stomach flu BLOWS

i haven't typed much because of this fact. i got the flu on the day we were supposed to celebrate one year in azerbaijan! woo hoo!!! at least it was the first time i got sick (maybe the last?) but man o man i wouldn't wish the stomach flu on anyone. some other volunteers have had this problem repeatedly. it is not fun.

a funny problem is that the word "sick" in azerbaijan is the "f" word in english. so when i'm explaining in english that "i'm sick"....well, i guess i'm just "f'd" :)

beast of cat, in tiny sizes

before i introduce my new kitten, let me add something i previously forgot: in my new home i take bucket baths and i have no internet. booo. so, if i disappeared from the internet, now you know why. hopefully i can get the phone line fixed somehow. we will see. all my azeri friends have left the city, so i need someone to help with the translation.

also, peace corps is taking away 10 azn from my monthly housing allowance. this blows. this makes me poorer.

hey, but things are not so bad. i truly like my new place a lot. it has three balconies and incredible views of mingechevir. the wind blows through it (fresh air) and it is both quiet and peaceful. actually, i retract that: my kitten runs after me yelling for me to cuddle with her. she is only quiet when nuzzled into me.

So, on that note, back to my new kitten: beast cat! my sitemate, kim, adopted a pregnant cat. no one realized that the cat, scout, was pregnant at the time of adoption. well, 11 weeks ago scout had four kittens. my other sitemate, andrea adopted two (baskin and robbins) and i took beast. sadly, i was going to take runt (preliminary names, beast = biggest/first to develop, runt = smallest/last to develop), but the little tucker died for unknown reasons a couple of days before i could take her. instead, i took beast cat. perhaps i'll rename her. i'm not sure. i'm sorry my picture of her is horrible. i promise to get better ones soon.

the other posted picture is one of the views from one of my balconies.

I moved

You read correctly, I now live in a new apartment. I am on the 9th floor with four rooms and three balconies. I love my view, but when the elevator breaks a 9th floor walkup is about as enjoyable as it sounds. So far, no problems. Well...minus the move in. Right smack in the middle of moving into my new place the elevator broke down with my sitemate stuck inside. It was...a moment. Luckily Bev opened the doors up from the inside and freed herself. As we discussed our next course of action, two little girls from my neighborhood carried the remainder of my belongings up the 9 flights! Now THAT is hospitality. I got lucky.

Soon enough my new kitten will move in with me. I will surely post pictures of her/him when that time comes.

My birthday was amazing and mostly relaxed. I found a real deal coffeeshop in Baku and spent the day there hopped up on caffeine and downloading music I purchased for my birthday. My friend has an embassy worker friend, so we spent the night at his place and it felt like a slice of luxury and america all rolled into one.

Town