Photo Time!

Life is getting busy so I haven't had much time to write.  I figured I'd instead post some photos of some recent events (especially for the non-Facebookers).  Enjoy!

 Shore Country Day School in Armenia.  If it weren't for Sash (who told me about Birthright) I wouldn't be here! If you look closely at the left you can spot Mt. Ararat.

 A quick visit to Parz Lich on our last excursion.  The ice really put a damper on the paddle boating.

 To all you osprey lovers, check this out!  I've noticed these nests are actually fairly common in some areas outside of Yerevan.  I'm told they're storks.

 Last Sunday we visited my host mom's family in their village about an hour north of Yerevan.  The previous Thursday was a holiday known as Trndez in the Armenian Church, so we had our own belated celebration.  On this day people jump over a fire to rid themselves of sins.  We certainly had some fun while we were at it!

 Some post fire jumping dancing.

Noravank -- one of the many monasteries we've visited on our Saturday excursions.  This one dates back to the 13th century.

Embassies, Protesters, and a Dump

It seems like every winter when the leaves fall off the trees and you can see further off the road, I’ll drive down Jeffrey’s Neck Road or 1A and see a house I never noticed before.  I’ve driven down these roads my entire life, and I’m always baffled when I realize there’s something I’ve missed.  The past few days have been like this for me in Yerevan.  Here in the city there aren’t any leaves blocking the view, but the sensory overload of city life makes it difficult to take everything in at first glance.

For example, three days a week when my schedule allows it, I like to take the extra time to walk home from work instead of taking the metro.  I had gotten in the habit of walking down the right side of the road, where I’d pass one of the nicest parks in Yerevan and the National Assembly Building.  But the other day when I just missed the green walk light to get over to that side of the road, I walked down the other side.  Little did I know, I had been walking down embassy row!  Great Britain, Syria, Thailand, plus the National Academy of Science.  Sure, the buildings looked pretty nice from across the road, but I never would have known what they were had I not been able to read the small signs on their tall security fences while walking by.  It wasn’t until I saw the city from a new angle that I was able to learn something new.

Today I noticed a few more things of note on my way home.  One was a sea of protesters, which at first glance just seemed to be a normal crowd of people on their way from work.  I only keyed into it after noticing the large police presence.  They happened to be walking up the right side of the road in the opposite direction, so I was glad I had chosen to walk the left side again today.  I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I later saw them on the news and my host mom did a good job of conveying that they were protesting against the new social security program in Armenia.  The other noteworthy site I became aware of today was a massive pile of trash on a side street by my home.  It’s an abandoned space between two buildings that has become a makeshift dump, piled high with trash.  I have no idea how I managed to walk right by it two days ago without noticing it, but from now on it will no doubt draw me in.  This isn’t just because I’ve never seen such a large pile of trash in the middle of a city before, but it also relates directly to my work here with the Armenian Environmental Network.  Over time this organization is working to prevent scenes like this and clean up Armenia.  It feels good to be a part of this cause to make the world more beautiful (thanks Miss Rumphius).

These past few days of noteworthy observations have reminded me that there will always be something new to learn about this place.  Just as Yerevan has started to feel familiar to me, I’ve realized that there’s still so much to discover.  I have a renewed motivation to keep my eyes open wider, because the next interesting thing might be right under my nose.

But what am I doing here anyways?

Up to this point I’ve been very vague about how I’ll actually be spending the majority of my time here in Yerevan.  This is mainly because I haven’t been so sure myself.  But after the first few weeks I feel like I’ve got a better sense of what I’ll be up to every day so I thought it was about time to share.  I’m required to work 30 hours per week at my volunteer placement sites and at this point I’m splitting my time between two places.

For three days each week I’ll be at the American University of Armenia (AUA) working in the Center for Student Success’ Math and Writing Center.  AUA has been offering graduate programs for quite a few years, but the undergrad program is completely new as of this year.  In the Math and Writing Center I’ll be working as a tutor, helping students who are looking for extra guidance.  Unfortunately they’re college students and don’t attempt to seek help until the last minute, and midterms aren’t for at least another month, so this probably won’t be a big part of my job for a while.  So in the meantime, I’m working on a few things.  I’ve been compiling and making new resources for students, such as handouts on various calculus concepts.  I’ve also been preparing a presentation I’ll give in a few weeks on test-taking strategies.  And I’ll also be working on developing new programs and events for students throughout the semester.  The food at AUA is great (and cheap) so that’s a plus!

My other placement is at the Armenian Environmental Network (AUA).  The organization works out of both the US and Armenia.  They have a few main projects they’re working on now.  One is implementing a basic ecology and waste management curriculum in schools, and the other is to make repairs to an existing landfill to make it more environmentally friendly.  Thus far I’ve been doing some work on our student education guide that we’re hoping will be approved by the Armenian Ministry of Education so the material can be taught in schools throughout the country.  I’ve also spent lots of time searching the vast expanse of the World Wide Web for any and all grants we might be eligible for.  (Stay tuned, we might one day need your help in a Global Giving Open Challenge!)  Although sometimes the work is tedious, I’ve enjoyed getting an inside look at an NGO in action.

Today I had what I think I’d call my best meal in Armenia thus far.  I think I ate four lahmajuns (I lost count).  Hot and fresh off the stove, there’s nothing better!  I’m off to the Opera House tonight for some culture.  I’m going with some coworkers and I have no idea what we’re seeing, but I think it’s a ballet.  For now it’s back to the TV for some Olympics!  There’s something about being in the same time zone that makes it a little more exciting.  Go World!