Peace Corps Journals / Armenia / all updates

Back to the Future

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:35:00 +0800

(Armenia / jack'sVolunteerWorkInArmenia)
When I first came to Armenia almost two years ago many thing seemed surprisingly familiar. Having grown up in the Midwest in the 50’s I felt a little like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future ...
21 reads

And if this were my career I'd have to ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:22:00 +0800

(Armenia / Life of the lovely jobless girl)
Still waiting to hear back from that retailer that would be an interesting and good job. Today started training at the not so hot job.... I feel bad for thinking I'm better then them but a job in mer ...
3 reads

future designers

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:15:00 +0800

(Armenia / circle me confused)
The faces of some design students I am teaching this semester. Although all of these kids like computers I can tell you that maybe only 4 wanted to be in the design department and have a real interest ...
7 reads

Winters End?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:31:13 +0800

(Armenia / Brian's Adventure in Hyastan)
Hello Everyone Well it is beginning to look a lot like Spring here which is unusual since February and March are usually quite cold at least the last two years they were. We have had some very ...
11 reads

Peace Corps Week

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:04:00 +0800

(Armenia / Dispatch from Shirak)
This past week was Peace Corps Week internationally. With that in mind my community of volunteers planned educational projects at four locations around Gyumri. The first was at an orphanage close to ...
21 reads

seasons and nerves

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:18:42 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
I know you are all to busy to be reading this right now. It is Oscar Sunday after all. Wait. What? You DO have time to visit me ol’ blog on such a day? Well apres du. I’m pleased to find you here. Let me say this then: For the second year in a row [...]
23 reads

Untitled

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:36:00 +0800

(Armenia / The Peace Corps Experience.)
Every kids worst nightmare!For many students in the United States this week is spring break and it should be spring break at my school but because of a forced three week vacation back in December whe ...
15 reads

touching you?

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:10:00 +0800

(Armenia / circle me confused)
This is Kristine she is an English language student studying to become a teacher. Every time I see her she tries to get me to come to her family's house up in the mountains in a town called Jermuk o ...
38 reads

Come Along on a Walk with Me

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:28:00 +0800

(Armenia / On My Way!)

11 reads

In the mood for love... or a picnic!

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:01:00 +0800

(Armenia / Life of the lovely jobless girl)
Weather is lovely a little too cold for March in Florida but nonetheless lovely sunny and bright. Got a call back for a manager position at a classy and lovely store which I love to shop at Hopefull ...
19 reads

an omen a full day a creepy walk in the cemetary

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:08:05 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
So many things to say about the things in the above picture. But before I do that let’s set up the day: I saw fresh flowers. Fresh I-just-picked-’em-and-plopped- ’em-in-this-glass flowers. ...
17 reads

Hykakan Harsanik

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:42:00 +0800

(Armenia / Emily Haas' Armenian experience)
My host dad Nver and Anna my host sister and the lovely bride.Anna and her niece Annie.Anna and I she is only 1 day younger than I.Some of the lovely food art. I think none of it was eaten.Anna and ...
37 reads

A walk to the Rhino Rock and the Pointy Bridge.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:29:00 +0800

(Armenia / Emily Haas' Armenian experience)
Mmm... fresh meat at the butcher shop. Makes me want to go buy some cow how about you?Henni on the bridge with the Rhino rock in the back. I love to come down here around dusk when all of the sheppar ...
13 reads

Random meeting of an old and very wise ...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +0800

(Armenia / Emily Haas' Armenian experience)
This man came up to me my counterpart and a student just after we finished a photo lesson.We were taking photos of the horribly polluted the river that runs through Yeghegnadzor.He was explaining to ...
14 reads

Sundays with Artour

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:08:00 +0800

(Armenia / Emily Haas' Armenian experience)
On the weekends teachers from Yerevan come to teach at the Getelik University in Yeghegnadzor. This means that they work 7 days a week. We have made really good friends with Artour an art teacher. W ...
8 reads

Getap

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:50:00 +0800

(Armenia / Emily Haas' Armenian experience)
Shantik one of the cutest little boys around.A little rascal.A new house being built in Getap with an incredible view! Looking across the river valley towar Yeghegnadzor.Henni.Shantik and Arevik.Sha ...
11 reads

always follow the recipe

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:10:00 +0800

(Armenia / My Experience Overseas)
This past week was a bit long. Don’t really know why. I was just excited about the weekend. My host brother went up to Ijevan to hang out with his sister. What a welcome. I think I figured out all m ...
5 reads

water and my SANITY IS GONE

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:57:19 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
I am a slave to water. Water only runs for me from 10am-1pm and last night I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to Saturday which would be the next time I’d be home when the water is running. I washed my dishes with little pots of water from the bucket rinsed [...]
11 reads

Because it is Peace Corps Week...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:37:56 +0800

(Armenia / If it wasn't in the freezer...it's not my shirt.)
Here are a few of my favorite photos:Armenian Coffee (third place in the photo contest - 2006) - I drank about 8 cups of this stuff a day to the point that I began ordering 'two cups in ONE BIG CUP' ...
20 reads

My Armenian Birthday

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:31:00 +0800

(Armenia / Armenian Ramblings)
A couple of Saturdays ago I celebrated my birthday in Yerevan with some other PC volunteers knowing that we probably wouldn't be able to get together on my actual birthday a Thursday. It was great ...
13 reads

arthur sakhalyan

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:30:00 +0800

(Armenia / circle me confused)
Yesterday I went to Yerevan and stopped in at my friend Arthur's apartment. He is a photographer and we have been planning on sitting down and hanging out talking about photography for way too long - ...
21 reads

Further thoughts of change

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:11:00 +0800

(Armenia / Peace Out)
In my last post I described my sense of chaos at the change of seasons the feeling of not knowing how I'm going to adjust to this new change in life in my established schedule in what I cook and e ...
15 reads

Michigan represantage FTW!

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:26:21 +0800

(Armenia / If it wasn't in the freezer...it's not my shirt.)
Sooooo...we lost but the MVP was from MSU! And the Canadian coach is for the Red Wings! Woooo. ~~~~~Also I made the greatest sandwich ever with some Zingerman's bread an avocado chicken muenster ...
15 reads

and life gets more exciting with each passing day.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:01:00 +0800

(Armenia / Life of the lovely jobless girl)
So the hunt continues. Since getting home I was completely inspired with my leaving the Peace Corps to live this meaningful and fulfilling life and as was suspected by friends and family- the monoto ...
7 reads

Lots and lots...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:20:00 +0800

(Armenia / Rani's Adventures!)
October 2009- February 2010Editors Note: This is a compilation of different posts that I have written over the last couple of months. Because of the holidays and the different times that I have writt ...
13 reads

The Last Day of February Was a Sunday or ...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:07:00 +0800

(Armenia / keshishkent coffee)
You have to remember that I have no spellcheck anymore.I.One thing that's going to be hard to return to (because I have begun to contemplate that) is the notion that doing menial tasks will no longer ...
3 reads

The Last Day of February Was a Sunday or ...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:07:00 +0800

Untitled

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:42:20 +0800

(Armenia / If it wasn't in the freezer...it's not my shirt.)
Someone on TV just Windex'd a cupcake so that he wouldn't eat the rest of it. Where did we go wrong America? Where? Whyyyyyy?
14 reads

Changing of seasons

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0800

(Armenia / Peace Out)
It's starting to turn towards spring here in Armenia. The snow is quickly retreating from the mountains--though there wasn't a whole lot to begin with in these parts--the days are lengthening and it' ...
16 reads

It's like looking for your glasses on th ...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:05:10 +0800

(Armenia / If it wasn't in the freezer...it's not my shirt.)
So I have the forgetful gene and I can never find anything once I set it down. Stuff isn't disorganized or anything I just lose things that are right in front of my face. I'll set down my hairbrush ...
17 reads

Got no strings to hold me down....

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:51:00 +0800

(Armenia / Life of the lovely jobless girl)
Life... What can I say? This one thing can cause so much stress hope love drama and just everything. My life in the past 10 months or so has been a whirlwind. I was in Peace Corps Armenia. A very ...
38 reads

to teach about female condoms to not te ...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:05:31 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
In a couple of days I am finally starting my first real project. That’s a weighty statement when you consider that I’ve been here for nine months (!) that I live in Armenia and not my o ...
59 reads

Untitled

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:25:00 +0800

(Armenia / The Peace Corps Experience.)
5 reads

Harsaneak Bells

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:23:00 +0800

(Armenia / The Peace Corps Experience.)
I know it has been quite some time since I’ve written a post so to all my avid readers I’m sorry and I’ll try to do better. Winter has come and gone and come back again. Today I looked out the w ...
3 reads

lost in thought

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:12:00 +0800

(Armenia / circle me confused)
I'm really digging black and white photos lately - maybe it's because of the very insipid weather of gray skies and leafless trees but it just feels right right now. These are some photos I took when ...
25 reads

Thanks to the American Taxpayer... again

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:55:00 +0800

(Armenia / My Experience Overseas)
This past week was pretty good. Got a good amount of work done got to meet some new people and made it another week without becoming a popsicle.We are getting prepared for Peace Corps week from which ...
8 reads

Pictures

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:27:00 +0800

(Armenia / My Experience Overseas)
So these are just random pictures since I haven't posted any since my training village... I finally got to update my computer because I made the bold decision to stay at the hostel. Now the computer works like it is supposed to... Who would have thought.
27 reads

spring cookie dough and a drum circle

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:41:56 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
I know I know. Wow. Very interesting Brent. Thrilling. But lets take a minute and really examine what this photo means. First of all in this cookie dough you’ll find vanilla brown sug ...
16 reads

Untitled

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:11:00 +0800

(Armenia / On My Way!)
The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained living ...
7 reads

Back to the village …

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:29:35 +0800

(Armenia / Running Around Armenia)
… and one month later I am writing further about this fiasco. Free of antibiotics broncholitin from Bulgaria et cetera. This called for a return to the village to witness what my host mother ...
21 reads

just another post

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:06:00 +0800

(Armenia / circle me confused)
One of the things that makes this country really hard to gauge in terms of well being and development is the superficial appearance of wealth. The amount of pride these people have extends itself to t ...
23 reads

Untitled

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:56:00 +0800

(Armenia / Dispatch from Shirak)
February 17 2010Two weeks ago I went with the Peace Corps doctor to a clinic to have an ultra-sound after months of mild diarrhea about twice a week and after several rounds of antibiotics probioti ...
24 reads

wherever you go there you are (or… the ...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:50:16 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
This morning the sun was shining. There were birds chirping and pecking at uncovered earth. I took a bath. I almost went home this week. Home. Where my family lives. Where I get to go to my ...
38 reads

Untitled

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:15:00 +0800

(Armenia / The Peace Corps Experience.)
1 reads

Untitled

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:07:00 +0800

(Armenia / The Peace Corps Experience.)
1 reads

a little of this... a little of that

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:52:00 +0800

(Armenia / My Experience Overseas)
Interesting week. This past week was pretty good. The weather got a lot better. A lot of the snow melted leaving our unpaved roads in ruins. Its like walking though a really muddy river going anywhere ...
28 reads

Popcorn and Movie Night

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:50:00 +0800

(Armenia / On My Way!)
"Sometimes there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."That about sums it up. I just took a nice warm bath which I had hoped would be hot but oh well. I have no heat in the bathroom and it's the ...
38 reads

Untitled

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:50:25 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
These are the most interesting photos I’ve taken so far. In a nearby village where our World Vision office does some work they celebrated Military Day. Two schools formed teams of high form ...
17 reads

nothing so special

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:03:14 +0800

(Armenia / bread to be eaten)
Two and half weeks ago I posted a rather insignificant blog post and what with all the D.C. Snowpacolypse the announcement of Oscar nominations and joining the Betty-White-for-SNL-Host campaign (go ...
20 reads

Fresh Meat on Shuka (Market) Day

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:17:00 +0800

(Armenia / On My Way!)
So if you're ever walking down the street and wondering "Hmmm how will I know if the meat is fresh at the market " here's a couple of clues . . . .The traveling market (shuka) comes to town once a ...
60 reads