So as of December 8th I will officially be a United States Peace Corps Volunteer. On December 9th I will be moving to Quba in the north of Azerbaijan, about 15 kilometres ( 9.3 miles) from the Dagestan border of Russia. My new Host Family in Quba has a mother, a father, an 11 year old brother, and three sisters who are 20, 22, and 24. So much for being an only child! Lol I'm definitely excited and a little nervous to meet them. My Host Family in Ceyranbaton has been so amazing. I truly feel like part of their family and the whole adjustment to a new one will be really difficult. Quba is only about 2 hours from Ceyranbaton though, so I will be able to come visit them often and they have promised to come visit me as well.
I will have three site mates (AZ'8s, i am an AZ9) in Quba and more friends in the neighbouring city of Xaçmaz, so I will be surrounded by good people. My address will change, and I will post it as soon as I have it confirmed.
We took our final language exam of PST ( pre-service training) on Saturday. We must score a certain level of proficiency in order to be approved for Swearing In ( as a volunteer). The results and tapes are sent to Washington as part of our government file. I'm glad to have it over with, and I think it well. We had a mid- training exam as well and I scored the necessary level for the final one, on the mid exam so fingers crossed I maintained it. Te language is coming along, but is very difficult. My new organisation, an Ancient Caret Weaving Factory, operates in total Azerbaijani. So I will be business advising in the language....talk about daunting.
While things are difficult, they are also really right. I don't know if that makes sense, but I have the feeling of being exactly where I should be right now. During the 17 month application process ( see separate tab above if you want the details) there was so much that was unknown, but I honestly Peace Corps tries to prepare you during that time, for the ambiguity you will face in service. I am embracing the ambiguity ha, which for those of you who know me well, know that the not being able to plan is such a challenge!
I will be going to Xaçmaz for a Christmas party in mid- December which will be great. Christmas will definitely be a difficult time, as it is the first time I will be way from home. I'm lucky to have such good friends here to be with
Monday, December 5, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The things we eat
So many people have asked me what types of food we're eating here in Azerbaijan. With Thanksgiving just happening, I have gotten it even more. For starters, yes! we had Thanksgiving dinner atnmy house, with my cluster and my family. We made an Azerbaijani turkey, which my host family bought for us(so expensive here). We cooked ourselves, but she plucked it for us. Sme of the other clusters actually killed their own turkey, so at least it was done for us too. Not sure I could have slit the turkey's throat.
Other food...here is the breakdown.
Azeri food is not bad, with of course a few exceptions. They cook with a TON of oil. They serve incredible bread (çorek) at every meal as a cultural thing. It is sacred and must not touch the ground or go in the regular trash. It is so delicious, but of course is making us all fat lol. Çay ( like herbal tea) is served about 15 times a day, no joke and cold drinks cannot be drank at meals as Azerbaijani's believe you will have digestion problems. Candy and sweets are also everywhere.
A few traditional Azerbaijani dishes are:
Plov - a rice dish
Shorba- soup, all kinds especially cabbage
Dolma- meat and rice stuffed cabbage leaves, grape leaves, or eggplant
Kabob- lamb skewers, but with a ton of animal fat
Lavash - like a wrap filled with meat, vegetables and yogurt
Diner- same as lavash but with bread
Tushir - pickled vegetable (I especially like the cabbage)
Foods I avoid...
Xas- soup made with the (whole) head and front legs of a sheep. They are boiled in a pot. Brains are eaten separately
Xengel- flat pasta like pieces with cheesy (see own category) and onion sauce
Fish- served whole and eaten whole
Ciz Biz- fried animal (?) liver, lungs, intestine,he tart and kidney
Cheese....as many of you know, is my favourite food. Not here....it's gross. They have 2 kinds 1. Stinky, super-salty, sheepy cheese and 2. Stinkier, saltier, sheepier cheese. Disgusting.
For those of you reading this and thinking About my first post which entailed my stomach issues....I filter my water, but now in think it has just sort of toughened up.
More soon. Miss and love everyone. Ps. All the food is making the girls fat and the boys are desperately loosing weight due to lack of protein. So not air!
Other food...here is the breakdown.
Azeri food is not bad, with of course a few exceptions. They cook with a TON of oil. They serve incredible bread (çorek) at every meal as a cultural thing. It is sacred and must not touch the ground or go in the regular trash. It is so delicious, but of course is making us all fat lol. Çay ( like herbal tea) is served about 15 times a day, no joke and cold drinks cannot be drank at meals as Azerbaijani's believe you will have digestion problems. Candy and sweets are also everywhere.
A few traditional Azerbaijani dishes are:
Plov - a rice dish
Shorba- soup, all kinds especially cabbage
Dolma- meat and rice stuffed cabbage leaves, grape leaves, or eggplant
Kabob- lamb skewers, but with a ton of animal fat
Lavash - like a wrap filled with meat, vegetables and yogurt
Diner- same as lavash but with bread
Tushir - pickled vegetable (I especially like the cabbage)
Foods I avoid...
Xas- soup made with the (whole) head and front legs of a sheep. They are boiled in a pot. Brains are eaten separately
Xengel- flat pasta like pieces with cheesy (see own category) and onion sauce
Fish- served whole and eaten whole
Ciz Biz- fried animal (?) liver, lungs, intestine,he tart and kidney
Cheese....as many of you know, is my favourite food. Not here....it's gross. They have 2 kinds 1. Stinky, super-salty, sheepy cheese and 2. Stinkier, saltier, sheepier cheese. Disgusting.
For those of you reading this and thinking About my first post which entailed my stomach issues....I filter my water, but now in think it has just sort of toughened up.
More soon. Miss and love everyone. Ps. All the food is making the girls fat and the boys are desperately loosing weight due to lack of protein. So not air!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Biri Var Idi, Biri Yox Idi....
Once there was, Once there was not.... The Azerbaijani version of Once Upon a Time.
So things are moving right along here. Azerbaijan got it's 1st snowfall, and as someone from the NorthEast I am ashamed to say I have never felt cold like this before. At night I can see my breath, and we wear like 6 layers of clothes to school.
On This Thursday (10th) we get our permanent site placements! Cannot wait! We will continue with training until December 10th and then we will head to our new sites and new host families. I am so looking forward to this, especially as it will mean we are real Peace Corps volunteers. I am not looking forward to leaving my host family. I have grown really close with them and it will be difficult, especially right before Christmas.
Our language learning is moving along. The Azeri language is very difficult, but we're learning the best we can. Our training is broken into two language oral exams (lpi's) that we must reach certain levels on, in order to pass through to becoming a volunteer. We had our mid-lpi last week and my results were good, so I'm pleased. Some days feel like great progress, and then others feel backwards. One step forward, two steps back. Little victories they say lol.
I will update everyone soon when have my Site Placement Announcement. Miss everyone. Send letters!
So things are moving right along here. Azerbaijan got it's 1st snowfall, and as someone from the NorthEast I am ashamed to say I have never felt cold like this before. At night I can see my breath, and we wear like 6 layers of clothes to school.
On This Thursday (10th) we get our permanent site placements! Cannot wait! We will continue with training until December 10th and then we will head to our new sites and new host families. I am so looking forward to this, especially as it will mean we are real Peace Corps volunteers. I am not looking forward to leaving my host family. I have grown really close with them and it will be difficult, especially right before Christmas.
Our language learning is moving along. The Azeri language is very difficult, but we're learning the best we can. Our training is broken into two language oral exams (lpi's) that we must reach certain levels on, in order to pass through to becoming a volunteer. We had our mid-lpi last week and my results were good, so I'm pleased. Some days feel like great progress, and then others feel backwards. One step forward, two steps back. Little victories they say lol.
I will update everyone soon when have my Site Placement Announcement. Miss everyone. Send letters!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Finally Some Photos
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| Sheki |
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| View of Sheki ( my PCT Site Visit) |
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| My Room! (And no, the t.v. does not work) |
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| My CED Cluster |
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| Lobeya cutting party (Lobeya are like giant green beans, that must be sliced very fine to jar for the winter months when produce is scarce. My family sliced 15 kilos (about 8 pounds) with giant knives. I cut a little slower lol, but did my part. |
Monday, October 17, 2011
A trip to Sheki
Hey everyone. Sorry about the lack of posts, the non-internet/computer thing is rough. So yeah, things are good. I am currently on site visits in the Northern city of Sheki. Peace Corps sends us to a Volunteer from the previous year (AZ8's) to spend 4 days with them talking and getting to know what they do. Sheki is beautiful, it's in the mountains up near the Russian border. Our site visits are sometimes potential placement sites (where we go for the full 2 years after training ends in December) so it's great to see. Even if we get a totally different site, it's helpful to share your experience with whichever trainee gets the assignment.
Things in general are good. Training is busy and for some really difficult, but I'm honestly enjoying it. The language is definitely a challenge, but getting to visit the AZ8's and seeing how far their language has come in just 1 year is so encouraging. It makes me feel like maybe one day in the future I can do more than say, Hello my name is Corina lol.
I will say that we are dealing with harassment a bit. The trainees & volunteers of minority backgrounds have it the worst, which can be hard. We have been given a list of useful things to say though and I'll be studying up. As a white woman I don't necessarily get harassed, but I certainly get starred at. I have never in my life been more watched. I am wearing the same clothes and not showering for days and the men act like I'm Julia Roberts walking through town...very bizarre lol. I did get the comment yesterday that I looked Turkish, which is a compliment here but not something I would have ever thought about myself.
In general things are coming along. I know this post is a bit general, mostly because time is so limited. I will say that I observe so much and then want to share it, and yet by the time I make it to an internet connection I can't think. I hope everything is going well at home and anywhere else people may be. My experience so far has been good, definitely a lot of absorbing information and trying to process. I will try and post some more in the next few days. They have internet cafes in Sheki (!).
Things in general are good. Training is busy and for some really difficult, but I'm honestly enjoying it. The language is definitely a challenge, but getting to visit the AZ8's and seeing how far their language has come in just 1 year is so encouraging. It makes me feel like maybe one day in the future I can do more than say, Hello my name is Corina lol.
I will say that we are dealing with harassment a bit. The trainees & volunteers of minority backgrounds have it the worst, which can be hard. We have been given a list of useful things to say though and I'll be studying up. As a white woman I don't necessarily get harassed, but I certainly get starred at. I have never in my life been more watched. I am wearing the same clothes and not showering for days and the men act like I'm Julia Roberts walking through town...very bizarre lol. I did get the comment yesterday that I looked Turkish, which is a compliment here but not something I would have ever thought about myself.
In general things are coming along. I know this post is a bit general, mostly because time is so limited. I will say that I observe so much and then want to share it, and yet by the time I make it to an internet connection I can't think. I hope everything is going well at home and anywhere else people may be. My experience so far has been good, definitely a lot of absorbing information and trying to process. I will try and post some more in the next few days. They have internet cafes in Sheki (!).
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Through the Wardrobe and into Narnia...
I am officially in Narnia.
So in today’s Azerbaijani language lesson, we discovered (by total accident) that there are a shocking number of Azerbaijani references in C.S. Lewis’ famous Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. For starters the word for lion in Azeri is “aslan”; there is a reference to Turkish delight; there is a Prince Caspian (Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea); and there is an island named Nargin. Possibly a coincidence, but I’m certainly looking forward to reading it again and looking for clues.
So in today’s Azerbaijani language lesson, we discovered (by total accident) that there are a shocking number of Azerbaijani references in C.S. Lewis’ famous Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. For starters the word for lion in Azeri is “aslan”; there is a reference to Turkish delight; there is a Prince Caspian (Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea); and there is an island named Nargin. Possibly a coincidence, but I’m certainly looking forward to reading it again and looking for clues.
Me vs. the Marshrutka
Salam from Azerbaijan!
A Marshrutka is a small bus. Although our weather has been (up until today) beautiful...today it is pouring. The walk to school involved very flooded viallage roads, with lots of mud. I had the ultimate game of chicken with a marshrutka and the giant puddles...I won. :)
***Disclaimer this blog will be very real. If you are delicate or sensitive, I suggest you stick to something easier. Also, if you are a grammer fanatic, I apologize. These are foreign keyboards and the spelling errors will be many. If you can handle it, read on :)
The daily stuff. For starters I will say that the Peace Corps program here in Azerbaijan is doing wonderful work. The in-country staff really does everything to prepare us for life and work in Az. Having said that, there is a lot of uncertainty in the work that will be done here and in our current daily lives. Life as a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee) is not an easy one.
There are different levels of challenges, some expected and some unexpected, but both equally difficult. Expected challenges include language, host family assimilation, culture, food, etc. Everything is different and new, I walk to school, past geese and cows and ducks. Communication within host families is almost non-existent and extremely frustrating. We work tirelessly at language skills, both in and out of the home. These challenges are something you would assume will be hard, and they are. It is, however, the challenges that we take for granted, which brings us to…
The Toilet. In Azerbaijan, squat toilets are typical. Toilet paper is not. Our host families understand that Americans use toilet paper and many have gone to the trouble of placing it in their outhouses. This leads to a more difficult problem of where to put it, because there are no trashes. Yes, you must take it with you and dispose of it later and while Azeri food is great, it is not kind to the foreign stomach at first meeting. This therefore creates an even harder time with squat-style outhouses. I’ll let you put 2 and 2 together….
It is these types of tasks that make daily living a rough adjustment. This experience is truly like nothing I’ve ever encountered, but in a good way. Life is simpler here. The language is beyond hard, but I know there will be a moment when it comes together and that will feel so amazing.
For now, my posts may be limited as internet pretty much does not exist in my village, Jeyranbatan. There are a few internet clubs nearby, but they are forbidden for women. I will do my best to post with my limited resources.
For anyone that wishes to do some research and call me, my number is (994) 51-770-62-78. I don't know how much it is to call it from the U.S. but if you get a calling card and do a little google-time, it shouldn't be difficult. Annnnd it is free for me to receive, so please text and call! I am 9 hours ahead, so after 7pm my time is perfect. For now I will leave you with that, I h ave to go back into the rain!
Miss & Love everyone back home!!
Sag olun!
Xx Corina
A Marshrutka is a small bus. Although our weather has been (up until today) beautiful...today it is pouring. The walk to school involved very flooded viallage roads, with lots of mud. I had the ultimate game of chicken with a marshrutka and the giant puddles...I won. :)
***Disclaimer this blog will be very real. If you are delicate or sensitive, I suggest you stick to something easier. Also, if you are a grammer fanatic, I apologize. These are foreign keyboards and the spelling errors will be many. If you can handle it, read on :)
The daily stuff. For starters I will say that the Peace Corps program here in Azerbaijan is doing wonderful work. The in-country staff really does everything to prepare us for life and work in Az. Having said that, there is a lot of uncertainty in the work that will be done here and in our current daily lives. Life as a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee) is not an easy one.
There are different levels of challenges, some expected and some unexpected, but both equally difficult. Expected challenges include language, host family assimilation, culture, food, etc. Everything is different and new, I walk to school, past geese and cows and ducks. Communication within host families is almost non-existent and extremely frustrating. We work tirelessly at language skills, both in and out of the home. These challenges are something you would assume will be hard, and they are. It is, however, the challenges that we take for granted, which brings us to…
The Toilet. In Azerbaijan, squat toilets are typical. Toilet paper is not. Our host families understand that Americans use toilet paper and many have gone to the trouble of placing it in their outhouses. This leads to a more difficult problem of where to put it, because there are no trashes. Yes, you must take it with you and dispose of it later and while Azeri food is great, it is not kind to the foreign stomach at first meeting. This therefore creates an even harder time with squat-style outhouses. I’ll let you put 2 and 2 together….
It is these types of tasks that make daily living a rough adjustment. This experience is truly like nothing I’ve ever encountered, but in a good way. Life is simpler here. The language is beyond hard, but I know there will be a moment when it comes together and that will feel so amazing.
For now, my posts may be limited as internet pretty much does not exist in my village, Jeyranbatan. There are a few internet clubs nearby, but they are forbidden for women. I will do my best to post with my limited resources.
For anyone that wishes to do some research and call me, my number is (994) 51-770-62-78. I don't know how much it is to call it from the U.S. but if you get a calling card and do a little google-time, it shouldn't be difficult. Annnnd it is free for me to receive, so please text and call! I am 9 hours ahead, so after 7pm my time is perfect. For now I will leave you with that, I h ave to go back into the rain!
Miss & Love everyone back home!!
Sag olun!
Xx Corina
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