Meeting the Ambassador



 

Ambassador & Mrs. Morningstar



Our new Ambassador was touring the area and asked the PCV's in the "middle" finger if we would join him and his wife for dinner in Sheiki on Friday. This is my second time meeting with an American Ambassador.  The first time was when I was a PCV in the Czech Republic, she was Ambassador Jenonne Walker and she served as the Ambassador there from 1995-1998.  She was a Special Assistant to President Clinton and senior Director for Europe. She was a key advisor on US relations with Europe before she became ambassador. I met with Ambassador Walker in 1996 at the Environmental Education School in Litvinov where I was teaching English.  She was extremely impressed with the school (all students were studying environment, the first school of its kind in the area) and she wanted to tour the school and use it as a example for other areas.  So needless to say, it was an honor and a thrill for me to meet our American Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar and his wife. Ambassador Morningstar was nominated by President Obama. His background includes being appointed to the Special Envoy of the US Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy in 2009.  He served as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Assistance to the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union and later advisor for the Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy.  He also was the US Ambassador to the European Union from 1999 - 2001.

I sat next to Mrs. Morningstar and she was quite interested in an older volunteer perspective in living and working in Azerbaijan.  And since I was a PCV in the Czech Republic she asked if there were any differences or similarities (and that is a whole separate blog!). They were both very down to earth and very interested and proud of Peace Corps volunteers and our service to this country.  This was a good night and I didn't spill anything or embarrassed myself (what usually happens to me - Murphy was sleeping tonight!!). Afterwards my fellow PCV and I bought a bottle of wine and went back to her place to catch up. Life is GOOD.

Life Challenge: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.. Winston Churchhill