Culture and Work

August 30, 2006
All Peace Corps volunteers get a Newsweek magazine delivered to our mailboxes in Yerevan every week. I was reading the July 24th issue (I’m a bit behind) the other week and in the Technology section there was a story called: "Games for Good." Students at the University of Denver developed a videogame called Squeezed as a part of a growing trend of socially conscious games. The article says that there is a "Games for Change" conference held at the New York School in NY. In the game, you are a frog who happens to live on a farm. Your aim is to pick as many grapes, oranges and other fruit as quickly as you can. The fruit, however, is going to rot, and you’ve got to compete with worms, donkeys and dragonflies. What’s more, the farmer might decide to spray pesticides, which puts you in such a drunken stupor that picking up fruit is a challenge. You may just be a frog, but you have a family and community to support in another country. The ‘juice’ you collect from the fruits you pick up is paying for food and medical care back home. Without it, your family may starve. The game is intended to raise awareness among well-off young people by putting them in game situations that resemble those of immigrants and poor people in real life. The characters serve as stand-ins for migrant workers from Latin America. The reason I share this is that the description of Squeezed very much illustrates the life of the families I’ve lived with in Armenia. I’m not sure how they do it, but I’m in awe of their strength. It’s not just Latin American immigrants to America; people are ‘Squeezed’ all over the world.
September 7, 2006,
School…and life for that matter would be so much easier if I spoke Russian. Our building is being remodeled and it’s a hectic mess trying to figure out where we as teachers should go-let alone where the students are supposed to be. It took me two weeks of observation before I finally realized that the room the teachers are currently using as a lounge is actually the health classroom where we’ll be able to teach. All day yesterday my counterpart was telling me that lessons will be easier when we have our ‘cabinet’. Normally I can recognize when people are speaking to me in Russian, but for some reason I actually thought that she was telling me that we needed our cabinet. I assumed maybe it was full of some health materials or resources of some kind. After awhile, though, I started to doubt this assumption and figured that she was probably calling a classroom a cabinet. I went home and asked my sister and sure enough, cabinet is the Russian word for classroom. I’m debating whether or not I should start spending my open periods in Russian class with the first grade. I think that after I conquer Armenian I’ll work towards learning Russian—it sure would come in handy in this part of the world.
They seem to like me in school; I get along with all the teachers, construction workers and cleaning staff. The students are fairly well-behaved and they listen to me despite my poor language skills. I’ve spent the past 2 weeks giving introduction after introduction, but everyone wants to know the same thing. The adults want to know about my family at home and where I come from, the kids want to know if I drove in America and what kind of car I had. My speech at the opening day ceremony consisted of a congratulations on the first day of school and welcome back, who I am and the teacher I’ll be working with, where I come from, what I studied in America and my favorite line: "If you work hard in school you will be successful."
When I have open periods I like to visit the English class (at this point in my language studies it’s the only time I can stand up in front of students and be sure they’re retaining the information I give them). The ninth graders were really interested in what American 15-year-olds are like. I told them that in America men and women are equal, so boys have to help with household chores just as much as the girls do. I said that my brother is expected to clean the bathrooms and wash the dishes. They all were astounded and started laughing (a testament to the strongly divided gender roles in this country). One brave boy stood up and said: "but in Armenia if men do housework they’ll get made fun of!" I asked why but he didn’t have a response. It’s just the way things are. I also told them that at 15 people can start learning to drive and that we are very consumed with getting our license so that we can have independence. They were confused by this, because in Armenia being able to operate a motor vehicle gives you no more independence than turning 5 years old. Families live together (there are 3 generations in my house) until marriage, and even then you probably will only move down the street. They couldn’t imagine how ownership of a car would provide any sort of escape from parents—where would they go? In the class I tried to explain that they had more potential than they realize. I explained that they need to start thinking about their futures and what they want to do after graduation next year (compulsory school only lasts until the 10th ‘form’). The same boy that said that men shouldn’t do housework raised his hand and told me it’s hard to achieve anything when you go to school in a small village. I told refuted his statement with the argument that not all schools in America are rich and full of resources. I told him that if there’s something he wants to do, or a problem he wants to solve I’m here to help….we’ll see what happens.
Today we had a very interesting lesson with the 8th graders; it’s one of my favorite activities from home. You are given a list of values such as health, freedom, love, a good family, beloved work, education, friends, a fatherland etc… and you must choose the top five that you value the most and then rank them. I thought that the 13 and 14-year-olds would surely value friendship as one of their top values (I remember being consumed by ‘fitting in’ at that age). I was surprised to learn, however, that their top values tend to be family and physical safety. When I thought about it a little more I realized that these answers are characteristic of the Armenian culture. Everything I’ve observed in living with two families these past 3 months points to the fact that family is of highest importance. After the history these people have lived through I understand why physical safety would be valuable as well. I debated telling them what’s valued in America, (money and work) but decided instead to follow the lesson plan and explain that if you don’t have health you can’t enjoy the other values (your family and friends will suffer if you are unhealthy, you aren’t safe, you’re not really free etc…). Health is the foundation of the other values, and it’s the reason why it’s so important to learn.

End of Summer

I love my new family and village. This is a fantastic site placement and I have been blessed to have so many people supporting my work. My new best friend in the village is my 10-year-old brother. He brings me presents all the time and talks to me nonstop whether or not I understand what he’s saying. His favorite presents to give are seashells stuffed with fake flowers. He presents it to me and then runs it up to my room where they are proudly displayed on my windowsill. My sister is amazing and ever so patient with her four children. I’m thrilled to have this family on my side and the children as allies in the school.

People in the village whom I’ve been introduced to or whom I’ve gone to see (including the post office employees *hint hint*) comment on my language. They compliment how well I speak after such a short period of time. At first I thought they were just being nice, but the other day I overheard the two librarians talking about me and they affirmed what I’ve been told about my speech. This is shocking to me because learning Armenian is no easy task. After studying diligently in classes with Armenian language teachers we’re sent here to learn on our own. This becomes quite a task when the words I may have learned in one region are not spoken by the population at my new site. Armenian Barbar is slang that is used in different areas of the country. Sometimes my family will spend an entire dinner conversation trying to explain a term to me that, had they said the official word in the first place, would have been completely understandable. I’m sure my speech sounds rather bookish to them, but the Peace Corps didn’t give me an Armenian Barbar/English dictionary. As if the Barbar doesn’t present enough of an issue, the majority of the population speaks Russian fluently and often uses Russian terms in daily speech. I learned some Russian words in our classes, but different not nearly as much as I wanted. The family got a big laugh one night when I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out if I liked ice cream. Of course I couldn’t find the word in my dictionary and it wasn’t until my sister realized they were using Russian that I clarified that it is in fact one of my favorite foods.

Life is different now that I don’t have the support system of the other Americans or LCFs around. I tend to get pretty lonely when I want to talk and am unable. This provides a great incentive to learn and study as much as possible. One of my favorite techniques is watching Sabor a Ti (a Spanish soap opera dubbed into Armenian). “Miranda” as it is called by its devoted Armenian audience, is on every afternoon and uses such basic sentence structure that even I can follow a majority of the storylines. The other day, for instance, I was watching and all of a sudden it occurred to me that I new exactly what was being said. I consulted my dictionary to confirm and sure enough the man had said “I have no appetite”. I’m sure my sister finds it entertaining to watch the show with me because usually when I can directly translate a phrase or expression like that I shout it out with enthusiasm. I just get very excited when I think about how when I arrived nothing anyone said made sense…and now I can watch television. Speaking of television, one of the other shows that the kids and I enjoy is called Strange but True. It’s like a newscast similar to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. We sit around the television watching crazy behavior from all over the world; laughing at a man lifting hundreds of pounds with his ears or women sumo wrestling. The kids enjoy movies a lot too. The other night we watched Monsters Inc. in Russian together. This is fun entertainment because they get everything arranged just like we would in America. For instance, we pick corn husks from our garden, pull out all the seeds and pop them in a skillet over the gas tank…ok…so not just like America, but movie and popcorn- it’s kind of the same!

Whenever I’m having a bad day, I have not walked enough. Every morning I get up before the sun makes it over the mountains and I walk for about an hour. I need this exercise, but I also need this time to process everything that’s going on. It is quiet in the mornings (when I get out of town and away from the scary stray dogs) and I look at the majesty of this beautiful country and I give thanks that I am able to work here for a little while. I also think of all of you and I pray that you’re doing well and enjoying autumn in America. Thank you for your continued love and support.

Cultural understanding

Folk remedies may be one of the most significant road blocks to my work as a health education professional in this country. Some of my favorite beliefs include:

Drinking water makes you fat (very prevalent with women).
Headache? Place a tight headband around head for 30 minutes.
Wash your hair with kerosene for lice infestations.
Potato slices clear up varicose veins and also help in cases of burns or eye pain.
Cigarette smoking can reduce headache.
Drink a spoonful of vinegar before sleep in order to loose weight.
Salt can be used to clean teeth/if you have a cavity place cheese in it (or vodka on cotton or coffee or smoke a cigarette).
If a child is choking, rub/massage the space between the eyes.

I have experienced a few folk remedies and so far they have proven effective. For example, when I visited my new village I got mosquito bites on my arms and legs. I was sitting at the kitchen table one morning scratching away when all of a sudden I was being rubbed down with a vodka-soaked cottonball. Vodka is quite the investment in this country. Not only useful for toasts, people believe a vodka compress will cure a cough, clean wounds, cure headache and stomach problems and is generally good for the spirit. I’m sure it was the alcohol took away the itch in my bites.

A few days ago I asked my host mother, Anahit, what she loved most about our village. I felt like this was a pretty significant achievement because it means that I can ask questions (in this new language) in the form of “appreciative inquiry”. The Peace Corps encourages us to use this strategy for intentional change. Based on the Constructionist Principle (which says that we construct realities based on our previous experience, so our knowledge and the destiny of the system are interwoven), the Principle of Simultaneity (that inquiry and change are simultaneous) and the Poetic Principle (the story of the system is constantly being co-authored and is open to infinite interpretations), appreciative inquiry identifies the best of ‘what is’ to pursue future dreams and possibilities of ‘what could be’. The Peace Corps tells us that this strategy can be used in mission statement/vision development, strategic planning, organizational/system redesign, service enhancement, group culture change (which I’m hoping means smoking cessation), leadership development, civic/community development, appraisals and performance management and individual coaching.

Anahit said that she was most proud of her garden, but then she thought about it for a minute and realized that she also loved her family and her neighbors. It was pretty awesome to see her light up with pride in her small community. She started talking about the people in the village, and as a result of my simple question she began to discover the most valuable resource Armenia (or any organization for that matter) has to offer: its people.

Small conversations like this are really the motivating factor behind my language improvement right now. It’s a one step forward two steps back situation because the next day in class I gave a presentation on my apartment in America and I said that across the hall from my bedroom there is a swimming pool (instead of a bathroom). You have to have a good sense of humor to join the Peace Corps!

End of PST

"The issue isn't wether you're liked or appreciated or whether your credentials are adequate or whether your intentions are good; it's simply a matter of trust and credibility, which can only come over time. It's not that they're not glad to see you, they're just trying to figure out who and what it is we've got here." I read this quote from A Few Minor Adjustments and thought it was perfect for the next step in Peace Corps process. We're wrapping up the last days here and preparing for our new lives in our permanent sites which brings another wave of ambiguity and questions of acceptance from the Armenian people. This time, however, we don't have the security of Language and Cultural Facilitators or PC staff to help us work through problems. It's simply up to us to get the job done.

My mom sent me a few questions that she said everyone is interested in knowing. I'll try and tell you some things I must be leaving out in my communications. First, let me say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has sent me mail during training. Receiving letters and packages is by far the highlight of my visits to the city. Thank you for your thoughtfulness!

My diet:
Every morning I wake up and eat one egg, which is hardboiled. This is not optional but I sometimes get creative with how I eat it in an effort to amuse myself. My newest creation is cut up egg with tomatoes. Sometimes I put it on bread but I've gotten spoiled and now I'll only eat the bread when my mom has baked it fresh that day or the day before. Two days ago my mom tested a new dish at dinner: Matsoon with raspberry muraba. Matsoon is a staple in Armenia, it is a very bitter yogurt substance that they put on just about everything (just like we do in America with Ranch dressing). I refused to touch it because I think it tastes like goat but then my mom realized what a sweet tooth I have and she added the raspberry muraba (a soupy raspberry jam). It makes for some delicious raspberry yogurt! Now I get to eat this in the morning with my egg. She also makes hot coco for me because I don't really enjoy coffee and sometimes we'll have some pastries. For lunch if it is a central day (the days we're in the city) I eat bread with tomatoes and cheese. The cheese here is nothing like Kraft (although I hear you can buy Kraft mac and cheese in Yerevan). It's called 'salty cheese' and salty it is. My host mother found some unsalty cheese but it's got the consistency of string cheese and it's pretty tough. I eat it though and don't mind at all. For dinner sometimes we'll have a BBQ (horovats) or we'll eat a greenbeans and eggs dish. The most popular dinner in Armenia is Tolma which is a cabbage wrap with ground beef and rice on the inside. Sometimes we have macaroni. Every meal comes with fried potatoes. It's a staple from the garden in the back of our house (and very common for all the households in this region). Some meals I've eaten have consisted of all carbs: potatoes, bread, macaroni and a cream-filled donut. Good thing I'm not on Adkins!. She learned that I love carrots and so she makes "carrot salad" which means she shreds the carrots and pours sugar on top. It's good. Everything we eat my host mother manages to make unhealthy. I've managed to break her of the great salt consumption but I can't seem to shake the amount of fat from a tin and vegetable oil she uses. A part of me thinks the oil is to combat a sticky pan on the stove but I know for sure that she just likes the immense amount of grease. Every family is different though, and I think my host family in my new site eats a little more reasonably. I guess we'll see. The girls I run with were very interested in how much I weigh and when I told them that I didn't know they took me to their Tatik's house and put me on the grain scale. It was in kilograms but they were pleased. I told them as long as my pants fit I'm not worried about how many kilos I weigh. One last thing about food, yesterday at the central day our medical session was about food shopping in country and food preparation. They taught us about safety issues like botulism but they also gave everyone a cookbook and had cooking demonstrations! I was very very excited about this session (as you can imagine). We learned how to make Mexican dishes, Italian, Asian, and even chocolate chip cookies! It was one grand potluck at the end and we enjoyed some very delicious (familiar) tastes.

Speaking of Central Days and my PC training, I might share some of the topics we've covered in preparation for service. Someone once said: "PST is like trying to take a sip of water out of an open fire hydrant (there's an explosion of information/culture and emotions)...try to take those sips." Although every sector is different, community health volunteers have covered many interesting topics during the past two months. We've had speakers come in to discuss NGO operation and social services provided to Armenians. We visited a sanitorium for TB patients or children who have parents with TB. We have learned about the basic health package for specific groups of the population and today, for instance, we visited a city hospital. There are some sessions that every trainee attends that cover broad cultural or technical information. We've studied the Armenian genocide and history in these sessions and welcomed influencial leaders to speak (such as the American Ambassador or the head of USAID). We've studied corruption and it's impacts in our work. The most important sessions for me are about how we can use commitment, resources and skills to build capacity in the country. We're trying to help people help themselves and so proper analysis of the communities needs is very important. One example that was described to us occured in a school where an international organization donated money to renovate and replace the restrooms. They bought all new toilets, doors and sinks and within three months the entire facility had been taken apart. The doors were stolen, the toilets broken and the sinks missing things like handles. When asked why the children were so 'disrespectful' of the gift, they replied that they didn't need a new restroom. It wasn't their hope to have new toilets, they didn't care if they had to use a hole outside. Then, someone decided to ask the students what they would do if they had been given the money. The stuents participated in participatory analysis for community action (PACA) and what the people discovered was that what the kids really wanted was new curtains for their classrooms. Of course if you asked me, the American volunteer accustomed to running water and European toilets, what I would like, I would reply a new restroom. For these kids, however, having a nicer classroom was a higher priority. So this is where we're learning about evaluation. We're also studying the ADDIE model for cirriculum design and lesson plan development. We're learning about organizations that we can collaborate with in our communities (for instance my village has a youth action committee). We're studying grant writing and how to apply for money for the projects our community would like to initiate.

The Peace Corps gave us our new job descriptions: We are learners, change agents, co-trainer and co-facilitators, project co-planners and mentors. Nothing we do should be our personal priority, it should instead be what our community would like to see happen. I think that the people of Armenia are creative, they do have a desire to change and work and grow, but sometimes there just isn't an outlet. My job is to provide that outlet in my village.

I am all out of time for now but I will write to you about international relations, the genocide and earthquake and anything else you would like to know. It may take me some time as we're quite busy preparing for swearing in on the 14th and moving to our new village on the 15th. Also, school starts (first bell) on September 1, but I promise I have not forgotten you and will continue to do my best to share anything you would like.

Much love!

Almost Famous

Dennis and I finished the last of our classes yesterday with a great turnout-17 students (pretty good for a class during summer break right?). All in all the community development project went really well. I was excited that Dennis let me teach the girls how to set SMART goals (even though the acronym didn't translate too well). They seemed to appreciate the process and it helped me feel like I was utilizing that Organizational Communications degree... We have a presentation on Wednesday to wrap it up and then off to swearing in on August 14th. Until now I've only been preparing to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, on the 15th I'll really be one (I hope).

It is going to be a tough transition to leave our current site and readjust to a new life. We've grown quite accustomed to feeling like celebrities in this small village! Just last week Stephanie and I were talking about how we can't walk down the street without children running up to hug our legs and Tatiks (village grandmothers) grabbing our cheeks and telling us how beautiful we are. Everywhere we go people know our names and they stop to see what we're doing. When we visit family members or friends people what to take their photos with us and at the end of our class all the girls wanted our autographs. Some volunteers feel suffocated by all of the unsolicited attention but I just know that these people are trying to learn about our culture by meeting real Americans. I hope we're up to the task of representing the United States!

My new site

I was recently adopted by a very large family in a small village outside of Yerevan. I make the 10th member of the family (if you count Rex our dog). There's Sourik, 62, the head of the house and warmly referred to as "papik" (grandfather); Heriknaz, 59, the brains of the house, known as "tatik" (grandmother); Their son Gevorg, 35, who's annoyed that I speak so poorly; his wife, Donara, 33, she's like a new sister I never had; and their four kids: Souren, 14 (boy), Hermine, 12 (girl), Sargis, 11 (boy), and Samvel...the most talkative, active and generally cheery 10-year-old I've ever met. We spent a lot of time coloring with the pencils Emily (the A12 who lived in my home and worked in my school) gave them before she left. They love to play and talk and show me our animals...

...I live in a small petting zoo. We have a regular farm in our backyard. Tons of chickens (and now 14 new baby chicks) roam around where the two calves are staying with about 20 pigs (three really large ones-I'd say the size of a loveseat and one baby).

Our garden grows everything from palmagranates (the national symbol of Armenia) to pumpkins. We can all of our fruits and veggies so during the winter I will not have to live of off potatoes and bread like in some of the other marzes. We also have corn, tomatoes, apples and apricots so needless to say the food is far better than what I have right now.

Also different is the fact that my new family eats the traditional 'lavash' (a tortilla) instead of the traditional fresh baked bread I've become accustomed to in my current home. Yesterday I had lunch with an 81 year-old-tatik who informed me that when napkins aren't available lavash is the perfect substitute. She demonstrated, 'you simply wipe your fingers, clean your mouth and then take a bite!' This made me laugh quite a bit. I like to tell myself that lavash is more healthy than white bread but I think it's just me wanting to believe that it's a good idea to make everything on my plate into a mini burrito.

I visited the school where I'll be teaching and it seems like a really great place. My counterpart is so kind and the teachers are all active in many different projects. I found an NGO just outside of my village in a nearby town that I'm going to try to network with for some additional projects in the future. I think I volunteered to help the English teacher and the Project Harmony director on a civic education project in the fall.

The school director is very kind and actually has traveled to Vermont. She's quite influential as her husband is the mayor of my village. Her daughter is 22 and is a journalist in Yerevan. One night we were watching the news and she pointed to the screen and said 'my girl'. At least I know how to contact the media!

The site itself is a wonderful tourist attraction and I invite you to visit. Large storks perch on top of our telephone poles and many volunteers come to bird watch somewhere close to my village. You can see Mt. Ararat from my bedroom window. It's nice and warm right now too--but don't worry we have water (sometimes).

Trip to Yerevan

On Monday we made our first trip to the capital city. What a place! Yerevan is a fantastic resource full of exciting opportunities and passionate people. We visited the American University of Armenia in the morning and I was so encouraged by the support they have to offer PCVs. We will have access to the library, the past MPH (Masters in Public Health) projects and most importantly the graduates! Networking at it's best. To be honest I was rather surprised with myself sitting in the classroom and listening to the presentation because I found that I missed the college experience. It has only been three short months since I left the institution but as I was taking notes about the seven steps of the problem solving paradigm I was so excited. It seems like I shouldn't have taken so much for granted while I had the comfort of college life--I guess I miss it more than I realized. I'm excited we have the support of the master's department and I'm even more thankful that I have access to the city from my village.

Our next stop was APEC (AIDS prevention and education center) NGO. Here we learned: "If we want to change people's way of acting, we have to change their way of thinking." At first I viewed AIDS as a small issue in this country... I mean, according to the CIA factbook it is a small issue. What is important to note on this topic is that there is no such thing as a small issue in such a globalized world.

Finally, we went to a group home for disabled adults called Warm Hearth. Warm Hearth (Armenia's first group home) was founded by two PCVs who saw a need for a different approach to handling the developmentally disabled. Their work is amazing and inspiring. Although the two had fairly standard terms of PC service, beyond their wildest dreams this project became a reality last winter. What they kept repeating to us, and what really hit home for me, was that they never knew they could be capable of accomplishing this feat. Learning how to work within the Armenian system and how to interact with organizations such as Mission Armenia, financial contributors from the states and the government here is a tough challenge. They taught us that we never know what seeds our service may plant--and what the impact can be in the lives of those we meet. This is true in the states too. Thank you for all you do!

U.S. Ambassador visit

The title today is a bit deceiving because I wanted to mention that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia came to speak to us yesterday but I don't have a lot of time to write about his talk. I will mention that all of the Armenian language trainers wore yellow ribbons to his presentation to show their support for the stance he has taken regarding the Armenian genocide in 1915. I encourage you to learn a bit about the tragedy as the impact is still felt here today. We have a wealth of books on all kinds of topics available to us but I don't have much time to read. As soon as my schedule frees up a bit I will do some research and provide you will more historical/cultural information about this event and others (if you're interested). I did check out one book, it's called Armenia: Portraits of Survival and Hope by Donald E. Miller and Lorna Touryan Miller. The jacket says it's a "remarkable view of how geopolitics affects ordinary people." Ordinary people are the center of my work and the motivating factor behind my decision to be here so I thought I might enjoy this book.

Today we had our first LPI. An LPI is basically a language competency exam. It was all oral but I think it went well. I managed to converse for about 20 minutes with my interviewers and they responded so I think they at least managed to gather my message. That's the goal for now. I need to work on my tenses and for some reason I completely forgot the ending to say 'in'. For example I would say sentences like 'I worked office' or 'I live Ohio' which I'm sure was pretty entertaining. I know the ending...it's 'um' so I should have made statements like: "Yes ashkhatel officeum" but I guess it didn't stay with me during the exam. The exam was a good benchmark though, and an eye opening experience because we are now officially halfway finished with training. In a few short weeks we'll be sent out as really PCVs...

Site announcement

Today was a big day in Armenia. I learned where I will be living and working for the next two years and I think it is a good fit. My site counterpart is the deputy directory at a secondary school and also the life skills teacher. She has participated in the teacher training for life skills education orgnized by the Ministry of Education and Science. There are 500 students and 37 teachers at my school. The school is a Project Harmony site since 2001 which means that it has eight computers and internet access. The school participates in online and offline projects and collabortes with IREX and inschool director training programs (I don't actually know what IREX is but I'll find out). The school has a newspaper called Boghboj and a youth club called Huis.

Most important for network opportunities is the fact that I am just 50min-1 hour ouside of Yerevan. This will provide me with a number of resources. Although I am expected to spend 15 hours per week in the school teaching health classes and other health education activities I will be able to develop opportunities for career development with the youth group that is strong and active. My counterpart does not speak any English so I think that my Armenian will improve through my work.

My host family consists of eight people. A father (farmer), mother (housewife) , son (farmer) and daughter in law (housewife) and then three boys ages 14,11 and 10 and a girl age 12. They had an A12 living with them from 2004 to now and she is an English teacher at the school where I will work. She leaves next week.

I'll have more information soon, I hope everyone had a nice holiday and Maggie had a fantastic 22nd birthday. I'm thinking of you dear! You, Rachel and I will have to develop lesson plans together via e-mail!

I have a language proficiency exam tomorrow--it sure is a busy week! Hajohutsun (goodbye)

Red White and Boom

Happy Independence Day everyone! I hope you are all enjoying some excellent fireworks and BBQ!

Someone was speaking to us at one of our technical training days and she told us about a very successful A12 who was getting ready to leave in July (we call this Close of Service or COSing). The A12 was interviewed and asked how she had been so successful-or what kind of mentality she had maintained. To this she replied: “I fought passionately to be busy”. Right now, as I am only a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT) I have no problem staying busy. They run us from language training to Vanadzor for central day trainings six days a week. The days are long and challenging but I enjoy it because I thrive on a busy environment. The real fear, and I think I speak for all trainees, is what happens on August 15th when we are sworn in and sent on our merry ways. This coming Thursday each trainee will receive an envelope with his/her site assignment. This is a very important day, and for many a day when we need to seriously consider our futures. The envelope will answer questions that have been haunting us for months: where will I live? Who will I live with? Will I have gas/electricity/running water/an outhouse? Will I work in a school or be placed with a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) counterpart? Who is my counterpart? Is he/she nice? Will my village be small or big? The list goes on and on…especially for someone like me who doesn’t handle ambiguity too well.

Our first practicum went very well. It was Monday the 26th but we will be working the month of July on our follow up community development project. We held a focus group of 9 girls ages 7-18. This age range wasn’t ideal as our target demographic was teenagers but it worked out well because they were very open to answering our questions and participating in our PACA tool. PACA is Participatory Analysis for Community Action. There are four tools that the Peace Corps uses to evaluate community needs. Interestingly, these tools remind me a great deal of the concepts I studied in school. Although they would not translate well to American business, they serve as highly-effective information-gathering tools. We had the girls complete a daily activity schedule and then we gathered the information to discover what their needs/interests are and what they do in their free time. Dennis and I completed the practicum and felt like we had two very positive aspects working to our advantage: 1) the girls have a lot of free time, even the 18-year-old doesn’t do too much because they are all enjoying their summer rest from school. 2) They are very curious about Americans. Just based on that curiosity alone I do not anticipate any issues with attendance in our future classes. This week we brainstormed ideas about topics for our classes/exercises for the girls. We looked at what they wanted to learn about and decided to do a self-esteem workshop that would equip us with personal information we need to know to develop three 60 minute career development courses. Many girls wanted to talk about the future and we feel this is an excellent way to reinforce their potential. Dennis graduated with a degree in psychology so he will contribute information that he’s studied and I will research ways that we can teach the girls about finding work and preparing at the university. I’d like to provide them will an excuse/opportunity to seek mentor relationships from successful women in the village or have them do an informational interview on women who work in careers that they may like to pursue. Vardushik, for example, will go to Vanadzor to learn about nursing in the fall. I think it would be great for her to complete an informational interview on one of the nurses at our local polyclinic. We have a lot of work to do, however, as Dennis and I have never taught. We are learning in technical training about lesson plan and curriculum development and I’ve checked out several books from our resource center. I’m really looking forward to our self-esteem exercises when we can have the girls lift one another up. This is much more lasting than anything I’ll tell them and sustainability is my main goal. I’m 22 and I still remember being in the youth group with Sonny when we gave one another a ‘pat on the back’. Pat on the Back is simple to do; it just takes a piece of paper taped to the back of each participant. Everyone goes around and writes compliments about the person who’s wearing the paper. In fact, to this day I still pull out my paper and read the nice things people had to say about me.

Anyways, I digress. Lala is a wonderful cultural facilitator who has a passion for life and a passion for her country. Every time she presents she makes us realize how fortunate we are to be working here. She’s the kind of person like the father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the man who says that all words come from the Greek language. Lala would say: “It takes 76 grains to make hatz (bread), 66 of them originated in Armenia!” She’s great. The very first day of training she introduced herself and quoted Bob Dylan. This past week she introduced the brilliant rule to us. Everyone knows the Golden Rule but the brilliant rule says: “Treat another person the way he would like to be treated.” This is a great exercise to get into and something I will surely take from this experience and hold on to in the future. If we always practice the golden rule we are constantly treating people how we would like. If, however, I step back and don’t think of myself…I mean if I truly consider what the other person would want and then do it, I turn my concentration from me to they. This is what we need to do in our work.

One last thing: Lala often teaches us quotes, songs or poems from famous Armenian scholars. There is a famous Armenian saying that I want to share with you. It perfectly describes the way I feel for you at home; those whom I care so much about: “Call me on your days of happiness. On your days of sadness I’ll come myself.”

An attitude of gratitude

Today we are in Vanadzor for a few minutes before we go to the home of a very famous Armenian poet. It is like an excursion for the volunteers who would like to go. On the bus I was able to speak with my LCF, Seda, more which made the trip very enjoyable. I admire her very much. Seda and I spoke about the Armenian church and faith, about movies and music. She is young but so full of life and optimism. She inspires me to learn the language and is very encouraging which is the best teacher I could imagine. I've been very blessed to have her here.

Yesterday was a very special day. After class Stephanie and I decided to go to the polyclinic to deliver a thank you card I made. I know, I know, you're laughing at me but I thought it was very appropriate considering the nurses took the time out of their day to give us a tour last Wednesday, they explained each of the rooms, the procedures and answered all of our questions. I just bought some markers and decided I should have Dr. Karen (our tech trainer) translate a small note for their effort. So, after class Stephanie and I made the 10 minute walk from school to drop it off. We thought this would be quick so we didn't tell our host mothers where we were going. We dropped off the card just fine and were making the return trip up the hill when a man about our age sped up in a car and told us to get in. We both declined but then somehow we figured out that he needed for us to return to the polyclinic. We nodded and turned around, trying to imagine what we could have possibly done to require a return visit. We walked back to the clinic thinking that maybe someone had forgotten something there the other week, or thinking that maybe we didn't give it to the right nurse or something...really we didn't know. The nurse was waiting for us at the entrance and she escorted us straight into the back of the hospital into the office of the Medical Director! We didn't realize at first but then when he introduced himself and said that he was the director of the polyclinic we were both very surprised and awestruck. My card was sitting on his desk, this pitiful little note with pink and orange flowers on the front, and he tried to talk to us (probably assuming we spoke the language because the card was written and signed in Armenian). We used all our vocabulary to explain that who we were, that we were healthcare volunteers, that we knew very little Armenian and then, I like to throw in "I'm American but I love Armenia" "Yes sirum em Hayistan". People like this and really I think it helps bridge the hesitation they feel when we try in our broken language to explain who we are and what we're doing. Plus, I figure if it were me I would like to hear that a visitor is enjoying my country. Anyway, we didn't know what to do or say so I handed him the only thing I had...a flyer we designed to advertise our practicum focus group for Monday. It was written in Armenian and it just had details about who we are as a group of volunteers doing the focus group and then who, what, when, and where. I thought maybe it would explain a little bit better what I was doing and why we visited his clinic. He read it and seemed to agree that it was a good idea. Stephanie and I were nervous at this point, however, because we knew we had to get back for lunch. We got up to leave and that's when the assistant came in with coffee. Before we knew it he was reaching into his desk drawer for a box of chocolates "grand candy". We quickly found ourselves sipping coffee and eating chocolates with the medical director of this clinic. He was telling us about how he enjoys swimming each morning at the pool in Vanadzor and I told him that I thought that was very "arroch" (healthy). I said that I love chocolate a lot but I know that there are foods that are much healthier. The only way to do this with my language skills was to say "I love chocolate a lot, but 'not healthy', healthy...and then I listed off the foods that I could remember "banana, tomato, green bean etc..." That's when he really surprised us. He wrote down on a piece of paper his home phone number and said that any time we are in Vanadzor we are more than welcome to come to his home and eat bananas! I was just overjoyed. He explained that he has a daughter who is 17 who could serve as a translate and also if we ever needed to use his car we were more than welcome. ALL THIS BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE THANK YOU! I just write this to say that I don't know anything. I don't understand one thing that happens in this culture and I can't communicate at all. What I know in my heart, however, is that people like to feel appreciated. They like to be recognized for the things they do for others or even just recognized for who they are as people. If I can say nothing else with confidence about my work here I know that if I can carry some of the lessons you (and by 'you' I do mean that each and every one of you has had such a powerful...beyond what I say or you may realize...impact on my life) have taught me about thankfulness and grace I will be able to better serve my committment.

So, I say thank you to you! To my friends, family, employers and peers, I am here today because of your love and support. It carries me each day and encourages me when I feel like I might be too young or too inexperienced, it reminds me of who I am when I question how I feel or what I do. Thank you, I love you all.

So you're thinking three messages in one day

I'm so sorry to do this but I was just able to read Mrs. Wilson's comment and I felt that I have been leaving out some physical environment coments. Let me say that right now the weather is my ideal. It is sunny all day long with warm temperatures and at night it is cooler (50s). This is very very abnormal for this region. In fact, it's bad because of our potato garden, my mom is praying for rain every day. For me, however it's great.
My home is comfortable now and I even think it might be livable in the winter as we have a gas heater in our living room. I find myself, however, noticing the holes in walls and around doors, the spaces where windows don't close all the way or where there might be a crack and I get very fearful for the winter. Oh well, I suppose I'll just deal with that as it comes.
I travel right now by Peace Corps transportation but in the future when I am assigned my site (July 6) and am living on my own (I mean at my own site with a new host family...I'll comment on this more later...) I will travel to Yerevan and other villages by Marchutney. A marchutney is a van, like a 15 passenger van that people travel in like a taxi. There are buses, which is what I use now to visit Vanadzor on 'unofficial days' (like Father's day) and then of course taxis around as well.
The cities look like regular cities but the villages are poorer. The greatest trial with the underdevelopment is not really bad at all just quite an adjustment from someone who has such a strong love for the Worthington bike path and tree-lined Bexley roads...that is the unpaved, dirt roads frequented by our village cows. Every morning Stephanie and I go for walks up and down these drastic hills with the beautiful mountains surrounding us but we can't look at the scenery we must look down for a few reasons. 1) we need to watch out for holes or large rocks 2) we do not want to step in a little mess left by the horses or cows...these are prevalent and 3) women are very modest here--by nature it is difficult for me to not smile at strangers so it's just easier if I don't even acknowledge that they are there. It's hard and makes me feel cold and rude but it is a cultural etiquette I'm adjusting to. Anyway, walks are a great workout and are serving their purpose here just as they always did in the states.
My home is nice. It has a kitchen, living room, family room and two bedrooms. My mother sleeps in a large bed in the family room where the t.v. and gas heater are located (we don't need the heater right now). Our toilet and shower room are located downstairs (you exit the house and go down the stairs) in a type of basement area that is still above ground. I'm sorry I don't know how to explain it. We have three pigs and a few chickens (I don't know how many but I enjoy their eggs each morning) and then a potato/cabbage garden. I hoed the garden with my mom the other day--it's tough work! Please do not generalize the country based on my situation. Each volunteer has a different living situation and the descrepencies are great among even next door neighbors. Stephanie, for example, has an 'agitator' to wash her clothes, Heather, for example, has hot water inside the house. Everyone is different. I like my situaiton and find it very livable and even comfortable. I have my own room with a beautiful view of the mountains. I have four hangers but nonetheless a closet and table and bed. I have a nice vanity as well. My real father, Allan, drew a good comparison that living here is kind of like living in rural Ohio in the 1930's or 1940's. It's nothing like America today but it's also not bad or unbearable. It's just life.

So you're thinking three messages in one day

I'm so sorry to do this but I was just able to read Mrs. Wilson's comment and I felt that I have been leaving out some physical environment coments. Let me say that right now the weather is my ideal. It is sunny all day long with warm temperatures and at night it is cooler (50s). This is very very abnormal for this region. In fact, it's bad because of our potato garden, my mom is praying for rain every day. For me, however it's great.
My home is comfortable now and I even think it might be livable in the winter as we have a gas heater in our living room. I find myself, however, noticing the holes in walls and around doors, the spaces where windows don't close all the way or where there might be a crack and I get very fearful for the winter. Oh well, I suppose I'll just deal with that as it comes.
I travel right now by Peace Corps transportation but in the future when I am assigned my site (July 6) and am living on my own (I mean at my own site with a new host family...I'll comment on this more later...) I will travel to Yerevan and other villages by Marchutney. A marchutney is a van, like a 15 passenger van that people travel in like a taxi. There are buses, which is what I use now to visit Vanadzor on 'unofficial days' (like Father's day) and then of course taxis around as well.
The cities look like regular cities but the villages are poorer. The greatest trial with the underdevelopment is not really bad at all just quite an adjustment from someone who has such a strong love for the Worthington bike path and tree-lined Bexley roads...that is the unpaved, dirt roads frequented by our village cows. Every morning Stephanie and I go for walks up and down these drastic hills with the beautiful mountains surrounding us but we can't look at the scenery we must look down for a few reasons. 1) we need to watch out for holes or large rocks 2) we do not want to step in a little mess left by the horses or cows...these are prevalent and 3) women are very modest here--by nature it is difficult for me to not smile at strangers so it's just easier if I don't even acknowledge that they are there. It's hard and makes me feel cold and rude but it is a cultural etiquette I'm adjusting to. Anyway, walks are a great workout and are serving their purpose here just as they always did in the states.
My home is nice. It has a kitchen, living room, family room and two bedrooms. My mother sleeps in a large bed in the family room where the t.v. and gas heater are located (we don't need the heater right now). Our toilet and shower room are located downstairs (you exit the house and go down the stairs) in a type of basement area that is still above ground. I'm sorry I don't know how to explain it. We have three pigs and a few chickens (I don't know how many but I enjoy their eggs each morning) and then a potato/cabbage garden. I hoed the garden with my mom the other day--it's tough work! Please do not generalize the country based on my situation. Each volunteer has a different living situation and the descrepencies are great among even next door neighbors. Stephanie, for example, has an 'agitator' to wash her clothes, Heather, for example, has hot water inside the house. Everyone is different. I like my situaiton and find it very livable and even comfortable. I have my own room with a beautiful view of the mountains. I have four hangers but nonetheless a closet and table and bed. I have a nice vanity as well. My real father, Allan, drew a good comparison that living here is kind of like living in rural Ohio in the 1930's or 1940's. It's nothing like America today but it's also not bad or unbearable. It's just life.

An attitude of gratitude

Today we are in Vanadzor for a few minutes before we go to the home of a very famous Armenian poet. It is like an excursion for the volunteers who would like to go. On the bus I was able to speak with my LCF, Seda, more which made the trip very enjoyable. I admire her very much. Seda and I spoke about the Armenian church and faith, about movies and music. She is young but so full of life and optimism. She inspires me to learn the language and is very encouraging which is the best teacher I could imagine. I've been very blessed to have her here.

Yesterday was a very special day. After class Stephanie and I decided to go to the polyclinic to deliver a thank you card I made. I know, I know, you're laughing at me but I thought it was very appropriate considering the nurses took the time out of their day to give us a tour last Wednesday, they explained each of the rooms, the procedures and answered all of our questions. I just bought some markers and decided I should have Dr. Karen (our tech trainer) translate a small note for their effort. So, after class Stephanie and I made the 10 minute walk from school to drop it off. We thought this would be quick so we didn't tell our host mothers where we were going. We dropped off the card just fine and were making the return trip up the hill when a man about our age sped up in a car and told us to get in. We both declined but then somehow we figured out that he needed for us to return to the polyclinic. We nodded and turned around, trying to imagine what we could have possibly done to require a return visit. We walked back to the clinic thinking that maybe someone had forgotten something there the other week, or thinking that maybe we didn't give it to the right nurse or something...really we didn't know. The nurse was waiting for us at the entrance and she escorted us straight into the back of the hospital into the office of the Medical Director! We didn't realize at first but then when he introduced himself and said that he was the director of the polyclinic we were both very surprised and awestruck. My card was sitting on his desk, this pitiful little note with pink and orange flowers on the front, and he tried to talk to us (probably assuming we spoke the language because the card was written and signed in Armenian). We used all our vocabulary to explain that who we were, that we were healthcare volunteers, that we knew very little Armenian and then, I like to throw in "I'm American but I love Armenia" "Yes sirum em Hayistan". People like this and really I think it helps bridge the hesitation they feel when we try in our broken language to explain who we are and what we're doing. Plus, I figure if it were me I would like to hear that a visitor is enjoying my country. Anyway, we didn't know what to do or say so I handed him the only thing I had...a flyer we designed to advertise our practicum focus group for Monday. It was written in Armenian and it just had details about who we are as a group of volunteers doing the focus group and then who, what, when, and where. I thought maybe it would explain a little bit better what I was doing and why we visited his clinic. He read it and seemed to agree that it was a good idea. Stephanie and I were nervous at this point, however, because we knew we had to get back for lunch. We got up to leave and that's when the assistant came in with coffee. Before we knew it he was reaching into his desk drawer for a box of chocolates "grand candy". We quickly found ourselves sipping coffee and eating chocolates with the medical director of this clinic. He was telling us about how he enjoys swimming each morning at the pool in Vanadzor and I told him that I thought that was very "arroch" (healthy). I said that I love chocolate a lot but I know that there are foods that are much healthier. The only way to do this with my language skills was to say "I love chocolate a lot, but 'not healthy', healthy...and then I listed off the foods that I could remember "banana, tomato, green bean etc..." That's when he really surprised us. He wrote down on a piece of paper his home phone number and said that any time we are in Vanadzor we are more than welcome to come to his home and eat bananas! I was just overjoyed. He explained that he has a daughter who is 17 who could serve as a translate and also if we ever needed to use his car we were more than welcome. ALL THIS BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE THANK YOU! I just write this to say that I don't know anything. I don't understand one thing that happens in this culture and I can't communicate at all. What I know in my heart, however, is that people like to feel appreciated. They like to be recognized for the things they do for others or even just recognized for who they are as people. If I can say nothing else with confidence about my work here I know that if I can carry some of the lessons you (and by 'you' I do mean that each and every one of you has had such a powerful...beyond what I say or you may realize...impact on my life) have taught me about thankfulness and grace I will be able to better serve my committment.

So, I say thank you to you! To my friends, family, employers and peers, I am here today because of your love and support. It carries me each day and encourages me when I feel like I might be too young or too inexperienced, it reminds me of who I am when I question how I feel or what I do. Thank you, I love you all.

Mass E-mail

About a week ago ...or maybe two...I sent out a mass e-mail to as many people as I could. Friends at Fahlgren, WI, church, Capital etc... Did you receive this? Would you like to receive the mass e-mails? I am concerned that no one received this message because I have not received any replies. If you did get it please let me know, if you didn't and would like to please send me an email to let me know. Even if you think I don't, please know that I often remember home and all of you, sometimes even the most obscure situations and people from the past, so please email me to stay in touch. This means a lot to me.

Happy Father's Day

I've tried for the past 1 hour and 37 minutes to get a picture on this darn blog. Please be patient Alex, I'll get it done when I go into Yerevan at some point. It's just difficult to understand and so slow that I don't know where they are! I know that you'll need pictures to remember what I look like and to illustrate the beautiful country so I'll keep trying. I promise.

I struggle with missing people and things from America--I often long for peanut butter and whole wheat bread (and it's only been a few weeks!) but overall I'm working through the culture shock.We were assigned our first practicum for training last week in which we are expected to enact one of the PACA tools to research our community's needs. I think my group is going to work with girls maybe the same age as the KMS lax team. I go back and forth about this work all the time for a few reasons. First, I want to work with older adults and NGOs when I am assigned my site, I don't want to lead my trainers to believe that I am willing to teach a health course in a school as my primary site placement. Then, however, I think about how much the girls respect us and look up to us, how understanding they are with our poor language skills and how much they are willing to learn. I've gone back and forth thinking about how we can reach people but after working in our group I think this is the best target audience. The other night I had a dream that I was going to hold a focus group and informally call it "mother knows best." In the dream it worked really well! The women came in and we held a daycare for their children while we asked them to assess their hopes/aspirations for their community. Another thought I had was of working with the Tatiks (grandmas as they're called) in our community. They've lived here their whole lives, they love Armenia and they have plenty of time...the problem I found with this is that really they speak a different dilect and have a difficult time both hearing us and understanding us even when we speak our clearest. I'm thinking that this would also be difficult because many are very set in their mindset whereas the younger generations are willing and anxious to hear about change.Last night two of the American boys in our village (David and Tony) brought out a frisbee and were playing "Kapik in the middle" with a group of about 12 Armenian boys. Heather, Stephanie and I joined in and we found out that these kids had never played with a frisbee before. They were entranced by us as Americans and excited to be near us. This kind of admiration/curiosity is what will ease us into our permanent sites I think.

In general, I believe Armenians are very warm and welcoming. This is a country that has been through so much in such a short period of time and I think that anyone in the states can admire their resilience. Today we were riding the bus here with our LCF Seda (Language and Cultural facilitator). Seda was obviously speaking with us in English and three people throughout the ride made comments to her. The first said that she was happy the "Americatsis" were here and she was thankful to see us trying her language. The second leaned over and said to tell us that whether or not we were Armenian or American we are all people. We all have one heart. It was very endearing. Sometimes Heather and I will go for walks and little 80 year old Tatiks will stop us on the road grab our hands and cheeks and ask us to come in for coffee. They know we can't carry on a conversation, they know we don't know anything but they love us for being here and for smiling at them. Speaking of introductions, I must comment on the standard greeting in Armenia. It is as follows (in very exact order):

1. Hello/Hello
2. What is your name/My name is Sarah
3. What is your last name
4. Are you Armenian/American
5. Are you married (it is very very strange for people to be single here. I'm ok because I say that I am 21 but give it one year...maybe even 6 months and they will definately start to question).
6. Are you Christian.

I would just like to leave you with a little something that we learned the very first day here. The A 13s informed us that Armenia is the best country for pirate jokes. I will give you one small example:"Where is a pirate's favorite place to volunteer?""Arrrrrmenia!"Love,Sarah

Arrival

Dear Friends and family,

I'm safely here in Armenia and the weather is beautiful. The mountains are lovely but the poverty is saddening. I really liked Vienna.

I welcome cards, letters and small packages! I have 10 weeks of training in Vanadzor but after that I will move to my permanent site. I will give you that address sometime in August.

I love you!

Thank you Hannah and John for planning such a nice going away dinner last night. Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate my 22nd, 23rd, and 24th birthdays--it meant a lot to me. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Thank you!