Several people have asked about what my living conditions will be like, who I'll be staying with, etc. Here are your answers - ta da!
-When I get to Turkmenistan, I will be staying in the capital, Ashgabat, for approximately 3 months to recieve training in language, culture, and technical skills. At this point, all of the other PCV's will be staying there too, but we will each be living with a separate host family.
-Once I'm done with training and I pass all the requirements, I will be sworn in and given a perminant site. This site could be anywhere in the country, but I won't know where it is right away because they pick your placement based on your personality and skills that they observe during training. This will be the site that I live in for my two years of service. For the first six months I will be required to live with a host family (a different one than the one I'll have in the capital). After six months, if I choose to, I can get a place of my own, but most people don't do this unless they don't get along with their host family.
-I will have regular access to water and electricity (but sometimes they go out for no apparent reason).
-There really aren't any regular toilets, just out houses with "squatties".
-Depending on the location of my perminate site, I may or may not have regular internet access. I will be taking my laptop with me so that I can write journal entries while I'm at home and then upload them when I get a chance, so you may go a while without hearing from me, and then see a large number of entries all at once.
-My diet will consist mostly of meat, fat, and rice. Yum.
-The weather is actually pretty similar to KC - hot summers, cold winters.
-I will be working with health care professionals who are nationals. My goals are to help them assess the problem areas of the community, plan outreach programs, and evaluate them.
-I'll be able to start different clubs for the kids and maybe run a summer camp! I really want to have a soccer club.
-I'll be allowed to have visitors and take vacation after I've been in the country for six months.
-I am allowed two 1 month vacations back to the states, plus several days off each month for fun in or near Turkmenistan.
Ok, that's all for now...let me know if you have more questions!
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1 comment:
That sounds so exciting! The "squatties" sound interesting. I think a soccer club would be amazing. Just remember Andie...they're just kids...so no total domination on your part haha!
Whst language is spoken in Turkmenistan?
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