Christmas at 'home'

Had a GREAT time with my new American friends at Christmas. People from both years (AZ6 and AZ7) were there – 20-25 of us in all. It was fun because I could really be myself. And I got to be domestic, which I have been craving. Stephanie and I made pancakes while Brandon watched and commented on our lack of artistry. Stephanie is only a couple of hours north of me, in Balakan, last stop before the Georgian border. I’m really glad she’s nearby. Amanda brought the dance tunes and we had a blast. I slept on the floor at Danielle’s house (my sitemate) but it was worth it. It kinda felt like college.


This week I will observe a few more classes then I have a month off (though the students will be busy with exams) before the spring term starts in early February. Shira might stay with me for a couple of days during the first week of January and I might venture out and visit a couple of friends too. Now that we have sworn in and become volunteers we can travel around the country as much as we want. We must be conscious of the amount of time we are away from our jobs but that’s for us to decide (a surprisingly liberal policy for a rule-bound organization like PC). I wish I could go home for Kim’s birthday! But I can’t leave the country until March 10. Sigh.

Sheki!

Swearing-in was successful and I am in Sheki. But I am exhausted. It is difficult to adjust to a new culture. I will write more when I can. And hopefully post pictures!

Getting excited

Next week, if all goes well, I will swear in and become a Peace Corps volunteer. The next day I will be shipped off to Sheki. I'm glad I have something to look forward to during this holiday season. It's hard to be away from home!

Here's a photo of myself and my Sheki counterpart. Fellow Sheki-mate Irene and her counterpart are also in the photo.

I'm going to Sheki!

Yesterday Peace Corps held a sweet ceremony to reveal where each of the 31 teachers will be sent. "Drum roll please....AMANDA! You are going to DEVACHI! Woooo! Come on up here and place the yellow flag on the map!" I already knew I was going to Sheki but I was anxious to see where my new friends are going off to. Beth will be near Tovuz, Sierra and Irene will be with me, Stephanie will be about 90 minutes north of me and Gale will be in Mingachevir.

I will teach at the Sheki branch (or 'brunch' as the notification document informed me) of the Azerbaijan Teacher's Institute. Apparently I've won a PC prize because a PC staff member said, "Oh! Sheki! It's a lovely place. You will be on holiday for 2 years." The more I learn about Sheki, the more her statement seems true. An ancient, clean city on the Silk Road surrounded by mountains with a glorious springtime of flowers and trees. And - get this! - Sheki has a reputation as Azerbaijan's most humorous city. All jokes originate in Sheki. Also, rumor has it there is a women only teahouse there.

Q: Am I stoked? A: Yes.

Due to my practicum, my language skills are behind my clustermates but they improve daily. As long as I keep talking during the interview and remember to ask questions, I think I can pull off a Novice-High rating from the Language Assessment exam week after next. That's one level below the required Intermediate-Low rating but I anticipate PC will still send me to Sheki but then pay for a tutor. In truth, I want a tutor. I think I will learn more quickly with individual instruction.

More info about Sheki here and here and photos.

Rollercoaster

Every day is a rollercoaster of emotions. My mood changes by the hour.

Stuff that bums me out:

Waking up and wishing I were with my favorite person
Walking through 1/4 mile of mud twice a day
The dead cat near Beth's house
Cramming onto buses
Speaking my classroom Azeri and not being understood
All the damn Masazir construction that screws up my daily, and expensive, commute to Sumgayit

Stuff that makes it worthwhile:

Unhurried, sunlit mornings in the kitchen with my mother, an Azerbaijani language teacher
Persimmon jam
Freshly baked bread
Kittens
My awesome and beautiful host sister
My adorable host cousins
Moments of genuine Azeri hospitality
Azeri teachers of English who are excited to speak English with me
The slow but perceptible improvement in my Azeri language skills
My host relatives' excitement and enjoyment of my Azeri cultural learning

Yesterday was a typical rollercoaster day. I managed to have my first moment of mutual comprehension with my host mother's mother - yay! I looked at crafty blogs describing apple cider and Halloween treats and got really homesick - boo! I did a decent impromptu American-style English lesson to 8th grade students - yay! I walked home through the mud in near dark - boo! My host mother and relatives gather together to help me practice for my language assessment interview - yay!

I keep on keepin' on.

Shira and I in Gobustan.

Life is good

I don't have much time to write but here's a quick update - I will be a teacher trainer at a teacher's college. Yay! Next month I'll find out which city I will be posted in. My practicum is at a local university. It's been interesting to observe a different method of instruction than I have practiced and was taught in. The week after next I'll actually get to teach. My goal is to model interactive and student-centered instruction. Also I'd like to give the university lecturers some teaching materials and methods that don't require intensive preparation. All of the lecturers are female and in Azerbaijan females are expected to cook and clean in addition to all of their job duties. Not much different than the U.S., really.

This weekend I will travel to Ujar to visit a real, live PC volunteer. From what I've been told, Ujar is similar to Fresno. Hot, flat, and uninteresting. (Sorry Fresno!)

I am so gonna get fat

Quick update - my host family is awesome and they feed me really well. Almost too well. Homemade everything: grape leaf dolmas, cabbage leaf dolmas, garlic yogurt sauce, chicken-fresh eggs, preserved cherries in cherry syrup, sweet tea, goat cheese, the list goes on.

My left-handedness is a source of curiosity and amusement. I am fortunate to have a Western toilet at home which is a good transition for me. My Azerbaijani is coming along, slowly but surely. I keep a list of small victories - yesterday it was successfully hailing our bus from the busy highway. I got cheers and high-fives from my clustermates. Yay!

Life is pretty good.

More difficult than I thought

I tried to call my favorite person and broke down crying when I listened to the voicemail message. Just hearing his voice made me question my decision to be here. Which is interesting because until that moment I was eager for this adventure, the ups and the downs. I guess that was my first hurdle. I did some breathing exercises and came back to center. I know that this is exactly what I should be doing and now I've been reminded that it's not easy.

Learning Azeri is also not easy though I can see small victories. Yesterday we had a tutorial on the alphabet and numbers. I'm pretty good at the numbers but definitely need assistance with pronunciation of the alifba. Our group tried to sing the alphabet song but it didn't really work because the Azeri alphabet has fewer letters; thus the song ended early. It was a cute moment.

On Monday I'll meet and begin living with my Pre-Service Training (PST) host family. I will be their guest and daughter/sister for 10 weeks. I hope to get a lot of speaking practice with them. I've never lived with a host family and am nervously excited.

During training we'll get intense sessions in language, culture, hopefully some Azerbaijani history, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Us TEFL folks aren't expected to attain as high a level of language mastery as the Community and Economic Development (CED) and Youth Development (YD) folks because we will do more practical activities such as co-teaching and sample teaching. It will be interesting to be back in a classroom and I look forward to it.

Also during training we'll learn to be community development workers. I haven't done or learned anything about community development work - assessing the needs of a community and working with the community to meet those needs based on community strengths  - and look forward to that too.

I look forward to all of this, even the unwanted attention and occasional harassment (how will I react?), even though my heart is elsewhere. Sigh. I'll get through this and I think there's a good chance I'll be an awesome volunteer. Fingers crossed!

In Azerbaijan!

After 24+ hours of travel, I am in Azerbaijan. I haven't seen much of the country yet because we're in a hotel for Orientation Week but what I've seen so far is nice. The weather is warm and a little muggy so I'm sure I seemed ridiculous carrying my giant winter coat through the airport. This morning we'll find out who our clustermates are. We'll break up into clusters of 5 or 6 for our 10 weeks of intense training. Training starts on Monday. I'm excited about learning to be a community development worker. And I'm excited to meet my host family. In all, I'm just excited!

This could be good

After submitting some paperwork*, I'm officially a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT). Next step is to wake up in 6 hours, lug my ridiculously enormous luggages (I like that word) to JFK, hop a couple of planes, and find myself in Baku, Azerbaijan. After that, it's 10 weeks of language, culture, safety, and job training. But I can only do this one day at a time so right now I'm focused on getting myself out of bed on time.

It's neat to finally meet the other trainees and freak out together. Good to know I'm not alone.

Random coolness: Molly sent me a link to the Asgarda, a group (cult?) of Ukrainian warrior women. Wish I'd been able to fit my foil and helmet in my suitcase...

Staging

I'm at the Hampton Inn in Philadelphia. Staging is tomorrow afternoon. A fellow volunteer, Gretchen, was on my flight and we met up with another volunteer, Myriam, while waiting for the shuttle.

I'm exhausted and kinda greasy and have the kind of wicked headache that only comes from uncontrollable crying. But I'm happy. I look forward to meeting more people tomorrow.

Now I sleep.

Too frazzled to find a title

Storage unit full? Check. Unrecyclable/unloved items taken to transfer station? Check. Piles of paperwork dealt with? Check. Freaking out? Check.

Running around today dealing with last-minute stuff (need 2 more skirts, 2 more long-sleeved shirts, and batteries, clean the apartment, do a test pack) so that I can spend worry-less time with my favorite person tomorrow.

Thank goodness for lists. Lists are unsung heroes. My list is my personal external hard drive.

Stuff and people I think I will miss dearly (and kind of already am):

Fast internet
Good coffee
My east Capital Hill neighborhood
Walking alone at night
Trader Joe's
My sister
My favorite person
My amazing friends
My awesome parents
Sailing in Puget Sound
Seattle transportation system

I'm posting this so that I can return to it a few months from now and see what I forgot to add. I'm sure 'communicating in English' will be up there. I haven't been practicing Azerbaijani as much as I should have been...curious to see how much that bites me in the butt.

On Monday night I will meet the first of my PC comrades. Fun!

Oh yeah, the FAQ! Here are the questions I've been asked:

Where are you going?
Azerbaijan. It's a former Soviet republic located on the Caspian sea sandwiched between Russia and Iran, also bordered by Armenia and Georgia.

What? Why?
I'll be teaching English as a member of the Peace Corps. I am pursuing this challenge because the human lifespan is remarkably short.

What language will you speak?
Azerbaijani.

How long will you be there?
27 months.

Can you come back to the US whenever you want?
I'll accrue 2 vacation days per month after training ends in early December. I can visit the U.S. if I wish (and if I have the funds) but I'm looking forward to visiting Turkey and the Ukraine. Unfortunately Iran is not a wise travel destination at the moment otherwise I'd go.

Can I visit you?
YES! And please do. Anytime between January 2009 and August 2011 works for me!

Can I send you stuff?
YES! And please do. Flat items are welcome between now and early December. Sounds like it takes 3-4 weeks for items to arrive.

PCT Jennifer Gouine
Peace Corps Azerbaijan
Sumgayit şəhərı
Azerbaycan pr. 15
Mərkəzı poçt

AZERBAIJAN

Will you miss me?
YES!

Me in context

I'm spending about a week at my parent's (parents'? I should know this!) house here in the dry heat of northern California. I didn't realize how much I needed this time - to decompress from the self-imposed stress of my last month at work, to be a couch potato with my dad, to go shopping with my mom, to walk in the suburban neighborhood I grew up in.

Walking in the neighborhood, past homes of childhood friends, triggered some thoughts about where I come from and the path I've taken to this moment. I chose a life that was relatively safe - physically, fiscally, mentally and work-wise - and now I need a challenge, something that strips away the comfortable and forces me to rethink my strengths and face my weaknesses (like a Qualifying Exam...but real). 

It is freakin hard to take a sharp left turn at the age of 36. But I know that I need this. When I imagine not getting on the plane, I get sad. I have to try. Who knows if I'll last the whole 27 months (place yer bets!) but that doesn't bother me. I'm confident I will make the decisions that are best for me. My life is my own - a true luxury and very empowering.  

Next up, an FAQ! Let me know what you want to know!

The Schedule

Sept 28: Sea-Tac to Philadelphia

Sept 29: Orientation

Sept 30: JFK to Frankfurt

Oct 1: Frankfurt to Baku

Oct 2 - ~Dec 7: Pre-Service Training in Sumqayit, Azerbaijan (winner of the 2006 and 2007 awards for most polluted place on Earth!). I'll live with a host family and get intense language, culture, and job training.

~Dec 8: Swearing In ceremony

~Dec 9, 2009 - Dec 2011: Co-teach English to Azerbaijani children in an as-yet-unidentified village

Leaving September 28th

My flight to Philadelphia has been booked. Whoa. This is really happening!

Countdown

It begins!

Staging is September 29 in Philadelphia. We leave the next morning on a bus to JFK where we'll then fly (via Frankfurt?) to Baku.

It would be fantastic to receive mail during Pre-Service Training (PST). I'll be in PST for the months of October and November and during the beginning of December. The Peace Corps peeps recommend, during PST only, flat mail or padded envelopes. Send me larger and/or more 3D items (because you WILL send me packages, riiiiight?) after I get to my site. Here's the PST mailing address:

[My name], PCT
Peace Corps Azerbaijan
PO Box 77
AZ1000, Baku, Azerbaijan

Sounds like there are 61 other people embarking on this crazy adventure with me. I think there are only ~25 people in our Facebook group which means there are ~36 people I haven't 'met' yet! Cool. Plus there are the AZ6s and they've been tremendously patient and kind. (Shout-out to Loki and Amy.)

I know that I have a REALLY BIG mountain in front of me but I'm a decent hiker so I will climb on.

Mew.

PS - I almost forgot! The crows did not dive-bomb me again but my animal encounters have continued with zest. Mountain goats in the Enchantments, neighborhood cats, raccoons at my bus stop.

Animal omens

While walking across the Montlake bridge to work this morning, I saw a sandhill crane* fall out of the sky, hit a bridge support and land in the middle of traffic. I was unnerved. It was barely moving and seemed unable to walk or fly. I stood staring at it and tried to track down the Fish and Wildlife number. A couple of other pedestrians went into the traffic, shoo'ed the crane onto the sidewalk, and then gently deposited it into a bush-covered area away from the noise and people. I stayed with the bird and eventually got through to Fish and Wildlife. By then it had tumbled down a flight of bridge stairs and was hobbling its way down another. Almost broke my heart. F&W said they'd contact a biologist but I'm sure the crane was long gone by the time they arrived, if ever.

Despite all of that, crows were the most unnerving part of the experience. They went NUTS when the crane fell onto the bridge and continued screeching while I stayed watch over it. After I could see that the crane wasn't going to wait around for human help, I continued walking to work. A pack of 5 or 6 crows followed me and dive-bombed my head.

Crows are intelligent creatures. This pack, and perhaps others who were informed, will remember me. I'm curious to see if they dive-bomb me on Monday morning. I'll be out of town the rest of next week and then am extra curious to see if they dive-bomb me the following Monday. Now I have a reputation in the crow community. I can't decide if I'm scared, honored, or both.

There is a message in these animal encounters I've had recently but I can't figure out what it is.

* - according to the Seattle Audobon Society website, sandhill cranes are the only cranes in Washington state. To my untrained eye, the bird looked like a heron.

Saying Goodbye, Part II

Last night I held a dead cat. Everyone, including the cat and her owner, knew the end was coming but it was difficult to endure when it actually arrived. I have a sincere fondness for felines and that one will be missed.

Read this in a Modern Love column and it speaks to me:

It doesn't seem fair that we can look back and connect the dots in life, and see what led from that to this, but we cannot look forward and anticipate in any way what constellation today's dots will form in the vast space ahead of us. I guess it's just best to assume that heaven is right here, right now, and let the stars fall where they may.

-Margaret Gunther

Packing list on paper

So much to purchase and gather! Second Ascent has been my go-to store and I plan to take a fresh look at stuff I already own. My Illinois snow boots could probably be patched, I have some no-longer-remotely-stylish wool sweaters that I was going to donate, etc.

Suggestions welcome!

[Most of this list is compiled from the Azerbaijan packing list ]

General clothing:

_A good supply of underwear
_Polypropylene, wool, and cotton socks and glove liners
_Good wool hiking socks (that wick moisture and dry quickly); 3-4 pairs recommended
_Long underwear of two or three different weights (e.g., wool and silk)
_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)
_Medium-weight jacket for spring/fall.
_Woolen or ski-type hats, gloves, and scarves
_Bathing suit (for trips to the beach)

Gender-specific clothing

_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
_2-3 sweaters or dressy sweatshirts
_2-3 cardigans (good for layering)
_One good outfit for formal events
_Some comfortable “house” clothes; sweatpants, etc.
_Slips (cotton is recommended)
_Leggings, tights, and stockings (good-quality ones may be hard to find locally)
_Shorts (for safety reasons, to be worn only at home or while jogging early in the morning)

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.
_A three-month supply of any prescription drugs you take, to give the Peace Corps ample time to order your special needs
_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)
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.
_Towels (of good-quality; absorbent cotton); Volunteers also recommend “quick-dry” towels.
_Jewelry and makeup, if you like to wear them (Azerbaijani women in towns wear both)
_Hair-coloring products, if you use them (U.S. brands are not available locally)
_Good can opener
_Vegetable Peeler
_Kitchen knife (they can be purchased here, but become dull really quickly)
_Favorite spices (they may be difficult to find, especially in winter. Many are available in Baku, but can be expensive.)
_Favorite cooking supplies (pots and pans can be found in Azerbaijan)
_Quality hot pad / oven mitt
_Basic cookbook (Peace Corps will also provide you with a cookbook)
_An assortment of plastic storage bags (zip lock bags, a couple large American sized garbage bags)
_Reliable watch (durable, water-resistant, and inexpensive)
_Travel alarm clock (battery-operated is best)
_Sunglasses
_Sturdy work gloves, if you like to garden or work outdoors
_Small day pack without frame (great for shopping or carrying books or work materials)
_Camera (compact ones are best, since they are inconspicuous and travel well); film and photo processing is available locally
_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.)
_Flashlight and batteries; head-lamp (very useful)
_MP3 Player
_Portable, battery powered speakers
_Flash Drive (the bigger the better so you can swap movies/music with other PCVS)
_One or two sets of sheets (because you do not know the size of your bed, double flats are most useful)
_Small, inexpensive tool kit
_Swiss army knife (very important to many Volunteers)
_Sewing kit
_Duct Tape
_Clothing patterns, if you plan to sew by hand
_Pictures of home for yourself and to share with friends and students
_U.S. postage stamps (people traveling home can sometimes hand-carry your mail)
_U.S. and world maps, to use as teaching aids or wall hangings
_Inexpensive gifts (toys, costume jewelry, perfume, magazines, books, pencils, key chains, etc.)
_Any equipment for hobbies
_Games (e.g., Scrabble, chess, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary)
_Sports equipment (e.g., bat, baseball, and glove, football, Frisbee, hacky sack, etc.)
_Liquid soap for washing clothes by hand
_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.)
_Sleeping pad for visiting other PCVS
_Journal, diary, or schedule book
_Small, retractable tape measure
_A notebook computer with DVD player. If you have a Macbook, be sure to get the USB modem that allows you to use dial-up. Consider getting a small external hard drive as well.

'It doesn't get any better than this'

Or, "Saying Goodbye, Part I."

Last night was an absolutely gorgeous night on Lake Union. I was fortunate to sail and the weather was fantastic - short sleeves until 9pm! Duck Dodge was in full swing and the lake was covered in sailboats. At one point, we gave way to Circe and the skipper joyfully called out, "It doesn't get any better than this!" Indeed.

Right now, my life is abundant with good things. I have an excellent job and a happy personal life. It feels odd to start my countdown to AZ when all goes very, very well. Still, I know that it is time and, to quote Wendy Sue, I know that I can't live with "What if...?" Besides, it's much easier to initiate change when you're at the top instead of stuck at the bottom.

Nerves

This week I started to get nervous. What the heck am I doing? Can I stick it out for 2 years, 9 weeks? Is this really what I want to do? I will probably struggle with these questions until the day I return so maybe it's a good time to remind myself why I'm doing this. My aspiration statement talks about some of my intentions but the Blue Scholars song "Motion Movement" gets at the emotion (and is the source of my blog title). Some highlighted lyrics:

Each individual reach out, speak to teach the invisible how to be invincible
Motion, movement
Architects, blueprints
Showing, grooving
Teachers, students
Reaching for truth in a self-revolution
The roof is on fire, what's your solution?

I need to kick-start my life and I think PC will do that.

Aspirations

I finally finished my aspiration statement and sent it off. Here are some highlights.

Q: What professional attributes do you plan to use, and what aspirations do you hope to fulfill, during your Peace Corps service?

A: One of the primary reasons I am pursuing Peace Corps service is to test the language and culture theories of my graduate school training. At [university] I combined anthropology, speech communication and TESOL courses to gain a theoretical understanding of language and culture. I have been away from those concepts for several years and see the Peace Corps as a challenging and fascinating mode of exploring those theories but in an immediate and tangible way: working and living in a different culture, being reliant upon myself and my abilities, and threading and sharing perspectives within a new environment and language. In the process, I plan to use my sincerity, respectfulness, commitment, humor, patience, flexibility and enthusiasm in assisting the teachers and students of my community in our quest to learn and teach English communication. Additionally, I look forward to experiencing the personal growth and friendship inherent in a 27-month cultural and educational exchange. It should be noted that sustainable change in classroom teaching methods certainly is one of my goals but I will feel both lucky and honored if I am able to implement it.

Q: What skills and knowledge do you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project?

A: While in pre-service training, I hope to make many linguistic and cultural mistakes. I’d like to experience the frustration and embarrassment of those mistakes while with my cohort and within the relative cocoon of training. I know that language is key to opening cultural and professional doors/dialogue though I hope my humility and respectful nature will buy me some time and forgiveness while I learn my way around the language and my community. Also I am eager to learn interesting and motivating communicative teaching methods that do not require extensive technology or materials.

Q: How do you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends?

A: When asked what I will do after Peace Corps service, I happily reply that I have no idea. I look forward to the ways in which I will stretch and grow, personally and professionally, as a result of my volunteer work in an unfamiliar culture over 27 months. I may find that I enjoy being at the front of the classroom again or I may find that a non-teaching job in higher education is the best fit. Regardless, I know that I will make a far more informed choice, and be a more compassionate American and world citizen, due to my service.

Lousy Smarch

Oi. March is killing me. Work has been so busy and I have been so stressed that this week I realized I have had an on again/off again cold since December. DECEMBER. I do not like to be sick and do not look forward to being sick in an unfamiliar country.

Poor me.

FedEx confirms that my dental forms were delivered to Peace Corps this morning. I think it will be an easy clearance because my teeth cleaning was a smashing success. Really! It was incredibly easy. I feel very lucky to have healthy teeth and good dental insurance.

Yay me.

Working on my aspiration statement (it was due a couple of weeks ago!) and will post it when I am finished.

Excitement and a Timeline

It is not possible to overstate my excitement. I just got an email from someone (hi Stephanie!) who is also going to Azerbaijan. Aiii! That makes it real. Yay!

Lots of exclamation points!

And lots of organizing to do. Over the years I've been pretty good about getting rid of stuff but now realize just how much stuff I still have. Anyone want a tiny ceramic teapot?

This wouldn't be a Peace Corps blog without a timeline. It's kinda like the '25 Random Things About Me' virus going through Facebook. Here's my application timeline:

During college: think briefly about Peace Corps but dismiss it due to fear
Spring 2006: wonder what to do with my life; see Peace Corps ad on Idealist.org
Summer 2006: ponder the possibility and meet with returned volunteers
Autumn 2006: application and interview
2007: nomination for TEFL in South Pacific; medical and dental clearance; legal hold (due to financial debt)
Most of 2008: deactivation. Consider giving up and switching careers instead. Pay off majority of financial debt.
December 31, 2008: request reactivation.
January 2009: nomination for TEFL in Central Asia/Caucuses
February 2009: invitation to Azerbaijan.
March 2009: dental appointment (dental clearance only good for one year).

This has been a long process and, as such, I've had time to consider many aspects to doing Peace Corps volunteer work at the not-so-young-anymore age of 36. It's certainly an unusual choice and there are consequences but it's exactly what I should be doing right now.

Azerbaijan!

I am going to Azerbaijan to co-teach English to children ages 7-16. Staging is at the end of September and then pre-service training runs through the beginning of December. My actual service will be December 2009-December 2011.

I am thoroughly excited and definitely nervous!

This blog is written by a couple currently serving in Azerbaijan: http://bakutothefuture.blogspot.com/

Azerbaijan on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=all&q=azerbaijan&m=text

and

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=azerbaijan

Invitation!

This morning I received a lovely surprise in my email..."your application status has been updated." WOOHOO! Unfortunately my toolkit doesn't tell me where I am going; for that, I must wait for the mail to arrive. Archaic! The package was sent from DC yesterday so I hope it will arrive by Saturday. I am so anxious to know where I am going! And when!

All I Need Is A Little Patience

I am doing my best to be patient while I wait for my invitation. I keep worrying (because I'm good at it!) that something will go wrong and I'll be deferred to Jan 2010. Aiigh! It is ironic to me that I must learn to be patient with the large bureaucracy of Peace Corps when I work as a semi-bureaucrat. We get what we give...

These letters are interesting reads. They are remarks from current/retired US Foreign Service Officers on how their PC experience relates to their FSO experience.

http://afsa.org/fsj/oct08/fromThe.pdf

http://afsa.org/fsj/nov08/fromThe.pdf

Nomination!

After much thought and internal hand-wringing, I re-activated my Peace Corps application. I had made an application to WorldTeach's Bangladesh program and was very excited about it but ultimately decided that I needed something different and somehow bigger. It looks like I'll get what I asked for because I've been nominated to Central Asia/English Teacher Training/September 2009. These are the possible countries if my nomination does not change:

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Turkmenistan

A woman told me she had the same nomination and was sent to the Kyrgyz Republic/Kyrgyzstan. According to the PC site, I'm in for a bit of culture shock (and cold winters! Why did I ask to switch from the South Pacific to Eastern Europe/Central Asia??)

I'm excited :)

Wikipedia entry on Kyrgyzstan (the EU has banned KR airlines from flying in their airspace due to low safety standards. Umm...)

PC photo gallery of Kyrgyz Republic

Flickr search of Kyrgyzstan (look for the curious squirrel! them's some ears!)

Flickr search of Kyrgyz Republic

I still need to go through dental clearance (expires after one year) and can't see my dentist until March. Tom Petty was right - the waiting IS the hardest part. I know that anything can happen between now and invitation and that even after invitation the destination can change. Regardless, I am going to start learning Russian. Gives me something useful to do during the long wait!