Some Things to Love About Armenia

On any given day, there are lots of things we could point to as being difficult in this country. But perhaps the better way to look at it is to focus on the things we love. With that attitude, everything seems to look just a little bit brighter. So, for example, we could complain because we don't have hot water at all. The better way to state this is to say how grateful we are that we have water every few days and can fill up our bottles, buckets and bathtub. It is with this attitude in mind that I write this update.

I love that I have the opportunity to experience something new every few days. I love that the marshutni driver can effortlessly pass five cars (I counted) going into a blind curve while talking on his cell phone and having a conversation with the person in the back row. I love that the version of winter we are having right now has temperatures hovering in the 50s during the day. I love that on our visit to our first host family this weekend they welcomed us with open arms. I love that the neighbors in our apartment building actually notice when we are gone and seem to miss us. I love that so far we are the only people in town who have put up Christmas lights on their balcony for everyone in town to see, should they be looking. I love that I no longer want to yell out in panic when someone is tailgating so closely that I can read the very small print on the back of the car in front of me. I love that I can listen to music on my iPhone rather than succumb to panic because I am not driving. I love the challenges we face in just living here.

We do have it better than most. We have a pretty nice 2-room apartment. We are in good health, and have access to good health care if we are not. We are warm, and we have food in the cupboards. We are supported by a whole staff of Peace Corps professionals who go out of their way to make sure our needs are met. We generally like our jobs and the people with whom we work. We love the kids in our town. Actually, we love all the kids here. And we truly love the people. They are a continuing source of inspiration on so many levels.

So this weekend we went "home" to visit our first host family. I had forgotten how much I loved the simplicity of life in a small (750 people) village. Much like the old TV show "Cheers", it was nice to go back where everybody in fact knew our name, not just our business. Our host family recently suffered a terrible loss--our host dad's brother was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Yerevan. The driver has not been found, nor is he likely to be. Apparently this happens pretty regularly in Yerevan, and is a reminder to be very careful crossing the street. Last week two people were killed in separate incidents across from the Peace Corps office, on a street we regularly cross. Sort of like dodge ball, but with cars and much more serious results if you don't judge things exactly right.

So it is an incredibly sad time for the family, and we are so grateful we could be there to spend time with them. In the midst of their grief, they were happy to have us come stay with them. They prepared a feast in our honor, and we got to sit and watch some of the video from their oldest daughter's recent wedding. And we all paused when that favorite uncle was in one of the pictures, to remark on how much we loved him, and how much he loved life.

We left our first host family for the trip back to our current home and it was a quick trip. But how nice to be asked why we had to leave to early, and when we could come back. Our first marshutni ride was quite an adventure--mostly because everyone wanted to know about the Americans (Amerikatsi) on the bus. Why did we leave the U.S. to come to Armenia, when most Armenians want to go to the U.S.? We even had a mini-English lesson with one of the passengers. After a while, they were satisfied that we were in our right minds, and they really seemed to appreciate that we loved their village, their country, and their people, and could communicate (sort of) in their language. The driver didn't even charge us for the ride, as acknowledgment of the relationship with our host family. Pretty unheard of in the U.S. I think.

The rest of our trip home was pretty uneventful, and we are now back working on preparing tests for our 10th and 11th grade students. We are back to school tomorrow. Then school is out for two weeks for the New Year ("nor tari") holidays. We plan to celebrate Christmas with some other volunteers, which will definitely be a lot of fun. Although we will both miss being with our families and friends.

To all of you back home (in the U.S. and Europe) reading this, we wish you the best of holiday seasons. We will celebrate here without you, but you will be close to us in our hearts.