I know everyone likes to come to Armenia in the summer because the weather is nice, but I just can’t believe how beautiful Yerevan is in the Fall! People are missing out on “Vosgee Ashun” by coming in the summer! Vosgee Ashun translates to golden fall. I spend most of my time in Kentron (Center) since that’s where I am living and working. The Center has some parks, but the streets are not really tree-lined. There’s a lot of concrete. I guess all of this became more apparent to me when I left the center the other day to visit a friend of the family, and I saw the gold trees lining the streets of the other neighborhoods. Actually, much of the ground was also covered in leaves. I saw so many children collecting them and playing with them. Fall in Armenia is so bright and happy. The colors of nature blend so naturally with the orange and pink tones of the buildings. It’s as if all is in harmony. Each time I comment, people tell me that it’s even more beautiful once you leave the city and get into the mountains. I can imagine! I am going to have to make a trip before winter.
I love the sense of family and community in the Armenian culture. When went to visit our family friend, her cousins were also there. There were about 9 of us sitting around a coffee table that was covered with food. In fact, there was so much food on the table, there was nowhere for me to put down my coffee cup! Of course, they force-fed me 4 different kinds of cake, fruits, and 2 kinds of chocolate. I think the key to surviving any kind of meal in an Armenian home is to always leave food on your plate so that you don’t get an unwanted refill. I will put this theory to the test next time and keep you updated.
It was great spending the afternoon with this family. They made me feel so welcome. They made me laugh. In fact, we laughed almost the entire time… like when I am with my own family. They were also patient with my limited vocabulary and took the time to explain things to me. I ended up learning quite a few Armenian words, including the word for “virgin,” which was not something I had ever thought of! It came up in a conversation about prostitution.
Anyway, the owner of the home was making “tettu” the day I was there. Tettu is pickle. The women of Armenia pickle vegetables before winter… cabbage (“gaghamp”), cauliflower (“dzaghgagaghamp”), peppers (“biber”), carrots (they call it “gazar”), cucumbers (“varunk”), garlic (“sekhtor”), etc. My mom used to pickle veggies when I was younger. She used to make a few jars each year. But this was more like a vat or a barrel of some sort. It’s like this woman had the entire supermarket produce section in her pot. No wonder people look at me funny when I buy one tomato and one clove of garlic! She had so much stuff in the pot, that she couldn’t even cover it. She said she will add weight to the top, and it will decrease in size. She had prepared the salt mixture separately, and she was going to be mixing it. I am sure I will get to taste this soon!
Most of the people I spent the afternoon with were over 60. This had two consequences. First, none of them spoke English – though the nephew of our family friend is Anglophone, and he helped me with some words. Second, listening to their experiences was fascinating. They wanted to hear about life in North America. And when I mentioned that I love to travel, they eagerly listened to my stories of Dubai, Oman, Argentina, etc. In return, they told me about their experiences. The perspective here was a bit different than what I had previously heard. There was less longing for Communist times. They were so full of life and joy. However, they echoed a complaint I had previously heard about the government allowing too much construction in Yerevan.
It was interesting to hear their stories about the dark days of the energy crisis. It’s not the first time I’ve heard people talk about this, but this was the lengthiest conversation I’ve had on the topic. They explained how everyone came together to survive. One lady recounted the time she brought her neighbors boiling water and how much that meant to them. They also talked about celebrating birthdays and special events huddled by the fire. It just goes to show that it’s the small things and the company of loved ones that really matters in life. It’s just so amazing how they were able to find moments of happiness during what was probably the most difficult time of their lives. They never gave up. They just moved forward. And that’s what they want for the country now. There’s no point in crying over the past. You survive and move on. Their strength and spirit was inspiring. I was so impressed by their victorious attitude.
My volunteer experience is going well! I can’t really discuss the project I am working on, because I don’t think it is public yet. But I will say that it focuses on First Amendment issues such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In my opinion, it’s an ambitious project, but one that’s necessary.
An update on the Cleaning Lady Experiment. As I mentioned in my last post, the very well-dressed cleaning lady looked at me like I was crazy when I said hello to her the other day. But I have made progress! Yesterday I said “parev” (hello) and she looked at me with skepticism and said “parev tsez” (hello to you). Today, I said “parev tsez” and she looked at me and immediately answered “parev tsez.” Tomorrow, I will add “vonts ek” (how are you). Let’s see how she reacts.
Tomorrow evening, I will be going to Dzidzernagaprt (Genocide Memorial) to hear the experiences of some survivors. It should be interesting. This weekend, we will be doing a city cleanup project. I can’t believe the garbage in this country. The other day, I saw a man throw a tissue on the floor right next to the garbage. It kills me!
Below are some photos of Vosgee Ashun. They were taken from my office, which is in the concrete jungle. It’s from the 9th floor and it’s the corner of Tumanyan and Hyususayin. I am hoping to get some better pictures of Vosgee Ashun this weekend.
Sunset from the plane - flight from Paris to Yerevan
View of mountains from plane
Our office Christmas Tree
View from our office balcony. The big light bulb looking thing in the center right is the building next to mine. The street below is the corner of Teryan and Toumanyan.
Statue of Mayr Haystan (Mother Armenia) from our office. This is my daily view. All the cafes are closed.
Hyususayin street.
The Opera is right across the street.
Tumanyan street. The best lahmajun place in town is on the right hand side.
Swan Lake sans swans or water. They will turn this into a skating rink once it gets cold enough. This is the view directly below our office.
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