Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yesterday we found out that 2 of us are leaving the Peace Corps. While we’ve only been together for 2 months, it’s amazing how close you can become in that short space of time. There has been a bond formed by all of us, even those we don’t know that well. We’ve been going through a tough, but amazing experience in our training, an experience that few others go through. So when 2 leave the group, it makes a difference.
Neither one of the two live in the same village as I do, nor are they in the same sector as I am. Yet I would see them on central days and occasionally talk to them. I do remember spending one evening with them having coffee at a house across the street from the hotel we first stayed at. None of us spoke Armenian at that point, but it was a good experience and one we laughed about later on.
In a way it was good that yesterday was a central day, so we were all together and found out together. We had the chance to say goodbye to them, and to process the whole thing. Some of course were closer to them than others, but it still has an impact on us all. For me, it made me re-think my decision to join the Peace Corps, and reaffirm my decision to stay in Armenia. I admire the two of them for having the courage, first of all to join the Peace Corps, and then to leave when they knew it wasn’t for them. While they are each going their separate ways, I think they will always be a part of us.
We’ve finished our second week of model school, which was another good, but challenging experience. Going from the oldest to the youngest students was a hard switch. While they understand some English, their speaking ability is much less. We were able to play some games with them to reinforce the lessons, which was fun. Next week we switch to the middle age group.
At this point there is also a lot of paperwork to finish up with. Most of it is to check that we’ve been trying to integrate into our communities and sectors. Some is to see if we’ve understood what we’ve been taught in our tech sessions. With lesson planning and language lessons, it’s just very time consuming to add one more thing to the mix. But it will get done.
We have our last language proficiency interview two days before swearing-in, which is on August 13. We are supposed to reach a certain level of proficiency, which I think I’m at. It definitely is harder to learn a language the older you are. My mouth just doesn’t want to move in certain ways to form certain sounds. Our language teachers are being very good about scheduling individual lessons to help us review what we each need. In a way I’ll be glad to get the LPI over with.
For those of you who I gave my address to, check with your post office for the proper way to write the address. Most times you use the correct form for the country from which you are sending it.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Water Day
I just survived my first Water Day today, July 19, 2009. This is a national holiday of sorts in Armenia, and I personally think other countries should adopt it. It is like a day long water fight and almost no one is exempt from this. They also throw the water at cars and buses.
In my village, at about 10 AM, a group of boys gathered at the corner by my house, with buckets and started throwing water at one another and every car that passed. They also threw at almost all the other people who braved going outside that day. I could safely watch from my balcony, and I thought I could play the tateek (grandmother) card. I think because I was brandishing two waterpistols, I was fair game. At one point there were probably 20 kids throwing water. They tried getting us on the balcony, but weren’t able to reach, although we had buckets and were able to get them. At one point I did venture out, but only to run across the street to the store, where I was safe. I only got a little wet on my run back.
At one point there was actually a water fight in my house! Later in the afternoon, the grandmother in my house started throwing water on those of us on the balcony. After that it was all out war on the balcony. Needless to say by the end of it, we were all soaked. It was a lot of fun.
My village also has the greatest taxi driver. Since we don’t have any other form of transportation to or from our village, we use the taxi about once a week. He has gotten to know all our names and he buys us things. Two weeks ago he was driving some of us into the city and he stopped and bought us all ice cream. Another time, he came to pick us up from another village and brought a bag full of apricots. And last week, he again stopped on the way into the city and bought us all ice cream. He’s just so nice. It’s another part of small village life that I like.
This past week, those of us who will be teaching English, have been involved in what they call “model school. “ They bring in children from the surrounding villages, between the ages of 9 and 16, and split them into 3 groups. There are 12 of us, and they have paired us up so we team teach. We teach each group 3 or 4 times. Kyle and I finished teaching the oldest group, 14-16 year olds, Wednesday and now have the youngest group, 9-11 year olds. We have to come up with our own lessons and hand in lesson plans. For the older group, we started out on personal adjectives, and had them fill in part of a character web on themselves. We then talked about 3 simple tenses (past, present and future) and had them fill in another part of the character web with their plans for the future. They then did a timeline of their life. The last day, they wrote a short autobiography. It really went pretty well, given their limited English and our very limited Armenian. Going from that group to the youngest group today proved a bit of a challenge. These children have limited English, if any, but are very eager to learn. They are full of energy and loved it when we played a game with them. We don’t meet with them for a few days, so we have some time to come up two more days of lessons.
These last 3 weeks of training are going to be super busy. Besides model school, we still have 3 hours of language lessons every morning and the homework that goes with it. And I still want to spend time with my host family. I’ll be glad when this part is over, but sad to leave this host family. They have truly made me feel a part of their family and I will miss them when I move.
This will be the last post on this blog address. My new blog address is:
suesadventuresabroad.blogspot.com
I just survived my first Water Day today, July 19, 2009. This is a national holiday of sorts in Armenia, and I personally think other countries should adopt it. It is like a day long water fight and almost no one is exempt from this. They also throw the water at cars and buses.
In my village, at about 10 AM, a group of boys gathered at the corner by my house, with buckets and started throwing water at one another and every car that passed. They also threw at almost all the other people who braved going outside that day. I could safely watch from my balcony, and I thought I could play the tateek (grandmother) card. I think because I was brandishing two waterpistols, I was fair game. At one point there were probably 20 kids throwing water. They tried getting us on the balcony, but weren’t able to reach, although we had buckets and were able to get them. At one point I did venture out, but only to run across the street to the store, where I was safe. I only got a little wet on my run back.
At one point there was actually a water fight in my house! Later in the afternoon, the grandmother in my house started throwing water on those of us on the balcony. After that it was all out war on the balcony. Needless to say by the end of it, we were all soaked. It was a lot of fun.
My village also has the greatest taxi driver. Since we don’t have any other form of transportation to or from our village, we use the taxi about once a week. He has gotten to know all our names and he buys us things. Two weeks ago he was driving some of us into the city and he stopped and bought us all ice cream. Another time, he came to pick us up from another village and brought a bag full of apricots. And last week, he again stopped on the way into the city and bought us all ice cream. He’s just so nice. It’s another part of small village life that I like.
This past week, those of us who will be teaching English, have been involved in what they call “model school. “ They bring in children from the surrounding villages, between the ages of 9 and 16, and split them into 3 groups. There are 12 of us, and they have paired us up so we team teach. We teach each group 3 or 4 times. Kyle and I finished teaching the oldest group, 14-16 year olds, Wednesday and now have the youngest group, 9-11 year olds. We have to come up with our own lessons and hand in lesson plans. For the older group, we started out on personal adjectives, and had them fill in part of a character web on themselves. We then talked about 3 simple tenses (past, present and future) and had them fill in another part of the character web with their plans for the future. They then did a timeline of their life. The last day, they wrote a short autobiography. It really went pretty well, given their limited English and our very limited Armenian. Going from that group to the youngest group today proved a bit of a challenge. These children have limited English, if any, but are very eager to learn. They are full of energy and loved it when we played a game with them. We don’t meet with them for a few days, so we have some time to come up two more days of lessons.
These last 3 weeks of training are going to be super busy. Besides model school, we still have 3 hours of language lessons every morning and the homework that goes with it. And I still want to spend time with my host family. I’ll be glad when this part is over, but sad to leave this host family. They have truly made me feel a part of their family and I will miss them when I move.
This will be the last post on this blog address. My new blog address is:
suesadventuresabroad.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Site Visit
I just spent the last five days at my permanent placement site. I had asked for a small village, and I got a really small village. There are only 125 families in the village. It’s on the side of a mountain, 5 ½ kilometers up the mountain from the nearest town. The views are spectacular. From the one side of the house there is a gorgeous view of Mt. Hustrup. While the land is quite rugged, there is a certain serenity about the village. The people work hard to grow some vegetables and raise some animals. They are very proud of their village and don’t go down to the town very often, only for necessity.
The family I’ll be living with has 3 young boys, ages 4, 10 and 13. They are really nice, not as outgoing as the family I’m living with now, but very hospitable. Their house is near the center of the village and about a 10 minute walk to the school. The school is also very small, with only 50 students, grades 1 through 11. The school only has 6 rooms, so they are on a split session, with some going 8:30 to 12; and the others 12:30 to 3:30. However, they do have 4 computers with one of them connected to the internet, so I will have access to the internet on a daily basis.
My counterpart, the teacher I’ll be working with, is really nice. Taguhie is about 28 and has been at this school for 5 years. She actually grew up in the village. I don’t think we’ll have any problems working together. The school director (principal) is probably in her early 50s, and she’s the one who brought in the computers and new desks. I met with her on Saturday morning and she even let me use the internet that day. They don’t have a lot of new materials or resource books, though. Their “library” is in a storage cabinet in the hallway. There supposedly is a publishing that will mail me a shipment of books each year I’m here. I have to research that further.
Currently, there are 4 other volunteers in the nearby town. One of them will be leaving the end of this month, having completed her two years. Barbara, one of the one’s staying, is also an English teacher. On Friday, Shannon and I went to the camp she and her counterpart ran last week. It was at a school and the kids had sessions in English, ecology, psychology, writing, and sports. Barbara made a video of their activities and showed it to the parents who came to the closing ceremony. It was neat to see how excited they all were and how well they speak English. This was one of Barbara’s secondary projects. I’m glad Barbara will be here another year because she has some great ideas and is fun to be with. We went to her apartment for dinner that night and then I took a taxi up the mountain.
I walked back down to town Saturday afternoon to meet up with the other Peace Corps volunteers. It was interesting and very informative to listen to their stories and experiences. Since Barbara is my age it was especially helpful to hear how she has adjusted and how she’s doing with the language. I’m sure I will have many more sessions with Barbara and the other PCVs.
Sunday I spent on the mountain trying to get my bearings in the village. The two older boys in the family, David and Narek, took me on a hike in the morning. We went up this nearby hill to where there’s a radio tower and could over look the whole valley below. It was awesome. On the way down, we met a mother and 3 young children having a picnic. David helped her make a fire so she and I could have coffee. I’m learning to drink the coffee here, I put a piece chocolate in my mouth while I sip it. It cuts down on the bitterness of it. It was nice to meet someone else from the village and talk to some of the kids. After lunch, David and Narek took me down to the river, so they could go swimming. The river starts up in the mountains and is really the rain and snow runoff. There is a “swimming hole” at one point and while they went in I sat in the shade. It was probably a good 2 mile hike to this spot. After a while they decided to go to another spot and so we took off. At one point we had to cross the river, but there was no bridge. So I rolled up my pant legs, took off my sneakers and socks, and waded across. The water was freezing, but felt refreshing. I think the boys may be part mountain goat, the way they were jumping from rock to rock going up and down the mountain. And they seem to think I am too! Luckily at the first swimming hole a local man came along with a walking stick. At first he reminded me of the grandfather in “Heidi”, and he stood on this rock and started singing. When he saw how gingerly I was making my way from rock to rock, he gave me his walking stick. Chivalry is still alive and well!
All in all it was a very good visit. I know I will get to do a lot of walking and hiking, so I won’t have to worry about gaining weight. This family’s house has a wonderful patio, where we spent most nights until dark, which was about 10 PM. I am excited about my placement and anxious to start teaching and living there, in less than 6 weeks. For now it’s back to 4 hour language lessons every day, and practice teaching.
Tuesday
We had an all day conference with our counterparts today. Most of the Armenian English teachers have not worked with Peace Corps volunteers before, so they are as nervous as we are about all this. There was a lot of information given out today, so I’m glad we have a few weeks to digest it. We collaborated on a lesson plan and that went really well.
The village I’m going to was supposed to get a TEFL last year, but he left training after the site visit. So they are nervous about my doing the same. I assured her today, that I will be back in the village in August and they will have me for 2 years.
I just spent the last five days at my permanent placement site. I had asked for a small village, and I got a really small village. There are only 125 families in the village. It’s on the side of a mountain, 5 ½ kilometers up the mountain from the nearest town. The views are spectacular. From the one side of the house there is a gorgeous view of Mt. Hustrup. While the land is quite rugged, there is a certain serenity about the village. The people work hard to grow some vegetables and raise some animals. They are very proud of their village and don’t go down to the town very often, only for necessity.
The family I’ll be living with has 3 young boys, ages 4, 10 and 13. They are really nice, not as outgoing as the family I’m living with now, but very hospitable. Their house is near the center of the village and about a 10 minute walk to the school. The school is also very small, with only 50 students, grades 1 through 11. The school only has 6 rooms, so they are on a split session, with some going 8:30 to 12; and the others 12:30 to 3:30. However, they do have 4 computers with one of them connected to the internet, so I will have access to the internet on a daily basis.
My counterpart, the teacher I’ll be working with, is really nice. Taguhie is about 28 and has been at this school for 5 years. She actually grew up in the village. I don’t think we’ll have any problems working together. The school director (principal) is probably in her early 50s, and she’s the one who brought in the computers and new desks. I met with her on Saturday morning and she even let me use the internet that day. They don’t have a lot of new materials or resource books, though. Their “library” is in a storage cabinet in the hallway. There supposedly is a publishing that will mail me a shipment of books each year I’m here. I have to research that further.
Currently, there are 4 other volunteers in the nearby town. One of them will be leaving the end of this month, having completed her two years. Barbara, one of the one’s staying, is also an English teacher. On Friday, Shannon and I went to the camp she and her counterpart ran last week. It was at a school and the kids had sessions in English, ecology, psychology, writing, and sports. Barbara made a video of their activities and showed it to the parents who came to the closing ceremony. It was neat to see how excited they all were and how well they speak English. This was one of Barbara’s secondary projects. I’m glad Barbara will be here another year because she has some great ideas and is fun to be with. We went to her apartment for dinner that night and then I took a taxi up the mountain.
I walked back down to town Saturday afternoon to meet up with the other Peace Corps volunteers. It was interesting and very informative to listen to their stories and experiences. Since Barbara is my age it was especially helpful to hear how she has adjusted and how she’s doing with the language. I’m sure I will have many more sessions with Barbara and the other PCVs.
Sunday I spent on the mountain trying to get my bearings in the village. The two older boys in the family, David and Narek, took me on a hike in the morning. We went up this nearby hill to where there’s a radio tower and could over look the whole valley below. It was awesome. On the way down, we met a mother and 3 young children having a picnic. David helped her make a fire so she and I could have coffee. I’m learning to drink the coffee here, I put a piece chocolate in my mouth while I sip it. It cuts down on the bitterness of it. It was nice to meet someone else from the village and talk to some of the kids. After lunch, David and Narek took me down to the river, so they could go swimming. The river starts up in the mountains and is really the rain and snow runoff. There is a “swimming hole” at one point and while they went in I sat in the shade. It was probably a good 2 mile hike to this spot. After a while they decided to go to another spot and so we took off. At one point we had to cross the river, but there was no bridge. So I rolled up my pant legs, took off my sneakers and socks, and waded across. The water was freezing, but felt refreshing. I think the boys may be part mountain goat, the way they were jumping from rock to rock going up and down the mountain. And they seem to think I am too! Luckily at the first swimming hole a local man came along with a walking stick. At first he reminded me of the grandfather in “Heidi”, and he stood on this rock and started singing. When he saw how gingerly I was making my way from rock to rock, he gave me his walking stick. Chivalry is still alive and well!
All in all it was a very good visit. I know I will get to do a lot of walking and hiking, so I won’t have to worry about gaining weight. This family’s house has a wonderful patio, where we spent most nights until dark, which was about 10 PM. I am excited about my placement and anxious to start teaching and living there, in less than 6 weeks. For now it’s back to 4 hour language lessons every day, and practice teaching.
Tuesday
We had an all day conference with our counterparts today. Most of the Armenian English teachers have not worked with Peace Corps volunteers before, so they are as nervous as we are about all this. There was a lot of information given out today, so I’m glad we have a few weeks to digest it. We collaborated on a lesson plan and that went really well.
The village I’m going to was supposed to get a TEFL last year, but he left training after the site visit. So they are nervous about my doing the same. I assured her today, that I will be back in the village in August and they will have me for 2 years.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
This past weekend was very full. The other PC trainees and I planned a July 4th party for our host families. The mayor of our village has a pavilion overlooking the river and a fish hatchery and he offered it to us for our party. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, and all sorts of American salads. The host families provided the deserts, which included a lot of fresh picked fruit. Since we are the first trainees in this village, they had never experienced this before. We had games for the kids, as well as a tug of war for all the families to participate in, and volleyball. The only thing missing were fireworks, but we did have sparklers. Everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the food. It was fun planning this and a good way to say thank you for all they have done for us.
On Sunday, there was a gathering for the over 40 trainees and volunteers. One of the Peace Corps staff hosted it at his house in Yerevan. Besides the 6 of us trainees, there were about 15 volunteers present. It was nice to talk to them about some of the “senior issues” that are not necessarily covered in the training sessions. Four of them have just completed their first year, and the others will be leaving to go home in a few weeks. It was interesting to hear about their experiences and what their plans are for the future. There are a few older volunteers near my permanent placement, but they weren’t able to get up for the gathering. I met most of them the day of the placement announcement.
One of the women I met yesterday, Marilyn, is originally from Oyster Bay, NY. She graduated from Oyster Bay High School two years after I graduated from high school. We talked a little bit about Long Island and other things we have in common. She’s Catholic and has not been to Mass since coming into Armenia. There are no Roman Catholic churches, I found out. She did say there is a group of Catholics who meet every now and then, but I think they are all up north. Marilyn hasn’t left Armenia in the year she’s been here, preferring to stay in country and travel around Armenia.
Yesterday we went into Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is a very crowded and bustling city. We spent most of the day at the Peace Corps offices. They have a computer/resource center for the volunteers’ use. Besides technical books, there is a sizeable fiction collection, mostly donations from volunteers on their way home. We were able to take books out, but not use the computers since we are not officially Peace Corps volunteers. But it is nice to know what’s available, although I’ll be so far away from Yerevan that I doubt I’ll ever get to use it.
They had about 4 guest speakers come in and meet with us. Most of them are involved in education in one way or another. They have quite a few initiatives going on in this country, but unfortunately they are mostly around Yerevan. There is a German group that is very interested in promoting life long learning and adult re-training. Another group, Armenian, is sponsoring a series of workshops around the country for adults. They at least gave me something to think about for my secondary project. There is a series of American Corners Armenia scattered around the country, with one in a town very close to me. These are places that have small American-style libraries and sponsor programs about the United States to help foster relations between Armenia and America. I think it will be a good place for me to visit and get acquainted with.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for only a little over a month. The people, especially in my village, are so warm and hospitable. The grandmother in my house told me that her house is my house. Now that I know what their routine is, I help around the house as much as I can. At first they didn’t want me to do anything, but then I explained that it made me feel like part of the family. I know it will be hard to leave this family and move in with another. They keep telling me they want me to stay. I will come back and visit them, especially after I’ve become more proficient in the language.
We are going to our permanent placement sites this week for a 5 day visit. I’m anxious to see what my new host family is like and what the village is like. I’ll also meet my counterpart, the teacher I’ll be working with. Since I’m right outside a large town, I hope to be able to use the internet while I’m there. I just hope that the new family is as easy to get along with as the one I live with now is. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I’m comfortable walking around this village and I have to go through the whole process again. But at least then I’ll be done with training and getting on with the work I came to do.
This past weekend was very full. The other PC trainees and I planned a July 4th party for our host families. The mayor of our village has a pavilion overlooking the river and a fish hatchery and he offered it to us for our party. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, and all sorts of American salads. The host families provided the deserts, which included a lot of fresh picked fruit. Since we are the first trainees in this village, they had never experienced this before. We had games for the kids, as well as a tug of war for all the families to participate in, and volleyball. The only thing missing were fireworks, but we did have sparklers. Everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the food. It was fun planning this and a good way to say thank you for all they have done for us.
On Sunday, there was a gathering for the over 40 trainees and volunteers. One of the Peace Corps staff hosted it at his house in Yerevan. Besides the 6 of us trainees, there were about 15 volunteers present. It was nice to talk to them about some of the “senior issues” that are not necessarily covered in the training sessions. Four of them have just completed their first year, and the others will be leaving to go home in a few weeks. It was interesting to hear about their experiences and what their plans are for the future. There are a few older volunteers near my permanent placement, but they weren’t able to get up for the gathering. I met most of them the day of the placement announcement.
One of the women I met yesterday, Marilyn, is originally from Oyster Bay, NY. She graduated from Oyster Bay High School two years after I graduated from high school. We talked a little bit about Long Island and other things we have in common. She’s Catholic and has not been to Mass since coming into Armenia. There are no Roman Catholic churches, I found out. She did say there is a group of Catholics who meet every now and then, but I think they are all up north. Marilyn hasn’t left Armenia in the year she’s been here, preferring to stay in country and travel around Armenia.
Yesterday we went into Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is a very crowded and bustling city. We spent most of the day at the Peace Corps offices. They have a computer/resource center for the volunteers’ use. Besides technical books, there is a sizeable fiction collection, mostly donations from volunteers on their way home. We were able to take books out, but not use the computers since we are not officially Peace Corps volunteers. But it is nice to know what’s available, although I’ll be so far away from Yerevan that I doubt I’ll ever get to use it.
They had about 4 guest speakers come in and meet with us. Most of them are involved in education in one way or another. They have quite a few initiatives going on in this country, but unfortunately they are mostly around Yerevan. There is a German group that is very interested in promoting life long learning and adult re-training. Another group, Armenian, is sponsoring a series of workshops around the country for adults. They at least gave me something to think about for my secondary project. There is a series of American Corners Armenia scattered around the country, with one in a town very close to me. These are places that have small American-style libraries and sponsor programs about the United States to help foster relations between Armenia and America. I think it will be a good place for me to visit and get acquainted with.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for only a little over a month. The people, especially in my village, are so warm and hospitable. The grandmother in my house told me that her house is my house. Now that I know what their routine is, I help around the house as much as I can. At first they didn’t want me to do anything, but then I explained that it made me feel like part of the family. I know it will be hard to leave this family and move in with another. They keep telling me they want me to stay. I will come back and visit them, especially after I’ve become more proficient in the language.
We are going to our permanent placement sites this week for a 5 day visit. I’m anxious to see what my new host family is like and what the village is like. I’ll also meet my counterpart, the teacher I’ll be working with. Since I’m right outside a large town, I hope to be able to use the internet while I’m there. I just hope that the new family is as easy to get along with as the one I live with now is. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I’m comfortable walking around this village and I have to go through the whole process again. But at least then I’ll be done with training and getting on with the work I came to do.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Placement
I found out last Wednesday that I will be in Vachagan, which is a small village right outside of Kapan, a city in the south. The school where I will be teaching has only 50 students and 16 teachers, which is a pretty good ratio. The plan for the future is for the high school students to go to Kapan for school, and the village school will only go up to 8th grade. I will be the first Peace Corps volunteer in this village and they have been waiting 4 years for an English teacher (TEFL). No pressure there!
The village is about the same size as the one I’m in now, which is what I wanted. I feel very safe in this village. It doesn’t take long for everybody to know you. I’ve only been here 4 weeks and I already feel very much a part of this village. But the good thing is that I’m within walking distance of Kapan, which has internet cafes.
My new host family consists of a mother, father and 3 young boys. The boys are 4, 10 and 12 years old. The father is a volunteer community leader and the mother doesn’t work outside the house. But after spending time here, I know that the mother works very hard.
My counterpart is a 28 year old woman and has been at the school since 2005. From what I’ve heard, she’s supposed to be very nice and good to work with. I’ll soon find out. I’ll go for a site visit in the beginning of July for 4 days.
On Wednesday there were a lot of current Peace Corps volunteers who came to Charentsavan to wish us luck in our placements. There are 12 of us going to the region I’ll be in, with Shannon being in Kapan. There were about 10 current volunteers there on Wednesday to greet and welcome us. It was nice to spend some time talking with them and finding out something about the area. I’m excited to go and really get started with being a Peace Corps volunteer.
I found out last Wednesday that I will be in Vachagan, which is a small village right outside of Kapan, a city in the south. The school where I will be teaching has only 50 students and 16 teachers, which is a pretty good ratio. The plan for the future is for the high school students to go to Kapan for school, and the village school will only go up to 8th grade. I will be the first Peace Corps volunteer in this village and they have been waiting 4 years for an English teacher (TEFL). No pressure there!
The village is about the same size as the one I’m in now, which is what I wanted. I feel very safe in this village. It doesn’t take long for everybody to know you. I’ve only been here 4 weeks and I already feel very much a part of this village. But the good thing is that I’m within walking distance of Kapan, which has internet cafes.
My new host family consists of a mother, father and 3 young boys. The boys are 4, 10 and 12 years old. The father is a volunteer community leader and the mother doesn’t work outside the house. But after spending time here, I know that the mother works very hard.
My counterpart is a 28 year old woman and has been at the school since 2005. From what I’ve heard, she’s supposed to be very nice and good to work with. I’ll soon find out. I’ll go for a site visit in the beginning of July for 4 days.
On Wednesday there were a lot of current Peace Corps volunteers who came to Charentsavan to wish us luck in our placements. There are 12 of us going to the region I’ll be in, with Shannon being in Kapan. There were about 10 current volunteers there on Wednesday to greet and welcome us. It was nice to spend some time talking with them and finding out something about the area. I’m excited to go and really get started with being a Peace Corps volunteer.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The past week has been very busy besides our language lessons. We went to Charentsavan last Tuesday, which we do once a week. It’s when all the A17s gather from the six different villages they have us living in. During our sessions in Charentsavan we learn about Armenian culture, safety and security issues, health issues, and other Peace Corps related things. It’s a good time to catch up with the other volunteers who are in the different villages.
On Wednesday afternoon we had our Tech session, which was about lesson plans and the Peace Corps’ outline for lesson plans. A couple from a village in the south gave a demonstration. That night all the volunteers from my village and some from the other villages came to my host family’s house for a party. There were probably 25 or so who came. The women in the house had made cakes and cookies and the volunteers brought some beverages. It was fun. We danced, ate and just enjoyed being with one another.
Thursday afternoon we had team building, which is aimed at the 8 of us in this village becoming more cohesive as a group. It consisted of some trust games, a quest to get our “totem” and some sharing about how we handle certain situations. The 8 of us in this village get along really well, so we did well with the trust games and getting our totem.
Friday afternoon was actually free time so some of us decided to hike up the mountain behind the school building. It was a bit higher than I thought it was and although a bit strenuous, I’m glad I did it. The view from the top was magnificent. We were able to see for miles around and actually saw a village behind us that we didn’t know was there. We might hike there one day. I’m sorry I didn’t have my camera, but I’ll definitely go back up. The air is so clean and clear it’s invigorating. We could see where the cows had grazed and the paths they took getting up the side of the mountains. I’m glad now that I had begun hiking this past year.
Saturday afternoon we went again to Charentsavan for a cultural session. It was on art, music and dance. Armenians are very proud of their heritage and love to show it off. We didn’t spend too much time on the art, but rather focused on the music and dance. At first we listened to the traditional music of Armenia and then to the more modern music. When it came time for the dance session, we were actually taught some of the traditional steps. It’s mostly round dances, with fairly simple steps, until they speed it up. But it was fun and good exercise. Of course in the villages, they don’t do the traditional dance, rather a more relaxed dance with a lot of hand motions. After the cultural session we explored a bit of Charentsavan and then most of us met for dinner at an outdoor café. Again it was nice to sit around with all the other volunteers and compare notes on our experiences so far. We all are extremely pleased with our host families.
Sunday was the first day since coming to my village that we didn’t have language lessons. So it was nice to spend the day with my host family, especially they were making lavash, which is the national bread of Armenia. But it is a very long process to make lavash. Ellia made the dough in the morning. She mixed loaves and covered them to let them set for about 2 hours. In the meantime, she prepared the “oven” for the baking. Actually the oven is a sunken pit with the sides covered in ceramic type substance. It is about 4 feet deep and 2 feet around. The ashes from the last time it was used have to be removed, and then a new fire started. When the oven and dough are ready, Kareena and Ellia start the next step. Kareena rolls each loaf of dough out into a thin circle. Ellia then works the dough like the pizza men do, by throwing it from hand to hand until it is about20-24 inches long. It is then placed on a form, sprinkled with a little water and then slapped onto the side of the oven. It only takes about 2-3 minutes to cook, then it is removed and laid out to cool off. I even got a few chances to throw the dough, and believe me it’s not as easy as it looks. When most of the dough was cooked, Ellia sliced potatoes, salted them and slapped them on the sides of the oven to cook. She also put some dough around eggs and cooked them in the oven. It’s amazing to watch these women work. They never really stop and they put everything to use. Nothing is wasted here.
I gave my host family Uno when I first came, and it’s the best thing I could have done. The first few days we must have played each night for about 2 hours. It was great for me because it helped me with the numbers and colors. The two children still play almost every night and every now and then their mother or grandmother will join them. Unfortunately I don’t have the time anymore because of all the homework I have. But occasionally I will play checkers with them, at least that doesn’t take as long as Uno.
The house I’m living in only has running water for 4 hours in the morning and sometimes for another 2 hours or so in the afternoon. The water is supposed to come on at 8, but sometimes it’s on by 7, and other times it’s not on until 9. So it’s hard to plan on a shower. Most mornings I take a bucket shower, which means I have to heat up the water on the stove, then carry the bucket into the bathroom and wash. But at least I have water and I’ve been able to take a real shower once. It’s not too bad and I’ve actually gotten used to the bucket shower. It’s amazing what you can get used to if you have no other options.
I’m beginning to understand more of the language, at least when the people speak slowly. But even when they are talking among themselves I can pick up more and more words. But it’s very tiring trying to understand all day long when they are speaking in a foreign language. I need to practice my speaking more and am making more of an effort to do so. Kareen and Ellia are very patient with me and so is Maggie, the 10 year old. I am determined to master this, or at least have a passing proficiency of this language.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I realized on Saturday that the above entry didn’t post. I don’t think I waited long enough, I forget that the internet here is very slow. I will try again tomorrow.
Saturday I went into Charentsavan with 6 others from my village and we joined about 30 from the other villages. It was nice to have a free day in the city and just walk around. Unfortunately, it started to rain, so we went to Bella Café, which is an outdoor place that has tent-like structures over its tables. Each village is planning a July 4th celebration, so we talked about that and began pricing some of the things we’ll need, like hot dogs and hamburgers. The meat won’t be that hard to find, but the rolls may be another story. I think my village is going to have a picnic by a river and plan some games for the kids.
We met the mayor of our village today. He’s quite an interesting man. Before becoming mayor, which he’s been since 1996, he fought in the army in the 1980s, prepared to take his comprehensives and write his dissertation for his doctorate (which he didn’t get a chance to do), and is presently heading up a group that will do an excavation in this village. He wanted to make sure that we were all comfortable in his village and had what we needed. He is also working on getting 24/7 running water for each household, which is something that will be greatly appreciated. I hope my new home is in as nice a place as this village
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