We are Family!

Today I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my host family.  In short, they’re awesome!  But let’s meet the players…

•  First up is host mom Rozanne.  Just like the amazing Eve Hamlin, Rozanne just about does it all!  She’s a trained architect but no longer works as such.  Instead, she helps design and make products sold in my host sister’s shop down the street (more on that later).  She’s a master seamstress, knitter, you name it.  Most recently she’s been working on making a spring jacket out of a bunch of old sweaters.  She also takes the mantra food is love to a whole new level.  The minute I walk in the door no matter the time of day or if I’ve been at home for a while and appear unoccupied, she’ll ask if I’m hungry.  If I say yes (sometimes this is a mistake) a feast which would feed at least three will appear on the table for me in a matter of minutes.  This will no doubt result in the Armenian eighteen (as opposed to the freshman fifteen).  And despite her lack of English and my lack of Armenian, Rozanne and I are great at communicating through gestures, facial expressions, etc.

•  Next up is host dad Surik.  I’m not entirely sure on what he does, but I think he works at a hotel in Yerevan as an electrician.  In Armenia there is quite a difference in the division of labor between husband and wife, and by American standards one might think Surik doesn’t pull his weight.  But he does his part by bringing home the bacon, and I can tell that he’s a very loving husband and father.  He’s calm and quite, a fantastic pianist, and I’m convinced he knows more English than he lets on.  Yesterday was his birthday, and in typical Armenian fashion we enjoyed a huge feast with family and friends in celebration.  There was plenty of food, vodka, and toasting to family, friends, and good health.

•  Third up to bat we’ve got sister Sofa.  Sofa is 17 and in her first year of university where she studies geography.  (You’re probably thinking 17 and in university??? Wow!  It turns out Armenian schools did not have 11^th or 12^th grade until a few years ago, so students went straight to college after 10^th grade.)  Sofa’s English is great and she lives at home, which is good for me, as she acts as the resident translator when needed.  So far, Sofa and I get along great, and we bond over watching the X Factor, Project Runway, and movies dubbed in Russian.

•  And batting cleanup is sister Sona!  Sona is almost 22, she’s married, and she lives with her husband down the street.  She comes over occasionally, but I also go visit her at her new business down the street if I have some extra time on my way home.  She’s an aspiring designer, and she’s currently in graduate school studying graphic design.  Her shop sells a little bit of everything, including pillows, notebooks, jewelry, and more, all made by her or Rozanne.  The store has only been open for five months, but it seems like things are off to a good start.  Having a husband and business at 22 is certainly not what I’ve had in my early 20s, and in some ways I’m envious of her firm direction at this point in her life. 

So that’s the fam!  I’m looking forward to getting to know them better and be able to tell them more than just I am tired and I am full in Armenian…

It’s hard to believe tomorrow is Friday!  It was a short work week this week.  Armenian Army Day was on Tuesday (equivalent to Veterans’ Day I think) so we had both Monday and Tuesday off.  Looking forward to cross-country skiing this weekend on our excursion!

 That's Yerevan in the background!  And yes, the weather in the city has pretty much been like this since I arrived.

 Preparing for a birthday feast.

Week One Fun

It’s hard to imagine I’ve already been in Armenia for a full week!  After a few days of adjustment, I’m easing into life in Yerevan and things are going well.  Here are a few happenings thus far:

•  Skiing at Tsaghkadzor

This was on my second full day in country and first weekend excursion with Birthright Armenia.  We traveled about an hour north of Yerevan and up into the mountains to the resort.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the lift ticket and ski rental were cheap, and I got the chance to meet a bunch of other Birthright volunteers.  (Sitting on a slow chairlift for 10 minutes each run provides a great opportunity for small talk.)  All in all, a great day!

•  Adventure to Lake Sevan

My host parents like to take Sunday drives outside the city when the weather is nice, so last weekend we went up to Lake Sevan for some sightseeing and a picnic.  There were many Kodak moments (my host mother loves pictures!) and it was another beautiful day.  In a month or two when I start having ocean withdrawals I’ll know where to go!

•  My first Armenian dolma!

My host mother made stuffed grape leaves for dinner and they were delicious! In the states you might see dolma on the appetizer menu, but this was dinner.  A pile of dolma and bread.  You can’t go wrong.

•  The bank

A visit to the bank seems like a fairly straightforward experience, but when few people speak English, and everything is written using a different alphabet, life is hard.   After waiting through one line only to have the man shake his head and point around the corner, someone helped me check in at the computer kiosk and take a number.  Think supermarket deli.  When I went around the corner to find the row of tellers, the large TV screen showed I had about twenty numbers ahead of me.  We’re no longer talking deli, this is like the DMV.  You would have thought they were giving the money away!  After a good 25 minutes they called my number and I gave them my Benjamins in exchange for some Armenian drams.  I’ll be using an ATM from now on…

I started work at both my volunteer placements (American University of Armenia and Armenian Environmental Network).  I’ll be tutoring in the math and writing center at AUA.  At AEN it looks like I’ll be doing a little bit of everything, from grant writing to research.  I’ll definitely tell you more about both places soon!

In other news I have not yet gotten lost walking in Yerevan or in metro, so I’d call this week a success!

 Hitting the slopes

Me and my host mom and Lake Sevan

Greetings from Yerevan!

Hello all!  This is the inaugural post of my latest adventure!  I decided it wasn’t worth starting a new blog because the theme still seems fitting.  If you’re new to reading about Little Hamlin’s adventures you can check out my first ever post for some Hamlin blogging history.  I can’t promise that I’ll write regularly, but I’ll do my best.  Now let’s talk about Armenia!  I’ll be here in Yerevan (the capital city) until May.  I’m traveling with an organization called Birthright Armenia which works to bring Armenians living in the diaspora back to the homeland.  I found out about this program last May when I reconnected with an old friend from Shore who was planning to participate (thank you Facebook).  When I found out that someone would give me money to send me to the other side of the world because I have a few Armenian genes, I said sign me up!  The extent of my “Armenian-ness” thus far starts and ends in the kitchen (my mom and I make some mean paklava), but I’ve always been curious about my Armenian heritage.  I think this is mainly because I’ve grown up inspecting the detailed family tree of my dad’s side that lives on the wall at our family cottage in Maine.  I can look at my own name on the very bottom and trace all the way up to Elder William Brewster who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620.  But when I look at my mom’s Armenian roots, they seem to end at her grandmother, and we don’t know much about those who came before her.  I can’t say my goal in coming to Armenia is to find out, but I’m looking to connect with the local culture, and who knows, maybe I’ll meet a long lost relative!  Right now I’m significantly jet lagged from my journey so I’ll plan to tell you all about what my next four months should look like in a later installment.  As for now, I’m settling into life with my homestay family and catching up on much needed rest!