June 20, 2011
School finished on May 26th, and since they are going to have 12th grade next year, there was no Last Bell ceremonies. I selfishly wanted to have Last Bell, because I like the ceremony entailed and it would have given me a chance to see all the students at once and most of their parents. In fact, our school will not be having 12th grade, since none of our 11th graders are coming back. The boys will work their farms and the one girl will be going to the Technical School for nursing. The colleges and universities offered some big incentives to the students to enter this year and not do a 12th year. Otherwise they won’t have any new students for an entire year. Even though school is over, I still have some work to do, most notably with the on-line teacher training courses. We finally found a server that we can use and the first course should be up and running in September. In the meantime, we are trying to get as many course curriculum written during the summer as possible.
The weekend after school ended, we had a girls weekend at Sarah’s house. Sarah lives in a village a short distance from Yerevan. It’s very different from my village, first of all it’s completely flat and it’s much bigger. They have over 100 students in their school, compared to the 37 we had this year. There were 9 of us and it was fun to just sit around, compare notes, talk about our service and just relax. The one drawback to the weekend was that Sarah only has an outhouse. After having to use that for 2 days, I have a lot more respect for the volunteers who have had to use an outhouse for their whole service. Sarah lives in a typical Armenian compound. Her house, kitchen building and outhouse are all enclosed by a fence and a very imposing gate. The area between the house and the kitchen is where we spent most of our time. It’s a large patio that’s has a roof over it and was ample room for all of us. I was able to get up in the mornings and walk, which is a nice change from my mountainous village. We also had a spectacular view of Mt. Ararat.
The following weekend the 7 of us who were in the same training village our first summer here had a reunion there. We all stayed with our host families and had a big barbeque Saturday night. It was a good chance for us to be together and to say thank you and goodbye to our host families. That village and those families will always be very special for all of us. From the start they treated each of us like a family member and they were very pleased that we all came back. It was also the last time the 7 of us would be together, since Kyle left for America the following Saturday and 2 more of us leave next month.
Taguhie, my counterpart, is going to America tomorrow for 6 weeks. She has been chosen as one of 25 Armenian English teachers to take part in a special program at Indiana University. They will be studying with and learning about 25 Turkish English teachers. Since the two countries don’t have diplomatic relations and their borders closed, this is a big step in trying to get the people to get to know one another. I am very proud of Taguhie and know that she will get the most out of this opportunity. She has been a wonderful counterpart and friend to me for the past 2 years and I will miss her and only wish her the best.
For the next 4 weeks I plan on staying in my village. Of course I will have visitors every now and then and will proudly show off my village, which I think has the best view in all of Armenia. Next week we are having a “1948” weekend here. There are 4 of us who were born in 1948 and the other 3 are coming down to my house. Two of them have never been here before and so I’m excited to have them see my village, especially since they live in towns.
Only one more month to go and then I’m back home. That sounds so strange, since for the past 2 years this has been my home and I’ve gotten quite used to living here. For the next 4 weeks I will soak up as much of this life as I can, to get me ready for the whirlwind of activity that awaits my return: 3 family weddings, a daughter-in-law to be who I haven’t met yet, and a new granddaughter to meet. But I can’t wait!
In some ways, though, it’s scary thinking about returning to the States. I’m not sure what I’ll do next, how I’ll fill my time. While I will be leaving Armenia, hopefully I will have an ongoing relationship with this country and the wonderful people I have met. I also would like to stay a part of the Peace Corps, since I have inherited a new family within this organization and a host of friends. So, for me, this is not an ending, but just the beginning of a new and different way of looking at things and how I want to live my life.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
May 13, 2011
Another month has come and gone, but it has been a busy month. Easter was very enjoyable, but a bit different. Barbara and I went to Good Friday services at the Church she usually goes to. It’s a Syrian rite Catholic Church, which is a bit different from the Roman rite. For Good Friday they sang the Stations of the Cross, and didn’t have a Communion Service. There was no Mass on Saturday, so we went Sunday morning. In a lot of ways this rite, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, is very much pre-Vatican II. The priest has his back to the people and at certain times during the Liturgy, a curtain is drawn across the altar. For Easter it was a high Mass, with most of it sung by the choir and the priests and deacons. It was about 2 hours long and unlike the Armenian services, everybody stayed for the whole Mass and there was very little moving about and talking. The Ordinary of the Diocese celebrated the Mass and afterwards everyone was invited to greet him in the rectory. We were pleasantly surprised that he spoke English.
After Mass we had been invited to the Mayor’s house where it’s a tradition for those invited to bring an empty pot and fill it with a soup made especially that day. Barbara and I brought a pot and met three other PCVs there and spent about 3 hours eating and talking with the Mayor’s family. Thankfully some other people came so we could graciously leave. However, the Mayor’s brother insisted that we meet him at the family restaurant in an hour. This restaurant is probably the best in Gyumri and has an outdoor, tropical theme to it. All in all it was a very nice day.
Tuesday and Wednesday of that week we had our Close of Service conference. At this conference we got all the paperwork we need to fill out in order to leave country. I think it may be harder to leave than it was to get in. There were also some workshops on readjusting to American culture, resume writing, interview skills, and post-Peace Corps jobs.
Monday night, since we had all arrived at the hotel by then, we had a bachelorette party for one of the young girls in our group who had recently gotten engaged. It was a surprise and a lot of fun. On Tuesday night the American Ambassador had a small reception for us at her house. She has been present at all our major conferences and tries to maintain contact with PC. She too will be leaving this summer. Since this is the last time we will all be together, we arranged to have a group picture taken on Wednesday. After another day of workshops, we went out to celebrate at a local karaoke club. I really enjoy spending time like that with my group, especially the young people. They are always so full of life and energy. While I didn’t get up and sing, I did dance.
One of the sites I wanted to see before leaving Armenia was the Genocide Memorial. So on Thursday, Barbara and I went up to see it. It’s a very impressive indoor/outdoor memorial to the thousands of Armenians killed in the early 20th Century by the Turks. There is a living flame in a semi-outdoor building, with memorial music playing at all times. Inside there is a museum depicting that period in Armenian history. It was a very moving visit.
Luckily on Friday I was still in Yerevan at the PC office and so I was able to see part of the royal wedding via computer. Some of the restaurants in Yerevan had wedding parties at lunch time, with big screen TVs on champagne. It was quite an event here, as I’m sure it was elsewhere.
The on-line courses are still in the planning stages, with the major hurdle still being getting a server to host the courses. On Friday, Gayane, my program manager, and I went to visit our latest prospective partner in this endeavor. This was some place. TUMO, the name of the organization will open in September and will be an enrichment after school site for children ages 12 to 18. It is all tech based and will be able to handle 1000 children at a time, all with their own computer stations and computers. They will be focusing on 4 major areas to start with, animation, web design, graphics, and music. It will be free, the students will have to apply and once accepted will be given points. They will lose points if they don’t come, if they don’t complete a project, etc. Once they lose all their points, they can’t come anymore. This is the brainchild of 4 American Armenians, who want to bring the Armenian youth up to date technologically with the rest of the world. They are creating this as they go along, with no other facility quite like it anywhere else. It was amazing to meet some of the people and listen to their ideas and plans for the future. I really hope this works out for us to partner with them, because I think we can help each other. I hope to visit the site once again before I leave country.
After 10 days, I was more than ready to return to my village. I’m not used to constantly being around people, and so I missed the quiet of my house and my village. I like being able to hear the birds in the morning instead of traffic, to be awaken by the roosters and cows, and seeing the mountains. I also missed going to school and interacting with the students and other faculty members. These people have become a part of my life and are very important to me and I want to spend as much time with them as possible while I’m still in country.
On May 9th Armenia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating the end of World War II. In the village cemetery, there is a memorial to all those from the village who were killed during the war. Out of 192 men who went to war, 81 were killed during the war. This year they had the ceremony outside, even though it was raining. A large majority of the villagers came to the cemetery for this ceremony. A veteran gave a short history of Armenia’s war efforts, then some of the students enacted a short skit, and then all the names of the war dead were read. It was amazing how quiet everyone was during the reading of the names. The families of the deceased had brought bouquets of flowers which they laid on the memorial near their names. Very close to this memorial are the burial plots of 4 villagers who were killed during the war between Armenia and Azerjaiban, and flowers were also put on these graves. There is a very real sense of respect and honor for the history of this country and for those who have given their lives for Armenian independence.
Another month has come and gone, but it has been a busy month. Easter was very enjoyable, but a bit different. Barbara and I went to Good Friday services at the Church she usually goes to. It’s a Syrian rite Catholic Church, which is a bit different from the Roman rite. For Good Friday they sang the Stations of the Cross, and didn’t have a Communion Service. There was no Mass on Saturday, so we went Sunday morning. In a lot of ways this rite, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, is very much pre-Vatican II. The priest has his back to the people and at certain times during the Liturgy, a curtain is drawn across the altar. For Easter it was a high Mass, with most of it sung by the choir and the priests and deacons. It was about 2 hours long and unlike the Armenian services, everybody stayed for the whole Mass and there was very little moving about and talking. The Ordinary of the Diocese celebrated the Mass and afterwards everyone was invited to greet him in the rectory. We were pleasantly surprised that he spoke English.
After Mass we had been invited to the Mayor’s house where it’s a tradition for those invited to bring an empty pot and fill it with a soup made especially that day. Barbara and I brought a pot and met three other PCVs there and spent about 3 hours eating and talking with the Mayor’s family. Thankfully some other people came so we could graciously leave. However, the Mayor’s brother insisted that we meet him at the family restaurant in an hour. This restaurant is probably the best in Gyumri and has an outdoor, tropical theme to it. All in all it was a very nice day.
Tuesday and Wednesday of that week we had our Close of Service conference. At this conference we got all the paperwork we need to fill out in order to leave country. I think it may be harder to leave than it was to get in. There were also some workshops on readjusting to American culture, resume writing, interview skills, and post-Peace Corps jobs.
Monday night, since we had all arrived at the hotel by then, we had a bachelorette party for one of the young girls in our group who had recently gotten engaged. It was a surprise and a lot of fun. On Tuesday night the American Ambassador had a small reception for us at her house. She has been present at all our major conferences and tries to maintain contact with PC. She too will be leaving this summer. Since this is the last time we will all be together, we arranged to have a group picture taken on Wednesday. After another day of workshops, we went out to celebrate at a local karaoke club. I really enjoy spending time like that with my group, especially the young people. They are always so full of life and energy. While I didn’t get up and sing, I did dance.
One of the sites I wanted to see before leaving Armenia was the Genocide Memorial. So on Thursday, Barbara and I went up to see it. It’s a very impressive indoor/outdoor memorial to the thousands of Armenians killed in the early 20th Century by the Turks. There is a living flame in a semi-outdoor building, with memorial music playing at all times. Inside there is a museum depicting that period in Armenian history. It was a very moving visit.
Luckily on Friday I was still in Yerevan at the PC office and so I was able to see part of the royal wedding via computer. Some of the restaurants in Yerevan had wedding parties at lunch time, with big screen TVs on champagne. It was quite an event here, as I’m sure it was elsewhere.
The on-line courses are still in the planning stages, with the major hurdle still being getting a server to host the courses. On Friday, Gayane, my program manager, and I went to visit our latest prospective partner in this endeavor. This was some place. TUMO, the name of the organization will open in September and will be an enrichment after school site for children ages 12 to 18. It is all tech based and will be able to handle 1000 children at a time, all with their own computer stations and computers. They will be focusing on 4 major areas to start with, animation, web design, graphics, and music. It will be free, the students will have to apply and once accepted will be given points. They will lose points if they don’t come, if they don’t complete a project, etc. Once they lose all their points, they can’t come anymore. This is the brainchild of 4 American Armenians, who want to bring the Armenian youth up to date technologically with the rest of the world. They are creating this as they go along, with no other facility quite like it anywhere else. It was amazing to meet some of the people and listen to their ideas and plans for the future. I really hope this works out for us to partner with them, because I think we can help each other. I hope to visit the site once again before I leave country.
After 10 days, I was more than ready to return to my village. I’m not used to constantly being around people, and so I missed the quiet of my house and my village. I like being able to hear the birds in the morning instead of traffic, to be awaken by the roosters and cows, and seeing the mountains. I also missed going to school and interacting with the students and other faculty members. These people have become a part of my life and are very important to me and I want to spend as much time with them as possible while I’m still in country.
On May 9th Armenia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating the end of World War II. In the village cemetery, there is a memorial to all those from the village who were killed during the war. Out of 192 men who went to war, 81 were killed during the war. This year they had the ceremony outside, even though it was raining. A large majority of the villagers came to the cemetery for this ceremony. A veteran gave a short history of Armenia’s war efforts, then some of the students enacted a short skit, and then all the names of the war dead were read. It was amazing how quiet everyone was during the reading of the names. The families of the deceased had brought bouquets of flowers which they laid on the memorial near their names. Very close to this memorial are the burial plots of 4 villagers who were killed during the war between Armenia and Azerjaiban, and flowers were also put on these graves. There is a very real sense of respect and honor for the history of this country and for those who have given their lives for Armenian independence.
Friday, April 15, 2011
April 15, 2011
I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I put anything on my blog. It’s not that I haven’t been busy, it’s just that everything seems very normal now to me. I guess this is what happens during the second year, one becomes integrated into their site and takes everything as normal.
Actually March was very busy with some Peace Corps projects. For a number of years now there has been a Writing Olympics for the students in grades 6 through university. Up to this year, it was just the Caucaus-region former Soviet Union countries, specifically Georgia, Azerbajian and Armenia. This is an opportunity for the students to write creatively without worrying about spelling or grammar. In the schools here in Armenia, they are not taught creative writing at all, not even in Armenian. However, this year there were 12 countries participating from 3 different continents. Each grade is given 3 prompts to write on, with the students picking one. They have an hour to write on that topic and the more creative the better. In Armenia alone there were over 300 children who participated. In each grade the top three selections are sent to the international competition to be judged again against the other national winners. Five of my students participated, which I am very proud of even though none of them placed. This was the first year they participated and I’m hoping they participate again next year.
This year there will also be a National Poetry Festival. A former PCV started this in a northern region of the country about 3 years ago. This year more PCVs wanted to have one in their region culminating with a national festival. The students are given a list of poems to choose from and they must memorize it, and when reciting it give some meaning to it. Again this is open to students from 6th through 11th grades. While none of my students participated I was involved in the judging of our regional event. It’s amazing how well some of these students perform in what is for them a 3rd language. The National Festival is going to be May 8th and once again I will be a judge, which I’m looking forward to.
These two events and the Spelling Bee, which was in the Fall, are real incentives for the students to learn English. They give some of the students a chance to show off how well they are doing and to be creative as well. Since I have such a small student population, we can’t participate in all 3 events, but I was pleased that we were in the Spelling Bee and Writing Olympics.
On my many rides on the marchutni down to Kapan, the town below my village, I am always struck by a few things. First, it’s amazing to see and hear the people’s concern for one another. Since this is such a small village, everyone knows everyone else and their families. So conversations naturally involve what’s going on in their families. If someone has been ill and out of work for a while, there is real joy to see that person back. Secondly, along these same lines, this village takes it’s responsibility to it’s citizens very seriously, especially the children. It’s not unusual for a small child to get on the marchutni by himself either to go to school or to visit a grandparent. Someone on the marchutni will make sure that child is safe, has a seat and gets off at the right stop. It really does take a village to raise a child. And the marchutni drivers know their passengers. They know when to wait for someone and where each passenger is getting off. I really enjoy these rides and being involved in this part of village life.
One of the other unique things that happens here is how some merchants give change. Last week I had bought some cough drops at a pharmacy and didn’t have the exact change. I gave the woman 2000 dram and the price was 1680 dram. She gave me 300 dram and 2 bandaids for change. She didn’t have a 20 dram piece and I guess bandaids are 10 dram each. One other time when I was in the small store in my village I got a box of matches, which also must be worth about 50 dram. It’s a very interesting way to give change.
A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to visit two villages in the north-west part of Armenia. I took the train from Yerevan, which was a really good ride. I got to see a part of the country that I otherwise would not have seen. At the first village I was visiting a new PCV who was having a hard time integrating into his village and some difficulty with his counterpart. His village is probably 3 or 4 times the size of mine and his school has over 300 students. And his village is flat, not on the side of a mountain like mine. Some of the classes in his school have nearly as many students as my whole school, so it was a very different experience from what I’m used to, but I’m glad I went. After spending the day with him, we took off for the next village, where I was going to spend the night. We started out walking, since the next marchutni wasn’t for an hour or so. In a short time an army truck came by and actually stopped to give us a lift. I never realized how high off the ground those trucks are, but what I view I had from the front seat. Rane’s village was also much bigger than mine, with 2 schools in it. It was good to see where and how some of the other PCVs live and work. We had a wonderful dinner at her counterpart’s house. The next morning we took a marchutni back to Yerevan, and then I left the next day to return to my village.
I think the winter is finally over, although we had snow Thursday morning. However, the weather seems to be warming up and the trees have buds on them. As I walk around the village and down to Kapan, I see the families out in their fields getting the ground ready for planting. Since we didn’t have an early thaw followed by a frost, I think there should be plenty of fruit this year. Last year, because of a thaw in February followed by a return to freezing temperatures, most of the fruit trees didn’t produce any fruit. This winter was definitely colder and snowier than last year. I had been worried about having enough wood for my stove, but I actually have quite a bit left over. I still put my stove on at night, mainly to get the chill out of the house and also to cook on, but I will soon stop doing that. The wind seems to be getting warmer and the house is not as chilly any longer. Once I stop using my stove I can clean the house and the windows. Spring cleaning takes on a whole new meaning here.
It’s hard to believe that a week from Sunday is Easter. I’m going up to Gyumri for Easter to visit another PCV who lives there, and hopefully go to Church. The week after Easter we have our Close of Service Conference in Yerevan, so I’ll miss another week of school. There’s only about 4 more weeks of school after I come back, since the last day of school is the end of May. It’ll be hard to leave the school and say goodbye to the teachers and students. I have really enjoyed being at this school.
Three months from today I will be home and my adventure here in Armenia will be over. I am so thankful that I had this wonderful opportunity and all the great experiences. I will miss these people, my village and the school community.
I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I put anything on my blog. It’s not that I haven’t been busy, it’s just that everything seems very normal now to me. I guess this is what happens during the second year, one becomes integrated into their site and takes everything as normal.
Actually March was very busy with some Peace Corps projects. For a number of years now there has been a Writing Olympics for the students in grades 6 through university. Up to this year, it was just the Caucaus-region former Soviet Union countries, specifically Georgia, Azerbajian and Armenia. This is an opportunity for the students to write creatively without worrying about spelling or grammar. In the schools here in Armenia, they are not taught creative writing at all, not even in Armenian. However, this year there were 12 countries participating from 3 different continents. Each grade is given 3 prompts to write on, with the students picking one. They have an hour to write on that topic and the more creative the better. In Armenia alone there were over 300 children who participated. In each grade the top three selections are sent to the international competition to be judged again against the other national winners. Five of my students participated, which I am very proud of even though none of them placed. This was the first year they participated and I’m hoping they participate again next year.
This year there will also be a National Poetry Festival. A former PCV started this in a northern region of the country about 3 years ago. This year more PCVs wanted to have one in their region culminating with a national festival. The students are given a list of poems to choose from and they must memorize it, and when reciting it give some meaning to it. Again this is open to students from 6th through 11th grades. While none of my students participated I was involved in the judging of our regional event. It’s amazing how well some of these students perform in what is for them a 3rd language. The National Festival is going to be May 8th and once again I will be a judge, which I’m looking forward to.
These two events and the Spelling Bee, which was in the Fall, are real incentives for the students to learn English. They give some of the students a chance to show off how well they are doing and to be creative as well. Since I have such a small student population, we can’t participate in all 3 events, but I was pleased that we were in the Spelling Bee and Writing Olympics.
On my many rides on the marchutni down to Kapan, the town below my village, I am always struck by a few things. First, it’s amazing to see and hear the people’s concern for one another. Since this is such a small village, everyone knows everyone else and their families. So conversations naturally involve what’s going on in their families. If someone has been ill and out of work for a while, there is real joy to see that person back. Secondly, along these same lines, this village takes it’s responsibility to it’s citizens very seriously, especially the children. It’s not unusual for a small child to get on the marchutni by himself either to go to school or to visit a grandparent. Someone on the marchutni will make sure that child is safe, has a seat and gets off at the right stop. It really does take a village to raise a child. And the marchutni drivers know their passengers. They know when to wait for someone and where each passenger is getting off. I really enjoy these rides and being involved in this part of village life.
One of the other unique things that happens here is how some merchants give change. Last week I had bought some cough drops at a pharmacy and didn’t have the exact change. I gave the woman 2000 dram and the price was 1680 dram. She gave me 300 dram and 2 bandaids for change. She didn’t have a 20 dram piece and I guess bandaids are 10 dram each. One other time when I was in the small store in my village I got a box of matches, which also must be worth about 50 dram. It’s a very interesting way to give change.
A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to visit two villages in the north-west part of Armenia. I took the train from Yerevan, which was a really good ride. I got to see a part of the country that I otherwise would not have seen. At the first village I was visiting a new PCV who was having a hard time integrating into his village and some difficulty with his counterpart. His village is probably 3 or 4 times the size of mine and his school has over 300 students. And his village is flat, not on the side of a mountain like mine. Some of the classes in his school have nearly as many students as my whole school, so it was a very different experience from what I’m used to, but I’m glad I went. After spending the day with him, we took off for the next village, where I was going to spend the night. We started out walking, since the next marchutni wasn’t for an hour or so. In a short time an army truck came by and actually stopped to give us a lift. I never realized how high off the ground those trucks are, but what I view I had from the front seat. Rane’s village was also much bigger than mine, with 2 schools in it. It was good to see where and how some of the other PCVs live and work. We had a wonderful dinner at her counterpart’s house. The next morning we took a marchutni back to Yerevan, and then I left the next day to return to my village.
I think the winter is finally over, although we had snow Thursday morning. However, the weather seems to be warming up and the trees have buds on them. As I walk around the village and down to Kapan, I see the families out in their fields getting the ground ready for planting. Since we didn’t have an early thaw followed by a frost, I think there should be plenty of fruit this year. Last year, because of a thaw in February followed by a return to freezing temperatures, most of the fruit trees didn’t produce any fruit. This winter was definitely colder and snowier than last year. I had been worried about having enough wood for my stove, but I actually have quite a bit left over. I still put my stove on at night, mainly to get the chill out of the house and also to cook on, but I will soon stop doing that. The wind seems to be getting warmer and the house is not as chilly any longer. Once I stop using my stove I can clean the house and the windows. Spring cleaning takes on a whole new meaning here.
It’s hard to believe that a week from Sunday is Easter. I’m going up to Gyumri for Easter to visit another PCV who lives there, and hopefully go to Church. The week after Easter we have our Close of Service Conference in Yerevan, so I’ll miss another week of school. There’s only about 4 more weeks of school after I come back, since the last day of school is the end of May. It’ll be hard to leave the school and say goodbye to the teachers and students. I have really enjoyed being at this school.
Three months from today I will be home and my adventure here in Armenia will be over. I am so thankful that I had this wonderful opportunity and all the great experiences. I will miss these people, my village and the school community.
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25, 2011
The past two months have been relatively calm and enjoyable. This being my second year here, I feel much more comfortable and at home. February has been very cold and snowy. It seems as if every few days we have more snow. Living in a village only adds to the inconveniences that snow brings. Since most of the "walkways" are really just animal paths, needless to say they are not shoveled. The parts that don't get any sun at all become very icy and slippery. I have had to use my YakTraks a few times this winter. And there doesn't seem to be any end in sight to the snow and cold, since it's forecast that we will have snow most of next week. From the sounds of it I could have stayed in New York and had the same weather.
The other thing that I continue to notice is the rhythm and sounds of village life, even in the dead of winter. The most common sound is that of the men cutting wood for the stoves, for heat. Besides that, it is the quiet of the snow that I notice. It muffles the sounds of footsteps and even of the children yelling. Maybe I've just gotten used to them, but I don't even hear the cows, donkeys, or chickens as much lately.
Last week I went up to Yerevan for a Mentoring Workshop sponsored by the British Council. It was only a 2 day workshop, but since it takes me a full day to get there and then another day getting back, for me it was a week off of school. The workshop was very good and we're hoping to use some of it for the new volunteers this summer. Most of the programs in Peace Corps, especially here in Armenia, have an informal mentoring program among volunteers. The focus of this workshop was to set up mentoring relationships with our counterparts. I think it will be very helpful.
Spending a week in Yerevan is a bit expensive, but fun. There are a lot of restaurants there and of course there is a great yarn shop there. I've been in the yarn shop so often and buy so much yarn, that I now get a discount. In the middle of the week, there weren't any other volunteers in Yerevan besides the 4 of us attending the workshop. But on Friday others came in, so it was good to see them. I came back to my village Saturday to give myself Sunday to catch up on wash, etc. The ride back was a bit tricky and took 8 hours, instead of the usual 5 or 6. At one point the road (there is only one going north-south) had been closed for a while before we got to that point. After waiting for about 45 minutes, it was re-opened, but the police were monitoring how many cars went at any one time. This was being done at both ends of the 20 kilometer stretch. It wasn't that it was snowing, but there were white-out conditions because of the wind. I am glad that I don't plan on going back up to Yerevan until after the snow is all gone.
Some of what the Peace Corps teachers have established here are national and international competitions in spelling, writing and poetry. The Spelling Bee was held in November and right now is just held in the southern part of the country. The Poetry Festival/Competition this year will be a national competition with regional competitions held first. The entrants have to memorize an English poem and recite it. The Writing Olympics is an international competition with entrants from Armenia, Azerbjian, Georgia, Moldva, other Eurasian countries, and maybe even some African countries. It is based on creativity, not spelling or grammar. This is one of the few times these students get to be creative. It's a bit hard getting them to do that, since they are used to memorizing and giving back verbatum. However, my students have come a long way in the last few months and about 8 of them will enter. I really don't care how well they do, it's more the fact that they are willing to try and have increased their English ability.
As the winter drags on I am glad that I can crochet and have my computer on which I watch a lot of movies and play games. I can't imagine what being a Peace Corps volunteer was like 50 years ago without these amenities. I have watched more movies the past 20 months that I did the past 20 years.
The past two months have been relatively calm and enjoyable. This being my second year here, I feel much more comfortable and at home. February has been very cold and snowy. It seems as if every few days we have more snow. Living in a village only adds to the inconveniences that snow brings. Since most of the "walkways" are really just animal paths, needless to say they are not shoveled. The parts that don't get any sun at all become very icy and slippery. I have had to use my YakTraks a few times this winter. And there doesn't seem to be any end in sight to the snow and cold, since it's forecast that we will have snow most of next week. From the sounds of it I could have stayed in New York and had the same weather.
The other thing that I continue to notice is the rhythm and sounds of village life, even in the dead of winter. The most common sound is that of the men cutting wood for the stoves, for heat. Besides that, it is the quiet of the snow that I notice. It muffles the sounds of footsteps and even of the children yelling. Maybe I've just gotten used to them, but I don't even hear the cows, donkeys, or chickens as much lately.
Last week I went up to Yerevan for a Mentoring Workshop sponsored by the British Council. It was only a 2 day workshop, but since it takes me a full day to get there and then another day getting back, for me it was a week off of school. The workshop was very good and we're hoping to use some of it for the new volunteers this summer. Most of the programs in Peace Corps, especially here in Armenia, have an informal mentoring program among volunteers. The focus of this workshop was to set up mentoring relationships with our counterparts. I think it will be very helpful.
Spending a week in Yerevan is a bit expensive, but fun. There are a lot of restaurants there and of course there is a great yarn shop there. I've been in the yarn shop so often and buy so much yarn, that I now get a discount. In the middle of the week, there weren't any other volunteers in Yerevan besides the 4 of us attending the workshop. But on Friday others came in, so it was good to see them. I came back to my village Saturday to give myself Sunday to catch up on wash, etc. The ride back was a bit tricky and took 8 hours, instead of the usual 5 or 6. At one point the road (there is only one going north-south) had been closed for a while before we got to that point. After waiting for about 45 minutes, it was re-opened, but the police were monitoring how many cars went at any one time. This was being done at both ends of the 20 kilometer stretch. It wasn't that it was snowing, but there were white-out conditions because of the wind. I am glad that I don't plan on going back up to Yerevan until after the snow is all gone.
Some of what the Peace Corps teachers have established here are national and international competitions in spelling, writing and poetry. The Spelling Bee was held in November and right now is just held in the southern part of the country. The Poetry Festival/Competition this year will be a national competition with regional competitions held first. The entrants have to memorize an English poem and recite it. The Writing Olympics is an international competition with entrants from Armenia, Azerbjian, Georgia, Moldva, other Eurasian countries, and maybe even some African countries. It is based on creativity, not spelling or grammar. This is one of the few times these students get to be creative. It's a bit hard getting them to do that, since they are used to memorizing and giving back verbatum. However, my students have come a long way in the last few months and about 8 of them will enter. I really don't care how well they do, it's more the fact that they are willing to try and have increased their English ability.
As the winter drags on I am glad that I can crochet and have my computer on which I watch a lot of movies and play games. I can't imagine what being a Peace Corps volunteer was like 50 years ago without these amenities. I have watched more movies the past 20 months that I did the past 20 years.
Friday, January 14, 2011
January 14, 2011
I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year celebration. My holidays were a bit different, but good and enjoyable. I spent Christmas in Gavar, a mid-sized town up north near Lake Sevan. Four volunteers live there and they had decided to host Christmas this year and invited 24 of us to join them. Between the 4 apartments they were able to put everyone up for the weekend. It was a bit tight, but that added to the fun. At the apartment where I was staying, there were 8 of us sleeping in one room, about a 10 by 15 foot room. So, once one person decided to go to bed, everyone went to bed and the same in the morning. Thankfully, we all got along and are used to sharing tight quarters. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner were delicious, with a lot of shared memories of the holidays at home and the traditions we each have there. This year there were about 3 other large gatherings of PCVs around the country, which made it nice for the newer, younger volunteers who were spending their first Christmas away from home and family.
On Dec. 27th, my friend Pat and I left Yerevan for Tbilisi, Georgia, to spend the night there. Pat lives fairly close to Yerevan and we took a train into the city for a marchutney up to Tbilisi. The train ride was interesting. It wasn’t full, but farmers were bringing their crops to the shuka, so there were an assortment of vegetables and fruits. Some of the other passengers did some of their shopping on board and bought some fruit. Pat had never been in Tbilisi before, so it was fun to show her some of the city. The next afternoon we took a plane from Tbilisi to Istanbul, Turkey, and then to Cairo, Egypt. At the airport in Tbilisi we had met two other PCVs from Armenia, who were going to Turkey and were on the same flight as us. It’s always fun to be with other PCVs and share their adventures and stories.
We had arranged to stay at a hostel in Cairo, that was highly recommended by other PCVs who had stayed there in the summer. Someone from the hostel met us at the airport, at 3:30 in the morning and when we got to the hostel our room was ready. Since neither of us had slept on the planes, we took a short nap before heading out to explore Cairo. This was a “free” day, that is we had not tours scheduled, so we just walked around and surprisingly didn’t get lost, or at least we were able to get back to the hostel It was a day of sensory overload. We walked into small alleys that turned into mini-malls. There were rows upon rows of scarfs of every color imaginable. There were shop after shop of material for men’s suits. And of course there were food vendors of every kind. We wound our way over to the Nile, which was beautiful There were small boats for hire, with music and food. We went to go into the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, but it had already closed. Then we walked to the Abdeen Palace Museum, but that was also closed. On the way we found a yarn store and of course we both bought some Turkish yarn.
We went to a small restaurant for lunch that was recommended by Pat’s daughter’s friend. They serve this koshari which is made of rice, small noodles, spaghetti, lentils, tomato sauce and fried onions. It was delicious. In fact we ate it a lot during our trip.
On the way back to the hostel we walked along this street that was jam-packed with people. I felt absolutely overwhelmed between the crowd and the cacophony of noise and aromas. I never imagined Cairo being so crowded. There is almost a constant honking of horns that mixes with the call to prayer and the call of the street vendors to possible customers. I am not used to such noise nor such crowds. I miss my village, but it’s wonderful to experience this culture.
Our next day was very full. It started off with both Pat and I confused as to which clocks/we had set back, since there is a 2 hour time difference between Egypt abd Armenia. We soon straightened that out and found out it was only 6:30 and not 8:30. That was good because we were being picked up at 8;45 for our first tour.
Ehab was our guide and Nor was our driver for the next two days. Ehab is an archaeology student, so he was a wonderful resource person and gave lots of background on all we saw. Our first stop was to Saqqara, where there are 2 pyramids and afuneral temple to Djedkare-Isesi. They are restoring the surface of the pyramids by hand – exactly as it was originally done. We watched as they rolled a wheelbarrow filled with a huge stone in it, up a makeshift ramp. They have been working on this pyramid for over 2 years and only a miniscule amount is finished. I think Ehab said it would take another 12 years to completely restore it.
We then went to Memphis, one of the former capitals of Egypt, where there is a colossus of Ramses II. The size of this colossus is staggering. There are also other statues there, set in an outdoor museum, including a sphinx. There are also a lot of carpet schools in Memphis, one of which we visited and were given a tour and education about. Most of are hand-made using either silk or wool, or a combination of the two. It is a cottage industry in Egypt with about 90% of all carpets made in the homes. We watched as several students worked on various carpets and two older people were working on looms.
Finally we were on our way to Giza and the great Pyramids. We had caught glimpses of them this morning on our way out of town, but to see them up close was breath taking. We decided to ride out to the pyramids on a camel and horse. I rode the camel out while Pat rode the horse and then we switched for the ride back. It was fantastic to see them rising out of the dunes coming from the desert side of them. We rode out to a mountain spot opposite the pyramids where the view was magnificent. We could see the 3 pyramids and the sphinx. It was like being in another world. At times I felt like I was trespassing into something sacred. We were truly on holy ground. There was so much to take in and when we got back to our hostel we were both physically and mentally exhausted.
Our next day was much lighter, only 2 main areas of Cairo to see. We started in Islamic Cairo at the citadel. This complex has 2 mosques, a military museum, and a police museum, which was closed. We first went into the Mosque of the Sultan al Nasir. It is an outdoor mosque, of medium size, but we still had to take our shoes off. This one is not ordinarily used for prayer. The mihrab stands out against the rough stone because it is a feast of gold and marble. (The mihra is a niche indicating the direction of Mecca)
The Mohammed Ali Mosque was in stark contrast to the other, it is made out of alabaster and glistens in the sun. It is an enclosed mosque with a huge courtyard that has a domed ablution fountain in the center. The inside of the mosque was beautiful with chandeliers, stained glass windows up high, and sayings from the Koran all around on the walls. There were 2 mihrabs, one of alabaster, set back, and the other of green and gold art nouveau. It is completely carpeted with the individual prayer spots marked off. To the right of the entrance is where Mohammed Ali is buried beneath a white marble cenotaph, which is behind a bronze grill. Even though there were a lot of tourist in the mosque, it ws very quiet inside. A real sense of holiness, prayerfulness pervaded the mosque.
The view from the citadel was great. It showed a real contrast --- old Egyptian houses and new high rises alongside each other. This contrast between old and new is prevalent throughout Cairo though – women in burqa’s using cell phones, donkey carts competing with Volvos on the streets. Before leaving the citadel we went through the military museum. I kept thinking that Kevin and Colin would have loved it. It is set in an old palace that has been wonderfully maintained and adds a certain stature to the exhibits.
Our next stop was in Coptic Cairo, which is a walled-in section of the city that has about 5 Coptic Churches and a synagogue. It was interesting to note the similarities in the 3 places of worship, knowing the similarities in their beliefs. We went into only 2 of the churches besides the synagogue. The mosaics in all the churches are really beautiful.
Since it was New Year’s Eve, we decided to go to a jazz club for dinner. However, the cover charge was a bit high, so we just went out to dinner at another restaurant. With the constant noise in the street on any given day, it was hard to tell if there was any additional honking for the New Year. The next morning we found out that for Egyptians, going to the movies is a big thing on New Year’s Eve.
Our train to Luxor didn’t leave until 8 PM Saturday, so after packing up everything we headed off to the Museum of Antiquities. This is a massive museum that probably takes weeks, if not months, to see everything. I bought a book about it, so we could plan our visit. Of course we wanted to see the King Tut exhibit and also some of the Middle Kingdom items. I remembered some of the King Tut items from when it was on tour. But it is breathtaking when it’s all together. It’s hard to comprehend that it was all found in the tomb and most of it in very good shape. The detail on some of the artifacts is astonishing. But after 3 hours we were on overload, so we left the museum.
One of the things that struck both Pat and I is the hospitality, friendliness, and graciousness of the Egyptian people. They are genuinely proud of their country and happy that people come to visit it. They do their best to help others and make the visit enjoyable. And they are interested in learning about us and our country. In the Military Museum a group of teenage Egyptian girls came up behind us. We stopped to let them pass, but they wanted to take pictures of us and them together. Then we mut up with them again outside and one started asking us questions, very politely. She wanted to know what we thought of Egypt, of her people and of Islam. It was a very interesting experience.
The overnight train to Luxor was very comfortable. Our compartment had a sink, some hangers, 2 seats, which converted into a bunk bed. We were served a decent supper and breakfast and got to Luxor at 6 AM where we were met by someone from the hotel. After a little nap, we again headed out to explore this city. It was fascinating, beautiful and intriguing. We walked along the Nile, then into the heart of the city, found the Souk (outdoor market) and walked the seemingly unending length of it. The sights, sounds, and smells reflect the lives of these people. The Souk had everything one could imagine – from food to clothing to souvenirs. Some fairly well organized stalls, and others just a mish mash of items. One end teeming with tourists and the further we walked into it the more it was mainly natives.
We toured two magnificent temples today. Each ancient temple is set up the same, with the holiest part in the middle. There are a series of outer courtyards with immense columns and hieroglyphics all over the walls, relating the story of the king or gods. Where these figures are still intack our guides would tell us the stories. There were even places they used color and it almost looked like tile. Both temples are pretty much in good condition, with restoration in progress. The big project in Luxor seems to be the “Avenue of ‘Sphinxes.” This will eventually be a 3 kilometer walkway connecting the two temples and lined on both sides with sphinxes. Since our tour didn’t start until 3 PM, by the time we got to the second temple it was dark. But the way they have positioned the lights it was beautiful to see.
On our second day in Luxor we were awakened at 5 AM by the call to prayer. It seems that our hotel is right next to a mosque. It wasn’t that bad since we had to get up early in order to leave for the West Bank today to see the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and a temple to Queen Hetshepsut.
The temple was our first stop, and again was just staggering to see and walk through. It was 3 stories, with each story set back a bit to allow for a terrace. This queens’ stepson didn’t like her so he had most of her images scratched out after her death and he became king. Then we went to the Valley of the Kings where most of the kings of ancient Egypt are buried. So far they have discovered 62 tombs. Some of these tombs are massive underground tunnels and chambers with the legend of the king depicted on the walls. Even the sides of the valley look like huge columns. We were able to go into 3 tombs. The first one was the longest and it was no easy feat walking back up from the tomb. These tombs were started as soon as the man became king so the legend could be depicted. Once the king died, the workers had only 70 day to complete the tomb. This was the amount of time the mummification process took. Once the king’s body was in the tomb, it was sealed. Again it was mind boggling to see the intricacies of the art work on the walls. The other 2 tombs were smaller, but just as elaborate.
The Valley of the Queens is a smaller valley, but the tombs are just as impressive. Again we went into 3 tombs, walking down along wooden walkways put up to protect the interior from all the usage. There was so much to see and it's all so impressive that I was again overloaded with all the sensory images and information. It was almost too much to take in.
After lunch we went on a felucca ride over to Banana Island. It would have been a beautiful sail, but there was absolutely no wind. So the 2 crew, young boys, rowed us over to the other side of the Nile and then took turns pulling us along the bank. Once we reached our destination, we had to walk about 100 yards through dried river bottom, then up the bank to the banana plantation. We had a short tour of the plantation, got to taste their very delicious bananas and then reversed our trek and had a beautiful sunset ride back to the east bank. Again there was no wind, but at least we were going with the current this time.
That night we took the overnight train back to Cairo and had a day and a half to just relax and once again enjoy the city. We walked around some more and discovered more interesting alleyways and shops of the city. It was a wonderful vacation, one that I will think about often.
I got back to my village on Saturday, Jan. 8, and we were having the first snowfall of the season. When I awoke on Sunday it was to a beautiful vista of a glistening white village. It snowed off and on for the next 3 days. My water was still running when I got home, but it stopped Sunday and has been more off then on since. Thanks goodness for the snow, which I can melt at night on my wood stove. I had this past week off, since my counterpart was away,, so I am looking forward to going back to school on Monday.
The new year started off with more good news from the home front – another engagement. I am happy for Kevin and Amanda and look forward to getting to know Amanda and her family.
I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year celebration. My holidays were a bit different, but good and enjoyable. I spent Christmas in Gavar, a mid-sized town up north near Lake Sevan. Four volunteers live there and they had decided to host Christmas this year and invited 24 of us to join them. Between the 4 apartments they were able to put everyone up for the weekend. It was a bit tight, but that added to the fun. At the apartment where I was staying, there were 8 of us sleeping in one room, about a 10 by 15 foot room. So, once one person decided to go to bed, everyone went to bed and the same in the morning. Thankfully, we all got along and are used to sharing tight quarters. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner were delicious, with a lot of shared memories of the holidays at home and the traditions we each have there. This year there were about 3 other large gatherings of PCVs around the country, which made it nice for the newer, younger volunteers who were spending their first Christmas away from home and family.
On Dec. 27th, my friend Pat and I left Yerevan for Tbilisi, Georgia, to spend the night there. Pat lives fairly close to Yerevan and we took a train into the city for a marchutney up to Tbilisi. The train ride was interesting. It wasn’t full, but farmers were bringing their crops to the shuka, so there were an assortment of vegetables and fruits. Some of the other passengers did some of their shopping on board and bought some fruit. Pat had never been in Tbilisi before, so it was fun to show her some of the city. The next afternoon we took a plane from Tbilisi to Istanbul, Turkey, and then to Cairo, Egypt. At the airport in Tbilisi we had met two other PCVs from Armenia, who were going to Turkey and were on the same flight as us. It’s always fun to be with other PCVs and share their adventures and stories.
We had arranged to stay at a hostel in Cairo, that was highly recommended by other PCVs who had stayed there in the summer. Someone from the hostel met us at the airport, at 3:30 in the morning and when we got to the hostel our room was ready. Since neither of us had slept on the planes, we took a short nap before heading out to explore Cairo. This was a “free” day, that is we had not tours scheduled, so we just walked around and surprisingly didn’t get lost, or at least we were able to get back to the hostel It was a day of sensory overload. We walked into small alleys that turned into mini-malls. There were rows upon rows of scarfs of every color imaginable. There were shop after shop of material for men’s suits. And of course there were food vendors of every kind. We wound our way over to the Nile, which was beautiful There were small boats for hire, with music and food. We went to go into the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, but it had already closed. Then we walked to the Abdeen Palace Museum, but that was also closed. On the way we found a yarn store and of course we both bought some Turkish yarn.
We went to a small restaurant for lunch that was recommended by Pat’s daughter’s friend. They serve this koshari which is made of rice, small noodles, spaghetti, lentils, tomato sauce and fried onions. It was delicious. In fact we ate it a lot during our trip.
On the way back to the hostel we walked along this street that was jam-packed with people. I felt absolutely overwhelmed between the crowd and the cacophony of noise and aromas. I never imagined Cairo being so crowded. There is almost a constant honking of horns that mixes with the call to prayer and the call of the street vendors to possible customers. I am not used to such noise nor such crowds. I miss my village, but it’s wonderful to experience this culture.
Our next day was very full. It started off with both Pat and I confused as to which clocks/we had set back, since there is a 2 hour time difference between Egypt abd Armenia. We soon straightened that out and found out it was only 6:30 and not 8:30. That was good because we were being picked up at 8;45 for our first tour.
Ehab was our guide and Nor was our driver for the next two days. Ehab is an archaeology student, so he was a wonderful resource person and gave lots of background on all we saw. Our first stop was to Saqqara, where there are 2 pyramids and afuneral temple to Djedkare-Isesi. They are restoring the surface of the pyramids by hand – exactly as it was originally done. We watched as they rolled a wheelbarrow filled with a huge stone in it, up a makeshift ramp. They have been working on this pyramid for over 2 years and only a miniscule amount is finished. I think Ehab said it would take another 12 years to completely restore it.
We then went to Memphis, one of the former capitals of Egypt, where there is a colossus of Ramses II. The size of this colossus is staggering. There are also other statues there, set in an outdoor museum, including a sphinx. There are also a lot of carpet schools in Memphis, one of which we visited and were given a tour and education about. Most of are hand-made using either silk or wool, or a combination of the two. It is a cottage industry in Egypt with about 90% of all carpets made in the homes. We watched as several students worked on various carpets and two older people were working on looms.
Finally we were on our way to Giza and the great Pyramids. We had caught glimpses of them this morning on our way out of town, but to see them up close was breath taking. We decided to ride out to the pyramids on a camel and horse. I rode the camel out while Pat rode the horse and then we switched for the ride back. It was fantastic to see them rising out of the dunes coming from the desert side of them. We rode out to a mountain spot opposite the pyramids where the view was magnificent. We could see the 3 pyramids and the sphinx. It was like being in another world. At times I felt like I was trespassing into something sacred. We were truly on holy ground. There was so much to take in and when we got back to our hostel we were both physically and mentally exhausted.
Our next day was much lighter, only 2 main areas of Cairo to see. We started in Islamic Cairo at the citadel. This complex has 2 mosques, a military museum, and a police museum, which was closed. We first went into the Mosque of the Sultan al Nasir. It is an outdoor mosque, of medium size, but we still had to take our shoes off. This one is not ordinarily used for prayer. The mihrab stands out against the rough stone because it is a feast of gold and marble. (The mihra is a niche indicating the direction of Mecca)
The Mohammed Ali Mosque was in stark contrast to the other, it is made out of alabaster and glistens in the sun. It is an enclosed mosque with a huge courtyard that has a domed ablution fountain in the center. The inside of the mosque was beautiful with chandeliers, stained glass windows up high, and sayings from the Koran all around on the walls. There were 2 mihrabs, one of alabaster, set back, and the other of green and gold art nouveau. It is completely carpeted with the individual prayer spots marked off. To the right of the entrance is where Mohammed Ali is buried beneath a white marble cenotaph, which is behind a bronze grill. Even though there were a lot of tourist in the mosque, it ws very quiet inside. A real sense of holiness, prayerfulness pervaded the mosque.
The view from the citadel was great. It showed a real contrast --- old Egyptian houses and new high rises alongside each other. This contrast between old and new is prevalent throughout Cairo though – women in burqa’s using cell phones, donkey carts competing with Volvos on the streets. Before leaving the citadel we went through the military museum. I kept thinking that Kevin and Colin would have loved it. It is set in an old palace that has been wonderfully maintained and adds a certain stature to the exhibits.
Our next stop was in Coptic Cairo, which is a walled-in section of the city that has about 5 Coptic Churches and a synagogue. It was interesting to note the similarities in the 3 places of worship, knowing the similarities in their beliefs. We went into only 2 of the churches besides the synagogue. The mosaics in all the churches are really beautiful.
Since it was New Year’s Eve, we decided to go to a jazz club for dinner. However, the cover charge was a bit high, so we just went out to dinner at another restaurant. With the constant noise in the street on any given day, it was hard to tell if there was any additional honking for the New Year. The next morning we found out that for Egyptians, going to the movies is a big thing on New Year’s Eve.
Our train to Luxor didn’t leave until 8 PM Saturday, so after packing up everything we headed off to the Museum of Antiquities. This is a massive museum that probably takes weeks, if not months, to see everything. I bought a book about it, so we could plan our visit. Of course we wanted to see the King Tut exhibit and also some of the Middle Kingdom items. I remembered some of the King Tut items from when it was on tour. But it is breathtaking when it’s all together. It’s hard to comprehend that it was all found in the tomb and most of it in very good shape. The detail on some of the artifacts is astonishing. But after 3 hours we were on overload, so we left the museum.
One of the things that struck both Pat and I is the hospitality, friendliness, and graciousness of the Egyptian people. They are genuinely proud of their country and happy that people come to visit it. They do their best to help others and make the visit enjoyable. And they are interested in learning about us and our country. In the Military Museum a group of teenage Egyptian girls came up behind us. We stopped to let them pass, but they wanted to take pictures of us and them together. Then we mut up with them again outside and one started asking us questions, very politely. She wanted to know what we thought of Egypt, of her people and of Islam. It was a very interesting experience.
The overnight train to Luxor was very comfortable. Our compartment had a sink, some hangers, 2 seats, which converted into a bunk bed. We were served a decent supper and breakfast and got to Luxor at 6 AM where we were met by someone from the hotel. After a little nap, we again headed out to explore this city. It was fascinating, beautiful and intriguing. We walked along the Nile, then into the heart of the city, found the Souk (outdoor market) and walked the seemingly unending length of it. The sights, sounds, and smells reflect the lives of these people. The Souk had everything one could imagine – from food to clothing to souvenirs. Some fairly well organized stalls, and others just a mish mash of items. One end teeming with tourists and the further we walked into it the more it was mainly natives.
We toured two magnificent temples today. Each ancient temple is set up the same, with the holiest part in the middle. There are a series of outer courtyards with immense columns and hieroglyphics all over the walls, relating the story of the king or gods. Where these figures are still intack our guides would tell us the stories. There were even places they used color and it almost looked like tile. Both temples are pretty much in good condition, with restoration in progress. The big project in Luxor seems to be the “Avenue of ‘Sphinxes.” This will eventually be a 3 kilometer walkway connecting the two temples and lined on both sides with sphinxes. Since our tour didn’t start until 3 PM, by the time we got to the second temple it was dark. But the way they have positioned the lights it was beautiful to see.
On our second day in Luxor we were awakened at 5 AM by the call to prayer. It seems that our hotel is right next to a mosque. It wasn’t that bad since we had to get up early in order to leave for the West Bank today to see the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and a temple to Queen Hetshepsut.
The temple was our first stop, and again was just staggering to see and walk through. It was 3 stories, with each story set back a bit to allow for a terrace. This queens’ stepson didn’t like her so he had most of her images scratched out after her death and he became king. Then we went to the Valley of the Kings where most of the kings of ancient Egypt are buried. So far they have discovered 62 tombs. Some of these tombs are massive underground tunnels and chambers with the legend of the king depicted on the walls. Even the sides of the valley look like huge columns. We were able to go into 3 tombs. The first one was the longest and it was no easy feat walking back up from the tomb. These tombs were started as soon as the man became king so the legend could be depicted. Once the king died, the workers had only 70 day to complete the tomb. This was the amount of time the mummification process took. Once the king’s body was in the tomb, it was sealed. Again it was mind boggling to see the intricacies of the art work on the walls. The other 2 tombs were smaller, but just as elaborate.
The Valley of the Queens is a smaller valley, but the tombs are just as impressive. Again we went into 3 tombs, walking down along wooden walkways put up to protect the interior from all the usage. There was so much to see and it's all so impressive that I was again overloaded with all the sensory images and information. It was almost too much to take in.
After lunch we went on a felucca ride over to Banana Island. It would have been a beautiful sail, but there was absolutely no wind. So the 2 crew, young boys, rowed us over to the other side of the Nile and then took turns pulling us along the bank. Once we reached our destination, we had to walk about 100 yards through dried river bottom, then up the bank to the banana plantation. We had a short tour of the plantation, got to taste their very delicious bananas and then reversed our trek and had a beautiful sunset ride back to the east bank. Again there was no wind, but at least we were going with the current this time.
That night we took the overnight train back to Cairo and had a day and a half to just relax and once again enjoy the city. We walked around some more and discovered more interesting alleyways and shops of the city. It was a wonderful vacation, one that I will think about often.
I got back to my village on Saturday, Jan. 8, and we were having the first snowfall of the season. When I awoke on Sunday it was to a beautiful vista of a glistening white village. It snowed off and on for the next 3 days. My water was still running when I got home, but it stopped Sunday and has been more off then on since. Thanks goodness for the snow, which I can melt at night on my wood stove. I had this past week off, since my counterpart was away,, so I am looking forward to going back to school on Monday.
The new year started off with more good news from the home front – another engagement. I am happy for Kevin and Amanda and look forward to getting to know Amanda and her family.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
December 9, 2010
Thanksgiving dinner turned out much better than I anticipated. Luckily the turkey just fit in my oven (which is more like a toaster-oven). I had bought a 7 kilo bird, about 15 pounds and after using wooden spoons to form a rack in my roasting pan, I was just able to squeeze the bird in. Just to be on the safe side, I put it in at 10 AM, not knowing exactly how long it would take. My oven is very old and cooks very slow. I didn’t realize it until I was ready to cook it, but the turkey had a pop-up timer in it. However, since I had to squeeze the wings down, one of them prevented the timer from popping up. It only took 6 ½ hours to cook and it was delicious. Once the turkey was done I was able to put the stuffing in, which I had made from scratch, since I couldn’t find Pepperidge Farm. We also had mashed potatoes, gravy, cauliflower, and carrots. The gravy also came out good, with no lumps. This was the first time in a long time that I made gravy from scratch.
There were 7 of us celebrating Thanksgiving together. Robin had brought bread, Bryan and Chris brought cheese and crackers, Sam brought wine, Paul brought fruit, and Shannon had made the carrot soufflé. We had a wonderful time talking about how we each celebrate the day at home and sharing funny stories. It was a good day, but I’m sure next year will be even better when I’m home.
That Saturday was another joyous day for the Fullam family. Brendan proposed to Jackie and she said yes. We are all very happy and excited for them. Now I have 3 weddings, my niece Heather is also engaged, and a new baby to go home to. It almost sounds like a movie, “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” There is much joy and excitement in our family.
We had our All-Volunteer Conference the next week. The new volunteers had to be there Saturday night and we had to be there Monday night. I went up Saturday in order to visit with my host family in Karashamb, my training village. I enjoy seeing them and spending time with them and this gave me a good opportunity to do so. I had to be in Yerevan on Monday in order to help with the cooking for Monday night and to do a workshop for the new volunteers.
Monday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with all 96 PCVs in country and about 20 Staff members and their families. We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rice, green beans, carrot soufflé, and we even had yams. And of course there were pies: apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue. Afterwards there was the annual talent show, which is a lot of fun. A good time was had by all.
The Conference was good, better than last year’s. On the second day, we split up into sectors and met with specialists in that field. For the TEFL sector, we met with some people from the National Institute of Ed., one of the author’s of the text books, a man from British Council and someone from an agency that accredits colleges and universities. We had a very good discussion with the NIE people, although they didn’t agree with all our ideas. And the author actually agreed to setting up a standing committee to work with her on revising the textbooks. We’re hoping to do the same with the other authors.
Since we were all together for World AIDS Day, a few of the PCVs had arranged for us to get t-shirts with an AIDS message on them and to participate in a flash mob event to mark the day. I had never heard of this before, but I was eager to do it. We walked from our hotel to the center of the city where we met up with some other groups. There is a pedestrian mall nearby and so we walked over to that and spread out up and down it. At a specified time someone blew a whistle, at which we all took off our coats, so everyone could see our t-shirts and then we struck poses for a minute. It was interesting to watch the faces on those walking by as they threaded their way through us and tried to figure out what was going on. Eventually they got it and stopped to read the signs that some were holding up. It was a very moving experience.
Friday night was probably the highlight of the week for me. A group of us had gotten tickets for a concert by Placido Domingo. The tickets were a bit expensive, but they were worth every dram we paid. The concert was in a huge sports and concert arena, that was packed. It started at 8:30 and didn’t end until after 11:00. He sang about every other song, with three other singers rotating in and out, and sometimes he sang a duet with one of them. The acoustics in the place were great. After three encore songs, a group of disabled singers came out onto the stage and they sang with him. It was very moving. They closed the concert with everyone singing the Armenian national anthem. I never thought that I would get a chance to hear Placido Domingo in person, especially in Armenia. One never knows what will happen in the Peace Corps.
We have been very lucky so far with the weather, it has been unseasonably warm. Most of November it was in the 60’s during the day and didn’t get much below 45 at night. Even now the days are fairly warm, about mid 50s, but the nights do get a bit colder, probably in the 30s. They keep saying that it will turn colder soon and we’ll have snow, but I’m enjoying this weather as long as it lasts and it’s helping to preserve my wood supply. I do have to light my wood stove at night, but I also cook on it and it helps to dry my laundry over night.
I can’t believe that we only have two more weeks of school before Christmas. I’ll be going up north to another volunteer’s house for Christmas and then I’m off to Egypt for a week or so. I hope everyone has a very blessed Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
Thanksgiving dinner turned out much better than I anticipated. Luckily the turkey just fit in my oven (which is more like a toaster-oven). I had bought a 7 kilo bird, about 15 pounds and after using wooden spoons to form a rack in my roasting pan, I was just able to squeeze the bird in. Just to be on the safe side, I put it in at 10 AM, not knowing exactly how long it would take. My oven is very old and cooks very slow. I didn’t realize it until I was ready to cook it, but the turkey had a pop-up timer in it. However, since I had to squeeze the wings down, one of them prevented the timer from popping up. It only took 6 ½ hours to cook and it was delicious. Once the turkey was done I was able to put the stuffing in, which I had made from scratch, since I couldn’t find Pepperidge Farm. We also had mashed potatoes, gravy, cauliflower, and carrots. The gravy also came out good, with no lumps. This was the first time in a long time that I made gravy from scratch.
There were 7 of us celebrating Thanksgiving together. Robin had brought bread, Bryan and Chris brought cheese and crackers, Sam brought wine, Paul brought fruit, and Shannon had made the carrot soufflé. We had a wonderful time talking about how we each celebrate the day at home and sharing funny stories. It was a good day, but I’m sure next year will be even better when I’m home.
That Saturday was another joyous day for the Fullam family. Brendan proposed to Jackie and she said yes. We are all very happy and excited for them. Now I have 3 weddings, my niece Heather is also engaged, and a new baby to go home to. It almost sounds like a movie, “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” There is much joy and excitement in our family.
We had our All-Volunteer Conference the next week. The new volunteers had to be there Saturday night and we had to be there Monday night. I went up Saturday in order to visit with my host family in Karashamb, my training village. I enjoy seeing them and spending time with them and this gave me a good opportunity to do so. I had to be in Yerevan on Monday in order to help with the cooking for Monday night and to do a workshop for the new volunteers.
Monday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with all 96 PCVs in country and about 20 Staff members and their families. We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rice, green beans, carrot soufflé, and we even had yams. And of course there were pies: apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue. Afterwards there was the annual talent show, which is a lot of fun. A good time was had by all.
The Conference was good, better than last year’s. On the second day, we split up into sectors and met with specialists in that field. For the TEFL sector, we met with some people from the National Institute of Ed., one of the author’s of the text books, a man from British Council and someone from an agency that accredits colleges and universities. We had a very good discussion with the NIE people, although they didn’t agree with all our ideas. And the author actually agreed to setting up a standing committee to work with her on revising the textbooks. We’re hoping to do the same with the other authors.
Since we were all together for World AIDS Day, a few of the PCVs had arranged for us to get t-shirts with an AIDS message on them and to participate in a flash mob event to mark the day. I had never heard of this before, but I was eager to do it. We walked from our hotel to the center of the city where we met up with some other groups. There is a pedestrian mall nearby and so we walked over to that and spread out up and down it. At a specified time someone blew a whistle, at which we all took off our coats, so everyone could see our t-shirts and then we struck poses for a minute. It was interesting to watch the faces on those walking by as they threaded their way through us and tried to figure out what was going on. Eventually they got it and stopped to read the signs that some were holding up. It was a very moving experience.
Friday night was probably the highlight of the week for me. A group of us had gotten tickets for a concert by Placido Domingo. The tickets were a bit expensive, but they were worth every dram we paid. The concert was in a huge sports and concert arena, that was packed. It started at 8:30 and didn’t end until after 11:00. He sang about every other song, with three other singers rotating in and out, and sometimes he sang a duet with one of them. The acoustics in the place were great. After three encore songs, a group of disabled singers came out onto the stage and they sang with him. It was very moving. They closed the concert with everyone singing the Armenian national anthem. I never thought that I would get a chance to hear Placido Domingo in person, especially in Armenia. One never knows what will happen in the Peace Corps.
We have been very lucky so far with the weather, it has been unseasonably warm. Most of November it was in the 60’s during the day and didn’t get much below 45 at night. Even now the days are fairly warm, about mid 50s, but the nights do get a bit colder, probably in the 30s. They keep saying that it will turn colder soon and we’ll have snow, but I’m enjoying this weather as long as it lasts and it’s helping to preserve my wood supply. I do have to light my wood stove at night, but I also cook on it and it helps to dry my laundry over night.
I can’t believe that we only have two more weeks of school before Christmas. I’ll be going up north to another volunteer’s house for Christmas and then I’m off to Egypt for a week or so. I hope everyone has a very blessed Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
November 21, 2010
I started this month with having a problem with mice, not exactly my favorite animal. I wasn’t sure at first if I had mice, but I soon found their droppings on a regular basis in my kitchen. So I went to the store in my village and bought a mouse trap. Unfortunately the first night I didn’t set it properly and wound up feeding the mice instead of catching them. The next day the electrician was at my house checking on an outlet and he showed me how to set it. For the next few nights I was in business. But that also meant that I had to get the mice out of the trap in order to reuse them. Not wanting to do this, I would catch some of the older boys on their way to school in the mornings and have them get rid of the mice. I’m very thankful that everyone has to pass my house on their way to school. I can happily say that I’ve been mouse free for the past 2 weeks.
One of the other TEFL volunteers decided to have a day of teacher workshops in his city for all the English teachers in the surrounding area. About 6 of us volunteered to help him, and so the second weekend in Nov. I travelled up to Berd. This is a city in the northeast part of the country, that is a bit difficult to get to. After getting up to Yerevan, which is a 6 hour ride, I then had another 3 ½ hour taxi ride. However, it was well worth it and gave me an opportunity to see another part of this country and spend some time with other PCVs I don’t ordinarily see. Since I was supposed to get back to my village on Sunday, I left Berd Saturday afternoon and went with Pat to her site, which is just outside of Yerevan. Pat has this unbelievable apartment, which is not at all Peace Corps-like. When I called to make a reservation on the marchutney, I found out that I would have to wait until Monday morning. So I stayed an extra day which gave me a chance to see Artashat, Pat’s site, and spend time with Pat. Monday morning we walked out to the highway to flag down the marchutney. I found out that getting on enroute is not the best, since I didn’t exactly have a seat, but at least I got back to my site.
Not having a seat turned out not to be the worst part of my day. Upon getting back to my house, I couldn’t unlock the door. The key would only turn part of the way and then it got stuck in the lock. I called the local handy man, but he didn’t answer. I finally unlocked the door, but then it wouldn’t close. Sosa, the handy-man called me back and came over a bit later. He was able to fix the door, thank goodness.
We’ve been having an unseasonably warm November and dry as well. The foliage has been very muted at best and now all the trees are bare. During the height of the colors, I could look across the valley and the trees had a golden hue to them that gave them a softness. I’m hoping that the warm November means a warmer winter this year, although last winter wasn’t terribly cold. I have started using my wood stove at night just to get the chill out of the house. However, it is still comfortable in the mornings, so I don’t even have to use my heater.
This past Friday the school had a harvest celebration. All the students brought in some vegetables or fruits from their gardens. Each class was given a table to decorate and set up their display on, with some of the classes combining. It was amazing to see the creativity of some of the students, making faces on pumpkins and squash with other vegetables. A lot of the parents were also there, helping the younger students. Two of the older groups even had wine as part of their displays. I was part of the judging panel, along with the Russian teacher and science teacher. There were 8 categories and a different group won in each category, very democratic. After the judging everyone was invited to taste anything they wanted to. Of course as I went from table to table I kept getting food handed to me and went home with two big bags full of fresh produce.
We’ve been given Thanksgiving Day off this year and so I decided to host dinner for the volunteers in my area. I invited about 13 other PCVs, 7 of which will be coming. I even found a turkey for the meal, which was very lucky since they don’t have turkey here often. We will also celebrate Thanksgiving the following Monday when all of the PCVs in country will be together and we’ll have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for this year, as always. I have a wonderful, supportive family who I look forward to spending next Thanksgiving with. I will be going home to the wedding of Kerin and Chuck. And, Kate and Andrew are expecting their first child.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I started this month with having a problem with mice, not exactly my favorite animal. I wasn’t sure at first if I had mice, but I soon found their droppings on a regular basis in my kitchen. So I went to the store in my village and bought a mouse trap. Unfortunately the first night I didn’t set it properly and wound up feeding the mice instead of catching them. The next day the electrician was at my house checking on an outlet and he showed me how to set it. For the next few nights I was in business. But that also meant that I had to get the mice out of the trap in order to reuse them. Not wanting to do this, I would catch some of the older boys on their way to school in the mornings and have them get rid of the mice. I’m very thankful that everyone has to pass my house on their way to school. I can happily say that I’ve been mouse free for the past 2 weeks.
One of the other TEFL volunteers decided to have a day of teacher workshops in his city for all the English teachers in the surrounding area. About 6 of us volunteered to help him, and so the second weekend in Nov. I travelled up to Berd. This is a city in the northeast part of the country, that is a bit difficult to get to. After getting up to Yerevan, which is a 6 hour ride, I then had another 3 ½ hour taxi ride. However, it was well worth it and gave me an opportunity to see another part of this country and spend some time with other PCVs I don’t ordinarily see. Since I was supposed to get back to my village on Sunday, I left Berd Saturday afternoon and went with Pat to her site, which is just outside of Yerevan. Pat has this unbelievable apartment, which is not at all Peace Corps-like. When I called to make a reservation on the marchutney, I found out that I would have to wait until Monday morning. So I stayed an extra day which gave me a chance to see Artashat, Pat’s site, and spend time with Pat. Monday morning we walked out to the highway to flag down the marchutney. I found out that getting on enroute is not the best, since I didn’t exactly have a seat, but at least I got back to my site.
Not having a seat turned out not to be the worst part of my day. Upon getting back to my house, I couldn’t unlock the door. The key would only turn part of the way and then it got stuck in the lock. I called the local handy man, but he didn’t answer. I finally unlocked the door, but then it wouldn’t close. Sosa, the handy-man called me back and came over a bit later. He was able to fix the door, thank goodness.
We’ve been having an unseasonably warm November and dry as well. The foliage has been very muted at best and now all the trees are bare. During the height of the colors, I could look across the valley and the trees had a golden hue to them that gave them a softness. I’m hoping that the warm November means a warmer winter this year, although last winter wasn’t terribly cold. I have started using my wood stove at night just to get the chill out of the house. However, it is still comfortable in the mornings, so I don’t even have to use my heater.
This past Friday the school had a harvest celebration. All the students brought in some vegetables or fruits from their gardens. Each class was given a table to decorate and set up their display on, with some of the classes combining. It was amazing to see the creativity of some of the students, making faces on pumpkins and squash with other vegetables. A lot of the parents were also there, helping the younger students. Two of the older groups even had wine as part of their displays. I was part of the judging panel, along with the Russian teacher and science teacher. There were 8 categories and a different group won in each category, very democratic. After the judging everyone was invited to taste anything they wanted to. Of course as I went from table to table I kept getting food handed to me and went home with two big bags full of fresh produce.
We’ve been given Thanksgiving Day off this year and so I decided to host dinner for the volunteers in my area. I invited about 13 other PCVs, 7 of which will be coming. I even found a turkey for the meal, which was very lucky since they don’t have turkey here often. We will also celebrate Thanksgiving the following Monday when all of the PCVs in country will be together and we’ll have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for this year, as always. I have a wonderful, supportive family who I look forward to spending next Thanksgiving with. I will be going home to the wedding of Kerin and Chuck. And, Kate and Andrew are expecting their first child.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Friday, October 29, 2010
October 29, 2010
These past three weeks certainly seemed to have flown by, which I guess means that I’ve been happy and busy. School has settled into a nice routine, although at least once a week our schedule is changed, but I’ve come to expect that.
Two weeks ago I broke my glasses and the other pair has a scratch on one lens. In order to get new glasses I had to go up to Yerevan on a Thursday so they would be ready by Friday, since they don’t work on Saturdays. I have progressive lenses, which I really like and have gotten used to, but here in Armenia they are a problem. It seems that in the past few years, other PCVs have tried to get new progressive lenses, but none were happy with the outcome. Since the upper part of my lenses are for driving, which I’m not doing now, I agreed that I could do with just the lower part of the prescription, with the upper part just glass. It didn’t quite work out that way, they filled the whole lens with the reading prescription. So now I have 3 pair of glasses, each with their own special quirk, but I’m making it work since it’s for less than a year.
That weekend in Yerevan turned out to be unexpected good. I wasn’t sure what other PCVs would be in town, if any, so I was prepared to just see some of the cultural things. However, on Friday I was invited by my Program Manager to go with her on some site visits to the new PCVs. It was very interesting to see how some of the other TEFLs are doing, what their schools are like and their counterparts and how they work together, or not. Chad is an one of the largest villages in Armenia and some of his classes have almost as many students as my whole school. A very different situation, but also similar in a lot of respects. We observed two of his classes and then went to see the house he will be moving into. The next stop was at a university, where we again observed a PCV, Beckey and met with her counterpart as well as the president of the university, who also happens to be a Bishop. Beckey will also be working with the NIE (National Institute of Education) and doing teacher training so we visited there and then went to see the apartment she will be moving into. As I said, it was a very interesting day and one which again made me very thankful for both my counterpart and village.
As it turned out there were two other older PCVs in Yerevan that weekend also, so we spent Friday night and Saturday together. Friday night we had dinner at the interim Country Director’s house, along with two Fulbright Scholars. Diana, the CD, will be here only until the middle of December. She’s been in the Ukraine as a PCV and CD, as well as in Morocco and other countries. We had an interesting conversation with her and her husband, as well as a wonderful home-cooked meal.
The two Fulbright Scholars are both very interesting and knowledgeable women. Jane is an architect who is here for a year and teaching at one of the universities in Yerevan and doing some research in Gyumri. She has spent a lot of time in Yerevan, first with her husband when he was a visiting professor and then on several visits. She gave a talk Saturday, which we attended, on Community Planning and Design. It was very interesting to hear how cities and towns are responding to the community’s needs and cultural, and how that changes or influences their planning.
Ana, the other Fulbright Scholar, is a linguist and is teaching at one of the universities and will only be here until December. She is originally from Venezuela and was recently named one of the top 50 influential Hispanic-American women in America. Both of these women are very down to earth and a real joy to be with. Needless to say our conversations during the meals we shared were very stimulating. We hope to get together again before Ana leaves.
That Saturday was a big day in Yerevan. Grand Candy, an Armenian candy company, was celebrating being put in the Guinness Book of World Records for having made the world’s biggest candy bar. In the center of the city, Republic Square, they had a big stage set up, a ton of Grand Candy mini-vans, and a lot of security. At 6:30 the festivities began, with music and a video showing the candy bar in one piece and how it was cut. Then the side doors on the mini-vans opened and they gave out the candy. Of course it was a mad house with a ton of people. Try as we might, we couldn’t get close enough to get any candy. At about 10 PM they had fireworks, which could be seen all over the city.
Last weekend I was again in Yerevan and once again had an unexpectedly enjoyable time. I had gone up on Friday for a meeting and was leaving Sunday for Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Again there were a host of other PCVs in town, since it was the beginning of a week vacation for the schools. Saturday a few of us decided to just leisurely stroll around the city and do something culturally. We first went to the vernisage, which is like a big flea market. There were all sorts of beautiful paintings, some old jewelry and kitchen items, clothing, and other usual items found at flea markets. Then, we decided to go the National History Museum. We spent about an hour on just the first floor, after which we left since it was getting late. But it was just so nice to see and do something different.
Lisa, another PCV, and I spent 3 days exploring Tbilisi, especially the old part of it. We stayed at a small hotel, which was charming and served a wonderful breakfast. Finding this hotel, the Georgian House, was an adventure in itself. We decided to walk from the center of the city, got a map and thought we knew where it was. However, after walking for about 45 minutes with our backpacks, we finally got a taxi. It seems that he didn’t know where the hotel was, so we drove across town to a Mariott, where he asked for directions, and then headed back to where we had been. It seems that we were almost right around the corner from the hotel when we got in the cab. But, we did get a scenic tour of the city out of it. From where the hotel was located, we were able to walk into town, so it was very convenient. When we got there Sunday we met up with Kyle, another PCV, and his parents, which was fun. They left Monday morning for Turkey. We met up with them again for dinner that night. There is a part of the old town that has meandering streets with lots of outdoor restaurants and cafes.
On Monday we walked up to an old fortress that overlooks the old town, and looks fascinating from street-level. It was a nice walk, although all uphill, with fantastic views of the city. It turns out that all that’s left of the fortress is the wall you can see from below. But there was a quaint little church up there too, so it wasn’t all for nothing. And we found the botanical gardens from our view up there, which we walked to next. For dinner we headed back to the area we had eaten the night before and tried a different place. We also found a café that served gelato and stopped there every night as well. They had some very unusual flavors: kiwi, caramel, grape, etc.
Tuesday we headed out to the Ethnographic Museum, which is in the outskirts of Tbilisi. They have houses from different eras of Georgian history, showing how the people lived, what they used for cooking, sleeping, their handicrafts, etc. It was a fascinating place to walk around and talk to the guides they had there. You could see how their building changed over time and how they kept up their crafts and handiwork. That night we went to the Turkish baths, which are sulfur baths and very hot. But it felt good after all the walking we had done to just sit and relax in the hot water. We had also visited many churches and a magnificent cathedral in Tbilisi. The churches are filled with icons, stained glass, candles and incense, and music, so all one’s senses are stirred upon entering. What I did find interesting, though, is that although these are tourist places, they are more places of worship and have no gift shops or literature for sale. I was disappointed because I did want to know what the icons were and from which century. I will have to do some research on this at a later date.
We had taken marshutneys both up to and back from Georgia, and these are really an adventure and a good way to learn about the culture. Lisa lives very near the border of Georgia, so she met me at the border and on the way down got off just after the border. On the way up, I sat with a young man who had been a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco about 10 years ago. He was going to Tbilisi to visit one of his friends from that time. It was very interesting to hear about his service and that culture. And talking with someone always makes the ride go faster, especially on a 5 hour ride. On the way back, we made the mistake of getting in a marshutney that was also bringing fresh produce into Armenia. This became a factor when we got to the border, and it took us over 2 hours to cross. Some of the delay was because of a lot of traffic, but most was due to the fact that the produce had to be inspected. And, of course, we got there when the inspectors, all of them, were at lunch. When we finally got going again, and after Lisa had gotten off, it was near 5 PM.. One of the old men on the bus had brought some bread and a big chunk of cheese. He offered some to everyone, about 8 of us, and when he saw you finished the cheese or bread, he offered more. It was delicious and it turned out to be a good time. At another point we made a quick stop in a town, one of the other passengers got off and bought some fresh-baked bread and once again everyone was invited to partake. The Armenian sense of time is very different from the American. They don’t rush to get places, but rather enjoy the ride, talking with one another and sharing meals. It makes for a longer ride, but also a more enjoyable one.
This past month I also learned why most houses have gates to them. I have a gate leading up to the walkway to my house. One afternoon I forgot to close it. The next morning I had a few nice big presents from the cows that pass my house every day going back and forth to pasture. I now make sure that it is always closed.
These past three weeks certainly seemed to have flown by, which I guess means that I’ve been happy and busy. School has settled into a nice routine, although at least once a week our schedule is changed, but I’ve come to expect that.
Two weeks ago I broke my glasses and the other pair has a scratch on one lens. In order to get new glasses I had to go up to Yerevan on a Thursday so they would be ready by Friday, since they don’t work on Saturdays. I have progressive lenses, which I really like and have gotten used to, but here in Armenia they are a problem. It seems that in the past few years, other PCVs have tried to get new progressive lenses, but none were happy with the outcome. Since the upper part of my lenses are for driving, which I’m not doing now, I agreed that I could do with just the lower part of the prescription, with the upper part just glass. It didn’t quite work out that way, they filled the whole lens with the reading prescription. So now I have 3 pair of glasses, each with their own special quirk, but I’m making it work since it’s for less than a year.
That weekend in Yerevan turned out to be unexpected good. I wasn’t sure what other PCVs would be in town, if any, so I was prepared to just see some of the cultural things. However, on Friday I was invited by my Program Manager to go with her on some site visits to the new PCVs. It was very interesting to see how some of the other TEFLs are doing, what their schools are like and their counterparts and how they work together, or not. Chad is an one of the largest villages in Armenia and some of his classes have almost as many students as my whole school. A very different situation, but also similar in a lot of respects. We observed two of his classes and then went to see the house he will be moving into. The next stop was at a university, where we again observed a PCV, Beckey and met with her counterpart as well as the president of the university, who also happens to be a Bishop. Beckey will also be working with the NIE (National Institute of Education) and doing teacher training so we visited there and then went to see the apartment she will be moving into. As I said, it was a very interesting day and one which again made me very thankful for both my counterpart and village.
As it turned out there were two other older PCVs in Yerevan that weekend also, so we spent Friday night and Saturday together. Friday night we had dinner at the interim Country Director’s house, along with two Fulbright Scholars. Diana, the CD, will be here only until the middle of December. She’s been in the Ukraine as a PCV and CD, as well as in Morocco and other countries. We had an interesting conversation with her and her husband, as well as a wonderful home-cooked meal.
The two Fulbright Scholars are both very interesting and knowledgeable women. Jane is an architect who is here for a year and teaching at one of the universities in Yerevan and doing some research in Gyumri. She has spent a lot of time in Yerevan, first with her husband when he was a visiting professor and then on several visits. She gave a talk Saturday, which we attended, on Community Planning and Design. It was very interesting to hear how cities and towns are responding to the community’s needs and cultural, and how that changes or influences their planning.
Ana, the other Fulbright Scholar, is a linguist and is teaching at one of the universities and will only be here until December. She is originally from Venezuela and was recently named one of the top 50 influential Hispanic-American women in America. Both of these women are very down to earth and a real joy to be with. Needless to say our conversations during the meals we shared were very stimulating. We hope to get together again before Ana leaves.
That Saturday was a big day in Yerevan. Grand Candy, an Armenian candy company, was celebrating being put in the Guinness Book of World Records for having made the world’s biggest candy bar. In the center of the city, Republic Square, they had a big stage set up, a ton of Grand Candy mini-vans, and a lot of security. At 6:30 the festivities began, with music and a video showing the candy bar in one piece and how it was cut. Then the side doors on the mini-vans opened and they gave out the candy. Of course it was a mad house with a ton of people. Try as we might, we couldn’t get close enough to get any candy. At about 10 PM they had fireworks, which could be seen all over the city.
Last weekend I was again in Yerevan and once again had an unexpectedly enjoyable time. I had gone up on Friday for a meeting and was leaving Sunday for Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Again there were a host of other PCVs in town, since it was the beginning of a week vacation for the schools. Saturday a few of us decided to just leisurely stroll around the city and do something culturally. We first went to the vernisage, which is like a big flea market. There were all sorts of beautiful paintings, some old jewelry and kitchen items, clothing, and other usual items found at flea markets. Then, we decided to go the National History Museum. We spent about an hour on just the first floor, after which we left since it was getting late. But it was just so nice to see and do something different.
Lisa, another PCV, and I spent 3 days exploring Tbilisi, especially the old part of it. We stayed at a small hotel, which was charming and served a wonderful breakfast. Finding this hotel, the Georgian House, was an adventure in itself. We decided to walk from the center of the city, got a map and thought we knew where it was. However, after walking for about 45 minutes with our backpacks, we finally got a taxi. It seems that he didn’t know where the hotel was, so we drove across town to a Mariott, where he asked for directions, and then headed back to where we had been. It seems that we were almost right around the corner from the hotel when we got in the cab. But, we did get a scenic tour of the city out of it. From where the hotel was located, we were able to walk into town, so it was very convenient. When we got there Sunday we met up with Kyle, another PCV, and his parents, which was fun. They left Monday morning for Turkey. We met up with them again for dinner that night. There is a part of the old town that has meandering streets with lots of outdoor restaurants and cafes.
On Monday we walked up to an old fortress that overlooks the old town, and looks fascinating from street-level. It was a nice walk, although all uphill, with fantastic views of the city. It turns out that all that’s left of the fortress is the wall you can see from below. But there was a quaint little church up there too, so it wasn’t all for nothing. And we found the botanical gardens from our view up there, which we walked to next. For dinner we headed back to the area we had eaten the night before and tried a different place. We also found a café that served gelato and stopped there every night as well. They had some very unusual flavors: kiwi, caramel, grape, etc.
Tuesday we headed out to the Ethnographic Museum, which is in the outskirts of Tbilisi. They have houses from different eras of Georgian history, showing how the people lived, what they used for cooking, sleeping, their handicrafts, etc. It was a fascinating place to walk around and talk to the guides they had there. You could see how their building changed over time and how they kept up their crafts and handiwork. That night we went to the Turkish baths, which are sulfur baths and very hot. But it felt good after all the walking we had done to just sit and relax in the hot water. We had also visited many churches and a magnificent cathedral in Tbilisi. The churches are filled with icons, stained glass, candles and incense, and music, so all one’s senses are stirred upon entering. What I did find interesting, though, is that although these are tourist places, they are more places of worship and have no gift shops or literature for sale. I was disappointed because I did want to know what the icons were and from which century. I will have to do some research on this at a later date.
We had taken marshutneys both up to and back from Georgia, and these are really an adventure and a good way to learn about the culture. Lisa lives very near the border of Georgia, so she met me at the border and on the way down got off just after the border. On the way up, I sat with a young man who had been a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco about 10 years ago. He was going to Tbilisi to visit one of his friends from that time. It was very interesting to hear about his service and that culture. And talking with someone always makes the ride go faster, especially on a 5 hour ride. On the way back, we made the mistake of getting in a marshutney that was also bringing fresh produce into Armenia. This became a factor when we got to the border, and it took us over 2 hours to cross. Some of the delay was because of a lot of traffic, but most was due to the fact that the produce had to be inspected. And, of course, we got there when the inspectors, all of them, were at lunch. When we finally got going again, and after Lisa had gotten off, it was near 5 PM.. One of the old men on the bus had brought some bread and a big chunk of cheese. He offered some to everyone, about 8 of us, and when he saw you finished the cheese or bread, he offered more. It was delicious and it turned out to be a good time. At another point we made a quick stop in a town, one of the other passengers got off and bought some fresh-baked bread and once again everyone was invited to partake. The Armenian sense of time is very different from the American. They don’t rush to get places, but rather enjoy the ride, talking with one another and sharing meals. It makes for a longer ride, but also a more enjoyable one.
This past month I also learned why most houses have gates to them. I have a gate leading up to the walkway to my house. One afternoon I forgot to close it. The next morning I had a few nice big presents from the cows that pass my house every day going back and forth to pasture. I now make sure that it is always closed.
Friday, October 8, 2010
October 4, 2010
School has been in session for just about a month and it feels as if we never left. This second year is so much easier than the first. For one thing, I know all the students by name as well as the faculty. I also know what is expected of me, the routine of the school and the curriculum. I can anticipate what’s coming up in the lessons and prepare for that. I also have my notes and lesson plans from last year. Of course, I continue to buy resource material to use, especially grammar exercise books. My counterpart loves when I go up to Yerevan since I always come back with new material.
I do have some new projects that I’ll be working on this year. The first one, which I’m really excited about, is putting together an on-line teacher training course. The British Council, which is the educational arm of the British Embassy here, put one out last year, which I took and was terribly disappointed with. So I talked to my Program Manager about it and she agreed that it’s worthwhile pursuing and she asked me to be the project coordinator. I have gathered a team of 6 other PCVs, including 2 IT people. We hope to have a pilot up and running by April. Most of the team consists of the new volunteers, since they will be the ones using it the most. Besides that, we will also put together a manual of all the teacher training courses that are being done in country now by the different PCVs. This will have a short summary of the course, who has taught it and other relevant information. Hopefully this will enable more PCVs to do training courses without having to reinvent the wheel.
I am also helping to re-organize the Peer Support Network here in Armenia. In the past it seems to have been a loosely connected support network. This year we hope to have a more formal group, including having some in-service training and other professional development meetings. There will be 6 of us on it for now, again heavily loaded with the newer volunteers. I’m hoping our first gathering/training will take place this month. In this area, at least, I’ll be able to use some of previous experience and background. Of course, both of these projects will mean frequent trips up to Yerevan at the beginning, but I think they are both worth it.
About 3 weeks ago I learned that the man who delivered my firewood last winter is moving to Russia at the end of this month. Luckily this is not my first winter here so I know about how much wood I’ll need. He has promised to try and have the 8 meters I want to me before he moves. Of course, then the problem became where to store it. Last winter he stored it and delivered it to me monthly. I have only so much storage space that is covered on my deck. So last week I had about 6 of the boys from school stack some of the wood in my basement. They will also bring it up during the winter as I need it. They love doing things for me and made a real contest out of it to see who could carry the most. I hope their enthusiasm doesn’t wear out!
I have noticed this year the rhythm of this village and the sights, sounds and smells that accompany each season. Since they are mainly subsistence farmers, they really do live off the land. For the past few weeks the village resounds with the buzz of saws cutting wood and the braying of the donkeys carrying the wood down from the hills and mountains. The women and children are busy gathering the crops of fall vegetables and then canning them or making jellies and compote. And even though we had an incredibly dry summer, the leaves are beginning to change colors, which only adds to the beauty of this village.
But my big news, which didn’t even happen here in Armenia, is that my youngest daughter, Kerin, got engaged last week to Chuck. I am very happy and excited about this. I had told my children that there were to be no weddings while I was gone, but engagements were fine. They hope to have an October wedding next year. It will make a nice symmetry to my Peace Corps service. My oldest daughter, Kristin, got married a few weeks before I left, and now Kerin will get married a few weeks after I get home.
School has been in session for just about a month and it feels as if we never left. This second year is so much easier than the first. For one thing, I know all the students by name as well as the faculty. I also know what is expected of me, the routine of the school and the curriculum. I can anticipate what’s coming up in the lessons and prepare for that. I also have my notes and lesson plans from last year. Of course, I continue to buy resource material to use, especially grammar exercise books. My counterpart loves when I go up to Yerevan since I always come back with new material.
I do have some new projects that I’ll be working on this year. The first one, which I’m really excited about, is putting together an on-line teacher training course. The British Council, which is the educational arm of the British Embassy here, put one out last year, which I took and was terribly disappointed with. So I talked to my Program Manager about it and she agreed that it’s worthwhile pursuing and she asked me to be the project coordinator. I have gathered a team of 6 other PCVs, including 2 IT people. We hope to have a pilot up and running by April. Most of the team consists of the new volunteers, since they will be the ones using it the most. Besides that, we will also put together a manual of all the teacher training courses that are being done in country now by the different PCVs. This will have a short summary of the course, who has taught it and other relevant information. Hopefully this will enable more PCVs to do training courses without having to reinvent the wheel.
I am also helping to re-organize the Peer Support Network here in Armenia. In the past it seems to have been a loosely connected support network. This year we hope to have a more formal group, including having some in-service training and other professional development meetings. There will be 6 of us on it for now, again heavily loaded with the newer volunteers. I’m hoping our first gathering/training will take place this month. In this area, at least, I’ll be able to use some of previous experience and background. Of course, both of these projects will mean frequent trips up to Yerevan at the beginning, but I think they are both worth it.
About 3 weeks ago I learned that the man who delivered my firewood last winter is moving to Russia at the end of this month. Luckily this is not my first winter here so I know about how much wood I’ll need. He has promised to try and have the 8 meters I want to me before he moves. Of course, then the problem became where to store it. Last winter he stored it and delivered it to me monthly. I have only so much storage space that is covered on my deck. So last week I had about 6 of the boys from school stack some of the wood in my basement. They will also bring it up during the winter as I need it. They love doing things for me and made a real contest out of it to see who could carry the most. I hope their enthusiasm doesn’t wear out!
I have noticed this year the rhythm of this village and the sights, sounds and smells that accompany each season. Since they are mainly subsistence farmers, they really do live off the land. For the past few weeks the village resounds with the buzz of saws cutting wood and the braying of the donkeys carrying the wood down from the hills and mountains. The women and children are busy gathering the crops of fall vegetables and then canning them or making jellies and compote. And even though we had an incredibly dry summer, the leaves are beginning to change colors, which only adds to the beauty of this village.
But my big news, which didn’t even happen here in Armenia, is that my youngest daughter, Kerin, got engaged last week to Chuck. I am very happy and excited about this. I had told my children that there were to be no weddings while I was gone, but engagements were fine. They hope to have an October wedding next year. It will make a nice symmetry to my Peace Corps service. My oldest daughter, Kristin, got married a few weeks before I left, and now Kerin will get married a few weeks after I get home.
Monday, September 6, 2010
September 5, 2010
I had to go back up to Yerevan two weeks ago so I decided to go up early and visit my host family from last summer. It was so relaxing and felt so good to be back there. The grandmother wasn’t home, but the two daughters-in-law, their children and one son were home. This was the first time I spent a few days there and didn’t have any studying to do so I was able to observe how the household works. Karine, the daughter-in-law who lives there full time, has taken over the chores that Ella, the grandmother, usually does, like milking the cows collecting the eggs, etc. Besides this, she still does all the cooking and baking. Narine, the other daughter-in-law who with her two children stay there for the summer, does all the cleaning up. It’s amazing to watch these two women work and be together. They are really good friends and it’s a joy to be with them. We spent most of Friday baking gatta, an Armenian pastry that is absolutely delicious. Everything is made from scratch so it takes a bit longer than it does at home. There is such a sense of community in that village, which is not as apparent in the village where I live now. Friday night we walked over to the daughter’s house and joined some other women sitting outside and having coffee. The kids kept coming in and out of the circle to say hello and ask how I was doing. Some of the nephews stayed over that night and then in the morning the women came to the house for coffee and say goodbye. I hope to visit them again a few more times before I leave country. I really do feel like a part of that family.
School finally started again on Wednesday, Sept. 1, the traditional opening day of school. They have a wonderful ceremony here called “First Bell.” All the students dress in black and white, generally new clothes bought for this occasion. They all gather outside where there is a short ceremony, honoring students’ for their work last year, welcoming the new first graders, and this year all the teachers had to take an oath about being prepared and present for classes. Then one of the older boys picks up one of the first graders, gives him a small bell, which he rings. He is carried into the school building where he rings the school bell. A lot of the parents and grandparents come to this and it’s really a nice way to start the school year, especially against the beautiful background here in Vachagan. This year we have 38 students in our school, down from 43 last year, and one grade actually has 6 students in it.
All the PCVs in the Kapan area gathered a few weekends ago for what’s called “warden’s weekend.” This is where we go over safety issues, like how to get to Yerevan in case of a national emergency, and set up a contact chain. This year there are 11 of us in this area, although 3 of them are south of us very close to the Iranian border. As I’ve mentioned to some of you, this year will be different since there are any other senior volunteers down by me. While I do enjoy being with the younger volunteers, it’s also nice every now and then to be with someone closer to my age. I’ll have to rely a lot on phone calls to the other senior PCVs in country.
Our Country Director’s term is up in October. Lee has been a wonderfully supportive CD and will be missed, especially by my group. She will be going to work in Afghanistan, of all places, with US AID. I was fortunate enough to be up in Yerevan this past weekend and was able to say goodbye to her in person. Our new CD will be a man, who will come in January. He is presently in Morocco and needs to finish up some work there first. So we will have an acting CD for a few months.
I went up to Yerevan for a Saturday meeting, but because of the distance and transportation I needed to leave here on Friday. That night there was a football (soccer) game between Armenia and Ireland. About 12 of us went and it was pretty good, especially since the Irish won. There were a lot of Irish fans who came to root on their team and most of them were staying at the hostel. This worked to my advantage Friday night as they put me in a private apartment, away from the wild Irishmen. Shannon was also able to stay with me in the apartment so we were able to get a good night’s sleep and then just laze around Saturday morning. Unfortunately, they moved me Saturday night into one of the larger rooms that normally sleeps 8, but last night had 10 in it. I think there was only one other woman in the hostel last night, and she was one of the Irish fans. Some of the Irish had actually missed their planes back to Ireland Saturday morning and couldn’t get another flight until Tuesday. I think they were drinking or something.
One of the young men in the room, not an Irishman, Josh is from Luxembourg just traveling around Armenia on his school holiday. He had arrived on Thursday and gone straight to Mt. Aragatz, the highest mountain in Armenia. I invited him to stay with me if he gets down this way. He was really interesting to talk to and I think he would like to hike Mt. Khustrup, which is the second highest mountain in Armenia and right near me.
All of the other volunteers who had been in Yerevan on Friday and Saturday, left Saturday to return to their villages/towns. Since I live so far, that wasn’t an option for me, so I had an evening in Yerevan by myself, which I completely enjoyed. The weather has been unseasonably hot, so I went to one of the outdoor cafes for dinner. It was relaxing to just sit and people watch. They have this wonderful play area for children of all ages right next to where I was, so I could watch the young children on the riding toys and in the inflatable houses, and also see the teenagers play ping pong. And since it was so nice out, there were tons of people enjoying it. I felt very comfortable there and very much at home.
My trip back down to Vachagan was very interesting. I had gotten up early to catch the marchutney, which leaves anywhere between 7 and 8:30 in the morning, depending on when it is full. I actually got to the bus area before the bus, but I wanted to get a good seat. There are usually 2 or 3 single seats, which I like the best. Anyway we left about 8:10 and besides the passengers, there was a lot of bags and baggage. I had put my backpack on the shelf above me so it won’t get stepped on or too squished. The road on the way out of Yerevan is lined on both sides with fruit and vegetable stands. Our driver kept slowing down whenever we approached one and at first I was getting annoyed. After all, I wanted to get home. However, I soon realized that the journey is as important, and can be fun, as the destination. So I began to relax and enter into the spirit of the trip. We stopped at one stand and some of the women got out and bought some vegetables and fruits. In fact one of them gave me some, since I hadn’t bought anything. After everyone got back on the bus, we started up again and soon found another stand to stop at. This time I did buy some eggplants and red peppers. By this time, there was so many bags, that we barely had floor space for our feet. And we had picked up an extra passenger who was sitting on a stool in the aisle. It was quite an accomplishment for some of the women to step over this stool and around all the bags. But everyone was enjoying themselves, and talking to one another, comparing what they bought and the prices they were able to get. I no longer cared about the time it was taking, but was enjoying being part of this group.
I had to go back up to Yerevan two weeks ago so I decided to go up early and visit my host family from last summer. It was so relaxing and felt so good to be back there. The grandmother wasn’t home, but the two daughters-in-law, their children and one son were home. This was the first time I spent a few days there and didn’t have any studying to do so I was able to observe how the household works. Karine, the daughter-in-law who lives there full time, has taken over the chores that Ella, the grandmother, usually does, like milking the cows collecting the eggs, etc. Besides this, she still does all the cooking and baking. Narine, the other daughter-in-law who with her two children stay there for the summer, does all the cleaning up. It’s amazing to watch these two women work and be together. They are really good friends and it’s a joy to be with them. We spent most of Friday baking gatta, an Armenian pastry that is absolutely delicious. Everything is made from scratch so it takes a bit longer than it does at home. There is such a sense of community in that village, which is not as apparent in the village where I live now. Friday night we walked over to the daughter’s house and joined some other women sitting outside and having coffee. The kids kept coming in and out of the circle to say hello and ask how I was doing. Some of the nephews stayed over that night and then in the morning the women came to the house for coffee and say goodbye. I hope to visit them again a few more times before I leave country. I really do feel like a part of that family.
School finally started again on Wednesday, Sept. 1, the traditional opening day of school. They have a wonderful ceremony here called “First Bell.” All the students dress in black and white, generally new clothes bought for this occasion. They all gather outside where there is a short ceremony, honoring students’ for their work last year, welcoming the new first graders, and this year all the teachers had to take an oath about being prepared and present for classes. Then one of the older boys picks up one of the first graders, gives him a small bell, which he rings. He is carried into the school building where he rings the school bell. A lot of the parents and grandparents come to this and it’s really a nice way to start the school year, especially against the beautiful background here in Vachagan. This year we have 38 students in our school, down from 43 last year, and one grade actually has 6 students in it.
All the PCVs in the Kapan area gathered a few weekends ago for what’s called “warden’s weekend.” This is where we go over safety issues, like how to get to Yerevan in case of a national emergency, and set up a contact chain. This year there are 11 of us in this area, although 3 of them are south of us very close to the Iranian border. As I’ve mentioned to some of you, this year will be different since there are any other senior volunteers down by me. While I do enjoy being with the younger volunteers, it’s also nice every now and then to be with someone closer to my age. I’ll have to rely a lot on phone calls to the other senior PCVs in country.
Our Country Director’s term is up in October. Lee has been a wonderfully supportive CD and will be missed, especially by my group. She will be going to work in Afghanistan, of all places, with US AID. I was fortunate enough to be up in Yerevan this past weekend and was able to say goodbye to her in person. Our new CD will be a man, who will come in January. He is presently in Morocco and needs to finish up some work there first. So we will have an acting CD for a few months.
I went up to Yerevan for a Saturday meeting, but because of the distance and transportation I needed to leave here on Friday. That night there was a football (soccer) game between Armenia and Ireland. About 12 of us went and it was pretty good, especially since the Irish won. There were a lot of Irish fans who came to root on their team and most of them were staying at the hostel. This worked to my advantage Friday night as they put me in a private apartment, away from the wild Irishmen. Shannon was also able to stay with me in the apartment so we were able to get a good night’s sleep and then just laze around Saturday morning. Unfortunately, they moved me Saturday night into one of the larger rooms that normally sleeps 8, but last night had 10 in it. I think there was only one other woman in the hostel last night, and she was one of the Irish fans. Some of the Irish had actually missed their planes back to Ireland Saturday morning and couldn’t get another flight until Tuesday. I think they were drinking or something.
One of the young men in the room, not an Irishman, Josh is from Luxembourg just traveling around Armenia on his school holiday. He had arrived on Thursday and gone straight to Mt. Aragatz, the highest mountain in Armenia. I invited him to stay with me if he gets down this way. He was really interesting to talk to and I think he would like to hike Mt. Khustrup, which is the second highest mountain in Armenia and right near me.
All of the other volunteers who had been in Yerevan on Friday and Saturday, left Saturday to return to their villages/towns. Since I live so far, that wasn’t an option for me, so I had an evening in Yerevan by myself, which I completely enjoyed. The weather has been unseasonably hot, so I went to one of the outdoor cafes for dinner. It was relaxing to just sit and people watch. They have this wonderful play area for children of all ages right next to where I was, so I could watch the young children on the riding toys and in the inflatable houses, and also see the teenagers play ping pong. And since it was so nice out, there were tons of people enjoying it. I felt very comfortable there and very much at home.
My trip back down to Vachagan was very interesting. I had gotten up early to catch the marchutney, which leaves anywhere between 7 and 8:30 in the morning, depending on when it is full. I actually got to the bus area before the bus, but I wanted to get a good seat. There are usually 2 or 3 single seats, which I like the best. Anyway we left about 8:10 and besides the passengers, there was a lot of bags and baggage. I had put my backpack on the shelf above me so it won’t get stepped on or too squished. The road on the way out of Yerevan is lined on both sides with fruit and vegetable stands. Our driver kept slowing down whenever we approached one and at first I was getting annoyed. After all, I wanted to get home. However, I soon realized that the journey is as important, and can be fun, as the destination. So I began to relax and enter into the spirit of the trip. We stopped at one stand and some of the women got out and bought some vegetables and fruits. In fact one of them gave me some, since I hadn’t bought anything. After everyone got back on the bus, we started up again and soon found another stand to stop at. This time I did buy some eggplants and red peppers. By this time, there was so many bags, that we barely had floor space for our feet. And we had picked up an extra passenger who was sitting on a stool in the aisle. It was quite an accomplishment for some of the women to step over this stool and around all the bags. But everyone was enjoying themselves, and talking to one another, comparing what they bought and the prices they were able to get. I no longer cared about the time it was taking, but was enjoying being part of this group.
Friday, August 13, 2010
August 13, 2010
PST (pre-service training) is finally over for the new volunteers, the A18s. While at the beginning of the summer I hadn’t expected to spend as much time with them as I did, I’m glad I had the opportunity to do so. I was able to get to know most of them, especially the new TEFLs. I also got to know the training staff much better than last year. And of course being able to attend the tech sessions for the TEFLs I learned a lot too. There was a new TEFL tech trainer, Lilit, who brought a lot more content to the tech sessions than we had last year. She gave very useful handouts, which I was able to get as well. In a way, it was like a refresher course for me, one that re-energized me for the coming year.
On last Thursday, the A18s were sworn in. The ceremony was very similar to ours a year ago, but being on the other side was interesting. It was almost as if I was able to pay more attention than last year. I didn’t have to worry about walking up on the stage and trying not to fall. I didn’t have to worry about greeting the Ambassador afterwards. However, I still got emotional when they played our national anthem. It’s something about being in a foreign country and hearing “The Star Spangled Banner” that gets to me. I think it’s because it reminds me that I’m not home and I don’t hear it very often.
Anyway, 55 new volunteers have now joined us in Armenia. While the majority of them have been assigned to the same Marz I’m in, that doesn’t mean they are very close or that I’ll get to see them a lot. As I may have mentioned before, the roads in Armenia are not the best, nor is the public transportation. A village that is only 20 or 25 kilometers away may take over an hour to get to. We did get 4 new volunteers in the Kapan area, 2 of who actually live in Kapan. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of the older volunteers. But I am excited about the new mix and the energy and creativity they bring with them.
Since Shannon and I were up in Charentsavan last week, we were offered a free ride back to Kapan with the new volunteers. As we soon learned, something always happens with anything free. While it normally takes about 6 hours or so to get here, on Friday it took 12 hours! Now some of that extra time was due to having to drop off volunteers along the way. However, that probably only accounted for an extra hour or so. The rest of the time was due to mechanical problems with the bus. As we kept telling ourselves, we’re in the Peace Corps and nothing is easy.
However, I am glad to be back in my village, in my house! I’ve been able to spend time getting ready for the coming school year. I hope to be more relaxed and engaged in the classes this year, since I know what to expect. I’ve been going through some of the books I have in order to prepare activities for the various forms. I also want to start a writing club this year and I’ve been gathering material to help with that. And I’ve been able to just relax and enjoy the magnificent scenery from my windows and porch, and do some reading. I’ve been walking almost every day, even though that is not a common practice here. But the villagers are used to me by now and return my greetings as I pass them. Occasionally one of them will stop me and ask how I’m doing or offer me some vegetables from their gardens to take home. They are truly a very generous and hospitable people.
PST (pre-service training) is finally over for the new volunteers, the A18s. While at the beginning of the summer I hadn’t expected to spend as much time with them as I did, I’m glad I had the opportunity to do so. I was able to get to know most of them, especially the new TEFLs. I also got to know the training staff much better than last year. And of course being able to attend the tech sessions for the TEFLs I learned a lot too. There was a new TEFL tech trainer, Lilit, who brought a lot more content to the tech sessions than we had last year. She gave very useful handouts, which I was able to get as well. In a way, it was like a refresher course for me, one that re-energized me for the coming year.
On last Thursday, the A18s were sworn in. The ceremony was very similar to ours a year ago, but being on the other side was interesting. It was almost as if I was able to pay more attention than last year. I didn’t have to worry about walking up on the stage and trying not to fall. I didn’t have to worry about greeting the Ambassador afterwards. However, I still got emotional when they played our national anthem. It’s something about being in a foreign country and hearing “The Star Spangled Banner” that gets to me. I think it’s because it reminds me that I’m not home and I don’t hear it very often.
Anyway, 55 new volunteers have now joined us in Armenia. While the majority of them have been assigned to the same Marz I’m in, that doesn’t mean they are very close or that I’ll get to see them a lot. As I may have mentioned before, the roads in Armenia are not the best, nor is the public transportation. A village that is only 20 or 25 kilometers away may take over an hour to get to. We did get 4 new volunteers in the Kapan area, 2 of who actually live in Kapan. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of the older volunteers. But I am excited about the new mix and the energy and creativity they bring with them.
Since Shannon and I were up in Charentsavan last week, we were offered a free ride back to Kapan with the new volunteers. As we soon learned, something always happens with anything free. While it normally takes about 6 hours or so to get here, on Friday it took 12 hours! Now some of that extra time was due to having to drop off volunteers along the way. However, that probably only accounted for an extra hour or so. The rest of the time was due to mechanical problems with the bus. As we kept telling ourselves, we’re in the Peace Corps and nothing is easy.
However, I am glad to be back in my village, in my house! I’ve been able to spend time getting ready for the coming school year. I hope to be more relaxed and engaged in the classes this year, since I know what to expect. I’ve been going through some of the books I have in order to prepare activities for the various forms. I also want to start a writing club this year and I’ve been gathering material to help with that. And I’ve been able to just relax and enjoy the magnificent scenery from my windows and porch, and do some reading. I’ve been walking almost every day, even though that is not a common practice here. But the villagers are used to me by now and return my greetings as I pass them. Occasionally one of them will stop me and ask how I’m doing or offer me some vegetables from their gardens to take home. They are truly a very generous and hospitable people.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
July 26, Charentsavan.
I was able to get home for about 10 days the beginning of this month. I didn't realize how much I missed the sights, sounds, and smells of my village. Being in Vachagan really did feel like home, and it was good.
Since there aren't any screen doors in this county, I made a curtain for my door so I could have some air in my house. THis is what all the houses have. I'm glad I made it because it was very hot in Vachagan, over 90, and there isn't any airconditioning. Having my door open also let the people in the village know that I was home. It wasn't long before some of the school kids came to exchange books. They had taken some of the English readers I had at the end of the school year, and I had told them they could exchange them when I was in the village. It's nice to know that they are reading during the summer. Some of the teachers, who were still working, also called up to me as they passed my house.
While I was home, the trainees went on their site visits. There will be 2 trainees coming to Kapan, the town near me. One is a TEFL and will be working at the Teacher's House, a resource center for teachers, and a part of the National Institute for Education. It will be good to have a contact there so I hear about any workshops that are going on. I may also give a few workshops. THe other trainee is a business person and will be working with a non-profit organization. It doesn't quite make up for the 4 PCVs who are finishing up their service and will be returning to the States, but at least we have a few new people.
The weekend after I returned to Charentsavan, we had our Mid-Service Conference. It was held at a sports complex that used to be used to train Olympic athletes. The facilities were great, as were the rooms. On Sunday night we had a kickball against the trainees, something that's a yearly event. My group won, which we also did last year, so we are undefeated. It was fun and a good way to mix with the trainees. For some reason both years I have been the coach of my team, so I don't have to play. The next night some of us went swimming. It felt so good to be swimming and the pool was clean, yet didn't have a chlorine smell.
Prior to going to MSC, we were all given a book, Strength Finders, and asked to do the online survey to find our strengthes. We then had a session on this which was very good. The idea is to work from your stengths and the book gave some tips on how to do this. There are about 30 strengths that they highlight and they give you your top 5. At the session, we met with the other PCVs who had the same strengths in the same order. Four out of the 5 of my top strengths were no surprise, but I'm still thinking about the 5th.
Another session that was good, was our sector session. We focused on the various challenges we have overcome in the past year in the classrooms. It was interesting to see how many of us had the same challenges, as well as some of the different one that had come up. We also talked about some challenges we hope to overcome this year. My biggest challenge is to get my counterpart to stop using so much Armenian in the classroom. This doesn't help the students with their speaking or listening. Another challenge is to get the students to do creative thinking and writing. I'm going to do a writing club after school this year to help with this.
THere is only another week and a half of training left, which means I get to go back to my village very soon. Most of the A16s have already left country, although a few are staying until Aug. 15. It's hard to believe that we will be the "seasoned" PCVs here in Armenia and only have a year left. I must be having fun because time is certainly flying.
I was able to get home for about 10 days the beginning of this month. I didn't realize how much I missed the sights, sounds, and smells of my village. Being in Vachagan really did feel like home, and it was good.
Since there aren't any screen doors in this county, I made a curtain for my door so I could have some air in my house. THis is what all the houses have. I'm glad I made it because it was very hot in Vachagan, over 90, and there isn't any airconditioning. Having my door open also let the people in the village know that I was home. It wasn't long before some of the school kids came to exchange books. They had taken some of the English readers I had at the end of the school year, and I had told them they could exchange them when I was in the village. It's nice to know that they are reading during the summer. Some of the teachers, who were still working, also called up to me as they passed my house.
While I was home, the trainees went on their site visits. There will be 2 trainees coming to Kapan, the town near me. One is a TEFL and will be working at the Teacher's House, a resource center for teachers, and a part of the National Institute for Education. It will be good to have a contact there so I hear about any workshops that are going on. I may also give a few workshops. THe other trainee is a business person and will be working with a non-profit organization. It doesn't quite make up for the 4 PCVs who are finishing up their service and will be returning to the States, but at least we have a few new people.
The weekend after I returned to Charentsavan, we had our Mid-Service Conference. It was held at a sports complex that used to be used to train Olympic athletes. The facilities were great, as were the rooms. On Sunday night we had a kickball against the trainees, something that's a yearly event. My group won, which we also did last year, so we are undefeated. It was fun and a good way to mix with the trainees. For some reason both years I have been the coach of my team, so I don't have to play. The next night some of us went swimming. It felt so good to be swimming and the pool was clean, yet didn't have a chlorine smell.
Prior to going to MSC, we were all given a book, Strength Finders, and asked to do the online survey to find our strengthes. We then had a session on this which was very good. The idea is to work from your stengths and the book gave some tips on how to do this. There are about 30 strengths that they highlight and they give you your top 5. At the session, we met with the other PCVs who had the same strengths in the same order. Four out of the 5 of my top strengths were no surprise, but I'm still thinking about the 5th.
Another session that was good, was our sector session. We focused on the various challenges we have overcome in the past year in the classrooms. It was interesting to see how many of us had the same challenges, as well as some of the different one that had come up. We also talked about some challenges we hope to overcome this year. My biggest challenge is to get my counterpart to stop using so much Armenian in the classroom. This doesn't help the students with their speaking or listening. Another challenge is to get the students to do creative thinking and writing. I'm going to do a writing club after school this year to help with this.
THere is only another week and a half of training left, which means I get to go back to my village very soon. Most of the A16s have already left country, although a few are staying until Aug. 15. It's hard to believe that we will be the "seasoned" PCVs here in Armenia and only have a year left. I must be having fun because time is certainly flying.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Turkey was wonderful. Istanbul is a fascinating, weaving both modern and ancient cultures together in a wonderful fashion. It is also a very crowded city, with over 11 million people.
When we started out on June 13, we still hadn't firmed up all our travel plans, so at times it seemed like we were on the Amazing Race, trying to figure out how to get from one place to another within a certain amount of time. But in the end everything worked out and we got where we wanted to go. We took a marchutny from Gyrumi into Georgia, where we found a taxi that would take us across the border into Turkey. The hostel we planned on staying at in Kars, Turkey, was under renovation, so we had to find another one, which we did. We then flew to Istanbul Monday morning.
I'm glad we did so much travel by land, because the landscape in this part of the world is beautiful. Whereas parts of Armenia are mountainous, but rocky, and other parts are treeless, Georgia has a lot of fir trees and gentle hills and mountains. In Turkey we drove over and around mountains that are beautiful and still had snow on the tops.
One of the things that struck me once we were in Tureky was the presence of mosques in all the towns and villages. You could see the minarettes sticking up above all the other buildings. It reminded me of driving through New England, where each little town has a church in the town center and you can see the spire from the highway. The other striking thing about Turkey is the color of the houses and apartment buildings. Whereas in Armenia everything is cement grey, in Turkey there are pinks, blues, yellows, greens, and oranges. It was joyful looking and not depressing.
We passed some villages in Turkey where the houses had grass growing on their roofs. I imagine it helps to keep them cool in the summer and warm in winter. It just looks funny to see them cutting the grass on the roof.
The hostel we stayed at in Istanbul was located near most of the major tourist attractions: the Blue Mosque (so named for the thousands of blue tiles in the interior), the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace/Museum, Grand Bazaar, and lots more.
On Tuesday we went to the Grand Bazaar first thing in the morning. This is a huge shopping mecca that seems to go on for miles. It reminded me of a very upscale flea market, with stall after stall of clothes, jewelry, crafts, etc. You could spend days in it and still not see it all.
We wanted to go to the Topkapi Museum, but it's closed on Tuesdays so we went to the Hagia Sophia instead. This was originally a cathedral, but was then converted into a mosque and now is just a museum. But it was absolutely maagniicent. The high domed ceilings, with frescoes, or what's left of them, all around; over-sized pictures of how the art work used to look; and of course they have a minbar (where the Imam prays) and stained glass windows which now reflect Moselm tenants. It's really amazing the sense of history present in buildings like that, as well as a sense of peace.
We met another PCV and her mother and aunt for dinner that night. Istanbul is full of restaurants that have rooftop seating, with spectacular views of the city. We tried a different one every night.
On Wednesday we went to the Spice Bazaar, another interesting experience. There were a lot of spice and tea booths, as well as rugs, jewelry and clothes. I bought a green and lemon tea mix and a chicken spice, both of which I look forward to using when I get back to my house. It was interesting to haggle with them, which they expect, as well as to just smell all the different aromas. Right near this was the New Mosque, so named because it's just 800 years old. We had to take off our shoes and put on shawls to cover our heads in order to go in. When we wnet in it was during the noon prayer time, and they have a section just for visitors, so we were able to stay and watch. I was enthralled by how much ritual there is and how everyone moved as one.
After lunch we went to the Topkapi Museum. This is a huge place that has sultans' clothes displayed, with explanations as to when they were worn, how it was made and for who; as well as jewels and swords. In one room they had a display of Japanese art. Just walking around and going into the rooms and buildings gave us a sense of the granduer of it all. It was definitely a different time. We spent about 3 1/2 hours there and still didn't see it all.
On Thursday we firmed up our plans for getting to Selcuk. We had wanted to go by ferry and train, but they were both booked, so we went to Plan B and booked an overnight bus for Friday night. We then went through the Blue Mosque. The courtyard of this is resplendent with flowers: impatiens, begonias, roses. We again had to take off our shoes and put on scarfs before entering the mosque. We had met a man outside who became our guide and told us all about the mosque. He really was very helpful and helped us appreciate it much more. For instance he showed us a special place off to one side in the front that is reserved for dignitaries.
After taking us through the mosque he invited us for some apple tea at his shop. He and his nephew run a rug shop, of which there are probably a few hundred in Istanbul. While we drank the tea the nephew gave us a history lesson of the carpets and kilims, ,while spreading out before us a magnificent display of both. I found out that kilims are handmade of cotton, while carpets are handmade of wool or silk or a combination of both. I bought 2 small kilims, which I'll probably use as wall hangings.
That afternoon, Shannon and I took off for a walk through the non-tourist area. We wanted to get to the water, which we eventually did. However, before that we walked down some very interesting streets, which I'm sure most touists never see. They were narrow, winding alleys, with narrow tall houses/apartments. Yet still they were colorful and not as depressing as in Armenia. Kids were playing in the street, mothers were gathered on stoops or talking to one another through windows, and toddlers sat on windowsills protected by the guard rails. Very homey scenes indeed!
After much wandering we finally made our way to the road that runs along the shore. It was delightful and refreshing to walk along the water. We could see a whole bunch of freighters out at sea, as well as some sail boats and cruise ships. There were men and boys (no females) swimming. The boys had strung together empty water bottles, tied them around their waists or upper arms, and used the as life preservers. Very resourceful.
Friday was a very relaxing day, with no real sightseeing on our part. Shannon and I again set out on a walk. At one point Shannon went to use a portajohn by the boatyard. I got interested in watching the men haul out a boat and others were building wood boats and just lost track of time. It seems that Shannon had gotten locked in the portajohn and was yelling for me to get her out. The wind was blowing the wrong way so I couldn't hear her. Luckily some men on one of the boats finally heard her and let her out. I bought her a beer after that as a way of making up for it.
The overnight bus ride to Selcuk wasn't too bad. At one point we took a short ferry ride. It was very reminiscent of the Port Jeff ferry: cars and trucks lined up waiting to be loaded on. We were able to get off the bus and walk around for a bit and it was a clear, calm night. I forgot how much I miss being on the water.
The hostel we stayed at in Selcuk was absolute fantastic. It's called Atilla's Getaway. Atilla, the owner, is an Aussie, so there were lots of Aussie's staying there. There was a swimming pool, an outdoor bar, a pool table, and lots of lounge chairs. It was a wonderful place to end our vacation: very relaxing. If we had gone there first, I don't think I would have left to see Istanbul.
We went into Ephesus Sunday morning. I didn't realize how big Ephesus was, and how important it was at the time. It was amazing to think that we were walking down roads that Hadrian and Cleopatra walked on; that we were sitting in an ampitheater where Paul spoke and gladiators fought. They had audiotapes to help understand what all the buildings were and how the city had developed and the importance it was. We took about 3 hours going through it. That afternoon and most of the next two days were spent by the pool.
Monday night we took an overnight bus back to Istanbul and then boarded a bus for Tbilisi, Georgia and then a marchutney for Yerevan, Armenia. In all it was about 48 hours on buses. But the countryside was beautiful and we road along the Black Sea for a while. I'm glad we traveled the way we did, it added adventure to the trip.
While I definitely enjoyed the trip, it was good to come back to Armenia, to come back home (at least home for another year).
Turkey was wonderful. Istanbul is a fascinating, weaving both modern and ancient cultures together in a wonderful fashion. It is also a very crowded city, with over 11 million people.
When we started out on June 13, we still hadn't firmed up all our travel plans, so at times it seemed like we were on the Amazing Race, trying to figure out how to get from one place to another within a certain amount of time. But in the end everything worked out and we got where we wanted to go. We took a marchutny from Gyrumi into Georgia, where we found a taxi that would take us across the border into Turkey. The hostel we planned on staying at in Kars, Turkey, was under renovation, so we had to find another one, which we did. We then flew to Istanbul Monday morning.
I'm glad we did so much travel by land, because the landscape in this part of the world is beautiful. Whereas parts of Armenia are mountainous, but rocky, and other parts are treeless, Georgia has a lot of fir trees and gentle hills and mountains. In Turkey we drove over and around mountains that are beautiful and still had snow on the tops.
One of the things that struck me once we were in Tureky was the presence of mosques in all the towns and villages. You could see the minarettes sticking up above all the other buildings. It reminded me of driving through New England, where each little town has a church in the town center and you can see the spire from the highway. The other striking thing about Turkey is the color of the houses and apartment buildings. Whereas in Armenia everything is cement grey, in Turkey there are pinks, blues, yellows, greens, and oranges. It was joyful looking and not depressing.
We passed some villages in Turkey where the houses had grass growing on their roofs. I imagine it helps to keep them cool in the summer and warm in winter. It just looks funny to see them cutting the grass on the roof.
The hostel we stayed at in Istanbul was located near most of the major tourist attractions: the Blue Mosque (so named for the thousands of blue tiles in the interior), the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace/Museum, Grand Bazaar, and lots more.
On Tuesday we went to the Grand Bazaar first thing in the morning. This is a huge shopping mecca that seems to go on for miles. It reminded me of a very upscale flea market, with stall after stall of clothes, jewelry, crafts, etc. You could spend days in it and still not see it all.
We wanted to go to the Topkapi Museum, but it's closed on Tuesdays so we went to the Hagia Sophia instead. This was originally a cathedral, but was then converted into a mosque and now is just a museum. But it was absolutely maagniicent. The high domed ceilings, with frescoes, or what's left of them, all around; over-sized pictures of how the art work used to look; and of course they have a minbar (where the Imam prays) and stained glass windows which now reflect Moselm tenants. It's really amazing the sense of history present in buildings like that, as well as a sense of peace.
We met another PCV and her mother and aunt for dinner that night. Istanbul is full of restaurants that have rooftop seating, with spectacular views of the city. We tried a different one every night.
On Wednesday we went to the Spice Bazaar, another interesting experience. There were a lot of spice and tea booths, as well as rugs, jewelry and clothes. I bought a green and lemon tea mix and a chicken spice, both of which I look forward to using when I get back to my house. It was interesting to haggle with them, which they expect, as well as to just smell all the different aromas. Right near this was the New Mosque, so named because it's just 800 years old. We had to take off our shoes and put on shawls to cover our heads in order to go in. When we wnet in it was during the noon prayer time, and they have a section just for visitors, so we were able to stay and watch. I was enthralled by how much ritual there is and how everyone moved as one.
After lunch we went to the Topkapi Museum. This is a huge place that has sultans' clothes displayed, with explanations as to when they were worn, how it was made and for who; as well as jewels and swords. In one room they had a display of Japanese art. Just walking around and going into the rooms and buildings gave us a sense of the granduer of it all. It was definitely a different time. We spent about 3 1/2 hours there and still didn't see it all.
On Thursday we firmed up our plans for getting to Selcuk. We had wanted to go by ferry and train, but they were both booked, so we went to Plan B and booked an overnight bus for Friday night. We then went through the Blue Mosque. The courtyard of this is resplendent with flowers: impatiens, begonias, roses. We again had to take off our shoes and put on scarfs before entering the mosque. We had met a man outside who became our guide and told us all about the mosque. He really was very helpful and helped us appreciate it much more. For instance he showed us a special place off to one side in the front that is reserved for dignitaries.
After taking us through the mosque he invited us for some apple tea at his shop. He and his nephew run a rug shop, of which there are probably a few hundred in Istanbul. While we drank the tea the nephew gave us a history lesson of the carpets and kilims, ,while spreading out before us a magnificent display of both. I found out that kilims are handmade of cotton, while carpets are handmade of wool or silk or a combination of both. I bought 2 small kilims, which I'll probably use as wall hangings.
That afternoon, Shannon and I took off for a walk through the non-tourist area. We wanted to get to the water, which we eventually did. However, before that we walked down some very interesting streets, which I'm sure most touists never see. They were narrow, winding alleys, with narrow tall houses/apartments. Yet still they were colorful and not as depressing as in Armenia. Kids were playing in the street, mothers were gathered on stoops or talking to one another through windows, and toddlers sat on windowsills protected by the guard rails. Very homey scenes indeed!
After much wandering we finally made our way to the road that runs along the shore. It was delightful and refreshing to walk along the water. We could see a whole bunch of freighters out at sea, as well as some sail boats and cruise ships. There were men and boys (no females) swimming. The boys had strung together empty water bottles, tied them around their waists or upper arms, and used the as life preservers. Very resourceful.
Friday was a very relaxing day, with no real sightseeing on our part. Shannon and I again set out on a walk. At one point Shannon went to use a portajohn by the boatyard. I got interested in watching the men haul out a boat and others were building wood boats and just lost track of time. It seems that Shannon had gotten locked in the portajohn and was yelling for me to get her out. The wind was blowing the wrong way so I couldn't hear her. Luckily some men on one of the boats finally heard her and let her out. I bought her a beer after that as a way of making up for it.
The overnight bus ride to Selcuk wasn't too bad. At one point we took a short ferry ride. It was very reminiscent of the Port Jeff ferry: cars and trucks lined up waiting to be loaded on. We were able to get off the bus and walk around for a bit and it was a clear, calm night. I forgot how much I miss being on the water.
The hostel we stayed at in Selcuk was absolute fantastic. It's called Atilla's Getaway. Atilla, the owner, is an Aussie, so there were lots of Aussie's staying there. There was a swimming pool, an outdoor bar, a pool table, and lots of lounge chairs. It was a wonderful place to end our vacation: very relaxing. If we had gone there first, I don't think I would have left to see Istanbul.
We went into Ephesus Sunday morning. I didn't realize how big Ephesus was, and how important it was at the time. It was amazing to think that we were walking down roads that Hadrian and Cleopatra walked on; that we were sitting in an ampitheater where Paul spoke and gladiators fought. They had audiotapes to help understand what all the buildings were and how the city had developed and the importance it was. We took about 3 hours going through it. That afternoon and most of the next two days were spent by the pool.
Monday night we took an overnight bus back to Istanbul and then boarded a bus for Tbilisi, Georgia and then a marchutney for Yerevan, Armenia. In all it was about 48 hours on buses. But the countryside was beautiful and we road along the Black Sea for a while. I'm glad we traveled the way we did, it added adventure to the trip.
While I definitely enjoyed the trip, it was good to come back to Armenia, to come back home (at least home for another year).
Friday, June 11, 2010
Saturday, June 12
I've been with the new trainees for this past week and it's nice to have this chance to get to know them. There are 58 of them spread out over 7 villages, mostly sorted according to the work they will be doing here. While I met with all of them on Wednesday for one session, I met with 4 of the villages on Thursday, two at a time. It's a bit different being the trainer rather than the trainee and I'm pleased with how much input into their training we've actually been allowed to give. But, as my program manager said, we're the ones in the field and we know what the new people really need to learn. I can really identify with them during this stage of their training: trying to acclimate to a new culture, living with a new family, learning a new language and learning about how to do their job in a different culture. But, as I keep telling them, it's worth all the hard work and frustrations.
The Peace Corps rents out a few apartments in Charentsavan, the main town which the villages surround. I stayed in one of them this past week, which was nice and I had the place to myself. The other volunteers working this week were all young men, who stayed at one of the other places. On Thursday night, instead of going out to eat, we met at their place and Bryan cooked for us. It was fun just sitting around and sharing some of our experiences during this past year and playing some games.
Tomorrow I'm off to Turkey, which I'm really excited about and looking forward to. We've been planning this for a few months, but typical Peace Corps style, our travel plans are still a bit up in the air with some gaps in getting from one place to another. I know it'll all work out and I'm really not worried about it. There are 4 of us going, 3 of us older and one of the tweeners, a 30+ volunteer. It should be fun. It seems odd to me that here I am in the Peace Corps and yet I get to travel to some amazing places.
I've been with the new trainees for this past week and it's nice to have this chance to get to know them. There are 58 of them spread out over 7 villages, mostly sorted according to the work they will be doing here. While I met with all of them on Wednesday for one session, I met with 4 of the villages on Thursday, two at a time. It's a bit different being the trainer rather than the trainee and I'm pleased with how much input into their training we've actually been allowed to give. But, as my program manager said, we're the ones in the field and we know what the new people really need to learn. I can really identify with them during this stage of their training: trying to acclimate to a new culture, living with a new family, learning a new language and learning about how to do their job in a different culture. But, as I keep telling them, it's worth all the hard work and frustrations.
The Peace Corps rents out a few apartments in Charentsavan, the main town which the villages surround. I stayed in one of them this past week, which was nice and I had the place to myself. The other volunteers working this week were all young men, who stayed at one of the other places. On Thursday night, instead of going out to eat, we met at their place and Bryan cooked for us. It was fun just sitting around and sharing some of our experiences during this past year and playing some games.
Tomorrow I'm off to Turkey, which I'm really excited about and looking forward to. We've been planning this for a few months, but typical Peace Corps style, our travel plans are still a bit up in the air with some gaps in getting from one place to another. I know it'll all work out and I'm really not worried about it. There are 4 of us going, 3 of us older and one of the tweeners, a 30+ volunteer. It should be fun. It seems odd to me that here I am in the Peace Corps and yet I get to travel to some amazing places.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 24, 2010
May 25, 2010
School is over for this year, the students just have state exams to take, so they will be in and out for the next 3 weeks. Unfortunately I missed the last week of school because I was up in Yerevan helping plan for the new volunteers who are coming this Saturday.
Shannon and I took a taxi up on Friday, May 14. We had a committee meeting first thing Saturday morning and then I left for Ijevan, where I attended environmental camp counselor training. There were about 20 of us, including some Armenians, who had volunteered to be counselor. Of course, the other trainees were somewhat younger than me. We were lucky that the training wasn’t two weeks earlier because there had been a landslide on the road to Ijevan, which meant that you could take one marshutney up to the landslide, climb over the mud and trees, and then get into another marshutney. I’m not sorry that I missed that experience. During the training we went through a lot of the activities that the children will be doing and the overall curriculum for the camps. There are going to be 5 green camps this year, unfortunately all of them are in the northern part of the country. The Americans all stayed at the house of one of the sponsors and founders of the green camps. I was promised a bed, but that didn’t work out so I slept on the floor with the other counselors. But we did have a horovatz, their version of a BBQ. I got back to Yerevan Sunday evening and spent the rest of the week at the hostel.
I had volunteered to help with the planning for the new volunteers’ training, which is what I wound up doing the rest of the week. When I left Vachagan on Friday, I thought I would only be in Yerevan until Tuesday or Wednesday. However, once I got to PC office, I was asked to become more involved. Luckily I had packed extra clothes
I didn’t have to be at any meetings until Monday afternoon, so Shannon and I did some shopping Monday morning, which turned out to be my only free time. There were 4 of us who were asked to help with redoing the cross-cultural training curriculum. And we only had 2 days within which to do this. This meant using a generic workbook that PC put together, sequencing the topics, and coming up with lesson plans for each of the 7 sessions.
After we finished with that, since we were all English teachers, we were asked to help the new tech trainer in our sector. This again coming up with a revised curriculum, suggesting volunteers who could do each session, and coming up with TDAs (trainee directed assignments) for some of the sessions. The TDAs are a new addition to the training so we had nothing to draw from. The practicum for the English teachers is a model school the last 2 weeks of training. I was asked to coordinate that, which I’m happy to do.
While I was looking forward to being a camp counselor, unfortunately I had to give that up. But luckily, the camp I was going to help out at had a lot of counselors, so Katie the PCV in charge was fine with me not doing it. I might try it next summer. So my summer will be busy and a lot of it will be spent in Charentsevan, but I am looking forward to it.
Even though we were terribly busy last week, we did manage to get in some culture events. Tuesday night we went to a dance performance at the Opera House. It was very similar to “River Dance,” with a lot of Armenian folk dances. Some of them remind me of Irish step dancing. The costumes and dances were really amazing. Then on Wednesday we went to an opera, “Anush.” This is the most well-known Armenian opera. The sets were spectacular and the singing was extraordinary. They had some programs in English so we had a general idea of what was happening. I’m going to get the schedule for performances at the Opera House, so when I’m in Yerevan I can take advantage of this. The tickets are very reasonable so there’s no reason not to go. Another highlight of my week in Yerevan was going to dinner with another volunteer, Barbara, to a wonderful little Italian restaurant. This place is very small, with only 5 tables. However, the food is exquisite. Barbara had been there before and had raved about the steak, so that’s what I ordered. I don’t usually order steak in an Italian restaurant, but I am so glad that I did. The steak was one of the best I’ve ever had, it practically melted in my mouth. They cooked it exactly the way I wanted it and it was cooked with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. I will definitely go to this place again.
As I said school is over and the last day was Saturday, which I was very glad to back for. They all it “Last Bell,” since it is the last time the 11th graders will be there. They had a graduation ceremony of sorts. The hall was decorated with streamers and balloons, and a small stage was set up at one end. The first graders marched in with the 11th graders and during the ceremony they exchanged gifts. There was a slide show, showing the 11th graders throughout their school years. The PE teacher had made up poems about all the faculty, including me, and the students took turns reading them and presenting flowers to the appropriate teacher. Afterwards they had a luncheon for the graduates and their families. A lot of othere villagers came to watch, besides the families. As I said, I was very glad I made it back in time.
I also realized that spending an entire week in the hostel is a bit much for me. While I enjoy being with the younger volunteers, I also need some quiet time, which is not available there. It was like living in a college dorm, a co-ed one at that. But the place is reasonable, clean and has nice hot showers. I also found out they have an iron and a hair dryer we can use. It’s the little things that make it worth it.
This weekend the new trainees come and I will be going back up north on Friday. Friday night I will be staying with my host family from last summer, who are just wonderful people. I was even able to call them by myself and make the arrangements, so I am making progress with this language. But I will have to bring my dictionary with me.
School is over for this year, the students just have state exams to take, so they will be in and out for the next 3 weeks. Unfortunately I missed the last week of school because I was up in Yerevan helping plan for the new volunteers who are coming this Saturday.
Shannon and I took a taxi up on Friday, May 14. We had a committee meeting first thing Saturday morning and then I left for Ijevan, where I attended environmental camp counselor training. There were about 20 of us, including some Armenians, who had volunteered to be counselor. Of course, the other trainees were somewhat younger than me. We were lucky that the training wasn’t two weeks earlier because there had been a landslide on the road to Ijevan, which meant that you could take one marshutney up to the landslide, climb over the mud and trees, and then get into another marshutney. I’m not sorry that I missed that experience. During the training we went through a lot of the activities that the children will be doing and the overall curriculum for the camps. There are going to be 5 green camps this year, unfortunately all of them are in the northern part of the country. The Americans all stayed at the house of one of the sponsors and founders of the green camps. I was promised a bed, but that didn’t work out so I slept on the floor with the other counselors. But we did have a horovatz, their version of a BBQ. I got back to Yerevan Sunday evening and spent the rest of the week at the hostel.
I had volunteered to help with the planning for the new volunteers’ training, which is what I wound up doing the rest of the week. When I left Vachagan on Friday, I thought I would only be in Yerevan until Tuesday or Wednesday. However, once I got to PC office, I was asked to become more involved. Luckily I had packed extra clothes
I didn’t have to be at any meetings until Monday afternoon, so Shannon and I did some shopping Monday morning, which turned out to be my only free time. There were 4 of us who were asked to help with redoing the cross-cultural training curriculum. And we only had 2 days within which to do this. This meant using a generic workbook that PC put together, sequencing the topics, and coming up with lesson plans for each of the 7 sessions.
After we finished with that, since we were all English teachers, we were asked to help the new tech trainer in our sector. This again coming up with a revised curriculum, suggesting volunteers who could do each session, and coming up with TDAs (trainee directed assignments) for some of the sessions. The TDAs are a new addition to the training so we had nothing to draw from. The practicum for the English teachers is a model school the last 2 weeks of training. I was asked to coordinate that, which I’m happy to do.
While I was looking forward to being a camp counselor, unfortunately I had to give that up. But luckily, the camp I was going to help out at had a lot of counselors, so Katie the PCV in charge was fine with me not doing it. I might try it next summer. So my summer will be busy and a lot of it will be spent in Charentsevan, but I am looking forward to it.
Even though we were terribly busy last week, we did manage to get in some culture events. Tuesday night we went to a dance performance at the Opera House. It was very similar to “River Dance,” with a lot of Armenian folk dances. Some of them remind me of Irish step dancing. The costumes and dances were really amazing. Then on Wednesday we went to an opera, “Anush.” This is the most well-known Armenian opera. The sets were spectacular and the singing was extraordinary. They had some programs in English so we had a general idea of what was happening. I’m going to get the schedule for performances at the Opera House, so when I’m in Yerevan I can take advantage of this. The tickets are very reasonable so there’s no reason not to go. Another highlight of my week in Yerevan was going to dinner with another volunteer, Barbara, to a wonderful little Italian restaurant. This place is very small, with only 5 tables. However, the food is exquisite. Barbara had been there before and had raved about the steak, so that’s what I ordered. I don’t usually order steak in an Italian restaurant, but I am so glad that I did. The steak was one of the best I’ve ever had, it practically melted in my mouth. They cooked it exactly the way I wanted it and it was cooked with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. I will definitely go to this place again.
As I said school is over and the last day was Saturday, which I was very glad to back for. They all it “Last Bell,” since it is the last time the 11th graders will be there. They had a graduation ceremony of sorts. The hall was decorated with streamers and balloons, and a small stage was set up at one end. The first graders marched in with the 11th graders and during the ceremony they exchanged gifts. There was a slide show, showing the 11th graders throughout their school years. The PE teacher had made up poems about all the faculty, including me, and the students took turns reading them and presenting flowers to the appropriate teacher. Afterwards they had a luncheon for the graduates and their families. A lot of othere villagers came to watch, besides the families. As I said, I was very glad I made it back in time.
I also realized that spending an entire week in the hostel is a bit much for me. While I enjoy being with the younger volunteers, I also need some quiet time, which is not available there. It was like living in a college dorm, a co-ed one at that. But the place is reasonable, clean and has nice hot showers. I also found out they have an iron and a hair dryer we can use. It’s the little things that make it worth it.
This weekend the new trainees come and I will be going back up north on Friday. Friday night I will be staying with my host family from last summer, who are just wonderful people. I was even able to call them by myself and make the arrangements, so I am making progress with this language. But I will have to bring my dictionary with me.
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