From more than 2 million people in Baku, Azerbaijan, to the 20,000 people in the Sequim-Dungeness area, Seymur Aliyev, 34, is learning about local life at a little bit slower pace.
Aliyev comes to America for the first time as one of 46 Professional Fellows nationwide learning policies and procedures over a 40-day program from local governments, like the City of Sequim, to apply back home.
He’ll leave for a fellows conference May 30-June 2 in Washington, D.C., to debrief with the other fellows on their learning. The fellowship is part of his pursuit of a master’s degree in State and Municipal Management from the State Management Academy under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Back home in Baku, which is north of Iran and on the westside of the Caspian Sea, he is head of the civil service commission and responsible for recruiting and hiring civil servants.
In Sequim, he’s been job-shadowing City of Sequim staff, attending meetings, trainings, interviews and more.
“It’s different from our country,” Aliyev said. “We have a strong centralized government whereas here it’s de-centralized.”
When he learned of his assignment in Sequim, Aliyev said he wasn’t sure how to say it.
“I thought it was “Sek-wim,” he said.
But after an online search, he learned the pronunciation, about elk, lavender, irrigation and more Sequim basics.
Aliyev has lived much of the Sequim experience in his short stay seeing the sights and riding in the Irrigation Festival parade with Grand Marshal Jim Stoffer, one of his hosts.
“In 10 minutes I can be deep in the forest and 10 minutes later in the seaside of Dungeness Spit,” he said. “I have seen deer on my road while biking.”
His favorite site though is the Albert Haller Playfields where he’s played a few pickup soccer games.
“In our country you have to pay $50 an hour (for a field),” he said.
But aside from having fun, Aliyev’s trip has been quite analytical of Sequim, too.
“When I reached Sequim, I learned it’s a good place to retire and hard to find a job here,” he said. “The only jobs here I imagine are teaching in school or working in the City of Sequim or making farms, i.e. lavender.”
He continues to meet with community leaders and groups and says in those discussions he said the main issues are finding jobs with good salaries and transportation in a small town.
“If you don’t have a car, it’s a big disadvantage,” he said. “Everyone should have their own car because there are big distances to travel here.”
A few areas he encourages local leaders to explore would be expanding transportation options to Sea-Tac International Airport and offering more tours across the whole Olympic Peninsula for foreign tourists.
“In Seattle, there are many foreign tourists and if they can see this option, I think they’ll do it,” he said.
Aliyev has been married for eight years and the couple have two daughters ages 7 and 4, and a 3-month-old son. He’s stayed in touch daily through phone and Skype.
Random Questions
Question 45: What do you like best about yourself?
Aliyev: I like to talk with people. I like to be social. I want to help other people if they need my help. I like doing sports.
Question 9: What is the last thing you read?
Aliyev: A Peninsula Daily News story about a big halibut fish that weighed 177 pounds.
Question 16: What is the first song that comes to mind when I finish this song?
Aliyev: Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco.” “If you go to San Francisco, then you should be sure to wear flowers in your hair.” I’m going there next week for the weekend to visit a former colleague.
Bonus Question 1: Are you a big sports fan?
Aliyev: Yes, I watched the NBA and got the chance to watch western cultural through the Dream Team in Barcelona. I watched all the games … I missed a Sounders game while here but I’ll go see them play DC United on June 1 … in university I played basketball and handball.
Question 8: Favorite food?
Aliyev: Meat — beef, chicken.
Bonus Question 2: What have you liked in Sequim?
Aliyev: Jose’s Famous Salsa and elk hamburger from Maggie May’s Espresso.
Bonus Question 3: You come to America in the heat of our presidential race. What’s your sense of things?
Aliyev: It’s very interesting to me. I’ve asked many people about Donald Trump, but they say they are not voting for him but they are. They are secretly voting or supporting him.
