Overview of Azerbaijan

(This post is just going to be a quick overview of where I am, what it's like, and what I'm doing.)

  Where I am:
     Sumgayit, Azerbaijan (Now Agdash, Azerbaijan)
  Why?
     Peace Corps - TEFL program (Teaching English)
  Where is Azerbaijan?
     Azerbaijan is boardered by Russia to the North, Iran to the South, Georgia and Armania to the West, and the Caspian Sea to the East.
  Quick History of Azerbaijan:
     Considered part of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, it is a post-Soviet republic and now does quite a bit of oil work.  It is (tecnically) the birthplace of Zoastrianism, and known as "The Land of Fire".  It is an ancient land, with petroglyphs that date back to the paleolithic era, lots of Zoastrian shrines that date back to 6000 BC, and is the farthest east that the Romans ever went.  It has over time, been an independant area, been under the control of the Ottoman Empire, The Iranian Shah, and (after briefly attaining independance in 1918 for about 8 months) was invaded by Russia and made a part of the Soviet Union, eventually gaining independance in 1992. It is a secular Muslim country and has good relations with the U.S. and Israel, with a focus on business.   (And to answer the most common question I get from back home; No, I don't have to wear a headscarf.)

 

I am currently in PST, or Peace Corps Training, and I am a Peace Corps Trainee, to become a full Peace Corps Volunteer after Swearing In.  Peace Corps has 3 programs in Azerbaijan; TEFL, Youth Development, and Community Development.  My program, TEFL, places American teachers in Azerbaijani schools to help teach English and advance understanding of America and Americans.  I have language class for 4 hours a day,5- 6 days a week, and technical training for roughly the same amount of time.
 (Update)  I am currently a PCV, or Peace Corps Volunteer, working in a small village in the Agdash region.  I have 16 hours of classes, and teach forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. I work in a small school of about 250 students, and have 2 counterparts (fellow English teachers) that I work with. I live with a local host family and at the moment don't know too many people, but hopefully the longer I am here, the more that will change.

If you have any questions for me, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer them!