Hummingbirds in Hayastan

Today's blog post is published on the Armenian Environmental Network's blog.  I wrote this a few weeks ago for them during a slow day at the office.  You can find the post by clicking here!

And for those of you who think I've escaped this harsh winter on the East Coast, think again.  This happened on Sunday.  Rumor has it that anywhere from 80-90% of the year's apricot harvest has been destroyed as a result of the storm.  It is sure to be a hard year for the farmers whose livelihoods depend on the harvest.  Mother Nature certainly has her ways.

The Country Bumpkin Loves Yerevan

After living in Beijing and Nairobi, both large, overcrowded cities, I resigned myself to the fact that I am not a city person.  I’m a country bumpkin who is happiest just sitting, staring at the ocean or marsh watching the birds fly by.   So, before leaving for Armenia, I was a little nervous about Yerevan.  Would living in the city be a cause of stress as it had been before?  Would I reach the point where I’d do almost anything just to get away?  The answer is no.  So far I’ve loved living in Yerevan, and here are some reasons why.

•  You can walk just about anywhere in the central district in 30 minutes.  This makes for a nice commute, however if I walk to work I usually arrive as a sweaty mess so I often opt for the metro.

•  Speaking of the metro, the one line system is easy to navigate and never too crowded.

•  On clear days, Mt. Ararat’s snow-capped peaks tower over the city from the horizon.  No photo I’ve taken thus far has come close to capturing the beauty of this mountain.

•  Yerevan has its fair share of traffic and crazy drivers, but in my opinion it’s no worse than Boston.  (Perhaps this isn’t saying much considering that many feel drivers from Boston are certified crazy.)

•  Because the city is so small, it’s easy to run into a friend by chance while you’re out and about.  In a sense, Yerevan is just one big neighborhood.  I imagine this could get pretty old when you’ve lived here all your life and there’s nowhere to hide.  But for me, living in an unfamiliar place, it provides a sense of community that I haven’t experienced in a city before.

•  You can drive just an hour from the city and find yourself in a different world of small villages and big mountains.  One of my favorite weekend activities has been hiking, because although I’m loving the city, I still like to escape every once in a while.

Here are some photos from some recent hiking adventures.

 At Smbataberd, an old fortress in the mountains

 Selfie in a cave at the summit of Mt. Hatis (2530 m).  It was mighty chilly.

 Birthrighters fording a river.

 Mt. Ararat + me + a horse = magical afternoon

 Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Lizzie made a surprise trip to Yerevan!

Food is Love

I’ve been telling my host family for a while now that I’d cook dinner for them sometime, and it finally happened this week.  The kitchen in my home belongs completely to my host mother, so this was somewhat of a feat that she allowed me so far into her domain.  She wouldn’t completely give up the reigns and I could tell she had little faith in my cooking skills.  But I think I convinced her I knew what I was doing.

On the menu for the evening was chicken with mushrooms and onions in a white wine sauce served over my great-grandmother’s pilaf.  I thought it would be a symbolic gesture to prepare my Armenian grandmother’s rice pilaf for my host family here in Yerevan.  Her recipe would come full circle, returning to its origins.  This all seemed great in my head, until I was at the grocery store and couldn’t find any chicken broth.  This could be because A) I had no idea where to look; B) I didn’t really know how to ask; C) I still only know half of the Armenian letters so I couldn’t read the labels; or D) they don’t sell it because people just make their own.  I’m leaning towards D, but A-C are also valid answers.  Luckily, my friend was able to find the bouillon, so I settled for that instead.  This was all well and good, except it left the pilaf smelling and tasting like Top Ramen.  How could my grandmother’s pilaf which she probably first learned to make as a girl living in Turkey now taste like cheap college food here in Armenia?!  This didn’t seem right to me and I was overall disappointed in the meal.  But from the eyes (or stomachs) of my host family, the meal was a success.  I received the ultimate Armenian compliment from my host dad. “It’s delicious.  Now you can get married.”  Watch out Yerevan!

"From the American People"

This is a story about international aid and a trip to the bathroom.  First, I have to tell you a little bit about AUA’s two buildings.  The main building of the university is an old Soviet government building and AUA leases the building from the current Armenian government.  When you enter the main building there is a large foyer where students will sit and socialize.  On the back wall the Armenian and American flags hang side by side as a gentle reminder of the countries’ partnership.  And just so the students don’t forget who helped make their education at AUA possible, there are multiple signs around the foyer with the words “USAID: From the American People.”  But I digress.  The second building at AUA is attached to this one and is clean, new, and bright.  This is where I go to the bathroom.

The toilets in the AUA bathroom struck me on the first flush.  These toilets weren’t like other toilets I had used in Armenia.  Upon pushing down the lever there was a monstrous roar as the water forcefully ensured everything was gone in a flash.  This was so unlike many of the other “flush and pray” toilets I had experienced here.  It only took a quick glance behind the bowl to realize why this was the case.  American Standard.  1.6 gal/flush.  I’ve taken comfort in going to the bathroom at AUA, knowing I can have confident in the plumbing.  But today I had a new epiphany: my bathroom comfort is just another example of flawed international aid.

During my time abroad I’ve seen the fingerprints of USAID all over.  They love leaving their little stickers on everything proclaiming “From the American People.”  I remember seeing them on desks at a community center in Nairobi, on an old can of vegetable oil in my home stay family’s house in a rural village near Mombasa, and I’ve seen them here as well.  This seems all well and good (and oh so generous of “the American people”) until we take a look behind the curtain.  Here’s just one example.  According to The Guardian, in 2011 two-thirds of the food purchased by the 1 billion dollar US food aid program was bought from three of America’s largest agribusinesses.  Our taxpayer dollars are supporting large American businesses while the people in need suffer.  American food aid doesn’t help stimulate local economies in developing regions, and local farmers often can’t compete with the imported staples.  Sure, we’re all about giving, but by giving on our own terms we’re really only taking an opportunity to help ourselves, and consequently we’re hurting others.

Back to the bathrooms.  This morning at AUA I made a trip to the loo after finishing my coffee.  (Yes, I’m drinking black coffee fairly regularly.  Who would have thought?!)  Well you know what happens after coffee, so I was thankful for those powerful flushing machines.  But today while sitting on that porcelain throne, I thought more about how these toilets actually got to Armenia.  This new building at AUA is also no doubt made possible by “the American people.”  But how could we let the builders do the easy thing and buy the toilets in Yerevan?  Did American Standard make a generous toilet donation?  My guess is no.  These toilets were likely purchased with US aid money, sending that money back to the US.  Now I’m no expert on the workings of public toilets but I also wouldn’t doubt that any needed replacement part is nowhere to be found locally, as I’ve never seen another lever flush model here, which is standard in any US public restroom.  So next time I’m thankful for the forceful flusher at AUA, I’ll also be thanking “the American people.”

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!