Although it is only the 6th of March, I think it is safe to predict that this will be my best month of PC service to date. This past week/end I traveled to Baku for a VAC (Volunteer Advisory Committee) Meeting and had a really successful few days. It started on Thursday morning around 8am when I hopped on a bus to Baku from Ming. I arrived a little before 1pm and I jumped on a city bus to the hotel to drop off my things. Then I got on the metro and met my friend Shira to walk to the American Embassy. Shira and I are the co-directors of GLOW Camp this year and we were going to the Embassy to discuss funding. The Embassy had found some extra money to financially support GLOW and wanted to go over budgeting with us. I was really excited to go to the Embassy as well, because I had never been there before.

So we went to the Embassy and had a really great meeting. They agreed to give us the funds we still needed to run GLOW this year. Needless to say- we were really excited and relieved to not have to worry about funding anymore. After our meeting I got lost trying to find the Caspian Plaza, where I was to have a meeting at the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Program, run through American Councils) office about the upcoming FLEXability training I am participating in. I tried asking several people, and after a while I gave up on trying to find a bus to get there. So I hopped in a cab. I had asked the driver how much it would be and he told me 3 manat, which I agreed to. But when I got in the car, I realized I only had a 50 and 2 manats and 60 qepik (cents). I told the driver and he agreed to take me for the 2 manat and change. We talked the whole ride, and I was clearly amusing him by knowing the language and telling him about my experience in Azerbaijan. Then he told me about his upcoming trip to France and we discussed how I had lived there and I gave him some advice for traveling there. When we arrived at the Caspian Plaza, he refused to take money from me- saying that I was the most interesting person he had ever spoken with. Getting a free taxi ride is virtually unheard of, and just brightened my mood even more than the Embassy meeting had.

I have my meeting with the director of FLEX about the project and get even more excited about going to Georgia later this month. Then she invites me to return the following weekend to meet the participants of the training and the American Ambassador and some other Embassy staff on Sunday. So I agree, excited to meet the new Ambassador. I head back to the hotel to meet up with the other VAC members for dinner. We all go out to dinner and have an amazing Georgian meal.

The next day, we have our VAC meetings as usual (which go really well), and have a surprise visit from the Ambassador (he just arrived last month in Azerbaijan). The VAC committee was able to sit down with him for an hour and discuss what he plans to do in Azerbaijan and to tell him about our own experiences here. That afternoon, we finally finish our VAC meetings and Shira and I head to another meeting. (This was clearly a working trip). We met with the FLEX alumni coordinator to discuss FLEX participation with GLOW and a project we want to create for after GLOW. We had a great meeting and planned out the next few months and how FLEX will participate. After that, I grabbed a burger and went to bed, exhausted. I woke up and had a lazy morning with Megan before heading back to Ming yesterday afternoon. I arrived home, exhausted but feeling really excited for my productive weekend. I am really excited to go back to Baku next weekend to meet the FLEXability participants but am already dreading hoping on that bus. I definately miss driving, although I do like getting to sleep the whole way to Baku.

I definately think if these first few days of March are an indication of what the whole month will be like- I will be on Cloud Nine for the rest of the month!

Hello Everyone,

It is that time of year again- time to donate to GLOW Camp! I wrote the PCPP (Peace Corps Partnership Program) grant this year and am asking all my friends and family to donate a few bucks to this awesome project. I do not expect $100- but even $5 would be great- and much appreciated! Your donation will pay for the transportation for 48 girls to and from camp and for some much needed supplies! Please email me if you have any questions regarding the grant. And as always, thank you for your support!

Katie

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=314-077

I thought I should explain why I have been so busy, and to share with you at home what work I have been doing since I came back from Christmas. This year I am a co-director of GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camp, which has taken up a significant amount of time. I am in charge of all the finances, so writing grants, figuring out the budget, and worrying about finances has taken up about 40% of my time since I have been back. I am head of the finance committee, which has helped alot with other girls sharing the workload of grant writing. This project will keep me busy until the end of July, when we will officially have camp. Last year, Camp was my favorite part of my service and I am sure it will be this year as well.

I have also been doing some work at World Vision. We wrote a proposal back in the fall to improve some local pre-schools for IDPs (Internally Displaced People; from the NK conflict), and we should hear in April if we need to submit a formal grant request. I have also been working with 4-5 staff members in an English Conversation Club 3 afternoons a week to improve their auditory and speech skills. Many people here know alot of words, but perhaps lack the practice to utilize their vocabulary.

I have also started a project that was proposed by a WV employee, and with the help of my PCV sitemates we will be finished in the next month or so. The project is to create audiobooks to accompany the English books for students. This idea was proposed to me because one of the men I worked with wanted his daughter to have the chance to listen to an American pronounce the English words and conversations in her English book. So we have decided to create audiobooks for all 11 grades in Azerbaijan and distribute them to all the local schools in Mingechevir (about 20 schools). We also plan to make these available to other PCVs to use in their regions as well. This is a project I am really excited about because it will reach many students that have not had the opportunity to work with a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Another project, that has not quite started but I just learned about is the FLEX-ability training that I will participate in March. FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Program) is one of the most worth-while projects developed by America (American Councils) that gives students in post-soviet countries the opportunity to study in America for a year during high school. This program has left quite an impression on me, as my host sister is a FLEX alumni and I see how it has changed her life and perspective, and I have heard the accounts of others just like her. Essentially FLEX creates goodwill ambassadors for America that come back to their country and explain what life in America is like and how it is different than they initiatally assumed. It also has the added bonus of American teenagers learning about countries in this part of the world and puting a face with an idea of a country.

As you can tell I am very impressed with the FLEX program, so I am excited to work with them this year. In March, I will be heading to Georgia to work with FLEX alumni from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. We will do project design and management lectures, learn about FLEX alumni opportunities and get to know the youth from the other Caucaus countries. This is a really exciting project to be involved in, because often these students do not get the opportunity to work with students from these other countries (especially Azerbaijan-Armenia) and it is a great way for them to realize their similarities and differences. I just found out this morning that I will be the Azerbaijani representative as a FLEX-ability trainer, so I am sure I will be publishing more posts in the future about this great project.

I hope my sharing some of the work I do with you out in cyberspace has helped you to understand a bit of what I do. I know I have written previous posts about work, that were not as excited or full of work. I think this is a reflection of what I have always heard- that your second year brings all the work you did not have your first year and you become ridiculously busy. I say- bring it on!

I would like to apologize for my lack of blog posts lately- but I have been busy. Which is actually great- because that means my second year will be more fruitful than my first (hopefully). So I will try to catch up with this post and perhaps a few more afterwards.

So Valentine's Day. This year it was on a Monday, so I made a weekend out of it. I am not a huge Valentine's Day fan, I actually prefer to use it as a fun girls night- in the past I spent most of them with my friend Katie back home. So this year- I decided it shouldn't be any different. Back in January, my friend Amy and I arrived back in Azerbaijan around the same time from our trips home to America. We were talking about planning something fun for February to look forward to- and we decided that a girl's Valentine's day celebration would be just the thing.

So on Saturday before Valentine's Day I headed to Amy and Kate's in Goranboy with my friend Rikki. Sierra, Jenni and Jessica Spencer also joined and we had a really great time. We sat in the sun (it was surprisingly warm) and played cards, watched some girl movies and talked. Amy was our chef for the night and she made an amazing lasagna, and then cinnamon rolls that rivaled Cinnabon for breakfast. Getting together with my friends here always reminds me how awesome they are and how much we support each other while we are here. I went home Sunday afternoon for a dinner with my sitemates.

On Sunday evening, my sitemate Crystal's host family made us all dinner and Crystal made us really cute Valentines. We had a really good evening at her house talking amongst ourselves and also to her host family. Then we gathered in her room to play some games, which really turned into dodgeball with squishy balls. It was strange at first to have 3 new sitemates, when I wasn't even used to not having my previous 3 sitemates leave, but I think we are starting to get in the swing of it. I think we will have a really fun year and hopefully will work on some projects together.

So, on Valentine's Day, I had a really busy day. My friend Sevinc (pronounced Sevinj) had a little birthday party that I went to with cake, tea and lots of dancing. Alex and Jodi were also there, and everytime I go to the Family Support Center (where the party was) I feel such warmth from the women that work there. I also think talking to us entertains them, as they learn how different or similar America is to their homeland. I had also brought some temporary tattoos that were Valentine's Day themed that my mom sent me last year- and the girls went crazy over them. I am pretty sure they all left that day with several tattoos on their hands and arms.

After Sevinc's party I headed to my host family's house to spend Valentine's Day evening with my host sister, Aysel. Aysel was leaving the next day to go back to Baku where she studies so we had a bit of a sleepover. I brought nail polish, and we painted our nails, as well as some leftover tattoos from earlier that day. She and my host brother covered their hands and arms with the tattoos. After the response from the temporary tattoos- I realized this might be a really good business to start in Azerbaijan!

Then we made candy necklace's that my mom sent me last year, and nibbled on them while we drank tea and watched tv. My host mom and father arrived later that evening, from a wedding that day. We all had dinner together and watched the evening news. Then Aysel and I went up to her room and watched the movie 'Letters to Juliet' and then part of 'Tangled' before we fell asleep.

All in all it was a really great Valentine's Day in Azerbaijan with my friends and host family. I argued with a co-worker that believed Valentine's Day is only for romantic love- because I feel that it is a day to tell anyone you love, whether romantic or friendly that you are happy they are in your life. This year I felt very surrounded by love and was reminded of why I am still here.

While living in Azerbaijan, I have developed an abnormal habit that hopefully will only last as long as my service here. My mother thinks its rather appalling, but fortunately most other volunteers share this habit so I will just explain it as a survival mechanism. The habit is hoarding. And it is not excessive- you can get into my house, there are not large stacks of papers or random objects lying about. It is more like I have a cabinet where I hide certain things I do not want to share. As I am writing this post, I am drinking a peppermint mocha latte that came from within my cabinet. I thought those of you out there might find this habit amusing- or perhaps weird, but I feel like I should share all of my PC experience with you. So let's make a list of what I have in this cabinet:

Peanut butter, hot chocolate, peanut butter crackers, oreos, nutter butters (I clearly adore pb products), granola bars, caramel white chocolate mocha latte mix, craisins, parmesan cheese, pepperoni, syrup, gum and candy.

I am not sure how this habit started, but I remember when- the first day I arrived at a host familys house. I brought a jar of peanut butter with me and I did not even open it for the first 4 months I was here. I was worried if I started to eat it- I would run out before getting another. Now, I know this sounds crazy. But for some reason things like peanut butter are a great companion when you are having a tough day in a foreign country. Mary Poppins said a spoon full of sugar- but I think a spoon full of peanut butter is much better.

Now that I have realized how crazy this habit is, I am trying to break it. My hope is that by the time I return to live a "normal" life in America- people will not find a secret cabinet of my favorite foods that I will not share. I mean- if I live in a country where I can easily buy those foods- I should share, correct? Well I guess we will see...I will keep you updated. For now, I am going to enjoy my peppermint latte and contemplate when I will make a pepperoni pizza.

Last month I was able to return to America to spend the holidays with my family. The actual trip home was interesting because I traveled with a few AZ6s who were leaving Azerbaijan for the last time. We were definately at different places mentally on the trip home but it was great to hear their advice for my second year in country. And it is always nice to have company when you are traveling for over 24 hours, otherwise you might be really bored or go a little crazy from lack of sleep.

I arrived in Jacksonville to a wonderful welcoming party of my mom, grandma and grandpa. It was unreal to see them after 14 months so I think I was in a bit of a shock. (I definately look forward to another warm welcome like that at the end of this year!) I was pretty tired when I arrived so I just went straight home and went to bed. My cat at home was pretty excited to see me although I think she was really confused as to where I had been for the past year. She slept curled up at my side that night, and pretty much every other night I was home.

Most of my time at home was spent with my family, and I still feel like I did not get to spend enough time with them. But they definately kept me well feed- and I was able to eat lots of food that is unavailable here. I actually feel like I spent most of my time at home eating- but I did not care about dieting when I had to store up good food memories for another year- while bragging to the volunteers at home about the fresh avocado and salmon I was eating.

I also was able to see alot of my friends while I was home, and for most of them- it felt like no time had passed since we had last spent time together. I guess that is a sign of true friendship- when you can have long absences of contact and still pick up right where you left off. In this case, I am lucky to have alot of good friends.

My month at home definately flew by and before I knew it, it was time to come back to Azerbaijan. It was really hard to get on the plane back, but I knew I had my Peace Corps family to support me when I got back and some work to occupy my thoughts.

The day flying back- or rather 30 + hours was pretty awful to do alone, and I had a bit of a breakdown in Istanbul during my 11 hour layover due to exhaustion. But I did make it safe, although without my luggage which added to my anxiety about being back. However once I arrived back in my host city, and settled into my apartment I felt a million times better. I do love my little apartment and will soon be reunited with my luggage (and my food from America that I brought!!).

It was an amazing taste of America while I was home and now I look forward to settling back in America after I finish this year in Azerbaijan. If this year is like last year- it will definately fly by. I just need to get through the winter and before I know it- GLOW Camp will be here and the summer heat with it ;)

My second Thanksgiving was this past Saturday at the Ambassador's Residence. We do not actually have an Ambassador at the moment, so the Charge D'Affairs sponsored this Thanksgiving dinner for Peace Corps Staff and Volunteers. Everybody brought a dish so we had tons of American traditions as well as some non-traditional food and Azerbaijani food. I have honestly never seen soo much food in my life, well except at an Azerbaijani toy. But it was a really great evening with lots of delicious food. It will really wonderful to see everyone- because I have not seen some people since we swore-in as volunteers almost a year ago. The best part of the evening was definately the talent show after dinner. My poor sitemite Sean was serenaded multiple times by other (male) volunteers that caused most of us to cry from laughter. There were some popular songs that had new lyrics that were applicable to Azerbaijan as well as some fun facts from the Charge D'Affairs son. I think it was a really special event and if I am still here next Thanksgiving- I look forward to it next year! Below are some pictures from this Thanksgiving.

teacup from the Ambassador's Residence

This year I was blessed to have two Thanksgivings. My first one was on Thanksgiving day and was about an hour away in Goranboy. My two friends Kate and Amy live there, and they invited a few of us to come celebrate the holidays at their new house. I guess the highlight of the holiday for everyone (except Jackie and I) was Sean killing the Thanksgiving turkey. I cannot write about it- because I did not see it. Jackie and I hung out inside playing cards, pretending nothing was happening. BUT I will say the turkey was good! Amy did the majority of the cooking and we had soo much food- turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, mashed pumpkin (we don't have sweet potatoes here), gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, carrot cake and pumpkin pie. It was a feast to say the least. Hmm, didn't mean to rhyme there. Anyway, it was a pretty typical Thanksgiving considering that we live in Azerbaijan. The girls spent most of the day inside cooking while the boys watched (downloaded) football games. It was one of those rare days that we forgot we weren't in America- and those days are very special to us. I am really lucky to have such great friends in Peace Corps that share some of the more difficult days to be away from home. Below are some pictures of our fantastic food.

Two weeks from today I am heading home for a much needed visit with my family and friends in America. I cannot even describe how excited I am. I arrived in Azerbaijan on October 1st of last year (2009) and I have not left its borders since then. I made the decision to stay in country for my first year because I knew that if I left too soon, I might be tempted to not come back. Now, I am used to my life here and I have established relationships that will make me want to return. So I do not have any anxiety about going home and returning- my anxiety comes from flying.

Last year, I lived in France for a few months so I traveled Europe as much as I could while I lived there. I think I had at least 30 flights last year, so flying became as normal as driving to me. However, now it has been 14 months since the last time I even saw an airport. And I am getting anxious. I am not worried for my safety or anything like that, I am sure I will arrive safely. I am more worried about when I will arrive. To explain this, I should tell a story. Last year, when I was flying back to America from finishing my study abroad, I experienced a harsh lesson in Murphy's Law: what can go wrong, will.

I was flying from Rome, where I had spent two amazing weeks with my grandparents after finishing studying in France. I arrived at the airport early in the morning, for a 10am flight. Well apparently there was some trouble with the plane, so our flight was changed to 2pm. No big deal- they gave us a free lunch and I had an interesting conversation with a man that worked in Romania. So then we finally board the plane, and it was smooth sailing to Cincinnati. Of course on the flight, I realized I had missed my connecting flight to Jacksonville. I was originally supposed to arrive at like 6 or 7pm that night.

So, I arrive in Cincinnati and I borrowed someone's phone to call my mom to tell her about my flight. She apparently had already been alerted by the airline and had been told of my new flight plans. I was to fly to South Carolina, and then to Jacksonville from there. Ok, no big deal, I will be in at like 10pm then. Good thing my mom wasn't waiting at the airport. So I get on the flight to South Carolina, and again it is smooth sailing. I arrive in South Carolina to find out I am on stand-by. I get a little irritated- because why would they send me to South Carolina if I did not have a seat? And I was not the only person- there were 10 of us on standby.

So I check in and wait. In the meantime, all of the other standbyers have sat down around me. We all start talking about how we want to get to Jacksonville that night. I tell them I have been flying for a ridiculously long time and I just want to go home to see my family. So we hatch this "brilliant" plan to rent a van and drive to Jacksonville that night. It might take a little longer than we want, but hey! we are gonna get home. Everyone starts boarding the plane and as we start looking up rental companies, my name is called. Mashallah (God has willed it, or something like that), I have a seat on the flight. I swear- I wanted to kiss that person sitting at the desk. So I say goodbye to my new friends and wish them luck getting home. Then I practically run onto that flight. So, I am on my way home finally and I am beyond excited about seeing my mom at the airport. So we are on this flight, when all of a sudden the pilot comes on the intercom. Apparently, Jacksonville was experiencing a terrible thunderstorm and we had to kind of fly in circles until we were cleared to land. After about an hour of hovering, our pilot told us we had to fly to Orlando to refuel. He was not sure if we would just get out there, but he would update us asap. So, we arrive in Orlando. Luckily, I was sitting next to this really nice guy who let me borrow his phone to call my mom again. She was sitting at the airport, watching this thunderstorm and worrying (like all moms) about me getting home. So after maybe 45 minutes of sitting at the Orlando airport, we are cleared to fly to Jacksonville.

So we fly into JAX, and land like 4 or 5 hours later than we were supposed to (and like 9 hours later than I was originally supposed to). I have to say, when I was looking out my window, I could see the lightening and I just started crying. Not out of frustration for being late- but because I had missed watching lightening storms over the ocean, and seeing that made me realize I was finally home. So around 3am, I finally stepped off the plane. I saw my mom standing there and I was soo happy (and I felt bad because she looked exhausted). Then, a bunch of my friends jumped out and surprised me, to welcome me back to America. I was soo happy to see everyone, and bummed that I had missed out on the "surprise dinner" that had been planned. But I have to say I was soo happy to be back in America.

So now you know my terrible flight to America story, and why I am a little anxious about flying home. But they say lightening never strikes twice, right?

Yesterday, I went with a group of volunteers to Goychay to see the Nar Bayrami (or Pomegranate Festival). Goychay is known to have the best nar in Azerbaijan and they celebrate it by having their own little festival. I have to be honest, my expectations were not too high and Goychay's festival exceeded them in every way. We arrived to see little tables full of nar goodies and handcrafts made by the local women and children. Each village around Goychay brought their own nar as well as jams and juices for everyone to try. Lori, Beth and I decided that we were going to try nar from every village- and we almost did. We missed a few because they closed before we could get to them, but I think we tried nar seeds, juices, cake, and jam from almost 20 villages. I honestly felt a little ill by the end of it. The best nar food I had was a nar cake, where the layers tasted like graham crackers and it was topped with icing and nar. We also ate some pastries and piroshki (a fried dough usually with potatoes or meat). There was also a parade and a lunch and lots of photo opportunities. Below are some of the photos from the event.

I have heard many times before that international development is a double-edged sword, where in trying to do good in one area ends up making another area (or even the same area) even worse. In theory, I have studied this and I could name countless examples of where they went wrong, but it is different to be in that situation. I am just beginning a new project where I can see both the good and the bad that can come from this project and I have no idea how to proceed.

Perhaps I should back up and explain the project itself. WV, the org I have been working with has begun the research for a new grant that I am to help with. The idea is to help 4 existing preschools in an IDP community right outside of the city. We want to train the teachers in new methods on child development, improve community support and try to create a parent-teacher association where together they can make decisions for the school and their children. If this alone was to be the project- it would be easier (besides having to get everyone to cooperate). However, preschools are different here than in America. All preschools are sponsored by the government, which means they are funded by them. So essentially, they are public schools.

To complicate these public schools even more, most schools and preschools (and many public buildings) are now mainly inhabited by IDPs from the NK conflict in the early 90's. So of the 4 preschool's I saw, about 1/3 to 1/4th of the preschool is actually a preschool, with the rest having been renovated (by the IDPs themselves) into private homes for IDPs. So now there is an overcrowding problem. When each classroom used to have a seperate "nap room," now all children sleep, eat and play in one room. This might not seem like a big deal, but they have actual beds- so imagine 25-30 beds in a room that take up over half of the room....and then squeeze in 25-30 kids, toys, tables, etc. It makes this a little hectic for the teachers and the children. In 3 of the schools we visted there were several rooms that were missing large sections of the floor or had weak boards that the children had to avoid so their little legs would not fall through. To be honest, these buildings in America would have been condemned years ago.

But of course, we are in a different country, and we will work with what we have. So now in the original plan to do a training and involve the community- clearly the first step is basic repair. Here is where it gets sticky- if the government is in charge of these buildings, shouldn't they be repairing them? I would like to say they just do not know how bad the conditions are- but from what I have heard, almost all preschools are like this. But I don't think me writing a letter about funds for preschools in Mingechevir to the government will get me very far. So, back to our project. Clearly, the first need is the physical repairs. Hopefully the community will participate in this. And then we will do the trainings as expected.

After viewing these preschools I learned that it is free for all families to send their children there. Now my logic was, why not charge the parents a small fee everymonth for their children to go to preschool, and then the school would not be dependent on the government for these necessary repairs as they come up. Now my director agreed with me (he pays for his daughter's preschool) but I realized that might not be popular opinion. While Azerbaijan is no longer a truly socialist state, I think sometimes these mentalities are kept, without even a thought of changing them. So perhaps I am rocking the boat a little too much with this idea. However I think that working on this project is going to be quite a learning experience for me and maybe the community will surprise me. For now I guess I should finish the first step: writing the proposal.

Today, the new CED (Community Economic Development) and YD (Youth Development) volunteers found out their future sites. While waiting to hear who would be my new sitemates, I reflected on my site placement day last year. As a trainee, you are very sheltered from the rest of the country and you never get to leave the training site other than for a site visit with a current volunteer and then also one day in the capital with your language teacher. I did not know the country well and I was really nervous. It is a huge day for a volunteer, because you find out where you will be living for the next two years, if you have sitemates and what your future organization will be. I remember my host family was just as nervous as I was and they were excited to hear where I was going to be as well as my neighbor Megan.

The day that we found out, all the CEDs and YDs were in the auditorium of the HUB School, where all the trainees met for the big training days. They had a huge map of Azerbaijan in the front of the room and little pins with our names on them. They would call our names, tell us our new city and we would put our pin in the appropriate place. When my name was called, they also called Sean's and I knew that wherever we were going- it was going to be fun! Then they told us Mingechevir and I was soo excited. I had heard a little bit about it on other people's blogs and everything I heard was good. And of course, a year later- it has turned out to be a great site. I just hope the new volunteers appreciate it as much as we have.

On Wednesday afternoon, I received a call from World Vision, a new organization in Mingachevir that I have started working with. I was invited to participate in a training the following day. I was really excited to see how their trainings were conducted, so I agreed. I went to the WV office that Thursday morning at 9am. I was then told that we would be traveling to Agjabedi rayon, which is about two hours away. Luckily I had nothing else planned for Thursday so after about 30 minutes we got in the car and started our trip. I am lucky to work with this organization because most of the employees speak English very well, so we can talk about a lot of different things. On the two hour car ride, we discussed the business economy in Azerbaijan, the difficulties that small businesses face against government monopolies in certain industries, the different types of agricultural commodities grown in AZ, the lack of an Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and they taught me new words in Turkish and Talysh (which I have probably already forgotten). The driver, who does not speak English, started a joke that I was going to be the next Ambassador for Azerbaijan and made me promise that I would hire him to be my personal driver. I doubt that will ever happen- but I guess if it does, I have a promise to keep.

The trip there was really great and when we arrived in Agjabedi city we went to AzerCredit, which was started by WV several years ago. AzerCredit is a type of microfinance organization that offers small loans for locals to start a small business. I was able to meet a few of the loan officers and learn a little bit about what they do. They also asked a million questions about Peace Corps, why I was in Azerbaijan and if I liked living here. Then after tea with the office workers, we headed out to a village of Agjabedi. This particular village, Lachen district is an IDP settlement. An IDP is an internally displaced person, and in Azerbaijan there are IDPs in every city from the N-K conflict that happened about 14 years ago.

On our way to Lachen district, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant. The four of us- the driver, the training specialist, a community worker, and me, had a great lunch of chicken, potatoes, cheese, and bread. We fed the cats that live at the restaurant, which is very normal here. We sat outside in a little gazebo with cats meowing at our feet while we ate and talked. The driver was cracking me up, because he reminded me of my host mom- he kept refilling everyone's plate and telling them to eat more. And all the men surprised me by how nice they were to the cats- they were continually breaking off pieces of bread or meat and throwing it down for the cats to nibble on. I was happy that they are all animals lovers like me.

After lunch, we went to the school in Lachen district where we were conducting the training. Unfortunately the school did not have electricity due to a faulty transformer, so we were unable to use the projector or the prepared powerpoint presentation. Luckily, we had a flip-chart and the training went really well. We discussed how to organize and write a business plan, which brought back memories of college and writing mock business plans that took weeks to prepare. However, the types of business plans discussed in the training were very basic and for small businesses- like starting a small vegetable stand, barber, or little grocery store. Although only men participated in the training, it was nice to hear their questions and ask for my input from an outside point of view. Hopefully I was able to offer some good advice. I really appreciated the opportunity to participate in this training, something that was unavailable with my previous organization.

Overall it was a really great day and I learned alot from both the conversations on the ride over and from the training itself. But I was exhausted when I arrived home at 6pm and was happy to hop into my comfortable bed. I wonder how I will function back in America when I have a full workday everyday. I hope I adjust quickly!

One of my friends here, Jessica and I were talking about making cinnamon rolls from a recipe in the PC cookbook. We decided to make them the next time we were together. Then, Jessica told me she had never seen A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation- which sounded crazy to me. Then I found a recipe for S'more brownies....and we set a date for our Baking and Christmas movie extravaganza. So this past Monday, Jessica arrived in the morning and we set off to buy all the ingredients. We also decided to add peanut butter cookies to the mix- as if we didn't have enough sweets. We came back to my apartment and put on our pajamas- and stayed that way until the next afternoon when I had work. We made cinnamon rolls- and although the dough did not rise like it was supposed to, they were really good. Then we started on the S'mores brownies. I should explain what these are: it starts with a cookie crumb crust, then brownie batter and finally you top it off with marshmallows. It tastes just like it sounds- way too sweet but amazing.

The brownies were finished first so we cut a piece and settled down for the movies. Although she never said she loved them- I think she did appreciate finally seeing these Christmas classics. I am in the Christmas mood 12 months a year, so I can always watch a good Christmas movie. We decided to wait on the peanut butter cookies until the next day because our stomachs hurt from soo much sugar. But we did stay up really late playing cards and watching tv/movies. It was a really great two days and it got me in the Christmas spirit- which is less than two months away! I will be home for Christmas this year and I am soo excited. This was the perfect way to jump start my countdown to coming home. Here are some pictures of our sweets:

One of my favorite foods is sushi- and any kind of sushi. In Gainesville, they had several cheap sushi places to go to, and I went as often as I could. Unfortunately, they don't have sushi in Mingechevir. You can find it in Baku, but it is really expensive (about 10 manat/ 13 USD) for one roll. On a peace corps budget- it's not really affordable except for special occasions. So I have been missing sushi for about a year now. Well it is really lucky that I have a Korean-American sitemate that just happens to know how to make sushi. I had mentioned my love for sushi to her a few times, and she suggested that we have a sushi night. Her parents send her ingredients to make Asian food- and she had some sushi rice and seaweed sheets. Thus sushi night. She was able to find some cream cheese, and we bought some veggies to make rolls. And she had the ingredients to make my favorite sauce- the spicy mayo sauce. So we made cucumber-cream cheese-rice rolls topped with spicy mayo, apple-terriyaki chicken-cream cheese rolls with spicy mayo, and then just apple-cream cheese rolls with spicy mayo. I not only was able to eat my favorite food- I also learned how to make it! Now I just need to go buy the ingredients while I am home in December, and I can make sushi with my new sitemates. I have to say- it was one of my favorite food nights in Mingechevir- and that is saying something. My sitemates and I love to cook and bake and we are always having good food nights- second favorite was our Chocolate night ;) Below are some pictures of our delicious sushi.

One of my favorite parts of my week is my Tuesday/Friday conversation club with a group of teachers in Mingechevir. The girls all work at a local Family Support Center and teach various subjects to the children such as computers and English. The Center itself is really awesome- it kind of reminds me of a Boys & Girls Club back home, because it is a place where kids can go while their parents are working. But it is so much more than that. It is also a place where children with disabilities can go while their parents work, as well as a "kindergarden" which is our version of a pre-school. At most schools here, kids go to school from 9-1 or from 1-6. So essentially, they have half the day off, so this Center is a place for them to go for the rest of the day. They have computer classes, homework help, a playground, a tv for movie time, etc. There is plenty of time for these kids to be active and also have some social interaction- which is rather lacking in this country. So needless to say- I love going there.

I love walking through their courtyard and having little kids scream hello to me and giving me hugs. And I love working with these teachers. I work with about 5 girls, although we recently lost one to go back to school. During summer, a few of the advanced children also joined in the conversation club, which brought a fun perspective to our conversations. The teachers are all about my age and have very different experiences. Three girls are single, one is married with a baby, and one is divorced. They are such a cool group of girls to work with and I really enjoy working with them- because they really want to improve their English. Most people here understand how much of an asset it is to speak English- but alot of people don't want to actually work for it. I think they believe that just listening to us will make them instantly speak English- and well that doesn't work. So these girls study their new words from each lesson and think of good topics for our next meeting. We have discussed a variety of topics- from our families to kitchen appliances to the differences in wedding ceremonies in our countries. They tell me about their hopes and dreams, and I share with them my own. In a foreign country where you often feel slightly on the outside, it's great to be able to just hang out with the girls sometimes.

Me with 4 of the girls after Club one day

Last year, on October 1st I arrived in Azerbaijan absolutely terrified and unsure of what I should expect. The concept of 2 years away from home seemed impossible, and I think that the main reasons I got on the plane were to prove to myself that I could do it, or at least try and then also pride- as everyone I knew was aware that I was going- and I could not live down the embarassment if I ditched my flight at the last second (This is actually very common among PCVs, as I later learned). So I hopped on that flight with two new friends out of Jacksonville and arrived in Azerbaijan on October 1st, a year ago today. The first few days spent in the hotel, learning the language and preparing ourselves for training were exciting but safe as I was surrounded by all my Peace Corps friends. The first night I spent with my host family was one of the two most terrifying nights I have had here. Not only did I arrive with a stomach virus, I spoke maybe five words of the language and had no idea how to communicate to my family about myself or the Peace Corps. Luckily my first host family was amazing and they made me feel totally at ease, asking a few questions but letting me observe everything as much as I wanted. I didn't realize it at the time, but apparently I watched my host family do everything first, before I did it to make sure I did it right. This was pointed out to me by my host mom when I made an "American" meal for them with Aaron- when they waited to see how we ate it, my host mom commented that I did the same thing my first few days. I lived with them for 10 weeks and became very close to my family and before I knew it- it was time to move on.

Which brings me to my second terrifying night in country. It was with my second host family. I felt ripped away from the routine of my first host family, and arrived at the home of my second host family late at night, exhausted and overwhelmed- to be greeted by 4 small children, their parents as well as a grandmother all living in a very nice, but small home. This family was alot more active and loud than my previous family and I was completely overwhelmed and freaked out. They were a very nice family, but I switched families after a week to another family closer to my work. This family became the family I consider to be my Azerbaijani family- and they tell everyone I am their daughter. I absolutely love them, and still spend time with them. Living with host families is such a huge part of your first year here, because we live with them for 6 months and they are essentially our biggest teachers here in language, culture, and appropriate behavior. I was fortunate to have two amazing host families that really made my first 6 months alot easier than it could have been.

My second 6 months were different from my first 6 months, because I was more comfortable with the language and more independent. I also lived alone- and had to learn how to do everything for myself in another language. I have realized while living here how important our concept of personal independence in America is- where you learn how to do things for yourself at a younger age, which is something lacking in Azerbaijan. Most girls my age here would have no idea where to go or how to pay bills- such as internet, gas, electricity, etc. They usually do not live alone, and in some cities are not allowed even in the bazar. I of course, live in a more "liberal" city, where as a western woman I have certain liberties such as going to a teahouse, going to our "pub", as well as running on the main streets (although I still get some stares). But living here for this long has given me a certain level of comfort and security. People have also gotten used to me and don't stare as much or hassle me as frequently.

Now, when I am on a bus coming back to Mingechevir, I get a huge grin on my face when I see the arches with the sign for Mingechevir city because I know I am home. I am a regular at certain stores, and I have made friends with neighbors and shopkeepers. I will walk by certain places and hear people talk about me- not as a foreigner, but as the "American girl" that does this and that. I even have an older male neighbor that brags about how I wake up early and run and how cool he thinks that is.

I have to say, a year ago from today, I never thought I would be here- in this mindset and this comfortable in my settings. I have defeated my fears and conquered my insecurities and feel like a better person for it. And something I have realized throughout this year is that my Peace Corps service will be what I make of it. So no matter what happens, I need to roll with the punches and figure out how to do better tomorrow. I think the next year (and two months) will bring even more learning experiences as well as the opportunity to give guidance to the new volunteers as the previous volunteers did for us.

I live in a country that I probably never would have even visited, and am gaining insight into a world that generations before me would not have dreamed of. I am not saying that everyday is easy, because it most certainly is not. But, as I realized today- I have made it one whole year. That is 365 days in Azerbaijan, without leaving- and I am not crazy, freaking out or sad. I feel confident that I will appreciate America more when I do return home, but I will hopefully look back on my two years here and remember the good times I had with my fellow volunteers as well as the friends I have made here and not the frustrating times. And even more importantly, I will remember that I was able to do something I never thought possible.

I did not plan on writing another blog post this soon, and I certainly never thought I would write one on such a sad subject. But I feel it is important to share this story with as many people as possible, so the memory will be shared and the person remembered. I awoke this morning to terrible news online. Another University of Florida alumni and fellow Peace Corps Volunteer was fatally shot over the weekend in the capital of Lesotho. After the initial shock of reading this story, I realized I had tears rolling down my face. The volunteer that we lost was Thomas Maresco, and he graduated in 2008 from the University of Florida. He left for Lesotho in November of 2009, about a month after I left to start my service here. I did not have the honor to meet Thomas, however my heart goes out to his family and friends that have lost someone so special in their lives.

I have learned while I have been a Peace Corps volunteer how rare the UF volunteer community is- because we become like a family. There are several volunteers that I have never met, but I support them and I know they support me throughout our services, and we are often able to meet up while we are abroad. I am lucky to serve with another GatorGrad in Azerbaijan, Peter, and we often talk about how great our recruiter and the UF PC recruitment program is. Most PCVs do not even get to meet their recruiter in person, or if they do it is only once or twice. UF PCVs get to boast that not only do we get one-on-one time with our recruiter- she connects us with other PCVs and stays in touch throughout our service. It is this personal attention that creates the UF PC family- and today that family is mourning a terrible loss.

I had read before I came to country- and even had heard from other PCVs about deaths of volunteers, but you never actually think about it until it hits home. While I feel very safe within my country of service, I know that life is fragile and precious and I should never take it for granted. The story of Thomas's tragic death has brought a reality check into my day and I spent today thinking of how lucky I am to be serving both my country and my school. I am proud to be a UF PCV and now whenever I wear my shirt, I will think of Thomas Maresco- who created the logo on the back and the UF family that has and will continue to support me throughout my service. I pray for his family and for the other PCVs serving in Lesotho. I hope those of you reading my blog will also do so.

This past weekend we had our last VAC (Volunteer Advisory Committee) meeting with most of the AZ6's (the group that came the year before us). I cannot believe it is already time for us to start saying goodbye to some friends that will be leaving within the next 3 months to start the next chapter in their lives. It was a bittersweet meeting, they have taught us the ropes and we will be sad to see them leave, but it will also be our time to teach the new volunteers that arrive later this month how VAC works. We had a really good day of meetings, including a meeting with the new American Charges D'Affairs, who was really nice. I was really surprised to hear that he had already traveled to a few sites within the country- typically expats do not like to leave Baku unless they go on vacation in the mountains or something. After our long day of meetings we all met up for dinner, at our usual spot- the Great Wall, a chinese/karaoke restaurant. They have really good food, and big enough tables for our group. This weekend was just yet another reminder of how quickly time has passed, some days feel just terribly slow but then before you realize it- another month has flown by. The past few months have definately gone more quickly- but I guess winter is just a slower time in general. I definately look forward to the new volunteers and to starting my second year of service.

A few weekends ago, a group of us met in Tovuz to get together before school starts again. It was decided that it should be a themed party, so naturally it became a toga party. It wasn't quite the toga parties we might have had in college, but it was still fun to get together and forget where we were for a little while. My day started out with a 3 hour bus ride to Tovuz, which I must say is the worst in the country. Going from Mingachevir to anywhere west is pretty miserable because the road is unfinished and the drivers go too fast so the ride is bumpy as well as hot. I arrived in Tovuz in the early afternoon and headed over to Jessica's house. Some volunteers had arrived the night before so we had lunch and then hung out and talked while we waited for everyone else to arrive. Then we all had a big dinner and sat around discussing how quickly these past 11 months have seemed to go, although at times it feels super slow. We had a few friends at dinner that will be leaving in the next few months and we were able to toast them and spend some quality time before they leave.

At one point Sierra and I ventured into Jessica's yard where she has tons of fruit trees- including pears, nar, and figs. We really wanted some figs and I walked around the tree to pick a really ripe fig. Unfortunately I wasn't really paying attention and there was a huge hole- covered with branches next to the tree. I swear, it was like Jessica is trying to trap a tiger in her backyard. So one of my legs fell down into the hole so that I was practically doing a split. After Sierra was able to stop laughing, she tried to help me out. I was able to get out of the hole, but I did leave a shoe behind. After several attempts by different volunteers, my faithful sitemate Sean climbed in the hole and was able to get my shoe out. And I should probably mention it was one of my Rainbow flip flops- so not just any shoe. It was the shoes I wear everyday until it is too cold to wear flip flops anymore.

The night continued without incident including some dancing, card games, and helping Sierra make Ramen noodles for a late night snack. Then the next morning I woke up early with some other volunteers to head back to site. It was a really fun time but I always look forward to going back home to my own bed and my shower. Here are some pictures from the party:

Jackie, Sierra and I

All the girls from the party

Jackie, Jessica, Amy and I

Jessica, Sierra and I

I recently started working with a new organization in the community that supports families, children with disabilities and their families. It is a really great center that is very welcoming to all the volunteers in Mingachevir. The other day I got there a little early so I watched the kids playing a game. At first glance it looked like they were playing Monkey in the Middle like we used to play when I was little at home.

However after about ten minutes of spectating- I realized their game was quite more aggressive. They did have one person in the middle and two people on either side. But instead of throwing the ball high so that the person in the middle couldn't catch it; they threw it extra hard straight down the middle as if they were trying to hit the person in the middle. If the person in the middle was able to catch the ball, then another person could jump in the middle and help them out.

After watching the game for a few more minutes, I was invited to join. I quickly declined, as even now, at 25 years old I tend to avoid games where I might get hurt. And I have to say- those little kids can throw hard. But I did enjoy watching them play and feeling a little bit of home, even if it was somewhat rougher than what I am used to.

I had some friends visit this past weekend and they took some awesome pictures of the bazar in Mingachevir. I am most likely partial to the bazar of my host city, because it is my host city but it really is the best bazar in Azerbaijan. Here are some pictures of our great bazar.

Need random junk? Look no further...

How about some stuffed animals or dolls?

Spices

Fresh fruits and veggies

Girls Leading Our World (G.L.O.W.) Camp was this past week and was absolutely the best week I have had in Azerbaijan so far. We had 46 girl campers that experienced a bit of American summer camp mixed with activities and talks on topics like leadership, gender, early marriage, human trafficking, and community volunteering. To be honest I think it would have been an amazing experience for any girl in the world, but especially for girls living in this country that often do not get to speak openly on these topics, get to spend the night with their friends (that are not family members), or just feel free from societal and family pressures on how they should behave. I feel very lucky to have been a part of this experience for the girls and it truly energized me to work more with young girls at site.

GLOW Camp was not only lectures and activities- we also had the "normal" camp activities like a dance, talent show, tie-dying t-shirts, making picture frames- even a bonfire complete with s'mores. I could probably write 5 pages about how amazing GLOW Camp was but instead I am going to share the week with lots of pictures of the girls.

Morning Yoga

The girls learning the Hand JiveSpice Girls at the Talent ShowA little Azeri dancingtrying to stay on the sheet of paperContraption to keep aliens awayHuman KnotSelf-defense classMorning stretches

Great group of counselors and Azeri Counterparts

Last week I was able to help out at the Sheki Summer Camp for Arts and Crafts week. We did all kinds of fun activities like painting tiles, making pinatas, and tie-dying t-shirts. I am amazed at the great job the Sheki volunteers did with their one month summer camp, I was exhausted after just one week- and they managed an entire month! The campers were really cute, my favorite wasn't actually a camper at all. It was a camper's little brother that just tagged along, and he wore a Spiderman t-shirt all week.

Tie-dying t-shirts

The painted tiles making a fence around the community garden

Pinatas!

The kids loved the candy inside!

Last weekend I went with my friend Tim to visit the volunteers in Zagatala, this beautiful town up in the mountains 2 hours north of me. We arrived just in time to watch Jessica's dance club- and it looked like the girls were all channeling their inner Beyonce. It was really cute. Then we headed out for some Georgian Xengel, made with pork!!!! It was really good, and nice to just sit around and talk with each other (as always). Then on Saturday we headed out for a hike- a ridiculous hike I later decided. We headed up to the mountain and met our friend Mike for the hike up the Caucaus mountains. We couldn't find the path so we decided to make our own- perhaps our first mistake of the day. We climbed up the side of the mountain- straight up, literally on our hands and feet at certain parts. We climbed through a dried-up river bed, thorn patch, and piles of broken tree branches to name a few crazy areas. We made it about halfway up before we found the path, thanks to a few horses and riders heading up to check on their sheep at the top of the mountain. We walked a bit more and found a perfect clearing for lunch overlooking Zagatala city. After lunch and a bit of a rest we decided to make the rest of the hike up to the top of the mountain.

This is perhaps where I should mention that neither Jessica nor I are hikers, or climbers, or anything of the sort. So needless to say, we were lagging behind the boys. But we were definately troopers- trying to make shortcuts and keep moving. There were some parts where the path was barely a foot across on the side of the mountain. You didn't dare look down in some of the most narrow parts because you would see a really steep cliffside that was a few thousand feet below. We finally made it to the top of the mountain and Jessica and I collapsed and took a brief nap overlooking the tops of the Caucaus mountains next to a herd of cows. After a brief rest we headed back down the mountain, really really slowly. Jessica and I were walking really slow and imagining ourselves back at her house, sitting down and drinking lots of cold water. We finally made it back- and practically ran into the shower. Josh came over and made us a really good dinner, we ate lots of watermelon and we all watched random youtube videos and then Toy Story 3.

About midway through the movie I started to feel dizzy and went straight to bed after the movie. I woke up about 3 am feeling really sick. I will blame it on dehydration that I threw up for a while and couldn't leave Zagatala for another day. Luckily Jessica is amazing and took really good care of me- waking me up continually to drink fluids and she even made me chicken noodle soup. By Monday I was all better and ready to go to Sheki to help out with their summer camp. Below are some pictures from our hike:

Hiking up the dried-up riverbed

Our picnic site above Zag city

Me above the city

Beautiful valley

Jessica heading up the mountain

Cows on top of the world

On top of the Caucaus mountains

My birthday this year started the day before my actual birthday. My friend Jenni came to spend the night with me and have dinner. I spent most of the day cleaning and cooking- eggplant parmesan and coffee cake from scratch. This may seem like work- but I actually love cooking and cleaning, they are great stress relievers. So Jenni arrived and we spent a while talking and eating. Then at 10:30pm my host family called and invited us to join them at the Riverside hotel. We went and ate a little more and had really good ice cream. It was really great to spend some time with my host family and they were happy to meet another new friend. Although my little host brother tried really hard to convince Jenni to take our kittens when they are old enough- with no success. Then Jenni and I came home late and watched Sex and the City 2. The next morning Jessica and Jackie arrived and we all had that coffee cake for breakfast. We sat around talking and hanging out until Rikki arrived. Then we got ready and headed out to the reservoir which has rocky shores that is the closest thing to a beach we have.

The beach was really fun, we walked away from the main beach and found a spot with tables and music. It was slightly weird wearing so little clothing around locals, but we did at least wear t-shirts and bigger bottoms, while some local women wore bikinis. And I must say- I never expected and wish I hadn't seen soo many men in speedos or even just their underwear. It was rather uncomfortable with lots of the men trying to talk to us, and us trying not to gag. But regardless we had a really great day, the water felt amazing- a perfect relief from the heat and we had a table to have a drink while we dried off. Then we headed back to my house and showered and got ready for dinner. We walked along the boardwalk before dinner and then headed to the Wild West for dinner. It was a really great dinner with good friends and conversation- I really couldn't have asked for much more here on my birthday.

The Beach

A man buried in the "sand"

Rikki, Jackie and I cooling off

My birthday cake

Rikki, Jessica, Jackie and I along the river

I have always enjoyed cooking and baking, it is a great stress reliever and a way to kill time here on boring days. It has unfortunately ruined any plans I had of dieting here, after 6 months of living with host families and eating tons of bread with meals covered in oil I really wanted to lose that weight. But instead, I make all my favorite foods as both a hobby and a necessity. It is almost an adventure trying to make things here, without being able to go to Publix to get all the ingredients. I have to hunt through bazars and little shops to find what I need, and of course certain things have to be sent from America such as spices. I have successfully been able to make brownies, bruschetta, pizza, curry and other really good food that reminds me of home. If only I could replicate sushi- my favorite foods would always be with me. I think some pictures of my dishes here as well as what I cook with will help you understand how I eat everyday.

My little stove

My "easy-bake" Oven

Homemade granola

Brownies

Pizza!

Bruschetta (I clearly already had a bite)

Chicken and veggie curry

Last year around this time I was starting to panick- about packing, leaving my friends and family, and well about anything and everything. I think some of the biggest help I received was from AZ6s and other AZ7s that put up their packing lists so I would know what to bring. I will not write down everything I brought- because each person is different. However I am going to be basing my recommendations on the PC wiki recommended packing list- because some things are not accurate.

For Women:

An assortment of winter and summer clothing: skirts and blouses, dresses, knit tops, dressy and casual slacks, and jeans; skirts and dresses should be full or mid-calf length *I do not recommend khaki- locals do not wear it and it will dirty fast, also i recommended skirts or dresses that fall right below the knee- locals do not wear long skirts that reach the ground

2-3 sweaters or dressy sweatshirts *I am not sure what a "dressy sweatshirt" is, but definately bring a few sweaters, I would recommend around 4-5

2-3 cardigans (good for layering) *Absolutely, I brought probably 5

One good outfit for formal events *This is what will be referred to as your "toy outfit"- for weddings, trust me you will go to one- I recommend a dress or skirt/shirt outfit, women do not generally wear pants to weddings

Some comfortable “house” clothes; sweatpants, etc. *The best thing you will bring- at home Azerbaijani's wear this stuff year round, so bring some for every season, you will use them ALOT

Slips (cotton is recommended) *I did not bring any, but I also didn't bring any see-through clothes that would need it, might be useful to sleep in during the summer

Leggings, tights, and stockings (good-quality ones may be hard to find locally) *you can find this stuff pretty cheap here, so bring a few pairs, but don't stress

Shorts (for safety reasons, to be worn only at home or while jogging early in the morning) 4 *I would recommend basketball shorts (for running) or even to wear around the house- or bermuda shorts. Shorty shorts might make the host fam uncomfortable- although when you live alone you can dance around in them

For Men *I am clearly not a male, but I can give some recommendations based on my friends and/or sitemates

An assortment of winter and summer clothing: khakis, casual dress pants, jeans, and long-sleeved button-down shirts (dark-colored clothing will look clean longer than light-colored clothing) *I do not recommend Khaki- bring darker colored clothing

At least one sport coat. *this is probably useful, but you could purchase a lovely, shiny one here if needed

2-3 dress shirts and ties. *depending on your job, yes

Shorts (because shorts are considered even more inappropriate for men than for women, to be worn only at home or while jogging early in the morning) *wearing shorts in public will get your some interesting looks, however my sitemate wears shorts that go to his knee and is fine- male shorty shorts for running will DEFINATELY get you some weird looks- not recommended

Shoes- For Men and Women

Professional shoes that are comfortable for walking *for girls, I recommend flats, although teachers should probably bring at least one pair of heels (unless you don't care- depends on the person)

Tennis shoes or running shoes (very difficult to find here) *Absolutely!

Warm, waterproof boots for winter * Yes, but if you are from Florida, like me, and didn't have boots, you can buy them here- they are Azer-gesheng as we call them but they keep your feet warm

Hiking shoes (if you like to hike) *Yes

Well-made fleece/winter slippers. *Not necessary, you can buy them here really cheap. I have an awesome pair that were only 4 manat

*I have also seen on people's lists to bring plastic "outdoor shoes"- not needed, you can buy them here really cheap. I would recommend bringing your favorite pair of sandles or flip flops for the summer.

General Clothing:

A good supply of underwear *Absolutely, although if needed you can buy it here

Polypropylene, wool, and cotton socks and glove liners *Definately bring socks, but you can buy them here too, although if you want the little tiny running socks- bring them

Good wool hiking socks (that wick moisture and dry quickly); 3-4 pairs recommended *I didn't bring any, I just use regular socks, but if you want them or think you might need them, bring them

Long underwear of two or three different weights (e.g., wool and silk) *Yes, it gets COLD here in the winter

Polyfill outerwear/coat. Some people suggest bringing two—a full-length black wool coat and a down coat. (Informal, sport-type winter coats can be useful and warm, but draw a lot of attention, whereas black pea coats will not. Winters can be quite cold, especially in the north; you may find yourself wearing a jacket, hat, and gloves in the classroom) *I brought a pea coat and I ended up buying another jacket here that was only 35 manats- pretty cheap, bring whatever you are more comfortable in

Medium-weight jacket for spring/fall. *I have my regular little northface fleece, but honestly spring/fall is likely a month or two here combined, so I wouldn't worry about it (although I use my fleece for layering in winter)

Woolen or ski-type hats, gloves, and scarves *Yes, Yes, Yes, although you can always buy more here if needed

Bathing suit (for trips to the beach) *Um, I'm not sure what to say about this one. I brought a bathing suit, and it has stayed in my drawer, perhaps a one-piece with shorts for girls and long shorts for boys but I do not plan to ever wear a bathing suit in public here- because of local stares and also because of what we PCVs refer to as your Azerbaijan bread belly- you will see soon enough

Other

Any favorite over-the-counter medical supplies. (those provided by the Peace Corps are generic ones) Peace Corps does not provide nasal spray or cold medicine, both of which are great. Bring a couple doses of AM and PM. *They do provide sudafed though. Also I would recommend bringing Tums with Calcium supplement- you can get multivitamins here, but they give you very little calcium (bring a few bottles, they are only like $3)

A three-month supply of any prescription drugs you take, to give the Peace Corps ample time to order your special needs *Definately

At least two pairs of eyeglasses, if you wear them, since replacements can take several months to arrive from the United States (contact lens supplies are not available in Azerbaijan and are not supplied by the Peace Corps) *I do not have this problem, but I think it's true

While Peace Corps discourages contact lenses, wearing them is quite feasible in Azerbaijan. Bring a few bottles of solution with you (including a couple compact ones for traveling in-country) or prepare to have some sent to you, as solution is very expensive (around $15 a bottle) in Baku. *Again, do not have this problem, but probably a good idea

Towels (of good-quality; absorbent cotton); Volunteers also recommend “quick-dry” towels. *I recommend 2-3 towels and definately quick-dry if possible, although don't spend a ton of money on them

Jewelry and makeup, if you like to wear them (Azerbaijani women in towns wear both) *if you normally wear make-up and plan to not do so during PC, I recommend you rethink this. Local women wear both jewelry and makeup, they tend to be rather fashionable and walking around in a t-shirt and jeans and not caring about your looks will give you more attention than you would want

Hair-coloring products, if you use them (U.S. brands are not available locally *I don't use, but sounds like a good idea

Kitchen

Good can opener *Yes, although I think you can buy one here- I haven't needed one yet

Vegetable Peeler *You can buy one here, not needed

Kitchen knife (they can be purchased here, but become dull really quickly) *Not true, you can buy knives here, and if they become dull, buy new ones- they are about 50 cents, mine have been just fine

Favorite spices (they may be difficult to find, especially in winter. Many are available in Baku, but can be expensive.) *Absolutely, but if your bag is overpacked, have friends and family send them in packages

Favorite cooking supplies (pots and pans can be found in Azerbaijan) *I'm not sure what this refers to but i would recommend measuring cups and spoons- but have your family send them later

Quality hot pad / oven mitt *Again, if needed have them sent in a package later, you might get one from a sitemate or other volunteer (and you can buy them here)

Basic cookbook (Peace Corps will also provide you with a cookbook) *Again, package later if needed

An assortment of plastic storage bags (zip lock bags, a couple large American sized garbage bags) *Yes, but can be sent later

Miscellaneous

Reliable watch (durable, water-resistant, and inexpensive) *Yes, I wish I had brought one

Travel alarm clock (battery-operated is best) *Most of us just use our cell phones

Sunglasses *Yes, it is sunny in summer

Sturdy work gloves, if you like to garden or work outdoors *I haven't had this problem, but probably package for later

Small day pack without frame (great for shopping or carrying books or work materials) *Yes, most PCVs use backpacks but you can also buy inexpensive bags here

Camera (compact ones are best, since they are inconspicuous and travel well); film and photo processing is available locally *Absolutely!

110/220 transformers, if you bring 110-volt appliances (though a lot of appliances can stand both voltages, such as computers, camera batter chargers, etc.) *Absolutely, I brought two

Flashlight and batteries; head-lamp (very useful) *I did not bring any of these, but a flashlight can be helpful for walking home in the dark

MP3 Player *I could not live without my Ipod here, Definately recommended

Portable, battery powered speakers *This is a great idea, I didn't bring them

Flash Drive (the bigger the better so you can swap movies/music with other PCVS) *Absolutely, I didn't bring one and they are terribly expensive here

One or two sets of sheets (because you do not know the size of your bed, double flats are most useful) *I recommend two flat sheets, most likely your host family will give you sheets during your host stay, so they can be sent later in a package if necessary

Small, inexpensive tool kit *Maybe? I didn't bring one, could be useful

Swiss army knife (very important to many Volunteers) *I didn't bring one but lots of volunteers swear by them

Sewing kit *Absolutely, although your host mom will sew on your missing buttons and you can buy thread and needles here

Duct Tape *I'm not sure what this is for, I think you can buy it here

Clothing patterns, if you plan to sew by hand *Ummm...

Pictures of home for yourself and to share with friends and students *Absolutely, they love to see pictures of our home- so bring pictures of your family, friends, city, school, etc.

U.S. postage stamps (people traveling home can sometimes hand-carry your mail) *I didn't bring any

U.S. and world maps, to use as teaching aids or wall hangings *if you want, yes

Inexpensive gifts (toys, costume jewelry, perfume, magazines, books, pencils, key chains, etc.) *yes, they love the random tourist souvenirs from the USA

Any equipment for hobbies *yes

Games (e.g., Scrabble, chess, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary) *yes, although these are also passed down

Sports equipment (e.g., bat, baseball, and glove, football, Frisbee, hacky sack, etc.) *I didn't bring these, and you can probably get them from other volunteers

Liquid soap for washing clothes by hand (the availability of dry cleaning is unpredictable. Unless you have an item that specifically needs liquid soap, you can get powdered soap anywhere. All PCVS use powdered detergent) *you can buy liquid laundry detergent too here

Down or synthetic sleeping bag, preferably compactable, rated for minus 10 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenhei. Also consider a fleece liner (Peace Corps will issue you a “monster” sleeping bag for winter.) *Absolutely, I wish I had brought one- the monster sleeping bag is a nightmare to travel with

Sleeping pad for visiting other PCVS *I recommend a yoga mat (super cheapt at Target or Walmart) because it doubles as an exercise mat

Journal, diary, or schedule book *Sure

Small, retractable tape measure *Yes

A notebook computer with DVD player. PCVs use both Mac and PC. There is an Apple store in Baku but it is unreliable. If you have a Macbook, be sure to get the USB modem that allows you to use dial-up. PCs can be fixed easily and cheaply in Baku and there is a ton of pirated software available. Consider getting a small external hard drive as well. *I know several in my group came without computers, thinking they wouldn't use them- most had one sent over. I definatley recommend bringing a computer and an external hard-drive- we have a massive collection of music, tv shows and movies that we all share

Ok, I hope this helped any of you that are packing for Azerbaijan and stumbled across my blog. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me at kcmcsh@ufl.edu See you soon!

Now most of you that know me are aware that I hate softball, or baseball. The only time I find it tolerable is when I'm watching the Red Sox and I will attribute that to my family- they have instilled this in me from an early age. However, I like being a supportive volunteer so I headed out to the game this past weekend. It really is a great program that other volunteers have put together, where they teach local youth how to play softball and then travel around with them for mini- tournaments. This weekend we had teams from Ming, Tovuz and Ganja. The kids that play really enjoy these tournaments and it teaches great other skills like teamwork and leadership. Then after each tournament there is a PCV only game, which is the favorite part of all the volunteers. I was really impressed with the enthusiasm by all and didn't mind sitting in the shade, catching up with other volunteers and watching the game. I even wore the Ming colors- which are red, white, and blue- of course some of my favorites. I guess this is good training for when I have kids and I will go to watch their games. Hopefully I will have a nice folding chair for those.

Below are pictures from artists around the world that painted a model of the Maiden's Tower in Baku. I thought some of them were really beautiful and wanted to share them.

Georgia

Kazakhstan

Israel

Macedonia

Norway

UK

Estonia

Finland

Germany

TurkeyAzerbaijan

Azerbaijan

USA

Lithuania

Azerbaijan- my favorite one

After my trip to Lerik and a few more days in Lankaran for a GLOW meeting, I headed to Neftchala with Sierra. Our friend Clarissa is holding a month long summer camp and we went to help out. The bus ride from Lankaran to Neftchala was even worse because we had to switch buses in Salyan. (I have to say the bus rides are only bad because of the heat, they are more bearable in better weather). We slept most of the way, or rather passed out for long periods of time from the heat. When we finally arrived, all we wanted was a shower. Unfortunately Clarissa did not have any water that day. So instead we sat in front of her "air conditioner"- a box that blows out cold air for one room, and cooled off. We had a great time with the other girls, they made us eggplant curry which was really great. It is always nice to get together with other PCVs and just hang out.

The next day we headed off to camp to play games with the kids. The camp was from 9-1 which is great timing, because you can go home and sleep when it gets really hot in the afternoon. We went back, had lunch and just hung out all afternoon. Then in the early evening we headed to Clarissa's host family's house for some guesting. We had tea and really good sweets, as well as great conversation. Her host mother and sister speak English, Russian and Azerbaijani. Her host grandmother only speaks Russian, and of course we speak English and Azerbaijani. So at the table, there were usually all three languages being spoken and translated...and of course delayed laughter. It was a really nice guesting experience. Then we headed back to Clarissa's, showered (finally!), and made some really good pasta. The next day we helped out at the carnival day where there were potato sack races, egg in spoon races, friendship bracelets and more. I really enjoyed helping out with her kids, although I am still happy not to be a teacher. ;) After camp Sierra and I headed out to Baku, me for a meeting and her for an appointment.

It was during this trip that we realized how low our standards have become. We were waiting at the bus station for the bus to leave when we decided we were hungry and wanted some bread and cheese. Sierra went off to the store to buy it while I waited in the bus, making sure it wouldn't leave. She came back with a huge grin on her face and a story. Apparently when she asked for bread, he told her there wasn't any. Now in Azerbaijan, there is always bread- this is unheard of. I guess he didn't know what to do about her shock so he offered her a half-eaten loaf of bread that he had been eating (he tore it, no bite-marks, I promise) and she accepted. So with this as our only option- we ate it with cheese. Back home I would have been mortified. Yet here, I didn't think about it twice. I guess after 8 months in this country, I have just accepted that my life is drastically different and that I can handle almost anything.

After a few days in Baku, I headed down south to visit my friend in Lerik. The four hour bus ride was really hot, as buses here do not have air conditioning. Jessi and I bought Chinese-style fans at the bus station, but of course Jessi broke hers before the bus even left. So we sat completely overheated in the bus to Lankaran with a quick bathroom break. During the break we ordered some macaroni, only to find a mosquito in it...extra protein, right? It's was ok- pasta with oil wasn't really what we wanted anyway. After our quick stop we headed on our way. Jessi and I sat together and Mason sat behind us with the cutest little girl. Next to her across the aisle was her mother, grandmother and baby sister. Jessi and I amused ourselves with making faces at the children, until the mother finally handed me the baby. So Jessi and I played with the slightly alarmed baby, which Mason shared some of his music on his ipod with her sister. We finally arrived in Lankaran and hopped into a cab to get to Lerik. If you have problems with motion sickness- don't ever take this journey. Going about 50 miles an hour around a mountain will easily make someone lose their lunch (mosquito macaroni and all).

We finally arrived in Lerik and I had a terrible attack of allergies. I think they have a special kind of pollen up there. But this would not deter us from hiking. So after a good night of sleep and a great dinner cooked by Amy, Mason's sitemate, we headed out for a hike. Amy and Mason have started a weekly hiking club for local girls. So we all headed out to check out a really old cemetary up the mountain. We were a little more than halfway (and severly dehydrated) when one of the girl's pointed out her relative's house up the road. Being in Azerbaijan, we just HAD to go guesting. Guesting entails tea and candy- hot tea is not really what you want when you feel like you are having a heat stroke. However, when Jessi and I went to wash our hands, the water was really cold so we decided to drink it. Now back in the US, you wouldn't think anything of this. Here, I boil and filter my water. We debated for about 2 minutes if we would get sick, and decided it must be mountain water and we didn't care- we were melting. So we chugged water from the tap and sat down for some hot tea with one of the girl's aunts.

It was a really refreshing break, and soon we were on our way. Shortly after, we reached the cemetary and checked out the tombstones. There were some from the 6th century- but most were from the past 100 years. It was a really neat hike and the Azeri girls that went with us were really excited. Locals don't really like to get dirty, so they would not normally go hiking to see a cemetary- so it was a new experience for all of them. We hiked back down and went to the bazar to buy food for dinner. Then we all layed around Mason's apartment until the early evening, playing with his cat that has no teeth. Not having teeth is even more interesting when you hear it meow- it sound's like a monkey. So naturally Mason named it the Azeri word for monkey- Meymun. After our rest, we decided to hike up a different mountain to watch the sunset, and headed up before it was too late. We had a great time walking around among the wildflowers, trying not to get trapped in a sharp weed. It was a really nice way to spend a few days, altho it might take you that long to get over the cab ride.

This past week my sitemate Laura and I have been watching the popular series LOST. I have never actually watched it- so we started with season 1. This evening we continued our new addiction with some popcorn and gilas (aka cherries). I had gone to the bazar yesterday and bought tons of fruit- half a kilo of cherries, bananas, pears, oranges and grapes. I washed the cherries and destemed them, placing the cleaned cherries in a container. I ate a few and then threw them in the refrigerator. Laura came over and we made some fresh popcorn to eat while we watched LOST. I then remembered my cherries and grabbed them out of the fridge. I placed them between us and during those three hours we ate both bowls of cherries and popcorn. When LOST was over, I flipped on the lights and Laura left. I went to grab one of the last few cherries and found quite a surprise. There were little tiny white worms in the cherry container. My first reaction was complete shock- then gagging- then total PANIC! My good friend (and former neighbor during training) has had worms in Azerbaijan 3 times. I have luckily avoided them- but tonight it looked like I LOST the battle. I immediately messaged my mom and pulled up Google. Turns out my little white worms are fruit fly larvae- and are totally harmless, at least physically. Mentally- I am still freaking out a little bit. I don't think I will be buying cherries again and I will probably "feel" worms in my stomach for a few days until I pass this irrational fear. But for now, I guess I will take comfort in the fact that I have eaten far worse in this country- and lived.

Anyone who lives or has lived in Florida knows there is only two seasons- summer and February. Sure, there are different levels of the heat, but living with 360 days of sunshine a year has its perks. For example, we never really experience seasonal depression. This is something I had never even thought of until I lived in France during winter- no sunshine for weeks, everyone in all black clothing, and well freezing weather. For a girl that grew up with brightly colored clothes, blue skies and the ability to wear sandels 12 months a year- it was quite a shock. I'm sure that other people who grew up with four seasons know how to deal with seasonal depression or maybe they do not even have it- but it definately has been an obstacle for me.

In Azerbaijan I did not really notice it until summer came. This winter was full of learning new words, spending time with my host family, celebrating new holidays and trying to figure out exactly what I was doing. I never felt depressed exactly- but I did call my friends more often, watched tons of movies and tv shows and wantedto be around people all the time. The snow amused me, but made me want to stay inside in my pjs and drink tea with my host mom. I think the newness of everything helped keep me distracted. However something changed when the warm weather started- and I don't mean just sweating!

I noticed that I am happy for no reason at all and I love walking outside and going to the bazar to see what new fruits and vegetables are available. Of course living alone and doing things that make me happy- cooking, cleaning, running frequently and not having to report my every move play into this happiness. But I really think the daily sunshine is the biggest reason for my constant smiles. I also enjoy afternoon showers when we have them because they remind me of summer afternoons at home. I guess we will see how I feel about the summer when it gets really hot and I do not have the perk of central air conditioning- but for now I will enjoy my walks around town, listening to my ipod and feeling the sun on my face.

Today, my female sitemates and I wallpapered our friend Alex's apartment. She moved into an apartment that had walls with chalky paint that got on your clothes if you touched the wall- actually very normal here. So she made a deal with her landlord that she would fix up her apartment if the landlord paid for the materials. So the first step was wallpaper. I must say, none of us had ever put up wallpaper before so it was a learn as we go process. You will be able to tell by the pictures I include. However, after our first few panels we figured out our mistake- putting the glue on the wall instead of on the actual paper. Luckily we had two tall girls- Laura and Lale so they were able to reach the top and we all worked together to glue, cut and paste. I have to say it was a great afternoon and something we can all say we learned how to do in Azerbaijan ;)

Laura, starting with our first panel

Alex, putting the glue on the wallpaper

Rachel, rolling out the paper

Laura showing off our bad first three panels and our first good one

Lale and Alex rolling out the glue

This past month, my host family's cat had two kittens- one boy and one girl. I have to say these are two of the cutest kittens I have ever seen. They are little replicas of their mommy and when I am visiting- I really can't take my hands off of them. They are still really little, a little less than a month old but they are definately moving around and making some noise! Here are some pictures of the little cuties:

Some mushrooms hanging out with a flowerFlower girls with matching umbrellasFlower camelsThe next Vogue modelFlower map of AzerbaijanBoys are always animalsMy favorite picture of the dayHappy Flower Holiday!!!A ladybug in a flowerA pretty fairy looking flowerA slightly unfinished flowerDancing little flowers

Last week the CED and YD volunteers headed to Baku for our Early Service Training. Before I went to Baku, I made a quick stop over in Xachmaz to see the volunteers there. I was really spoiled, as usual in Xachmaz with amazing food: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pancakes, scalloped potatoes, and tacos- not all together of course. Since the last time I was there, there have been a few changes, mainly the giant road that they ripped up to put in a courtyard full of fake palm trees- yes, that's right. PALM TREES. Sometimes all you can do is laugh at the ridiculousness of the development ideas here.

So after a few days in Xachmaz, I headed to Baku with Kate and Derek for EST. We met up with Jackie and Jessica for lunch at Cafe Caramel- our favorite restaurant in Baku. Then we had two hours of sessions to welcome us back after living at site for 5 months. It was the first time all of us have been together since we swore-in on December 10th. Needless to say it was great to see both staff and volunteers. After the day's sessions we all headed to Happy Hour where we continued to catch up- and I heard countless hilarous stories about host families, counterparts, and just living in a foreign city. The next day was a little long (from 9 to 6) after we all stayed up way too late catching up. But there were some good sessions, especially the ones where we were able to hear about other volunteer's experiences. Then after that day's sessions we headed back to Happy Hour. Then we went to a chinese restaurant that offered karaoke- where we had a private room. This was probably one of the best times of EST because we all just gathered together and were able to be silly and sing some oldies.

The next day we all headed to the Peace Corps lounge and just hung out, doing some work and a lot more talking. Then 7 of us headed off to Mingachevir, taking up the back half of a marshrutka and keeping all the Azerbaijani's on the way fully entertained. We had planned an Earth Day Cleanup in Ming as well as the first softball game. We had lots of volunteers in Ming to help out with both of these events- which were later cancelled due to rainstorms. Needless to say- it was a good week full of friends and lots of laughter.

This past week my sitemate, Alexis and I taught an internet class to students at the local IDP school. I have to say it was an interesting experience. The first day we went to the school- there was a group of about 15 students. The school only had 10 computers so we agreed to teach 10 students. We didn't actually get any teaching done the first day- not surprising here, as nothing ever seems to work the way it should. We had to wait for the director of the school to come open the door, and then we could not get an internet connection. While we waited, we noticed that all the children had matching bags. We asked why they all had the same bag, and the kids pulled gas masks out of them. Apparently they were given to them for their military classes. So natually we asked them to model them for us, and we were able to snap a few pictures. Eventually, we were able to connect to the internet, of course with 5 minutes left of class. So the second day we set out to teach for the full hour. This proved to be a challenge because only two computers actually had working internet- that shared a dial-up connection, so it was really slow. Teaching a class in a foreign language- to children not used to foreigners proved to be a very difficult teaching experience. So we decided to make it an all-girls class, because the boys were really unruly. Each day we slowly cut back the number of students until we had a great group of 4 girls. Now this may seem terrible- to only teach 4 girls, when the possibility to do more is there. However, Peace Corps experiences are often not about quantity but quality- aka smaller changes are better than no changes. And hopefully, we helped those four girls learn more about the internet and email. We set each of them up with an email account and taught them how to use it- using gmail and also how to use gchat. We showed them how to do basic internet searches and other ways the internet can be useful. While this experience showed me I do not have the patience to be a normal teacher- it definately showed me the possibilities of the different types of work I can do here. Below are some pictures from the class.

Some of the boys modeling their gas masks

The IDP SchoolThe front door to the school courtyard

The courtyard of the schoolThe four girls and me

At the beginning of this month, I moved out into my own apartment from living with my host family. This past weekend I returned to see my host family and have dinner. I also had the opportunity to meet my host brother that was living in Zagatala (he was in the army) while I lived with them. So I took the bus that I took anytime I was coming from the center of town and walked to my host family's house. On our street, I ran into our neighbor that I really liked and she gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. Then I saw Baba (my host grandfather- baba means grandfather in Azeri) outside of our house and he gave me a huge welcome and handshake. As I walked into our yard compound, our puppy started barking and jumping excitedly when he saw me. So I went over and gave him lots of attention. My host brother then ran out and gave me a huge hug. And my host mom came out with a huge grin on her face. And then of course I gave my host cat lots of attention and said hello to my host dad.

Within twenty minutes of being back with my host family, I felt all the stresses of living in a foreign country fade away. I knew I was close to my host family, but I hadn't realized how much they felt like family. I had a great night catching up with my host family and stuffing myself with amazing food. And after I ate until I thought I was going to pop- my host mom brought out the tea. And a surprise- chocolate from Korea- which was actually American chocolate. We had a Hershey's chocolate bar, Hershey's kisses, Snickers, and Twix. And of course my family kept telling me to eat more- and I couldn't resist. So needless to say- I definately woke up this morning to go running. But now I know where to go when I'm having a bad day- back to my host family. There is nothing like family- even if it is not the one you are born with. I just feel lucky to have an Azerbaijani family here to support me.

After six months of living with host families in Azerbaijan, I have finally moved out on my own. I lived with two amazing host families, to which I will always be grateful for their kindness. But I must say- service really does change when you move out. After six months of being "on" for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I finally have some time to rest. I do not have to constantly try to think of what I want to say in another language, I can control my diet, run whenever I want, and lay in bed until 10 without feeling guilty! This may sound like nothing- but to me, it really is heaven. I have DSL internet at home, hot water, and an adorable apartment in the middle of town. I am attaching some pictures of my new apartment for those of you at home.

My stove

My sink

My bathroomMy couch and "living room area"

My bed

My tv and china cabinet

The hallway to my door

My photo collage

Novruz is a holiday that is celebrated in many countries in this part of the world. It is a holiday marking the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. It has been celebrated for over a thousands years and although each country celebrates it differently, it is a very popular holiday season. In Azerbaijan, the begin celebrating Novruz a month before the actual day. The four tuesdays before Novruz are included in the holiday season and each tuesday represents an element- earth, wind, water and fire. Another fun tradition includes the building of a bonfire and then each person jumping over it. This symbolizes us leaving behind the past year and starting a new one. Then the final holiday is March 21st and 22nd where similar to American holidays- they eat a lot of good food. So naturally- we Americans living here love this holiday. And Azerbaijanis enjoy sharing their holiday with us- and I think they enjoy watching us jump over the fire. This year I watched the American embassy workers celebrate Novruz on tv with my host family and they really got a kick out of watching the Americans jump over the giant bonfire and dance along to traditional music. Locals really love this holiday and look forward to it each year. I could bore you with facts about the holiday but I think I would rather share some pictures from this year's holiday.

Me about to jump over the fire (much smaller than normal)

My host brother and sister with me at the city's Novruz celebration

My host family with sitemates Alexis and Andrea for the Novruz dinner

This past weekend I came home and walked into my host family’s kitchen. My host mom and sister were talking excitedly and I could tell that something must have happened. My host sister turned to me and told me that I had an “Elchilik”. This is a messenger from a family who is interested in having their son marry another family’s daughter. They send the messenger to the girl’s family to see if she is available for marriage and to start negotiations for the marriage. A long time ago, marriages were completely arranged by the families. This was a common practice in this part of the world. Sometimes a couple would not meet until the day they married, and this actually still happens in some parts of the world. In more modern times, the family is still involved where typically the family sends this elchilik to a girl’s family to see if she is available for marriage first, and then the couple starts dating. I am not sure exactly what happens if the couple does not like each other, but I imagine they try to make it work. I surely cannot imagine this system working in America now, but I know we had a similar system involving our families. But I think Azerbaijan will also change the way marriages occur, slowly fading out the strong family influence.

But back to my proposal, when the messenger spoke with my host mom, she of course refused and said I was not available for marriage. I think her reason was that my family lives in America so they were not here to approve the marriage. I am not even sure if they know that in America we choose the people we marry ourselves. But my family (and sitemates) found this whole story hilarious and of course the first question I get is: well, how much did they offer for you? And the answer unfortunately is I don’t know. I am not sure how many camels or cows or whatever were offered for me. What I do know is that I will be returning in the winter of 2011 a single American girl.

I liked this door

Random statues on a building that I liked

Tim in a traditional Azeri hat

Me in another traditional hat (worn by men, not women)

The Old City

Another view of the Old City

The Maiden's Tower

Tower outside a Mosque

Next to the Mosque

A Mosque Gate

View of the Old City from outside the walls

A metro that they think looks like The Louvre

A really nice government building overlooking the Caspian

This past week my program manager came to visit to see how work and life in Mingachevir is going. We had a really nice talk before we were going to head to my office to speak with my organization. So we hopped into the Peace Corps SUV to drive to my work. I jumped in the backseat and was ready to go. Then my program manager turned around and “buckle your seatbelt, it’s America in here!” I then realized how something so routine back home had been quickly forgotten. And I started to wonder if it will be difficult to return to my original habit.

Normally when I get in a car back home I put my seatbelt on immediately. People here don’t really wear seatbelts so I have gotten into the bad habit of not putting mine on. In fact, sometimes if you put a seatbelt on people here make a comment making fun of you for wearing one. So this made me think about what other habits might have changed since I moved to Azerbaijan. I know my eating habits have changed quite a bit, combinations such as sour cream with bread or yogurt with garlic have become the delicious norm. But what other habits have I picked up?

I have definitely taught myself not to smile at strangers (because apparently that makes me look crazy) and I do not talk to people while waiting in line or any other situation where I am surrounded by strangers. I have learned to ignore stares (although this is still really annoying) and am careful with eye contact. I have also learned that when your bathroom is outside and it is snowing, you drink a lot less water so you don’t need to go as much- and you learn how to hold it at night. And I try to always take showers at night, because my host family is convinced that I will get ill if I shower in the morning and go outside.

So in 5 months I have changed a few habits and I am curious to see how many I change after two years here. But for now, at least I am aware of the changes. Later that night, after my meeting I hopped in a taxi and put my seatbelt on immediately. Perhaps it won’t be as hard to change my new habits as I thought....

Last week I started to notice that I was getting a sinus infection, but I ignored it. But of course, you can only ignore being sick for so long- and when I woke up Thursday morning I could ignore it no longer. I had to go to work that morning and I also had a language lesson, so I got ready and headed to work. Apparently I looked even worse than I felt, so my work told me to go home after my lesson and to stay at home until I felt better. It was really great of my work to give me as much time as I needed to get better, but it was also an opportunity for my lazy self to take advantage of.

So I went home Thursday afternoon and did not leave my house again until Monday morning. I must say, it was a great four days- although extremely unproductive. So I climbed into bed and proceeded to watch about 5 seasons of Friends- which luckily I had just gotten from my sitemate. I think my family was a little confused by my desire to stay in bed while I was ill, because here you act as if you everything is normal when you are ill- you go to work and everything. But I was determined to stay in bed, reading and watching tv while avoiding having to speak Azeri as much as possible (because it only added to the sinus headache).

I was lucky to have my sitemate Alex come over for a little while for lunch and a movie, so I wasn’t completely anti-social. And I returned to work feeling very relaxed and ready to work. I still have a little bit of a cold, but I can’t hide in my bedroom until spring- although tempting when it is cold outside. And now I only have a few seasons to go to watch all of Friends in a order, which is something I have always wanted to do but never had the time for.

Recently my host family has been buying turkey- similar to the big turkey breasts you see in your local deli. Apparently, in Ming you can buy the whole breast- when they first brought it home I almost had a heartattack. The meat here is not like at home- everything has bones and they eat the fatty parts of meat. So when I saw this turkey- that was like deli turkey at home, let's just say I got teary-eyed. So last week my host parents went to Baku for a night and I was able to make my own dinner. So I made a turkey sandwich. We have this really good bread, spicy mustard, white cheese and the turkey. I can't even explain how much happier this meal made me. I sat in the kitchen, by myself eating this turkey sandwich with a huge grin on my face. I almost felt like I was at home, splitting a publix sub with my mom (minus all the great veggies). It's crazy how one little sandwich can change your mood completely and brighten your day. I guess I never really understood the power of food. Now if I could only get a pepperoni pizza......

The girls on New Years Eve

Cafe Caramel Hot Chocolate on a Snowy Day

Old car covered in snow in Baku

Ming, covered in snow

Some chickens hanging out in the snow

Sierra, Charlie and I hanging out

Kate and I in the snow

One of the coolest programs Peace Corps countries share is GLOW- Girls Leading Our World. GLOW is a summer camp for girls that encourages girls and young women to become leaders in their communities and their countries. GLOW Azerbaijan focuses on developing leadership skills, discussions on topics such as early marriage and gender roles, and it's a chance for girls here to get a taste of an "American summer camp". The camp is 5 nights and 6 days, with 48 campers, 2 junior counselors, 10 counselors, tons of Peace Corps volunteers coming in for a day or two and local Azerbaijani counterparts. In a country where a girl's possibilities might be limited- this is a great opportunity for girls to expand their horizons and develop much needed critical thinking skills. I am currently helping with grant writing for this project, but if anyone reading my blog is interested in donating a few dollars to the cause, I am attaching the website for donations. Donations are done through the Peace Corps website and are completely tax- deductable. Thanks for any help you can offer- whether financially or through good thoughts sent our way!!!!!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=314-061

Lately I have been reflecting on why I am here, in Peace Corps, in Azerbaijan. It’s hard not to think about it constantly when each day is filled with so many ups and downs. The smallest things make you smile non-stop and the smallest things can make you want to cry. And you can have a good and bad thing happen in five minutes and you just feel emotionally exhausted. I know it’s difficult for people who have not served in the Peace Corps to understand, and even for other volunteers that have different challenges. The challenges in this country are not physical. When I signed up to be a Peace Corps volunteer, I expected to live in a mud hut with no electricity, running water, internet or even other volunteers nearby. I think that is what most people expect- but it’s not even close to my reality. Some volunteers here do not have running water or regular internet access, but I wouldn’t say we are living the typical PCV experience. No, our challenges come more subtly.

The challenges I (and others here) face are quite different. I won’t speak for other volunteers here, so I can talk about my challenges- besides the obvious of living thousands of miles away from everything we know and love. Work is a challenge- trust and delegation are huge issues so I have to fight for even a small task so I feel like I did something worthwhile. Local perspective is one of the biggest challenges faced- whether it is the thought that I am a spy, a woman of “loose morals”-gossip is rampant here, I am a teacher who is confused and thinks I am a businesswoman (will explain later), or even the idea that I do work for no money means I shouldn’t be trusted. The concept of volunteer work is not widely spread here so naturally it causes suspicion and confusion. Not working for money is unheard of and most positions require bribes. Gender roles are prevalent (although they are slowly changing) so I should be a teacher/wife/mother at my age because that is what women DO. I could not possibly be a businesswoman- what would I know-what is this silly MBA degree I speak of? The worst is just the automatic assumption that because I am a foreigner I am not a “good girl”. Unfortunately the limited media that gets into Azerbaijan only reinforces this idea. So when I walk to work or a friend’s house, I am repeatedly verbally harassed in both English and Azerbaijani. I’m not really sure what they expect me to do, but I just keep walking. It’s hard not to react- but then it’s not worth it.

However it seems that when I am really down, when I feel defeated and start questioning if I can make it- something sweet happens. This can be a warm hello from a stranger, an old man kissing me on the cheek on a bus (interesting story), or just someone asking me a question that I am able to respond to in their language. I have lived here for four months and I can get around by myself. I know where and how to buy groceries (although I need to work on my bartering skills), I feel confident when I run errands, and I can amuse people by telling them how hot my state is when it’s snowing outside. I love coming home to my host family each day, to tell them about what crazy thing had happened, to hear about my host brother’s lessons, to watch my host mom cook dinner, and to watch the news all together at night. I go to sleep every night feeling recharged and ready for another day. I also have a great group of sitemates to see whenever I want and an amazing group of friends that I would be unable to stay here without. My friends here are truly a wonderful support group that understands what I am going through.

The biggest reason I stay is because of the change I feel is possible. It may not be a big change- I’m not going to change the economy in two years, I won’t be able to change the opinions of the population, and I won’t be able to make gender roles go away. What I can do is encourage those that see the injustice and want change, to promote the idea of critical thinking, and assist in the feeling of empowerment over the path the country takes. When I speak with a young man or woman with ideas for their country and the realization that change is necessary- I feel purpose here. I often think of how cool it would have been to be part of the women’s or civil rights movements- and how much our country has changed because of them. I want to encourage the people here to change their country- and by their terms, not mine. I want them to think critically and to achieve their dreams for their future- not my (or any international) idea of what their country should be. Azerbaijan is not a bad country- it’s a country in transition. It is an incredibly interesting country- with a rich history of good and bad stories. It is a secular Muslim country, a Post-Soviet country, a country that desperately wants to define itself and prove its validity. And a country that holds quite a bit of promise.

There are bad and good people here, just like there are bad and good things about being a volunteer. But there are bad and good people everywhere. It’s all about perspective. I could harp on the bad- dislike a whole population because of a few bad apples. OR I could take that negative energy and use it to fuel my desire to increase the good, enhance the people that make it worthwhile here (survival of the fittest haha). I have only been in this country for four months and I can already tell it is going to change me. My attitude will determine how this change affects me. But most importantly what I (and we PCVs) do here will affect the perspective of the people we work with about volunteerism, Americans, foreigners, and our individual fields. I hope to look back in 12 months and see that my optimistic attitude is still there and that some of my goals have been fulfilled. For now, I will take it day by day.