tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50176440446536068442023-11-16T08:18:02.906-08:00My Peace Corps JourneyThe contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-25019895318809612902011-09-07T13:39:00.000-07:002011-09-07T13:40:59.413-07:00Identity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">There are a lot of reasons why someone would join the Peace Corps. Maybe to travel, learn another language, or the experience of living abroad. But I don’t think most people would admit that a lot of times its because they want to find an identity. Now u may know who u are, what u want, and where u want to go, but that doesn’t mean u have an identity. An identity is the <u>Fact</u> of being who or what a person is. The Fact, of what u are. It is a strange term to put into that context. I know who I am, I know what I am, but I cannot say that I am the Fact of my being. That would mean that I am undisputedly exact and without variance. Which I know is not the case.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everyone joins Peace Corps for a certain reason, and to me all those reasons are legitimate. But I honestly think, within Peace Corps, we are all looking for something. We want some blinking sign that says where to go or what to do. A sign that we discover, in a moment of darkness, that brings us back in to the warm, glowing light we want to be in. Maybe we weren’t even in darkness, but just a rut that we were stuck in. Or maybe no rut at all, and we were just looking for a change and did something we always wanted to do. But that doesn’t change the fact that where we were, compared to where we want to be, is a far away and distant place. I don’t think someone completely content with there life would join Peace Corps. Its either something you have always wanted to do, which shows in the amount of over 60 year old + volunteers that we have. Something you feel could lead to something great or make a difference, which is where all us 20-somethings come into play. Or something to take you away from where you never thought u would be, which is where the in-betweens come in. You could have had a great job, but decided u wanted to take a different path, and that is why u are here. Whatever the case, it all comes down to one thing I think… Identity</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Being lost in a world that wants production and advancement 24 hours a day, we can sometimes be shoved under the rug. Or maybe you own the rug, and realize, you know what, rugs are over rated. I don’t want a rug. Maybe I like hard word floors, or maybe I like linoleum for my floors. They are easier to clean. Either way, something strikes each of us in a way that we know we are not who we wished out to be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So we join Peace Corps. To save the world and all that crap. It’s about seeing a child’s smile when they learn about bla bla bla. Most of us go into a sector or job that we aren’t trained for, and get only beginner training for it at best. We realize that a lot of time will be spent arguing about nonsense and not actually putting into place life changing polices or programs for children. And the best part about being a Peace Corps Volunteer is when you realize that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Countries like Armenia have a very rich and deep history. And even though Peace Corps has been here for almost 20 years, Armenians have their own beliefs and ways about doing what they think is the correct way to do things. Now. I would never come in to this country and say, “Well we do it better in America because we do it this way.” No way. Even if it is true… that will never come out of my excessively, large lipped mouth. I would rather learn how they do it; maybe offer some suggestions, if asked. And then I would do the same thing in a way that they have never seen before, only to compare the two. This way, they can take solid principles of what they know, and add new ideas that they could honestly see working better in their society. That is called utilizing a reference for positive change. Amen and all the more power to u if u can get this done.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So back to Identity. We all look for it. We all want it. Maybe in High School u were the Captain of the Cheer Leading team. In college u were playing NCAA sports and fighting for the national championship. Or maybe u were Joe Schmo working at 7-11 making my coffee at 8am when I was running late for work. I appreciate that by the way Joe. Either way, the point is that we all strive to find that calling. The calling that makes us lose sleep and decline invitations for drinks cause we think an hour more of focusing at work will make all the difference. It could be anything in the world, or it could be something u have always known, just never had the guts to realize. Anyway u put it, u want it to become your identity. Your zest for life; Your reason for breathing. The only thing u want to do for the rest of your life because u have decided that this thing, this thing is all u ever wanted. And once you have found it, u wont let it go, or let if waiver. It’s in the air u breath, and its in your dreams at night. It is your identity as a person. You. Maybe it’s a Job, or a Person, or a Cause. Either way, it’s a direction u know u want to move in. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>And this, readers and gentlemen, is what I think most Peace Corps Volunteers are doing. Trying to find the yellow brick road, the butter for their bread, or the Tabasco to their eggs (ya, I am a big tobasco fan, and as of lately, eggs as well). The questions is… Do we find it in the 2 years abroad…? Sometimes. Not always though. But I think one of the best parts about Peace Corps, is realizing that your identity is out there, and that you just have to find it. Self-discovery is certainly the first step, and the most important in realizing what you want your identity to be. And once you do realize what that is… the skies the limit. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-42661248572164978492011-09-05T02:10:00.000-07:002011-09-05T02:14:34.698-07:00Goris Camp<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">So about 2 weeks ago i did a camp in a town 45 min south of where i live. The camp was amazing, and I think it was one of the best programs I have been able to be apart of, if not the best. Enjoy!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><p style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; ">In August 2011, Partnership and Teaching NGO implemented a five-day leadership camp entitled “We Are Our Future” in the town of Goris of Armenia’s Syunik marz. Designed by the organization’s Peace Corps Volunteer, Austin Sherwindt, the goal of the camp was to increase the level of understanding and mutual respect between students of the Goris community, irrespective of physical, mental, or socioeconomic differences, while simultaneously promoting the ideas of cooperation and leadership. Held in Goris’ School No. 6, 36 children (ages 11 – 14) participated in the weeklong camp, of which 12 of the children were disabled and/or disadvantaged. The theme of the camp was relating our own structure to that of the earth, working from the inside out.</p><p style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; "><span></span>Using interactive lessons and informational seminars, the first two days of the camp focused on our personal health (knowledge, ideas, and physical health) and the proceeding two on our roles as citizens, both in our communities and the world. Each day, the children participated in a variety of leadership and teambuilding exercises, arts and crafts, and informational seminars presented by guest speakers from local organizations such as the Goris Women’s Resource Center and Goris’ Human Rights NGO. Topics covered included Leadership, Group Dynamics, Healthy Lifestyles (Nutrition, Exercise, Anti-Smoking, Anti-Drinking), HIV / AIDS Awareness, Civil Society, Project Design and Management, Environmental Problems in Armenia, Diplomacy, and Human Rights and Discrimination.</p><p style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; "><span></span>On the final day of the camp, the three teams of participants implemented the civil service projects that had designed throughout the camp. Team “Sphinx” went on an anti-smoking campaign throughout Goris, talking to local shop owners and community members about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. Team “Eagles” cleaned up a local tourist attraction and posted anti-littering information. Team “Smilers” (which was my team! and we won the week for the most points! whoop whoop) traveled to two kindergartens to teach 85 children about basic hand washing and teeth-brushing.</p><p style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; "><span></span>Heghineh Hovsepyan, one of the camp counselors, stated, “I am very happy for this experience. In the five-day period, the children learned to love and respect one another and how to work as a team in different situations. Most importantly, the children learned that they are responsible for building their future and, in doing so, that each one of them can be a leader.”</p> In May 2011, Partnership and Teaching NGO (P&T NGO) with the cooperation of World Vision’s Sisian ADP concluded their “Building DPO Outreach for Greater Disability Inclusiveness” project, which was designed to promote inclusive education in the Goris and Sisian regions. Coming off the heels of this initiative, the We Are Our Future summer camp was intended to foster an opportunity for disabled and disadvantaged children to work alongside student council representatives from those schools practicing inclusive education. This camp was done with the support of many different organizations, including representatives of P&T NGO, World Vision’s Sisian ADP, Peace Corps Volunteers, and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States. </span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-45767302476085060592011-08-25T05:15:00.000-07:002011-08-25T05:25:22.320-07:00Summer Time in Armenia<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Barev Reader,
<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">So I know I havent blogged in a while. Sorry about that. It has been a busy summer. Had a surprise visit to America for 2 weeks, which was epic. The new training group of volunteers were swore in about a week ago, welcome to Armenia A-19's. Said goodbye to a lot of friends that were finishing their 2 years in Armenia, good luck A-17's. And helped out with 2 camps. One in Vanadzor which is about 6 hours north, and the other was in Goris, about 45 min south of Sisian. This post I will talk about the Vanadzor camp, and expect a post about the Goris camp within the week. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">From August 8th to August 11th, Peace Corps volunteers, in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; ">collaboration with the Vanadzor YMCA, ran a hip-hop dance camps for all interested youth. 20 community members, ranging in age from 12 to18, participated. The camp was designed to promote healthylifestyles, individual self-expression, and confidence among the future leaders of Armenia, as well as increase the understanding of hip-hop culture, a widely misunderstood global phenomenon whose roots lie in America. Volunteers Maggie Woznicki (A-18, Sevan) and AlexLord (A-18, Sisian) choreographed and taught a hip-hop dance, and volunteer Matthew Crowley-Miano (A-18, Ijevan) ran sessions on b-boying, more commonly known as breakdancing. Micahel Zier (A-18,Vanadzor) provided rhythm demonstrations, and Kath Lestina (A-18,Vanadzor) facilitated. The camp originated from an expression of interest by the members of the Vanadzor YMCA during this summer’s Border2Border project, and culminated in a final presentation by the participants on the new skills they had developed during the camp.The community response was highly positive, and it is hoped that these camps will continue to run, both in Vanadzor and in other interested sites.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; ">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; ">I had alot of fun teaching the YMCA children about dancing. The great part was that not only did we teach them a dance, which they rocked at, we also taught them the culture of Hip-Hop and the evolution of dance. Where it came from, the major influences, and where it is right now. The kids we so excited and interested, I hope we get to do this camp again. There is a video on FB of the kids doing there dance, hope you check it out! It was a long week, and our legs were tired, but the entire group enjoyed every minute of it, as well as all the PCV's. Hope to do it again soon! </span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-12603144417002374112011-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:002011-07-03T11:24:38.905-07:00READ!!!! Great Project in Armenia!Thanks to Amanda Pascal at the YIC in Gyumri, Armenia. Got her project on CNN!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-628526">Click to Watch</a></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-22531813239741929292011-05-26T11:40:00.000-07:002011-05-26T11:59:56.930-07:00Success Story, Here it is People<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZx4wDNzZcwdmsm16WDPKa74D5oqOg0bON-3hY0v3dGdxtP1oJ3yJXlRGqv2k8Vj9gIS_rojh7P7dukRnUGzgmOJcEN64e9DLM9Vm9ZP66XWBa3qKH6mUd6t6DR_KN3IhZgT5xmFWOMzK/s1600/IMG_4829.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZx4wDNzZcwdmsm16WDPKa74D5oqOg0bON-3hY0v3dGdxtP1oJ3yJXlRGqv2k8Vj9gIS_rojh7P7dukRnUGzgmOJcEN64e9DLM9Vm9ZP66XWBa3qKH6mUd6t6DR_KN3IhZgT5xmFWOMzK/s320/IMG_4829.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611100604582396098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQOEqmNGaghhU7sJtzO4sEqHIq-6naWsBaV-afik8EpK3_sBgTSLzd28jPcxptIW3i7KXFMTiSiyN0H7kap3TQBAIFgDnvSwB8h_l5gQhUeF7g3LA7FLib98re7zPaXjsIJwgVT0QtCQd/s1600/IMG_4795.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Xu13rMKlFAIdadejHitv7GmLtT_X33PttINKl-0NJtGkh9R-J-XP4-4NXe-PXKPdERavR0iWljbJnF8t7R9bEYzitT8zGl1UkVYDHz6HLIX2y4-NKJiy8H9AUrBKUPaUyGlcPFU9ge-0/s320/IMG_4368.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611098453438366258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepHKwbxoNE9Sxalz4KuImj1xyjPWM9ww1p3cUPWvHCgcAm4r7fuODJuReiPud-kzAN9JBQ45R-UWicHq_bt_Z1lTyd3EIzFrj3L29fTGg0pAENA6Feii8-dLAYA_QwK0VGvn4ViWI7fml/s1600/IMG_4290.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepHKwbxoNE9Sxalz4KuImj1xyjPWM9ww1p3cUPWvHCgcAm4r7fuODJuReiPud-kzAN9JBQ45R-UWicHq_bt_Z1lTyd3EIzFrj3L29fTGg0pAENA6Feii8-dLAYA_QwK0VGvn4ViWI7fml/s320/IMG_4290.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611098449999516610" /></a><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo1S6b0h2qhh3NOd2WTMVmWFpwDMg6XWDJFbx-6hSeMVze-FYc3KtPv5PqU4lg6wtDK-lrOwla7z4Wksq9VW-gNJJ3YgBEez-dFNJUnlAMlCKUWZZf7MZy3uPlj53pcLWF2DHb-7HJNK1/s320/IMG_4271.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611098442694456866" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">So i wrote this kind of as a report for our VAC committee in country as a success story, thats why its in 3rd person. I dont actually think im cool enough to talk in 3rd person about myself. Also, sorry it has been so long since i have written, and the quality (literal writing quality) is not good in this one. I pounded it out cause it was due the next morning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">On April 30 and May 1st, the Sport and Culture Progress of Sisian NGO organized the 1st "Kick The Habit" Anti-smoking/Importance of Exercising, Mini-Football Tournament in Sisian. This tournament was organized by PCV Alex Lord, with the help of Davit Hambardzumy</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">an, Director of the NGO and Alex's CP. It was for boys and girls, and they were divided into 2 age groups: 9-12, 13-15. We used a field that was constructed by the Armenian Football Federation in 2007, which they built for the Sisian Community. This field is a mini-football field, allowing each team to have 4 players on the field, and 3 substitutes waiting. The turn-out was great.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">We advertised to all Sisian schools, as well as over a dozen Villages surrounding Sisian. The feedback was enormous, and we had over 20 teams participate in the event: 19 boys teams, and 3 girls teams. That is over 154 Sisian youth that played, participated, and was educated on the Anti-Smoking and Importance of Exercise information we were handing out. They were from multiple villages, as well as over a dozen different schools. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We also had an Armenia vs America game where PCV's Alex Lord, Tylor Dodge, Alex Schellhaus, Joel Gillen, and Bill Simonson all played against an Armenian team. The final score was a tie between the 2 nations: 11-11. The other PCV's were in attendance because they were helping organize, referee, hand out educational materials, and register teams. Also in Attendance was the Sisian Mayor, Sisian Football Coach, over a half a dozen local teachers, as well as over 150 spectating children, in addition to the 154 playing in the tournament. This event was so successful, we have been asked to repeat the event every year, and multiple times a year if possible. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"I think the best part for me was when I saw the girls teams playing. I think this was the first time in these girls' lives they have ever played an organized, real game of football with a referee, and most importantly without any boys on the field. They looked so happy, next time we are going to organize a tournament for only girls." Alex Lord</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The winners of each division received a certificate of participation for each player, and each team received a trophy for winning their division. </span></div></span>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-87335585203447566442011-03-23T00:29:00.000-07:002011-03-23T01:04:35.616-07:00Hope FloatsSo being in the Peace Corps has made me realize alot about myself, and more importantly, what I want to do later in life. I work at an organization called the "Sport and Culture Progress of Sisian" Non-Governmental Organization, and I have officially changed me Peace Corps Assignment from Community Health Extension, to Community Outreach Generalist. This means that I am switching from a Health Sector Volunteer to a Community & Business Development Volunteer. This is because they stopped the Health Sector here in Armenia with Peace Corps. <div><br /></div><div>This happening has made me branch out and do other things that I have never done. Luckily, my situation keeps me involved with sports, which I have always loved. And after doing a few different things, I realized Sports is what I want to do. And not just coaching or working, but Sports Development. And for this I would like to stay in the international setting and do International Sports Development. Maybe not living abroad forever, but maybe working with an Organization that is based in the US but travels abroad to do Sports Development. I really enjoy giving other people the opportunity to play organized sports, and get everything that I got out of it. I think it is very important what you can learn through sports: Teamwork, Confidence, Self-Worth, Decision Making Skills, the Obvious Physical Benefits, etc. These things cannot always be picked up in the classroom. Im excited about this because it feels good to know what I want to do. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I was reading some Sports News on the Internet, I read an article called "Hope Floats." This article, <a href="http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/03/22/hope-floats-how-youth-soccer-team-was-born-on-a-floating-village/related">posted here</a>, is about a small fishing island in Thailand that the entire village is made of houses and walkways on stilts. They have no actual soil. And the local children watched soccer but had never played it. So they made a floating field out of old fishing boats, wood, and nails. They went on to become the champions of the Southern Thailand Soccer League in 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, and 2010. And they never got an actual field. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the type of stuff that motivates me, it shows me that sports can not only change an individual, but an entire community. The power of sports is generally not realized and not many see the potential it can have. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'll post the article again. <a href="http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/03/22/hope-floats-how-youth-soccer-team-was-born-on-a-floating-village/related">Click to Read the article, and watch the video.</a> </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-54257554392078503612011-03-08T12:48:00.001-08:002011-03-08T13:33:32.453-08:00Not The Normal Post, But A Must Read... and ListenSo my mother has been getting on to me about updating my blog. I know I have been quite slack about it lately, but you can take that as a good thing. Meaning that maybe I am so busy with spreading peace throughout the world... I dont have time to blog. Maybe my projects are going so well, and I am putting so much of my Western Education to work, that I dont have the mental stamina to blog.... So here is something a little different. You may never know....<div><br /></div><div>I am a music dependant personality. Music can influence positively or negatively my mood. I love music. And when I hear albums like Esperanza Spalding's self-titled album... i know music loves me too. If you have never heard of Esperanza Spalding, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanza_Spalding">click here and read</a>, now you do.</div><div><br /></div><div>I first fell in love with her about 5 months ago. Thanks to those geeks at the iTunes Genius Sidebar, she came up as an "Artist I should know" when I was listening to other music similar to hers. And i similar to hers and not the same as hers, because nothing compares. I listened to one song, and I was hooked. So i downloaded her album "Esperanza," and my early suspicions were confirmed, I had fallen for a girl from Portland.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now one reason I am smitten over her is because of this...<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0MOc9o97FdpTWhvAbxdpMy1iAE048k50KDBTaPhBeSBSWp8OB2pWNaESHeEiM6wcKfpUfBE9dfay4fhW2uYKulZeXoc-oXuILenAhWqH46R3ylRyGnqLgpFJ_0ha5tpdjDmebFLrWacV/s400/esperanza_spalding.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581822486303390274" /></div><div>Even if she didnt sing like a carmel covered angel and play that bass, I feel i still have good justification for my infatuation. Just look at that hair. </div><div><br /></div><div>For you people that need proof of her entrance into the music scene... she just won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/esperanza-spalding-grammy-best-new-artist_n_822741.html">Click here and read</a>. BAM, try that on for size. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Basics. Ok, So, Here We Go. </div><div><br /></div><div>She is a 26-year old, classically trained jazz/chamber music fusion musician, singer, and composer. Having attended the Berklee Academy of Music, where she immediately became a professor after graduating at 20, she began to travel with well known jazz musicians, and then the President. </div><div><br /></div><div>These are my 2 favorite songs by her, but you should download everything she has. I celebrate her entire catalogue... (Meeting With The Bob's Reference if you are cultured enough) Click, Watch, but above all just Listen and Enjoy :)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP9GTbOZ9-I&feature=related">Ponta De Areia</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s3c6n8eKN8">Precious </a></div></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-55238465396591451802011-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:53:51.506-08:00Armenia: Poor and Unhappy... They said it, not me<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I saw an interesting post by a friend on Facebook, and decided to do some research about the subject. This comes from www.worldvaluessurvey.org. The title of the article is, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Development, Freedom, and Rising Happiness: A Global Perspective (1981–2007)." </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The article challenges the current idea about how happiness is believed to be at a set level and revolving around a set point, and that individuals or societies can not change this. However, this article goes on to argue that through</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> such changes like democratization, economic development, and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">increased social tolerance have increased the extent to which people perceive that they have free choice, which in turn has led to higher levels of happiness around the world. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Because the happiness levels of given societies do not seem to change over time, the idea that economic development brings rising happiness has been widely rejected. Although richer nations show that they have a higher subjective well-being than poorer countries, these differences may reflect cultural differences in what happiness means. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"The people of high-income countries are much happier and are more satisfied with life than are the people of low-income countries, and the differences are substantial. In Denmark, 52% of the public indicated that they were highly satisfied with their lives (placing themselves at 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale), and 45% said they were very happy. In Armenia, only 5% were highly satisfied with their lives, and just 6% were very happy. In contrast to the small income-linked differences usually found within most countries, the cross-national differences are extremely large."</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">It goes on to explain that this survey was not allowed into the ex-communist societies until after the collapse, so the long-term data can not be taken. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But let us note that Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine all have shown much lower levels of Subjective Well-Being than their economic levels would predict... ...We suspect that these low levels reflect the traumatic experiences linked with the collapse of communism."</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I havent asked an Armenia if they are happy, specifically. But I have always stated that they will always give you an answer of hardship. Whenever I ask certain community members how things are going, they always answer with, "Its cold... We have no work... It was a bad year for fruit, last year was better..." or some type of answer always on the negative point of view. This is kind of disconcerting, even when I explain that I came here to help, and that I think there is opportunity to do many things here, they always tell me that there is no hope for Sisian. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I dont write this to show how negative Armenians are, or to express that I think this country is hopeless. I write it to show what we are up against. This is the statistic my friend posted:</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />According to World Values Surveys from 1995 to 2007, the 10 unhappiest places on Earth are:<br />1. Zimbabwe, 2. Armenia, 3. Moldova, 4. Belarus, 5. Ukraine, 6. Albania, 7. Iraq, 8. Bulgaria, 9. Georgia, 10. Russia.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Do you notice how many of them are CIS countries? (Commonwealth of Independent States) ...Google it...</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">People talk about other places in the world that need help, and ask me why I was sent to an area that in Peace Corps is coded as "The Caucus Region of Eastern Europe." They say, how lucky to have been sent somewhere so nice as that. One friend, that shall remain nameless, said she heard that Peace Corps Volunteers in this region live in condo's and have wireless internet, and what's so hard about that she asked. Well, 8 of the unhappiest countries are in Eastern Europe, and out of 4 countries within the Caucus Region, 3 of them are on this list as well. And by the way, we dont live in condo's, nor do we have wireless internet. </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Peace Corps is different in every country. You learn that very quickly. We may not live as physically hard as those volunteers that are on the Serengeti, or live with the Masai Tribes in Africa. You can get used to crapping in a hole, or not showering for weeks, or not having electricity. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">And I will dare to say that 95% of Volunteers around the world do not fall into what the general public believes is the regular stereotype for a Peace Corps life. But we have much harder things than that.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The hard part, for me at least, is being in a country that breeds a depressive mood, an</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">d shows no interest in why you are here, or in helping you, let alone themselves. Perseverance and Determination are what drives all volunteers, especially on the worst days. </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Food for thought...</span></span></span></p>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-29615609257885230892011-02-07T12:00:00.000-08:002011-02-07T12:06:53.805-08:00Coming this Spring..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DaOz5x3UqhOicADzlpca9ZfGmS9yr9vw93nK6xHGC94dGHZuGBFOHY1qphyphenhyphenf-JnZ3RqDja0VgaET-PwvnvtxTPf_HAB_JKCa66Xjmzy1nDHkWZlgpN-B3z9g4kVJw80vqHcN0ZpXH0Ws/s1600/168712_493832237810_607807810_6581608_4186057_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DaOz5x3UqhOicADzlpca9ZfGmS9yr9vw93nK6xHGC94dGHZuGBFOHY1qphyphenhyphenf-JnZ3RqDja0VgaET-PwvnvtxTPf_HAB_JKCa66Xjmzy1nDHkWZlgpN-B3z9g4kVJw80vqHcN0ZpXH0Ws/s400/168712_493832237810_607807810_6581608_4186057_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571041544051636770" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">So we have these things in Peace Corps called VRF. Volunteer Reporting Form. They are due every 3 months, and they are the worst things in the world. They take a long time to complete, are annoying, and very comprehensive. BUT, they also make you look forward to thing you will be doing soon. After I wrote this entry in the “Planned Activities” section. I am excited to read this and I thought I should share this with my avid readers (all 2 of you… mom and dad). Enjoy! Oh yeah, I will post the rest of trip to Ethiopia soon. And this is a picture of Me, Tylor, and Aaron on a walk in the snow. This is where Aaron and his wife Lauren live, Shaghat Village, enjoy...</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am currently planning a soccer tournament for my region for late March to early April. There is a lot of interest in playing soccer here, but only a select few participate in an organized fashion. So this will be a small-sided tourney, each team having 5 players: 4 playing and 1 sub. I am trying to partner with the Armenian Football Federation’s “Football in General Schools” program. This program has the same objective as mine basically. I also want to pair this with a Health Fair the same day or weekend, that way we can explain the importance of being active and being involved with sports. We will cover both the physical benefits, as well as the mental and behavioral benefits of participating in organized sports. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am working with an individual that wants to start a organization with the idea of helping community members with disabilities know their rights, so they wont be taken advantage of. That will hopefully create a more transparent use of government funds in the area of disabled persons right and access. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am forming a partnership with the Civic Center of Sisian, in which I will hopefully help in their projects that extend out in to the surrounding villages. Their programs cover things like Human Rights Seminars, Health Assertiveness and Community Health Needs, Business Development, and free use of a lawyer for legal consultations. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am trying to start a geography club at the local Community Center. This would be a club free to all that want to attend. We will speak in Armenian, but they will learn all book related knowledge in English. This is mainly to expand their scope of the world, as well as their English knowledge. It will start with local geography (rivers, mountains, hills, etc.) that way they can connect it to what they know. Then it will branch out into the Caucasus Region, then onto other continents. I also have access to Discovery Channel videos in Russian, which will let them see video’s of some of the places we will be learning about. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am currently trying to get involved with a Sports School next door to my NGO, which has facilities to train athletes in soccer, basketball, and volleyball. I am trying to for a relationship with the Director so that he will let me use the facilities for local community games and sports clubs. I am toying with the idea of trying to start a few leagues for different sports.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We are currently in the process of planning a poetry contest for Sisian and the surrounding villages. This will be done with all other PCV’s in the area, including myself, and my NGO will sponsor the event. We will have children read, remember, then recite poems in English. They will be judged on many things: pronunciation, recitation, inflection, etc. This is to help let them practice their English, as well as learn how it may be correctly spoken.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am currently working with a FLEX alumnus that lives in Sisian to write a grant for their FLEX alumni grant. With this grant, we plan to give heat to the local history museum, do small restorations, and provide a summer camp for kids that will take them out to historical sites around Sisian and they will do excavation. This is a brand new project that isn’t fully developed, but is becoming quite impressive in its initial stages. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-9190407179212529612011-01-30T00:32:00.000-08:002011-01-30T00:38:28.203-08:00My New Address!Copy this over to a Word Document and Print it out and put on boxes or whatever your sending. All of it, it needs both the English and the Armenian. And don't trouble yourself with trying to write the armenian... lets just be serious now. Just Copy, Paste, Print, then Glue...Its the easiest way to do it!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> <tbody><tr> <td width="127" valign="top" style="width:126.9pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> <p class="MsoNormal">Alex Lord</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">15 Sisakan Street<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apartment 8<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">3501 Sisian, Armenia<span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Syunik Marz<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:1.05in"> <span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="135" valign="top" style="width:135.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">Հայաստան<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">Սյռւնիքի Մարզ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">3501 Սիսիան<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">Սիսական փողոց<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">15/8<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">Ալեքս Լորդ<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-36220281889750028962011-01-14T05:22:00.000-08:002011-01-14T05:25:33.761-08:00Ethiopia Part 1 - The Art of Travel<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">So I had a very interesting experience going from my small town in Armenia to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I left Dec 19<sup>th</sup>, to make the 4-hour trip up to Yerevan, then planned on leaving the 20<sup>th</sup> to go from Yerevan to Tbilisi, Georgia, and my flight was leaving on the 21<sup>st</sup> at 3:30 am. My flight path was as follows: Tbilisi, Georgia-Munich, Germany, Munich-Frankfurt, and Frankfurt-Addis Ababa. So the trip up to Yerevan was interesting because I get on the Marshutni, public transport, and there is a woman from Addis Ababa on the van with me. I spent the 4-hour trip discussing the differences between the Armenia and Ethiopia, and what I have to do while in Addis. Her and her husband, who is from France, were very nice. In Yerevan we exchanged information and both promised to talk after the holidays. So in Yerevan I stayed with some friends that night, and planned to leave for Tbilisi the next day around noon. When I woke up I was explaining something about our PC ID’s and why they have our passport # on them when it hit me… I left my passport in Sisian, 4 hours away. I couldn’t believe I had done this, I made lists on what needed to be done and everything, but somehow Passport didn’t make it on any of those lists. So I called my site mate Ben, who went to my apartment, got my passport, and gave it to the marshutni driver to hand to me in Yerevan. Oddly enough, I was totally confident in my passport making in with no hiccups. Only problem was that the marshutni was leaving at 12:30pm, it takes on average 4 hours to get to Yerevan, and my marshutni to Tbilisi was leaving at 5pm, from a different Bus station. So giving everything went perfect, my passport would arrive at 4:30, and I had 30min to go half way across the city. To put my mind at ease, I went to the station where the marshutni was leaving from and negotiated a taxi that was going. This way, the taxi could wait for me if anything happened to the passport on the way from Sisian. It was a little more expensive, but I was also sharing it with 2 other people, and he agreed to take me all the way to the airport, which would save me money in the long run. Passport arrived a little before 4:30, I tipped the driver 1,000 dram (3$) and say he is a lifesaver. My Taxi picked me up and I was in Tbilisi and at the airport by midnight. Little did I know this was only the first of many problems and events for this trip.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Flying from Tbilisi to Munich was no problem, easy, maybe a 3-hour flight. Once I got into Munich the fun started. Right when I landed snow began to fall. And when I it was time to board my flight to Frankfurt, the airline closed the Frankfurt airport due to weather. Yes, I was one of the thousands of travelers stuck in airports during the 2010 holiday season. So as I was discussing options with the flight crew for Lufthansa, they informed me that even if the airport opened within the next 2 hours, I would still my flight fro Frankfurt-Addis because they were so backed up with other flights that needed to go out first. So I made decision, and told them to get me a train ticket within Germany from Munich-Frankfurt. My thought was, no matter when the airports opened up, if I am already in Frankfurt, I only need to catch one plane and not 2. The 2<sup>nd</sup> being within Germany from Munich-Frankfurt. I thought it made more sense to wait in the airport that was taking me to my final destination. So they paid for a 4-hour train in Germany. Which turned out to be amazing. I had only spent one day in Germany back in 2007, and so I saw a new Germany, a beautiful, snow covered Germany. Once I got into Frankfurt, it was a Madhouse!!! Thousands of people just waiting in line, and sitting around, and laying on cots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So I found what line I needed to be in, and after about an hour of waiting, I got to a desk. This woman said my flight was already canceled and she only had one flight that she could put me on stand by for. So I took it. So I had about 11 hours to kill in the airport. So I walked around, ate some food, had a good German beer, and spoke with other travelers stuck in this Voyager’s Limbo. We shared experiences and laughed at how worked up people would get about airlines that were handing out free food, and they would get so mad if all they got for free was ham and not turkey. Its free food people, its much better than paying 10$ for McDonald’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So anyway, I waited at the gate for my potential flight that was supposed to be leaving at 11pm. They announced there are 31 stand by passengers. I thought, “O Great, im spending the holidays in the Airport.” So as they are calling names and filling empty seats, people are waiting like it’s the Price Is Right and running to the gate when their name is called. They say, “We have only 2 seats left…. Mr. Lord and (don’t remember her name) Please come to the Front Desk.” BAM!! Im on the flight!!! Im excited cuz this means I may be finally able to get some sleep. I look at my check in Ticket and it says seat 1D, I think to myself, SWEEET, I get the Emergency Row with extra legroom. So im getting on the plane, talking to some little cutie that attends Boston College and is traveling to India to see her family, and I walk straight on and they say, “Your seat is to the left, very front row.” But everyone when they walk on the plane is taking a right… I think to myself, hmmm interesting. I part with the cute Bostonian girl and walk to the front row, find 1D and my jaw drops… I AM IN 1<sup>ST</sup> CLASS! You betcha.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I sit down and instantaneously a glass of champagne is handed to me. Did I mention the flight is 7.5 hours to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia? O Ya. I sat in the lap of luxury, and the complete opposite of everything meant to be Peace Corps. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So needless to say I didn’t mind having to wait 11 hours, and be on stand by for this trip. It was all worth it in the end… or so I thought. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I left the 30<sup>th</sup> at 11am, and had the same flight path: Addis-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Munich, and Munich-Tbilisi. Everything was on time and smooth on the first 2 flights. Then on the flight from Munich-Tbilisi, everything landed on me at once. Basically I had been traveling for around 22 hours, and this flight was a 3-hour flight leaving at 11pm, and arriving at 3:45am. So I planned to sleep the entire way. Fate had a different idea of what I would be doing. So I get on the flight, and am having a great conversation to the woman across the aisle about the state of Armenia as being a CIS country. CIS is the Commonwealth of Independent States, an Organization created for all post-Soviet Nations. It was very interesting because she has a Doctorate from Harvard, and when we talking about health initiatives in villages, she was so surprised to here what I thought about it and how to get it to work. She said she was going to re-design her entire project on Village Health Interface. So as we are having this discussion, 20 min into the flight, some parents with twins around the age of 5 start disciplining their kids. Which makes them cry, and they do not stop crying the ENTIRE flight. Its 1am, and it is as if I am in a day care that was just told Barney was canceled forever, they were soooooo loud. One of the starts crying heavily, and starts cough. And I look at the guy on my right and I say, “That kid sounds like he is going to puke he is crying so hard, the parents may want to…” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence when I turn around and in the seat behind me the kid starts puking everyyywherrrreeee. Luckily the kid missed me by about 4 inches. It was all over the aisle and the back of my seat. I almost puked from hearing, then seeing, then smelling it. Now comes the big finale. The Flight Attendant comes over with a flash light, looks at it and says, “Oh Dear,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Im gonna need help with this.” Did she go get another flight attendant, no, did she ask the parents to help, no, what about the kid that puked, no… She asked me to help. I’ve dealt with puking children before, no problem, but after 24 hours of no sleep, I was not in the mood. But she was cute, and I have a soul, so I said yes I will help. I had to hold the flashlight and the trash bag while she rubbed disinfectant wipes on it. And I couldn’t just hold the light, I had to show her where to clean, so I had to actively look for puke for her to clean up. Once it was all done, the parents didn’t even apologize or say thank you, they just let the kids continue to cry. Now come the fruits of my labor. Since I helped clean it up, they gave me a free bottle of a Chilean 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Not an airplane version of a bottle, a real bottle, the whole thing. And in Armenia, the wine sucks, so I was ecstatic to get this bottle of wine. I drank it with my new friends I met at the Star Hostel in Tbilisi, Georgia (this is my plug for them, its by far the best hostel in Tbilisi). My new friends Tyler and Kat, and April from Hong Kong. Good people, Great times, and Good fun. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Soon to follow will be a post about my time in Ethiopia, look forward to that!!</p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-69685181132582081942010-12-08T12:24:00.001-08:002010-12-08T12:27:07.911-08:00Into the Wild... I now live alone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG9Yqv_ZTHRvOHNgWOtLUG19Xf3mRO7zIWrSlNvl9dBqg_81RHYEdFcW9ohV8Gv4n4mpbSkaDBSZR21dxM82RXqfArnaasRBx7ZCFK6S568VFfbGkoKa3oGHIj_2YaM_krsB9VQIJOljJ/s1600/156796_858470356439_7800840_47495147_4089485_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG9Yqv_ZTHRvOHNgWOtLUG19Xf3mRO7zIWrSlNvl9dBqg_81RHYEdFcW9ohV8Gv4n4mpbSkaDBSZR21dxM82RXqfArnaasRBx7ZCFK6S568VFfbGkoKa3oGHIj_2YaM_krsB9VQIJOljJ/s320/156796_858470356439_7800840_47495147_4089485_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548410524802968018" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I now live alone. I have moved out of my host families’ house and have spread my wings into my own nest. It’s a good feeling. Nothing against my host family, but it can be difficult sometimes. They are great people, a lot of fun, and always someone to practice my crappy Armenian with. But the sense of freedom that I get with being able to eat when I want, shower when I want, and walk around in the nude is just delightful. I better cover up though; we are expecting snow this weekend. Im just hoping I am not snowed in. I am traveling to Ethiopia in about a week and a half. I am going for Christmas to see my brother Peter that lives their, and my brother Arthur is coming from DC with his wife Amy. I am really excited about it. I have 2 layovers in Germany, so that means the possibility of some western food and a good beer. It will be nice to get in touch with some family for a few days. I am hoping to also get in touch with some Peace Corps Ethiopia Volunteers. It will be interesting to compare their experience with mine. My brother Peter actually just swore in some new volunteers into Ethiopia about a week ago. So they are green and excited I bet. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I participated in my first Flash Mob as well this past week. It was World AIDS Day on Dec 1. So the HIV/AIDS PC Initiative planned a flash mob in Yerevan for it. It was the brain child of Kevin Crookshank, I helped cause my sister Amy has done them before. We had about 80 people show up, we froze for 1 minute in a very crowded place in the city, holding signs with information and statistics. I had the honor deciding what went on the signs. Mostly it was world and Armenian statistics on AIDS, but I also through in a couple that I came up. Given Armenia is a post soviet nation, this was my favorite: Condoms, effectively keeping sex safe since before Soviet Times. HA! Gets me every time. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have just past the 6 month mark here in the Peace Corps. I think it’s a big milestone. They say if you can get through the first year, and in Armenia the first winter, then it’s a breeze after. Speaking of, we actually lost a volunteer this week. She was in her 60’s and having a hard time adjusting. Credit to her for sticking it out so long though. I really didn’t get to know her very well until this last week when I was helping her do something at a conference we had in Yerevan. Next thing I know, she is leaving. I wish her all the best though. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So speaking of being here 6 months. I think I am hitting a reflection point. I have been thinking a lot of what things I really want to do, have done, or haven’t done. I know that I haven’t been at my site long enough to make a big difference. But I think its important to look back and re-assess ever so often. As I think about things, I notice a contagious attitude that I have caught. I don’t know if its cause of some movies I have seen lately, or the people I have been hanging around, but I am really getting this attitude of the whole “being a world citizen” thing. That is to say, making a job out of traveling and finding new experiences. At least for now, I look back at what I was doing before I came. I worked at a Private Wealth Management Financial Firm, and I was working with everything that had to do with finances and office management. I think back about how I was so concerned, at the age of 23, at what mutual fund I was picking for my 401K. And I kind of chuckle at it. I think, wow, I was planning for 55 at 23. Not to say that is a bad idea, but I think a lot of people just plan for the future and accumulate, accumulate, accumulate. That is their goal, and that is their plan. But once they get to that point where they can spend what they have earned, or travel and see what they have wanted to see, 30 years has passed. And I think sometimes when you build things up for so long, there is no way they will meet your expectations. Some things you need to do now. Not later. This isn’t a testament to living in the here and now. Lets be smart about this. Im not saying planning is a bad thing, but action is just important. And I think some people forget that. Don’t get caught up in salary/accumulative/chain-of-command building lifestyle. Enjoy every essence of life, and don’t wait for it to be here. Cause its here now. You will never be as young as you are right now, and you can never have a re-do. Believe me, ive tried. Whether that is with people or decision. It wont always be easy, and sometimes the wrong path will be taken. That’s why it’s called a struggle; you’re supposed to sweat. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think this is for those that are on the fence about making a decision or going a new place. Just do it. Maybe the younger crowd is who I am speaking to, but not completely. I just wonder how you can be so sure about who you are, what your doing, and why it was right…. If you haven’t seen everything that’s out there. So just keep looking….</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">"No quote this time, think of something clever yourself for once.... HA!" </p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-51721364966129521792010-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:002010-11-10T09:52:23.225-08:00My 1st Armenian Wedding.... Wait you Said I'm the Groom???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvrwZajNejnvQWXRYt3Uvn5YBMpT84WOCmEXxyikO-iCSphXntX3_C5CMfcJo00qkEU1pzEbAwyaj7sKFIWkhp58iHZBPrV6gpqCJlBmeG3HXpr2hddjFWpoak_LnYJBpuAbNcCJUNvR9/s1600/SDC11078.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvrwZajNejnvQWXRYt3Uvn5YBMpT84WOCmEXxyikO-iCSphXntX3_C5CMfcJo00qkEU1pzEbAwyaj7sKFIWkhp58iHZBPrV6gpqCJlBmeG3HXpr2hddjFWpoak_LnYJBpuAbNcCJUNvR9/s400/SDC11078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537974471626397410" /></a><br />(me and 2 of my brother, Vahe and Smbat)<br /><br /><br />Ya, your read it right. Ok not actually, but their was an offer on the table. No mom i didnt take it. Basically my family is trying to get me to marry the bride's sister that i met at the wedding. Although she is 25 and it is Amot (shameful) if a man marries a woman older than him, that isnt stopping them though. <div>So the wedding was full of tradition, drinking, and lots of things i didnt understand. I had to have my tutor explain some of them to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #1: First off we go to the Groom's house, shoot some homemade vodka, sing his praises, then we go outside and dance while his sisters dance with baskets over their heads, 6 in all. Each basket it to represent a fruitful life and is full of gifts... ok i understand that one.</div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEENCZBDq0fkZST5R2aLiMJGW7n3uOSp_1wDnZ-_SPiiQxVkbDoGP3wvahF49m8YVzRzPpIbIipaAcG2fvBys4D72XScghDh659uvi0shNGelZ_irrFFlqueMUPcXZLSix6TKmhYWysECu/s400/SDC10997.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537954705116555474" /></div><div>(sisters of groom dancing with gift baskets for bride)</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #2: As we drove off to the the brides house where we present the gifts, buy off the family, and toast to her, the groom's mother threw water on the back of the car to represent good luck in buying his bride.... ya i dont have a photo of this one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #3: Ok so we are at the bride's house, and they give the bride gifts as she is sitting in chair and me and the groom are chillin out in the other room talking. Then, a young boy must replace her shoes with white boots and zip them up for her... this one was not explained to me, but i know it has something to do with them preparing her for her big day maybe....</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5KBC-JR7BMkeqf_0h5ZaVHG4AKIzl22W20lJqutMYxkAe3XI8ukkthX1tLtc_hI_PnRUjmndharVgAdCOdpl9BcQkmo2DP1mJhQ-nObE0ED3-TpjigUDFxDrIZvVZBues0cv6a52VyEH/s400/SDC11015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537974458635120914" /></div><div>(young boy putting the white boots on the bride)</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #4: This was kind of cool. After the groom comes in and gets the bride, we go into the family room and do some toasts. Then as we are leaving that some young boy has a decorated knife, and stabs the doorway. This is when the groom's best man gives him money and "buys" the right to take her to get married. And this is only supposed to happen once, but as we drove out of the village, children would hold ropes across the roadway and stop us until they threw out coins for them. This also happened at the church we went to and the apartment at the end. <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wJeBEtseebBNPlVZ5i9EZt2ksiwo981kwmnqV8KE4P9ugsYEUP1lvb_MBiLOfVxJ-HdJwkNLeG1rum4O-Qpke8bHcibgX1VpUCgMiPq44my-G2nX0bBWpJ6Jdx7VFMjkenrKKTZwwQsw/s400/SDC11031.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537974462141314738" /></div><div>(same young boy accepting money from the best man as "payment" to take the bride)</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #5: When entering the apartment after the church, they must break 2 plates on the door way. These, turns out, are them breaking any bad spirits that would start out with the marriage, ensuring a long happy couple...</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #6: Lavash, kind of like long thin pita bread, is draped across the bride and groom's shoulder as they enter the house. This is for good luck and prosperity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird thing #7: There is no smiling by the bride or groom.Something about it being bad luck. So the entire day, the entire time, there is noooooo smiling. Basically it looks like neither of them wants to be there and this is an arrange marriage, which sometimes happens here as well....</div><div><br /></div><div>And many more weird things that i still dont know what they mean. Although i didnt understand it, it was a greatttt time. Lots of dancing, announcements, toasts, singing, and god-awful homemade vodka. Which was around 70-75%, could take rust off an exhaust pipe i bet. It was a great experience to have, and i made a ton of friends. I also met the majority of my host moms side of the family and they all loved me and i loved them. So now i have people to visit when i go backdown to Goris.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, i also learned i have a food allergy. The morning after i was sitting with my host cousins daughter (who i loved and she cried when i left... she is 11), and i took a bite of a fruit i have never seen before. First bite nothing happened, but the 2nd time i got some of the outer skin with it, and BAM, it happened. My mouth went dry, my tongue started to swell, and i couldnt swallow and more-or-less chew. after about 15 sec, it went away. So i tested this theory again, about 4 sec after i took a bigger bite, this time it felt like my mouth was filled with pillows and nothing would move or moisten. I repeated this action a few times trying different parts of the fruit. All i need to do now is learn and remember the armenian word for it and to avoid it. Although my mini science project was kinda fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, here is a pic of who my family is dead set on making my future wife...<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n3jJronQU5IEr17D4Zy_MYJ5YG1T2pgsKn8C9NHVTe7HTfQxa6fSfuQTEzfMmtoQaU7KQYL30RASaUN2hmkm-NQcikH0tLskasc_fFIym3LGYH6yK5hhyLEFy1LiUEEeNDNZnEYH5Uc3/s400/SDC11070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537979591609295026" /></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-19938915777607874152010-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:23:26.477-07:00Video of me in Armenia!!This is a video of me around the end of June during our teaching practicum for the Community Health Education Sector. Enjoy!<div><br /></div><div>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbLQxfFr9o8 </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-32214277593804627182010-09-05T12:31:00.000-07:002010-09-05T12:39:02.357-07:00My weekend tailgating in Armenia….<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgkX_Xgul6bsj_Er1UBji6OGUZ0Kl166nvug4ytGLOm2yJexNslLBPs8Drq5iI0eY5N7XMBUzL_cz9ScBbiIVBCU5VJsEfeKXSnK-kaXe3stGdcruFrMv_G8fn2QpLkgSfSQ09ihUjbvT/s1600/n5104281_36472841_7510.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgkX_Xgul6bsj_Er1UBji6OGUZ0Kl166nvug4ytGLOm2yJexNslLBPs8Drq5iI0eY5N7XMBUzL_cz9ScBbiIVBCU5VJsEfeKXSnK-kaXe3stGdcruFrMv_G8fn2QpLkgSfSQ09ihUjbvT/s200/n5104281_36472841_7510.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513515761316119298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN-o6IIQ0K77YMHq87S7QlNXybLIJAUWfJ81CCXXbP9tjPjx9U2LE4MEhyphenhyphenCotyaPV0P6I8uuESrQ1OvPxvUQD3FimITiu3CFvyF2UcUU6MDrJLauQ8LZ5oWcSDvD_S-QZcmKQ5WxKPtdr/s1600/n5100907_41003859_3039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN-o6IIQ0K77YMHq87S7QlNXybLIJAUWfJ81CCXXbP9tjPjx9U2LE4MEhyphenhyphenCotyaPV0P6I8uuESrQ1OvPxvUQD3FimITiu3CFvyF2UcUU6MDrJLauQ8LZ5oWcSDvD_S-QZcmKQ5WxKPtdr/s200/n5100907_41003859_3039.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513514749893798274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m9VjH_tQDVfhcXcL0fqj5NaBaqcToH06HJMC5TQxYY0eDJy-gYnrff80y-_SKM1H9cdDYYDW9HMEWaZnyHJKL6AFZVZgP7EUbGSrsA7AUjkUxqKwSWbehahe67ZJonVxNz49T_rfj5Vd/s1600/n5100303_42697004_6570.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m9VjH_tQDVfhcXcL0fqj5NaBaqcToH06HJMC5TQxYY0eDJy-gYnrff80y-_SKM1H9cdDYYDW9HMEWaZnyHJKL6AFZVZgP7EUbGSrsA7AUjkUxqKwSWbehahe67ZJonVxNz49T_rfj5Vd/s200/n5100303_42697004_6570.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513514749725814802" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>You heard it correctly. I tailgated in Armenia, in honor of the start of UCF football. So this weekend marked the first Saturday in September. And for the last 3 years, every Saturday in September, October, and November was one thing and one thing only. Football. And not just any football, college football. And not just any college. The University of Central Florida or UCF. The 3<sup>rd</sup> largest Univ in the nation. That’s right people, eat it up. And I didn’t just do it for the fact of football, or for ritual of drinking with a guy named skinny Pete on Saturday’s. (and yes a guy named skinny Pete was their every Saturday actually)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was for the experience and the atmosphere. It was for the face paint, the same wig I wore to every game without washing for 3 years. The jerseys that say 24K even though he left 2 years ago (you get it if you’re a knight). It was for the fact that every girl looked gorgeous on game day, outside under a tent, wearing black and gold knee high socks and playing beer pong or flip cup and skimming beers of guys because they were hot. For that random game you got dragged into with people you don’t know and now you have to shotgun a beer then have a dizzy-bat relay race. (This is the point where my mom google’s what shot gunning a beer is… then emails me…) And for “that guy” that walks around with no shirt on and thinking he is the hottest thing since skin colored band-aide’s and carrying his own 6 pack in the cardboard box while his buddy is driving a cooler full of beer and running over empty beer cans, ya that’s right, a motorized cooler. It was for the feeling you get when you are walking to the stadium with 44,974 other people, and that sacred tradition of shaking your keys at opening kick-off.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>This was the first time I have truly been homesick. Because I am thinking of every Saturday when me and the boys took a Moe’s tent, a grill, and tailgate in between the Psych building and the Alumni Center on top of the drain, same spot for 3 years. This is why I am homesick. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>I had the privilege of obtaining a leadership position at UCF where I was the student ambassador to the UCF alumni association and the UCF community. So I was basically a walking billboard for the Univ. I learned to love every aspect of that school. I am confident that if you cut me now, I will bleed black and gold. So going to these games, seeing the students, the alumni, the boosters, it was my tiny version of heaven. I loved every minute of it, rain or shine. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So yesterday was the first game against South Dakota. We won, great start to the season. But I was I walking to a café to hang out with some other volunteers and have a beer, and definitely it was a hard walk. My first toast when I got to the café was to UCF football. But more importantly it was to my friends that I went to every game with. It was to everything I mentioned above, the atmosphere that I wasn’t going to have. I knew I would miss things when I joined the Peace Corps, but I never thought that Saturday tailgating at UCF would be atop the list 3 months in to service. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>After my day with volunteers yesterday, I was walking home and I was listening to my ipod, and I was jamming to a little O.A.R., and a song came on called “I Feel Home,” I have attached the youtube link. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSuaqVxFqq4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSuaqVxFqq4</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and some of the lines just made it all a little worse… and then better. The song says, and this is a couple random lines, “There are few things pure in the world anymore, and home is one of the few…I feel Home when im chillin outside with the people I know… in a thousand years and a thousand tears, I will find my original crew… I feel home, when I see the faces that know my own…” as you can imagine, it was like throwing gas on a fire. But it was good. It brought to light so many good memories, and times when I will never forget with the people I will never forget. Like the time me greg, skinny pete (told you he was real) and jenna drove to UMiami when UCF played them, and we had random people come ask us if this was the car they could do a beer bong off of….? Of course we answered. Or when me and adam went to the bowl game in Tampa, and we sat next to a federal judge and his drunk wife who offered her husbands services if we ever got into trouble. Or when we picked up 2 parents that were drinking on the side of the road during parents weekend and took them to campus so they could find their daughter. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>But after thinking about this for a while, and listening to that song all the way to the end, I realized something. Even though im not with those guys, and we all live in different places now, they are always with me. Everywhere I go, every smile I have, is partly because of them. What I see with my own eyes is their lens to parts of the world they have never been to. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for these same people, and I know no matter when I am in the world, they are still my best friends. I could go months without talking to them, and the next time I speak with them, it’s like we just hung out yesterday, and we will be tomorrow. With so much going on in life, its memories like these that are important. The ones that make you forget about the rough situation of today, and troubles that may come tomorrow, but all you can think about are the memories of yesterday. And with going through so much with these individuals, I consider them family. Doesn’t matter what happens, they will be a part of everything from here on out. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So this rum drink I currently have in my hand, this one is for you Boys. Every member of the palace, every UCF game we went to, and every time I got you a gold parking pass. This is for every game we went to, and the ones I know we will go to in the future. This is for every argument over what time to go tailgate, and for the time I dragged all of you out in hurricane force winds to tailgate at the game. P4L</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alex </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Mr. UCF”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-11301400254526296792010-08-28T01:46:00.000-07:002010-08-28T01:47:40.313-07:00What do I want out of the Peace Corps?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Why did I join? Why have I decided to sacrifice 2 years of my life? What has driven me to pursue this? Why did I go through an 18-month application process? What drove me to quit my job, leave my friends, leave my family, end relationships, sell my car, get rid of most of my possessions, pack a bag, and move across the world to a place I don’t speak the language, understand the customs, or know exactly what im doing. The last few days have been a relentless mental search for this answer. Now I know maybe I should have decided this before I left Orlando, but that’s not how it happened. I did have reasons for all of it. And now that im here, have those reasons changed. Because wanting to do the Peace Corps and actually joining and going for 2 years are two very separate things, with two very separate motivations.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>I think while applying, the reasons were to get an experience that you can’t really get anywhere else. I also didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so why not? Maybe after the 2 years, there will be a giant blinking sign of where I am supposed to go and what I want to do. I was expecting that sign after college, didn’t happen. Now maybe it will happen after all this. But still, that doesn’t explain why I couldn’t just find a job I liked and stuck with it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">I went to 3 different colleges in 3 years. After high school, moved to NC, that first summer in college, moved to ATL, moved back to NC to a new city and new college, moved back to FL to Titusville first, after that moved to Orlando for school. So in 4 years the longest I was in one place was about 15 months. I think maybe I was feeling that urge to move again, do something, and go somewhere. So I applied my last semester in college. After I graduated college, I found an internship that turned into a full-time job. I stayed there while I was going through the rest of the application process. All this was setting up this large decision to join the Peace Corps. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">I think the reasons as to why you join the Peace Corps and why you stay in the Peace Corps for the full two years differ. And they are different for everyone. Some are placed in a region or job that they can really make some difference in, some just think living in another country is enough, and not really accomplishing much is fine with them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now the reasons for why I want to be here are a mixture of a lot of things. I have always kind of looked for something. Maybe that’s why I changed schools so many times. I don’t really know what I am looking for, but I know I wasn’t gonna find it where I was. So I think part of me wanted to go look for it in a far away place. Not sure what that is, but its almost like there is something out there I am supposed to find, and im not gonna sit home and wait for it, im gonna go looking for it. Could be an ideal. Could be a person. Could be a cause. Could just be the experience of looking through my eyes in a new place. But whatever it is, that’s why I am here. I also want to see things no American has seen. I want to be the first draft of eyes to look upon something, and then refine and retune what it is for other eyes to see, or maybe read right here. I want to help and show a different way of doing things, but more so I want to be taught a different way of doing things.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Today marks 3 months into this 27-month journey in Armenia. I am still looking and searching for my place here, what I am going to do and how it can affect me. And I am writing about it in hopes to influence or inform one person. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><b>“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”</b></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-18059718286481812622010-08-25T06:32:00.001-07:002010-08-25T06:32:53.586-07:00Camping Day 2<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I woke up exhausted, but straight away I brushed my teeth and I automatically felt a little better. I don’t know what it is about removing plaque from my mouth, but it helps remove my worried while fighting cavities. So the day started with the gas burners not working, so everyone got 2 pieces of candy, a short cake cookie, and a vanilla wafer… glad im here to help with health education.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Again had to keep post from 10-12, not bad. It was normal, captured 3 of the diversante’s, but let them go on account of they were there to fix the gas burners. We ate lunch and had a few competitions: Race’s, darts, arrubix cube, easy stuff. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Then the best part of my day started. I put a towel on the ground at the foot of my tent, laid on it under a tree in the shade, looked up at the clear blue sky and had ray charles remind me of why I love GA and being from the south. I played my favorite Neo-Soul mix and he is on it. It was a very good hour or so. Nothing like a lttle Ray Charles, Erykha Badu, Maxwell, & Anthony Hamilton couldn’t cure. Then I had a weird though…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>After I ended a relationship to come to the PC, whenever I would talk to her, her last line was always, “I hope you find what your looking for.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And that statement was lingering in my head for some reason. What am I looking for? I have been contemplating that all day and will cont. to do so. I hope whatever it is, I do find it, cuz I feel I am looking for something, and its not a bad stomach virus, cuz I have already found that 3 times. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So we had a normal dinner, relaxing afternoon, then the Marleboro Man returned. If I have yet to talk about him, basically he is the camp leader that’s on a power trip and he makes everyone do pushups and sit-ups all day long. He just basically is always yelling at the kids to do insane things and hitting on the girls that do the cooking while ordering them to get him more coffee, all while wearing camo and a Marleboro cowboy hat. When he leaves camp, it is always on a horse, and always for some dramatic reason. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So the MM (marleboro man) is back, chaos has ensued, and im getting a little stressed again. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So the nights post went fine, nothing happened. However the rest of the night was interesting. The MM made everyone get in a line and he laid down next to the fire, and he made everyone line up and tell him a joke in fron of the whole group. If he liked it, you sat down. If he didn’t like it, 1 of 3 things would happen depending on how bad it was. 1- 20 pushups. 2- whip in the a@! with his wooden knumb-chucks. O ya, forgot to mention he carries them around his neck at all times. And 3- 20 sit-ups<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>while he whacks u in the stomach with his knumb-chucks as you do them. And he wasn’t easy about it… to bad its not a year from now, where I will have the language ability to explain how ridiculous this is. But whatever. So after, it was about 10, they made everyone under 14 go to bed, and I had to get the fire started. That wasn’t that hard, and I had a good time doing it. After I got it started, the girls came out of their tent and sat around trying to talk to me and teach me some Armenian. The fire was great, relaxing, made me forget I was 10,000 miles away from home. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>About midnight, the MM asked me to be post #3, I was reluctant because I was exhausted, and I knew this would be a 2 hour post. I did it though. Right then all the diversante’s decided to get loud and have some fun… at my post. So it was an eventful 2 hours, but I still didn’t want to stand there in the dark while being exhausted. I had to tell the I was tired and wanted to go to bed around 3, they were reluctant but they let me. We all woke up one time because the diversante’s attacked around 4:30, apparently we captured one, but they captured Artyum, god rest his soul. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Day two ended with a lot of yelling, no fireworks, a really good bonfire by me, and me still pondering that question. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; color: rgb(37, 0, 0); ">“Somebody told me it was frightening how much topsoil we are losing each year, but I told that story around the campfire and nobody got scared.”</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-21892541950606448962010-08-21T12:26:00.000-07:002010-08-21T12:29:33.949-07:00Camping Day 1: Diary of a mad white guy camping in Armenia…<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Camping Day 1: Diary of a mad white guy camping in Armenia…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So we woke up at 6:45 because we had to leave for the sport complex at 7:40. I thought my sister was coming with, but as I waited and waited for her, I finally asked when she would be ready, and she informed me that she wouldn’t be coming with me. That’s ok though.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So I got to the complex and helped load up the van full of all the stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then we had a little pep-talk that I completely understood… not really, then we set off to the camping site that was 16k away… and we were going by foot. If you do the math, which I did, it is about… 9.94 miles,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>approximately of course. It took us 3 and a half hours to walk there. Walking was myself, my counterpart (to who I will now refer to as CP), and 39 kids. Although it was a beautiful walk, it was still very long. We got to camp and all the tents were set up by about 4-5 of the older kids that came in a van. Then the camping got interesting very quickly…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>We broke into 4 different tribes, and each tribe chief learned the rules of the game we will be playing for the next 4 days. I was told I will be the chief for the 2<sup>nd</sup> tribe. I own the 2<sup>nd</sup> group, they are my tribe, and I am their fearless, American, non-armenian speaking leader. First thing I asked them was if they wanted a team name, one kid yelled cheechu/vort, which is a kind of worm, so we were the worms. Great name guys…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Now the game. This is a serious game, and everyone bought into it, and I now understand why. First thing was they roped off a compound around where we were camping, and you could not leave the compound without approval. Approval came from the chief that was currently in charge of post duty. Starting at 6pm that evening, each team had a 2 hour post, and the chief would roam around and make sure everything was ok and tell kids, “yes u can leave and go to the bathroom.” Also in the compound, they placed an Armenian flag in the middle that would also be guarded during post. Post were stationed at 8 different places around the compound, and the 9<sup>th</sup> post being the flag. We rotate post’s every 2 hours. EVERY 2 HOUR’S. So even from 2-4 in the morning we had post. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The reason we need guards around our campsite is because there are demon snathcers that come in the middle of the night and take people that are outside of the compound, they are called Diversante’s. I have no idea what that translates to. But they dress in all black, and if they take you, you are basically their slave and POW. They can even snatch a post or guard if they get close enough and can manage to do it. This game is to go on for 4 days, all day and all night, never stopping. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So my 1<sup>st</sup> shift with my little villagers was from 6-8pm, not bad. Very easy. But that means my 2<sup>nd</sup> shift will be from 2-4am… ya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So one thing I forgot to mention is that we have to get water out of a spout from the side of the road, about 150 yards away outside the compound, and with 35+ kids, water must be filled regularly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Right after my shift, we ate dinner and I was exhausted from the walk and the long day, so we lit a bonfire, as did the DS’s (diversante’s) and they were trying to intimidate us with it. I wanted to rest so bad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But why rest when you can sneak behind enemy lines and put out their fire… im not sure really. So myself and 2 other village chiefs left the camp, dressed in all black, and went to go put out their fire in the cover of darkness, without using any lights. So we are sneaking around in the dark, I get stung by neddles probably 5 times, and we only use the moon to light where we walk. We climb a mountain, sprint around a historic church, and stomp out their fire, which is good fun. Then the guys im with want to find them and try and take one of the hostage… so we attempted to do so by looking and hiding in bushes for about 40 minutes, regretfully not finding any. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So we successfully sneak back to camp, and its 11pm, and I have shift at 2am. So I head to bed to get some shut eye. I am in a tent with another kid, but he doesn’t sleep until like 4 am, and that was in another tent, so im alone. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Even with ear plugs or an ipod, I did not sleep a wink. We had a bonfire going, 35+kids running around screaming, and the DS’s had fireworks and firecrackers they set off every 10 min and would throw them into camp. Im pretty sure at least 3 hit my tent. Needless to say, I was never even close to sleeping. So I get up around 1:20 so I can prepare for shift at 2. It looked like WWII outside. Things exploding, kids diving behind trees. Fires going. I had flash backs of firework wars at The Rojas’ house in Titusville, where I grew up. People wore all camo, repelled out of tress, and used mortar fireworks as hand grenades, it was amazing. If u know what im talking about, u know how ridiculous it is. Now imagine you cant speak the language and your in a foreign country… you actually kinda feel like your in a war haha.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So at about 1:50, it starts raining, which is just super since I have a 2 hour shift in 10min. As you can tell by my writing, I am less than happy. So its 1:55 and im about to wake up my viallgers, and my CP tells me since I have a group that is 11-13 years old, they get to sleep, and I have to patrol with the older kids… yay. So I did my patrol for WWII and was exhausted the whole time. Everything went fine though. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The end of day 1 was rain, fireworks, more rain, lighting and fire, and more rain, and bed at 4am. Not bad though. Interesting to see how the next 3 days turn out, and if I can actually make it. This game is serious, and every kid is into it. All I can think of is my good buddy Manolo back in Orlando. This is what he is made for, and this would be the best 4 days of his life, maybe even better than his honeymoon… Sorry Ashley <span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings">J</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Day 2 comes early….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:ArialMT;color:#051B8E">“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:ArialMT;color:#051B8E"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>- General George S. Patton</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-23137953070168898492010-08-16T12:08:00.000-07:002010-08-16T12:25:43.758-07:00Same World different CountryGirls and clothes... that what this post is about. <div><br /></div><div>My oldest brother that lives in my house went with his wife and 2 daughters to yerevan for the last 3 days for one thing... back to school shopping. Yep, they do it in armenia too. and its an even bigger deal. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have to niece's, 7 and 9, and they were soooo excited to show me everything they got for their new start of school. it happens on September 1st. They showed me everything from the new underwear they got to every pen, marker, highlighter, and notebook they got. It was actually very exciting to see how excited they were about all of it. the youngest would light up anytime her mother would pull out a piece of clothing from the bag and it was her's, she would turn and smile from ear to ear, then ask me if it was beautiful. and of course it all was. by the way the majority of everything they got was pink. </div><div><br /></div><div>and this wasnt just me in the room, then entire family stopped what they were doing and came to see the new clothes, it was a big deal. especially for mariam the 9 year old. They bought her what i would consider a prom dress. Every year when they start school the family throws a big party for them celebrating the start of the school year. Still not sure why only 1 girl got the dress, but maybe it was because she is the oldest. but it took me back when i made my mother take me to buy new clothes for school, me and my brothers made her buy some ridiculous stuff. It started with JNCO jeans, then went to nike and adidas everything, then A&F, Amer. Eagle, then in college i jumped to old navy and target, finally after college i had to buy grown up clothes at men's warehouse. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was good to see the girls were excited to start school, as was the entire family. This showed me how armenian girls arent much different from american girls. They were soo excited about there new clothes, they are always getting dressed up just go to do the simplest of tasks like buy fruit, and everything they bought was pink, when getting ready we are always waiting on them... sounds about the same to me, and i think i may catch some flack for that last one. But hey, at least i got some socks out of the deal... even though they were made in Turkey haha </div><div><br /></div><div>So i am going camping with my counterpart and 25 kids for the next 4 days, off in the woods. the kids were asked to bring supplies, i was slightly nervous when each one showed up at the pre-departure meeting with a half kilo of potatoes, abilly club and an axe. Sounds like good times to me. I also know that my counterpart is planning on some midnight war games with black masks and hoods, which also makes me slightly nervous. Given that i am supposed to watch after kids and keep them safe when i dont even speak the language, its ok though, yelling in any language gets your point across haha. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think it will be fun and probably a long 4 days, but i am excited, and i should have some exciting stories for you when i return. Hopefully they dont involve either me accidentally axing a kid, a kid accidentally axing me, or me returning with 24 kids. Cross your fingers....</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 0, 0); ">"Camping: The art of getting closer to nature while getting farther away from the nearest cold beverage, hot shower and flush toilet."</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-86339087646668834432010-08-16T01:41:00.000-07:002010-08-16T12:06:14.231-07:00My new address..send me stuff here!!! Por Favor!!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><div><br /></div><div>Alex Lord</div><div>6 Yeritasardakan Street</div><div>3501 Sisia, Armenia</div><div>Syunik Marz</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-6755265241056055982010-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:002010-08-12T22:02:56.756-07:00Sisian Youth Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpARZvhtHUgAIZcLf8lW3EEzYaGhjJcQJtjhO3ARIxMIoHPngclhpmdQav_G7cSaRdVWktEyEjZBh2wr_ekMtlsiIc3LjA6uuskyTt4E3_7M-JmuK6JfhHJScdDJ5LXijFAPMrq4xkvOQI/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpARZvhtHUgAIZcLf8lW3EEzYaGhjJcQJtjhO3ARIxMIoHPngclhpmdQav_G7cSaRdVWktEyEjZBh2wr_ekMtlsiIc3LjA6uuskyTt4E3_7M-JmuK6JfhHJScdDJ5LXijFAPMrq4xkvOQI/s200/IMG_0141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504611879803365090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_X9cFfIg81yFtdcgJxKLjf6J-xDQMqdFEA848Xau991TxW6dbWUu_1Td-AvNvWECpu8FjrArxyj35Nouh5HkOMnW2YS0pMBhWoEYeHI0AxwVDG5JjagHg62ho_VCh1ToVMNMJNFQEjBo/s1600/IMG_0130.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_X9cFfIg81yFtdcgJxKLjf6J-xDQMqdFEA848Xau991TxW6dbWUu_1Td-AvNvWECpu8FjrArxyj35Nouh5HkOMnW2YS0pMBhWoEYeHI0AxwVDG5JjagHg62ho_VCh1ToVMNMJNFQEjBo/s200/IMG_0130.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504611874889012418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBWhRuBPNssO-bKRaDTdooVPPWB1egnUixbonZTpxpzqd8Q8QjFR7d2HWmhZZcWrR2nv_W7vzfiQaNJvcfJmnzbOnmOfc4IU4165AyJYHYaEz-dlR7qxM_U7pLA2zQVRJ8lG2UANcT2Mq/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBWhRuBPNssO-bKRaDTdooVPPWB1egnUixbonZTpxpzqd8Q8QjFR7d2HWmhZZcWrR2nv_W7vzfiQaNJvcfJmnzbOnmOfc4IU4165AyJYHYaEz-dlR7qxM_U7pLA2zQVRJ8lG2UANcT2Mq/s200/IMG_0123.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504611869808947650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb14ukUz0uKICfkOinsq4sBxDI8TjWq1j2-hDpC8peBlTffpNjF4dqLauuPTybAUHdXQt2TdzjgA7txFBsEklUmtDjMcLTq2pjGft_aGB-54Tc1G0TEDeASze6Q5riejyFY3SmcYBvJdL/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb14ukUz0uKICfkOinsq4sBxDI8TjWq1j2-hDpC8peBlTffpNjF4dqLauuPTybAUHdXQt2TdzjgA7txFBsEklUmtDjMcLTq2pjGft_aGB-54Tc1G0TEDeASze6Q5riejyFY3SmcYBvJdL/s200/IMG_0120.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504611863090597138" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I know this is my first blog in awhile, and alotttt has happened. But tonight it is only one subject.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today was Sisian Youth Holiday. I had no idea until last night what has going on, or what was happening. Basically it is a government-organized holiday where all the youth in the town get together.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So it started off with us meeting in the central square at 8:45 in the morning, I wasn’t happy about that. But we all got a white shirt that had Sisian spray painted on the back. It looked like this <span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";">ՍԻՍԻԱՆ. </span>So after we all put the shirts on, they lined all about 200 of us to walk down the streets up to the church, and we had a priest dressed in all black that walked with us. Once we walked all the way up to the church, about 2-3 kilometers, we went inside, and the priest said a little something, I have no idea what, then we went outside. And this is where it gets interesting. We all grabbed a carnation, went around the corner to the graveyard, and we put the carnations on the graves of fallen soldiers from the Karabach War. Not only did we place them on the grave, we walked and people touched every single grave, there was about 40 of them. This was to show that remember every soldier that lived in Sisian and died in this was.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After we did that, our next location to walk was the ancient ruins to remember those that are their ancestors. This was no ordinary walk; it was about an hour walk in random fields and across mountaintops, 13 kilometers. It was a heck of a walk. But turns out we were walking to what Armenians call “The original Stonehenge.” This is something that is exactly like Stonehenge, but dated way before it. There is a debate on what it was used for, Archeoastronomists (ya didn’t know that was a profession) think that is was a constellation map, because every stone out of the 200 something stones have a hole in them each pointing out into a certain location in the sky. And other stones have sharp tops so you can correct each perfect line of other stones, basically to calibrate them. It was very interesting. Others belief it was an area for religious worship and burial because graves were found at the site as well. Either way it was something very cool to see. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">After we were there and all took a giant photo, all 200 of us, we heading to the local tourist spot, it’s a waterfall. I went here about 3 days ago with an A-17 Bill and his counterpart. It was great; we had lunch, climbed the waterfall, and then climbed this giant rock. Shout out to Bill for showing a good time. Anyway, we were going to the same spot to spend the afternoon. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So we show up and we pull out some soccer balls, but all we play is volleyball with them, for hourssss. And hourssss. Even the priest got in on a few games, that was interesting to see, he was still in his garb and went with it like nothing changed. We were going to be served lunch their, and I saw what we were eating as soon as I arrived. The dead cow they were gutting right at the entrance, for everyone to watch, and smell. And as we played v-ball, you could here them chopping through the ribs with an axe, a rusty one at that. Since I got there and they were just skinning it, I knew it would be a very long time till we ate. So I went with my counterpart, Davit, and we walked up to the waterfall. It was gorgeous, again. We climbed to the top, I took some photos, saved a girl from falling in the water by accident, but it was only a 2-foot fall, no serious thing. Then we headed back, but we stopped along the way with some girls and were searching for apples in an apple orchard. We were starved, so we crossed a river and got soaking wet, just to find food. We found 3 apples for 7 people. I was the gentleman and gave mine up. However when I got back to where everyone was playing volleyball, my socks and shoes were soaked, I was sun burnt from being outside all day, and starving. So I decided to sit down, take my shoes and socks off, put them out in the sun and try and let them dry. And by now, you could have guessed it; the other 199 people were wondering who this foreigner was that was celebrating youth day in Sisian with them. So a few would leisurely come talk to me, or Davit would introduce me, and my other host brother Nairi was there as well, so I met some of his friends. And anyone that knew 2 words of English would come talk to me, I don’t mind it though, some volunteers get annoyed with. I figure I practice my Armenian on them; they can do the same with English. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So the time to eat had finally come. We left at 9am, walked 15k, and it was now 3, so everyone was starving. We literally ate an entire cow. That’s a lot of meat, with lavash, tomatoes, cucs, and cheese. And it was all gone. Not the best meat I have ever had, but at the time it was glorious. OOOO not to mention the homemade wine they had that 6L bottles. That stuff was great. Best wine I have had in Armenia. And I tried a little trick my cousin Michael taught me, she mixes fanta with wine, and I tried it today, not bad. I enjoyed it. So after lots of beef and lavash, and wine, the music started up, and we had people dancing out in the fields. I was able to hide for about 15 minutes, cause they always pull the American to dance. Always. It’s almost like a law in this country. So I got pulled in to dancing in a field with a bunch of Armenian women and one man, and once the American stated dancing the crowd gathered. I wasn’t doing anything spectacular, just the male role of Armenian dancing, which is not much. But everyone seemed to like it and be impressed, so I kept going. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had to stop dancing for a moment though because I saw something that I had to get a picture of for my friend Katherine Defilipo. She is located in Sevan now and was in Fantan with me. She has odd fetishes, and I saw a 4 year old boy with a rattail that had to be at least 18 inches long, and a shaved head, walking behind his dad, and he had a cigarette in his mouth he was pretending to puff on every time hit father would smoke. It was amazing. Anyway. This was now about 5:15 and we are all exhausted, and sun burnt. But, the day isn’t over. Now we all travel back to the center of the city for a concert that is being held at 8 pm. So we get back to town around 6:15, and I head to my counterparts house for some tea and coffee. I end up falling asleep on the couch, and get woken up by his 7-year-old son Tigran when he licked my arm. Hope it tasted good. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So we head down to the square in front of the university, and it was like back home when the fair came to out local Catholic Church…. Everyone was there. The city stopped so this thing could happen. We listened to a few singers, then me, my host brother Nairi and his wife Anush, and my other brother’s wife Armineh went to a café to sit for a bit. They came to the conclusion that they need to find me an Armenian wife, so every girl that walked by they would ask me what I thought about her. It was funny, I said there homework over the next 2 years is to find the best candidate and I will see what I think…. Don’t worry mom, im not worried and you shouldn’t be either. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So I came home at the end of a very long day, took a shower, then me, momma, Nairi, Anush, and Armineh sat on the balcony and drank juice and tea and talked. I was teaching them the English version of a lot of worms. My host brother Nairi is a riot; he called his wife a smelly worm by the end of the conversation. He is always cracking jokes, I love it. So currently in my house there is 7 people, but wait, there’s more… (kind of like an infomercial). Just as I was walking inside, I heard a knock downstairs outside at the gate. So we go out there, and low and behold it is the 4<sup>th</sup> brother I haven’t met, his wife, and 2 daughters. The daughters I have met and they are adorable, and my new brother, Sabat, and his wife Amelia, seem like they are great. And every brother in this family is built like a rock. All of them. Nairi, Vahay, Sabat, and Davit. So lets count it now… yep that makes 11 in house. And I love it… I have a big family at home, so it feels right at home for me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So all in all, it was a long day. I got a serious cultural experience, and I met a lot of new people. I am happy about it. Including the mayor, who’s first question was when should we expect money coming into the city from me, but that’s ok. I told him when I am fluent in Armenian, so he offered to tutor me ha-ha. Always deflect those types of questions with humor, generally works. Saw three great sites around Sisian, integrated a little bit with the community, now instead being “that American,” I’m “that American that can play football pretty good, and dance really well.” We will see how far that takes me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What I want you to get from this very lengthy post is that the community connection doesn’t just happen with the current community. The community includes those that have fallen, those that are young, those that are different, and those that have nothing in common except they are a youth in Sisian. Its great to se here that a 17-year-old boy shakes hands with an 11-year-old and asks him how his mother is doing. In the states, you don’t get those connections outside of age groups. Everyone shakes hands, young and old, I have seen a 12-year-old have a conversation with not just one, but groups of people in there late teens, just because they generally care about every person in the town, and keep these relationships for as long as they can. Take that to heart, and think about it. Just because someone is younger or older doesn’t mean you cant have some form of a relatioship with them. And I mean more than a 5 year gap. I like the idea of it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">By the way, my next post will be on how I have become a regular on Armenian television. Ya you heard me right… Fo Sho! Until next time. Minchev Vaghe<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 102); -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:medium;">"We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial Unicode MS"font-family:";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-19132778769494490562010-08-04T20:54:00.000-07:002010-08-04T21:04:01.790-07:00I do solemnly swear....So today is the Peace Corps Armenia Swearing in service. Those of us that have been here for 10 weeks, and are still here, get to finally become PC Volunteers today. So in about an hour and a half, i will now be working as a representative of the US State Department. This is weird to think about since i left home about 11 weeks ago, quit my job, sold or gave away the majority of my possessions, left my friends, family, moved to a new country, learned a new language, lived with a host family, and lived off 3$ a day, only now to be officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. It has been a very difficult 10 weeks, and at times all i could think about was a cheezy gordita crunch from taco bell, but all the food wants aside, i am very happy to finally be in this position. I passed my 2 week teaching practicum, did well on my language proficiceny test (got a higher score than i needed), and showed the want and determination to be in this program for the next 2 years. So today is the day, that i swear to protect my country from all enemies, foreign and domestic, and commit to upholding the values stated by the Peace Corps, and will serve as am American in Armenia for 2 years. Wish me luck, hope i dont trip when i try and shake the hand of the madam ambassador...Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-15331331742264666452010-07-30T01:15:00.000-07:002010-07-30T01:21:17.768-07:00It finally happened...<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So we all hear stories of when a volunteer accidentally said the wrong Armenian word and something horrible has come out and you don’t know it, and everyone laughs, or cries. Well I was waiting for this to happen, and it finally did. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So for the last 2 weeks, we have had Armenian language in the morning, then in the afternoon for an hour we teach a health related lesson to the local students in our village. Basically everything has been crazy cause we don’t speak the languge very well, and we are trying to be creative, so we spend countless hours preparing, then to just barely get our point across, and we have the worst kids known to man, seriously they are crazy, but still a lot of fun. Whatever though, I signed up for it haha</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So on Thursday I was teaching a course on nutrition and I made a little game, so as I was holding something up, I wanted them to look at it….. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let me stop here and give you a small Armenian language lesson. So in Armenian, they have something called the imperative mood. In English, it may sound rude, but here it is used as a command and it is used a lot in the classroom. So to give you an example, if I wanted to tell the students to come, I would just say yekek, and I would be commanding them to come, so it would be like me just yelling, COME! And it can be used for anything, WRITE, GO, READ. So much for asking politely…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, so I was wanted my class to look at something, and I was trying to use the verb to see, tesnel, which conjugated in the imperative mood is TESEK. So as the class was getting louder and louder, I knew what to say, and I wanted them to listen and look, so I meant to say LESEK yev TESEK,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>LISTEN and LOOK. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, here is the punch line. So instead of saying TESEK, I didn’t pronounce the first E, so I said TSEK. And I repeated it like 4 times, TSEK, TSEK, TSEK, TSEK. After which they all started to snicker, and so did my tech trainer who was observing me teach. I forgot to mention that I was teaching 13 and 14 year olds, the age where no one is immature at all… ya right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So turns out that the word I was saying, TSEK, is the verb to fart…. Ya. So I was repeating it over and over again to some 14 year olds, fart fart fart. And I wasn’t just politely asking, remember I was using the imperative case. So I was commanding them, all, to fart, 4 times. Its like if some one from an authoritative position just started yelling at you to fart instantly. I didn’t know this of course, we don’t use the verb to fart in class, it isn’t on our list of important verbs to know, although it should be. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So after the class was over, I was given this information in my feedback discussion from my tech trainer, and we all had a good laugh about it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So needless to say pronunciation of every letter in a word is now on my list of things to practice before my final language proficiency test which is on Monday. I don’t think the testers would appreciate it if I walked in and started commanding them to fart….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:13.0pt;">“Humor is merely tragedy standing on its head with its pants torn.”</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-88707730444968807662010-07-20T20:16:00.000-07:002010-07-20T20:19:43.542-07:00What I have learned since moving to Armenia: Part 1<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Things I have learned in Armenia: Part 1</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to sheer sheep</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to bath and make tea with the same pot of hot water, simultaneously </p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to brush, rinse, and wash my face in 4 oz of water</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to hide candy in any and all pockets discreetly so I don’t have to eat it when it is offered, which is every 4 minutes</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to make a potato in 3090948974 different ways that are edible </p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to live off 3$ a day (still working on that one)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to make it look like I have bathed, that one gets more fun after 6 days of no water</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to shower while standing in a bucket, and using a second bucket for washing, so I can conserve water and re-use it</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to some what effectively use a squat toilet</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to combat sweating by putting more clothes on….. odd theory</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to wear the same clothes for 4 days straight and still smell atleast moderately ok</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to protect my self from flies landing on my face during the night</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to protect my food from flies, that one is also a work in progress</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to navigate through cow, sheep, dog, and bird poo all at once while walking, day or night</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to use a squat toilet at 2am, in the rain, while I am sick, and feverish</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to go to the bathroom without having to leave my room at 2am, when its raining and I am sick, oh yeah, multiple methods</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to make Armenian coffee</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to become every kids best friend that is under the age of 16, just kick a soccer ball</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to say thank you 5 different ways in the same language</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to take away back pain, just whack yourself with stinging neddle plants</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to eat the same meal for 3 days, and always look excited about it</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I learned that I don’t like eating goat heart and lung for breakfast, or at any meal for that matter</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How to decapitate a goat, hang it by a tree, skin it, then eat it 4 hours later, i didn't actually do this, but was inadvertently a witness</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That everything was actually invented in Armenia, whether you knew it or not, and every Armenian will tell you that</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That my body can produce more sweat by sitting in a 90 minute marshutni (public, cramped, hot transport) ride that an entire 90 min soccer game in Florida during the summer heat</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That hospitality for Armenians can happen at 7am or 11pm, you will always be invited in for coffee any day, any time, any weather condition</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That Armenia is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries I have ever been too</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> This list will keep growing, part 2 will be here soon…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); ">Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken."</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5017644044653606844.post-73438811356934795022010-07-19T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-19T10:45:41.474-07:00Kickball<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfjpNAnMpttZvEWQn7vFnISBVLyvsf3C62DNZE1VZE-WDbOM-dtLPENhzuj3zh9fC0atNYCz3Ke0sxnf4NlkWabWDLECc5wgsflBDKhhz90iAMwuh2KNILoQiNbeazSnHEynCw7wo9COk/s1600/37505_803129709539_7800840_45719078_605326_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfjpNAnMpttZvEWQn7vFnISBVLyvsf3C62DNZE1VZE-WDbOM-dtLPENhzuj3zh9fC0atNYCz3Ke0sxnf4NlkWabWDLECc5wgsflBDKhhz90iAMwuh2KNILoQiNbeazSnHEynCw7wo9COk/s200/37505_803129709539_7800840_45719078_605326_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495674789583275954" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">This is a short post, I am hopefully going to do a better one sometime this week. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So yesterday we had an epic game of kickball. It was all the A-17 vs A-18. That is the current group that is in Armenia that is a year in, and everyone that is new. So we traveled to a local village that had an indoor facility where we could play. The A-17’s were talking smack all day, claiming to be undefeated since they won this game last year against the A-16’s. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not sure why, but I just walked up and became the coach for the A-18’s. We went through the rules, and the game started. We didn’t do very well the first inning, it was 4-1 to the A-17’s. Over time though, we slowly regaining ground on them, and it was a very good game. Their was a few questionable calls by the ref, who was an A-17. Conveniently might I add. The ref was also the pitcher, kicker, and base coach. Ya, your seeing why they are undefeated. In the last inning we brought it back to 10-9, we were down by one. I was pitching, and got the third out by laying out in the air to catch a pop fly, which felt great when I landed on the gym floor beneath me. Not really. So then we had a great play, confidence was growing, game got tight, we were ready to kick and take the lead….. and perfectly they call the game saying the facility wanted us to go ahead and leave. Which is still questionable if you ask me. And now we are gonna have to wait till November to allvol conference to beat them in basketball. We will let them enjoy the little bit of victory for the time being….</p> <!--EndFragment-->Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246545977207410245noreply@blogger.com4