Sunday, August 26, 2007
Photos
Here are some pics from zaqatala! the first is looking down the main street in town. the next is looking out the window in my office at the street next to the park. the last is looking to the mountains from my office. on the otherside of those mountains is Russia, as the crow flies it's about 20KM!
Catch Up
August 26, 2007
Well I apologize for the recent lack of posts. I’m not dead or seriously ill we’ve just hit the tough part of Pre Service Training. We all seem to be completely exhausted. We aren’t doing anymore than we were before but we just don’t have any energy. I think it’s just the fact that in the beginning we were running on the excitement of everything being new, and now that’s worn off a bit. I also think the training is starting to get to everyone we are treated like children and at first it was ok, it was just kind of funny, but now it’s really starting to get old. Things will be much better once we get to our sites. With all we have done it’s crazy to think that we haven’t even started our two-year service yet!
Since I wrote last the only major thing that has happened has been my site visit. I went up to Zagatala for a few days to see where I will work and meet my new host family and community members. I can’t explain how excited I am to be going up there! The town is absolutely beautiful. It’s a little mountain community and in a way it actually feels a bit like Ashland. It’s a smaller community, people go there to vacation, they are much more modern than any other town other than Baku, and they have a park that goes up into a valley kind of like Lithia park.
I’m also really excited about the work I’ll be doing and the people I’ll be working with. My director is supportive and maybe even a little excited that I want to create more equality for women through sport. I work across the street from the brand new Olympic complex. Azerbaijan has all of these complexes throughout the country where “sportsmen” go to train to hopefully some day compete in the Olympics. It’s kind of like a really nice massive YMCA. The great thing is that I will have complete personal access to it and it has a brand new weight room and swimming pool! I’ll let you all know about the family situation through email.
Again sorry for the lack of posts I’ve just been a bit tired. I do think however that the motivation levels are going to start rising fast as we approach the end of this training. Also a side note hold off on sending any packages now. We are two and a half weeks from moving to our sites so the package would sit at the Peace Corps office for who knows how long. I will post my new address as soon as I get it.
Well I apologize for the recent lack of posts. I’m not dead or seriously ill we’ve just hit the tough part of Pre Service Training. We all seem to be completely exhausted. We aren’t doing anymore than we were before but we just don’t have any energy. I think it’s just the fact that in the beginning we were running on the excitement of everything being new, and now that’s worn off a bit. I also think the training is starting to get to everyone we are treated like children and at first it was ok, it was just kind of funny, but now it’s really starting to get old. Things will be much better once we get to our sites. With all we have done it’s crazy to think that we haven’t even started our two-year service yet!
Since I wrote last the only major thing that has happened has been my site visit. I went up to Zagatala for a few days to see where I will work and meet my new host family and community members. I can’t explain how excited I am to be going up there! The town is absolutely beautiful. It’s a little mountain community and in a way it actually feels a bit like Ashland. It’s a smaller community, people go there to vacation, they are much more modern than any other town other than Baku, and they have a park that goes up into a valley kind of like Lithia park.
I’m also really excited about the work I’ll be doing and the people I’ll be working with. My director is supportive and maybe even a little excited that I want to create more equality for women through sport. I work across the street from the brand new Olympic complex. Azerbaijan has all of these complexes throughout the country where “sportsmen” go to train to hopefully some day compete in the Olympics. It’s kind of like a really nice massive YMCA. The great thing is that I will have complete personal access to it and it has a brand new weight room and swimming pool! I’ll let you all know about the family situation through email.
Again sorry for the lack of posts I’ve just been a bit tired. I do think however that the motivation levels are going to start rising fast as we approach the end of this training. Also a side note hold off on sending any packages now. We are two and a half weeks from moving to our sites so the package would sit at the Peace Corps office for who knows how long. I will post my new address as soon as I get it.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
More photos
Here are some more pics (it wouldn't let me post them all in one) This is me and my friend katie in baku, my aunt, and my cousin and i at her birthday party. Sorry i don't have an entry this week. i think we have hit the point where the honeymoon is over because we have all been really tired. i need to find my stride and get myself in some sort of routine for the next few weeks. i think the waiting game is starting to get to everyone and we just want to get to our sites and get started doing what we signed up for. I'll try to get a post sometime this week with a little more thought hope all is well at home.
Photos
Here are some pics that i wanted to send last week. sorry i got down here and realized they were full size and that would have taken hours to upload! the first is of me pointing on the map to where i'm going. then the rest are of my birthday. i've got one with the extended family, me and my ana with the cake she made for me, the dolma we ate, then my uncle and cousins son.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The Wonderful Doner
Aug 11, 2007
I don’t know if any of you have ever gotten sick from food poison but I tell you what it’s not a very pleasant thing. Before Thursday I had only gotten it once. It was when I was a freshman in college and I remember calling my mom crying thinking I was going to die or wanting to die one or the other or both. I think it is probably the worst feeling I’d ever felt. That was until getting food poison in the AZ a few days ago.
I was down in Sumgayait I’d just left the internet cafÈ I had that high we all get after hearing about things back home, I really didn’t have a care on my mind. I saw a few friends at a Corner doner shop and decided to stop and enjoy one of my favorite treats with them the wonderful doner.
The doner is a sandwich from turkey. It is made by shaving chunks of meat off a massive conglomerate of meat with an equally sizeable sword. Then the meat is stuffed into a fantastic piece of bread that was cut like a pita but bigger and much better. Then they throw in some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with a little sauce and mayo, and all this for only 40 cents it’s really quite amazing.
Well, still excited about reading new emails and seeing some friends I stop to grab a doner with them. All is good in my world. That is until I see him scraping the sides of this mayo jar to get the last of the mayo out of this jar that had been sitting in the sun all day with the normal flies buzzing about. Before I go any farther I should note that it is well know that we will all get sick from the food here it’s never been a question of if but more of when. So we all know that we should be precautious and not put ourselves in situations, which increase this already apparent risk. So I get this doner and in my head know that I should pay for it, walk away, and drop it in the next trash I see… but I did mention there were these friends of mine. Well, one of them I kind of find a fair bit attractive so I don’t make the smart and logical choice I choose to sit and hang out. I know what many of you are thinking and yes I am aware that this isn’t the first time I’ve made a dumb decision because of a girl.
Well things went well we all sat and talked for a few hours and then decided we’d better get home and all was still well in my life I was now even more excited than I’d been after leaving the internet cafÈ. I got home studied my language a bit and went to sleep. Then about 3:30 in the morning I woke up to the worst stomach pain of my life and ran to the bathroom.
Without getting too graphic (this is the second time I’ve written this the first was much funnier but after reading it I felt it was a little too nasty) for the next day I had was relived of everything inside of me from both ends simultaneously. I was actually eating bananas because they tasted the same when they came back up and that was much more pleasant than the alternative. It got so bad that my host mother who didn’t have a clue what was wrong with me got out the yellow card. The yellow card is the card that PC gives to host families and on it are instructions on who to call if I were not to wake up one morning, or was hurt and unconscious and was not able to call for medical help myself. Needless to say I was a hurting unit. But as bad as something like that is in the states just for a moment try to imagine what that is like in an unfamiliar place in 110 – 115 degree heat with different bathroom and toilet situations! If you need help I could forward you the unedited version of this in an email, but I’m sure you’ll never look at me the same.
However I’m glad that I can now announce that I am alive and well with all systems working properly, and on the bright side I can think about how some people pay a lot of money to purge their systems and I got mine done for 40 cents, a great tasting doner, and good conversation with a beautiful woman! What more can a guy ask for? Things are great in the AZ!!
I don’t know if any of you have ever gotten sick from food poison but I tell you what it’s not a very pleasant thing. Before Thursday I had only gotten it once. It was when I was a freshman in college and I remember calling my mom crying thinking I was going to die or wanting to die one or the other or both. I think it is probably the worst feeling I’d ever felt. That was until getting food poison in the AZ a few days ago.
I was down in Sumgayait I’d just left the internet cafÈ I had that high we all get after hearing about things back home, I really didn’t have a care on my mind. I saw a few friends at a Corner doner shop and decided to stop and enjoy one of my favorite treats with them the wonderful doner.
The doner is a sandwich from turkey. It is made by shaving chunks of meat off a massive conglomerate of meat with an equally sizeable sword. Then the meat is stuffed into a fantastic piece of bread that was cut like a pita but bigger and much better. Then they throw in some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with a little sauce and mayo, and all this for only 40 cents it’s really quite amazing.
Well, still excited about reading new emails and seeing some friends I stop to grab a doner with them. All is good in my world. That is until I see him scraping the sides of this mayo jar to get the last of the mayo out of this jar that had been sitting in the sun all day with the normal flies buzzing about. Before I go any farther I should note that it is well know that we will all get sick from the food here it’s never been a question of if but more of when. So we all know that we should be precautious and not put ourselves in situations, which increase this already apparent risk. So I get this doner and in my head know that I should pay for it, walk away, and drop it in the next trash I see… but I did mention there were these friends of mine. Well, one of them I kind of find a fair bit attractive so I don’t make the smart and logical choice I choose to sit and hang out. I know what many of you are thinking and yes I am aware that this isn’t the first time I’ve made a dumb decision because of a girl.
Well things went well we all sat and talked for a few hours and then decided we’d better get home and all was still well in my life I was now even more excited than I’d been after leaving the internet cafÈ. I got home studied my language a bit and went to sleep. Then about 3:30 in the morning I woke up to the worst stomach pain of my life and ran to the bathroom.
Without getting too graphic (this is the second time I’ve written this the first was much funnier but after reading it I felt it was a little too nasty) for the next day I had was relived of everything inside of me from both ends simultaneously. I was actually eating bananas because they tasted the same when they came back up and that was much more pleasant than the alternative. It got so bad that my host mother who didn’t have a clue what was wrong with me got out the yellow card. The yellow card is the card that PC gives to host families and on it are instructions on who to call if I were not to wake up one morning, or was hurt and unconscious and was not able to call for medical help myself. Needless to say I was a hurting unit. But as bad as something like that is in the states just for a moment try to imagine what that is like in an unfamiliar place in 110 – 115 degree heat with different bathroom and toilet situations! If you need help I could forward you the unedited version of this in an email, but I’m sure you’ll never look at me the same.
However I’m glad that I can now announce that I am alive and well with all systems working properly, and on the bright side I can think about how some people pay a lot of money to purge their systems and I got mine done for 40 cents, a great tasting doner, and good conversation with a beautiful woman! What more can a guy ask for? Things are great in the AZ!!
My Counterpart
August 7, 2007
Just a quick note. I met my counterpart today and I couldn’t be more excited about where I’m going. He speaks a little English but understands quite a bit. At the conference we had an opportunity to get to know each other the best we could with our limited language abilities. Mainly we talked about our families, which always gets interesting when I try to explain how I have 6 sisters and 5 brothers. People here aren’t used to the idea of split families. Then we tried to talk about why I’m 30 and not married. The usual first conversation talk over here.
After all the formal talk we were able to get down to talking about what their expectations are of me and what they envision me accomplishing during my service. He explained that they were completely open to any new ideas and would support almost anything I could bring. He explained that there are tons of youth wanting to attend English conversation clubs (which I thought the best use of my time would be to build a program where I teach the older youth how to run conversation clubs rather than me running clubs that will be gone when I am or when PC is done). Currently they have a bunch of soccer teams as well as some judo and wrestling all for the boys. So I think I’d like to focus some of my time on creating opportunities for girls to participate. One of the NGO’s that have come and talked to us told us about an area that started ultimate Frisbee teams and because it was a new sport gender roles weren’t already established and they got boys and girls to play together which is a completely different concept here. I’ve thought that would be tons of fun, but I won’t really know what they want or need until I spend some time in the community. I’m just excited that they are open and willing to explore new ideas.
Just a quick note. I met my counterpart today and I couldn’t be more excited about where I’m going. He speaks a little English but understands quite a bit. At the conference we had an opportunity to get to know each other the best we could with our limited language abilities. Mainly we talked about our families, which always gets interesting when I try to explain how I have 6 sisters and 5 brothers. People here aren’t used to the idea of split families. Then we tried to talk about why I’m 30 and not married. The usual first conversation talk over here.
After all the formal talk we were able to get down to talking about what their expectations are of me and what they envision me accomplishing during my service. He explained that they were completely open to any new ideas and would support almost anything I could bring. He explained that there are tons of youth wanting to attend English conversation clubs (which I thought the best use of my time would be to build a program where I teach the older youth how to run conversation clubs rather than me running clubs that will be gone when I am or when PC is done). Currently they have a bunch of soccer teams as well as some judo and wrestling all for the boys. So I think I’d like to focus some of my time on creating opportunities for girls to participate. One of the NGO’s that have come and talked to us told us about an area that started ultimate Frisbee teams and because it was a new sport gender roles weren’t already established and they got boys and girls to play together which is a completely different concept here. I’ve thought that would be tons of fun, but I won’t really know what they want or need until I spend some time in the community. I’m just excited that they are open and willing to explore new ideas.
The Big 30
August 6, 2007
Wow, what can I say I’m 30! I can’t really say I’ve been looking forward to this day but I guess I’m doing what I really want to do and that’s the important thing. My mom says it’s not hw old you are but how old you feel and I guess if I’m a combination of that and how old I act I should probably be about 12.
When I woke up this morning I got the first call from home since I’ve been here! First my dad called and then my mom! It was great to finally talk to someone from home. I know it hasn’t been that long since I left but it sure was nice to hear a familiar voice. After talking to each of them I had my language class followed by a youth development meeting where all the youth development people came together and they all sang to me. It wasn’t nearly as good as all my nieces and nephews but it was close. After the meeting we got mail and I actually got one of the packages my mom sent to me, which was really great to get on the actual day! (Great timing mom) Then, I went home and my host family had a big birthday dinner party for me!
My host mom invited my aunts, uncles, and a bunch of cousins over to celebrate the big day. She took the day off work so that she could prepare the feast. We had a bunch of salads followed by pomidor (tomato), badimcan (eggplant), and biber (pepper) stuffed dolma.
Dolma is the national meal and this type is my favorite. Normally it’s stuffed in grape leaves and sometimes cabbage. The stuffing from what I can tell is some type of ground meat (which ever type we have at the market that day I imagine) with rice and some spices. That is stuffed or wrapped and then cooked in a pan with considerable amounts of grease, oil or lard. After dinner which was more like 3 or 4 dinners one right after the other, they just keep bringing the food out until it’s gone, we had cake and AZ style ice cream. (I say that because it is ice cream but just… different?) Then we had glass after glass of cay (tea).
It wasn’t salmon on the BBQ with corn on the cob and my mom’s great chicken salad up at the lake after a hard day of waterskiing. But, if I had all those things it wouldn’t be as difficult to be here and the next birthday I have those things I’ll appreciate them that much more. In all I wouldn’t have wanted the day to go any different. I spent my 25th in Egypt and now my 30th in Azerbaijan I can’t wait to learn where I’ll find myself on my 40th?
Wow, what can I say I’m 30! I can’t really say I’ve been looking forward to this day but I guess I’m doing what I really want to do and that’s the important thing. My mom says it’s not hw old you are but how old you feel and I guess if I’m a combination of that and how old I act I should probably be about 12.
When I woke up this morning I got the first call from home since I’ve been here! First my dad called and then my mom! It was great to finally talk to someone from home. I know it hasn’t been that long since I left but it sure was nice to hear a familiar voice. After talking to each of them I had my language class followed by a youth development meeting where all the youth development people came together and they all sang to me. It wasn’t nearly as good as all my nieces and nephews but it was close. After the meeting we got mail and I actually got one of the packages my mom sent to me, which was really great to get on the actual day! (Great timing mom) Then, I went home and my host family had a big birthday dinner party for me!
My host mom invited my aunts, uncles, and a bunch of cousins over to celebrate the big day. She took the day off work so that she could prepare the feast. We had a bunch of salads followed by pomidor (tomato), badimcan (eggplant), and biber (pepper) stuffed dolma.
Dolma is the national meal and this type is my favorite. Normally it’s stuffed in grape leaves and sometimes cabbage. The stuffing from what I can tell is some type of ground meat (which ever type we have at the market that day I imagine) with rice and some spices. That is stuffed or wrapped and then cooked in a pan with considerable amounts of grease, oil or lard. After dinner which was more like 3 or 4 dinners one right after the other, they just keep bringing the food out until it’s gone, we had cake and AZ style ice cream. (I say that because it is ice cream but just… different?) Then we had glass after glass of cay (tea).
It wasn’t salmon on the BBQ with corn on the cob and my mom’s great chicken salad up at the lake after a hard day of waterskiing. But, if I had all those things it wouldn’t be as difficult to be here and the next birthday I have those things I’ll appreciate them that much more. In all I wouldn’t have wanted the day to go any different. I spent my 25th in Egypt and now my 30th in Azerbaijan I can’t wait to learn where I’ll find myself on my 40th?
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Zagatala!!!
August 4, 2007
Yesterday we found out where we will be working for the next two years! PC staff gathered us all into a room passed out a folder to each of us telling us not to open them until everyone had one and then all at once we opened it. They let us have about ten minutes to read and run around the room to see where other people are going and then brought us back together and we each went up and placed a pin with our name on the city where we will be working. After the announcements were over they had cake and soda for us and we were able to talk with different staff members to find out more about the site and what the organization was like.
In this process PC identifies different sites and organizations that want a PC volunteer. Each of these has many different personalities and needs. Then the staff meets us and in one short month gets to know us and then they have the difficult task of trying to figure out where each of us would be most successful.
In each of the different interviews I’ve been saying I want to do something with youth and sport, gender issues and I’d like to be somewhere cold as far north as you can send me. The only problem was that everyone was asking for somewhere cold. So in the last interview I told my program director “alright everyone is asking for something cold and I can understand that. However, what I can promise you is this, When it gets really cold way up north I can promise you that I wont be the one complaining about how cold it is I’ll be the one out there playing in it.”
So when I opened my envelope and saw Zagatala all I could think was Yeah buddy someone’s living right! Zagatala is the most northern city PC serves. If you look at a map it may not be on there but if you find Sheki it is about two hours North of there near the Russian and Georgian borders. (You don’t have to worry dad I’m the furthest one from Iran.)
The following is the description that was in my packet. I want to ask each of you to search through the Internet and try to find anything out about the place. One of the things I may be doing is helping to promote tourism and outdoor activities and I want to find out what is already out there about the place, but I don’t have the speed on the internet to do a good search. And it will be fun for you to know more about where I’m going to be living. And then anything you find email it to me!
Zagatela region is situated within the bounds of the Greater Caucasus, in the valley of Ganikh-Arichay. There are 7 rivers flowing through the territory of the region. The relief is mountainous and flat. The Climate is mainly moderate and damp, subtropical. About half of the territory is covered by forest. There are 22 populated points on it’s territory. There are more than 70 archaeological, architectural and historical state protected monuments in this region the beauty of which astonishes everybody. They all are related to the carious periods of the history and are considered to be unique. There is one outstanding monument in Yukhari Chardahlar village located on the steep slope of the Khangildag Mountain. This monument represents the bays situated very high, made in the form of double gates with the wall altar at the depth of the central embrasure. The economy of the region is based on agriculture (grain, cultivation of Tobacco, and vegetable growing.) The food plant, nut-processing factory, tobacco, furniture, and sewing factories are functions here. The population of the region is 107,000 people and is located 385 km from Baku.
The organization I will be working for is Zakatala City Youth and Sport Office. The packet says my main responsibilities will be an English conversation club, helping with youth project planning, creating links with international youth organizations, promote tourism and outdoor activities, and organize camps.
A day after finding all this out I am still on such a high. This is really turning into all that I had hoped and dreamt about! So now this next Tuesday (a day after my big 30th birthday) I will be meeting with a representative from the Youth and sport department and then later this month I will travel out there for 3-4 days to meet my new host family and see first hand what I’ll be doing. Things are great in the AZ
Yesterday we found out where we will be working for the next two years! PC staff gathered us all into a room passed out a folder to each of us telling us not to open them until everyone had one and then all at once we opened it. They let us have about ten minutes to read and run around the room to see where other people are going and then brought us back together and we each went up and placed a pin with our name on the city where we will be working. After the announcements were over they had cake and soda for us and we were able to talk with different staff members to find out more about the site and what the organization was like.
In this process PC identifies different sites and organizations that want a PC volunteer. Each of these has many different personalities and needs. Then the staff meets us and in one short month gets to know us and then they have the difficult task of trying to figure out where each of us would be most successful.
In each of the different interviews I’ve been saying I want to do something with youth and sport, gender issues and I’d like to be somewhere cold as far north as you can send me. The only problem was that everyone was asking for somewhere cold. So in the last interview I told my program director “alright everyone is asking for something cold and I can understand that. However, what I can promise you is this, When it gets really cold way up north I can promise you that I wont be the one complaining about how cold it is I’ll be the one out there playing in it.”
So when I opened my envelope and saw Zagatala all I could think was Yeah buddy someone’s living right! Zagatala is the most northern city PC serves. If you look at a map it may not be on there but if you find Sheki it is about two hours North of there near the Russian and Georgian borders. (You don’t have to worry dad I’m the furthest one from Iran.)
The following is the description that was in my packet. I want to ask each of you to search through the Internet and try to find anything out about the place. One of the things I may be doing is helping to promote tourism and outdoor activities and I want to find out what is already out there about the place, but I don’t have the speed on the internet to do a good search. And it will be fun for you to know more about where I’m going to be living. And then anything you find email it to me!
Zagatela region is situated within the bounds of the Greater Caucasus, in the valley of Ganikh-Arichay. There are 7 rivers flowing through the territory of the region. The relief is mountainous and flat. The Climate is mainly moderate and damp, subtropical. About half of the territory is covered by forest. There are 22 populated points on it’s territory. There are more than 70 archaeological, architectural and historical state protected monuments in this region the beauty of which astonishes everybody. They all are related to the carious periods of the history and are considered to be unique. There is one outstanding monument in Yukhari Chardahlar village located on the steep slope of the Khangildag Mountain. This monument represents the bays situated very high, made in the form of double gates with the wall altar at the depth of the central embrasure. The economy of the region is based on agriculture (grain, cultivation of Tobacco, and vegetable growing.) The food plant, nut-processing factory, tobacco, furniture, and sewing factories are functions here. The population of the region is 107,000 people and is located 385 km from Baku.
The organization I will be working for is Zakatala City Youth and Sport Office. The packet says my main responsibilities will be an English conversation club, helping with youth project planning, creating links with international youth organizations, promote tourism and outdoor activities, and organize camps.
A day after finding all this out I am still on such a high. This is really turning into all that I had hoped and dreamt about! So now this next Tuesday (a day after my big 30th birthday) I will be meeting with a representative from the Youth and sport department and then later this month I will travel out there for 3-4 days to meet my new host family and see first hand what I’ll be doing. Things are great in the AZ
Baku
July 29, 2007
(This post and the next I wrote after the events happened and tried to write fast so I could get some posts up so I apologize if there isn’t as much thought in them.)
Wow what a city. I generally had a good time this weekend but the city has both the things I like and dislike about the U.S. I’ll post a blog later to get my feelings out better after I have a few more experiences there.
I went to Baku with nine other people from PC and we a really good time together. We got there and eventually found our hotel. They give us the PC discount which is 50 Manat a night so we being broke PC volunteers got two rooms for 10 people. When we got there we found out that rooms at mid level hotels in baku are really pretty different than hotels I’m used to staying in. The two beds were not even big enough for one person to sleep in but especially not for two and a half people to fit into. It got interesting but we made it work.
We first went to tequila Junction where we were able to get nachos!! They weren’t the best I’d ever eaten by any stretch but at the time they sure tasted like it. Then one other guy and I went and got haircuts (which was a much better experience than I thought I would have) while some of the girls went out to buy some clubbing shirts. And the rest went back to the hotel to pre funk for the night. (mom that’s not anything really bad. it just means to start drinking before going out so you don’t have to spend as much money when you do go out on all the expensive drinks at bars.).
Later that night we met up with an AZ4 who showed us around a bit and took us to a really cool little bar that we could play pool and darts at. Then we went across the street and danced the night away. Think about me at Dave and Lyndi’s wedding Yeah buddy! I was a dancing fool.
The next morning we eventually got up and around and then headed over to seriously the coolest McDonalds I’ve ever seen. The place way more upscale than any other McDonalds I’ve ever seen. After that we walked around town for a little while before realizing we needed bloody marys. So we went over to the Irish pub and sat in the shade for a few hours. Finally we decided to head over and get some Thai food and then head home.
It was neat to see Baku and all but other than the nachos I could probably do with out the rest for the next two years. As I was riding back to my site I was thinking about how the weekend was great but how I could do all of those things in the states and how that wasn’t why I gave up so much to come out here. But like I said in the beginning I’ll dedicate a blog just to Baku later on in my service and we can see if my attitude will change. It may turn out Baku trips might just be the thing that keeps me going when I feel like I need that little taste of the states. It may be that this time was still a little too early?
(This post and the next I wrote after the events happened and tried to write fast so I could get some posts up so I apologize if there isn’t as much thought in them.)
Wow what a city. I generally had a good time this weekend but the city has both the things I like and dislike about the U.S. I’ll post a blog later to get my feelings out better after I have a few more experiences there.
I went to Baku with nine other people from PC and we a really good time together. We got there and eventually found our hotel. They give us the PC discount which is 50 Manat a night so we being broke PC volunteers got two rooms for 10 people. When we got there we found out that rooms at mid level hotels in baku are really pretty different than hotels I’m used to staying in. The two beds were not even big enough for one person to sleep in but especially not for two and a half people to fit into. It got interesting but we made it work.
We first went to tequila Junction where we were able to get nachos!! They weren’t the best I’d ever eaten by any stretch but at the time they sure tasted like it. Then one other guy and I went and got haircuts (which was a much better experience than I thought I would have) while some of the girls went out to buy some clubbing shirts. And the rest went back to the hotel to pre funk for the night. (mom that’s not anything really bad. it just means to start drinking before going out so you don’t have to spend as much money when you do go out on all the expensive drinks at bars.).
Later that night we met up with an AZ4 who showed us around a bit and took us to a really cool little bar that we could play pool and darts at. Then we went across the street and danced the night away. Think about me at Dave and Lyndi’s wedding Yeah buddy! I was a dancing fool.
The next morning we eventually got up and around and then headed over to seriously the coolest McDonalds I’ve ever seen. The place way more upscale than any other McDonalds I’ve ever seen. After that we walked around town for a little while before realizing we needed bloody marys. So we went over to the Irish pub and sat in the shade for a few hours. Finally we decided to head over and get some Thai food and then head home.
It was neat to see Baku and all but other than the nachos I could probably do with out the rest for the next two years. As I was riding back to my site I was thinking about how the weekend was great but how I could do all of those things in the states and how that wasn’t why I gave up so much to come out here. But like I said in the beginning I’ll dedicate a blog just to Baku later on in my service and we can see if my attitude will change. It may turn out Baku trips might just be the thing that keeps me going when I feel like I need that little taste of the states. It may be that this time was still a little too early?
Catch Up
July 29 2007
It’s been a week since I wrote last. Things this week have been pretty busy and any free moment I was attempting to study for my first language assessment, which was yesterday. I’ll try to give a quick recap of the week.
Last Sunday I woke up did a little studying and then headed into town to attend an arts and crafts workshop a few AZ 4’s put on. (AZ4 is the class of Peace Corps volunteers that started last year we are AZ5’s) After the workshop I headed down town and hang out with some other volunteers, which turned into about 25 volunteers. We all had a really good time but got our wrists slapped later in the week. We attracted a bunch of attention and a few girls were drinking, which is ok but they want them to keep it a bit more discrete.
Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal just school stuff. Then Wednesday we had our second hub day where all of our class comes together again and we have all sorts of boring lectures on health safety and security. This time though we had the second in command of the embassy come and talk to us about the state departments view about Azerbaijan. It was a really good discussion where he addressed all the real issues and held nothing back. We found out some really interesting things from him that made me even more glad I’m here.
We had some Azeri’s in the room while he was talking and many of them got offended, but I think that was good. The culture here tends to stick with the, if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all. Then, the media is intimidated by the government with reporters being thrown in jail on charges of slander or being murdered. So the information many people get is not the most accurate and the people that work for PC are some of the best and the brightest with many of them moving on to work in government. So hopefully it will help enlighten them to the understanding that change needs to happen and they can help make that happen.
The next few days I just prepared for my big test on Saturday. The test turned out to be the biggest BS I’ve ever experienced. The tester came in and asked us questions about things we hadn’t even learned yet and talked about ninety miles an hour. The test was recorded so it could be played back to all the LCF’s and they would be able to debate on what rating we should receive. During the test because she was talking so fast I would ask her to repeat what she said, but instead of saying it again or slower she would write it down on a piece of paper in English! Normally, This would be great I wouldn’t complain too much if a tester was trying to blatantly help me cheat. The problem was that her handwriting was so terrible I couldn’t read a word she wrote! So I would ask her again in Azeri to repeat herself and she would just point at what she wrote again. So I just started to answer the questions with things I knew. She could have asked me what I did yesterday and I would answer with “My family is large. I have many brothers and sisters.” And then go on about my family or what foods I liked. It was so bad that all we could do was laugh about it afterwards because it happened to everyone. My rating ended up being novice high which was one step below the highest score people got at intermediate low. In order to pass PST we have to end with a rating of intermediate mid.
As soon as the test was over and we laughed for a while I packed up and went to Baku!!
It’s been a week since I wrote last. Things this week have been pretty busy and any free moment I was attempting to study for my first language assessment, which was yesterday. I’ll try to give a quick recap of the week.
Last Sunday I woke up did a little studying and then headed into town to attend an arts and crafts workshop a few AZ 4’s put on. (AZ4 is the class of Peace Corps volunteers that started last year we are AZ5’s) After the workshop I headed down town and hang out with some other volunteers, which turned into about 25 volunteers. We all had a really good time but got our wrists slapped later in the week. We attracted a bunch of attention and a few girls were drinking, which is ok but they want them to keep it a bit more discrete.
Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal just school stuff. Then Wednesday we had our second hub day where all of our class comes together again and we have all sorts of boring lectures on health safety and security. This time though we had the second in command of the embassy come and talk to us about the state departments view about Azerbaijan. It was a really good discussion where he addressed all the real issues and held nothing back. We found out some really interesting things from him that made me even more glad I’m here.
We had some Azeri’s in the room while he was talking and many of them got offended, but I think that was good. The culture here tends to stick with the, if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all. Then, the media is intimidated by the government with reporters being thrown in jail on charges of slander or being murdered. So the information many people get is not the most accurate and the people that work for PC are some of the best and the brightest with many of them moving on to work in government. So hopefully it will help enlighten them to the understanding that change needs to happen and they can help make that happen.
The next few days I just prepared for my big test on Saturday. The test turned out to be the biggest BS I’ve ever experienced. The tester came in and asked us questions about things we hadn’t even learned yet and talked about ninety miles an hour. The test was recorded so it could be played back to all the LCF’s and they would be able to debate on what rating we should receive. During the test because she was talking so fast I would ask her to repeat what she said, but instead of saying it again or slower she would write it down on a piece of paper in English! Normally, This would be great I wouldn’t complain too much if a tester was trying to blatantly help me cheat. The problem was that her handwriting was so terrible I couldn’t read a word she wrote! So I would ask her again in Azeri to repeat herself and she would just point at what she wrote again. So I just started to answer the questions with things I knew. She could have asked me what I did yesterday and I would answer with “My family is large. I have many brothers and sisters.” And then go on about my family or what foods I liked. It was so bad that all we could do was laugh about it afterwards because it happened to everyone. My rating ended up being novice high which was one step below the highest score people got at intermediate low. In order to pass PST we have to end with a rating of intermediate mid.
As soon as the test was over and we laughed for a while I packed up and went to Baku!!
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