My Evil Eyes.

Here's the thing: I would not be able to survive being part of the Peace Corps without a social network outside of Peace Corps. Don't get me wrong, I like my Peace Corps people quite fine, but it's a small world and I do enjoy being able to step out of the Peace Corps realm every once and awhile. In this regard, I am incredibly fortunate because I have the best group of friends in Baku that a girl could ask for - the Baku Evil Eyes.

The Evil Eyes are an International group of awesomeness who get together every week to play Ultimate Frisbee. I love it. We're a close-knit group that wake up early to play on the weekends and get together and enjoy each other's company afterwards. There might even be theme parties involved. I cannot express how incredible it is to be part of this group of people. I started playing with them last June and came to plan my Baku trips around game day. It's been a staple of my time in Azerbaijan and I hold it quite dear. I will never not think of this group of people when I reflect on my times in Azerbaijan. The Evil Eyes are one of my homes and I consider them an integral part of my Azerbaijan family.

This past trip to Georgia, too, was planned around Ultimate. A couple months ago, Kent brought up Baku Evil Eyes vs (the impressive, hospitable and brilliant) Tbilisi Flying Khatchapuris and I jumped at the chance to go. I was able to arrange Writing Olympics judging for the Monday after our 2-day tournament in Tbilisi, so all my plans worked out beautifully. We all hopped on that aforementioned almost midnight train to Georgia (minus Dorje who had to fly) as an official touring team. We arrived into Tbilisi around 1:30 with a game slated for 4. So, we ate, rested, and headed out.

From our Captain, Steve: "So, to business. How did we actually get on the field of play? Well we played as an Evil Eyes Team five times in total, against a variety of different [Flying Khatchapuris] Teams. The games were to 5 and we won 4 and lost 1. After that we mixed the teams up and played for fun."

So, we did what we had to do... Go in, demolish, and then have fun.

I love being an Evil Eye.

Student Spotlight: Sama.

Sama (front) with Sabina (who I'm hoping gets FLEX next year) at Novruz.

I mentioned FLEX a long long time ago here. It's been since then we've been waiting on the results from all those kids who applied study in America. We got word not too too long ago and, of the 42 that made it through, I'm happy to report that one of my students, Sama, will be going to America before I even have the opportunity to return. I am so excited that she'll have this chance to learn more about herself in an unfamiliar world.

Sama is one of those girls that's just special. You meet her and she's worlds apart from the majority of her Azeri counterparts. She's worked with Peace Corps Volunteers for years and her overall attitude beams of little parts we've all instilled in her. She's the first to speak in conversation clubs, plays softball with the best of them (and can hit from both the left and right), is a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) alumna and is game for not necessarily meeting gender roles and norms here. I'm lucky to have gotten to work with her so intensely during this whole FLEX process and she is the product of a wonderful family, dedication, and many many Peace Corps Volunteers. She's a Ming success story, to be sure.

Sometimes, there are people who get the opportunity to study in America, but might not be open to all that entails. I don't see that being the case with her at all. I can't wait to see her in America being what I think of as a 'normal' teenager.

WO goes International.

Whilst in Georgia, Aaron and I had the opportunity to take the Azerbaijan National Writing Olympics Winners' essays to the International Judging to go against Armenia, Georgia and Moldova in a fight to the death... with words, ideas, and pens as swords. We are Peace Corps, afterall.

We rolled into Peace Corps Georgia's office* and met with the WO staff of Georgia and Armenia while keeping in touch via gchat with Moldova for the judging. Our late morning/early afternoon was filled with us reading the best of the best. And, I'm happy to report that Azerbaijan kind of beasted the competition. Out of 11 titles, Azerbaijan took 5! Though, one of those 11 is a bit sketch as only Moldova has a 12th form... whatevs. 2 of those 5 Azeri winners were Mingechevir to boot! All in all, it was a successful day. Congratulations to all the winners, Azerbaijan and elsewhere. Armenia, Georgia and Moldova made for great competition and I'm sad I won't be able to witness this fabulous project expand in the future.

As mentioned in an earlier blog about WO, it truly was wild to experience this project on a whole other level. This was my last WO and I think it's safe to say it's been my favorite. It might even chalk up to being my favorite project I've worked with in country. We'll see. I do try to do a lot of cool things...

*the above picture is not of PC Georgia's office. Just a place in Baku that makes me laugh every time.

(Almost) Midnight Train to Georgia.

It's been over a year since I've visited Georgia for the first time. I had meant to write about it way back then, but it proved quite difficult and, perhaps obviously, it never happened.

So, I hopped on a 10 o'clock train to Georgia (doesn't have that same ring to it, does it?) last week with some great friends for a week of great fun, amazing company, incredible food, and all that is good about vacations with a little work thrown in. I've returned yet again a bit confused and flustered on the seeming mass contrasts of 2 countries so close together, but, yet, so incredibly far apart.

There are many little things that eventually make up bigger ideas that separate Azerbaijan and Georgia in my mind. To me, it's a combination of the differences between an Islamic and Christian culture and the ideologies that stem from it, the mere subtleties of a tea and coffee culture, and perhaps even the feeling of a more 'in your face' freedom. This could all easily be a rose colored picture from an ignorant visitor, but I felt more respect being a visitor there than a 'citizen' here. People smile in Georgia, laugh on the streets, chase birds, eat ice cream, make public art, and mingle with the opposite sex without seemingly being betrothed to them or seen as a trollop of sorts.

There's something quite lovely about that country and I've yet to not enjoy visiting. It's totally conceivable I enjoy it so much as it's more familiar to what I know and am used to in 'normal' life. But, you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm back in Azerbaijan with my 'Georgian glow' ready to take on these rainy days of softball practice, tournaments, Environmental clean-ups, and my attempt at creating public art.

Whoa Whoa... WO?

To keep you visually stimulated, here's a picture Evan took while he visited over Novruz.

Don't be too deceived; I know it's pretty, but you can't see all the trash littered throughout.

Donate here to help with the Environment issues here.

There's this project I've been a part of since I became a volunteer in this lovely country. It's called the Writing Olympics, or WO for short (because we in PC like acronyms).

Essentially, at the very root of the project, it's a writing competition for school and university kids all around the country. Now, as this has been something I've worked more in depth with, I've found that it's a lot more than that. It's planning Creative Writing lessons, organizing Volunteers throughout the country and encouraging participation with them and their students, more emails, planning, and budget concerns than I could've imagined. But, seriously, it's not that bad, though it is pretty capable of causing some frustration and headaches.

Last year when I joined up, I was a Point Person for the volunteer group previous to the new ones coming in. Unfortunately before I came in to Peace Corps, Russia invaded Georgia and those volunteers were forced to leave because of the threat of it all. Azerbaijan and Armenia can't hold a competition together because of, well, let's put it mildly and say 'issues'. So, last year's competition was a National one, just within Azerbaijan. And Armenia, too, held their own National event.

This year, that's no longer the case. With fresh faces involved and Aaron taking over the Point Person/Event position, I've been able to label myself with the role of 'mentor,' though this is a whole new experience for me as well. The Writing Olympics this year is back to International scales. We have Armenia, Georgia, and even Moldova involved. We're growing... and I like it. 2 weeks from now, I'll be in the land of milk and honey that is Georgia to participate in the International Judging with Aaron and some volunteers from Armenia and Georgia that I've been in correspondence with since November.

This 2nd year mentality is no joke. It's incredible being able to see projects I work closely with expand. Most of the time, Peace Corps likes to tell us we'll never know how we effect things, so it's nice to be able to witness.