I just wanted to briefly write about an interesting cultural phenomenon that occurs here in Azerbaijan which never fails to baffle and amaze me. (This is of course only one of many that keep me scrathing my head.) The issue is ATM machines in Azerbaijan. Its not actually the machines themselves that are interesting, they look and operate pretty much the same as in the U.S. and Europe, but what is curious to me is peoples' behavior around them.
There is absolutely no concept of privacy. On several occasions while attempting to take out money another person has come up behind me and stood so close that I could feel their breath on my neck. One man even commented on the language I was using to conduct the transaction “Oh she’s not using Russian!” When I turn around and glare at people and tell them to back off, they look at me as if I am the transgressor.
Usually if someone comes up behind me in line I will just leave and find another ATM- there is a plethora in this city even though people don’t have a lot of money.
What else is interesting to me is that many people seem to have frequent problems with the machines and are not at all abashed to ask the next person standing in line to help them out even freely giving out their pin number to a complete stranger. At some banks, where people are withdrawing their salaries, and large crowds of people gather around the ATM there is actually a security type person who actually helps people use the machines. He stands there and people give him all the information.
I was getting money one time and one of my students who happened to be walking by asked me if I wanted help with the machine. I probably insulted him with the look I gave him. I know he was just doing what is customary in Azerbaijan. Azeris help each other with ATMs all the time, and how much money people earn and have in their bank accounts is not considered private information (see other blog on cultural moments 2).
However that is another one of quite a long list of cultural norms that I don’t think I’ll be adopting. I’ve resigned myself to accepting that I will never fit in here and that’s okay.