Right after my last writing, I had to go to Yerevan again to have a FLEX meeting. The meeting went well but I planned on actually starting the FLEX planning that day, Monday. That wasn’t the case. My counterpart said that she had to go back to work and that she wouldn’t be able to plan until a weekend. So, I was in Yerevan for no reason... or so I thought. Actually things worked out really well.
So Monday night I did some work at the office and started looking over my FLEX materials. It was pretty low key. Ashley took me to her Russian tutor’s house. She was awesome. She had a lot of spunk to her. They talked while I listened since it wasn’t really my place to say much. There was a pretty cool thing that we did. In Russia, before someone leaves for a long time, or forever, everyone sits down in silence for one minute, then the youngest gets up, then the next youngest, and so forth, until everyone is up. I love little things like that, little things that each culture has, the idiosyncrasies. I though this was a wonderful tradition to keep because it seems like when you are about to leave, you are always in a rush and you don’t really get to appreciate the little time you have together with the people you are with. This time gave me some time to think about my time in Armenia and my good friend Ashley who was leaving to go back to America.
Tuesday came and I did some little chores here and there trying to get my stuff finished. Tuesday was Ashley’s last day in Armenia so we did a bit of hanging out. She wanted to go to the Armenian Genocide Museum so we went out there. It was a beautiful place overlooking the city. It had a obelisk and a dome shaped structure which housed an eternal flame. It was very calming to walk through. Then we went to the museum. Without going into too much detail, it was an eye-opener. Being in this country, you hear about what happened quite frequently actually going there and looking at pictures and reading about it was something beyond what I imagined. It was a sure contrast from the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. There was a point that the Museum here was trying to make.
After the Museum, we went back to her place and hung out for a while. Mike came down from his camp for Ashley’s going away dinner. Mike and I went to the PC office and dropped somethings off and then went to the restaurant and waited for everyone else to show up. I wore the T-shirt that Laura B sent me, the one of the dinosaur wearing a top-hat, while riding a bicycle. It was a bit hit... no one took me serious. Anyway, we waited any everyone showed up. It was Mike, myself, six girls, and a mom. Ha ha. We had a good time talking with everyone and everyone was so nice. Ashley chose that restaurant because it was the first place she went to when she got to Armenia ten months ago. We stayed for a while and then went to an outdoor cafe to talk about what she was going to do when she got back to the states.
The next morning came. Everything in her Apartment was all packed up, cleaned and ready to go. Mike, Ashley, Cassie, and I woke up did some more cleaning, and then went to a cafe so that she could use the internet. We sat and talked for a while then called some taxi’s to come. We loaded all her, millions of bags, into the car and went to go to the airport. We got there and unloaded everything and got her checked in. Some of her friends surprised her. The same friends from the night before. It was weird saying good-bye to Ashley. She added some perspective to my first year here because she was an American but she wasn’t Peace Corps so she was someone that I could talk to without referring to Peace Corps, just to get away for a while. I will miss that.
I was telling Mike too, that it was weird going to the airport, checking in, and then not going anywhere. Honestly, it made me a little jealous that I wasn’t going to be at home in the states in 24 hours, that I had another year or more away from the States. It was a really funny feeling I had. I wasn’t necessarily sad, but I guess a little nostalgic, but then I realized there was still a lot that I needed to do here. That hit me later on, this is where I need to be for right now.
We took a taxi back with Ashley’s friends. We got to Yerevan and Mike and I got something to eat. I was planning to getting home early but then Susanna, my program manager called and I went to the office to have a meeting with her about how training was going. It was really interesting because in all our previous talks, I got to know her more, and vice versa. Very well worth it. For a time period of what will be 2 years, Im glad that I am starting to get to know my PM. Well, that meeting lasted about 4 hours...
but we got a lot done.
I left for my village. Holy crap. A normally 2 hour ride home turned into about 4 and a half hours and here’s why. I got to the bus stop around 6:30. Waited for the bus to leave at 7:30. It left and then we went to the other bus station to see if there were others to be picked up. Well, the man wasn’t there that called who reserved a spot on the bus, so instead of leaving, we waited another 30min for this man to show up. As an aside, one thing that I find really funny here is how mad people will get, but two seconds later, they will be buddies again. The driver was really irritated that he had to wait 30 minutes for this person, and definitely vocalized it. Then as soon as the person showed up, there were a couple words exchanged and then, that was the end of it. Interesting... Anyway, from there we drove to Sevan where we stopped to get gas. That took about 30 minutes. Then we drove down by the lake and it started raining super hard. We even got struck by lightning. This is the second time this has happened in my life and both times have been in Armenia. Anyway, the bus pulled over to wait for the rain to subside. Well the rain subsided, but the bus wouldn’t start up again. Ah crap. So we waited another 45 min for the bus to fix the problem.
That’s at least one good thing about the bus drivers, you will never be stranded anywhere because the drivers can fix anything. In the states, if a bus broke down, you are pretty much stuck and need to wait until another bus comes. Not here. The drivers here will McGyver anything. The driver grabbed a cup, a piece of gum, a toothpick, and a chair and managed to get the bus work. (for those people who are gullible, no, the driver didn’t really grab those materials...) Anyway, the bus started up again and off we were. I got to Martuni around 11:10ish. It was dark, raining, and a bit chilly, and there were no taxi’s. Great. As the bus stopped, a lady turned around and asked if I was Danny. I responded, then she asked me if I was going to my village, I said yes, and then she asked if I wanted to ride with her. I again said yes. While we were standing out in the rain, a red truck pulled up and gave us a ride. The man was super nice and said that anytime he sees Americans just standing on the side of the road he picks them up. He said it was the least he could do for what we were doing for his country. That was really nice of him to say that. Anyway, the lady turned out to be my tutor’s sister. I went over to her house and the grandma there talked with me about everything. So, since there was no taxi, I called Varton to come over and get me, he did. I got home around 11:40ish.
Before I left, the door handle broke. I didn’t think that Grandma was home, so I found an open window in the house. It is one of those windows about 5 feet off the group about a foot by a foot and a half wide. So, I considered my options and I hoisted myself up there and landed “softly” on the table on the other side. I got inside and there she was, grandma. I scared her. Ha. She now keeps all the windows closed. Ha ha. She asked how I got in and I told her and then proceeded to take the next five minutes to just laugh. Yup.
In the mornings after I wake up, I open my window to get some fresh air to my room. She was walking around outside and came up to my window, take-out-style, and told me in a joking way, “next time you are stuck outside, there is a doorbell, use it and I will come and open the door for you. Also, my bed is right next to the window, just knock on it, and I will let you in”. She got another laugh after that. Cool.
After that night, I relaxed the next day and laid low. That night and everyday since then, I have been working in the garden with Grandma. Its been fun and it feels really nice to actually do some physical work/exercise... but my hands hurt... and my back... and my legs.
Yesterday, Jon and Whitney got married. It was really hard for me being here knowing that my childhood friend was getting married back at home. It put me in a slump and last night I talked to grandma about it. She made me feel better about it. She said on a positive note, that I will be the only close friend to be asleep during the wedding. Maybe I misunderstood the translation... but I don’t think so. I got a laugh out of it. But I guess that is my claim to fame... that I was the only friend asleep during his wedding. Uh huh. Anyway, I at least got to talk to both Whitney and Jon which was nice before they got married. This is the third wedding that I have missed so as a note, you people out there, stop getting married until I get home...
Tomorrow, its back to Charentsavan to train the new group again. I have been gone more than I have been here. I don’t think I really like that, but I guess that’s just what I gots to do. I enjoy it though. I enjoy everything about being here.
Done and done,
Until next time...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
oh how the tables have turned...
Last weekend, we had a nice beach party. A couple people came up. We walked down to our usual spot at the beach but it was packed full of people. We wanted to a find a place where we wouldn’t be stared at the whole time with people noticing that we don’t really look Armenian, and asking a bunch of questions when we are just trying to get some sun and hang out. After we noticed that the place was going to be full for the rest of the afternoon, we called some taxis to come out and get us to take us to another place. We went down the road a bit and found another beach. When I say beach, I hope you are not thinking the Caribbean, Hawaii, or even the beaches of North Carolina. The beaches are not like that at all. We just hung out there for the afternoon throwing the frisbee and talking. It was actually a really good time. Half because i evened out and now I am an even coat of tan instead of ghost white on my back and “TJ lifeguard tan all summer” brown on the front.
I spent the day at home on Sunday just doing not much of anything other than making sure my lesson plans were good to go for the following week.
I went to Yerevan to meet with my Program Manager, Susanna, and with the Doctors about my presentations. Then around 4, I got with Jon, Elliot, and Sue to Charentsavan where PST is held this year again. Jon and I hung around the PST office for a while and then played volleyball in the street with some kids. It was a lot of fun.
So, this is an aside. A while ago I told my host family in Solak that I wanted to hike from Martuni to Yeghegnatsor. There is a pass through the mountains from one place to the other and its really pretty. It used to be part of the Silk Road and has ruins of old hotels on the side of the road with signs written in old Arabic. So I wanted to walk this road which is about a 10 hour walk. I told my Solak family about this and they said it was impossible. I told them that Jon did it in the middle of winter, by himself, and he did it in 9 hours. Without even thinking about it, they said “Jon can do that, he is a natural walker”. My response was “I will do this in the summer with other people”. They said itw as still a long walk and I wouldn’t be able to do it. Then, they proceeded to list off all the places where Jon has walked. I dropped that topic of conversation.
I wanted to get some credibility. Jon said he was going to walk from Charentsavan to Solak which is about a 3 hour walk. I went with him. We walked on the train tracks the whole way and it was really pretty looking out over the hills where it was so green. I had a really good time walking on the tracks and talking with Jon. If you think of the stereotypical Peace Corps, that’s Jon. Really awesome laid back guy with long hair, a beard, and just that awesome-ness.
We got to the family’s house and they couldn’t believe that I made it that far. They still wouldn’t believe that I could do the pass. Crap. Then the time at the family’s house was really nice too. We talked with Zhora and it was really interesting.
I got up the next morning and rode into Charentsavan with the Trainees living in Solak. Jon and I sat in the front so we didn’t get a real chance to hang out with them. I hung around the office for 4 hours until it was time to do my presentation... on condoms. The Doctors asked us to do the condom presentation. Now, who do you know in America, with our Sex Ed programs that doesn’t know how to use a condom. The Doctors got bananas. Now keep in mind, this was my first interaction with the new volunteers. So here I am with Nick in front of all these people that I have never met, really, before. We tried to make light of the situation and make jokes which maybe eased the situation. I told Nick to get out the instructions that came with the condom package and read it. The best part was knowing that the Country Director and the PDO were in the back of the room laughing at all this. Awesome. Then, we broke everyone into groups and made them do it. Some of them wouldn’t do it, so I barked at them saying “listen, if you think this is uncomfortable, try giving a lesson on how to use one of these in front of 65 people...”
After that, I did some more planning with Ani and then went to Belle Cafe to hang out with some of my friends. Some of the new Trainees came and hung out for a while. It was nice to get to know them in a relaxed setting. During the welcoming, Sean showed them my documentary that I made last year. (The one I sent to a lot of you back at home). That is how they knew me...
Being in Charetsavan has been fun because Peace Corps gives us Apartments to live in. Some of my close friends that I don’t really see much I got to live with. Chris, who lives in the South was up here and we got to hang out for a couple days. Same with Kyle. Even though Kyle’s site is close to mine, I don’t really see him. Also Sue was around to hang out.
Last night Ani, the piano player, came over to hang out with us. That was interesting. She just got back from Germany and bought me a ship in a bottle. It was awesome. It was interesting seeing her interactions with my friends. I don’t really know how to explain it, but having two different groups of friends mix can be dangerous. Somehow I became the focal point of all conversation and Ani was saying a lot of stuff that was embarrassing, in a good way. Like, Bryan would ask how Ani and I met. Ani is not short-winded and would describe every thing to everyone, somethings embarrassing. For example. There was this story between Ani and myself.
Ani thought for the first month that my name was “Benion” so one day I texted her and she texted me back saying “Benion, how are you...”I called her back and asked her what Benion was and she asked “isn’t that your name?” Anyway, after telling this story, everyone started calling me “Benion”. Thank you Ani.
I did a presentation for the health volunteers. I was about two hours long talking about different ways to analyze the needs of the community. Its funny how when you teach something you realize how you can really implement things in your own community. I feel like this PST experience will make my second year even better.
It was fun teaching though. The new volunteers seemed like they were all business but maybe in that setting that is appropriate. I had a good time hanging out with them after the first central day.
So that night, everyone wanted to go to Yerevan on Friday night, so I decided to stay in Charentsavan because I would be the only one there so I could relax a little bit and its a free place to stay. Ani knew that I would be alone so she invited me to her house for dinner, so after the presentation with the new group, I went to the apartment for 2 hours and unwinded a little bit and then I went to Ani’s. That was fun. This was the first time I had been over there since her father passed away and the place seemed different. Although it was sad that her father did pass, her mother seemed to be in good spirits, not happy that her husband passed away but maybe more of a relief on several accounts; that she could relax a little with her work and also relax knowing that her husband was not suffering anymore. It was a calm atmosphere. Ani, again, made some kind of persian dish that was really good. I always eat so much there because that’s all they want me to do. I never actually see Ani because she is always in the kitchen bringing different things in. Her brother and I watched the South Africa/ Mexico game. That was fun and I spoke with Ani’s mother for a while. After dinner, to get me to stay a bit longer, Ani played piano. Holy Crap. I sat next to her just watching her play. She played my favorite song, Chopin’s “Piano Nocturne”. She played it twice. It was so good. SO GOOD. She played some other pieces that she knew and then she played some of Bach’s organ music on the piano. Afterwards she said that we would go to her conservatory, or church where I could hear all of this on the organ. Very excited. Still, Im not exactly sure of her future. She keeps going back and forth not knowing if she is going to go to Germany or not. She just came back from a 10 day trip up to Hamburg and is again going to go up there in a week for something. Interesting.
I came home, watched half of a movie and passed out. I was exhausted from the day’s events.
I woke the next morning, on Saturday and went in to do the AIDS meeting.I got some guest speakers to come. They were the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual etc. group of Armenia. It was very interesting listening to them talk about their organization, how they have struggled since the government won’t help them or really acknowledge them, and how they have used the grassroots method to spread their word. I think that the most interesting part of this was the diplomacy they were promoting.
In case you don’t know about this, Armenia is a landlocked country with the majority of its borders closed with Turkey and Azerbaijan. There is a little strip of land to the south to Iran open, and then the north to Georgia. There are many disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, this organization is working with similar organizations in Azerbaijan to come together to help become recognized in the Caucus region. So the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, transgender etc. people are coming together, forgetting their problems to come together to fight another problem. However, maybe it is easy to forget historical quarrels between countries when your own country won’t support you...
It was a really interesting meeting and we are going to try and work with them to promote AIDS awareness.
Terri has pneumonia so she has been at the PC health office for a week now. Lame.
Vanessa and I caught the same Marshutni back to site yesterday. The bus leaves from one station and goes to another station to pick up more people. People that have already called in advance to reserve a spot. The bus was already full and I was in the seat by the door. There were two seats left. We got to the other bus stop and there were five people. The motto in Armenia “always room for one more....” They all got on and guess what? I can’t really describe it in words but basically a man ended up sitting on my lap. My thoughts were not really of anger but more confusion as to why there would be a man sitting on my lap. About half an hour into the trip, he shifted and was not sitting on my lap anymore. He didn’t ask or anything, just sat down. Yup.
I had two bags but didn’t want to pay for a taxi so I walked the two or three miles home. I got home just as it was getting pitch dark. I opened the door to the house and no one was home. I was exhausted. I called out for grandma but she wasn’t around so I called her. It turned out she was in Yerevan. I asked her why she didn’t call and she said that she doesn’t know how to use her phone to call me. (I totally believe her because every time she wants to make a call, I have to do it for her. That is partially why I learned how to read Russian). She said that she would be home on Monday, I told her that is when I would be leaving again for Yerevan... Ha. Ill see her next Wednesday.
Anyway, obviously the first thing I did was strip down because I was hot and I was about to take a shower. Fantastically, a neighbor of mine walked to the house because he saw that the lights were on. Fortunately I was wearing my boxers because my window was open and there we were just staring at each other through the open window. After he left, I took a shower in my house for the first time since November (I take my showers in Yerevan because the pressure is better there and the hot water is constant) but the shower here was really good. I made some food for myself and then watched the USA vs. England Soccer game. Can you believe how lucky the US got? Good defense though.
I am doing my laundry, catching up on emails, washing my clothes, and doing a little bit of work before Hector comes over at 4 to watch the 3 games that are on tonight. Looking forward to it.
Next week, I am going to start planning for American Councils. Sweet.
Until next time...
I spent the day at home on Sunday just doing not much of anything other than making sure my lesson plans were good to go for the following week.
I went to Yerevan to meet with my Program Manager, Susanna, and with the Doctors about my presentations. Then around 4, I got with Jon, Elliot, and Sue to Charentsavan where PST is held this year again. Jon and I hung around the PST office for a while and then played volleyball in the street with some kids. It was a lot of fun.
So, this is an aside. A while ago I told my host family in Solak that I wanted to hike from Martuni to Yeghegnatsor. There is a pass through the mountains from one place to the other and its really pretty. It used to be part of the Silk Road and has ruins of old hotels on the side of the road with signs written in old Arabic. So I wanted to walk this road which is about a 10 hour walk. I told my Solak family about this and they said it was impossible. I told them that Jon did it in the middle of winter, by himself, and he did it in 9 hours. Without even thinking about it, they said “Jon can do that, he is a natural walker”. My response was “I will do this in the summer with other people”. They said itw as still a long walk and I wouldn’t be able to do it. Then, they proceeded to list off all the places where Jon has walked. I dropped that topic of conversation.
I wanted to get some credibility. Jon said he was going to walk from Charentsavan to Solak which is about a 3 hour walk. I went with him. We walked on the train tracks the whole way and it was really pretty looking out over the hills where it was so green. I had a really good time walking on the tracks and talking with Jon. If you think of the stereotypical Peace Corps, that’s Jon. Really awesome laid back guy with long hair, a beard, and just that awesome-ness.
We got to the family’s house and they couldn’t believe that I made it that far. They still wouldn’t believe that I could do the pass. Crap. Then the time at the family’s house was really nice too. We talked with Zhora and it was really interesting.
I got up the next morning and rode into Charentsavan with the Trainees living in Solak. Jon and I sat in the front so we didn’t get a real chance to hang out with them. I hung around the office for 4 hours until it was time to do my presentation... on condoms. The Doctors asked us to do the condom presentation. Now, who do you know in America, with our Sex Ed programs that doesn’t know how to use a condom. The Doctors got bananas. Now keep in mind, this was my first interaction with the new volunteers. So here I am with Nick in front of all these people that I have never met, really, before. We tried to make light of the situation and make jokes which maybe eased the situation. I told Nick to get out the instructions that came with the condom package and read it. The best part was knowing that the Country Director and the PDO were in the back of the room laughing at all this. Awesome. Then, we broke everyone into groups and made them do it. Some of them wouldn’t do it, so I barked at them saying “listen, if you think this is uncomfortable, try giving a lesson on how to use one of these in front of 65 people...”
After that, I did some more planning with Ani and then went to Belle Cafe to hang out with some of my friends. Some of the new Trainees came and hung out for a while. It was nice to get to know them in a relaxed setting. During the welcoming, Sean showed them my documentary that I made last year. (The one I sent to a lot of you back at home). That is how they knew me...
Being in Charetsavan has been fun because Peace Corps gives us Apartments to live in. Some of my close friends that I don’t really see much I got to live with. Chris, who lives in the South was up here and we got to hang out for a couple days. Same with Kyle. Even though Kyle’s site is close to mine, I don’t really see him. Also Sue was around to hang out.
Last night Ani, the piano player, came over to hang out with us. That was interesting. She just got back from Germany and bought me a ship in a bottle. It was awesome. It was interesting seeing her interactions with my friends. I don’t really know how to explain it, but having two different groups of friends mix can be dangerous. Somehow I became the focal point of all conversation and Ani was saying a lot of stuff that was embarrassing, in a good way. Like, Bryan would ask how Ani and I met. Ani is not short-winded and would describe every thing to everyone, somethings embarrassing. For example. There was this story between Ani and myself.
Ani thought for the first month that my name was “Benion” so one day I texted her and she texted me back saying “Benion, how are you...”I called her back and asked her what Benion was and she asked “isn’t that your name?” Anyway, after telling this story, everyone started calling me “Benion”. Thank you Ani.
I did a presentation for the health volunteers. I was about two hours long talking about different ways to analyze the needs of the community. Its funny how when you teach something you realize how you can really implement things in your own community. I feel like this PST experience will make my second year even better.
It was fun teaching though. The new volunteers seemed like they were all business but maybe in that setting that is appropriate. I had a good time hanging out with them after the first central day.
So that night, everyone wanted to go to Yerevan on Friday night, so I decided to stay in Charentsavan because I would be the only one there so I could relax a little bit and its a free place to stay. Ani knew that I would be alone so she invited me to her house for dinner, so after the presentation with the new group, I went to the apartment for 2 hours and unwinded a little bit and then I went to Ani’s. That was fun. This was the first time I had been over there since her father passed away and the place seemed different. Although it was sad that her father did pass, her mother seemed to be in good spirits, not happy that her husband passed away but maybe more of a relief on several accounts; that she could relax a little with her work and also relax knowing that her husband was not suffering anymore. It was a calm atmosphere. Ani, again, made some kind of persian dish that was really good. I always eat so much there because that’s all they want me to do. I never actually see Ani because she is always in the kitchen bringing different things in. Her brother and I watched the South Africa/ Mexico game. That was fun and I spoke with Ani’s mother for a while. After dinner, to get me to stay a bit longer, Ani played piano. Holy Crap. I sat next to her just watching her play. She played my favorite song, Chopin’s “Piano Nocturne”. She played it twice. It was so good. SO GOOD. She played some other pieces that she knew and then she played some of Bach’s organ music on the piano. Afterwards she said that we would go to her conservatory, or church where I could hear all of this on the organ. Very excited. Still, Im not exactly sure of her future. She keeps going back and forth not knowing if she is going to go to Germany or not. She just came back from a 10 day trip up to Hamburg and is again going to go up there in a week for something. Interesting.
I came home, watched half of a movie and passed out. I was exhausted from the day’s events.
I woke the next morning, on Saturday and went in to do the AIDS meeting.I got some guest speakers to come. They were the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual etc. group of Armenia. It was very interesting listening to them talk about their organization, how they have struggled since the government won’t help them or really acknowledge them, and how they have used the grassroots method to spread their word. I think that the most interesting part of this was the diplomacy they were promoting.
In case you don’t know about this, Armenia is a landlocked country with the majority of its borders closed with Turkey and Azerbaijan. There is a little strip of land to the south to Iran open, and then the north to Georgia. There are many disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, this organization is working with similar organizations in Azerbaijan to come together to help become recognized in the Caucus region. So the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, transgender etc. people are coming together, forgetting their problems to come together to fight another problem. However, maybe it is easy to forget historical quarrels between countries when your own country won’t support you...
It was a really interesting meeting and we are going to try and work with them to promote AIDS awareness.
Terri has pneumonia so she has been at the PC health office for a week now. Lame.
Vanessa and I caught the same Marshutni back to site yesterday. The bus leaves from one station and goes to another station to pick up more people. People that have already called in advance to reserve a spot. The bus was already full and I was in the seat by the door. There were two seats left. We got to the other bus stop and there were five people. The motto in Armenia “always room for one more....” They all got on and guess what? I can’t really describe it in words but basically a man ended up sitting on my lap. My thoughts were not really of anger but more confusion as to why there would be a man sitting on my lap. About half an hour into the trip, he shifted and was not sitting on my lap anymore. He didn’t ask or anything, just sat down. Yup.
I had two bags but didn’t want to pay for a taxi so I walked the two or three miles home. I got home just as it was getting pitch dark. I opened the door to the house and no one was home. I was exhausted. I called out for grandma but she wasn’t around so I called her. It turned out she was in Yerevan. I asked her why she didn’t call and she said that she doesn’t know how to use her phone to call me. (I totally believe her because every time she wants to make a call, I have to do it for her. That is partially why I learned how to read Russian). She said that she would be home on Monday, I told her that is when I would be leaving again for Yerevan... Ha. Ill see her next Wednesday.
Anyway, obviously the first thing I did was strip down because I was hot and I was about to take a shower. Fantastically, a neighbor of mine walked to the house because he saw that the lights were on. Fortunately I was wearing my boxers because my window was open and there we were just staring at each other through the open window. After he left, I took a shower in my house for the first time since November (I take my showers in Yerevan because the pressure is better there and the hot water is constant) but the shower here was really good. I made some food for myself and then watched the USA vs. England Soccer game. Can you believe how lucky the US got? Good defense though.
I am doing my laundry, catching up on emails, washing my clothes, and doing a little bit of work before Hector comes over at 4 to watch the 3 games that are on tonight. Looking forward to it.
Next week, I am going to start planning for American Councils. Sweet.
Until next time...
Friday, June 4, 2010
Oh snap, its a Hefty bag
I got really confused this morning writing my blog because I thought I wrote a blog more recently than May 26th. I still feel like I did but maybe I didn’t. Come to think of it, I don’t think I did. Crap.
Well, last weekend, I was supposed to go on the teacher retreat with my teachers. I went over to Varton’s house the night before and asked him if he was coming. He said yes. I told him that i would be over at his house at 7:00am to get him. He said that was fine. The next morning came and he said his back hurt and decided that he didn’t want to go. So I went with my other neighbors to the school to get ready to go. They said they were leaving at 7:30. They didn’t leave until 9. As I was sitting on the bus, I realized that I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I didn’t want to be a burden to the other teachers, worrying about me having fun nor did I want to be a burden to Arpine and her husband both of whom speak English. Arpine is my Armenian tutor. So when we got to the end of the village, I stood up and said that I wanted to get off. I made a speech about how I wanted to go but didn’t feel right; that I felt bad and that I hope they understood. Looking back, Im glad I made that decision. Maybe next year I will go with them.
So Instead, I came back home, ate with Grandma and my sister and then made my way to Solak. I went to go see my original host family. They were doing well. Mom, Dad, they say hi. I spent the day and night with them. They said they weren’t getting a new person this year. I was a little offended by that. Don’t really know why but that is a failed opportunity for someone to have a great first two and a half months in another country. I mean my Solak family is great. They are really great and it is a shame they didn’t get a family. Eh. Anyway, they said it was better for them because then I would feel free to come and go and stay with them when I needed to. They added that this year they won’t have to have that awkward phase at first. By the time you feel comfortable with the new volunteer, they have to leave, so they said it was good that I was going to be there because we are both comfortable with each other. Awesome.
The following day, my group and the A-16 group met at a cafe and caught up for a while and then we all went to Bdjni to meet the new trainees who had just arrived twelve hours prior. After 36 hours, they seemed to be completely out of it, but it was a nice meeting. Actually, it was really awkward. I mean here are about 60 volunteers that have been in country for at least a year, so excited that there is new blood being added to the mix, and then you get these super tired, scared people and that interaction is sometimes a bit overwhelming. I really enjoyed it last year... I don’t think they shared the same sentiment. I am, however, excited to get to know them this year.
Afterwards, I came back to the village. Now that I don’t have to worry about my grant, life has been a little better. I don’t remember if I mentioned it last time, but I dropped my grant project because wasn’t onboard with things, so I said when they were ready, they could come and find me. So, we will see if we meet the Sept.1st deadline.
I went to the beach on tuesday with Vincent and Pat. I fell asleep, I got burned but just on my stomach and chest and the fronts of my legs. I look like a completely different person from the back because my whole backside is still rather white. Well done Danny... Tomorrow Ill go back to the Lake and make sure to lay on my stomach. Great.
This week, I have been hanging out with Grandma and my sister. I think my sister trusts me more because she will say that she is tired of her son and just give him to me. He is 11 months old now but can’t walk on his own yet. I usually just carry him around the garden for about half an hour. So far he hasn’t cried while I have been holding him and hope it stays that way. Cute kid though.
Yesterday, Ashley came to my village. She wanted to do a slideshow documentary of my life here. It was really interesting. I was a little concerned as to how the people in the village would respond to her coming to the village and staying with my and Grandma, but we walked around the village at night and we talked to a whole bunch of people who didn’t ask any questions. Just wanted to talk. It was really nice. The day was really nice so she came at a good time. We went over to Varton’s house and hung out there. His family is so nice. Since Ashley only has two weeks left, (she is a fullbright scholar) they wanted to take her somewhere so we went to a church by the side of the river. It was really nice and fun to go there. Then we went to another church located in Pat’s village. We got back around 10:30 and then talked with Grandma for a while. Ashley got the pleasure to sleep on the couch in the living room with Grandma. ha.
She left this morning saying she had a good time. I hope she did.
I wanted to send a huge thank you to Laura B. HUGE THANK YOU. She sent me a package in the mail for my birthday. It was awesome. She sent all kinds of things; a shirt, candies, and a plate. To give you a reference of how long I have been here, she packed all the stuff in a large Hefty zip-bag. when I opened the box, I saw that bag and got really excited. I am going to put that to good use. She also included a plate. It said Freedom, Liberty, things like that all over it. My first thought was, “what the hell?” but then I saw the back and all her friends wrote stuff on it. Some of the stuff more inappropriate than others, but awesome nonetheless. It was great. So so great, so many thank yous to Laura B for being awesome. She also sent a beanie baby. Laura, seriously?
This next week I will be in Charentsavan training the new group. It will be a busy week. This is the beginning to a really hectic summer. Oh geez.
Finally got all my plans set for my Balkans trip. I am going to stay at Marco’s house in Venice, Italy for a night. It has been three years since I last saw him. I met Marco when I was studying in Sweden and am really excited about hanging out with him, so thanks to him for letting me crash at his place. 16 years of pure mayhem.
Ok, so that’s about all that’s going on here. The weather here is great now, a bit on the warmer side, but that is welcomed after the long, cold winter.
Awesome.
Until next time...
Well, last weekend, I was supposed to go on the teacher retreat with my teachers. I went over to Varton’s house the night before and asked him if he was coming. He said yes. I told him that i would be over at his house at 7:00am to get him. He said that was fine. The next morning came and he said his back hurt and decided that he didn’t want to go. So I went with my other neighbors to the school to get ready to go. They said they were leaving at 7:30. They didn’t leave until 9. As I was sitting on the bus, I realized that I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I didn’t want to be a burden to the other teachers, worrying about me having fun nor did I want to be a burden to Arpine and her husband both of whom speak English. Arpine is my Armenian tutor. So when we got to the end of the village, I stood up and said that I wanted to get off. I made a speech about how I wanted to go but didn’t feel right; that I felt bad and that I hope they understood. Looking back, Im glad I made that decision. Maybe next year I will go with them.
So Instead, I came back home, ate with Grandma and my sister and then made my way to Solak. I went to go see my original host family. They were doing well. Mom, Dad, they say hi. I spent the day and night with them. They said they weren’t getting a new person this year. I was a little offended by that. Don’t really know why but that is a failed opportunity for someone to have a great first two and a half months in another country. I mean my Solak family is great. They are really great and it is a shame they didn’t get a family. Eh. Anyway, they said it was better for them because then I would feel free to come and go and stay with them when I needed to. They added that this year they won’t have to have that awkward phase at first. By the time you feel comfortable with the new volunteer, they have to leave, so they said it was good that I was going to be there because we are both comfortable with each other. Awesome.
The following day, my group and the A-16 group met at a cafe and caught up for a while and then we all went to Bdjni to meet the new trainees who had just arrived twelve hours prior. After 36 hours, they seemed to be completely out of it, but it was a nice meeting. Actually, it was really awkward. I mean here are about 60 volunteers that have been in country for at least a year, so excited that there is new blood being added to the mix, and then you get these super tired, scared people and that interaction is sometimes a bit overwhelming. I really enjoyed it last year... I don’t think they shared the same sentiment. I am, however, excited to get to know them this year.
Afterwards, I came back to the village. Now that I don’t have to worry about my grant, life has been a little better. I don’t remember if I mentioned it last time, but I dropped my grant project because wasn’t onboard with things, so I said when they were ready, they could come and find me. So, we will see if we meet the Sept.1st deadline.
I went to the beach on tuesday with Vincent and Pat. I fell asleep, I got burned but just on my stomach and chest and the fronts of my legs. I look like a completely different person from the back because my whole backside is still rather white. Well done Danny... Tomorrow Ill go back to the Lake and make sure to lay on my stomach. Great.
This week, I have been hanging out with Grandma and my sister. I think my sister trusts me more because she will say that she is tired of her son and just give him to me. He is 11 months old now but can’t walk on his own yet. I usually just carry him around the garden for about half an hour. So far he hasn’t cried while I have been holding him and hope it stays that way. Cute kid though.
Yesterday, Ashley came to my village. She wanted to do a slideshow documentary of my life here. It was really interesting. I was a little concerned as to how the people in the village would respond to her coming to the village and staying with my and Grandma, but we walked around the village at night and we talked to a whole bunch of people who didn’t ask any questions. Just wanted to talk. It was really nice. The day was really nice so she came at a good time. We went over to Varton’s house and hung out there. His family is so nice. Since Ashley only has two weeks left, (she is a fullbright scholar) they wanted to take her somewhere so we went to a church by the side of the river. It was really nice and fun to go there. Then we went to another church located in Pat’s village. We got back around 10:30 and then talked with Grandma for a while. Ashley got the pleasure to sleep on the couch in the living room with Grandma. ha.
She left this morning saying she had a good time. I hope she did.
I wanted to send a huge thank you to Laura B. HUGE THANK YOU. She sent me a package in the mail for my birthday. It was awesome. She sent all kinds of things; a shirt, candies, and a plate. To give you a reference of how long I have been here, she packed all the stuff in a large Hefty zip-bag. when I opened the box, I saw that bag and got really excited. I am going to put that to good use. She also included a plate. It said Freedom, Liberty, things like that all over it. My first thought was, “what the hell?” but then I saw the back and all her friends wrote stuff on it. Some of the stuff more inappropriate than others, but awesome nonetheless. It was great. So so great, so many thank yous to Laura B for being awesome. She also sent a beanie baby. Laura, seriously?
This next week I will be in Charentsavan training the new group. It will be a busy week. This is the beginning to a really hectic summer. Oh geez.
Finally got all my plans set for my Balkans trip. I am going to stay at Marco’s house in Venice, Italy for a night. It has been three years since I last saw him. I met Marco when I was studying in Sweden and am really excited about hanging out with him, so thanks to him for letting me crash at his place. 16 years of pure mayhem.
Ok, so that’s about all that’s going on here. The weather here is great now, a bit on the warmer side, but that is welcomed after the long, cold winter.
Awesome.
Until next time...
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