On Friday, June 14th I will mark the one year anniversary of my service. So I think it is time to go over a typical day. No day goes exactly the same, but this is a good example of a typical day.
8:30 - 9:30 - I start each day making coffee with my french press. It has become a ritual that I enjoy. My current coffee selection is coffee I bought on my recent trip to Italy (another pending post). I drink it with milk and a little sugar. I usually eat yogurt and muesli for breakfast. While I eat breakfast, I finish getting dressed, collect the items I want to take for the day and pack any food I need for lunch.
9:30 - Head out for work. A thirty minute walk. School is out and sometimes I see more kids playing in the road, but it really depends. Temp is currently in the low-80's when I head out. Usually listen to music on my IPod and often sing along. I pretty much know all the songs on my shuffle.
10:00 - 1:00 - Arrive at work Say hello to Mysick (English spelling of a Russian word) the clinic's dog. She is about 7 months old. A little nervous. Sometimes I have hot dogs to feed her. Head into the office and say hello to people I see and join my office mate, Sabina. Put any food that needs to refrigerated into the fridge and get a cup of instant coffee. Check email and news. I successfully applied for a SPA grant (small project grant) for a vision health care activity book. The end result will be the publication of an activity book to give to our younger patients. This should be completed early next year. I am still working on building databases and reports. Also, will begin working on updating financial report.
1:00 - lunch - I have been making pita bread about every three weeks. My typical lunch is half a pita with chicken/tuna/egg salad with vegetables and/or fruit. Yesterday I added a bag of chips. I'm still drinking Coke Zero and used to start one at lunch, however, it has become more difficult to find, as of late, so I save that item for when I get home from work.
1:30 - 4:00 - Continue working.
4:00 - Head home. If I want to go to the store on my way home, I either walk an extra ten minutes, catch a bus or a ride. I have a favorite market about a ten minute walk from my house. If it is really hot, I will buy an ice cream sandwich (dondurma) and eat on my walk home. Now that it is hot in the afternoons, I walk a little slower home.
5:00 - Put my groceries away and start the ritual of my evening coffee. Usually read for a little bit then start my evening chores. I have a few flowers that I started from seed, so I water them. They look a little on the sad side. Last night I decided to do some laundry. Whites, so I soaked them in bleach water and will finish tonight. Also, cooked chicken and made barbecue sauce for pulled chicken sandwiches. Water continues to be problematic. The water into my kitchen doesn't really work. I think it is plugged due to the dirt in the water. A chore for tonight. So I have to get water from the bathroom, which is close but still a hassle. With the weather getting hot, I need to make sure that I keep my drinking water supply up. This is a three step process, boil, cool, filter. We have Britta water filters, which are plastic, so I have to cool the water before filling. I also did dishes and made egg salad last night. It doesn't sound like I did a lot, but the time it takes to do each of these items is two/three/four times as long as it would take in the states. I listen to music and read during the wait times. I took a shower last night too. I currently don't have hot water so a shower can be a two step process, hair first than a quick shower. It is amazing how fast the evening passes. Some nights I head over to my host families for a chat, tea and frequently dinner.
9:00 - start to get ready for bed. This sometimes involves a batch or two of popcorn. Read a bit in bed and a game or two of solitaire or hearts and then off to sleep.
The pace of my day is slow, but they don't drag. Weekends often include a trip into Baku to meet with friends and have a cup of coffee. You can tell I'm from Seattle, coffee is an integral part of my day.
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