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| To celebrate the prophet Muhammed's birthday, the teachers at our school had a party, complete with a Secret Santa-ish gift exchange. I thought it was funny that all four of us got scarves. |
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| Our students get checks each day for good behavior in different areas, and this had to be recorded for posterity. I doubt it will ever happen again. |
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| Chilling and 'reading' during one of our 10 minute breaks |
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| A cool stone wall we passed during our explorations on Colleen's birthday |
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| Another great team picture |
More Cute Kid Picture (and other random fun)
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| Please take a moment to enjoy the awesomeness that is N's face/pose on the left |
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| Our whole class on the field trip |
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| F and I as butterflies |
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| T and I on our first field trip as teachers |
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| It's amazing the things that will make you happy overseas. Except for the retreat in Turkey, we've hardly seen any Americans since we've been here. So when we were invited to an expat X-mas party, even the names on the nametags made me smile! |
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| The B.S. Teahouse |
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| Do you see hollowed out vans carting sheep on your way home from chch? 'Cause we sure do! |
Thanksgiving in Turkey
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| Our hotel in the old city. About 20 feet to the right of where this was taken, you turn a corner and oh, look! There's the Mediterranean! |
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| The cultural center where we had Thanksgiving dinner as well as all our group meetings |
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| Even the run-down buildings are beautiful! How did that happen? |
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| Enjoying the loveliness that is the Mediterranean at dusk |
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| The CIS crew |
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| Our new favorite team photo |
More Things That Make Me Smile
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| My class is called the Butterflies, so our first week here, I cut out and taped up these letters on my door |
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| Unfortunately, the tape I used wasn't very good. One morning we got to school, and this is what my door said. It was so funny I left it up and only fixed it when we got students |
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| I like to call this one "Mixed Messages" |
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| The "little bit of everything" store across the street, has a back room with this random little window at about street level. I don't know why, but it just makes me smile. It's kind of picturesque. |
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| Just another example of how gorgeous this city is. This is the little square outside the old-city wall where I sat with my book and journal for almost 2 hours today |
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| I know this is the 2nd picture I've posted, but I simply can't get over the view- from my bedroom window!!! Yes, that is the Caspian Sea. And the Flame towers to the right (which are an entire show unto themselves at night) |
Engrish, and Other Fun Things
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| An oversized set of teeth and toothbrush found in my classroom- presumably to teach the kids good hygeine |
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| The view from my classroom window (I did not paint the flowers) |
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| The random free-range (we're talking not even in a pen) poultry wandering around outside our apartment building |
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| The ridiculously awesome view of the city from the balcony off of my bedroom |
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| It's amazing the difference 2 missing letters can make! |
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| "Alma" is apple in Azeri- this made us laugh |
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| Subtle marketing in the metro station |
First Impressions of Baku
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| We made it! In our hotel room the first day |
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| The street outside our hotel |
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| Walking the streets of the old city with T (left) and P (right) |
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| The exterior wall of the old city |
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| Artistic rendition of an Azeri poet. Note the figures carved into the head- various characters from his works |
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| I travel half-way around the world and look where I find myself! |
Peterhoff
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| Isn't this gorgeous? |
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| It was hazy, but we could just make out St. Petersburg across the water |
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| These musicians were playing one of the Fall movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons |
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| Can you spot the American in this picture? I'll give you a hint: she's the one smiling! :) |
The last weeks of September
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| We see the coolest things on our walks! |
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| Dinner with a visiting teammate (Timon) and a friend of his family (Nadia) |
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| I took Erica to a Georgian restaurant to experience the wonderfulness that is hachipurri... the stuffed Georgian man in the corner was just a bonus |
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| Our new German friends (Elizabeth, Lisa, and Antonia) came over for chocolate chip cookies and a movie |
First Week
Surprisingly, I haven't taken very many pictures yet. But don't worry... I'll get right on that. :)
With our new friends Elizabeth (from Germany) and Anya
Couples come to this bridge to put a padlock
on the rails and throw the key into the canal
um, yes... we are Americans. How did you know?
ESI Training- 2010
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| Russia team: Andy, Timon (Vologda), Jeffrey, Erica, Molly (St. Pete) |
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| Soviet smiles |
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| "Free Taco Soda" (see my entry titled 'Back to Reality') |
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| Riding the metro rail to the baseball game |
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| CIS team at the Dodger's game (LA skyline in the background) |
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| Team Unity Day- I was gone already, but I love this picture! Amy (KZ), Timon, Morgan (KZ), Geoff (AZ), Bill (AZ), Erica |
