Armenian Christmas Song from my Childhood

Today is the first day of Christmas vacation.  The office is now closed until January 10th.  I woke up late this morning, and turned on the tv to discover a children's show with a Santa singing Christmas songs.  I didn't recognize the songs as any from my childhood.  But my favorite Armenian Christmas song from years ago was Gaghant Baba.  I am not sure if this is an Armenian song or a Diasporan song.  So far, I haven't met anyone in Yerevan who knows it.  So I suspect it's Diasporan.  Plus, there are words in the song like "hakoosd" (clothes), which are called "shor" in Armenia.  Also, there's the word "ellal" (to be), which in Armenia is "lini."   So I think this is a Disaporan song.  In any case, here it is... in Armenian, with English translation.  I know this has nothing to do with Yerevan, but let's just say I am in the Christmas mood, and this song always makes me laugh!

Gaghant Baba, Gaghant Baba (Santa Claus, Santa Claus)
Sareroon vrayen goo ka (he comes from on top of the ice)
Layn patsek tser trnereh (open your doors wide)
Gaghant Baban togh ners ka (so Santa Claus can come in)

Jermag morook, jermag mazer (white beard, white hair)
Garmeer hakoosd e haker (he's wearing a red outfit)
Dobrag me gernagin vra (a bag on his back)
Tserknal kavazan me ga (and a cane in his hand)

Nver goo da parineroon (he gives gifts to those who are good)
Aghvor dzedz me chareroun (and a good beating to those who are bad)**
Oosdee deghak chanatsek (so kids try)
Ellal pari khelokig (to be good and smart)

End

**yes, this is really the song we used to sing as kids.  In fact, they taught us this song in school.  It's not just about finding out whose naughty or nice.  If you are naughty, there are apparently serious consequences!  :)

Just out of curiosity, I ran a quick You Tube search and found an "official" sounding children's version of the song.  My internet stinks, so I was only able to hear a few seconds of it.  But it sounds like a classic to me!  Here's the link.  Enjoy! 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Vache's Gaghant Baba

The Eggs are Back in Town!

After work today, I went to the Moskovichka supermarket across the street from my office to see if they had any eggs.   As predicted, the shelves were stocked FULL of eggs.  The eggs were only double their regular price, but they were wrapped in lovely packages of 30.  Yes, I said 30.  I asked if I could buy 6 or 12.  Of course, the answer was no.  So there you have it. No, I did not buy 30 eggs.  I felt it was a tad excessive.  But I think I was the only one.  The packages were flying off the shelves.  It was definitely a good day for someone's wallet.

Angela, the Cleaning Lady, Experiment Update
I saw Angela on my way out of the building today.  She was cleaning the lobby.  So now I can't figure out if she works in the building or if she works for the Foundation where I am working.   In any case, she hasn't been speaking to me when she's in our office.  But when I saw her in the lobby, I wished her Shenorhavor Nor Dari yev Sourp Dzenoont (Happy New Year and Merry Christmas).  She wished me and my loved ones the same!  TWICE!  She even smiled :)

Dzoo oonek? i Huevos Desparecidos !

Dzoo oonek?  That's the question on everyone's lips in Yerevan supermarkets.  Do you have eggs? 

I just have to take a moment to ask: where have all the eggs in Yerevan gone?   A couple of nights ago, I was at the supermarket, and they had a ton of eggs!   The next morning, they were all gone.  Who bought them all overnight?   How is it that it's 2 days before the New Year, and there's not an egg to be found in the city?  Actually, after going to half a dozen stores, I finally found 2 places that still had a few, but they were selling them at 3 times the normal price!   I paid $0.30 per egg!  But I needed them, so what choice did I have?

There are rumors circulating that there was a chicken disease going around, and many farmers killed their chickens to sell the meat because they didn't want risk some kind of outbreak.  But I think the truth of the matter is that the egg monopoly is price gouging. Yesterday, the organization where I am volunteering presented its annual report to the public.  Interestingly, eggs were a huge topic of conversation.  Most everyone I spoke to said that stores will restock the eggs today (the 29th) and raise prices even more.  It's a real shame. 

A note to all Western Armenian speakers.  Western Armenian speakers call eggs "havgit," which has the word chicken in it ("hav").  In Armenia, eggs are generally called dzoo.  The word covers all types of eggs.  They don't use the word "havgit," because technically, "havgit" are eggs that come only from chickens.  So it would be wrong to call the eggs of other animals "havgit."   The funny thing is that I don't hear them  call chicken eggs "havgit" either, though they do understand what it means.  Just an observation. 

Public Transportation

When you come to Yerevan as a tourist for a couple of weeks, you will probably get around mostly by taxi.  Taxis are inexpensive.  You can go the first 4 kms for 600 AMD, the minimum amount you have to pay, which is about $1.70.  Each km thereafter costs 100 AMD, which is less than $0.30. Most places in Kentron (Center) are within a 4-km radius.  So the taxi is a logical choice, especially if you are travelling in a group.  

I think the taxi fares are regulated, so it should be the same for every taxi.  But it’s best to choose taxis with yellow license plates, which are “official,” because that reduces your chance of getting ripped off.   Of course, you should always ask the driver to turn on the meter (“hashvitche miatsenel”), and you should always have change.  The most common method of ripping off passengers is the “I don’t have change” routine.  In other words, if your fare is 700 AMD, and you give 1,000 AMD, the driver will claim he doesn’t have 300 AMD (less than 1$) to give you.  I understand that this isn’t a lot of money for most tourists coming from North America or Europe.  But personally, things like this really irritate me.  The best thing to do is to stand firm and say that you will go look for change.  The two times I’ve done this, the driver magically produced change. 

Though taxis are inexpensive, when you are living here for a while, taxi costs add up.  So you have to get used to the public transportation system.  It can be incredibly intimidating, especially when there’s no one to help you. 

First, there’s the metro.  The metro is fantastic.  It’s very easy to get around.  The biggest challenge you will have is finding a good street map/metro map combo.   You may have to improvise.  I have a street map from the tourist office on Nalbandian.  The metro stops were already marked on the map, but the names weren’t written.  So I googled the metro map and handwrote the corresponding stops on the map.  This way, I have a detailed street map with the names of the metro stops. 

In any case, the metro system isn’t vast.  It’s essentially 1 line.  But it’s a fun way to get around Kentron (Center) and to a couple of the surrounding districts.   The metro is mostly underground, but sometimes surfaces.  It costs about 50 AMD, which is about $0.15.  It’s definitely the most inexpensive way to get around.  I was on the metro yesterday, and I don’t remember seeing any signs in English.  So if you don’t speak Armenian, you may have to know what your stop's name looks like written in Armenian so you can go the right way.    The stations are neat.  Each one is decorated differently, sort of like the Montreal Metro.  The ceiling of the Paregamutyin station is particularly interesting.  It’s white, but sort of looks like you are under water.  Just remember that you can’t take any photos in the stations.  I am not sure why, but I hear you can get in trouble for doing this. 

I love trains and metros, and I generally dislike busses.  In fact, while in Buenos Aires, I don’t recall ever taking the bus, though I frequently took the metro.  But in Armenia, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and travel with the locals.   I must admit, I was intimidated at first.  It took me a while to feel comfortable with the system. I was lucky enough to have some guidance.

Busses in Yerevan are interesting.  There are regular city busses and some trams.  But mostly, the city is crawling with Marshrutkas.   The Marshrutka is a sort of min-bus that seats about 13 or 14 people. However, during peak hours, they are packed with people crouching and standing in whatever space is available.  A ride costs 100 AMD, which as I mentioned before, is less than $0.30. 

When you get on the marshrutka, don’t expect anything luxurious.  In fact, you should probably get on without any expectations.  Most are in disrepair.  They are also packed tight.  So if your neighbor has been drinking or hasn’t showered, you will smell it.  Believe me, I speak from experience!  

It’s my understanding that the marshrutkas started out as shared taxis.  Basically, the marshrutka has a route with pre-determined stops.  However, passengers can waive the vehicle down to get on and ask the driver to stop to get off at any time.  Apparently, some drivers prefer to stop only at the official stops, but most will stop anywhere if you just ask them.  Also, despite having pre-determined stops, the driver will not stop unless you tell him. 

This was the first reason for my intimidation.  I didn’t know where the stops were, and I couldn’t remember what to say to make sure the driver pulled over!   You can say a few things, but usually, people say either “gangaroom bahek” or “gangaroom ganknek.”  Both mean stop at the stop.  Also, I have observed that, on busier streets at least, there are stops at about every block or two.  So if you miss your stop, the consequence is not that bad.  Also, you can always just ask the driver is he is willing to pull over between stops. 

The second reason for my intimidation was that I didn’t know where the marshrutkas were going.  There are over 100 of them in the city, but there is no user-friendly website that details the routes.  So you have to rely on the sign in the windshield that identifies the marshrutka number and the streets where it travels.  The problem is that it’s all in Armenian.  And if your Armenian reading skills are at a 6^th grade level (like mine), you usually can’t read the signs fast enough!  Of course, you could ask the driver.  But if your ability to understand the Eastern Armenian dialect is anything like mine, you will probably not understand what the driver says… especially if he throws in some Russian.  So really, it’s best to ask around for which marshrutka numbers will take you to your destination before you venture out to the bus stop. Also, if possible, you should ask for landmarks near your stop so you can tell the driver "gangaroom bahek" before he passes your stop. 

Now that I understand how things work, I love riding the marshrutkas.  I think I am probably the only person in Yerevan who likes them.  None of my colleagues believe it when I say it!  I guess it’s because it’s still kind of an adventure for me!  But for them, it’s just an old, smelly van. 

Merry Christmas! Yerevan Lights

View of Republic Square from Nalbandian

Republic Square

Republic Square, Foreign Ministry right across, National Gallery to right, and part of the Marriott Hotel on the left

National Gallery, Republic Square

Giant Tree in middle of Republic Square

Tree with colours of the Armenian flag

Republic Square with government buildings in the background

Congress Hotel - the trees in the balconies are real

Canope lights over Abovyan Street.  Unfortunately, the pictures didn't come out very well.  The lonely dot at the top of the photo is the full moon.

Square One - corner of Northern and Abovyan

Northern Avenue.  The pictures don't do it justice.  They have these lights that look like snow is falling.  So beautiful!

Northern Avenue

Moskovichka display on the corner of Teryan and Northern. Opera is in the background.  My office is just a few steps away from this.

Me in front of Moskovichka display

This is a statute of an old man giving flowers.  Apparently, this man became crazy after suffering serious heartbreak and began handing out flowers on the streets to the beautiful women of Yerevan.  He was not a beggar.  He just gave out flowers.  When he passed away, they built this statute to remember him.   This is right across the street from my office on Teryan.

Moskovichka display corner of Sayat Nova and Abovyan.  I usually do my groceries at this one.

Police, RA President, and the “Aghperutyun”

I saw something today that made me laugh.   I was on the #93 marshrutka (mini bus) in France square (corner of Mashtots and Sayat Nova/Baghramyan… see Christmas photos below) and all of a sudden, I heard loud whistling.  I looked out the window and saw police officers in the middle of the square.   They were trying to redirect traffic, but they seriously looked like they were having seizures.  The best part was that none of the drivers were paying attention to them.  And I don’t blame them!   Their arms were flailing.  I couldn’t tell if they wanted drivers to keep going straight or if they were trying to get everyone to turn.  Talk about mass confusion. 

Finally, a cop car pulled over and blocked traffic altogether.  Of course, there was something unintelligible being said over the car’s loudspeaker, as usual.  It was an interesting scene.  I think higher ranking police drive around in SUVs because when a police SUV drove by, the cop in the middle of the street stopped the flailing and saluted the car.  This continued for a couple of minutes, and then I think I saw the Armenian President’s motorcade.  There were a number of police cars and motorcycles, followed by a black sedan with tinted windows and the Armenian flag on both sides of the hood of the car, followed by big black cars with tinted windows and what looked like radios on top of them, followed by more cop cars.  The man sitting behind me in the marshrutka said to his friend something about those cars being FBI cars.   As soon as the motorcade passed, the street cops got into their cars and rolled off. 

As I watched the police in action, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Armenian gangs I had heard about, so I began doing some deeper research. I stumbled upon a couple of articles online that I found interesting.  The “gang” problem of Armenia is indeed an organized crime issue.  Apparently, it’s called the “Aghperutyun” (brotherhood).

Yerevan is divided into districts.  The heads of the districts are elected, and the President appoints the Mayor of the City.  It seems the leaders of the districts are all part of the “brotherhood.”   Though there are different clans and there are clashes, as a general rule, you can’t do much without approval from the “brotherhood.”  They are essentially a shadow government.  They drive around in their expensive SUVs with their tinted windows. 

Apparently, everyone knows about this “brotherhood” business, but no one speaks about it.  I wish I knew more about the players in local politics.  The article I read had a lot of detail about how the brotherhood has “influenced” the election of the prefects of the capital’s various districts.  It seems this group doesn’t hesitate to openly commit murder.  Since they control the government, they also control the prosecutors.  So they get away with a lot.

Having read even just a little bit, I wonder… are there really free elections in Armenia?  Does the vote count?  I suspect the answer to both questions is negative.  The next question then is how do we change this?   Assuming you want to change things and befriend the “brotherhood” to get elected and then turn on them once you are in office, they will kill you!  So what’s the answer?  Part of me also wonders if it’s really any different than things back home… instead of the “brotherhood,” we have special interest groups.  But at least they don’t go around murdering opponents… I think.   I knew there was corruption in Armenian politics.  I suppose I was too naïve or idealistic to understand to what extent.  How do we rid the government of this corruption?   If we do lose the corruption, would that lead to the rise of the rule of law?   I know we have problems in the U.S., but this is a completely different world.  

**************************************** 

The photo below is partially unrelated to this post.  The Internet connection is quite slow in Armenia.  Uploading photos has been a challenge.  Below are the posters I mentioned in the previous post - the ones I think are being put up by the government.  If anyone recognizes the logos (looks like the logo of a political party), please shoot me an email.  You can click on the photo to enlarge it.  These are the types of posters everywhere that keep saying "one people" and telling people things like don't trust Jehovah's Witnesses.  This is the only photo I have of the posters.  I will see if I can take a few more to give you an idea of the things they say.  Unfortunately, there are words on these that I don't understand.  I will put words I don't understand in caps with English letters.

The top poster says "One People.  Organizational Alliance.  No TYURKAMED A.M.N.-IN.   Yes Armenia, Russia, Alliance."

The bottom poster says "One People.  Organizational Alliance.  Watch out for Jehovah's Witnesses.  Say no to cults/sects."

Pictures: Christmas in Armenia

I am so impressed with the extent of the Christmas decorations!  The city looks incredible!  Here are a few shots!

Swan Lake by the Opera on the corner of Teryan and Tumanyan being turned into skating rink.  This is across the street from my office.  If you scroll to previous posts, you will see the "before" pictures.

Moskovichka Supermarket display on the corner of Hyususayin and Teryan.  This is right outside my office.

A small, festive gas station in Kentron (Center) on Koghabatsi Street

Central Cafe and Dog Style store on Abovyan

Abovyan Street between Sayat Nova and Moscovian.  That's the Cafe de Paris behind the blue tree.

Abovyan and Moscovian across the street from SAS Supermarket - notice the red, blue ,and orange flag and Ararat light displays.

Komitas and Vagharshian - decorations don't just stop in the Center.  They appear to be spread out.  The designs and patters also change from street to street.

France Square is the intersection between Mashtots Street and Baghramyan/Sayat Nova (the street changes names).  This picture is taken from Baghramyan side of the street, corner Mashtots, and faces Sayat Nova.

Again, France Square from Baghramyan corner Mashtots facing Sayat Nova

France Square Corner of Baghramyan and Mashtots - this is a view Mashtots street, the widest street in Yerevan.  The Opera is behind the tree.

France Square from Mashtots and Sayat Nova - this is a view of Mashtots Street

Many stores have interesting decorations.  I don't know what they sell here, but I liked their display.  This is on Sayat Nova between Mashtots and Teryan

Teryan and Sayat Nova

On Sayat Nova, between Teryan and Mashtots.  This was one of the first displays that went up.

I'm Back! :)

It has been for ever since I’ve had the time to write!  Life in Armenia is going well.  I had some computer issues recently, but it seems that everything is now resolved.  My computer kept putting itself to sleep… it wasn’t shutting down, it was just going to sleep.  But with the help of a friend who has a lot more patience than I do, my computer is now almost back to normal!

So much has happened in the past week.  Interestingly, I wasn’t exposed to new things with the same depth that I have been so far.  I keep getting tidbits of things that I want to explore more.  But I still want to share these with you.

License Plates, Gangs, and Police

For those of you interested in this kind of thing, license plates in Armenia mean something.  License plates are 2 numbers, 2 letters, and 3 numbers.  It seems if you have a license plate number that has all the same numbers (like 88 xx 888), then you have power or money or a combination of both.  Sometimes, you see a series of cars that have the same plate numbers.  I’ve been told that those are gang cars. 

Yes, apparently there is a gang problem in Armenia.  Or so I’ve been told.  I am not sure what these gangs do, because there really isn’t a drug problem in the country.  Maybe they are just Mafioso types who go around and try to extort money from local business.   I wish I knew more.  I doubt it’s a City of God kind of thing (yes, it is the second time I mention the film on this blog… you should see it.  It’s fantastic).  I tried running a Google search, but came up empty.  I guess am just going to have to find a way to fit a discussion about gangs when I talk to locals.  I am going to have to add it to the list.  As I said, I’ve been getting tidbits of information lately, but I can’t seem to go deep.

The other morning, I woke up to police yelling stuff on loudspeakers.  Actually, I am going to go off on a tangent here.  The traffic cops (called something like “janabarayin vosdigan”) wear GIANT hats and yell things out of loudspeakers they have built in to their cars.  I often hear them yelling.  I can’t make out the words, but the voice always sounds the same.  I think it’s a pre-recorded message telling people to pull over.  It’s probably one of the most irritating things in Yerevan.  So I am glad my apartment is not right on Abovyan street.  My building is behind the building on Abovyan (it’s in the middle of the block).  So it’s much quieter… usually.

Back to the story.  The other morning, I woke up to police yelling stuff on loudspeakers non-stop starting from maybe around 7am.  Now I should mention that the business day starts at 10 am in Yerevan.  So 7am is very early.  When I left for work at 9.45am, they were still screaming, and when I went outside, they were ALL over the place. 

There was a pair of cops outside my building, another pair around my building, another pair by the sidewalk and on street corners, etc.  They weren’t doing anything.  They were just standing around and talking to each other.  And they were only on the corner of Sayat  Nova and Abovyan.  I didn’t know what it was about, but I certainly was NOT going to ask.  I just kept walking.  

I later found out that the Armenian President was speaking at the Ani Hotel, which I can see from my window.  So the traffic cops had been yelling for hours for people to move their cars.  The problem is that, like with any city, there is a parking shortage here.  So people who had parked their cars in front of the Ani Hotel probably live 2 blocks away and couldn’t hear the cops yelling into the loudspeakers.  It was irritating.  You just have to laugh.

Media

Yesterday I visited a children’s center that is funded entirely by donations.  The place is really cool and runs an after-school program for at-risk kids.  Apparently, one of the major cell phone companies in Armenia donates every year to this Center, and the check always has a note that says “advertising” in the memo section showing that the funds come out of the advertising budget.   This is because the Center has good relationships with journalists for PR purposes.  Apparently, every time a company or business is mentioned on the news, the company has to pay the station.  So essentially, the news is an advertising medium.  I was shocked! 

I knew there were issues with the media here.  The subject has come up often at work, and the organization where I am volunteering has an ongoing project that is trying to change that.  But I didn’t realize that companies were paying to be on the news!   I thought the media was just painting a rosy picture of things or maybe misrepresenting consequences and reactions.  But I didn’t think air time on the news was for sale!  This was an interesting discovery.  I guess I will stick to CNN International for my news.

Religion and Emos

Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of posters saying things like One People, One Apostolic Church.  The posters have been warning people to stay away from Jehovah’s Witnesses and from gay and lesbian porn sites.  The posters are so ambiguous.  I want to read what these people are saying, but the posters are plain and have no website info.  They also don’t indicate the name of the group or organization that is putting them up.  I wonder if it’s the government putting them.  I also wonder if the posters warning against gay and lesbianism are related to the anti-Emo movement.

Yerevan authorities recently began aggressively taking Emos into custody for questioning partly because of a belief that they were gay. The police also claimed these kids were threats to society because apparently some of them committed suicide.  The Emo is the latest youth/teen subculture.  They dress in eccentric clothes, wear dark makeup, and listen to a certain genre of music.  They are “Emos” because they are all about showing their true emotions regardless of whether they are happy or sad.  Every generation has this group of “eccentrics,” if you will.  I immediately think of hippies and punks.  These arrests were a major cause for concern for human rights groups as these kids did nothing wrong.  They were just being singled out for being different.  Besides, since when is teenage suicide a new issue?

I suppose the people are always afraid of what they don’t know.

Christmas in Yerevan

The shops and the City have started putting up Christmas decorations!  It’s getting cold outside, and it has already snowed a couple of times… though I’ve missed it both times.    The City is so beautiful!  There are lights everywhere, and pretty displays.  I am going to try and take some photos and post them.  It’s so festive!  It’s definitely starting to feel like Christmas. 

The Cleaning Lady Experiment: An Update!

Well, I have made progress with the cleaning lady!  I am beginning to think that she has instructions not to speak to the staff.  Maybe her job is to appear invisible.  

The other day, I noticed that the cleaning lady was finishing up in the kitchen as I was getting ready to leave.  I deliberately moved slowly to try and get into the elevator with her.  I figured I could strike up a conversation while wait for the elevator.  Plus, our office is on the top floor, so we would probably be alone in the elevator for a while before others got on.  I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a conversation. 

So I moved out before she did and waited by the elevator.  She had collected all the garbage in the office, and there was a lot.  She is such a tiny lady!  She is under 5 feet tall and weighs maybe 90 lbs soaking wet.  I saw she was struggling to pick everything up, so I approached her and tried to help.  She looked mortified and didn’t allow me to help her.  It’s not as if the trash was exposed!  It was all in bags!  I take my trash out every day!  It was no big deal.  But she wouldn’t let me.  I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, so I let it go.

We walked to the elevator together, and I pressed the button since her hands were full.  I said “ge nerek, yes tser anoune chem kider.”  (excuse me, I don’t know your name).  She said her name is Angela.  I told her I was Rubina and that it was nice to meet her.  She said “you’re not from here.”  I explained that I was from Canada and now live in the United States.  She asked me if I was there permanently.  I told her I was only a volunteer, and that I would be there until February.  By this time, we were on the elevator on the way down, and others had started getting on.  Once others got on, she just looked down and stopped talking.  I felt that she was embarrassed.  She was holding a lot of garbage.  I am sure working as a cleaning lady was not her dream job as a child.  But there’s really nothing humiliating about it.  Though I admit, people in the elevator were staring at her as if they had never seen a cleaning lady before.  When we got off in the lobby, I wished her a good night.  She responded in her usual demure way.

The next day, I said “pari luys Angela vonts ek aysor” (good morning, Angela, how are you today), and she gave me her usual head nod, whispered something, and didn’t look me in the eye.   So I wonder if perhaps she is either embarrassed or if she is not allowed to speak to the staff.  Maybe they’ve told her she’s not allowed to chit chat.   I guess I am going to have to corner her in the elevator again. 

Technical Difficulties and Cleaning Lady Experiment Update

Hey everyone,

I am having some issues with my computer.  I am hoping to have everything resolved over the weekend.  At that time, I will post again!

However, since I feel like I am making progress with the cleaning lady, I wanted to try and post an update before my computer dies.   

Earlier this week, she asked me if she can throw away the chicken salad.  It was the first time she initiated a conversation.  I told her to go ahead and throw it since it looked like it had gone bad.  The following day, we crossed paths in the lobby of the building.  I smiled at her, and she did a very quick hand wave and whispered hello. Today, I said hello and so did she.  When I said goodbye, she looked at me again like I was nuts. 

Let's see what tomorrow will bring!  

Women, Housing, and Garbage

I feel like I was bombarded with so many new things over the past few days.  When I did my orientation with the volunteer place, they had told me that after a few weeks, I would begin to feel overwhelmed.  I feel it.  So I apologize in advance for being all over the place with this post. 

Women

On Friday, they were interviewing for interns at my office.   Apparently, one of the applicants, a 19 year-old university student, began working at a very large corporation in February this year as a receptionist and quit the job in July as a Human Resources Manager. I was talking to two of my female colleagues, and they were laughing that this 19 year-old, inexperienced girl had gone from being a receptionist to an HR manager in 6 months.  I said it was obvious that she lied on her resume.  The looked at me and said it was obvious she was sleeping with her boss.   Apparently, these wealthier men begin sleeping with their employees.  They promote them and pay them more so that they are essentially paying to keep them.  Both are educated and intelligent women, and both told me their personal experiences of being passed up for promotions. 

I don’t know what to think about this.  This happens everywhere, not just in Armenia.  But they tell me it’s quite common in Armenia.  We sort of joke about this kind of thing back home, so I have no idea how common it is in North America!  I just thought it was interesting that my two colleagues didn’t even consider that the applicant could have lied on her resume.  I think in North America, we would just assume it was a lie rather than conclude she was sleeping with the boss.  This topic is something else I need to dig into.  Next weekend, I am going to be attending a seminar about Women in Armenia.  Maybe I can get some clarification. 

The subject of Armenian women also came up in the context of marriage.  One of the locals who works at the volunteer organization told me that when a man and woman are engaged, it’s considered normal for a man’s parents to bribe doctors to see the woman’s medical records.  That way, they can ensure she has no diseases and that she is a virgin.  WHAT?  I don’t know what to think of this.  To a certain extent, I can understand the absence of the rule of law.  Armenia is still an emerging democracy.  But no doctor-patient confidentiality?  The relationship between doctor and patient is so important.  How can a doctor heal a patient who is to afraid to say what is wrong?  If the relationship isn’t built on trust, how does it work?   What about the Hippocratic Oath?  I wonder to what extent attorney-client privilege exists.  There’s an organization similar to a Bar Association in Yerevan.  I think I need to try and make some friends there, because I don’t even know how to begin researching these issues!  There are so many things we don’t even think twice about in North America… like freedoms, privacy laws, and professional confidences! 

Housing

Yesterday morning, I had breakfast with two expats (one from Montreal and one from California).   We went to Artbridge, which as many people who have visited Yerevan know, is a small café on Abovyan street that always has different works of art hanging from the walls.  The pieces hanging on the walls this week were from a photographer who focused on something called Domiks.  A Domik is a shipping container that has been converted into temporary housing.  Well, they are supposed to be temporary, but people live in them.  They don’t usually have amenities, such as running water.  They are also very thin, so people hang carpets on the walls to keep the dampness out. 

After the earthquake in 1988, people were put in these domiks until apartments and homes could be rebuilt.  But it seems that many of these families are still there.  The quality of construction is equivalent of  the favelas of Brazil or the villa miserias of Argentina.  The big difference is that, unlike the slums of South America, there is no gang violence, and the Domiks seem to be more spread out in rural areas.  I saw so many of these on my last trip when we went around the country.  But I never saw one up close.  And I didn’t realize they were shipping containers!  I am ashamed to say that I thought some of them were barns or sheds. 

I don’t think I am naïve.  I have travelled quite a bit, and I’ve seen poverty before.   When I was 8 years-old, my parents took me to Venezuela.  On a trip to Caracas, I saw the slums on the hillsides.  I remember commenting in shock to my mother that they had no windows.  All these years later, the memory is as clear as day.  That was the first time I saw poverty.  Perhaps this is where my fascination with property came from. 

When I returned to South America in 2007, I learned more about South American slums.  If anyone is interested, there is an excellent film about Brazilian slums called City of God.  It’s not an easy film to watch, but it is a good depiction of how people survive in these difficult places.  In any case, after learning about the favelas and villa miserias, I wanted to write a paper about it to fulfill one of my law school graduation requirements.  One of the Brazilian professors who had been a guest lecturer had mentioned that that the favelas are built on lands that are not owned, and the Brazilian government, in an effort to help alleviate poverty, had started some kind of program to deed those lands to the people who live on them.   The idea was that people could use the land as collateral and borrow money to start businesses.  The lands are usually on the sides of hills and other such undesirable locations.  If I remember correctly, I believe there was also an adverse possession theory behind the giving of these lands to the people who live on them.  To be honest, I don’t know for sure if this was the professor’s suggestion, or if the Brazilian government had actually started such a program.  Regardless, it was something that interested me, and I desperately wanted to know more.  I abandoned the idea of writing the paper, because I had a very difficult time finding any information in English.  Property law is dry enough to begin with, having to decipher the Brazilian Code would have taken too much time for the deadlines I had.  Instead, I wrote an article about workforce housing in Destin, Florida.  It was also an interesting topic, but the issue of housing in developing nations doesn’t compare to the types of issues we have in North America.  In any case, I seem to be drawn to housing issues for whatever reason.  I keep wondering about the Brazilian model, and whether it would be possible to bring some of those ideas to Armenia.  Perhaps we can learn something from those who are similarly situated.  It makes me wonder. 

Garbage

Anyone who has been to Armenia knows that the country is buried in garbage.  People routinely throw things out the window and on the ground.  The other day, I saw someone throw a tissue on the ground right next to the bright orange trash can!  I just don’t understand it.  I am trying to do my best to not judge and just understand the culture.  But I can’t comprehend this.  I can’t justify it based on any kind of logic.  I can’t even attribute it to something cultural!  I just don’t get it. 

In any case, today was International Volunteer Day, and we went around the city of Yerevan with bags and picked up trash.  My friend and I filled two huge black garbage bags by going around ONE city block…. And this was a block with embassies and a hospital!  Here are some of the things we found… glass and plastic bottles, cigarette butts, empty cigarette packs, papers, used diapers, used feminine products, toys, clothes, bags, milk containers, food, glasses, plastic and glass cups, plastic containers, cardboard, metal pieces, an empty box of Barf, etc.  I also found a number of trash bags full of garbage just dumped near bushes or trees.  Why would someone just leave it on the side of the road rather than walking it across the street to the dumpster?  It’s across the street!  The dumpsters are all over the place! 

Anyway, I think it was a good effort. A lot of people stared, but who cares.  My friend said that he hoped those people staring at us will think twice the next time they want to throw something on the ground.  I don’t know if all the people who saw us will be affected.  But I believe change comes in small doses, and I think there will definitely be at least one person who saw us today who will think twice next time!   That’s good enough for me.  One step at a time… one person at a time. 

Domik for sale near Dilijan.  I took it on my last trip.