Bayram, pie, and MSC

Well Happy end of Ramazan (Ramadan) to all of you out there!
For all of you that are unaware Ramazan is a month long fast observed in the Muslim world, which Azerbaijan is a part of! I however did not fast, some PCVs do not me, I find that I have to concentrate hard enough to remember it's Friday during Lent.

This year Ramazan marked the time between me going to Germany and this week. So I think it's fitting that I celebrate being back here, physically and mentally. I spent the first day of the holiday in my apartment, it being the first day after my fever broke (I was sick for a little while there, all better now). So I didn't want to push it. Charlie came over to grind some meat and burn some CDs. In Azerbaijan you typically buy your meat cut but not ground so if you want it ground you do it yourself, Charlie doesn't have a meat grinder though and I do. Also he wanted some of the sweet music I got from Ram and Aaron lately.
After chatting for a little bit we decided that we should bake some pies, so we did! An apple and and pecan pie. They were both delicious, but the apple pie was a little runny, if anyone knows how to fix that let me know. The Pecan pie was fantastic, I got pretty good at those last year when I practiced for Ben's bday pies.
Sunday I went over to the old host family's house and had lunch, it was great. I really really like them. Aysel my host sister and Arzu my host mother are amazing people and I always feel better when I go over there. My puppy is now a dog and I can't believe how big he's gotten compared to how small he started out, but I guess that's what puppies do they grow!

Ok just so you all know next week will be AZ4's Mid Service Conference. What does that mean? Well, it means a couple of things... 1. it means we're half done with our service (or a little over since today is our 13th month at site anniversary!) 2. it means all of AZ4 is trooping into Baku today and tomorrow for about a week of training, med exams, language tests, and togetherness. So as I hope my language test goes ok- I'm pretty nervous... I am really happy to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while. Az4 of all the groups I have seen over here except maybe AZ2 is really a solid group. We're pretty much all supporters so it'll be nice to hang out together again. The last time we all lived in a hotel together for 4 nights it was greatness that lives in AZ4-folklore as Dalga 2. I am hoping for a similar bonding experience that would basically emulate what many people's views of PC life guitars, singing, freestyle song writing, capes, forts, in other words the standard fare!