Down Memory Lane

This week there we attended our Close of Service Conference (COS). The Peace Corps works very hard first to recruit and invite people to consider and join the Peace Corps. After we accept the challenge and responsibilities, the PC trains us for a little less than 3 months, places us in our sites and working assignments, continues to train and support us, and then prepares us for our lives after our Peace Corps experience which begins with COS.
Peace Corps Azerbaijan took us back to Aqua Park, which is where all AZ6’s began our training in Azerbaijan. The COS is actually 2 full days, and 2 days are allowed for travel 1 day each for to and from our sites.
The first picture is from our Aqua Park room those first 3 days September 23-25, 2008. The second is from our balcony during the tourist and resort season in Azerbaijan, and our COS. The pictures reflect what we have been through. When we arrived the water was gray, and the weather was windy and cool. The beaches were deserted, dirty, and had a few wild dogs roaming and savaging for food. That was our introduction to Azerbaijan, and actually the Peace Corps’ way of easing us into our lives in Azerbaijan.
For Linda and me the first time in Aqua Park is full of difficult memories. We could not sleep, we were quickly introduced to the language, and we were frightened as to what we had taken on.
There were 61 one of us who began this journey together, AZ6 (the 6th group of Trainees/Volunteers to come to Azerbaijan). There are still 52 of us serving. Only 9 people have early terminated (ET); 3 for health reasons, and 6 for personal and family reasons. That means just under 15% have Eted, and that is compared to the 40% rate for the Peace Corps. This has been an outstanding group of committed people because Peace Corps service is difficult and certainly not for everyone, and there is no disgrace or sense of failure in ET. We returned to Aqua Park and it was the last time we will all be together again in one place at one time.
The third photo is our van preparing to take our language clusters to our host families on September 26, 2008 and where we first experienced Azerbaijan life and culture. The fourth is of those at the COS, and lastly are the older volunteers who have become a group (2 are missing, Leslie, who took the photo, and Linda G. who was elsewhere). We all wanted to have our feet in the Caspian together.
During the COS we reflected upon the past 22.5 months, and then anticipated how we will have to adapt afterwards. During the discussions Linda said that she had only anticipation and excitement for our return home. First, because we will get to meet Andrew’s Emily, and second that she knows she has confidence that she can adjust because she was able to adapt and succeed in Azerbaijan.
For me the most meaningful reflection was sharing that one of my motivations for joining the PC was that I never served in Viet Nam or the armed services, and I have felt a debt to my country. I so admire and appreciate all those men and women who have served their country in the various branches of military service. But for me, Linda and I were walking one evening and she said, “Denney, you have done more for your country here than you ever could have done with a gun in Viet Nam.”
We were told by those who have experienced it that we would face culture shock and having to adjust to all the benefits of life in the United States – bring it on!

I want to thank the many people who have sent me birthday cards as I approach number 62 (now eligible for SS) on Tuesday. When I went to the post office and there were double digits in counting the number of letters, I became a bit of celebrity. Reading those cards and such kind words Linda and I know why we have been able to serve here; your support, love, thoughts, and prayers. More of our date of return later.

Finally, another Peace Corps moment occurred on the way to COS. Linda and I began Tuesday at 9:30 on a bus to Baku, met up with other Volunteers for lunch, and then made it to our room at 5:30 p.m. On the bus to catch the bus to the hotel, there were 7 of us scattered about the bus. I sat next to a woman who was kind enough to understand my Azerbaijani, spoke slowly to me and shared my responses to 2 other women across the aisle. She asked if we (pointing to the obvious group who had gotten on) were English? I responded that we were from America. I told her we had lived in Azerbaijan for 2 years in Ganja, Shirvan, Qazak, Tovuz, and Salyan. She asked what we did, and I said English language teacher (pointing to individuals of the group) and Youth work. The ladies across the aisle wanted to know our salaries and ages. I said 61 for me, and my seat companion responded with she was 61 and worked in medicine. Then I said we are given no salaries, but money for house and food. My companion relayed the message, and then turned to me with all sincerity and said “chox sagol, chox sagol”, thank you, thank you.