Almost Time!!

“And the danger is that in this move toward new horizons and far directions, that I may lose what I have now, and not find anything except loneliness”

I leave on Monday. 95 % of me is thrilled and excited. The other 5% has that stomach that's turning over feeling,  and I'm asking myself: "What do you think you're doing?" I feel confident that joining the Peace Corps again is a great thing. I believe in what Peace Corps stands for. I want to be part of something bigger than myself. And, I cant wait....I CANT WAIT to work with kids again as my primary job. Im so excited. And yet....

As I take time to say goodbye, I come to fully realize what I have here. People who love me and who let me love them. People who have helped me in so many different ways. I guess I am just a little afraid "that I may lose what I have now..."  But as before, I will trust that this is just my fears and not substantial. This is not true. I will go out, work with kids and hopefully make at least a little difference by loving and believing in someone  in Azerbaijan who needs it. Just as so many have loved and believed in me when I needed it. I'm going to miss you guys. Thanks for loving me. It has made all of the difference.

Ok, to a less mushy, emotional telling to something a little more practical. Im leaving California Monday and spending time in DC with the Grays (who took such great care of me when I was medivaced in DC) and with Oscar who I served with in Lesotho. That will be wonderful. Staging is on Thursday in DC and then off to Azerbaijan on Friday. Ive inclused some info that PC just sent me, telling me a little about the Azerbaijan staff and about my beginnings in Peace Corps. I will blog more once I get to DC.

 Love ya man!!!

Az10 Staging Page 1 of 5 Azerbaijan
Peace Corps Azerbaijan
Bridge to Pre-Service Training
Welcome and Introduction

Xoş gəlmisiniz! Welcome to Peace Corps Azerbaijan! The PC/Azerbaijan team of staff and current Volunteers are eagerly awaiting your arrival, and we look forward to welcoming you to the country where “the East meets the West”.
We know you have a lot of questions about what‟s ahead, and most of these we will be able to answer in the first days of the Orientation Week. For now, we will explain what will happen from the time that you arrive at the airport through Orientation Week. Attached is the schedule for the Orientation Week so you have a better idea of what is planned for your first days in country.
Arrival in Azerbaijan
Suggested Dress Upon Arrival
Please dress comfortably for the plane ride. You will be arriving in the evening and welcomed by a group of Peace Corps staff and Volunteers. We do ask that you be neat and appropriately dressed for Azerbaijani culture (no torn jeans, any tee-shirts should be neat, nothing revealing for women, no bare midriffs, etc.)
Logistics
After landing in Baku you will proceed to Immigration (just follow the line of people from the plane). Please have your Peace Corps passports in hand. It may go slowly, so please be patient. From Immigration you will wait to pick up your luggage in baggage claim. Please have your baggage claim tickets in hand in order to speed up the process. Please exit the baggage area as soon as you collect your luggage so that we can all load the busses as quickly and effectively as possible.
We will have a meeting place just outside the baggage area for Peace Corps trainees and we will help you load onto the busses. We will depart the airport for our conference site for Orientation Week, which will be at the Bavarius Hotel, a 30-45 minute drive from the airport. We will have vegetarian sandwiches, fruit and water for you on the buses.

Luggage Tags
Please use the following address for your luggage tags (but not for your mail):
Peace Corps Azerbaijan
2c Hasan Aliyev St.
Baku, Azerbaijan
(994) 12 596 1720

Az10 Staging Page 2 of 5 Azerbaijan
Emergency Contact Info
Peace Corps Office, Baku (994) 12 596 1720
Duty Cell Phone, Baku (994) 50 203 3255
Peace Corps Duty Officer, Washington 202-638-2574
Airport Welcome
Some Peace Corps staff members and a few Az9 PCVs will meet you at the airport.
The country director, Macie Whittington, will actually be on the same flight as you into Baku, as she happens to be in the US this time of year.

Orientation Week
Accommodations
The busses will bring you to the Astoria Hotel just outside Baku. You will stay at the hotel through Tuesday Sept. 25th. You will be assigned to double rooms (married couples will be together, and everyone else will be paired with a trainee of the same gender). Bedding and towels will be provided during your stay.
No-alcohol policy
PC-Azerbaijan policy does not allow drinking alcohol in hotels for PC trainings and other PC funded activities. In other words, if PC is paying for your hotel room, you may not drink on the hotel grounds. It is important that PC maintain good relationships with hotel management, so that we can use the facilities year after year. We appreciate your understanding.
Vaccinations
You will be getting several vaccinations during Orientation. Be sure to have your Proof of Vaccination Card. If you do not have your card with you, you will be vaccinated again!
Communication Options: During your first three days in Azerbaijan you will be lodged at a hotel with wireless access. If you have a computer you‟ll be able to communicate with friends/family. If not, please tell your relatives and friends not to worry and that they‟ll hear from you as soon as you do get to an internet café.
On Wednesday September 26th, after your first night with your host family, you and your language trainer (in small groups of trainees) will travel from your training community to the nearby city of Sumqayit. At that time, you will purchase a sim card (funds will be provided) for the mobile phone that Peace Corps will distribute to you on the 26th and you will also be able to visit an Internet café. You may not have time to write lengthy emails, as you will be with a group, but you will be able to contact family and friends.
Throughout the remainder of PST, you will be able to access email periodically at Internet cafes in the area (once every other week, or perhaps a bit more frequently) and you will be accessible on your mobile phone. Although it‟s expensive, you may call the US from your cell phones, using “kontour cards” which are sold everywhere

Az10 Staging Page 3 of 5 Azerbaijan
here. In order for you to call the US, you dial 001-area code-US number. Your relatives and friends may also call you. They need to dial: 011-994 50- your Azercell number. Text messages are more convenient and less expensive at only 11 kontours. You may send about 30 text messages with a 2AZN contour card. The only difficulty might be that some telephone companies‟ lines in the US don‟t accept messages from Azerbaijan mobile operators.
Local Currency/Money Matters
Before you depart from the hotel you will have a briefing by our Administrative staff during which you will receive your first installment of what we call “walk-around” allowance. This is a small amount of cash in the local currency known as the new Azerbaijani manat (AZN), or “manat”. Thereafter, you will receive a fixed amount of weekly installments of manats to cover incidentals and personal hygiene items during the pre-service training period. After the first two weeks, you will receive an ATM card, and your allowances will be transferred into your bank account.
Local Conditions
Fall in Sumqayit and surrounding areas is cool, and it gets colder in winter with some snow and rain.
While a quiet city, Sumqayit is located close to the capital of Baku. Locals have likely seen foreigners walking around town, but nonetheless you will attract attention and stares on the streets.
This behavior can be reduced if you dress conservatively, avoid eye contact, and do not respond. It is also advisable to keep money out of sight - use an undergarment money pouch. Do not keep money in outside pockets of backpacks, in shirt pockets or in fanny packs.
You should always walk with a companion at night. Americans tend to talk much more loudly than Azerbaijanis in the street, and traveling in large groups of Americans will attract unwanted attention. We recommend that you be aware of your behavior and surroundings. We will be doing a more comprehensive session covering the topic of safety during Orientation Week.
Agenda
Orientation Week is a 2.5 day event designed to provide you with an overview of Peace Corps/Azerbaijan and our Training program. Orientation will cover a great deal of information that will help prepare you for your upcoming training. We will be giving each of you an electronic copy of the Pre-service Training Handbook which has detailed information about the Training program and that will guide you through the process.

Az10 Staging Page 4 of 5 Azerbaijan
Pre-Service Training (PT)
PST Site
The PST Site includes Sumqayit City (“Hub Site”) and several communities around Sumqayit.
On Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 25th) you will depart the Astoria Hotel for one of the training communities to begin your Host Family stay. In your training community, you will be assigned to a “cluster” of 5-6 trainees for Language and Community Skills training. Peace Corps staff will accompany you to meet your new family, to make introductions and assure that everything is fine.
Though training activities will differ each week of PST, generally your training days will be a combination of Language/Community Skills training along with „work preparation‟ training. Evenings are often times to spend with your host family.
Several times during the PST, all trainees will come together for “Hub Days” to cover topics relevant for everyone, including Health, Safety and Security, Peace Corps policies, and general cultural adjustment issues.
Vegetarians
While Azerbaijani cooking includes lots of starch, vegetables, and fruits, vegetarianism is not at all common in Azerbaijan. For those of you who are vegetarian, we have spoken with your PST Host Families about modifying their menus. We expect that you will be active in communicating your diet preferences to your Host Family (the Training staff can help!) in a culturally sensitive way, and ask that you be understanding of the adaptation that they are making to accommodate your diet.
Overview of Training Schedule
On Thursday Sept. 27th, your Community-Based Training (CBT) will begin. You will stay with one family for the duration of PST. Your Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF) will reside in your training community with you. Other PST staff will work in the Xirdalan PST office, and Baku staff will visit the PST site on a regular basis.
Basic Methodology and Assessment Criteria for PST
Peace Corps/Azerbaijan uses the Community Based Training model. This is a decentralized training model that utilizes local community resources as a basis for experiential learning. Most training activities take place in the community where you will be living during training. This type of immersion has been found to be more successful in preparing Volunteers-to-be for the realities of service and accelerates language learning and cultural adaptation.
Much of the training is competency-based, and you will be regularly evaluated on your personal maturity and your ability to acquire and demonstrate the language, technical, cultural, personal health and safety skills needed to be a Volunteer.
Overview of Training Components
You will spend the next 11 weeks going through an intensive program that includes training in Azerbaijani, Community Development skills, Personal Health and Safety,
Az10 Staging Page 5 of 5 Azerbaijan
and professional skills related to your work as English teachers, Youth Development workers and Community Economic Development workers.
Sample Day’s Schedule
With the exception of “Hub Day” you will attend language classes Monday through Saturday in your training site. You will also carry out practical and cross-cultural tasks in your community during the week. TEFL trainees will teach English at schools for two weeks; Youth Development trainees will facilitate English conversation clubs with youth; and CED trainees will visit local organizations to complete practicum experiences.
Swearing-In Date
At the end of the PST, on Thursday December 6th, if you have successfully completed all of the training requirements, you will be sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Azerbaijan!
Good luck!
The training staff looks forward to working with all of you throughout the entire training process. Host families are very excited about your arrival in country and are anxious to meet you. On behalf of the PC/Azerbaijan staff, again, let us extend to you a most sincere welcome in anticipation of your arrival.
Xoş Gəlmisiniz!