June 2, 2010
It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been in Armenia for a year! This past weekend the new group of volunteers arrived. I went up on Friday to stay with my host family from last summer in Karashamb. They are such a wonderful family and they are getting a volunteer again this year. John, the son and father of the two young children, has been working in Russia since February. There is no work in or near Karashamb so he was offered this job through a friend of his. The house definitely has a different feeling to it without him. John is a fun-loving guy and loved to have all the other volunteers over. They wanted me to stay the whole weekend, but I had made arrangements to stay with another volunteer in Hrazdan for Saturday and Sunday nights. And I knew they would be busy getting things ready for their new volunteer. But it was nice to be back in that village and there were several other volunteers also staying with their host families.
The new trainees had arrived early Saturday morning and went right to where they were staying until Tuesday. They were all a bit tired, but we had a meet and greet in Bjini, a nearby village, at 3:30. There are 58 in this new group, ranging in age from 20 to 75. We kept the meet and greet short so we just had time to say hello and maybe talk to 2 or 3. We were supposed to meet them at the church in Bjini, but there was a wedding there so we went to a park, which probably turned out better. I remember our meet and greet from last year as if it were yesterday. It will be strange, but nice, to be the “seasoned” group here in Armenia.
The welcoming committee had arranged for a short gathering of the over 50 trainees and some of us for Sunday night. Five of us went to meet with them and it was nice to have a chance to get to know them. They asked us questions about how it is to be an older volunteer and what were our challenges. I just told them to make sure they mingle with the younger volunteers and not segregate themselves. The younger volunteers have a lot to teach us and when they feel comfortable with us, they also feel comfortable coming to us for advice. One of the most important parts of my service has been being with the younger volunteers. They asked us to come back for Monday night and so 3 of us did that.
On Monday I moved from Hrazdan to Charentsavan, the town where the training staff sets up offices and where the trainees come for their central days. The PC has rented a few apartments for PCVs, like myself, who will be helping out with the training. Danya was also staying there, so we went out for a nice supper and then went to the apartment. Danya decided to take a shower, since she doesn’t have one in her house. However, we couldn’t get the hot water to work in the bathroom, only in the kitchen. So she decided to use a pail to put hot water into a larger pail and use that in the tub. She filled the smaller pail and went to pour the water into the other pail, only to find out that the small pail had a hole in the side, near the bottom. And since the larger pail was on the other side of the kitchen, there was a trial of water across the kitchen floor. Then she proceeded to put more hot water into the pail with the hole. All this only to discover that the hot water was then working in the bathroom. It’s going to be an interesting summer.
Late Tuesday morning I got a ride back into Yerevan to the PC offices. I was surprised to find no other PCV in the IRC, so I was able to get some work done on the computer there. Brent, another PCV, soon arrived and so after a while we decided to get some lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening with this incredible young man. Brent is in the business sector and works at World Vision, an NGO that’s very active throughout Armenia. A few months ago he grought a group of young people to Kapan (ages 14 and 15) who led a workshop on AIDS. Before coming to PC, he had twice spent time in India at Mother Teresa’s hospital, he worked for a refugee resettlement program in Texas, he had spent 2 and ½ months in New Zealand as an intern, and he’s been to other places doing volunteer work. He cares deeply about people and being able to help them make a better life for themselves. All this and he’s only in his mid-twenties! We sat at two different outdoor cafes and talked about PC, our first year here and theology. And he enjoys having a good time and acting like a kid.
Tuesday was Children’s Day in Armenia. Yerevan had a lot of activities going on in conjunction with this. There were families walking about enjoying the beautiful weather and the carnival atmosphere. As Brent and I walked around he was given a balloon by a batman character. We were soon joined by another PCV who remarked that he looked like a big kid – sandals, rolled-up jeans, and a balloon, sort of Huck Finnish.
It’s people like Brent, and the Peace Corps is full of them, that really give me hope for the future. This is why I have so enjoyed getting to know these young people.
I finally returned to my house Wednesday afternoon. While it will be a short stay, I leave again for Charentsavan next Tuesday, it just feels so good to be home.