like father... like son

Being in a family where its just a Mom and a 13 year old son, you can imagine I have to balance the role of friend, brother, father, and weird American at the same time. The funniest things I have noticed being here are the things that I do similarly to my father. Somehow when the Mother can’t get my brother to eat, I just stare at him and keep asking him to eat and then he finally does without all the fuss. I also help him with his math homework every night. It has been a long time since the days of Algebra. It is really racking my brain. I think the most important thing that I have taught my younger brother that I learned from my Dad is how to put the toilet seat up when you pee and how to put it back down after you’re done. I noticed there were little yellow spots on the toilet seat and decided that I needed to have a little Man to Man with my brother. I’m starting to do quite nicely in Armenian but I don’t really know the vocabulary for toilet seat, raise, pee, etc. So there was a lot of pointing and me saying “yellow water.” Then I had to explain why you have to put the toilet seat back down... All in a days work of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Things are picking up quite nicely here. I go to school in the morning and help with the PE class. (that’s right, Im a PE teacher while I learn Armenian and get to know the kids). I then observe some of the other classes and then I go to the Polyclinic still for a couple hours. I explained I wanted to create a healthy living class to the Doctor there and she said it was a really good idea. One of the nurses that works at the Polyclinic, her Dad is the mayor so I got a red carpet entrance to see him. It was pretty easy. Terri and I went in and talked to the Mayor (as I write this I think I have already addressed this in the other email) and now we have an English class and a healthy living class for the village to come to if they want to. Its pretty exciting. I still have my language classes but only three days a week. So I am staying pretty busy. This is in addition to teaching my little brother to not pee all over the toilet seat.

I getting more and more privileges given to me. Well everyone in my PC class. This weekend I am aloud to leave the village/area. We can travel anywhere in the country now. Im excited now. This upcoming weekend I am going to the Capital and meeting a new friend for them to show me around. Only two more months till I am aloud to leave the country. Then i will have all the privileges. I guess not too much more to write about now... But things are better everyday Im here as I get integrated into my community. All the men wear suits. I wore a suit the first day but I don’t want to wear it out. Weird.

I talked to my cousin, Rosyln, from Austalia today on Skype. It somehow worked. I hadn't talked to her in about 2 months. That was probably the highlight of my day.
Until next time.