My summer vacation, part 1
What I did that first summer at site - part 1 of a wretchedly long email. Having my dad and Mary come to visit was amazingly difficult at times, but also really wonderful in many ways. Nellie was my language tutor and friend, she was a great help to me throughout this first year, and the rest of the time I spent in Armenia. Having good Armenian friends and being close to my host family made my life in Armenia very easy in many ways - it really became my home.
I'd go back in a heartbeat.
First, the grant:
As you all know, we got the funding we needed - as soon as it actually came through, we started work, and by now it's as good as finished. New aluminum roof glinting in the sun, four new windows letting the breeze through, sturdy new floor in one main room, and the worst spots in the other rooms patched. We're still working on patching up the ceiling (not actually part of the grant conditions, but a possibility now that the roof doesn't leak) and various other odds and ends - but the bulk of the work is over and done with. I've filled in the final paperwork and will file it in Yerevan the next time I'm in. For all intents and purposes, that part of it's done.
The next thing is to work on locating mats for the school - what we had been using (basically pieces of foul foam cushioning mixed with various other materials -origin undeterminable- matted into one grotesque mass) was sodden and filthy and sticking to the floorboards. They had to scrape it off to pull up the boards, it was utterly disgusting - it will NOT be going down on our nice new floors. Not if I have any say in it. Of course, that leaves us with nothing between our bodies and the floorboards but an ancient (but clean!) rug - not exactly the best reality for these aging bones of mine. So we're working on finding mats. Which is presenting more of a difficulty than you might think - apparently locating gym mats in Armenia at a reasonable price is next to impossible. I'm holding out hope though, and we're working on it. I don't suppose you know of anyone who would like to donate gym mats (and shipping of said mats to Yerevan) for a sports school in Alaverdi, Armenia? I thought not, but it's always worth a try.
In the middle of the school renovation, my father and his partner, Mary, came for a three week visit in Armenia before taking off on a tour of Europe - at the end of their time here, I think they were more than ready for Europe. Three weeks can be a very long time if you don't speak the language, and aren't used to bucket baths, and street dogs barking, and the general differences between here and there. I got them their very own apartment in a nearby shenk (Soviet style apartment building) for their time here in Alaverdi, and on the whole they did fairly well - but it was harder for them, and hard on me. My father being six feet plus didn't help, either - he simply didn't fit in the local transport (buses and marchutneys) and even taxis were often cramped for him. It wasn't easy for any of us, and Peep knows we all were trying.
We started off in Yerevan for a day or two, saw the city sights there, and then went up to Shahumiyan (my host family's village) for another few days - including a trip to Haghartsin with Karina, my host sister-in-law. It's one of my favorite sites - located high up in the mountains, relatively isolated, and surrounded by lush green. Then off to Alaverdi, and a tour of the nearby sites - Sanahine, Sadahart, Ahktala, Khober, Odzun, Haghpat, and various others. All old monastery and church sites, all truly beautiful. We also walked by the museum for the designer/pilot of the MIG (some of you may have a photo of me looking particularly dashing by the plane parked up there) while we were up in Sanahine, but it was closed. No great loss, truly. After a little over a week here, we took off for Yerevan again (with Nellie, my friend and language tutor - it was her first time at many of these places as well), and visited the various sites around there. Garni, Geghard, Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, Saint Hripsime, and Ambered. Again, all ancient churches, temples, fortresses, or monasteries - all with their own history and their own beauty - some still in use. Garni a Roman temple, Geghard carved out of the living stone with a spring flowing out of the wall in one room and wonderful acoustics. Khor Virap with a clear view of Mount Ararat (the mountain where Noah's ark supposedly came to rest), and a deep well which served as a prison chamber. Echmiadzin, the seat of Armenia's branch of Christianity, and very much in use; the last day driving over treacherous roads to Ambered fortress. Two flat tires that day. Then they flew off to their next destination, and Nellie and I went back to Alaverdi and our lives.
(check out http://www.cilicia.com/armo5_guidebook.html for full descriptions and photos of these sites - it's worth a look!)
It was a lot of traveling and I got to see a bit more of this country I'm living in; we had horovatz (pronounced hore-ah-vahts - roasted meat, served with salads, fruits, breads, etc. Similar to the very best barbecue you've ever been to, but better) at my host family's house; the sports school took us on a picnic, killed a sheep for us and made hashlama (pronounced haash-la-ma - basically stewed meat. I don't really like it, but the roasted vegetables were good). Varton (the director of the sports school) also took us out to a restaurant one night, and presented me with a ring he had had made for me and made me translate various embarrassingly flattering things about myself (which I shan't repeat - all lies anyway). All in all a very good time, but a bit exhausting all around. The very last week they were here, the computers for the Akner village school also came in. Handily enough, Peace Corps staff were making a trip up to Alaverdi the next week and they transported all that stuff up here for me, along with some power tools the American Red Cross had donated for the sports school project and a couple of HUGE packages Abby and Scott sent. My apartment looked like a warehouse for a day or two there, then - just like magic! - everything disappeared, carted off to separate destinations.
I'd go back in a heartbeat.
First, the grant:
As you all know, we got the funding we needed - as soon as it actually came through, we started work, and by now it's as good as finished. New aluminum roof glinting in the sun, four new windows letting the breeze through, sturdy new floor in one main room, and the worst spots in the other rooms patched. We're still working on patching up the ceiling (not actually part of the grant conditions, but a possibility now that the roof doesn't leak) and various other odds and ends - but the bulk of the work is over and done with. I've filled in the final paperwork and will file it in Yerevan the next time I'm in. For all intents and purposes, that part of it's done.
The next thing is to work on locating mats for the school - what we had been using (basically pieces of foul foam cushioning mixed with various other materials -origin undeterminable- matted into one grotesque mass) was sodden and filthy and sticking to the floorboards. They had to scrape it off to pull up the boards, it was utterly disgusting - it will NOT be going down on our nice new floors. Not if I have any say in it. Of course, that leaves us with nothing between our bodies and the floorboards but an ancient (but clean!) rug - not exactly the best reality for these aging bones of mine. So we're working on finding mats. Which is presenting more of a difficulty than you might think - apparently locating gym mats in Armenia at a reasonable price is next to impossible. I'm holding out hope though, and we're working on it. I don't suppose you know of anyone who would like to donate gym mats (and shipping of said mats to Yerevan) for a sports school in Alaverdi, Armenia? I thought not, but it's always worth a try.
In the middle of the school renovation, my father and his partner, Mary, came for a three week visit in Armenia before taking off on a tour of Europe - at the end of their time here, I think they were more than ready for Europe. Three weeks can be a very long time if you don't speak the language, and aren't used to bucket baths, and street dogs barking, and the general differences between here and there. I got them their very own apartment in a nearby shenk (Soviet style apartment building) for their time here in Alaverdi, and on the whole they did fairly well - but it was harder for them, and hard on me. My father being six feet plus didn't help, either - he simply didn't fit in the local transport (buses and marchutneys) and even taxis were often cramped for him. It wasn't easy for any of us, and Peep knows we all were trying.
We started off in Yerevan for a day or two, saw the city sights there, and then went up to Shahumiyan (my host family's village) for another few days - including a trip to Haghartsin with Karina, my host sister-in-law. It's one of my favorite sites - located high up in the mountains, relatively isolated, and surrounded by lush green. Then off to Alaverdi, and a tour of the nearby sites - Sanahine, Sadahart, Ahktala, Khober, Odzun, Haghpat, and various others. All old monastery and church sites, all truly beautiful. We also walked by the museum for the designer/pilot of the MIG (some of you may have a photo of me looking particularly dashing by the plane parked up there) while we were up in Sanahine, but it was closed. No great loss, truly. After a little over a week here, we took off for Yerevan again (with Nellie, my friend and language tutor - it was her first time at many of these places as well), and visited the various sites around there. Garni, Geghard, Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, Saint Hripsime, and Ambered. Again, all ancient churches, temples, fortresses, or monasteries - all with their own history and their own beauty - some still in use. Garni a Roman temple, Geghard carved out of the living stone with a spring flowing out of the wall in one room and wonderful acoustics. Khor Virap with a clear view of Mount Ararat (the mountain where Noah's ark supposedly came to rest), and a deep well which served as a prison chamber. Echmiadzin, the seat of Armenia's branch of Christianity, and very much in use; the last day driving over treacherous roads to Ambered fortress. Two flat tires that day. Then they flew off to their next destination, and Nellie and I went back to Alaverdi and our lives.
(check out http://www.cilicia.com/armo5_guidebook.html for full descriptions and photos of these sites - it's worth a look!)
It was a lot of traveling and I got to see a bit more of this country I'm living in; we had horovatz (pronounced hore-ah-vahts - roasted meat, served with salads, fruits, breads, etc. Similar to the very best barbecue you've ever been to, but better) at my host family's house; the sports school took us on a picnic, killed a sheep for us and made hashlama (pronounced haash-la-ma - basically stewed meat. I don't really like it, but the roasted vegetables were good). Varton (the director of the sports school) also took us out to a restaurant one night, and presented me with a ring he had had made for me and made me translate various embarrassingly flattering things about myself (which I shan't repeat - all lies anyway). All in all a very good time, but a bit exhausting all around. The very last week they were here, the computers for the Akner village school also came in. Handily enough, Peace Corps staff were making a trip up to Alaverdi the next week and they transported all that stuff up here for me, along with some power tools the American Red Cross had donated for the sports school project and a couple of HUGE packages Abby and Scott sent. My apartment looked like a warehouse for a day or two there, then - just like magic! - everything disappeared, carted off to separate destinations.
posted by meg at 3:59 PM
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