Well on our way now, after an interesting and fun orientation. There are 44 of us, each just as excited and nervous as I am, most with the same anxieties--will we learn the language, will we like the food (and gain too much weight), will we remain healthy, will we be competent in our jobs and other assignments??? And many aspirations too--of making new friends, learning a new culture, learning much about ourselves as human beings. This is an adventure with many potential rewards--for hopefully others, but also for ourselves! Can't wait!
Our orientation was in King of Prussia, PA, near Valley Forge; the bus ride to JFK in New York was rainy, so we didn't see too much, but while driving down a residential street in Brooklyn, I'm sure I saw what looked like Archie Bunker's house! Now in the airport in Istanbul, after a nice 10-hour flight from New York. The skyline of Istanbul is impressive, with all the minarets piercing the heavens. Hope to get back here to see the city, but for now am anxiously awaiting the flight to Baku! Here I come!!!!!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Packing and unpacking, packing and unpacking...
How does one pack for 27 months for a distant part of the world--12 time zones away, known for its 7-9 climate zones, and one doesn't exactly where one will end up? Azerbaijan is about the size of Maine, located on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus Mts.; in some regions, it can be VERY hot in summer, VERY cold in winter, and many times teachers and students must where wool coats, caps and gloves in the classroom in wintertime; summertime is vacation time, because it is just too hold to hold classes. Only after several months of training will I receive my assignment, so I do not know yet what town or region my new home will be. Hence, I must pack for all eventualities, yet am limited in size and weight of my bags. I am finding that I pack everything I feel I MUST have, only to realize I have to eliminate yet some more things to pare down on the weight and size of my bags. Oh, well...Robby and others have assured me, I can expect some care-packages, if needs be.
More fond good-byes this past week with my German friends from the Literturgruppe, friends for more than 30 years, and my former colleagues at Seattle German Language School. I have been helped and supported by so many people in this endeavor, including all the prayers from my church congregation, my family, friends and neighbors. Could not be undertaking this adventure and responsibility without such support--many, many thanks!
Tuesday night is the Installation Dinner of the Kiwanis Club of Industrial Seattle. It will be a time to say good-bye to these good friends as well, and encourage all in attendance to promote the Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Industrial Kiwanis (and initially organized by Bill, before his passing), to be held Oct. 15, 2011, 9-11 AM at the Salvation Army ARC, with guest speaker from the Seattle Seahawks/Sounders organization, to benefit Children's Hospital Cancer Research and Salvation Army. For those who can, plan on attending (visit www.industrialkiwanis.org). Serving in the Peace Corps reminds me of some of the goals of Kiwanis: Give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life, and encourage daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships. I will miss all my family and friends here, but greatly look forward to forging new friendships with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and people of my new home, Azerbaijan.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
LIFE IS CALLING...and I still have far to go
The Big Bon Voyage Party hosted by Robby and Audrey is now past, as are weeks of good-by lunches and dinners with my dear friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors. Still one more week of fond farewells with all my wonderful German friends, more packing to do, and last minute details to attend to. And then the almost year-long process of Peace Corps applications and interviews, the medical and dental evaluations, the preliminary assignment and then federal budget cuts, will finally bring me to the point of fulfilling a long-held dream. And what a privilege it is to be able to devote the next several years to building bridges of understanding between Americans and those who live in my new host country AZERBAIJAN as a Peace Corps Volunteer!
This represents a meaningful and worthwhile endeavor, and for me personally, a way in which to honor the memory of my dear husband, Bill. He was a man who devoted much of his life to promoting volunteerism and service to others, and who was also interested in the various cultures and peoples of the world. Years ago, after we lived in Europe and he finished all his university course-work, Bill aspired to and then passed up an overseas career opportunity with the State Department, in order to honor his dad and help him with the family business. For me to now have the opportunity to serve overseas in a volunteer capacity with the Peace Corps is a distinct honor, and I believe Bill would be pleased.
Peace Corps service is also meaningful to me, because I served as an American teen-age goodwill ambassador in 1961-1962 to then West Germany, during the height of the Cold War. I sailed from New York City by ocean-liner (which was then cheaper than trans-atlantic airplane travel!) on the very day the symbol of the Cold War went up--the Berlin Wall, August 13, 1961. The program which sponsored me was the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization. Throughout our orientation, we were frequently reminded that soon a new federal program would be instituted by then-President John Kennedy, based on the model of our program, and that this new federal program would go by the name of Peace Corps! Fifty years later, it seems like I have come full-circle and that the Peace Corps is a perfect fit for me, my interests, and my abilities. Having spent years involved in business, education, foreign language teaching, and volunteer and service activities, I am looking forward to mutually exchanging ideas with Azerbaijani counter-parts, in a spirit of cooperation and understanding. My work assignments may present some challenges to me, but also potentially great human rewards.
I look forward to initially living with an Azerbaijani host family, learning the Azeri language and culture. I welcome news from home, and hope to have at least some internet access. But for the time being, my mailing address will be:
PCT Mary Branom
M. Rasulzade 5
Xirdalan sheheri
Absheron AZ 0100
AZERBAIJAN
Hope to hear from you!
This represents a meaningful and worthwhile endeavor, and for me personally, a way in which to honor the memory of my dear husband, Bill. He was a man who devoted much of his life to promoting volunteerism and service to others, and who was also interested in the various cultures and peoples of the world. Years ago, after we lived in Europe and he finished all his university course-work, Bill aspired to and then passed up an overseas career opportunity with the State Department, in order to honor his dad and help him with the family business. For me to now have the opportunity to serve overseas in a volunteer capacity with the Peace Corps is a distinct honor, and I believe Bill would be pleased.
Peace Corps service is also meaningful to me, because I served as an American teen-age goodwill ambassador in 1961-1962 to then West Germany, during the height of the Cold War. I sailed from New York City by ocean-liner (which was then cheaper than trans-atlantic airplane travel!) on the very day the symbol of the Cold War went up--the Berlin Wall, August 13, 1961. The program which sponsored me was the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization. Throughout our orientation, we were frequently reminded that soon a new federal program would be instituted by then-President John Kennedy, based on the model of our program, and that this new federal program would go by the name of Peace Corps! Fifty years later, it seems like I have come full-circle and that the Peace Corps is a perfect fit for me, my interests, and my abilities. Having spent years involved in business, education, foreign language teaching, and volunteer and service activities, I am looking forward to mutually exchanging ideas with Azerbaijani counter-parts, in a spirit of cooperation and understanding. My work assignments may present some challenges to me, but also potentially great human rewards.
I look forward to initially living with an Azerbaijani host family, learning the Azeri language and culture. I welcome news from home, and hope to have at least some internet access. But for the time being, my mailing address will be:
PCT Mary Branom
M. Rasulzade 5
Xirdalan sheheri
Absheron AZ 0100
AZERBAIJAN
Hope to hear from you!
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