RPCV Michael Hancock writes: I flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in January of 2005 to join Peace Corps Uzbekistan. Following the Andijon Massacre and the ensuing closure of the Peace Corps program in Uzbekistan, I opted to transfer my service to Kazakhstan.



I was placed in Sayram specifically to provide an Uzbek community with a Volunteer, since Peace Corps Kazakhstan did not train Volunteers in languages other than Kazakh or Russian. During my 5 ½ months in Uzbekistan, I studied Russian, though my site was the predominantly Uzbek city of Jizzax, halfway between Tashkent and Samarkand. In Kazakhstan I studied Kazakh, even though this did not do much to prepare me for learning Uzbek. The alphabets have small differences, the grammar is slightly different, and various other minor changes added up to the point where all of my Kazakh left me while I studied Uzbek in Sayram. My Russian, on the other hand, was always my safety net in Chimkent, the big city nearby.

RPCV Michael Hancock writes: I flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in January of 2005 to join Peace Corps Uzbekistan. Following the Andijon Massacre and the ensuing closure of the Peace Corps program in Uzbekistan, I opted to transfer my service to Kazakhstan.

Amir Temur in World History: A Review

CoverToday’s book review is the rare gem Amir Temur in World History, only published in Uzbekistan. Published by the Tashkent “Sharq” Printing Office in 1996, weighing in at 258 pages, only 3000 copies were printed. It’s an academic work, and the names printed are as follows: Iriskulov, A. [editor]; Saidkasimov, Saidmoukhtar; et al. I’m sad to say that even if there weren’t three names on it, you’d still be able to tell that three people [at least] were involved on throwing it together. It’s very difficult to cuddle with, and is definitely a sentimental part of my book collection, not a useful part.

[Excerpt]

My name is Michael Hancock. I’m 26 years old. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but I wasn’t born here. I was raised in rural mid-Michigan, in the thumb region, if you care to visualize the lower peninsula of Michigan as a mitten. I finished High School and went off to Western Michigan University, where I majored in Music Composition and English. In 2003 I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English.

Following some Music writing gigs and composition projects, I applied for and was accepted in the US Peace Corps. I flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in January of 2005 to join Peace Corps Uzbekistan. Following the Andijon Massacre and the ensuing closure of the Peace Corps program in Uzbekistan, I opted to transfer my service to Kazakhstan. I began my second Peace Corps term on June 1st, 2005. After a second round of cultural and language training, I moved to my site of Sayram, in South Kazakhstan Oblast, near Shymkent [Chimkent, as the Uzbeks in my town called it]. I was placed in Sayram specifically to provide an Uzbek community with a Volunteer, since Peace Corps Kazakhstan did not train Volunteers in languages other than Kazakh or Russian. During my 5 ½ months in Uzbekistan, I studied Russian, though my site was the predominantly Uzbek city of Jizzax, halfway between Tashkent and Samarkand. In Kazakhstan I studied Kazakh, even though this did not do much to prepare me for learning Uzbek. The alphabets have small differences, the grammar is slightly different, and various other minor changes added up to the point where all of my Kazakh left me while I studied Uzbek in Sayram. My Russian, on the other hand, was always my safety net in Chimkent, the big city nearby.

In Sayram I taught English to students from the 2nd to the 11th forms, and lived with a host-family for two years, finishing my service in June 2007. My plans are now to pursue a Masters Degree in Central Asian Studies and return to the region as soon as I can. I’m not planning on living there permanently, but I can’t deny that it certainly has a hold of my attention now and for the foreseeable future. I keep a personal blog [www.peaceclog.com] which I started at the beginning of my Peace Corps adventure, and I also am Vice President of the NPO New Music Project [www.newmusicproject.org] out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is a business concerned with supporting classical music composers at the beginning of their career. Shameless plugs out of the way, I hope that you now have a little better idea of who I am, and where I’m coming from. I’m hoping to regularly contribute with book reviews and any news reports I receive from my friends still in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: November, 2007; Peace Corps Uzbekistan; Directory of Uzbekistan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Uzbekistan RPCVs; Peace Corps Kazakhstan; Directory of Kazakhstan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Kazakhstan RPCVs

When this story was posted in November 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance Act Senator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them."

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November 12, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Chris Dodd's service began with Peace Corps 9 Nov Matthew McCue called back to Iraq from Peace Corps 9 Nov Tschetter Visits Turkmenistan 9 Nov Lara Weber writes: Oprah Winfrey's stumble 9 Nov Heather Thompson works with P Diddy 7 Nov Karen Hughes' public diplomacy came to nothing 4 Nov James Rupert writes: Musharraf seizes power 3 Nov Martin Puryear is Man of Mysteries 2 Nov Sarah Chayes says Taliban score major victory 1 Nov John Sullivan runs Sudan Divestment Task Force. 30 Oct Tom Bissell writes: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro 28 Oct Chris Shays to seek 12th term 25 Oct Helen Dudley can't stop giving 25 Oct Joseph Acaba named to STS-119 Shuttle Crew 22 Oct Vince Floriani in USA Today's All-USA Teacher Team 22 Oct Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin" 20 Oct Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 19 Oct Peace Corps returning to Liberia 18 Oct David Peckham started Village Bicycle Project 16 Oct Alberto Ibarguen announces grant for "Project Impunity" 15 Oct Campbell Memorial Park boosts ecotourism 15 Oct Bowers Family keep daughter's dream alive 15 Oct

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What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more.

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Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation.

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Paul Theroux: Peace Corps Writer Paul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV).

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Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

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Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Read the stories and leave your comments.