Well, the challenges and the absurdities continue (I guess that goes without saying). I also continue to learn and grow each and every day. The excuse of “I’m full” has stopped working as well as it used to, but I had pretty good luck with “I’m not hungry” (sovats chem.) at dinner tonight. My family, mostly my mother, is actually becoming more pushy with food as times goes on. So, my new strategy? If I say no, no, no, and they still put food on my plate, then I’m not eating it. Seems simple, but me not eating a full feast at least three times a day means nothing less that that I don’t like the food. I am asked on a daily basis if I like the food, and if I like meat, to which the answer is always yes. I have even tried to get our LCF (Language and Cultural Facilitator) to help me make the point, but it falls on deaf ears. As my language abilities increase this becomes easier…in three months I will have this down!
I, by the way, have many abilities: I can wash my clothes (in barf, of course), wring out my clothes, hang my clothes on a line, type very fast (this continues to be a novelty), cut a tomato, drive a car (but only in the US…), and speak Armenian well (this of course, is a relative term). This, all according to mother, who likes to report to the rest of the village. I am becoming used to being the center of attention. We (amerikatsi) are better than television. Children in the village have learned that every day at school we get a break at 11:00, and they actually gather in the school yard to watch us eat our snacks. Here comes the 11:00 soap… One of my fellow trainees asked my the other day if I knew any good Armenian jokes, my response we “yeah, us.” And it is so true….
I have had the privilege of attending two parties in the last two days. Both for young men who are leaving to go into the army. The first was amazingly large. My first thought when I walked into the house was “is the whole village here?” The tables were literally piled with food and alcohol, there was loud music and lots of dancing. And I was ushered from table to table, where people largely talked about me, rather than to me, and in true Armenian form, piled my plate with food. At one point everyone within arms reach had given me a piece of bread (the stack was about a foot high—I do not exaggerate), and then a piece of cake was set on top. I ate the cake…I have had quite enough bread! The experience can pretty much be equivocated to my mother steering me around the room and saying “this is my American….this is my American….this is my American.” Strangely enough, it is starting to seem normal. At the second party I just sat back and listened to them talk about me. I don’t really understand anything except for my name….blah blah blah jill blah blah blah jill blah blah. Actually, it is more like Jeel, which I have gotten so used to hearing, I actually introduced myself as jeel the other day. “Yes Jeel nem.” (I am Jeel.) Oh yeah, I had discussions about tan with a few of you before leaving….tan is an Armenian drink that consists of yogurt, or matsun in Armenian, mixed with water and little salt. Well, I tried it last night. Only a little, which was good thing. I don’t think I will be having much more. The yogurt is not sweet and thicker than American yogurt. It is good with many things, but my favorite is the syrup from candied pears. Maybe if that was in the tan I would like it. I also learned that I am not a particularly big fan of sheep meat. Note to self…
I finally got a chance to do some hiking last week. We didn’t get far, and didn’t really get off the road, but we made it a ways up above the village and were rewarded with some great views. I have pictures but I don’t think I will be able to post them from Armenia—the internet connection is too slow. I plan to email a disk of pictures home after a while, and then maybe they can be disseminated from there. The plan is to actually get to the top of the ridge that runs behind the village, but we will need an entire day to do so. We are thinking possibly next Sunday, if the weather holds out. It is currently the rainy season, and storms nearly every day. Hard rain, hail, thunder and lightning are the norm. It is also the norm for the power to go out when it rains. At which point, everyone simply goes to bed. There is no questioning as to when it might be back, nobody calls the power company to report an outage, they just go to sleep. This is with the exception of my host mother, who I found cutting potatoes in the dark one evening during an outage. When there is work to be done….
I also thought I might comment on village wildlife in this entry. Well, domesticated wildlife anyway…Cows, pigs, horses, chickens, stray dogs…everywhere. There is no concept of private grazing land here. The livestock simply wanders around the villages and roads as they please, eating what they like. We have finally gotten to the point where we don’t giggle every time we hear a rooster crow during class, but I still find it amusing (and sometimes frightening) to see large livestock just hanging out by the side of the road, or in the road if that seems preeferable. We saw a cow walking down the sidewalk in Vanadzor on Saturday, which was pretty amusing, and then we learned how to drive a taxi through a heard of cattle who were chilling on the “highway”:
First, slow down as little as possible
Second get right on the cows hoofs (really, really close)
Third, honk and swerve until the cows either move out of the way, or you get around all of them.
Some things I am not sure I will ever get used to….
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
PST 2 (pre-service training)
Hello again….we have traveled to Vanadzor again today to attend a lecture from an American professor on Armenian architecture, folklore and miracles….or something to that extent (I am writing this the night before and can’t remember the exact name). My brain is incredibly full. I learn one thing and forget another….
I think I can safely say that I have made it through my first bout of true “culture shock” at this point. And after learning more about culture shock today in training, I know that I am completely normal! That’s a first…. We are told there are four stages, the first being “initial euphoria” and the second being “irritation and frustration.” I haven’t made it to the latter two yet. We have spent the majority of this week being asked by various staff at different meetings, interviews and classes how we are doing…almost to the point of being obnoxious, it has been asked so may times. Are there problems? How are you feeling? Your host family is okay? And on and on…and the answer was always “I’m great, my host family is great, my site is great, Peace Corps is great!” Well, when I got home last night from vanadzor, things inexplicably stopped being great. I didn’t want to speak Armenian, I didn’t want to be on my best behavior, I didn’t want to be on display, I didn’t want my host mom to tell any more neighbors about how fast I can type (apparently a very impressive feat that everyone in the village now knows about…). I was just simply done with it all. So, at 8:30, I told them I was going to bed and sat in my room and typed, journaled and listened to music. I talk to my fellow trainees about it today, and yesterday seemed to be some sort of trigger for lots of us. Perhaps it was the break in our routine of living in the village and speaking Armenian (well, attempting to speak Armenia badly), to seeing all 45 members of our group and speaking English all day. Or maybe it was just time…who knows. Ironically, this happens to us after the PC staff are all done asking how we are feeling.
Regardless, today was much better. Still a center day, meaning we are all in Vanadzor. (the group has been split up into 6 different villages around the city, and consequently don’t see each other except for Wednesday and Thursday). But, full of good information and quality time with friends, And, I finally got to the internet! This was quite an accomplishment. On Wednesday I spent 45 minutes watching yahoo try to load (it never did) and then paid someone 200 drams to do so. Today, the first place I went wouldn’t let me use my memory stick, the second place couldn’t connect, and finally, the third place worked….like a charm. For those of you who are scoring at home, that is four attempts, a lot of walking, I don’t remember how many drams and endless amounts of frustration. However, the fruits of my labor are that I now know where to go first. The internet is going to be one of my challenges for the next 2 years, as it is consistently unreliable, and difficult to get to. Even now, it is an hour bus ride to Vanadzor, who knows how far it will be when I get my permanent site. For this reason, I am going to do my best to keep this site updated instead of trying to email everyone—I hope to get at least one post a week or every two weeks at the very least.
My host family is still trying to figure out this strange American who is living in their house. They are absolutely impressed by my computer, and all gather around whenever I get it out. My sister often looks over my shoulder and watches me type, which is a bit disconcerting and distracting, but she doesn’t know the language well enough to really read what I am writing. Still, the level of privacy I am used to as an American simply doesn’t exist in this country. My family does their best to accommodate my American customs, but I can tell it is strange for them. Alvart (Armenian for Rose), my mother, is very worried about me. I take showers in the morning and might catch a cold. I walk barefoot in the house, and might catch a cold. I sneezed once, do I have a cold? I don’t eat much, am I okay? My backpack is too heavy, I need more lunch, another cookie, more coffee, etc., etc. It is very strange and almost smothering at times, but also amusing. Our LCF’s do a good job of explaining that American customs are different…but still….
I might have a cold….. (not really, of course. For those of you who are concerned, I am completely healthy right now...although it is only a matter of time...we have been assured by the PC doctors)
The food continues to be wonderful, and ample. I counted 11 different items at the breakfast table the other day. Every meal (breakfast not withstanding) contains hats (Armenian bread), matszun (an Armenian version of yogurt, that is thicker than American yogurt and not sweet, but locally made and very good….and the root of a popular drink called tan, which I have yet to try), varung and lolik (cucumbers and tomatoes), and banij (cheese, also local). There is also usually some type of mis (meat), some more types of carbs, fruits, and vegetables. I have had marinated beet leaves—never seen them before now, marinated tree mushrooms, which are amazing, and fresh, local, strawberries, cherries, plums, apples, eggs, beef, chicken, etc. etc. Armenian coffee (similar to Turkish coffee) follows every meal, and often becomes a meal in itself as well. I have already had about a million cups of coffee and have only been here one week. Fortunately the cups are about shot glass size so I am not buzzing too badly. They also have a nice herbal tea, which they put fruit preserves in, as we might use honey—very good! (shat lav!). They make a fruit drink in a similar fashion—by dumping raspberry (or cherry) preserves in a pitcher and then adding water. I am learning how to communicate to my family that the food is very good, but I don’t want any more. In fact, I might be willing to say that THE most useful phrase I have learned since arriving is “gusht em” (I am full). Yesterday I even managed to tell my host mother that I only needed one sandwich to take to school…not two, both of which were about as big as my head….and three cookies. I haven’t had any more hotdogs (neproshik) lately, but I did have something that resembled spam for breakfast yesterday, and then a sandwich of fried spam and fired potatoes for lunch…mmmm. The joys of living in a foreign country…hmmm.
Well, language classes begin early in the morning, and I have to wake up in time to take a shower (after my moms starts the water for me), eat breakfast, walk to Eric’s house, decline a second breakfast and then continue the 20 minute walk to school. I have gained enough independence now that I walk by myself to eric’s, which is close and then we walk together the rest of way. This will be another point of adjustment for me as a woman in this country. I am so used to doing what I want, when I want, where I want, without having to find someone to accompany me. Fortunately, the men in our group seem to be very understanding and are willing to walk with us whenever necessary.
It was great to hear from all of you via email! Hadjokgutsuyn! (good bye!)
I think I can safely say that I have made it through my first bout of true “culture shock” at this point. And after learning more about culture shock today in training, I know that I am completely normal! That’s a first…. We are told there are four stages, the first being “initial euphoria” and the second being “irritation and frustration.” I haven’t made it to the latter two yet. We have spent the majority of this week being asked by various staff at different meetings, interviews and classes how we are doing…almost to the point of being obnoxious, it has been asked so may times. Are there problems? How are you feeling? Your host family is okay? And on and on…and the answer was always “I’m great, my host family is great, my site is great, Peace Corps is great!” Well, when I got home last night from vanadzor, things inexplicably stopped being great. I didn’t want to speak Armenian, I didn’t want to be on my best behavior, I didn’t want to be on display, I didn’t want my host mom to tell any more neighbors about how fast I can type (apparently a very impressive feat that everyone in the village now knows about…). I was just simply done with it all. So, at 8:30, I told them I was going to bed and sat in my room and typed, journaled and listened to music. I talk to my fellow trainees about it today, and yesterday seemed to be some sort of trigger for lots of us. Perhaps it was the break in our routine of living in the village and speaking Armenian (well, attempting to speak Armenia badly), to seeing all 45 members of our group and speaking English all day. Or maybe it was just time…who knows. Ironically, this happens to us after the PC staff are all done asking how we are feeling.
Regardless, today was much better. Still a center day, meaning we are all in Vanadzor. (the group has been split up into 6 different villages around the city, and consequently don’t see each other except for Wednesday and Thursday). But, full of good information and quality time with friends, And, I finally got to the internet! This was quite an accomplishment. On Wednesday I spent 45 minutes watching yahoo try to load (it never did) and then paid someone 200 drams to do so. Today, the first place I went wouldn’t let me use my memory stick, the second place couldn’t connect, and finally, the third place worked….like a charm. For those of you who are scoring at home, that is four attempts, a lot of walking, I don’t remember how many drams and endless amounts of frustration. However, the fruits of my labor are that I now know where to go first. The internet is going to be one of my challenges for the next 2 years, as it is consistently unreliable, and difficult to get to. Even now, it is an hour bus ride to Vanadzor, who knows how far it will be when I get my permanent site. For this reason, I am going to do my best to keep this site updated instead of trying to email everyone—I hope to get at least one post a week or every two weeks at the very least.
My host family is still trying to figure out this strange American who is living in their house. They are absolutely impressed by my computer, and all gather around whenever I get it out. My sister often looks over my shoulder and watches me type, which is a bit disconcerting and distracting, but she doesn’t know the language well enough to really read what I am writing. Still, the level of privacy I am used to as an American simply doesn’t exist in this country. My family does their best to accommodate my American customs, but I can tell it is strange for them. Alvart (Armenian for Rose), my mother, is very worried about me. I take showers in the morning and might catch a cold. I walk barefoot in the house, and might catch a cold. I sneezed once, do I have a cold? I don’t eat much, am I okay? My backpack is too heavy, I need more lunch, another cookie, more coffee, etc., etc. It is very strange and almost smothering at times, but also amusing. Our LCF’s do a good job of explaining that American customs are different…but still….
I might have a cold….. (not really, of course. For those of you who are concerned, I am completely healthy right now...although it is only a matter of time...we have been assured by the PC doctors)
The food continues to be wonderful, and ample. I counted 11 different items at the breakfast table the other day. Every meal (breakfast not withstanding) contains hats (Armenian bread), matszun (an Armenian version of yogurt, that is thicker than American yogurt and not sweet, but locally made and very good….and the root of a popular drink called tan, which I have yet to try), varung and lolik (cucumbers and tomatoes), and banij (cheese, also local). There is also usually some type of mis (meat), some more types of carbs, fruits, and vegetables. I have had marinated beet leaves—never seen them before now, marinated tree mushrooms, which are amazing, and fresh, local, strawberries, cherries, plums, apples, eggs, beef, chicken, etc. etc. Armenian coffee (similar to Turkish coffee) follows every meal, and often becomes a meal in itself as well. I have already had about a million cups of coffee and have only been here one week. Fortunately the cups are about shot glass size so I am not buzzing too badly. They also have a nice herbal tea, which they put fruit preserves in, as we might use honey—very good! (shat lav!). They make a fruit drink in a similar fashion—by dumping raspberry (or cherry) preserves in a pitcher and then adding water. I am learning how to communicate to my family that the food is very good, but I don’t want any more. In fact, I might be willing to say that THE most useful phrase I have learned since arriving is “gusht em” (I am full). Yesterday I even managed to tell my host mother that I only needed one sandwich to take to school…not two, both of which were about as big as my head….and three cookies. I haven’t had any more hotdogs (neproshik) lately, but I did have something that resembled spam for breakfast yesterday, and then a sandwich of fried spam and fired potatoes for lunch…mmmm. The joys of living in a foreign country…hmmm.
Well, language classes begin early in the morning, and I have to wake up in time to take a shower (after my moms starts the water for me), eat breakfast, walk to Eric’s house, decline a second breakfast and then continue the 20 minute walk to school. I have gained enough independence now that I walk by myself to eric’s, which is close and then we walk together the rest of way. This will be another point of adjustment for me as a woman in this country. I am so used to doing what I want, when I want, where I want, without having to find someone to accompany me. Fortunately, the men in our group seem to be very understanding and are willing to walk with us whenever necessary.
It was great to hear from all of you via email! Hadjokgutsuyn! (good bye!)
Thursday, June 16, 2005
PST 1
Barev Dzez! Bari Gulust Hayastan!
(Hello, welcome to Armenia)
Well I am exhausted but I have to get some of this down on paper before I forget all of the strange occurrences that last few days have held for me. After an uneventful flight we arrived at the Yerevan airport at 4:45 am local time and were greeted in the darkness by the country director and full time staff. We gathered our luggage---amazingly enough only two bags missing out of the 90+ that traveled with us and boarded what is quite possibly the nicest bus in all of Armenia. Even so, the small bathroom, located in the middle of the bus, was an adventure in itself….
Our first stop was Zvartnots, a historic temple shadowed by the gorgeous Mt. Ararat, the national symbol of Armenia, which happens to currently reside in Turkey. Waiting for us as we got off the bus was the remainder of PC staff as well as the vast majority of the current Peace Corps volunteers—both A11 and A12, cheering, waving signs and banners and welcoming us to this country. There were two men who were playing instruments that I still have yet to leanr the name of—very beautiful but eerie music. The whole event was quite overwhelming and enjoyable, and a wonderful start to our time here in Armenia. After coffee (the American kind) doughnuts, pictures and introduction we hopped back on our bus and headed to Vanadzor, our current home. Before moving in with host families we spent two days living at a “hotel,” which was really a pioneer camp (think soviet boy and girl scouts…but mandatory). The conditions brought on a bit of culture shock, which coupled with the Jet Lag (extreme Jet lag) was a bit trying at times. None-the-less, I had a great experience and made it through the few moments of anxiety and questioning of purpose with ease.
One of the first things we did after settling into our rooms and having a huge Armenian lunch—very good, was head into town to email or call family and friends to let them know we had arrived. The taxi ride was an adventure, maybe even an extreme sport. If nothing else, being a pedestrian in this country is an extreme sport, as pedestrians have no rights. People honk and keep driving, they drive in each others lanes, sometimes side by side, in the same lane. It is a bit disconcerting but I have found you get used to it… The instructions from peace corps staff and current volunteers were to keep going—they will swerve around you…unless you stop.
Back to the “hotel” where we found our showers without water, and then without hot water. I took the coldest shower I have ever, ever experienced. Refreshing. Bone chilling. The next day it better, thank God. Between the painfully tired state I was in, the lack of showers, and Turkish toilets (two ribbed foot steps without a hole between them and a trash can for you tp), I was about to break. I did my best to hold out until after dinner and then collapsed into my colorful bunk bed and slept like a rock.
The next day was full of language lessons, technical training and safety instruction. My brain is utterly full and I can sill barely carry on a conversation with a three year old. You think I am kidding? I actually had language lessons tonight at dinner from a three-year-old. Spoon, Fork, knife, plate, and various food items all courtesy of my new cousin, Arpi.
Anyhow, I am getting ahead of myself. The days flew by at our cozy little camp and before I knew it we were meeting our new host families, who will house, feed and take care of us for the next three months. Talk about nerves. After all the stories and warnings I was expecting quite the experience. Turns out my family is absolutely wonderful and doesn’t live up to many of the stereotypes of Armenian families. (they don’t smoke, they don’t drink excessively, there was no dancing, and only the nuclear family lives in the house, which is quite nice). They have their quirks of course, and I am still being made to eat about twice as much as I would normally in a given day, but the food is wonderful and it is all local, homegrown and handmade, so who is complaining? That is not to say I haven’t had my moments with food either. I think it is safe to say that before this morning I have never had a hot dog for breakfast, especially after having them for dinner and again for lunch, wrapped up in an extra large tortilla with summer sausage on the side. Fortunately for me, the amount of sausage and processed meats are only exceeded by the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are wonderful. Cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh fruit are in abundance right now and I am particularly enjoying them while they last. Tonight we had candied pears, which were amazing, so I suppose I things to look forward to in the winter months as well. As it turn out, people in this country buy something and eat it until it is gone. So I won’t be seeing hot dogs again for a while…on to something else.
So again, I am ahead of myself. I should talk a bit about my host family. I have a mom, dad, brother and sister. Dad (Ashok) is the principal of the school and thus the family seems to be fairly well off, especially for life in a village such as this. The name of my village is Margohovit, and it is the third largest village in Armenia. It is nestled in a beautiful valley between two large mountainous ridges, which I think are about 9-10,00 feet. The village itself is at least 7,000 feet, maybe 8,000, and I can certainly feel the altitude, both in physical exertion and dehydration. The scenery here is absolutely amazing. I wake up every morning and look out the window to see these lush green mountains, still snow-capped in June, and wonder if I am still dreaming.
My family has a two-story house, complete with indoor plumbing and a real sit-down toilet! I was very happy to discover this as my knees were already balking at the squatting from the Turkish toilets. I have been given quite a large room, with a big bed, and even bigger pillows, as well as a table to work at, a few chairs and some book shelves. I have finally been able to unpack and feel like I have a home! My room is quite cozy, although a bit cold, and is starting to feel like my own. My sister is wonderful and has been very helpful in my language lessons—teaching me how to write my letters and helping me with new words. I sometimes feel like I will never master this language with its foreign alphabet, and yet I am amazed at just how much I have learned in such a short amount of time. At this point we have probably covered half a college semesters worth of material in about 6 days (4 hours of lessons, plus homework and practice with my family). Yesterday we played table tennis, and I learned to count to 21 to keep score. My sister is a good match for me and we have a lot of fun. I can’t wait until my language is better and I can actually carry on a real conversation with these kind people. In the mean time I have perfected my acting, miming and gesturing skills, as well animal noises. I can’t wait to play charades when I get back to the states—I will be quite a match!! It is amazing much you can actually communicate with people without knowing their language.
My brother is 17 years old, and speaks the most English in the family, which is still fairly minimal. We have had a few conversations, but he is more interested in the male PCT that lives at his uncles house. Eric has been a constant source of comparison for me, which has been fairly funny and fortunately not too overbearing. I have gotten used to listening to what Eric can do and laughing at the irony of the situation. It is actually good that Armen is with Eric most of the time, as it is easy to rely on him for help in communicating, but better to try and figure it out on my own.
Anyway, I am trying to finish up this synopsis of what I have been up to so that tomorrow I can post it at an internet café when we go to Vanadzor. The village I live in is large, but it has no internet and the phones do not call out of the country, so my communication is limited to days in Vanadzor, of which we have two class days there (Wednesday and Thursdays), which will be jam-packed, with little time for personal items, and Sundays, which are off days. I have plans with several other volunteers to go to Vanadzor by bus or taxi this coming Sunday to hopefully do some shopping, emailing and calling to our families.
I have been extraordinarily busy lately between language lessons, sector (environmental education) assignments, and every day life. Two days ago my host mother taought me how to do my laundry by hand. I came here knowing that I take a lot of things for granted, but it has been interesting to see just how much. It took me over an hour to wash, rinse, wring and hang about 4 pairs of underwear, 4 pairs of socks, 2 t-shirts, one long-sleeve shirt and one pair of pants. It is quite a process, and then things take about 2 full days to dry. My favorite part of the laundry however is that the soap is called barf. You can have liquid barf, or powdered barf, and there is also scouring powder called extra powerful barf. I am laughing just thinking about it—I washed my clothes in barf…
The key to success here is having a good sense of humor, and I am laughing a lot! Both at my situation and at myself, especially in my language attempts. I have two wonderful language instructors:Hasmik and Anna, and we have been laughing a lot lately. At this point, and maybe for the next 27 months, I am a commodity to be paraded around, talked about, stared at and wondered about. Children stop everything to stare at us “Amerikatsi” as we walk by, and when we say hello “Barev Dzez”, they all giggle. People point at my blue eyes and tell me how pretty they are, and ask me to say things in their language. For the most part, I think people have no idea why these Americans are in Armenia, and especially why they are living in a village, and not in Yerevan. It is difficult for them to understand why would leave the comforts of the US to live in Armenia. And, I suppose it is difficult for many Americans to understand this as well. All I can say is that so far it has been a worthwhile experience. I am learning so much and it is wonderful to be a part of another culture. Peace Corps is taking very good care of us and seem to have our every need accounted for before it arises. We have plenty of money, more than enough food, and our families are extremely attentive. Too much so at times, but that will lessen as they feel we are prepared to live here. Right now, my host mother wakes me up in the morning, starts my shower (the water heater has to be lit each morning), makes my breakfast, packs my lunch, and then my host sister walks me to school. As of tomorrow, I will start walking by myself, which is quite an accomplishment. It is about a 20 minute walk (30 minutes, because we stop to have second breakfast at Eric’s families house on the way). Food is a very important part of society here, and people are always served food when they visit others, which is very often… I am eating about 7 meals a day right now! I am getting antsy to gain some more independence, and I know it will some with time. Until then I will appreciate the hospitality and care these people show towards me.
It is very difficult to even begin to describe the things that have happened in the past week. Hopefully this gives you some idea. I will attempt to continue to elaborate and appreciate from you all and miss you all very much! Hope all is well in the U.S. of A.
(Hello, welcome to Armenia)
Well I am exhausted but I have to get some of this down on paper before I forget all of the strange occurrences that last few days have held for me. After an uneventful flight we arrived at the Yerevan airport at 4:45 am local time and were greeted in the darkness by the country director and full time staff. We gathered our luggage---amazingly enough only two bags missing out of the 90+ that traveled with us and boarded what is quite possibly the nicest bus in all of Armenia. Even so, the small bathroom, located in the middle of the bus, was an adventure in itself….
Our first stop was Zvartnots, a historic temple shadowed by the gorgeous Mt. Ararat, the national symbol of Armenia, which happens to currently reside in Turkey. Waiting for us as we got off the bus was the remainder of PC staff as well as the vast majority of the current Peace Corps volunteers—both A11 and A12, cheering, waving signs and banners and welcoming us to this country. There were two men who were playing instruments that I still have yet to leanr the name of—very beautiful but eerie music. The whole event was quite overwhelming and enjoyable, and a wonderful start to our time here in Armenia. After coffee (the American kind) doughnuts, pictures and introduction we hopped back on our bus and headed to Vanadzor, our current home. Before moving in with host families we spent two days living at a “hotel,” which was really a pioneer camp (think soviet boy and girl scouts…but mandatory). The conditions brought on a bit of culture shock, which coupled with the Jet Lag (extreme Jet lag) was a bit trying at times. None-the-less, I had a great experience and made it through the few moments of anxiety and questioning of purpose with ease.
One of the first things we did after settling into our rooms and having a huge Armenian lunch—very good, was head into town to email or call family and friends to let them know we had arrived. The taxi ride was an adventure, maybe even an extreme sport. If nothing else, being a pedestrian in this country is an extreme sport, as pedestrians have no rights. People honk and keep driving, they drive in each others lanes, sometimes side by side, in the same lane. It is a bit disconcerting but I have found you get used to it… The instructions from peace corps staff and current volunteers were to keep going—they will swerve around you…unless you stop.
Back to the “hotel” where we found our showers without water, and then without hot water. I took the coldest shower I have ever, ever experienced. Refreshing. Bone chilling. The next day it better, thank God. Between the painfully tired state I was in, the lack of showers, and Turkish toilets (two ribbed foot steps without a hole between them and a trash can for you tp), I was about to break. I did my best to hold out until after dinner and then collapsed into my colorful bunk bed and slept like a rock.
The next day was full of language lessons, technical training and safety instruction. My brain is utterly full and I can sill barely carry on a conversation with a three year old. You think I am kidding? I actually had language lessons tonight at dinner from a three-year-old. Spoon, Fork, knife, plate, and various food items all courtesy of my new cousin, Arpi.
Anyhow, I am getting ahead of myself. The days flew by at our cozy little camp and before I knew it we were meeting our new host families, who will house, feed and take care of us for the next three months. Talk about nerves. After all the stories and warnings I was expecting quite the experience. Turns out my family is absolutely wonderful and doesn’t live up to many of the stereotypes of Armenian families. (they don’t smoke, they don’t drink excessively, there was no dancing, and only the nuclear family lives in the house, which is quite nice). They have their quirks of course, and I am still being made to eat about twice as much as I would normally in a given day, but the food is wonderful and it is all local, homegrown and handmade, so who is complaining? That is not to say I haven’t had my moments with food either. I think it is safe to say that before this morning I have never had a hot dog for breakfast, especially after having them for dinner and again for lunch, wrapped up in an extra large tortilla with summer sausage on the side. Fortunately for me, the amount of sausage and processed meats are only exceeded by the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are wonderful. Cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh fruit are in abundance right now and I am particularly enjoying them while they last. Tonight we had candied pears, which were amazing, so I suppose I things to look forward to in the winter months as well. As it turn out, people in this country buy something and eat it until it is gone. So I won’t be seeing hot dogs again for a while…on to something else.
So again, I am ahead of myself. I should talk a bit about my host family. I have a mom, dad, brother and sister. Dad (Ashok) is the principal of the school and thus the family seems to be fairly well off, especially for life in a village such as this. The name of my village is Margohovit, and it is the third largest village in Armenia. It is nestled in a beautiful valley between two large mountainous ridges, which I think are about 9-10,00 feet. The village itself is at least 7,000 feet, maybe 8,000, and I can certainly feel the altitude, both in physical exertion and dehydration. The scenery here is absolutely amazing. I wake up every morning and look out the window to see these lush green mountains, still snow-capped in June, and wonder if I am still dreaming.
My family has a two-story house, complete with indoor plumbing and a real sit-down toilet! I was very happy to discover this as my knees were already balking at the squatting from the Turkish toilets. I have been given quite a large room, with a big bed, and even bigger pillows, as well as a table to work at, a few chairs and some book shelves. I have finally been able to unpack and feel like I have a home! My room is quite cozy, although a bit cold, and is starting to feel like my own. My sister is wonderful and has been very helpful in my language lessons—teaching me how to write my letters and helping me with new words. I sometimes feel like I will never master this language with its foreign alphabet, and yet I am amazed at just how much I have learned in such a short amount of time. At this point we have probably covered half a college semesters worth of material in about 6 days (4 hours of lessons, plus homework and practice with my family). Yesterday we played table tennis, and I learned to count to 21 to keep score. My sister is a good match for me and we have a lot of fun. I can’t wait until my language is better and I can actually carry on a real conversation with these kind people. In the mean time I have perfected my acting, miming and gesturing skills, as well animal noises. I can’t wait to play charades when I get back to the states—I will be quite a match!! It is amazing much you can actually communicate with people without knowing their language.
My brother is 17 years old, and speaks the most English in the family, which is still fairly minimal. We have had a few conversations, but he is more interested in the male PCT that lives at his uncles house. Eric has been a constant source of comparison for me, which has been fairly funny and fortunately not too overbearing. I have gotten used to listening to what Eric can do and laughing at the irony of the situation. It is actually good that Armen is with Eric most of the time, as it is easy to rely on him for help in communicating, but better to try and figure it out on my own.
Anyway, I am trying to finish up this synopsis of what I have been up to so that tomorrow I can post it at an internet café when we go to Vanadzor. The village I live in is large, but it has no internet and the phones do not call out of the country, so my communication is limited to days in Vanadzor, of which we have two class days there (Wednesday and Thursdays), which will be jam-packed, with little time for personal items, and Sundays, which are off days. I have plans with several other volunteers to go to Vanadzor by bus or taxi this coming Sunday to hopefully do some shopping, emailing and calling to our families.
I have been extraordinarily busy lately between language lessons, sector (environmental education) assignments, and every day life. Two days ago my host mother taought me how to do my laundry by hand. I came here knowing that I take a lot of things for granted, but it has been interesting to see just how much. It took me over an hour to wash, rinse, wring and hang about 4 pairs of underwear, 4 pairs of socks, 2 t-shirts, one long-sleeve shirt and one pair of pants. It is quite a process, and then things take about 2 full days to dry. My favorite part of the laundry however is that the soap is called barf. You can have liquid barf, or powdered barf, and there is also scouring powder called extra powerful barf. I am laughing just thinking about it—I washed my clothes in barf…
The key to success here is having a good sense of humor, and I am laughing a lot! Both at my situation and at myself, especially in my language attempts. I have two wonderful language instructors:Hasmik and Anna, and we have been laughing a lot lately. At this point, and maybe for the next 27 months, I am a commodity to be paraded around, talked about, stared at and wondered about. Children stop everything to stare at us “Amerikatsi” as we walk by, and when we say hello “Barev Dzez”, they all giggle. People point at my blue eyes and tell me how pretty they are, and ask me to say things in their language. For the most part, I think people have no idea why these Americans are in Armenia, and especially why they are living in a village, and not in Yerevan. It is difficult for them to understand why would leave the comforts of the US to live in Armenia. And, I suppose it is difficult for many Americans to understand this as well. All I can say is that so far it has been a worthwhile experience. I am learning so much and it is wonderful to be a part of another culture. Peace Corps is taking very good care of us and seem to have our every need accounted for before it arises. We have plenty of money, more than enough food, and our families are extremely attentive. Too much so at times, but that will lessen as they feel we are prepared to live here. Right now, my host mother wakes me up in the morning, starts my shower (the water heater has to be lit each morning), makes my breakfast, packs my lunch, and then my host sister walks me to school. As of tomorrow, I will start walking by myself, which is quite an accomplishment. It is about a 20 minute walk (30 minutes, because we stop to have second breakfast at Eric’s families house on the way). Food is a very important part of society here, and people are always served food when they visit others, which is very often… I am eating about 7 meals a day right now! I am getting antsy to gain some more independence, and I know it will some with time. Until then I will appreciate the hospitality and care these people show towards me.
It is very difficult to even begin to describe the things that have happened in the past week. Hopefully this gives you some idea. I will attempt to continue to elaborate and appreciate from you all and miss you all very much! Hope all is well in the U.S. of A.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
staging and Vienna
Well, staging is complete and we are collectively about 5 hours away from entering Armenia—the moment we have all been waiting for. The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity and a lack of sleep, but overall a great experience. A13 (our class) consists of 45 awesome individuals, with a diverse array of backgrounds, interests and skills. We have 23 males, 22 females, 6 married couples and a number of older volunteers who have already lent great wisdom and insight to our discussions and adventures. We also have a couple who is on their second tour of duty within the past 5 years, and a woman who is second generation peace corps—her daughter did it first.
Staging took place in Washington DC and consisted mainly of conceptual discussions about hopes, aspirations, fears and defining success (or a least beginning to). We talked at length about policy and procedure and had none of our questions about our actual experience answered. This was frustrating at times, but the CORE students could probably relate and perhaps this is poetic justice…
So far, I doing remarkably well with the uncertainty and just enjoying my time, soaking in my surroundings. We spent today in Vienna on our layover (we had 14 hours between flights). These was quite a bit of confusion surrounding our hotel rooms, but eventually things were sorted out and many of us were able to shower, sleep a little, eat a few great meals and see some sights before heading back to the airport to enjoy the free wireless.
We had even more adventures trying to navigate the city, especially since none of us spoke German, but all in all had success. WE met a nice man on the train who helped us with directions and train riding instructions, and found some nice restaurants to enjoy Viennese coffee, Weiner schnitzel, apple strudel, and gelato. What more could ask for? The whirlwind European tour also included a lot of walking to see the sites, an old cathedral and a trip back to the hotel via the wrong train. Well, at least we got to see the Ferris wheel while we waited at the next stop for the right train.
The sleep deprivation is beginning to take its toll and tonight’s red eye (two nights in a row now) won’t help much. We left Washington DC yesterday at 5pm and arrived in Vienna at 8am—I think I slept about 1 hour total on the way over. Then did our sightseeing and caught about 3+ hours of much needed sleep in the hotel. Now we are waiting for a 10pm flight, which arrive in Yerevan at 4:45am. Then on a bus to a welcome ceremony and then to our staging sight and then to start training. No rest for the weary!
So far I am really enjoying myself and can’t wait to see what’s to come!! Hope to hear from you all soon.
Jillisa
Staging took place in Washington DC and consisted mainly of conceptual discussions about hopes, aspirations, fears and defining success (or a least beginning to). We talked at length about policy and procedure and had none of our questions about our actual experience answered. This was frustrating at times, but the CORE students could probably relate and perhaps this is poetic justice…
So far, I doing remarkably well with the uncertainty and just enjoying my time, soaking in my surroundings. We spent today in Vienna on our layover (we had 14 hours between flights). These was quite a bit of confusion surrounding our hotel rooms, but eventually things were sorted out and many of us were able to shower, sleep a little, eat a few great meals and see some sights before heading back to the airport to enjoy the free wireless.
We had even more adventures trying to navigate the city, especially since none of us spoke German, but all in all had success. WE met a nice man on the train who helped us with directions and train riding instructions, and found some nice restaurants to enjoy Viennese coffee, Weiner schnitzel, apple strudel, and gelato. What more could ask for? The whirlwind European tour also included a lot of walking to see the sites, an old cathedral and a trip back to the hotel via the wrong train. Well, at least we got to see the Ferris wheel while we waited at the next stop for the right train.
The sleep deprivation is beginning to take its toll and tonight’s red eye (two nights in a row now) won’t help much. We left Washington DC yesterday at 5pm and arrived in Vienna at 8am—I think I slept about 1 hour total on the way over. Then did our sightseeing and caught about 3+ hours of much needed sleep in the hotel. Now we are waiting for a 10pm flight, which arrive in Yerevan at 4:45am. Then on a bus to a welcome ceremony and then to our staging sight and then to start training. No rest for the weary!
So far I am really enjoying myself and can’t wait to see what’s to come!! Hope to hear from you all soon.
Jillisa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
