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)