Şükür anlıq bayramı

How do you translate 'Thanksgiving' into Azerbaijani? I've heard a few different translations, including Şükür Bayram (thanks holiday) and Şükür Vermək (literally means to give thanks). Şükür anlıq, according to the Google Translator means "thanks moment," and its the one my sitey has been using so that's what I'm going to call Thanksgiving.

So anyway I spent a nice Thanksgiving here in Zaqatala, at my sitemate's house in the village. Us Zaqatala folk were joined by a few other PCV's from regions nearby not only in honor of the holiday but also as an informal goodbye-dinner for my sitemate leaving Azerbaijan in the morning. Our extensive dinner consisted of a roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, regular stuffing and cornbread stuffing, Georgian lobio, Thai pumpkin soup, nar (pomegranate), a turkey gravy-turned-mole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and a cherry & plum pie. (My pants definitely fit a little more snug after that meal.)


Last year I spent my Thanksgiving in Pre-Service Training; we had language classes in the morning and then in the afternoon went into Sumqayit with the rest of the YD group and celebrated with each other at a restaurant near the Dove statue. I still can't believe I've been in Peace Corps/Azerbaijan for over a year already, its crazy! In the spirit of the holiday, here are a few of the things that I am thankful for (in no particular order):

- my sitey, with whom I have shared many awesome (and some not-so-awesome) moments over the past year
- my fellow AZ7 YD's, especially those from my Taqiyev #6 cluster
- living in such a beautiful town in Azerbaijan
- having Azerbaijani friends with whom I can joke around
- the abundance of nar in this country
- kelem dolmasi
- fresh, just out of the oven bread, especially that made by my Nene in Taqiyev
- my awesome host families
- every other PCV in Azerbaijan with whom I've shared laughs/great times
- having internet in my house and therefore the ability to feel connected to my peeps at home even though I'm thousands of miles away
- my external hard drives, through which I can keep up with my tv shows and re-watch Justin Timberlake and Aventura concerts as often as I feel inclined
- text messaging
- American taxpayers who are supporting my being here in Azerbaijan
- living in a house with a washing machine
- çay
- xengel (all types)
- sunrises over the mountains, full moons lighting up my street at night, shooting stars, and all other celestial phenomena that is easier to see in the Zaqatala sky than it was in the NYC one