Shabnam I met in Shaki
I really think parents are important. I felt that a child's personality and character are shaped by how their parents raise them. Talking with people from Azerbaijan, what I consistently noticed is that they express emotions very directly, and the way they speak is very straightforward.
So for someone who is usually reserved and considers the other person's feelings when speaking, it could feel a bit intimidating and overwhelming at times.
But not everyone is like that. Of course, even within the same country there are always people similar to yourself. That was Shabnam, whom I met during my homestay in Shaki.
She was genuinely kind and took very good care of me. When will you arrive? Have you arrived yet? I'll send you all the places you should visit in Shaki and my recommendations, so wait. If you feel uneasy about anything, tell me. She was very supportive.
My pickup was done by her father, and he was also so polite and courteous that I immediately understood he was a good person. The lesson I took from this is that children watch and learn from their parents and become like them.
She was really a good person from the bottom of her heart, and I could communicate with her naturally without feeling nervous the whole time, and I could produce a natural smile. She was a very pleasant person.
The humanity of the taxi driver
The taxi driver was very talkative, and when he realized I was Japanese he started asking a lot of questions. How much is rent in Japan? How expensive is the cost of living?
When I showed him that the average rent is 50,000 yen converted into manat, he reacted with "damn!" and used bad words in Russian. Even though his anger was directed at me like that, I didn't know how I should respond.
I wondered if I had to act apologetic... it was an indescribable situation. My heart was pounding and it felt a bit dangerous. I was sitting in the front passenger seat, so I was even afraid he might hit me.
But in retrospect, he was just expressing his surprise to me directly in his own way. Looking back, I thought that was very human. When he said something like "Damn! That's too expensive," it struck me as his own human reaction.
When we said goodbye after arriving, he gave me a thumbs-up and waved. He didn't look angry at all; rather, he seemed to enjoy the conversation. He felt jealous, but there was no ill will — he openly showed his honest feelings to me. Looking back, I really thought it was very human.
Raul I met at the airport
The first thing to do after arriving in Azerbaijan was to buy a SIM card and withdraw money from an ATM. When I went to the counter to buy a SIM card, he was there.
When he realized I was Japanese, he told me recommended places to visit, and when I said I was going to Shaki he, being from Shaki, told me about his favorite restaurants. Eventually we exchanged WhatsApp, and he told me to ask him anytime if I had questions.
It was a great encounter, and if I hadn't chosen that SIM card I wouldn't have met him. So coincidences are destined meetings. That's life. Life always hides surprises.
When I bought my bus ticket to Shaki he was very helpful and almost annoyingly gave me a lot of advice. Everyone really seemed caring and valued their bonds, I thought.
On the last day he suggested we take a walk around the city together, so we agreed to meet around noon. In the end, he arrived two hours late at the meeting spot. Well, I didn't have high expectations, so if he was going to be late I was the type to just do something myself. So I relaxed at a café.
When I met him he gave me a firm, hearty handshake and we went to a nearby shashlik restaurant. He bought me fries and shashlik. He looked at my Instagram story and could effortlessly say which country a place was from. It was the first time I'd seen someone who could name a country just by looking at its flag. He knew much more than I expected.
He had little prejudice and was completely different from the person I had met the other day. I think that's probably because he was raised with strong family ties and care.
I asked Raul to write a message and he wrote one. I wrote a message in Japanese to him. Then, while he went to the restroom, I paid the bill and he reacted a bit angrily, like "Why!?" In situations like that I assumed he wanted to pay.
In the end he gave me 20 manat. Then we walked to my hotel so I could grab my backpack. Raul carried the smaller bag for me and we headed to the subway together. We took the metro to a station near the airport, then took a bus to where the airport bus stops, boarded the airport bus, and arrived at the airport.
We arrived about two hours before departure, so I thought "nice, Raul!" He worked where the SIM cards were sold, and he told me he didn't want to be seen by anyone, so he asked me to hide him as we walked. I totally understood that feeling.
Check-in went smoothly. They asked if I had a visa, and I said a visa wasn't necessary. It took ten minutes, so I thought as expected of Azerbaijan Airlines. Because Azerbaijan Airlines has very few seats, the seats are more spacious like business class, so I thought it's fitting for an oil-rich country.
Matcha latte and Flat White
We had coffee at an outdoor coffee shop. He doesn't usually drink coffee and didn't know what to order, so I recommended a Flat White. I ordered a matcha latte.
When I paid the bill there he reacted with "why!?" again, a little annoyed. He really is the kind of person who insists on doing things like that for others. While I was sipping my matcha latte, staring at some point, he said, "You are an overthinker" (laughs).
He really understood me well. I filmed a video of him. Then he took my camera and interviewed me. I also interviewed him. I get really nervous when a camera is pointed at me, but I think shots like that are important.
In the end we hugged at the departure gate and said "see you in Japan," then said goodbye. He was so kind to see me off until the end. Coincidences are destiny. That's how it is.
Chinese couple I met in Shaki
When I arrived at the restaurant for dinner in Shaki and was looking at the menu, an Asian couple came in and one man looked at me and asked, "Where are you from?" When I said Japan, he said, "Oh, really! We're from China! If you'd like, would you like to eat together?" He was very open and welcoming.
They were on their honeymoon and had recently gotten married. So I said congratulations! He started joking self-deprecatingly like "I'm fat so I can eat anything!" which made me laugh.
He took a panda keychain from his pocket and gave it to me as a souvenir. What a gentleman.
He loved Japanese manga and said he had read Berserk. From there we talked at length about our countries' cultures and histories. We spent maybe two hours discussing how our countries could get along better.
The wife was very reserved and didn't join the conversation at all, just watching. But having this face-to-face experience talking about each other's countries was truly valuable.
He was considerate of my position while talking and really seemed well-educated. In the end we took photos and exchanged phone numbers. He told me that if I ever came to China in the future and had any problems, to call him — he'd come help anytime. He was such a good person, and I'm glad I met him.
