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Ashura
A Muslim day of mourning which remembers the martyr Husayn Ibn Ali (prophet Muhammad’s grandson) and 72 of his companions who were killed fighting for justice in 680 AD.
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"Helping Promote a Better Understanding"
I left the U.S. during a time when Americans were struggling with their perceptions of an entire religion, that of the Muslim faith. I didn’t understand the messages of hate which were being expressed by my fellow Americans and I thought (and I still think) it came from a lack of understanding and a fear of the unknown. Serving here in Azerbaijan with the Peace Corps has confirmed just how wrong so many of my American compatriots are on this topic. For the first time in my life, I atte...
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Losing Control
It was only my third day in Kazakhstan, but it was an important one. It was the day volunteers were taken home by our host families, the people we would live with during our three months of training in villages around the city of Almaty. A nervous energy filled the air as we packed and repacked our belongings, trying unsuccessfully to find a place for the water distiller and medical kits given to us by the Peace Corps. We all dressed in our Sunday best, whispering and gossiping like nervou...
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AIDS Walk in Uralsk
Students from local colleges and universities participate in the first ever AIDS Walk organized by local PCVs.
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Outhouse in Winter
A view of our outhouse after record cold and snow blanket much of the former Soviet Union.
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A Visit from Grandfather Frost
Students of Russian School No. 1 in Chapaevo clamor for a gift from Grandfather Frost during the school's New Year celebration.
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Woman Selling Shashlyk
A woman at the bazaar in Shymkent hawking shashlyk, a form of shish kabab fameous throughout the former Soviet Union.
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Making a Wish for a New Bride
At bachellorette parties in Kazakhstan, it's tradition for the girls to form a circle in such a way and make a wish for the happiness of the new bride.
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"S'more" Doesn't Translate
On a hike this past summer, I introduced my kids to the joy of a campfire necessity - s'mores!
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In house dance party
On a stroll through the Roma Quarter/ghetto to visit some students, I was able to catch this dance party going on through someone's open kitchen door.
Third Goal
ThirdGoal.org is an opportunity for the 200,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served since 1961 to collectively celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps in 2011. Learn more about our bold plans here...
Countdown to Weekly Contest Deadline!
“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.
