Mr. Blue

At Kindergarten #1, this is my English shelf. Though lessons are short, (and few and far between)- in the month of March we have learned about a couple places in the US. New York, California, and Washington DC. On the shelf there are little picture booklets of New York City that I made before I came. The stuffed bear has an American flag on him, he is my counterpart, "Mr. Blue"! Tomorrow I am expanding my work, and starting to also teach at the other Kindergarten, Kindergarten #2!

water

Twice a week, usually Mondays and Wednesdays (and if there has been a lot of rain Sundays sometimes too) around 6-7PM I hear something that sounds like demon snakes coming from the bathroom. I've had a couple friends not understand what I meant when I said "when the water comes.." so here is a better explanation.

The only times that water comes out of the faucet in the town are scheduled by the local municipality. A "water schedule". They turn the water on and residents must be ready in their house to collect the water in water drums, buckets, (a cistern if you are lucky), sinks, and bathtubs. Often times, families fill up the bathtub and use that water to flush the toilet throughout the week. Seeing as bathing is usually a 1-2x/week occasion, this causes no major problem. The wealthier areas of town and the villages surrounding have water more frequently.

I still panic (but am joyful) when I hear the hissing noise- because I remember not having water at all for the first summer month I lived in Noyemberyan or the many times during those 7 months my family would run out. It was certainly harder to live with a family because of the water issue.... when the water got too low to bucket-flush the toilet, things got tense. I stopped bucket bathing for months so that I could wash my clothes instead; going to the bath-house with my sitemates as an alternative. During training I had a hot shower with almost constant running water and it seems most everyone I know in other parts of the country have running water now at their permanent sites. My advice to newcoming PCVs- never live on the top floor of an apartment building (the water won't reach your floor as often plus it will be impossible to heat). I'm so grateful that my new apartment is NOT on the top floor!!

The sound of water coming here is followed by the sound of me running around for the next hour with buckets to fill my water barrel and bins, water the plants, rince out my handwashed laundry, and wash only the dirtiest dishes...

A couple years ago a Doctors without Borders family lived here and installed a hot water heater but took it with them when they left. What I wonder is if they waited in the house until Mondays and Wednesdays around 7 to shower, or if they had a cistern that they took with them too? hmm. Why would one move a cistern?...

coffee cups/womens day

Reading coffee cups is a tradition in Armenia- the coffee is boiled with sugar and water in a little pot called a jazzve and poured into small shot-glass size cups. Usually there is thick coffee that remains at the bottom of each shot-coffee cup, and it is poured onto the small coffee plate away from your body to sit and dry after you are done drinking. Later, someone else at the table will read into the images formed by the coffee. Then, the drinker sticks a finger into the thickest gathering of coffee and the reading is adapted and continued! This is something my family loves to do.

one of the neighborhood school-pigs

View from my new porch

Womens' Day celebration @ Tatiks! Womens' Day (Kon-onts Or) is celebrated on the 8th of March, even schools are closed to celebrate!

moving out

Yesterday I moved into my own apartment!

Instead of posting pictures of the new place (because there are boxes everywhere), I decided to put up a couple pictures of my host family & old place. It's been about 9 months since I've been living with host families- 7 months with Gohar, Nodar, and the boys. I had a good time, but I'm ready to have a little extra space! I am already comfortable in my new place and I hear my brother Aren has claimed my own room, and I am happy for him too!

Harut, Gohar, Aren!

Me & my little brothers!

Harut & his fish! (I had a difficult time getting those fish for him, riding in a taxi with a plastic cellophane baggie from Sevan...) He has named 2 of them "Beeline" because they have stripes, 2 "Orange" because they are orange, and 2 "ArmenTel" after the phone businesses.

Last look at my room!

The Armenian Jesus poster in my old room, I wanted to keep it...

My new apartment is in the same building that I already was living in, so I have great neighbors! Right now I'm taking a break from unpacking and watching the cartoon "American Dad" in Armenian on the tv here... strange that they would watch that. I've been alternating between Iranian cartoons, American cartoons in Armenian, and BBC World News just to have some noise in the house. I hadn't missed having a tv for the last 10 months until I turned this one on and couldn't figure out how to change the language to English.

My first meal I made myself what my friends back home call "cracker tunes"- a packet of tunafish from a package from home with crushed Ritz-like crackers, pickles, pepper, and mayo. I had been waiting to eat that for almost 3 months! I have the beginnings of a well-stocked cabinet thanks to all you guys that sent me packages for Christmas! (And my host mother who has already come by a couple times to bring bean soup, pickled tomatoes, ramen noodles, and some sort of dried braided greens...)

Once I am all settled-in, I'll put up some pictures of my apartment. I think you'll be surprised, it's very nice! (The Ritz)

dear spring,

please come soon!
love, nelle