Nothing amazing really to report. It's just hot hot summer still. But it did rain a couple days last week and the ever so dry and dusty hills around my house turned a little greener! I was just visiting Lankaran and Lerik down in the south of Azerbaijan last week. Lerik is just beautiful and full of green mountains! Then I headed home to get my teaching counterpart and headed to Ganja for our Counterpart Conference. It was a really successful couple of days I think, my teacher seems a lot more motivated. All these things that I've heard time and time again, and tried in my own way to introduce into the school, she saw demonstrated by other Azeri's and it makes so much more sense to her now! I'm just referring to making lesson plans before each class, ways to use the textbook so the teachers don't get in trouble for not, but still putting our own, actually productive twist on it, clubs we could try, grants we could write, how to co-teach instead of just me becoming a "substitute teacher." Her and I are meeting tomorrow to discuss our approach plan to the school year that starts on September 15, I am feeling really pumped about her new found energy!
On Tuesday I'm heading to Qax, which is up north but over in the middle finger (as we refer to them; I live in the west most finger, just so you can get a grasp of what I mean). My friend Lori has a camp going on and a bunch of us are going to help. I can't wait to see Qax, I hear it's beautiful. Then on Saturday I'm off on the night train to pick up Erin and Katie!!!! They will be here on the fifth and I am just peeing my pants, waiting to see them!
I could never get a picture to load (I was going to share a little photo from my journey, riding in the back of a sheep truck after my bus broke down on my way to Lankaran. But I guess you'll have to use your imagination). Love you!
