People behind the scenes...III...

I will start with Bakhtiyar dayı (dayı-uncle in Azerbaijani). Let me first tell you that its quite common to call each other sister, brother, uncle, aunt, granny, grandfather, daughter, son in Azerbaijan...People that are not relatives address this way to show respect to people that they know quite well and/or to kind of soften their conversation with a stranger. Do not forget that this is Orient and many things are not just straightforward. 

So Bakhtiyar dayı (who is obviously not my uncle) is the gardener that is specializing in mowing the grass in the gardens. Despite his quite respectful age of around 70 Bakhtiyar dayı is full of energy. He is very respected first of all for his age and even more so for his hard work and positive attitude towards life. In summer one would find him very popular working in different gardens. He is showing so much energy while working that one would be ashamed to suggest that he could be tired or too aged (can not say old) to do this kind of work. Unfortunately my photo is not good and you can't really see Bakhtiyar dayı. I should have done a portrait since expression of his face would have told much more. Next summer...

Once the grass is mowed it dries under the sun and once dry someone comes and takes it for their livestock. Someone took it this time as well. There are no phone calls, emails, confirmations and schedules...someone knocks on your gates and says "Bakhtiyar dayi sent me for grass" and you say "yes, please, go ahead". You don't call Bakhtiyar dayi, you don't check the identity. You are in Sheki. You feel safe. You expect people to be friendly. You can't imagine that it could be any different.  

Sometimes those who pick up your grass would bring you fresh milk in return as thank you gesture. Not this time  unfortunately :) 

I try to go to bazaar at least once when I am in Sheki. It is not as pretty and organized as it could be unfortunately but the atmosphere is still there. I like watching people and seeing what is available. My father is big cheese lover and every time he is in Sheki he goes to his favorite merchant and gets that special cheese. Not 100 grams but so that to treat families of his daughters and much more to enjoy back in Baku. He now introduced the merchant to my husband and this time we went to buy cheese for all. Unfortunately I don't know the merchan't name but when I saw him I discovered that this is very tall, I assume quite handsome in his youth man, with shiny blue eyes and very characteristic cap. As it happens quite often to me I get too shy in Sheki and here I was too shy to ask him if he could pose for me. He looked too serious but then later when I took these photos he looked at me and, either he was in a good mood or he was delighted to be photographed by young woman, he looked at me with such a beautiful smile that his eyes shined even more. I was very upset that I didn't take his photo at that very moment and kept whining about it to my spouse later. Again, hopefully next summer. 

P.S. Asked my father later why he never mentioned that his cheese merchant was such an "interesting" man. My father thought that it was a very strange question that did not need a reply. :) I wouldn't dare asking this question to my father 20 years ago :)