Tired being the operative word

Well we are finally here in Tajikistan! I think a lot of us are pretty drained (myself included). We are staying at a hotel for a few hours before going out to get food, get a tour, etc.

The hotel has wifi (yay!) but it's not good enough to stream the Blackhawks game (boo!). I'm listening to WGN radio. And yes. The choice was between 'Hawks and sleep and I chose the former.

I'll post more tomorrow if I'm able to find an internet connection- I meet my host family sometime this afternoon so I don't know how tomorrow or the weekend will progress.

Today is the day!

Well all preparations are complete (as far as I know), and I will be heading out within the next few hours to begin the journey.

We will be flying to Frankfurt, Germany, then on to Istanbul, Turkey, and finally to Dushanbe. I will update the blog once I land in Dushanbe!

Dushanbe's weather > D.C.'s weather

I'd just like to say that my packing did not anticipate any rain in Tajikistan. Unfortunately I forgot about the D.C. bit in between. Oops.

It's been a crazy jam-packed day. We had a really early start (seriously, I had to be up and ready to go by 7:45...) and we were in various sessions all day until around 7. Our pre departure orientation is made up of three CLS language groups, including the Azerbaijani and Punjabi groups. Ours is by far the biggest (they double the size of CLS Persian scholarships this year to forty!).

Our language specific sessions began with an opening address from the Tajik Ambassador to the US, which was a really interesting and awesome experience. We also had a CLS alumni panel, as well as a panel of young professionals who use Persian in their careers.

There were a few sessions on rules/regulations. Then a bunch on safety/life in Tajikistan. Although I was familiar with a fair bit of it, it got me more excited to go back to Tajikistan. We ended the night at a Malaysian resturant nearby, and it turns out there are three Nicks going to Dushanbe. I was very quick to claim my awesome Tajik name, so at least I've got that going for me!

Do you think they'll air the Stanley Cup Finals in Tajikistan?

Well it all starts today! In about an hour I'll be in my way to Washington, D.C. I think it's finally hitting me that I'm about to leave the county in two months, especially since I will be missing the Blackhawks in the finals (well that and the fact that I packed, I'm in an airport, etc.).

Getting excited, and I'll post more stuff from DC once we start our pre-departure orientations.

For those of you wondering, I will be trying my hardest to watch / listen to the games in Tajikistan (which have a start time of 5am).

The Return!

No this isn't Derrick Rose's "return" to the Bulls that we all dreamed for... Nick's return to Tajikistan? Close enough!

Within the next week I will be headed back to Dushanbe for a two month visit with the Critical Language Scholarship. Next Sunday I get to head to Washington D.C. for two days. In DC I'll meet all the fellow scholarship recipients for Persian as well as the program staff who organize and run the two months abroad.

I am hoping to keep this blog updated a little more than I did last summer, but no promises there. This summer I will be living with a host family once again (not the same family). This particular family has a father, mother, 18-year-old son, and a grandmother. It appears as though I will not have any roommates while abroad.

One interesting part of this program that differs from last years' is that I will be matched with a "speaking partner". This speaking partner will be a local Tajik around my age. We will be required to meet for a particular amount of hours per week. This is a really cool opportunity (at least I think it will be) because it will provide me with an opportunity to network with some local Tajiks, make more local friends, and explore more of the city!

I'll try to post from D.C. once I have more details. Until then- packing!