Three days of food with Americans and Armenians. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Grandma's Corn Pudding; Turkey hats; mulled wine; carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Overall, success!

Yum!

Thanks Rachel for the peanuts and candy corn!

Looking forward to spending next Thanksgiving in good old Woodstock, Illinois!

I can't believe it is already November 1st! Time is flying and I'm trying to enjoy every moment of my last year. Take a look at what I have been up to in the month of October:

I learned how to create a stop motion and make a little video. This was made by my friend Kathryn, my little host sister, Gayane, and I, but mostly Gayane. She is 13 years old and very creative! Take a look!

I took a trip down south a few weekends ago to the "wine region" of Armenia for the village of Areni's annual Wine Festival. A weekend of homemade wine is a great thing! Here are some pictures:

During the month of October, my sitemates Morgan and Kathryn, and I organized 6 seminars on Domestic Violence and Gender Equality and 1 DV event where we watched a film, displayed artwork, gave resources on DV agencies in Armenia and had a great organization, Society Without Violence, come and speak. Domestic Violence education was something I really wanted to do during my service and I'm glad we succeeded! Here is an article they posted on their website about the event!

http://www.swv.am/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136%3Aribbon-bracelets-in-sevan-against-violence-towards-women-&catid=7%3Aactivities&Itemid=5&lang=en

And here is a picture from one of the school seminars (thanks for the photo Morgan!):

And Finally, a group of us gathered in the NE of Armenia for this past weekend to celebrate Halloween. Rocky Horrow, Costumes, etc ensued. I was a "Freudian Slip." Living in a foreign country makes you that much more excited to celebrate American traditions. (Photo courtesy of Fred)

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, some of my Peace Corps and Armenian friends and I are working on a Domestic Violence series in our town this month. This week and next, we are going to schools and facilitating seminars on Gender Inequality and Domestic Violence. Hopefully, after the seminars are complete, we will be having a big event to give hard facts on Domestic Violence, present resources for help, show a film, and have art work and a speaker. We haven't really planned too much of that yet but hopefully, as things usually do in Armenia, it will quickly come together.

Now for any of you that really know me, you know this is right up my ally. I once bought a t-shirt off the internet that read, "This is What a Feminist Looks Like." And, I'm sure I've scared off a few guys in the past after insisting I open my own door or carry my own heavy box of whatever. But believe it or not, I have calmed down a bit here in Armenia. Or so I thought.

It wasn't until this week when I began watching my old time favorite sitcom, "I Love Lucy," that the bell in my headed started going off once again and my inner child folded her arms and squished her face while whining, "it's not fair!" I mostly watched this show (obsessively) at my Grandma's growing up and therefore was too young to pick up on the gender cues.

For instance, yesterday I watched the episode, "Sales Resistance," in Season two and this is what happened. Lucy bought a sales pitch on an infomercial and purchased a handy dandy kitchen tool. She attempted to show Ricky, Fred, and Ethel how it could be used to cut a potato into 16 identical slices for french fries. After it didn't work...

Ricky: "Lucy, either you call him and tell him to take it back or I'm going to use it to demonstrate how to cut a wife into 16 identical slices."

Lucy: "Really?" [picks up the phone to return it]

I couldn't believe it! Don't get me wrong, this is still one of my favorite shows; I absolutely love it. And, I know it is only a reflection of the culture of the time.

However, even if these strict gender roles don't exist [everywhere] in America anymore, it is very interesting to have a vision into America's past and know that these tidbits that were degrading to so many women are still real life scenarios all over the world, including right here in Armenia.

On a related theme, here is an interesting trailer I saw thanks to another PCV:

At present, I am assiduously preparing for the formidable, vexatious Graduate Record Examination. In other words, I am google imaging "GRE comics" because it is only 11am and my brain is already fried. Six more days...

Google "Rice, Squash, Peppers, Eggplant" (or what was in my fridge tonight) and you come across a biryani-ish recipe from Rachael Ray. Also available here:Rachael Ray's Official Website

Normally, I don't follow recipes for cooking, especially for stir fry type stuff. I usually just throw everything in with my favorite seasonings and see what happens. I'm glad that I deviated from that this evening. This is one of the best meals I've had in awhile. Of course, I didn't have everything the recipe called for so I added and omitted to my liking. I added hot red pepper and Cinnamon, and shredded carrots which only enhanced the meal! If I do this again, I will use a healthier rice...it's just too expensive to buy anything but white rice on a Peace Corps budget.

Also, today was "Knowledge Day" in Armenia aka the first day of school. Here are some pictures of my adorable students!

September 1st, Armenian children will dress in their black and white dress up clothes and celebrate the first day of school. Congratulations will be given, songs will be sung, books will be distributed. It sounds lovely, doesn't it? Then, why am I so sad to see Summer go?

Perhaps because of the trip to Istanbul....

Or the parents' visit to Armenia....

Or the wonderful couchsurfers I've hosted...

Or the copius amounts of fresh fruits and vegtables...

Or the beach that is a 10 minute walk from my apartment...

Or perhaps, it's the fact that really all that's left of my Peace Corps service is a mere school year! I will be home in roughly 10 months and I can hardly believe it. Until then, what will I be doing? I will go back to teaching English during and after school and participate in various secondary projects. I will be giving 6 HIV/AIDS seminars in September. In October, I hope to facilitate and organize events for Domestic Violence Awareness month. And after that...we'll see.

A couple weeks ago, I was fortunate to assist in a dance camp for participants from the YMCA in Vanadzor, Armenia. The focus was B-boying and Hip Hop. The dancers learned basic b-boying (commonly known as break dancing) moves and a choreographed Hip Hop dance by another volunteer and myself. We also spent a small amount of time teaching: the moon walk, body roll, and a few other hip hop techniques/skills. The group worked on self-expression and confidence through dance throughout the duration of the 4 day camp. The final day, they performed their hip hop routine to community members.

With my background in dance, this was a worthwhile and fun project to work on and we may be continuing it in other communities in Armenia in the coming year. Also, I spent the week eating amazing food cooked by some awesome Peace Corps Volunteers.

Thank you for everyone who supported GLOW 2011. It was a great success. 44 girls from all around Armenia experienced an intense, 7-day summer school learning about topics ranging from public speaking and team work to nutrition and sexual health. They made many friends and became interested in all sorts of new stuff (peer education, yoga, etc.). The theme this year was JUNGLE; every room and many activities were jungle-themed. We also took an excursion to the Botanical Gardens in Stepanavan to test water, and had environmentally themed debates and quizzes. This was the first time for many of these girls to leave their regions and be away from their families. By the end of camp, most were crying because they didn't want to leave their new friends and this great experience.

If GLOW is something you are interested in funding, please look out for donation links on my blog. Currently, Stepanavan Youth Center, the partner organization, is looking for donations to go towards outreach, follow up activities for the girls and their peers in regions of Armenia. Here is the current link:

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/glow2011/

More pictures from GLOW 2011 are available on my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.798346829773.2258193.38212427

It's funny how your senses trigger certain memories. A few weeks ago when the daily rain in Armenia began, I started to sense something familiar. An Armenia I knew one year ago. Except then, that smell resembled nervousness, fear, uncertainty, and perhaps, idealism at it's best. Now, it just smells like home.

I've grown so much in the time I have been here. The Armenian people and the Armenian way of life have taught me so much. I have learned that hardships and struggles should never carry too much weight on one's shoulders; life goes on. History should never be forgotten; it is part of us. I have learned that doing the work now is better than leaving it...in the sink, for example. Water, although necessary, doesn't need to flow twenty four hours a day. I can survive on a shower or two a week, and disguise it well. Getting to know your neighbors can save you a broken door or a trip to the store in the rain. Taking care of one's self, needs to occur, in order to care for others. Dryers are nice but not necessary. Children are unique, beautiful creatures meant to be shaped by adults(this I knew, but the feeling has amplified in ways). By pushing your ways of life onto me, you're not trying to interrupt mine, just trying to take care of me in the ways you know. Coffee and tea, bread, and food in general is not just to eat, but to enjoy each others company. Language holds no bounds to friendship or family.

I look forward to year two in which I hope to return so much of what's been given to me.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to my Peace Corps Partnership Program for the 2011 GLOW summer school. Unfortunately, funding this program is not complete. If you haven't already, and have the means to do so, please think about supporting this wonderful program! Here is the latest link:

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/glow-summer-school-2011/

Thanks in advance,

Maggie

Dear Friends,

After living in Armenia for nearly nine months, I have witnessed a critical gender gap that is seldom addressed in Armenian society. I am proud to work with the Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) program this coming summer to address this issue. GLOW offers adolescent girls life-changing self-development opportunities in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The girls will have a chance to explore issues they are concerned about, learn new skills and tools to enhance their self-development, discover their full potential, and become active contributors of Armenia’s evolving society. This will be the fourth year of GLOW in Armenia. The GLOW project has already received feedback about the positive impact on former participants. If this program is not implemented, no other young women in Armenia will have the opportunity to grow and change through the GLOW program keeping the status-quo for rural women. GLOW is a leadership program for young Armenian women, ages 13-16. The program begins with residential summer school, giving 50 participants the opportunity to work in a team based setting to explore topics such as personal development, gender, career planning, health, HIV/AIDS, peer education, human rights and leadership. After the summer school participants hold peer education sessions in their communities, contribute to the GLOW newsletters, and help organize regional reunions and follow up seminars during the year for other young women. The project is a strong cooperation of a local organization Stepanavan Youth Center and U.S. Peace Corps volunteers.

Without donations, this opportunity for girls across Armenia is not possible. Please consider donating through the following (tax-deductible) link: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=305-068

To read more about the success of the GLOW project, follow these links:

http://www.america.gov/st/develop-english/2009/October/20091023163949berehellek8.436221e-02.html

http://www.irex.am/eng/newsroom/womancamps.html

Thanks for your support,

Maggie

Barev dzez,

This week I have had several exciting cultural exchanges so I thought I'd take the time to share them with the internet world (or the few people that read this blog). It's the cultural experiences here that I'll remember forever and that make the challenging days so much better.

Trndez: Trndez is an old Pagan holiday. Armenians light fires in their yards to welcome the coming of Spring. It also symbolizes luck for newlyweds, and hopes for childbearing. It is custom to jump over the fire with family and friends for good luck. There is also a traditional dish eaten on this day of popcorn and wheat. Trndez which means toward a meeting with the Lord, is also 40 days after the Armenian Christmas and can now be justified to have some Christian meaning as well. I celebrated this holiday with the Sevan Youth Club.

Saint Sarkis Day: This holiday is all about making predictions of marriage, something I notice Armenians doing every day of the year. Single girls eat a salty treat, aghablit, and go to bed thirsty. They hope to dream a vision of their future husband bringing them water in their sleep. My counterpart gave me a aghablit to eat but unfortunately there was no man in my dreams last night...is that a sign? They also make a porridge dish, khashil, in which girls take a bite and then leave it on the roof at night. If it is gone in the morning, perhaps a bird took it to the house of an eligible young man for you.

Valentine's Day: This western holiday is starting to gain popularity in Armenia, although frowned upon by the church for it's root in business, not religion. I celebrated this day by talking about love to my English classes and telling them how we celebrate this day in the U.S. Then we made Valentine's which were pretty hilarious. How come most 7th grade boys cannot say a thing to me in English (after studying since the 3rd grade) but they know sayings like: "I need you, I want to kiss you, etc." I think that's an indicator of some sort..

I also baked cookies for my co-workers, neighbors, and well, mostly myself. In Armenian culture, it is seen as rude to give back a plate empty. So when my neighbors returned my plate, I was given sweet rolls. How sweet!

Hingali - Georgian dumplings filled with meat, cheese, potato, or other things.

Piroshki- fried dough filled with potato and herbs

Barev Dzez!

First of all, I'd like to apologize because procrastination has gotten the best of me this winter. I really want to make it a goal to update my blog on a more regular basis. I am coming on 8 months in country. It is hard to believe that I only have a year and a half to go. Before, I couldn't do the whole counting down thing. I couldn't imagine being away from all my familiarities for 27 months, 25 months, or even 20 months. Now, 18 months? Completely manageable.

I haven't been as productive as I would like to be but I feel settled and comfortable in Sevan and ready to begin the work. I am growing more and more comfortable staying at my site; the excitement of meeting up with other Americans has somewhat died down. And as Peace Corps Armenia has changed somewhat in the past few months (Youth Development will be replacing the Community Health and Enviornmental Education sectors), I too have changed my role as a volunteer. I will be teaching English as a main assignment and at a different school in town. I look forward to the new challenge and feel I can really do some better work in that role.

I have finally recovered from the New Year. It was fun, exhausting, and filling! On the night of the 31st we set the table with overloads of food and wait until midnight. Then, we popped the champagne and had a family feast. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready for bed! The following week, I had to visit my host family's relatives and friends, eating on average 3 feasts a day. Each me, like the others, starting with a toast and ending with sliced fruit and homemade pastries. Two common themes around the table were: "You don't eat meat? What about BBQ meat? Chicken? Aren't you hungry?" and "How is New Year's celebrated in America?"

To counteract the calories brought on by New Year, I have started focusing on my fitness a little more, with the help of my site mate. We are taking free boxing lessons at the Culture House (perhaps I shouldn't say free; I have compromised my "Armenian womanliness" and my back is aching).

I also found an apartment to move in to after our Project and Design Management conference in a couple weeks. I look forward to the freedom of grocery shopping, bare feet, and showers on a more regular basis. However, I will miss living with the best family in Sevan (pictured below).

*** To everyone who has sent cards, letters, and care packages over the holidays, thank you so much. Know that you are appreciated and reading your well wishes and updates about life back home brings a smile to me! I love you all! ***

Each day here I am learning and growing. Once I gather some thoughts and have the time after the New Year festivities settle down, I will write some of it down...or rather type, I guess.

Happy 2011,

Maggie

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone elses hands, but not you."

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone and it still doesn't quite feel like the holidays here. Every year in the U.S., Christmas items go on sale earlier and earlier (or at least that is the small talk in grocery stores). Here in Sevan, there is one person at the market selling a limited amount of tinsel, small Christmas trees, and some "Dzmer Papik" (Santa Claus) items. I have a red ribbon hanging in my room and listen to Christmas carols when I get the chance, hoping that I feel some of the warmth that the Christmas season usually brings. Here, Christmas is celebrated on January 6th but the real excitement comes for New Year. I look forward to sharing with you all the Armenian traditions that I will experience here on December 31st.

My two site mates and a couch surfer prepared a Thanksgiving meal (Turkey-free) for my family. It was good food and good friendship. Below is a picture of my host mother and I on Thanksgiving. She is sneaking some bites of my Grandmother's Corn Pudding recipe before dinner.

One of my favorite dishes here is a "Vinaigrette Salad" which usually includes kidney beans, beets, herbs, onions, and whatever else the woman feels like throwing in! In this picture, you can see it accompanied with some homemade bread and a cup of tea...staples in my life here.

This past week was Fall Break and I fully took advantage of my time off. Besides for visiting the capital, Yerevan, I have not had the chance (or funds) to travel around the country. Monday-Wednesday I visited friends in Martuni, a small town about an hour south of me. While some worked productively on a Sport Seminar, I caught up on movie watching, cards, and knitting.

Early Saturday morning I set out on an adventure to the South of Armenia…and an adventure it was! We took a four hour winding, taxi ride through orchards and beautiful mountainous terrain. About fifteen of us volunteers spent the night in a cave off of my friend Katie’s small village. Costume contest, scavenger hunt, and attempted fires ensued. The next morning when the bus driver refused to take the trip to the cave to pick us up, we were forced to walk uphill for an hour in a snow flurry! That’s right; Armenia had its first snow on October 31st. What a way to spend Halloween! After being used to the Sevan scenery for a few months now, this trip restored my faith that this is a beautiful place to live for a couple years and has potential for lots of adventures.

Tonight I will spend celebrating my brother’s last night in Armenia for 5-6 months. He leaves for Russia tomorrow morning and my father will soon follow. Then it is back to work for a few weeks. Ideas are flowing and I hope I can accomplish something at my work before winter comes in at full force.

Barev dzez:

I am really starting to feel at home in my host family and I think the feeling is mutual. At first, I found it hard to go about my daily routine without a "You can't do that!" Now, I think my family is getting used to my silly American ways and I am more comfortable standing up for myself and telling them, "I am different, I am American."

The subject of moving out was brought up this week. They decided it would be better for me to wait until Spring or Summer to move out because of harsh winters. Unfortunately, it was my plan to move out as soon as Peace Corps allows in December. Also, my host mom mentioned that since her husband and son will be going off to work in Russia in the next couple weeks, that she would be too lonely if I left too. This should be a difficult obstacle to overcome. I want to be on good terms with my family so I can frequently visit but I am so excited to live on my own. I think it will be easier to meet people if I live more in town. I will have more neighbors and live by the teachers and students in my school. Plus, with winter quickly approaching, a 5 minute walk to school sounds much more enticing than the 20 minute walk I have now.

School life has also felt much more comfortable as I am starting to fall into routine. I only go 15-20 hours a week because it is mentally exhausting to listen, speak, and discipline in Armenian for too many hours in one day! I feel much more relaxed at school now and am starting to get to know some of the children. This week, my site mate and I are starting after school aerobic clubs for 7th grade girls (think Zumba or Jazzercise). We will have a club at her school on Tuesdays and at mine on Wednesdays. I think this will make my work experience so much better!

Although it may seem like my life here is falling into place, there are daily ups and downs, which of course is expected in these first months as a volunteer. It is not the lack of showers, uncomfortable beds, or poorly paved roads that ruin my shoes that are the difficult things. Missing the familiarities of home from Chicago to Cedar Falls and everything and everyone in between is the hard part.

Yes karotum em dzez:

(I miss you all.)

~Maggie

"Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow."

- Anonymous

Barev dzez! I cannot believe it's already been a month since my last blog post! I appologize for not being the most productive writer but procrastination seems to have followed me all the way to Armenia! To be honest, there has not been too much to update everyone about this month but I'll try to make this interesting...

September 1st is National Knowledge Day, also known as the first day of school every year here. The school day started out with the older girls singing to the anxious crowd of students and ended with a televised oath taken by the teachers. Unfortunately, I have no idea what I vowed to...maybe next year's 09/01 I'll understand what they are saying.

Since school has started, I have been awkwardly following around my two counterparts, a P.E. teacher and a Life Skills/Healthy Lifestyle's teacher. I have never been in a more consistent state of confusion and awkwardness in my entire life. The school schedule changes daily so I never know where I am going. They do not have a lunch period here and it is also considered rude to eat in front of other teachers. For those of you who know me, that is a huge problem...I love food...frequently. I have to find ways to sneak food and it's probably really creepy of me but I need my dose of energy to deal with those rowdy kids!

So five weeks have passed since all the A-18s moved to their permanent sites. This meant that all of us were allowed to leave our sites and travel in country. A few of us organized a little reunion in my town. We rented cabins on the lake which seemed like a great idea...until it rained continuously. Nevertheless, it was still a fun weekend and great to see all the other Americans. Over half of our group of 55 came.

This coming weekend, the health and environmental volunteers who work in schools have a conference with our counterparts. It will be good to bond a little with my Armenian counterpart and find out how we can work together in the coming 23 months.

*Chigitem: = I don't know.

This is the story of my life.

Barev everyone!

I have resided in my permanent site for one week now. I have established a routine of morning tea and a run with my site mate Kathryn. The run is excellent because we are becoming familiar with the town (and working away the bread calories). Yesterday, we stumbled across a tiny village connected to Sevan and also a brewery. Today, we ran to the beach. Some days I have spent at home reading and playing games with my 12 year old host sister and some I go to the main strip and try to meet new people. I think I really lucked out on a site. It is a 30 minute walk to the lake and the main street in town is lined with markets and shops. Yesterday, an Armenian said that tourists always declare Sevan has "a little touch of Europe." Today, I worked up the nerve to call my counterpart (work partner) and the conversation went as follows (in Armenian):

Maggie Jan, Are you good? Me: Yes I am good, are you good? Yes, I am good. Me: Good, I am in Sevan now. Good, what are you doing? Me: Ahh..ummm…nothing. Are you good? Yes I am good. Are you good? Me: Good. Can we meet next week? I don’t understand. Me: When do you start work? On the 19th. Me: Ok I will call close to the 19th. Goodbye Thanks for calling Maggie Jan. Me: Thank you, goodbye

Successes of the week:

Met with an English/IT NGO

Met director of the Culture Building and saw their museum, dance studio, and theater

Found out about social services offered through the Mayor's office

Made bruscetta for the first time

Bought items to make bruscetta at the markets

Understood a joke in Armenian

Memorized 40 and counting Armenian words Called my counterpart

...and pretty sure I don't smell after 6 days without a shower

August 5, 2010

I, Maggie ........

do solemnly affirm

that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States

against all enemies, foreign and domestic

that I take this obligation freely

without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion,

and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps.

Barev!

Today I pack my bags from the small village of Fantan and look ahead to the next two years of my life. We are officially done with Peace Corps training. The summer flew by! Six days of language classes a week, a sports/activity day for the village children, a cross-cultural 4th of July party, a few Armenian style Birthday parties, and two weeks of health practicum teaching later, we are (supposedly) ready to become Peace Corps Volunteers.

Tomorrow, we will be sworn in to the Peace Corps by the US Ambassador to Armenia. Then, we say goodbyes to our host family and friends. It is a strange feeling knowing I will be leaving 6 Americans from my current village behind, some of them have been a true support when things get rough. School starts the first week of September so until then I will be working hard at building relationships in my new town of Sevan and trying to learn all the Armenian words for "Sit down, be quiet, listen, don't cheat, etc."

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect It's successful outcome."

William James

Barev!

This weekend I took a break from language classes, technical training, and cow stampedes to visit Sevan, Armenia. Come August, this will be my home for two years. If you have Google imaged Armenia, you have probably noticed one big lake, Lake Sevan. I will be living on the NW side of the lake. Supposedly it is one of the coldest places in Armenia (but also gorgeous). The town has a population of roughly 22,000 which I feel is more suited to me than a small village community. There will be two other Peace Corps volunteers living in my town.

I will work at the largest school in Sevan, a 20 minute walk from my home, team teaching the National Healthy Lifestyles curriculum (for 8th and 9th graders), a Life Skills class (not really sure what that is), and Physical Education. It is hard enough for me to seperate the Anahits from the Armiks so volunteering in a school with 750 students and 75 teachers should be interesting. My counterparts and school director had me in for coffee and seem really nice. If they learn to speak at my kindergarten Armenian level, then things might be perfect.

The family that I will be living with in Sevan (for at least the first 4 months) is completely different from my current village family. My host mother is Ukrainian and my father and brother will be working in Russia during the school year. I have a 25 year old sister who speaks English and an adorable 12 year old sister. I'm trading in farm animals for a potato farm (fine by me). The women of the family are great cooks. My host sister even mentioned getting spices in Yerevan so we can make some Mexican food together! I look forward to starting a semi-permanent life here soon.

Barev everyone!

[Kelsey] you would be pleased to know that the eight of us in my village have made ourselves an Armenian summer bucket list. I crossed off a few things last week.

1) Learn to milk a cow. I was so excited when my sister told me I could learn how to milk one. Then, I got up close and personal with the cow. Cows don't take showers here. It is so much harder than it looks too! I was so happy to have tried it but am thankful it is not one of my daily chores. Then, a few days later, my sister had me milk it again. Afterwards, I restrained the goats and sheep (they don't shower either) while she milked those.

2) Learn Armenian-style dance. Our LCST's (Language, Culture, and Society Trainers) took us to Yerevan, the capital, on Friday night. We gathered with a couple hundred other Armenians and learned tradition Armenian dance...which is awesome. We had so much fun! Afterwards, we went to the Republic Square and watched the "dancing fountains" (like at the Belagio in Vegas...ok, like a step down from the Belagio Fountain).

3) Learn how to make coffee. Ok, I am not a coffee fan at all. In fact, I am a fully devoted Iced Grande Soy Chai fan to the core. Unfortunately, coffee is all I got...and it wins points with locals. I learned how to make coffee here and must be pretty good at it because my host father requests me make his 10pm cup nightly now.

In addition to these experiences, I have started a morning mostly walk/sometimes run routine here. I head a little ways out of town and on the way back have the glorious view of snowy Mount Aragot. It is such a great daily reminder that I am lucky to be here. Our language teacher is quick to remind us that Mt Aragot is the tallest Mountain in the "Republic of Armenia" but not in all of Armenia :)

***Fun Fact: Armenians must have a recessive red head gene because everyone once in awhile we see a red head. We have one red head boy in our village and three of us are red headed so I am happy that we upped the ratio.

Barev! I had a fun and interesting weekend and so I thought I'd walk to the internet cafe to update everyone.

The World Cup began last week. It is probably the only thing I understand on Armenian television at this point. I watched some of that on Friday. I also went to a friend Alex's to watch some sheep sheering take place. I live in quite a different place these days.

On Saturday, a bunch of volunteers got together for kickball, soccer, and frisbee. Then, we went to watch some more 'football' at a cafe in Charentsevan to cool down. It was great to see other trainees that do not live in my village.

Yesterday was a family holiday in my village. The men would wake up early and slaughter a family sheep. I tried to tell my family the night before that I wanted to watch the slaughtering (what a great cultural experience). However, we had a huge language miscommunication. I was woken up in the morning and told to go. I put my skirt on and was accompanied by my little host cousin. Then, we started to run. So I ran in a skirt outside of town instead of seeing the animal slaughter....oh well.

Later in the day, we went to this old church up the mountain to light candles. My father is a taxi driver in the capital of Yerevan so we took his big van to the church. The ride was like a roller coaster (so much that a little girl got sick...not so pleasant). After the church, we went back to the house and were greeted by at least twenty family members. And then, we ate. I accidentally sat at the men's side of the table (breaking down gender norms one day at a time). This was funny because they tried to get me to toast with them and eat meat. They even looked up the word "attempt" in my dictionary....and so I did. That might have been a mistake because there was meat awaiting me at the breakfast table this morning. Luckily, I know two ways to say, "No."

I hope everyone is doing well. Please fill me in on life at home....just don't mention Jimmy John's, I might get jealous.

Two weeks in Armenia!

I cannot believe how much I have done here since we arrived. I spent the first few days in hotel with 57 other trainees learning the basics to Peace Corps life and simple Armenian language. Last week, we moved in with our host families. I am in a small village of appx 300 people along with 7 other PC trainees. We go to language class from 9-1pm everyday and spend the rest of our day studying, eating, and....eating.

Although I miss home terribly, I am having such a great experience here! Every morning I am woken up by one of my farm animals (usually the featherless rooster). The scenery in Armenia is spectacular! Our village group went on a 6 hour hike this past weekend and ate lunch on the mountain peak (ok, it might have just been a large hill).

Culture shock comes in two forms for me:

A) the food. Vegetariansim seems to be unfamiliar here so that has presented some challenges. A regular meal for me consists of cucumbers, lavash (tortilla bread), cheese, and beans or potatoes.

B) gender roles. My feminist self is very intrigued by the new found domestic roles and conservative public front.

Well, I must go. We are exchanging dance moves with my friend's host sister! Thanks for all of your support! I look forward to taking more time and effort making this blog worth the read!

Barev! As I finish up pizza with the family, noises of my one year old nephew and ‘Everbody Loves Raymond’ fill the background. Pizza, near-by family, and my favorite television shows (coughLawandOrderSVUcough) are all things I KNOW I will yearn for in the coming two years. However, I am confident there will be exciting new comforts in my new home, Hayastan (or at least I keep repeating this to myself). Of course, I am not all confident about my choice of clicking ‘SUBMIT’ on my application 1.5 years ago. Thankfully, to relieve some of my worries and answer the typical trainee questions, many current and returned Peace Corps Armenia volunteers have come out in masses on social networking sites to help out. I am so grateful to enter into the Peace Corps during such a technologically advanced age! I guess I really do need that 0 degree sleeping bag and my mystery novels to keep me company after my PST(pre-service training) completion. Right now, I will spend the last couple hours with my family and probably stay up all night thinking about what is to come. I hope the future of this blog provides you with a look into Armenia as I experience it for myself. If you have any requests or questions about this blog, Armenia, or my personal experience serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, be sure to let me know. Maggie, A-18

When do I leave?

I will leave on May 27, 2010 for staging (orientation) in Philadelphia. After a day or so, my group, the A-18s (Armenia, 18th group) will head over for our 27 month endeavor. The first 3 months are for language, culture, and technical training. After a Swearing-In Ceremony, I will serve as a volunteer for 24 months.

What will I do?

Besides struggling to speak Eastern Armenian and adapting to the culture shock, I will be a Health Extension volunteer. I will work in a school, clinic, or NGO educating Armenians about health issues (it's pretty vague at this point). This is my primary assignment. I will also have to pick up a secondary assignment of my choosing later on.

Where will I be?

ARMENIA! A former republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is land-locked by Iran to the South, Turkey to the west, Georgia to it's North, and Azerbaijan to the East. From pictures, it looks beautiful! During training I will be in a village near the capital of Yerevan and after that I will move somewhere else in country.

I know I am going to miss all things American so please continue to look out for new posts and email or write me while I am away!