Baku State of Mind

One of the best parts of being a Peace Corps volunteer is sharing with the rest of the world all the things you see and do while in Azerbaijan. Two industrious volunteers, Tim McNaught (Az 7) and Brad Kessler  (Az 8) calling themselves the "Baku Dreamers," have produced a video that is set to the tune of Jay-Z and Alicia Key's song Empire State of Mind.... but this one is entitled Baku State of Mind. In 2012, the capital city of Azerbaijan, will host the biggest and most widely televised music contest in Europe, Eurovision. Since Azerbaijan won first place this year, Baku will naturally host the next contest, and Azerbaijan is earning it's place on the map. These two volunteers have made what I feel is one of the best PR pieces I've ever seen for Azerbaijan... showing some of the places that are actually enjoyable for expats, volunteers and foreigners to visit while in the capital. Please watch the video, and if you can, rate it! These volunteers did an amazing job, and my hat is off to the two of them for promoting Peace Corps third goal in one of the most creative ways I've ever seen!

Congratulations!

This morning I nervously opened my friend and former site mate's blog post. Farid and I had been anticipating their trip to Tbilisi for her husband's US visa, and were of course, expecting complications... as being in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan almost always has something that complicates whatever you are attempting to do. Their visit went similar to our own, in the respects of being over prepared, scoping out the location of the interview, and being asked about every odd item in our bags. Her post can be read here: http://salammeanspeace.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-from-georgia-part-i-zipper-drama.html

To my great relief, they were approved for the immigrant visa! I just wanted to write my joy and congratulations to them both!

Still Adjusting...

For the few of you who still follow my blog, you'll be happy to know that Farid and I are finally moving out of my parents house! We were approved yesterday for an apartment, and will be moving out around July 7th or 8th. The current tenant moves out July 1st, and then of course the apartment will need to be cleaned... but then it's ours!

We've had a lot of set backs in the last eight months since my service ended. We came home on October 13th, with a nightmare-tale of return (see my posts from October 2010) and ended up spending almost the entire readjustment allowance to get back.  Then, the economy was much worse than I had imagined, and I was unable to find a job for more than three months... I ended up taking a part time position instead (which I am still at.) The car we bought at auction blew up, causing us to spend our entire move-out savings on yet another car (three in the time we've been home!) and now, finally, we are able to move out. I will post pictures of course once we get moved.

I'd like to provide a little advice to any current PCVs that may still read this blog. However much time you think you will need for readjustment, finding a job, getting on your feet, or just feeling normal: double it... heck, triple that. I honestly thought that we'd be moved out and back to life as usual by new years. I was wrong. It took an additional six months on top of that for me to begin to feel normal again. And the reverse culture shock never entirely goes away. Last night I went to the Mariners game in Seattle with Farid, and I had a moment of extreme culture shock that I just couldn't describe. Hearing the national anthem live, sitting in the sun trying to catch practice balls, and eating cheese fries and nachos in the ball park... it felt unreal. There are a lot of times where I feel like I'm in a dream, and that I'm going to wake up in my apartment in Yeni Ganja. Readjustment takes time. It's a slow process and I'm finally getting there, one step at a time.

RPCV Friends of Azerbaijan

Just before the end of my service, I submitted a request to the National Peace Corps Association to form a returned peace corps volunteer group for volunteers who served in Azerbaijan.  It took a few months to get a reply, but the NPCA approved our request and will be giving us official recognition as an RPCV group!  This is great, but also a bit frustrating as well... in true Azerbaijani fashion, the volunteers who served there tend to procrastinate (you know it's true!)  So the burden of creating materials, events and finding information for the group is currently resting primarily on my shoulders.

For now, we have a Facebook group, as well as an email address (friends.of.azerbaijan@gmail.com) and a quarterly newsletter written by yours truly.  It isn't much, but it's a start. So if you are an RPCV from Azerbaijan, please let other members of your group know the news.  It's my goal to keep my blog going as the online publication forum for our quarterly newsletter and RPCV information.  I can't see just deleting it, and want to continue to reach out to those who served.  If you are interested in helping with the quarterly newsletter, have ideas for the group, or comments regarding the Friends of Azerbaijan RPCV group, please contact me at the email address mentioned above.

Azerbaijan on the road

This makes me wish I had a video camera while I was in the Peace Corps. Props go to Az 5 Ujar volunteer Jeff for this great video of road tripping through Azerbaijan. PC Volunteers spend hours, days, weeks, on buses and crowded modified mini-vans called "marshrutkas" shlepping back and forth between their site and other volunteers sites or the PC office in Baku.  This just gives you an idea of all we have to look at for hours on end.

In Honor of Peace Corps 50th Anniversary...

The Peace Corps began in 1960, when then-Sen. John F. Kennedy visited and challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. I'm sure you are all familiar with the quote "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."  Most of you (if not all of you by now) have at least heard of the Peace Corps.  Even those of you who have been closest to me over the last 4 years still occasionally ask what the Peace Corps does...

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. The Peace Corps' mission has three goals:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

In a more simplified answer, we spend 2 years and three months (or an additional year like myself) in developing nations around the world. We teach whatever we possibly can to anyone willing to listen. We learn the language, the culture, and the values of the people we serve. Then we come home, and we try our hardest to get anyone to listen about our experiences and the culture of the people we served. (Hence this note.)

Throughout its history, the Peace Corps has had to adapt and respond to the issues of the times. In an ever-changing world, Peace Corps Volunteers have met many new challenges from AIDS education, trying to keep developing nations up to date on new technologies, fighting for environmental preservation, and helping businesses struggle to survive in new market economies. Peace Corps Volunteers don't give things to the communities they serve, rather, we teach the communties we serve in how to do things for themselves.  We work in villages, towns, and cities around the globe.

In 1961, the first Peace Corps Volunteers accepted assignments to serve in six countries. Since then, nearly 200,000+ men and women have served in 139 countries. The world has changed since then, and the Peace Corps has changed with it. Today, 8,655 Volunteers in 71 posts around the world are serving 77 countries. This work is more important than ever. 

There are many notable Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) in different sectors throughout history. You can find a list of these RPCVs that came home and continued to serve their own communities here: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=about.notable

Peace Corps officially established: March 1, 1961

Total number of Volunteers and trainees to date: 200,000+

Total number of countries served: 139

Current number of Volunteers and Trainees: 8,655

Gender: 60% female, 40% male

Marital Status: 93% single, 7% married

Minorities: 19% of Peace Corps Volunteers

Average Age: 28

Volunteers over age 50: 7%

Education: 90% have at least an undergraduate degree

Current number of countries served: 77 countries

Volunteers by Work Area

• Education: 37%
• Health & HIV/AIDS: 22%
• Business Development: 14%
• Environment: 13%
• Agriculture: 4%
• Youth Development: 5% (this was my program!)
• Other: 5%

Where Volunteers Serve

• Africa: 37%
• Latin America: 24%
• Eastern Europe/Central Asia: 21% (this is where I served!)
• Asia: 7%
• The Caribbean: 5%
• North Africa/Middle East: 4%
• Pacific Islands: 3%

Please, if you have actually read my note all the way through, take some time to look at my photos, read some of my other blogs, and ask questions. The Peace Corps experience doesn't end when we come home... we still have 1/3 of our mission left to complete. Happy 50th Anniversary Peace Corps! Here's wishing you 50 more years of success, friendship, and new volunteers. I'm proud to be a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer!

First Job Interview

Today I received an email in my inbox from the company that is screening for the position I applied to in December. I had a great phone interview with them just over a week ago, and I was nervous waiting for a call for an interview. When I didn't get a call on the 5th or 6th (that was the date that they had mentioned they would make decisions for who is invited to the next round) I was a bit disappointed. But today, I found an email inviting me to attend an interview next week on Wednesday! I'm really excited, and a bit nervous, as I'm out of practice in my own interviewing. I have been teaching interview techniques for the last three years, yet I find myself a bit apprehensive about the process...

The position is with a great non-profit organization that is doing some wonderful things for the local community. It balances office management with event planning (two things I enjoy and am great at!) Not to mention, the pay is good enough to stay with the company for a few years, or until I'm promoted to something better. It also has a bit more flexible hours so that Farid and I can spend more time together.

I'd love to comment on a recent trend in employment that I've missed out on while I've been gone for over three years. It's come to my attention that employers now "pre-screen" candidates for positions. Not only do they review your resume and cover letter, check up on your references, and have you interview, but they also pre-interview. I've actually had 4-5 telephone interviews where I was screened to see if I was even eligible for the position. Some of these pre-screens are simple, just verifying the information that you listed in your application, or following up on any information that wasn't clear. A few of them however, have gone into significant detail regarding how my past experience might play into the current position I'm applying for. This can be a little nerve-wracking, especially if you're not in the mind set that it is technically an interview. I imagine that employers are being inundated with more applications than they would normally receive for a typical job posting. With unemployment being so high, and more people seeking second jobs to make rent, it's more competitive and therefore more difficult to narrow the field down to their top candidates. I hope that other recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers find this useful, and can see an advantage in knowing that the pre-screen is just as important as a full blown interview. Good luck to my fellow RPCVs, and good hunting!