February

The past month has been a bit rough. I remember last winter was tough and cold, but this seems like a whole new level of cold. Of course, Azerbaijan isn't the only country getting hit by ridiculous cold. Europe has been swept by intense cold weather, that has even caused deaths.

The weather has had a strong impact on my clubs. Since returning from Mid-Service Conference, attendance has been way down, and the cold weather is a big part of that. I started English conversation clubs, as well as an arts and crafts/creativity club. I am continuing, with one of the teachers here, to work on an exchange program with a Japanese school (in which we collaborate to complete a cultural mural on a large canvas), as well as a teacher conversation club for non-English teachers, and a small conversation club/English test preparation course that started out as a one-on-one tutoring session to prepare a student for FLEX.

My grandparents sent a pile of National Geographic maps and posters, with which I decorated my classroom, but no students have even set foot in the room since I spent an afternoon deciding which ones to use (surprise, I used them all!). I get excited just walking into the room. Now I just need students to be allowed back outside.

The most disappointing part of the attendance dip has been that I came back from Mid-Service Conference energized and re-motivated. These conferences with Peace Corps are not always the most exciting or informative times, but I love hearing about everyone else's work and projects, and enjoy stealing the best and most useful for my own school. This is just one of those times when I know things will get better, it's just a matter of waiting for the better to come.

We got a step forward (though I'm sure there will be a step back at least once or twice) today, when the sun came out, and stayed out all day. After what seems like a month (really a solid two or three weeks), having the sun on my face today has been rejuvenating. It certainly has not hurt that there was finally enough gas that I didn't need to spend the day hibernating in my brown monster sleeping bag. Next step: I need my pipes to unfreeze during the morning so I can get water. The last few days of filling up my water filter with snow and waiting for it to melt and filter takes a little too long for not much water.

The next milestone to look forward to is next month's Novruz holiday. You may remember, this is Azerbaijan's biggest holiday, and usually means spring is starting to come around the corner. Last year, there was snow on the ground, but we didn't need to bundle up anywhere near as much as we are now. So, fingers crossed that I make it through until then. Think warm thoughts. Think warm thoughts.