Call me Julia Child

This has been a fabulous week! Tuesday I had coffee with Ruzanna, one of my students.

I decided to attend a conference which should be very helpful to myself and the armenian I am taking with me, then went to Meri, my tutee's, house for a delightful Armenian meal with her and her momma.


I had commented to Meri during a tutoring session how much I enjoyed haykakan dolma and belinchik. So, after a feast of those two items at her house, we set up to teach me how to make belinchik for Thursday night.
We met at the shooka to buy the goods, and headed up the hill to Cheramushka to start the preparation. I asked her how long it would take approximately. Her reply, "maybe 2 hours". Great we should be eating by 6:30. Wrong, the entire process took 4 hours. But well worth it!
First, we had tea.
Then we cleaned the meat, and started it a boilin.
Then, we mixed the eggs, milk, water, and flour to create the perfect consistency.

It wasnt quite perfect so we needed to add some more flour.

This was also Meri's first time making Belinchik, of course she had watched it be done numerous times, but we still had some difficulty making the crepe-like wrap.

Lizzie tried to find the perfect Armenian outfit in my coat closet to cook in.

They are starting to be the right consistency

questioning our ability to actually make this work

But we have success! little Armenian, well actually Russian, crepes!!

Lizzie and I attempt to make a crepe, Meri DOES NOT think we are doing an ok job.

Then we took the boiled meat and got it ready to grind.

Meat grinding time

Lizzie gives it a go and we have success.

Actually, we had the most success when Meri realized she hadnt told us to cut the big chunks of meat into smaller chunks of meat. She just took over and ground ground ground!

YUMMY

Next, grind the onions. Saute the onions. Add ground meat, dill, salt and pepper.

Then it is time to start wrappin and a rollin.




Time to start frying. Please add 7x too much haykakan oil to pan.


Fry lil belinchkis FRRRRYYYYYYY

Our first belinchiks are ready

Maladets us!

Feast time


Pure Enjoyment.

Lizzie and I concluded these were the best bilinchiks we have had in country. Light. Fluffy. Delicious.
Fear not everyone, I have this locked in my memory and will put it in the Volunteer Cookbook 2011.

I've Got Sunshine...

After constant light snow flurries from Sunday, when the snow arrived, to Wednesday it was beautiful on Thursday to actually be able to see the blue sky and the majestic Khustoop mountain. Greg came to town on Wednesday so Thursday before setting out on a hike I had him tack up some extra plastic he bought to keep a bit more of the cold out! He is so handy to have around.

I was mostly hoping it would keep the smoke from my downstairs neighbors wood/plastic stove from seeping into my bedroom. No such luck. About three different times I have come home to toxic fumes in my house. Thanks to all Armenians for burning their garbage which mostly consists of plastic...and smells awful.


Instead of taking the stairs down to Kapan we took the long scenic loop and got some beautiful shots of Khustoop and the surrounding area.

Our little river mostly frozen over

This is usually where many of Kapan's taxi drivers come to wash there car despite having much business. This is the first time i have seen it empty, obviously bc the water isnt flowing so much right now.

Soviet Statues look even more depressing in the snow

Khustoop at dusk

Kapan at night from the stairs

Gas Man

It isn’t even 10am yet and all ready today has been riddled with some good and some bad. I awoke to my doorbell being rung. I groggily put on my uggs and head to the door. A woman I have never seen before was walking down the stairs but I called her back. Surprise! She has a package for me. Door service from the Post in Cheramushka. Thanks Dar for the present. At least this means the post is working again and hopefully I will soon have all my xmas presents from America.

Downside of the morning is the long shrill BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP that is going off in my kitchen.
9:48-I go to investigate and find that it is my gas alarm. Great.
9:50-I knock at the neighbors. No answer.
9:51-I try the downstairs neighbors. No answer.
Where is everyone when a girl is about to have a gas explosion in her Armenian apartment and has no idea what to do about it??!!
10-I resort to calling our Safety and Security officer, the beloved Vahagan. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. I’m not really sure what he told me to do and he speaks English. Hmm.
10:10-I call my landlord. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. “Oh just open a window for 5 minutes. It will be fine” that was the gist of what I got from that conversation. She speaks Armenian. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
10:15- I open my door and let the freezing Armenian winter flood my living room.
10:15-10:35- Beeping continues and I hope that gas is not seeping into my lungs.
10:35- Vahagan calls me back to see my progress. Encourages me to call the gas company.
10:37-Knock on neighbors again. They answer! “Come. Come into my house. Loud beeping. I don’t know what to do. Can you call the gas company for me because maybe I don’t understand what they say?”
10:38-Arpine calls mek-zero-chors (1-0-4). From a cellphone though it goes directly to Yerevan.
10:40-Arpine goes to her house to use the house phone and call Kapan’s gas company.
10:51-Arpine can’t get ahold of the Kapan gas people. Of course, I can wait at my home all day long. She will continue to call them.
11-Call and update Vahagan. Run out of dram on my phone.
11:03- Vahagan calls me back. He wants to call Yerevan Gas Co to see if there is anything to do.
11:05- Vahagan calls and tells me to unplug the alarm, wait 15 minutes, plug it back in and see what happens. (meanwhile it is now freezing in my living room/kitchen)
11:07-Arpine has gotten the gas company and they are headed here. Fingers crossed.
11:45- gas man arrives, plug in my monitor. Wait. Apparently it has gone bad so I get a brand spanking new machine!
Apparently I knew Artik in my old village. I don’t think I have ever seen him before. While Artik was here he was explaining to me that the monitors are made in China. At first I didn’t understand him. So he, in all his Armenian genius and cultural sensitivity, put his fingers to his eyes to display what he meant. Oh, whoa, ok. I get it now. Please please stop doing that.

Looks like I am safe! Stay tuned…

Last night in my lovely new blender I made more hummus. Split the batch and made a garlic hummus and a spicy one. The spicy is deeeelicious. Garbanzo beans have become my staple this week. Nutritionally they are pretty good for ya.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4326/2

Lizzie’s NGO got an article written up about them. This is the NGO I have been helping out at working on the Homeland Handicrafts with them. The article is pretty poorly written but gives a good idea of the situation here for people with disabilities.
http://armregions.am/en/2010/12/21/news-1292924489

Working World

The holidays are over here in Armenia. Well, almost. I did get invited to another celebration tonight but politely declined/postponed it. Eating mayonnaise and cow tongue salad ten days after it was prepared didn’t seem that appetizing tonight. Anywho, the official ten day holiday is over, so back to the “working world” I went. I researched a bit in the morning working on my new project. I am part of a group of about eight volunteers and host country nationals (HCNs) working to change the Armenian legislation about LGBT here. I am reaching out to Diaspora groups in America and basically doing HR for the NGO New Generation that is spearheading this project.
if interested:
http://www.ngngo-armenia.blogspot.com/
http://www.guarantee-ngo.blogspot.com/

After a few hours of that I decided to head down to Kapan to discuss another project, the Science Fair. I am the lead on this committee and working to try and get an awesome fair going for this spring. Fingers crossed. We got a considerable amount of snow last night to add to the all ready blanketed hillsides so I decide boots were made for walkin in the snow. I chose my warmest of the SmartWool socks, long underwear, marshmallow jacket, pull on my boots and start sweating in my apartment. Normal. As I opened the door and met with the brisk air I felt a sweet relief that I would not overheat on the walk. Then, about a minute and a half into my twenty-five minute walk down the slushy hill I realized that 1. my boots were not water proof, 2. Water was leaking in damn quick, 3. My feet were going to be soaking and freezing wet for 23 minutes. But look at the beautiful views I was still able to capture of my city as I headed down the 700+ stairs.



After an eventful tutoring session I ran into my handy man on the street who pulls out a jar of jam for me. I had been ignoring his phone calls the past few days and finally answered last night. I cried sickness to him as the reason for not calling him back. He said he would bring me jam but I was quite surprised to see that he had been carrying it around for me in his pocket all day. Strange.

This picture I grabbed of the town square where the xmas tree stands. It was actually the first time I had passed it at night and thought it quite pretty. Has my taste gone to total crap?

After some heated up leftovers of vegetable red thai curry with coconut milk I baked three loaves of pumpkin bread.

These are the two that were only slightly burnt in my horrid Armenian oven.

Oh, and I have a blender now and made hummus all the way from scratch yesterday. Note to everyone, heat up hummus and eat it. It will be all the more delicious.

My brand new 1500 dram toilet seat broke last night. Back to using the hovercraft.

Shnorhavor Nor Tari 2011!

Happy New Year!
So starts my first full year in Armenia. I apologize for the hiatus in blog posts, but one of my many new years resolutions is to keep the blog more up to date.
It has finally turned cold here in Armenia. I went to a town called Yegeghnadzor in Vayatsdzor marz to ring in the new year and we were all pleasantly surprised by the covering of snow when we woke up to January! We made a snow-she/man, went sledding on garbage can lids and plastic bags, made snow angels and enjoyed some general debauchery. Before the snow Armenia had looked dead and dull with all the trees sans leaves and the countryside bare. But now…I am living in a white winter wonderland.
When I returned south to Kapan I found that only the high mountain Khustoop had more snow on it. Kapan remained the only place without snow. However, I awoke this morning to snow snow snow. I immediately woke up Robyn and Lizzie to have them share in my wonderment. Only then did I realize that my clothes I washed Friday morning and hung out to dry were still on the line since it had rained a bit and the clothes definitely were not dry enough yesterday to bring in. Well now they are more wet and lining the chairs inside my apartment. Vochinch.


I will have you know that I was not the only one with items on the line still this morning. But I was quicker to get them inside!

For those of you who haven’t been kept somewhat up to date via Facebook or tidbits heard elsewhere I will try to convey the past 5 months of my service into a few highlights. This could be a challenge.
Settling in September

School started on the 1st. There are 43 students in my village school but only 2 actually live in the village. This I found to be somewhat stressful because there were no teachers or students in the village to hang out with after school and work on my language, assimilation and integration. This lead to the big decision in November.
Finding out my counterpart isn't working at the school this year. I am at liberty to choose my own new counterpart. I take her, Anna the biology and chem teacher, to the conference in the resort town of Tsaghedzor.
Unlock weekend from our sites. 30 of us went to Lake Sevan to hang out. I got to swim in the lake but it was bitterly cold and rainy there.

Waking up to chicken feet in the kitchen sink. I never actually tried one but just ate the broth around them.
Enjoying the fruits of my family’s garden and the beautiful scenery around my village.




Bowling in Tsaghedzor.
***Lizzie moves to Kapan***
Outrageous October

Shnorhavor Usutsichneri Or: Teacher Appreciation Day. The students recite poems, sing and dance. Then the teachers drink cognac and wine at school. Apres!

Becoming best friends with brothers Kamo (14) and Garin(11). We went hiking, fishing, frog catching and at the end of every adventure I was invited into their home to socialize with the mother (Tamara) and grandmother (tatik) and of course eat more delicious cuisine. Plus they have the most precocious 3 year old little sister, Laina.
Visiting Vahanavank with the school and picnic-ing and then more delicious horavats.



Working with World Vision on International Hand Washing day. We went around to the kindergartens and gave presentations on proper hand washing and the benefits of healthy lifestyles.


Visiting the Farmers Market for the Kapan Small Farmers Association


People watching in the city square. (creepily with my camera)

Hanging out with friends on rooftops.


Soccer Matches. Kapans team translates as "Treasure Mountain" and their skills are equivalent to an American high school team...on a good day.

Finding the DAS which stocks curry, soy sauce, pickled ginger, cereal, Chateau Margaux wine, Tobasco, Venus razors, and blue cheese! Along with a myriad of other things.

My trip to Robyn’s village, Tsav. We taught a dance to the 1st graders for the upcoming talent show, hiked, I was courted by the young and more age appropriate and dined with some crazies.






We had lots of visitors to Kapan for Fall break. We break in the karaoke joint and have a fantastic time. Photos may not be blog appropriate.
Robyn and I hike to the Andokavan Fort ruins.




Armenian mullet haircuts
Matt moves into his new apartment and I am mostly free of the host family from hell.
New Home November
Snow in the village on November 1st.

Puppies!
Meeting the DAS Boss Artur. This man may be the best connection I make in country. Plus he loves to fill me and my friends up on fine cognac.

Uranium mine in Kapan. This rally successfully gathered the most Kapanites to band together against the installation of a new mine. However, plans are still in motion to begin construction.


Hanging out with the Yerevan soccer team fans at the local hotel.

Kapan Spelling Bee is a roaring success. Our students did awesome at the Regional Bee a few weeks later held in Goris.
Packages from America arrive chock-a-bock full of delicious American things!

Lizzie and I do several AIDS and HIV awareness presentations. The students also participate in a poster contest for World AIDS Day. Some of the submitted posters were amazing. One of our students actually won the contest.

Lizzie moves into her new place and we find dusty gems. Fur coats, record player with Russian records, and soviet post cards.


Jay and I hike with students associated with his NGO to Vahanavank and then the two of us head further up the hill to Halidzor Fort.



My favorites students, Kamo and Garin’s tatik offers me her apartment in Kapan to live in. It is amazing and I decide to rent it from her for the remainder of my service. Love this family. I move in. It needs some modifications and renovations but love my new place!



Thanksgiving in a small village with 15 other volunteers. Delicious food and fun company for my first major holiday away from home.

I spent a week in Yerevan. Hared my first international Hash at the botanical garden and then had All-Vol. Every volunteer in country reports for this conference for three days to discuss what has happened and future opportunities.
I worked at the Homeland Handicraft Fair with the NGO Lizzie and I have been working with to sell crafts made by Armenians in the regions.


Delightful December
Home sweet home. I get to make my new apartment my own with a new heater, couch, lots of cleaning and the first homemade meal complete with a Halloween funfetti cake. A bit late but still delicious.







York comes to visit for 10 days. We rent a car and have the time of our volunteer lives!
This might be a post for itself. coming soon.
I host dinner for over 30 volunteers. read: SHITSHOW.

2010 came to an end. In all this year has been amazing. The first 5 months at home in America with great friends and family and building new friends, who have become my family here in Armenia. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and the new year is off to a great start. Shnorhavor!