– Emi, where did you live before coming to Austin, and what did you do?
Hello! I came from sunny Azerbaijan, the city of Baku, where I graduated from the Baku State University with a degree in psychology, and graduated from the magistracy there. I worked with children as a child psychologist, and later began working as a kindergarten teacher in a preparatory group.
– How did you get to Austin?
In 2018, my husband unexpectedly won a green card and we decided to leave. Frankly, for me, it was a very difficult decision, I never imagined going anywhere… fear of the unknown, a foreign country. But after weighing all the pros and cons we decided to go ahead.
Some of our friends were living in Austin and they helped us a lot after we arrived!
– Please tell us about your work in Austin.
Here I continue to do what I love, I work in a Russian group in the American kindergarten “Kids r Kids”. A degree in psychology in my work is a big plus. I easily manage to establish contact with children, they trust me and I, in turn, try not to let down their trust!
“Kids r Kids” is the only NAEYC-certified school in the Avery Ranch area. A big benefit is additional activities that are included for the payment, such as gymnastics, yoga, football, as well as etiquette. Parents receive detailed reports on the phone every day, with information on how the child spent the day, what he ate, etc., as well as photos during days! The school has online video surveillance, so that parents can watch their child through the program on their phone!
– Do you miss your homeland? Do you still have family there?
We constantly communicate with our relatives, thanks to technology. Whenever possible, we try to visit our relatives once a year. We miss our family very much and look forward to them coming to us too, I’m sure they will really like Austin, otherwise it simply cannot be!
– Please tell us about your family.
We have a big family. In Baku we have parents, brothers and sisters, and numerous nephews. And here we are three: I, my husband and our son Mahir. He is 7 years old and we are very proud of him! He speaks three languages, and is engaged in jujitsu and chess.
– Are there any traditions you kept after coming to Austin?
We celebrate the Novruz holiday, which is in March. This holiday is accompanied by numerous traditions: people bake national sweets, which are sure to be on every table at everyone’s home. We light bonfires, throw hats by the door of the neighbors, who put some tasty treats inside the caps. We don’t light bonfires here in Austin, but we definitely bake national sweets.
– Did your lifestyle change after you moved?
Here the rhythm of life is very fast. I have to wake up at 6am in order to be on time for everything. But there are also more opportunities. We have become more independent and self-reliant. Who would have thought that I would drive a car? I had to learn.
– What activities in the life of the Russian-speaking community would you like to participate in?
I think it would be great to involve the children from my class in any cultural and developmental activities. I really think it would be great!
Contact information:
E-mail: e.jahangirova@gmail.com
Tel. 832-206-9966
Website: https://kidsrkids.com/north-austin/