Friday, November 21, 2008

Random Pictures

Here is the link to an ablum I created on snapfish! Hope you enjoy
Where do all Americans go overseas? Micky D's of course! (which by the way the only time I ever go McDonalds is when I am overseas)

All 61 of Az6 (when we first arrived at Aqua Park)

I am going to Imishli and Amy is going to Guba

Imishli it is!

Well, who knew that in that in just 8 short weeks that I could come so attached to a rountie and place. I have been living in Sumgayit for just 2 months and I did not think that I had grown so attached to my surrounding, daily routnie, etc.. there. But, when I came to Imishli I releazied that was not the case. However, I think after just getting used to a new house, new people, new rountie, new city, and in general just a slower pace of life I will be really happy here!

Imishli the city is so much prettier that Sumgayit, from what I can tell is looks like it was planned on a grid system and there are a lot of trees on all the streets (not the case in Sumgayit). The grid system will be great for me since I get lost everywhere I go! I was really foruntate I was able to meet up with Amber, one of the two Az5 serving in Imishli, Tuesday morning in Baku and we took the 4ish hour bus ride down together. Tuesday afternoon I toured my organization, ARAZ, and then headed to my new home. So, I was a little off on the details of my new family. My host mom is a widow, house wife, and she has 3 children. The oldest daugheter is either 21 or 22 (she works full time), the second oldest daughter is 19 (she does not work or go to school, she is engaged and the wedding is in March (quick side note-I will still be living with them through this entire process – I am really excited about it!), and the youngest is a boy who is 17 (he is in school but when he gradauates he will go and serve his mandatory 1 ½ years in the army). So far I have really enjoyed my family and I think is will be a great fit! They don’t speak any english nor does anyone at ARAZ! So guess who needs to step up their game on language studying!?! Yep.

So ARAZ, honestly I still have no idea exactly what I will be doing here. Actually, I might be more confused now that I am in Imishli than I was before! However, Wednesday afternoon two women from the ARAZ headquarters office in Baku came down and translated so that my director and I could have a meeting. He told me some of the projects ARAZ has done in the past and what they hope to do in the future. I told him some of my intersts and he said that when I come in December we will iron out my work plan. (My director also works in another organization, FINCA – I don’t know his exact postion but I do know he is very important, i.e. he is very busy all the time.) I do know that ARAZ is a NGO which is motivated to improve the quailty of life for women and low income families. They are a humanitarin organization and everything their goals aline exactly with my interests – so I think it will be a great fit. But, as my director said through translators – we just have a langauge problem! Hahaha. To put it mildly!

Thursday I was able to meet up with the two PCVs who are currently living here, Amber and Greta. Amber is also YD and Greta is TEFL. They are both really nice and I am looking foward to having them as my sitemates. I told my PM that I didn’t care if I had sight mates or not, but now that I am here I am really glad that I have them. But as I have told many people in emails – I am so happy to be here. Joining the PC has definitely been one of the best decisions I have made in awhile! In just 20 short days, on December 11th, I will move permenantly to my new home! I am looking forward to moving and I am looking foward to going back to Sumgayit tomorrow to spend those last few weeks with my friends before we scatter all over the country! Oh. I almost forgot some exciting news – so in ARAZ I have a great big office with a computer and everything – I mean I got hooked up! And here is the greatest part of it all – my director said that in December he is putting internet in my office! So when I move here I will be able to stay in touch better! Well, at least through email; the post office here does not send mail to America. I can recieve mail and packages from America here, however I have to hold all my mail until I make a trip to Baku and mail it there. So, my mail to America will be slower, but small price to pay!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Same old same old

Hello to all! I can’t remember when my last post was so I have no idea where to start with what has been happening here. Time seems to just run together for me. My life has been pretty uneventful as of late so I don’t really have much of anything to say! I have been having some serious stomach issues, which has been the main events in my life for the past two weeks. Not to go into too much detail (which I would love to, but for your all’s sake I won’t) I will just say I have had some hardcore constipation and leave it at that. So if you think of it please add stomach issues to your prayers for me, in addition to language learning.

It is Monday night for me (I will be posting this Tuesday afternoon when I go to the internet club) so that means that in just two days I will know my permanent site! I am fighting anxiousness and anxiety. I am really excited for numerous reasons, but mainly because it will make the PC seem more real. Right now I can say that I will be living somewhere for 2 years working with some organization; but after Wednesday afternoon I can say where I will be living and with what organization I will be working. I also pretty confident I will have at least 1 site mite, whether an Az5 or Az6. It is pretty hard to be that far from someone with 100 volunteers living in a country roughly the size of Maine! So, I am anxious to know who I will be possibly sharing a community with – so many variables that I will find the answers to on Wednesday afternoon! But unfortunately for you all I will not be able to return to the internet cafĂ© until probably Nov. 11th, which means if you want to know before then you will just have to call me! (If you do have the burning urge to talk to me in person please do not forget about the 9 hour time difference!) I will try to go before, but no promises; it isn’t always easy for me to get to an internet club. Other exciting things happening for me on Wednesday – I will learn our new president elect! That is exciting. My cluster and I are going to try to go to a friend’s house Wednesday evening to watch satellite tv, aka English speaking channels like CNN, to watch election coverage. If all goes according to plans after our site announcement meeting we will head to her place and make pizza and brownies and watch CNN. I hope it all works out as planned because it will be really fun, but you never know.

What else, I haven’t taken any pictures lately, however I snagged some random photos from Amy. Both of these pictures were taken during our morning language classes. (Yes I am wearing the same outfit, but no the pictures were not taken on the same day. I wear the same outfits for a week before I change them. I also shower weekly, but this past weekend I missed shower day so I am going to try to get one tomorrow night or I will just have to wait until next weekend!) Both of these pictures require a bit of explanation. The first one is a game we where playing to learn office words and titles. It was really funny, but it was one of those instances you really had to be there to find it funny; regardless I am going to post the picture anyway. The second picture is very Peace Corps in my opinion. What I mean is that yes I am sitting in class having blood drawn by one of the PC doctors! Since I have joined the PC I have had shots and blood drawn in hotel rooms and school classrooms. It really makes me laugh and sometimes I feel like I should be in a movie. Just imagine walking into a hotel room with flies buzzing around the room, you sit on the bed and roll up your selves and get several shots from a doctor with all their equipment and medicine neatly spread out on the bed and counter. I mean really – it sounds like a scene from a movie and it always seems a little surreal to me! But, no worries the doctors are great and everything is really sanitary and sterile. (The reason it is done in random places is the medical office is in Baku and all of Az6 is in Sumgayit – it is just so much easier for them to come to us instead of visa versa.)

I can’t think of anything else to say at the moment. If there is anything in particular you want me to talk about on my blog either just email me or post a comment and I will try my best to discuss it in my next post!
Me getting my blood drawn in class


Amy, Alison, Me, Sabina, Kim, & Jake