Another Busy Weekend!

I'm having something of a busman's holiday this weekend, checking out artisan and tourist items. I thought we could take a day during the week to do this, but we've just been so busy! Thursday was our counterpart's first day back from a week away, so we debriefed from the craft fair and discussed a rough agenda for the next few weeks. Then we prepared a display of items from the "permanent" (non-Valentine's) collection for the buyer from the U.S. Embassy commissary, who is fast becoming one of our best customers. She came on Friday morning and took a variety of items - and also gave us a good idea of what else she is interested in, which will help in new product development. And then we started to prepare for our trip to the south - we'll be away for most of the week. Our objectives - introduce ourselves as a resource for the artisans, interview them so we can get pictures and stories for the web site and other marketing efforts, review any product ideas they have, and provide feedback on existing products. As we looked over the permanent collection, we kept finding products to return, either because the quality is suspect or because they didn't sell. I don't want us - coming down there for the first time and here only temporarily - to have to be the bad guys, but somehow the pile of things to return kept growing. We're meeting at the Homeland Handicrafts office later today to finalize both our presentation and what we're bringing. Fortunately, we also have money to deliver to them, so at least they will welcome that.

Woke up yesterday morning to hear there had been an earthquake while I slept - 3.2 on the Richter scale, epicenter 9 km away. It shook my host mother/sister, but I slept through it (maybe because of the salt before bed). I went to the Peace Corps office and talked with some volunteers who have worked with or are working with Homeland Handicrafts. They have mixed experience - more or less the ones whose items sell are happy and the ones whose items don't aren't, but it was interesting to hear from someone other than our counterpart. There is work to be done!

Then I went to the Vernissage, the weekend craft/flea market. It's big, and there are lots of different things there! Bags and hats made of old carpet are my favorites so far. Ceramics, jewelry, carved wood, knitted items, embroidered items, stone items, old Soviet coins and medals and more more more. Pomegranates, crosses, backgammon sets, things that looked traditional and things that looked like they could have been from anywhere. Ideas of what to make and what there is already too much of. Ideas of what to bring back for friends and family? More research required for that. I liked Vernissage and will be back - didn't see everything, but about an hour of being there was enough for one day.

Then I went to some of the tourist shops in town, to see what they sell. More pomegranates, more crosses, some jewelry, some ceramics and wooden things. Again, I think it helped to see what was there. And since I was in the neighborhood, I went to the Blue Mosque - a quiet oasis, decorated with beautiful color and design. Earlier this week, Brian and I went to a carpet shop, again to get an idea. This one was high-end, with a showroom on Fifth and 29th in Manhattan. Check out www.megerianrugs.com - if you want one, let me know - less expensive to buy it here and have it shipped! All wool, natural dye, traditional and modern patterns. I can't stay away from rugs!

Last night I went to a dance performance at the Opera House, with Jeanne and Gordon. An impressive display of talent, and beautiful costumes. A mix of traditional (groups of men and women dancing separately) and modern (one man and one woman dancing together). This afternoon before the office I'll go to the National Folk Art Museum, again as part of my research - Lonely Planet mentions woodcarving, lace and Armenia's finest crafts, which reveal the exotic influence of the East in the culture here. Right now, I'm at the Peace Corps office (and so far I have it all to myself!) to make a bit of a dent in my email. I'm looking forward to the trip south, to see some of Armenia and to see how the people live and work. We have a busy agenda - when we're not driving we're in meetings - without a lot of time for exploration, but I hope there's at least a little time to walk around each place. Back at the end of the week.... More then.