Toy

MY FIRST TOY IN AZERBAIJAN
**** A Quick Translation ***
Toy = Wedding

As early as orientation, PCVs, PC staff, host families, relatives of host families, the occasional over zealous Marşrutka (bus) driver, and several others, have mentioned how grand, and of course important Toys are in Azerbaijan. I’m very cautious about not making blanket statements, since there are so many variables to account within a culture, but this I can say with good amount of certainly, Azerbaijanis LOVE Toys!
I attended my first toy after moving to Lenkeran, and I was thrilled to get an invitation. Toys in Zerdab are a bit different then ones in Lenkeran. In Zerdab, family and close friends (mostly women) help prepare the meal that would then be taken to the Toy palace. So families usually just rent the space. In Lenkeran, the Toy palace prepares the meal and all the logistics for the night. Also, each family pays for their share of the cost for the wedding; as soon as you enter the wedding hall, there are two tables set up – one for the girl’s side and the other for the guy’s side. Each person pays anywhere between 20 to 50 AZN depending on the lavishness of the wedding.
The office manager at the Resource Center where I work invited me to the Toy. In preparation for the wedding, I took a shower (I always excited about shower days), I put on my most Azeri looking outfit, and I met the manager at her house so we could go together. As soon as walked into her house, Rasmia (the office manager), her sister, and the sister’s daughter looked me up and down, and were disappointed with the way I was dressed… according to them it was too “simple” (they say this to me all the time). So I was given a pair of jeans.

*** A little bit about the Azerbaijani Jeans ***
Very tight.
Lots of glitter and sequence.

I politely refused the jeans, but said I would wear them on a different occasion, and this seemed to placate them for a little while. Since I wasn’t wearing the jeans, I had to make up for it in cosmetics. Oh ya. I let the daughter doll me up. As you can see I look like a clown!

There weren’t any mirrors around so I couldn’t assess the damage till I got to the Toy palace. Eating makes me feel better, and I ate a lot! Meals come out in courses, and I always forget to pace myself…

*** THE MENU ***
1. Paytax Salat = Capital Salad. Mayo, sour cream, corn, bits of chicken, chunks of potatoes, peas, cilantro, carrots, and other veggies.
2. Toyuk Lavange = Roasted Chicken with tart stuffing.
3. Mal Ati Kabobs = Beef Kabobs
4. Təndir Çörək = Bread made in a large hole in the ground using coal as the heat source.
5. Plov – Rice, served with caramelized onions, meat, raisins, hazelnuts, and BUTTER.

YUM!

I made an interesting observation at the weeding; in America we work so hard to individualize our weddings. Everything from the invitations, to the cake, the flowers, the dress, the hair reflects on the couples personality or interests. It wasn’t the same at the wedding I attended, and I have a feeling that is the norm. They rolled out the same white sheet they do for every happy couple, the staff strategically placed the same pink plastic flowers along the runway, the balloons were let out on cue, it was a standard cake sitting on a plastic frame with hearts… Of course there are cultural aspects i.e. the red ribbon tied around the bride’s waist; the twirling man who presents the couple with a plate of rice lit on fire; and other things I’m sure I missed to account for ‘cause I was too busy stuffing my face with the delicious food.