KZ in AZ

From: Katherine Zigmont [mailto:katzigmont@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 5:38 AM

So clumsy me I tripped on these concrete steps (uneven pavement) but also I am just prone to falling as you all know!! I was not wearing my nice new shoes that my dad bought me; cause I wanted to look all nice in heals. So I learned my lesson, YES daddy I I'll be wearing only the shoes you go me; I learned my lesson with 3 HUGE hemoglobin's. However, the medical staff is on top of it with ice packs and pain meds!!! Also, this is just for you mommy; I asked to get my pressure checked in the Baku Clinic (which we have no been to yet) every 3 months which they said they'd do, so stop worrying. :)

So training is fine, lot's of repetitive stuff, but all good information. The systems here are way different than Kevin's Africa systems… so the situations are not exactly how I expected; but I think they will actually be better than I expected. I have been assigned to a host family that seems very cool (will meet them soon.) The house mom is my age and there are 2 little boys ages 4 and 1 so that should be tons of fun! I actually bought a little boy toy in Philly as a welcome gift; so I am siked as I think he will be a great ally and resource to me as his mom will to of course. Resource in the sense that he will probably be speaking the same level of Azerbaijani as me and help me learn as we play.

The first 3 months I will live with this family in a village with about 4 other volunteers, all with different host families. We will learn the language and culture in the village school with our small groups. With the intense schedule for school as well as all the submersion we will be experiencing I should learn quickly. We will also have the other PC volunteers in the village for extra support. After the 3 months I should know where I am going to be going for the remainder of my service.

So on Sunday I will buy a cell phone at the bazaar and if you I America call me I get no minutes charged but you will. SO for those of you that want to talk I will get my number soon. There are no houses to go back to as Kevin had in Africa so I will also give you my host families landline, but the cell phone I get is really going to be the best bet. The current PC volunteers say cell texting is their main form of communication.

I'm not sure when I'll get to an internet so I am writing as I go and will be posting on the blog when I can… probably with multiple entries, I guess we'll see.

My host family is cool…. Can't talk more at internet club it charges by the minute… call me…

My cell number is:  011 - 994 - 5070 - 42585

If you use Leotel it is only 39 cents a minute (1866-9000-900)

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All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field.  ~Albert Einstein