June 30, 2009
Hi All,
I have been assigned to work in Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia with a population of about 150,000. Gyumri is situated in northwest Armenia at an elevation of about 5,000 ft. I have been told that it is bitterly cold in the winter and that school is often cancelled because buildings cannot be kept warm enough. The two volunteers I am following, an attorney from Florida and an accountant from LA, have told me that if they can live where the temperature does not go above zero for two months, I certainly can! Worse than the cold is the ice which is treacherous for walking. Their solutions were to get apartments close to work.
I will be working primarily for the Shirak Marz (County) Competitiveness Center Foundation, which is a spin-off of a USAID program. The center’s primary mission is to provide services to businesses including business consulting, business planning, market research, loan consulting, accounting, financial services, etc.
I will also be working with Armenian Caritas, a Catholic organization, which also provides many of the services mentioned above.
My host family for four months will be an older couple who live in a house close to my work, and who have a very large “sweet” dog.
Next week I will visit these two organizations and stay with my host family for four days. I am mostly looking forward to this because I will not have language classes those days! When I told my current host family that I was moving to Gyumri, they were extremely excited for me, and that has been everyone else’s reaction, as most people feel that Gyumri is the best assignment. So I’m happy.
On Wednesday 12/7/88, at 11:41 am, Gyumri was hit by an earthquake that destroyed 60% of the city buildings, many of them schools and hospitals of modern Soviet construction. 25,000 people died, and over 500,000 were left homeless in the area. From 1992 to 1995, the city had no electricity (no heat) as a result of border closures with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and the closure of a Soviet constructed nuclear power plant. As late as 2001, 40% of the city population was living in railroad containers into which windows had been cut. Gyumri has not fully recovered from the earthquake.
A few days ago, my “tatick” (host grandma) brought me a bowl of strawberries which she had just picked. I ate the delicious red ones and left the white ones. In Armenian she chastised me and held a white one for me to eat. It was the sweetest most delicious berry I’ve had. The white ones are rounder than the red ones and are simply a different variety. I am constantly pleasantly surprised by the food here. We’ve been eating a stem from the garlic plant, that is boiled and lightly pickled, and is a great treat. Living under the house, right under my room, is a hen, and twenty new chicks. One day, some of them will make it to the soup bowl. Interestingly most Armenians don’t prefer chicken breast because it does not have as much flavor as the rest of the chicken, so white meat is a bargain at large markets.
The eight volunteers temporarily living in Arzakhan are throwing a community party this 4th of July. We had grand ideas about hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, potato salad, pop, etc. But we can’t get ground beef, or buns of any kind, or chips, or celery and vinegar for the salad, and ice is unheard of. Watermelon isn’t in season until August. So tomorrow we are going shopping, and the menu will be a surprise!
All of us (47) went to Yerevan (the capital) last Saturday to visit Ejmiatsin, which has been the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church since the 4th Century. We had a wonderful American priest guide who filled us in on the history and the architecture of the buildings. The museum has a piece of Noah’s Ark (carbon dated back 6,000 years), the blade which pierced Christ’s side and a piece of the cross he was hung on. The church suffered seriously under Soviet rule, especially in the forty years leading up to 1992. Few people attended church during those years, and it has been difficult to rebuild the congregation. The priest also mentioned that competing groups have been “invading” Armenia, including Catholics and Mormons.
Peace to all,
Barbara
June 19, 2009
Hi Again,
Last week walking home from language class, I saw that my neighbor had just killed a cow and was in the process of skinning it. Earlier in the morning I had reported that my neighbors (three of them) had three cows, nine sheep, 26 chickens, one goat, one dog and one cat. (This was all part of an exercise to learn animal names and how to count!) But that afternoon we were down to two cows! I walked by every 20 minutes as my stomach felt too queasy to stay and watch continuously. After about two hours, what was left looked more like something I’d see in a butcher shop. I knew that I would be a direct beneficiary of this cow; one that had not been injected with hormones, fed corn to fatten it, or any other “enhancing” item.
The next night the same neighbor had a huge party with live music, dancing, and barbequed cow! The occasion was the entry of the 20 year-old son into compulsory two year military service. Armenia allows no exceptions for military service. Many young men go to college for two years, then into the military for two years, and then finish college on scholarships provided as a result of their service. Armenia has closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, so the military is on alert always as the result of disputes.
In the six days since the cow’s demise, I have benefited several times. One night we had something very close to meat raviolis that were so light and pillowy, I thought I was floating in heaven. Another night we had dolmas. Zara grinds the meat herself and the leaves for the dolmas came out of the garden.
For lunch today we had the only possible processed food I’ve had yet, noodles, with a homemade yogurt sauce, a shredded cabbage, green onion, carrot, and dill salad, tomatoes and cucumbers, homemade cheese, fresh homemade bread, and homemade apricot juice. The food is really wonderful, and healthy.
We’ve had several all-volunteer classes this week regarding cultural differences, safety issues, and health issues. On Tuesday we had the big talk about STDs and HIV. For those of us who thought that this might not be an issue, the doctor told the story about the 70 year-old Africa female volunteer who died of aids. Peace Corps surveys indicate that 90% of all volunteers are sexually active during their two years, 40% with in-country nationals. PC hands out condoms by the gross. From all the talk after the pictures, movie, and discussion, there are some pretty worried volunteers.
Last Sunday my village of Arzakhan lost water for four days as the result of a broken pipe. It has been forty years since I’ve gone without a shower for four days. I was dying! However, it only seemed to be an issue for myself and the other volunteers. We have learned that we cannot count on water or electricity, so we have to bathe, wash clothes, and drink as much as possible whenever possible. We lose water from about 10 to 4 everyday as a result of a loss of water pressure due to farm irrigation.
Language continues to be a struggle. We have several volunteers who are fluent in Spanish, French, German, and Russian. But this Indo-European language is so different that we are all stressed out. The two year-old in my family has just started talking to me, and I feel that it will take two years to get to her level. The alphabet has three letters similar to the Latin “R”. One aspirated, one not aspirated, and one rolled. I cannot really “hear” the differences. The alphabet has three “g” sounds, three “ts” sounds, and many other challenges. I asked Eileen’s doctor when she was ten if her hearing would ever improve, and he told me that we all continuously lose some hearing as we get older. I can attest to this!
Next week I find out where I will be living for the next two years. I have been told that I will be in a city (which to me means a flush toilet, running water, and mostly dependable electricity.) I will also find out what kind of work I’ll be doing. Most volunteers don’t have a hint of where they’ll be, though they vaguely know what kind of work they’ll be doing, so there is suspense in the air. The degree of suspense depends on if you’re 23 or over 50.
Peace,
Barbara
Hi Again,
Last week walking home from language class, I saw that my neighbor had just killed a cow and was in the process of skinning it. Earlier in the morning I had reported that my neighbors (three of them) had three cows, nine sheep, 26 chickens, one goat, one dog and one cat. (This was all part of an exercise to learn animal names and how to count!) But that afternoon we were down to two cows! I walked by every 20 minutes as my stomach felt too queasy to stay and watch continuously. After about two hours, what was left looked more like something I’d see in a butcher shop. I knew that I would be a direct beneficiary of this cow; one that had not been injected with hormones, fed corn to fatten it, or any other “enhancing” item.
The next night the same neighbor had a huge party with live music, dancing, and barbequed cow! The occasion was the entry of the 20 year-old son into compulsory two year military service. Armenia allows no exceptions for military service. Many young men go to college for two years, then into the military for two years, and then finish college on scholarships provided as a result of their service. Armenia has closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, so the military is on alert always as the result of disputes.
In the six days since the cow’s demise, I have benefited several times. One night we had something very close to meat raviolis that were so light and pillowy, I thought I was floating in heaven. Another night we had dolmas. Zara grinds the meat herself and the leaves for the dolmas came out of the garden.
For lunch today we had the only possible processed food I’ve had yet, noodles, with a homemade yogurt sauce, a shredded cabbage, green onion, carrot, and dill salad, tomatoes and cucumbers, homemade cheese, fresh homemade bread, and homemade apricot juice. The food is really wonderful, and healthy.
We’ve had several all-volunteer classes this week regarding cultural differences, safety issues, and health issues. On Tuesday we had the big talk about STDs and HIV. For those of us who thought that this might not be an issue, the doctor told the story about the 70 year-old Africa female volunteer who died of aids. Peace Corps surveys indicate that 90% of all volunteers are sexually active during their two years, 40% with in-country nationals. PC hands out condoms by the gross. From all the talk after the pictures, movie, and discussion, there are some pretty worried volunteers.
Last Sunday my village of Arzakhan lost water for four days as the result of a broken pipe. It has been forty years since I’ve gone without a shower for four days. I was dying! However, it only seemed to be an issue for myself and the other volunteers. We have learned that we cannot count on water or electricity, so we have to bathe, wash clothes, and drink as much as possible whenever possible. We lose water from about 10 to 4 everyday as a result of a loss of water pressure due to farm irrigation.
Language continues to be a struggle. We have several volunteers who are fluent in Spanish, French, German, and Russian. But this Indo-European language is so different that we are all stressed out. The two year-old in my family has just started talking to me, and I feel that it will take two years to get to her level. The alphabet has three letters similar to the Latin “R”. One aspirated, one not aspirated, and one rolled. I cannot really “hear” the differences. The alphabet has three “g” sounds, three “ts” sounds, and many other challenges. I asked Eileen’s doctor when she was ten if her hearing would ever improve, and he told me that we all continuously lose some hearing as we get older. I can attest to this!
Next week I find out where I will be living for the next two years. I have been told that I will be in a city (which to me means a flush toilet, running water, and mostly dependable electricity.) I will also find out what kind of work I’ll be doing. Most volunteers don’t have a hint of where they’ll be, though they vaguely know what kind of work they’ll be doing, so there is suspense in the air. The degree of suspense depends on if you’re 23 or over 50.
Peace,
Barbara
June 8, 2009
Hi All!
I arrived safely in Armenia along with 47 other Peace Corps Volunteers one week ago. It’s been a very difficult week between adjusting to the 12-hour time difference, beginning 5.5-hour daily language lessons (with lots of homework), and moving in with an Armenian family who speak no English.
I am living in Arzakhan, a village of about 1,200 people near Charentsavan. Nine of us are in this village and we go to language school daily at the village school. There are four in my class. The instructor is Armenian, has studied English for 15 years (since she was two judging by appearances) and she is fabulous. Which does not mean that I am not struggling mightily with the Armenian alphabet (39 characters) and the script. No one in this village speaks English. Russian is usually the second language.
I am living in a stone block house that must be over 150 years old. Right outside the front door are chickens, cows, and sheep. I dodge them or they dodge me when I leave. My “family” consists of a grandmother, her step-daughter, her 25 year old daughter, and her almost three year old daughter. The family is wonderful and extremely supportive of me, though most of the time I have no idea what is going on. My house mom (the step-daughter), around fifty, works in town as an accountant at an agricultural something. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s a co-op, a business, processor, etc. The daughter works in the capital, Yerevan, as an “economist”, and I haven’t figured out what that is.
(Sevin, my host grandma.)
(Host mom Zara and her daughter Guyane)
The food has been wonderful. Everything is fresh. For dinner tonight we had chicken soup (bones, skin, and all), a kidney bean and beet salad, a tomato and cucumber salad, homemade bread, cheese, and homemade sweet cherry juice that is to die for! All around me are gardens and fruit trees. The apricots will be ready in about three weeks. Everyone grows potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cherries, rose hip, beets, and much more that I can’t identify. In the morning Zara goes out for a few minutes and comes back with a couple of eggs and a little cup of milk. She heats the milk for me, and it is delicious. Based on the number of roosters running around, I’m sure that the eggs are fertile. The milk is in lieu of the worst coffee I’ve ever had. I think that I saw the chicken we had for dinner running around the night before!
(Anahit, Guyane's daughter, 2 years old)
The school accommodates 300 students from the surrounding area for twelve grades and kindergarten. I don’t believe that the principal has ever laughed. The school itself is completely depressing. Built by the Soviets, it is concrete block, three stories high, and totally utilitarian. There is no playground, and no evidence that there are sports of any kind.
The roads in Arzakhan are desperately in need of repair. Drivers stay in the middle of the road in order to be in the best position to dodge pot-holes, sheep, cows, people, and broken down cars. Water is not available from around 10 am to about 4 pm, when the water pressure picks up again. My family fills the bathtub so that water is available when there is none in the tap. We have had daily quick hard storms that are associated with the power going out, sometimes for hours. Everyone in Arzakhan seems to just accept these inconveniences.
(Arzakan)
Needless to say, there is no internet service in Arzakhan. There are three small convenience stores that sell paper goods and Vodka. (Plus shampoo, detergent, toothpaste, candy, sausage, etc.) These stores are about the size of a small bedroom and have no fresh food items because everyone has them at home, or at the neighbors’ homes.
I’ll be in this village for ten weeks and am actually looking forward to the experience. I’m really motivated to learn the language because I absolutely can’t communicate without doing so. I have not run into one Armenian word that sounds like an American word.
(Arzakan Cultural Center)
The other volunteers are from all over the US. I think that five of us may be over fifty, which is fewer than last year. Tomorrow we have a large group meeting where we learn more about what kind of work we’ll be doing. And hopefully I’ll be able to send this out on the internet.
Peace to all,
Barbara
Hi All!
I arrived safely in Armenia along with 47 other Peace Corps Volunteers one week ago. It’s been a very difficult week between adjusting to the 12-hour time difference, beginning 5.5-hour daily language lessons (with lots of homework), and moving in with an Armenian family who speak no English.
I am living in Arzakhan, a village of about 1,200 people near Charentsavan. Nine of us are in this village and we go to language school daily at the village school. There are four in my class. The instructor is Armenian, has studied English for 15 years (since she was two judging by appearances) and she is fabulous. Which does not mean that I am not struggling mightily with the Armenian alphabet (39 characters) and the script. No one in this village speaks English. Russian is usually the second language.
I am living in a stone block house that must be over 150 years old. Right outside the front door are chickens, cows, and sheep. I dodge them or they dodge me when I leave. My “family” consists of a grandmother, her step-daughter, her 25 year old daughter, and her almost three year old daughter. The family is wonderful and extremely supportive of me, though most of the time I have no idea what is going on. My house mom (the step-daughter), around fifty, works in town as an accountant at an agricultural something. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s a co-op, a business, processor, etc. The daughter works in the capital, Yerevan, as an “economist”, and I haven’t figured out what that is.
(Sevin, my host grandma.)
(Host mom Zara and her daughter Guyane)
The food has been wonderful. Everything is fresh. For dinner tonight we had chicken soup (bones, skin, and all), a kidney bean and beet salad, a tomato and cucumber salad, homemade bread, cheese, and homemade sweet cherry juice that is to die for! All around me are gardens and fruit trees. The apricots will be ready in about three weeks. Everyone grows potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cherries, rose hip, beets, and much more that I can’t identify. In the morning Zara goes out for a few minutes and comes back with a couple of eggs and a little cup of milk. She heats the milk for me, and it is delicious. Based on the number of roosters running around, I’m sure that the eggs are fertile. The milk is in lieu of the worst coffee I’ve ever had. I think that I saw the chicken we had for dinner running around the night before!
(Anahit, Guyane's daughter, 2 years old)
The school accommodates 300 students from the surrounding area for twelve grades and kindergarten. I don’t believe that the principal has ever laughed. The school itself is completely depressing. Built by the Soviets, it is concrete block, three stories high, and totally utilitarian. There is no playground, and no evidence that there are sports of any kind.
The roads in Arzakhan are desperately in need of repair. Drivers stay in the middle of the road in order to be in the best position to dodge pot-holes, sheep, cows, people, and broken down cars. Water is not available from around 10 am to about 4 pm, when the water pressure picks up again. My family fills the bathtub so that water is available when there is none in the tap. We have had daily quick hard storms that are associated with the power going out, sometimes for hours. Everyone in Arzakhan seems to just accept these inconveniences.
(Arzakan)
Needless to say, there is no internet service in Arzakhan. There are three small convenience stores that sell paper goods and Vodka. (Plus shampoo, detergent, toothpaste, candy, sausage, etc.) These stores are about the size of a small bedroom and have no fresh food items because everyone has them at home, or at the neighbors’ homes.
I’ll be in this village for ten weeks and am actually looking forward to the experience. I’m really motivated to learn the language because I absolutely can’t communicate without doing so. I have not run into one Armenian word that sounds like an American word.
(Arzakan Cultural Center)The other volunteers are from all over the US. I think that five of us may be over fifty, which is fewer than last year. Tomorrow we have a large group meeting where we learn more about what kind of work we’ll be doing. And hopefully I’ll be able to send this out on the internet.
Peace to all,
Barbara
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