Well, in the words of Ringo: “I got blisters on my fingers!”
However, it is not due to incessant drum playing.; it’s from hand washing
clothes for the first time. I’m thinking of investing in rubber gloves so my
knuckles don’t get put through the wringer like that again. I know, terrible
pun.
As you may have guessed, I am officially in my new home! I
am no longer living with a host family, and it is definitely great to have some
freedom back. I can cook my own meals (mostly eggs and potatoes), and can lay
around my living room and have a glass of wine whenever I want (although I have
yet to do this). It’s been about three years since I’ve had my own place and
the first night I was here, I literally paced back and forth for awhile until I
finally decided to just sit on my couch and watch an episode of Roseanne. It
was maybe the most surreal experience thus far in my Peace Corps life.
The place is fantastic; it’s a duplex with two bedrooms, a
living room, kitchen, and a brand new bathroom. I have hot water 24/7 and Peace
Corps issued me a gas stove to use while I am here. Of course, no place is
without its drawbacks: 1) My internet is nowhere near as fast as it could be
were I not nestled in other homes and trees 2) Same issue with my cell phone 3)
No heat; I haven’t had to deal with that issue yet, but I assume it to be an
issue in the coming months 4) My refrigerator freezes EVERYTHING (but I am
thankful to have a refrigerator, nonetheless) and 5) No washing machine. My
experience in washing my clothes has gone in stages. When I was living with my
first host family, I had access to a standard front-load automatic washing
machine and a line to dry my clothes. My second host family has an old soviet
style washer that basically will spin the clothes for you; you must wring them
out by hand and of course, line dry. Now I have a large plastic bin to wash my
clothes in by hand and again, lines to dry. The act itself isn’t so bad, but
the forming of blisters on my knuckles is moderately painful. Regardless of
these drawbacks, I have to say that I very much love this place. I know that I
am far from roughing it here in my urban village. Plus the yard has apple
trees, an apricot trees, grape vines, and other plant life that I hope to tend
when the time is right. I’m assured by my landlord that he will clean up the
yard (there are various branches and other debris of the same sphere right now
keeping it from its splendor) soon.
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| My bedroom |
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| My beautiful new bathroom |
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| Living Room |
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| Spare Room |
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| Did I mention that my refrigerator freezes EVERYTHING? |
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| My Kitchen |
On the work front, I am also starting to settle in and find
my place in the organization. I have two organizations that I work with: a
youth club located in a neighboring village, (which I must walk about 20
minutes down the mountainside to get to) and an NGO located about a five minute
walk away. In both organizations, I am primarily working with one other person,
both of whom have pretty great English skills. Tomorrow I will start a basic
computer class for the kids in the youth club. I have about six classes planned
where we will cover basic computer navigation and knowledge and also delve into
Microsoft Word. I am super nervous, as I’ve never taught a class before.
However, I am very thankful to have a translator there who is excited to help.
Next on the agenda I’m hoping to begin teaching a Leadership and Management
class to the kids. I have not yet however, begun lesson plans.
In my NGO, we are starting up clubs of various kinds:
English, Computer, Literature, Journalism, and Volunteering and Civil
Development. Admittedly, I am a bit nervous about the number of clubs that are
forming all at once, but if there is one thing I’ve learned in the four months
in Armenia it is: just roll with it. So. We’ll see how it all turns out.
Additionally, I am planning a Strategic Management/Vision workshop with some
other volunteers whose organizations can also benefit from this type of
training. I am really excited to get the ball rolling on this project which we
will hopefully have planned by November.
Other than these things, I am still terribly missing
everyone back home. My best friend, Dena is getting MARRIED this weekend! My
heart breaks every time I think about my not being in attendance, but I am so
unbelievably happy for the both of them that it really is bittersweet. I will
instead be at a wine festival, toasting to their long-lived happiness from afar.
I have to say that at the four month mark, I am extremely
busy and have a million and one things to keep me occupied, and my list seems
to keep growing. I am so glad to have finally begun to settle in and really
know where my place is. My next big step is to get through winter. I can only
hope that I am well enough prepared. Here’s to trying!
