adding audio

I'm excited to put my pictures to audio. I brought back a cool little audio recorder with me so that I can record and remember the stories and voices from Armenia. Also so I can listen to myself speaking Armenian ten years later when I've long forgotten how to. This is my first piece, my friend Jon messing around on the guitar - learning minor and major chords one step at a time. He's not too keen on being recorded, but was a good sport. More to come.....

the cafe father

My University class students keep standing me up! I come all prepared, and everyone has already left the building. They just don't know how cool my charts and graphs are that I made for them. So I killed some time in this cafe and took a few pictures of the others inside drinking tea, eating fattening potato stuffed fried dough biscuits. He looks like a character from The Godfather, or so I thought. Good thing he didn't notice me shooting his way.

give thanks

Last night our group of 75 volunteers came together to cook up a Thanksgiving day feast. The menu was straight up - traditional turkey, dressing, and pie. And it was a great dinner, anything that is off the beaten path of Armenian cuisine usually is. I like to think of these people, in a way, as my family right now. We share the same struggles, rejoice in the same small victories, laugh about the same absurd differences in culture, and live in a place that can be harsh and lonely. I am thankful for them as much as I am for the friends and family I have home in America who have shown me love and support in the same kind ways. I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

on the clock half asleep

I found this man sleeping by his big stack of old used books in the metro station in Yerevan on my way home. I was pretty tired too, so I couldn't help myself. The lady selling metro coins promptly told me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures of people in the metro station. I laughed a little, then scaled down the escalators to catch my ride.

apple?

Real apples, and the apple iPhone. Nobody knows what to do with or without them. I don't have an iPhone - but I do have more apples at home than I know what to do with.

flat tire, cheeseburger coma, and a walk with old friends

It's been wonderful to see friends and my family from my home state of Texas - and these are just a few images of the moments I've had so far.

slideshow

I put together this small slideshow - please forgive the numerous snapshots - for friends and family so that I wouldn't have to spend so much time explaining the details about Armenia. It's a 5 minute take on my journey here; it begins with the first picture I took and ends with a recent-ish one. I put it to The Hood Internet's 'Radiohead vs. Eve', as well as a new Neko Case tune I really like. I hope you also enjoy the music, and the pictures.

friend-jan

Some portraits of my very good friends - Jon & Emily. An amazing writer, and a terrific photographer. My time here wouldn't be the same without them.

shoes

The shoes of a little girl - with their silent pink laughter they carry like a tiny secret. I used to have a pair of red cowgirl boots I'd wear with every outfit. Every outfit. There is something about shoes and girls....

sunday church

Very few people go to the churches here on Sundays, but by ethnicity they are folded into Christianity. There are no dunkings, sprinklings, or bread and grape juice to save you from your Sunday morning teenage hunger, just a simple birth-right instead.

A recent Me

.....and a little sketch I drew.

year 2

Year No. 2 in Peace Corps is much better than the first go round. I look at the pictures I took during my first Fall here and see and feel the differences. This picture is from October 2008 of some of the girls in my classes, after school. My life has more or less settled itself here, and I've become used to it. Now, we begin to talk about and plan for our lives after Armenia - and it's a damn whirlwind of emotion that is on par with coming here 18 months ago. I haven't made big plans yet, but I look forward to making them very soon.

age

A picture from an evening I spent tutoring English....on age, and being young. Whatever being "young" is, I think everyone clings to the idea. Have a great weekend - enjoy your time.

kid labor

This little boy is part of a new community of houses the Fuller Center of Armenia has built, and worked with us on Saturday to help build a new one. While we passed buckets of dirt and concrete, he hustled back and forth in the mud with oversized clothes and dress shoes to bring the buckets to the front of the line like it was a game. A cool kid in my book, beautiful too.

officer man

A few weeks ago I missed the bus, and hailed down a random car going in the direction I needed to go. It happened to be this nice guy, a local policeman. He drove me to where I was going and we talked about the usual questions (where are you from, why are you here, how old are you, do you like America or Armenia better) for half an hour. He agreed to let me take his picture yesterday - I was hoping for a better background but I wasn't allowed to wander around the station looking. I really like these hats. They are absurdly tall, but make the stature more impressive on whomever they sit. I didn't have to worry about him smiling in the picture, because he'd never think of doing it.