Well, here it goes.

So much has happened since my last posting!

Here it goes:
- I placed "intermediate low" on my language exam, I must place "intermediate mid" in the next six weeks. So I'm close and that's good.
- My Mid-Assessement went well
- We got our permenent assignments!

We received our site announcements yesterday. In six weeks I will be travelling to south eastern AZ to spend the next 2 years of my life. Here is a brief synopsis:

Where I'll work:
- I'll be primarily working for a library (awesome) but also with a school and community center near by.
- I'll be working with youths (15-24) on computer/internet and job skills as well as resource building and conversation clubs.
- I will have regular access to the internet.


Where I'll live:
- another host family for the first six months at least (I'll visit them in three weeks)
- It will be hot, maybe as hot as here, maybe not, but it will be hot
- I've heard I have to draw my water from a well, but I'm not yet sure if this is true
- It's not a village, it's not a city
- There will be lots of fish (fish from the Caspian, ugh) and lots of watermelon and quince (I still don't know what a quince is)
- There are no PCV's there currently, but I may get a sitemate. I'll find out in two weeks
- I (we) will be 2 hours from other PCV sites
- Another PCV has been there and SHE was very successful
- SHE was also able to move out after six months
- There are a lot of "gender issues" there

So I've been busy and hot but I've gotten used to getting around and am now comfortable leaving and returning home on the "bus". I can even bargain at the bazaar (but how successfully, it's hard to tell). But there are some things that have been more difficult to get used to. Like....

- treatment of animals
- environmental stuff (all of it, the entire natural environment)
- slaughtered animal parts in the road admist puddles of blood (seriously)
- puddles of blood that linger days, and days, and days...
- flies, lots of flies

But other things are easier; the bathrooms, the food and the heat are all becoming familiar. Friendships and language skills are (slowly) building and somewhere in between I lay down and night and feel alright.