This past weekend, I went to my new site. It was a lot of fun. Of course I was a little apprehensive because these are the people I have to live with for at least four months and then two years if all goes well. That is kind of a lot of pressure. So, the previous day we met our new host families. My new host mom’s name is Zo-ya and she has three kids. One of them is 13, one is in the mandatory two year service-army and the girl is married and has a two week old child. How exciting. Anyway, after our meeting, the following morning we had to get up really early and make our way to the hotel where we stayed our first couple days in Armenia. We got on one of two large coach buses and made our way into Yerevan. However, I had to urinate because I drank half a liter of water before I got on the bus because I felt the onset of a headache. There was no bathroom on the bus and I couldn’t wait so I decided that I needed to stop the bus. So if you can imagine a huge bus pulling over on a major highway and a person running out of it into the woods, that would be me. I have never suffered from stage-fright so that was of no concern even though I knew everyone was looking out the windows. lots of laughing when I got on the bus. I think the best part was trying to explain to the bus driver, in Armenian that I needed him to pull the bus over so that I could pee. At the same time, Im sure my new host mom was thinking “what nut did I get matched up with”. All is good. She has a sense of humor.
Anyway, since Pat and Nick were close to my village, we all rode the marshutni together to our village. I don’t really know how to describe a marshutni. It looks like a european courier van- the equivalent of a 15 passenger van in the states but not nearly as roomy. You are definately shoulder to shoulder to the people around you and being American, the body size is slightly larger, thus less comfortable. We made the two hour bus ride and got to our house.
While we were walking to the village, the school director pulled up and gave us a ride. A VERY energetic man. We got in his car (which happened to be a Jetta) and we drove to the school where i met with my counterpart, the english teacher, and some others. Oh what fun. They were very impressed with the amount of Armenian I had learned in one month although it still took me a very long time to convey my thoughts. (honestly if you think about it, languages are really complex. First you have learn the vocabulary, then the tense, then word order. I mean just to say “I have been learning Armenian for one month” requires knowledge of the vocabulary, tense, word order, and numbers.) After the meeting, I went to my host family’s house. Talk about nice. It was very very nice. I have hot running water with a shower. (who cares about anything else). The whole house is really nice with a large garden out in the front. Since I am the oldest male in the house (the father has passed away), I get to do all the manly things that males do. She said that I would be cutting the grass. (I thought I would get away from that when I left the states, but its even worse now because they don’t have lawnmowers but more of a sickle). I also noticed they had a cow and the last day I was there, with enough pleading, she let me milk the cow. It was actually a little scary because it was trying to kick me. I wasn’t very good at it but I sort of got the hang of it. Also what was gross was the tail would smack me in the face. I don’t know if you have looked at a cows backside but the butt is up at the very top of the point and Im pretty sure that the cow doesn’t really mind that its fecal matter get on its tail. Good thing I had purell because afterwards, I washed my face twice and then rubbed purell on my face. (Purell, if you are reading this blog, can you send a case of your product to Armenia-Thanks).
The rest of the time I spent walking around. Some of the other close volunteers came over to my house because they were somehow related. Don’t know how but Im pretty sure that one way of another everyone in the villages are related. I hung out with Terrie who has been in my village (or in Peace Corps) for one year and she showed me around. I think I have mentioned this before but you have to have so much respect for the women in this country. The girls in Peace Corps do not have it easy at all expecially in the smaller villages because of gender roles and the stigma that they can get if they acknowledge a strange man they have never met before. Its a different here. I don’t really have any concerns really. Overall, I am really excited about my site and what Im going to do. Also, I went to the Polyclinic to introduce myself. The polyclinic is a small outpost of a hospital with maybe four rooms in it for the village. I was trying to help out there but I think there was a loss in translation because they think that I am a doctor. They told me that when they needed help they would contact me. I know what “doctor” is in Armenian and I just kept hearing them say that. If it isn’t cleared up by the time I get there in August, I will have to straighten that out really quickly.
PST is getting more hectic. We still have language classes although not as long but after language class we have a TECH training for several hours. Next week, on top of what we already have to do, we have to do our practicas, which entails practice teaching in Armenian to a group of children. For example, Mike and I are going to teach about eye care. We have to plan a thirty minute lesson in Armenian and we have to do that for ten days. But each day is a different lesson. Should be interesting. Thirty minutes isn’t that long... (crap).
I really can’t complain about anything. The weather is really nice here, everyone has been getting along and my bowels are in working order. There is less than a month before PST is over. I am excited because I know that we will get a little more freedom.
Overall, so far, Peace Corps was a really really good decision. That isn’t to say that I don’t miss family and friends but I have to figure something out if Im going to be here for two years...
Sorry about the lack of emails too...
Until next time
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