls, so I think this was more of an age/station sort of thing not a foreigner/guest thing).

Beating the wool to put in a mattress

Stuffing one of the mattresses with wool

The whole group of women (or who was left by the end of the day) enjoying some dinner while they blankets hung on the line (the mattresses and pillows had been carried inside).

Yesterday (my second full day) we went to Gəncə to get dresses for both weddings (in case I haven’t mentioned it before, remember that there are 2 weddings for every marriage, a girl’s wedding and a boy’s) for Mama and one for the boy’s wedding for Gülnar.  It took us a while and I was totally tired of being at the bazar, but we succeeded!  I also took the opportunity to buy myself a few things: a xanım (older woman) scarf to match one I have in my apartment and use to cover a table, a pair of cheap earrings (Azerbaijani bazars are great for cheap earrings!), etc.

Creepy Russian looking manikins at the bazar

Today I’m about to go for a run (my first since I’ve been here!  I feel so lazy!) and then I’m going to go over to Tamilə müəllim’s house.  She has been in Baku since I’ve been here (unfortunately when I was in Baku I was told she had come back to the village so I didn’t try to see her there) and got back yesterday.  I saw her for a few minutes before I had to go to a pre-party party for one of my relative’s sons who is getting circumcized (today will be the real circumcision party at one of the wedding palace – they are really wealthy so this promises to be quite the event!).  For those of you who maybe don’t remember or know, Tamilə müəllim was my all-star English teacher counterpart and best friend when I lived here in Azerbaijan.  She is an amazing woman and I’m so excited to spend time with her again!