pb thievery

This is the second time I've gotten up one morning, hungry for peanut butter, and found the jar to be already finished off waiting for me. I have noticed a little here and there eaten up from members of my host family, which is sneaky enough, but to find the jar wiped clean and still sitting in its place is incredibly unbelievable. Someone please send this country a few shipments of peanut butter.

little ones

This little girl is my favorite among them. Her name is Milena, although I call her Milekas. It means, my little Milena. Her head is shaved from her own request, and she is a tomboy through and through. In the beginning she had to dislike me, it was in her nature to. But now we are buddies, and when her parents come over to my house I pick her up and swing her upside down until we are both exhausted from laughing.

There are a few orphanages in Armenia, although this country is extremely family oriented they do exist, and I have plans to visit them next month during a break from school. Their stories are a mystery to me, and how their lives surfaced them there.

cars

A few students I teach, helping their father repair the car. Most of the cars in Armenia are about 20 or 30 years old, but there is always a few on the road that don't belong. A new Land Rover, Mercedes or BMW. Quite a contrast to say the least, and it always confuses me. What is the real situation behind all this show?

mini america space

I didn't know before getting myself into this, how attached I am to my "things." My things, are essentially my home. I am still digging out of my suitcase for underwear, pens, ducktape, books, all of the things I wasted too much money on, and the very last of my jolly ranchers. As long as I have all of this to retreat to... I think I'll be fine. I've learned alot about myself in 4 short months, one thing being that no matter where I am, I still don't like waking up early, and another is that I'm alot more "American" than I thought when it comes to walking. I actually do walk fast, and with purpose.

My Pops shared with me a line from a book he is reading. I don't think anything could be truer.

"Even if all needs are satisfied, there is a tendency to feel restless unless we are doing what we think we are capable of doing." --Maslow

english class

I didn't learn a second language until I was in high school, and even then it was somewhat of a joke with Senor Vela and his notorious yellow mustache he had from chain smoking. I remember being kicked out of his class one day for passing out gum to everyone before he came in. It was supposed to be a joke, but I got the boot. No chiclet meant No chiclet.

I was able to sneak this picture without too many of them noticing. Armenian kids start learning English in the third grade. It sounds impressive, but the truth is that they only know how to read English. Comprehension is not a priority as many of the teachers aren't concerned if they can or can't comprendo. If a class can run 45 minutes without a reason to start yelling and pinching ears, its a good day.

dancers

I sat in on an Armenian dance class for young girls the other day. It took a while for them to forget I was taking pictures, I was a big distraction. The traditional dances they practice are ages old, and are usually focused on intricate hand and arm movements. With the Arabic sounding music, it is quite something to watch.

mt vayk

Me and my site mate Elliot climbed Mt. Vayk this morning. Only lunatic Americans go venturing off up the mountains, and I'm sure I'll go to Armenian hell for sporting these shorts. But the hike was a Hike and the view was incredible, desert mountains have a beauty all to their own.

Fall is finally here, and it brought the most crystal clear blue skies and pitch dark nights plastered with stars....makes me think about high school football games, toting my late Annie dog around in my first pickup truck, my Papa and his dumb pranks, and home.

a hundred years of....

I've forgotten her name, like alot of people I meet because they are tough to remember, but not her age. 100. I wanted to stuff her in my pocket and take her home with me, ask her questions about her life and the secrets people this age know. I'm sure she's got some story.

greenhouse proposal

My host family's greenhouse here in Vayk provides them with extra income in the winter and spring months where they sell produce to available markets in Armenia. However, their heating system has been broken for a few months and they will not be able to keep their greenhouse warm this winter without repairing the gas heater. The family is expected to pay around $8,000 to fix it. Armenia suffers from a lack of jobs and a Soviet corrupt society that makes it very difficult to take out loans and sustain small businesses. I believe this family could really benefit from some charitable donations. If you are interested in donating some money to their greenhouse, please contact me at prince.paige@gmail.com. Through Peace Corps' Major Gifts Program, all private donations are 100% tax deductible.

birthday girl

I traveled 4 hours on a mini bus, that is supposed to seat 12 but had no less than 25 people on it, just to see this little babeh-girl and to celebrate her first birthday. The public transportation system has no rules or safety regulations as to how many people one mini bus can fit. It blows me away. I was quite relieved to be with my family from Arzakan for a few days. I followed my host mother all around... picking apples and plums, trying the almonds on the almond tree and deciding they still had a few more weeks until ready, milking the cows, playing rough with their dog Chipo, and watching the rain storm blow in with majestic lightning. It was a big party, with lots of dancing, drinking, and drinking. Homeade vodka...straight from the village.

love/hate

This is the way its done here. 70% of Armenians smoke, and since women don't or rather can't then everyone else does. The ebb and flow of loving this and hating it, is constant. The world, as one of my friends here said "is actually small." The differences between us are a fascintating and frustrating.

something H2o

The "pool" at my house has a stagnant 2 feet of water in it, a little bit annoying since there are no other options near by for swimming. So, the water hose became my friend. My host family pitched a big fit about my hair being attacked by cold water and they insisted I would get sick. But I am willing to take my chances, in fact I think I am making a difference by being such a rebel.

pool boys

While we were having a going away party at my house for Igit, who left for Iraq, these boys were having the time of their lives in the pool. 1 or 2 feet of water is all they needed. It was much more fun to take their pictures than the teary eyes inside....

cherry picker

Taken from the inside of my bedroom while watching 'American Gangster' in the middle of the afternoon, realizing how lazy I am compared to Aida. She's a cherry picking fool and a cow milking professional.

One of the things I noticed here right away is how close the Armenian people feel to Americans and how Americans have no idea where or what Armenia is. My family's kitchen here is decorated with sugar and spice bins that resemble the American flag... I had a good laugh inside when I first saw them. When I told my grandmother I was going to Armenia, she asked me what country Armenia is in. True story. But it doesn't matter, they adore us anyways.

curious georges'

Just about everyday, I will get a gang of followers out in the street asking me... where are you going, what are you doing, when can you come play? Its difficult to bypass the curious georges'