Spring...Is that you?

I returned late last night from my "Spring Break 2011". That included a long road trip 11 hours north to a friend's home for two nights and then back to Yerevan for an attempt at seeing the European Championship playoff game between Armenia and Russia. Despite having tickets we had all ready paid for we did not get into the game. Still, I had a great time shaming Armenia with other Armenians for their corruption. The positive outlook also comes from us being given quite a few free drinks too. The taxi couldn't pick us up until 3 in the afternoon to take us home so we did not arrive in Kapan until 10pm but...I am so glad to be home!
Today as I was walking the stairs down in the sunshine(yay my knee is well enough to handle the downhill hike!) I was greeted by an adorable puppy clumsily running toward me. Instant love. Puppies are back on the street and I am aching for one.
I had a meeting with World Vision who I will be working with a lot now on the Green Camps that I am directing in 5 different towns throughout Armenia. They will take place this summer leaving enough time for preparations and planning but having this connection with the NGO will be very beneficial. So, the meeting went well and I am excited and grateful about that. I needed to do some errands, and while purchasing some veggies was forced into buying some greens which I later figured out was stinging nettle. Awesome, now I have to figure out how to prepare that. For lunch though, without the stinging nettle, I made a lovely Caesar salad, even coddled an egg, for Robyn and myself which we enjoyed on the balcony.
I had to go back down to Kapan to tutor my Meri and was again force given a bouquet of violets from a very old tatik barely able to walk. So I now guess her staring at me every morning is not out of hatred, but kindness and curiosity, and that feels great. Then I was stopped rather abruptly in the street as a car came barreling toward me and slammed on its' breaks right as it got to me. "Margo jan! (continue incoherent Armenian question)". I look at the two men who clearly know who I am and realize I have never met or to my knowledge even seen them before. I notice in the back seat they have just purchased from the new, ridiculously large kiddie store an electronic car for one of their children. Out the window they shove at me instructions that are written in English, I ask them, "what" and they repeat the incoherent question again. I quickly graze the instructions to try and figure out what he is asking, find it, and reply. They could not have been more thankful. Men in Armenia being thankful, especially to women, is something you do not encounter very often. Naturally I am thrilled.
I met with Meri outside because the weather was so nice and I felt I did my part today to impart environmental awareness onto Armenians. We discussed the new Dolfinarium just opened in Yerevan and how it is awful and a perfect example of animal cruelty especially since there is no ocean anywhere near this country. Meri actually enjoys animals and responds, "yesa margo i know, a, because, a i watch da animal channel" She means Animal Planet in Russian. Small breakthrough. Then I also taught her "terms of endearment" and actual examples of terms. So there is at least one Armenian learning English who now knows the word "schnookums".
Lizzie and I made taco salad for dinner and enjoyed more sunshine before I headed back up the hill home. I was again accosted by teenage girls who now recognize me from the English Creative Writing Olympics and Poetry Recitation contests which I was a judge and facilitator for a few weeks ago in town. I expect to get several phone calls from them daily now.
It is still light outside today since we had our daylight savings this last Saturday and the local boys are playing soccer right outside my bedroom balcony door. A few of them saw me as I came into my room and gleefully waved. Of course this makes my heart soar.
I can attribute this new found optimism in the Armenians and myself to only one thing: spring is here.