back to the past
September 6th, 2001 - outgoing email from Armenia.
I was still lying about my back - it was getting worse and worse and was intensely painful. Again, I didn't want to worry people, and I was still hoping against hope it would all get better - o, heal for thy Baby Jesus' sake, HEAL!
I also haven't really talked much about the other volunteers in my group - mostly I found them kinda hard to deal with. By this point quite a few of them had opted out of the program, packed their bags and headed home - we ended up with about 50% staying through the two years. So many of the other volunteers seemed to find Armenia and Armenians hard to deal with; there was a lot of drinking, there was a lot of whining. I couldn't see whining when most of the people around us were really living in desperate straits; our six bucks a day put us pretty near the top of the food chain; we had everything we needed and more. The hierarchy of needs was pretty up-close and personal there - the hardest thing for me to deal with overall was that there was really so very little I could change....
As usual, there were technical difficulties - the Peace Corps computer was dead in the water and the other options in town are IBMs. So, I’m gonna tag this update onto it and you’ll get it on the installment plan. Little segments of my life floating through the ether - and, BTW, why isn’t anything floating through the postal system to me? Inquiring minds want to know - I haven’t gotten any personal mail since getting back from Batumi, and I've answered every letter I've gotten here. I had this dream the other night that all my mail had been placed in another volunteer’s mailbox by accident, and she was on vacation - but I think you just aren't writing. Remember, email is no substitute for real mail - and my ability to access email is unreliable as all hell. So, keep those cards and letters coming, boys and girls!
Onto the random notes from the front:
My program director left for America, which has enabled to me to write a scalding (though totally moot) review of her lack of abilities on my latest progress report - something that will no doubt endear me to her replacement. Burning bridges give you so much more, and I've got this affinity for fire, you know. I'm just no good at these political games.
My new site mate (Tiffany Sommerlad) arrived a week ago Friday - she doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, and doesn't speak better Armenian than I do. She does have a small dog with weak bladder control, but - hey, you can't have everything! And it's not my dog. Or my house. I think she'll be good, though it's a bit early to tell - but I gotta say picking up a dog during training isn't the smartest move. However, it is her first time living away from home (and her first dog) - mistakes are bound to happen. She seems enthusiastic, motivated, unlikely to spend vast quantities of time in Yerevan, and unlikely to be a big whiner - a bit clueless at times, but good hearted. If I can extend, we'll be sitemates for the next two years, so it'll be a good thing if we can get along reasonably well.
My back is still pretty damn painful, but better than before. It is not a pleasant situation, though. I am still going to karate, being the stubborn human that I am. I just can't touch my toes anymore. And I limp a lot. Worse things have happened to better people, right? And it will get better - there's just no other option.
I was on TV again - and again, I had no warning and ended up sounding really really bad, and no doubt looking pretty silly as well. This Peace Corps stuff is great for keeping the ego in line, truly it is. I'm hoping they'll cut out the worst of it before showing it to the entire metropolitan area.
I've heard rumors - from a reliable source, no less! - that due to efforts of the folks back home (thanks to Reba, Ron, Wes, and Mom!) my work actually made it into Sam Shaw's retrospective show, all the way up there on MDI. It's all old work, of course, most of it dating back 10 years or more - might as well have been a posthumous show. If I'd been thinking a little faster I could have made up a lovely story about my tragic demise at a young age, and presented everything as part of my estate - it would have explained so much. Still pretty cool, though I wish I had been able to put some current work in - hell, I wish I had some current work to put in. If I had had access to my shop I could have whipped up something interesting, I'm sure of it.
Don't you forget that birthday - September 22nd, right? Got it marked on the calendar? Quick! Slip something in the mail now! Better late than never!
Here’s a short list of desires to help you in shopping (good for Christmas, too!):
(a long list of desires followed here, but I've cut it out, so you'll just never know what I was longing for)
Once again, none of this stuff is essential - I'm surviving just fine without it - but any of it would be welcome. People have wanted to know what to put in packages and I thought I'd make it easy for you all.
Wasn't I sweet? It really was practical, you know, rather than greedy - otherwise people would send things I didn't really need or want, stuff that was available locally and the shipping costs were outrageous.
I was still lying about my back - it was getting worse and worse and was intensely painful. Again, I didn't want to worry people, and I was still hoping against hope it would all get better - o, heal for thy Baby Jesus' sake, HEAL!
I also haven't really talked much about the other volunteers in my group - mostly I found them kinda hard to deal with. By this point quite a few of them had opted out of the program, packed their bags and headed home - we ended up with about 50% staying through the two years. So many of the other volunteers seemed to find Armenia and Armenians hard to deal with; there was a lot of drinking, there was a lot of whining. I couldn't see whining when most of the people around us were really living in desperate straits; our six bucks a day put us pretty near the top of the food chain; we had everything we needed and more. The hierarchy of needs was pretty up-close and personal there - the hardest thing for me to deal with overall was that there was really so very little I could change....
As usual, there were technical difficulties - the Peace Corps computer was dead in the water and the other options in town are IBMs. So, I’m gonna tag this update onto it and you’ll get it on the installment plan. Little segments of my life floating through the ether - and, BTW, why isn’t anything floating through the postal system to me? Inquiring minds want to know - I haven’t gotten any personal mail since getting back from Batumi, and I've answered every letter I've gotten here. I had this dream the other night that all my mail had been placed in another volunteer’s mailbox by accident, and she was on vacation - but I think you just aren't writing. Remember, email is no substitute for real mail - and my ability to access email is unreliable as all hell. So, keep those cards and letters coming, boys and girls!
Onto the random notes from the front:
My program director left for America, which has enabled to me to write a scalding (though totally moot) review of her lack of abilities on my latest progress report - something that will no doubt endear me to her replacement. Burning bridges give you so much more, and I've got this affinity for fire, you know. I'm just no good at these political games.
My new site mate (Tiffany Sommerlad) arrived a week ago Friday - she doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, and doesn't speak better Armenian than I do. She does have a small dog with weak bladder control, but - hey, you can't have everything! And it's not my dog. Or my house. I think she'll be good, though it's a bit early to tell - but I gotta say picking up a dog during training isn't the smartest move. However, it is her first time living away from home (and her first dog) - mistakes are bound to happen. She seems enthusiastic, motivated, unlikely to spend vast quantities of time in Yerevan, and unlikely to be a big whiner - a bit clueless at times, but good hearted. If I can extend, we'll be sitemates for the next two years, so it'll be a good thing if we can get along reasonably well.
My back is still pretty damn painful, but better than before. It is not a pleasant situation, though. I am still going to karate, being the stubborn human that I am. I just can't touch my toes anymore. And I limp a lot. Worse things have happened to better people, right? And it will get better - there's just no other option.
I was on TV again - and again, I had no warning and ended up sounding really really bad, and no doubt looking pretty silly as well. This Peace Corps stuff is great for keeping the ego in line, truly it is. I'm hoping they'll cut out the worst of it before showing it to the entire metropolitan area.
I've heard rumors - from a reliable source, no less! - that due to efforts of the folks back home (thanks to Reba, Ron, Wes, and Mom!) my work actually made it into Sam Shaw's retrospective show, all the way up there on MDI. It's all old work, of course, most of it dating back 10 years or more - might as well have been a posthumous show. If I'd been thinking a little faster I could have made up a lovely story about my tragic demise at a young age, and presented everything as part of my estate - it would have explained so much. Still pretty cool, though I wish I had been able to put some current work in - hell, I wish I had some current work to put in. If I had had access to my shop I could have whipped up something interesting, I'm sure of it.
Don't you forget that birthday - September 22nd, right? Got it marked on the calendar? Quick! Slip something in the mail now! Better late than never!
Here’s a short list of desires to help you in shopping (good for Christmas, too!):
(a long list of desires followed here, but I've cut it out, so you'll just never know what I was longing for)
Once again, none of this stuff is essential - I'm surviving just fine without it - but any of it would be welcome. People have wanted to know what to put in packages and I thought I'd make it easy for you all.
Wasn't I sweet? It really was practical, you know, rather than greedy - otherwise people would send things I didn't really need or want, stuff that was available locally and the shipping costs were outrageous.
posted by meg at 5:59 AM
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