Wistful Thinking

Last week was the COS (close-of-service) Conference for the A-17s (the second-year PCVs – the 17th group/batch/stage to serve in Armenia; Peace Corps started here right after independence from the Soviet Union). They’re a good group; many of the PCVs I’ve befriended are A-17s. COS Conference begins the process of leaving, and I started to feel sentimental on their behalf. I remember my own COS conference and the last few months in Morocco, when everywhere I went I thought about things I would miss. I’ll miss the A-17s. Then again, I am leaving around the same time they are! A couple of weeks ago I had some lavash and said I would miss it after I leave, not that I was thinking about things I would miss. I have been spending more of my time thinking about things I still want to see and do! But with the COS Conference, I did start thinking a bit more about my return. More on that in a bit.

First, the COS Conference. Informally, it gave me a chance to be more social with PCVs in town – coffee, dinner, gelato and more. Formally, I was invited to participate. I had mentioned to the Ambassador that the PCRVs had been bumped from the March 1 reception and that the others were still hoping to meet her. Tuesday morning we each received phone calls inviting us to a reception at her house for the COSing volunteers. She has a nice house! And once again, she impressed me with her poise, grace and ability to say the right thing at all times. It was also fun to talk to some of the A-17s who I hadn’t seen much of – some of them I knew but didn’t recognize in their business-casual wear! As the evening wore down, people were getting their pictures taken with both her and the Country Director. I looked at the books on her shelf and noticed our Princeton yearbook! I asked if she minded and then I showed her picture and mine to the lucky (?) few who were still there. Through all the packing and unpacking she has done in her years of Foreign Service, she has kept the Princeton yearbook with her! Coincidentally, I had learned the Armenian word for “tiger” that day.

The next day, I was one of the speakers on a panel about working for the government – I spoke about Peace Corps Response. I’m really glad I’ve done it, and it is easy to apply (not the case with any other government job…or regular Peace Corps). I was in the Peace Corps office yesterday and one of the A-17s was looking at the Peace Corps Response openings – so I know I had an impact! That evening, I went with the A-17s to the opening of the new In-Country Resource Center. The new IRC has separate spaces for hanging out/chatting/meeting and for reference books/computers, so it will be easier to get work done there. And to find books! They culled some duds and organized the gems. Brian said they built a beautiful new IRC in Morocco after I left. Change, change…

Last Monday was a holiday – the day after Easter, everyone goes to the cemeteries to remember departed ones. I bought a hula hoop in order to get more exercise; I haven’t given up on the hotel with the pool but until I get a better sense of my workload, I’m not joining just yet. I signed up for the NYC Marathon lottery and found out I did not get selected – just as well, since it would be hard to train, though if I had been selected I’d have found a way. Monday afternoon I found Verdi’s Requiem on line and listened to it, since I hadn’t gone to the concert on Sunday night. That made for a nice end to the weekend.

Last week also marked three months since my arrival – and, with a proposed new COS date of July 29, the halfway point of my time in Armenia. With Katie and Theo’s visit I’ve started thinking more about post-COS travel. I started thinking about it in abstract when I got the new assignment; before then, I felt I couldn’t plan anything because I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t ET (early termination). If you ET, they buy your plane ticket straight home. The Silk Road travelers returned from Nagoro-Karabakh and said it was a must – so I think I will go for a couple of days when I COS (I too can be swayed by a visa and a passport stamp; they raved about how beautiful and unspoiled it was). We can’t go while we are PCVs, but many PCVs go when they COS. Katie and Theo also put together a list of their Georgia highlights, so I think I will go there for the better part of a week as well. The question is do I stop in (Western) Europe (since I have to change flights anyway) for a couple of days as well. Sure, I’d love to take my time and travel through Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, but I knew when I took this assignment that I wouldn’t do a long trip afterwards. I told my sister I’d be back by August 15 at the latest.

Back to the South - Part II

When the OSCE program managers asked me to go to Goris, my initial thought was that I didn’t want to go. I had written a report for them because I came to help the people of Armenia, admired the OSCE women and their project, and wanted to offer my thoughts on the handicrafts. But I also wrote the report because I was moving on and was ready to turn the page and get started with the new assignment. I mentioned that I did hope to get back to the Goris area at some point so I could see the Tatev monastery. And they said they would stop at the monastery on the way back if I agreed to go. I told them that if they also stopped at the Neolithic stone circle that I would ask MCA-Armenia if I could go. They agreed so readily that I was taken aback. Was that extortion? Hmm. Could I really be bribed? Hmm. Well, let’s say I was a good negotiator. Next stop, interesting job with flexibility and a high salary?

Tuesday was sunny – after driving that bargain, rain was not going to stop it. We had some coffee with the women of the Goris WRC and set off for Tatev. This is one of the more famous monasteries in Armenia, seen in many a postcard. Recently (last year?), the Italian government built the world’s longest cableway to get to it, in the hopes of increasing tourism. We had to take it because there was no time for the winding road. The OSCE managers asked us if we were scared, and I said no, should we be? We left the cable station and hung in midair for a while. The gondola made it back to the station and we waited a while before all systems were go again. We waited even longer on the way back – the repairs added about an hour to our trip. I hope they iron out the bugs before the tourists really arrive! At least we were at the station both times rather than stuck in the middle, dangling in midair.

Tatev monastery itself is quite impressive. There’s a huge oil press just outside – oil was a major revenue source for them. There are several small churches in the complex, each with distinctive architectural features. And there is a bunch of khatchkars, the “cross-stones” for which Armenia is known. Yes, there’s an element of “you’ve seen one monastery, you’ve seen them all,” but there are more I would like to see (two of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites). I don’t feel compelled to see them all, yet they are often in remote sites of great beauty – the better to defend them from the many enemies who came through.

I was afraid that we had taken so much time that we would have to skip the Neolithic stone circle, but they kept their word. I love Neolithic stone circles! Now I have seen them in Morocco, Spain and Armenia. This one is called Carahunge – which means “stone henge.” Coincidence? (Come to think of it, I have seen Stonehenge, too, so four!). Estimates are that this one is 7500 years old. And, as with others, this one lines up with the sun, moon and stars. Some of the rocks here have holes through which stars can be seen depending on the time of year. I loved it. There are some other Neolithic sites around the country, but this is the most intact. That said, I may find my way to more of them. If not, I’m happy that I saw this one!

Back to the South - Part I

Yes, the OSCE program people persuaded me to go to the meeting in Goris after all. They said it would be good closure to present our “findings and conclusions” to the focal points there; no need to mention that we were leaving Homeland Handicrafts. It would be as if this was the way the project was supposed to end. Brian had already committed to go, and I reluctantly agreed to ask MCA-Armenia if it was all right for me to go as well. Since they were catching up from the events with the President and the Prime Minister, they were fine with it.

And – to my surprise – the OSCE people were right. It WAS good closure. It was good to see the women again. Brian had prepared a Power Point presentation with just a few slides, and I added my thoughts and conclusions. The women were very receptive and they asked good questions. We presented ways that they can grow their businesses – without saying in so many words that it could be with or without Homeland Handicrafts – and I left feeling that they might indeed be able to do some of what we suggested. After the big meeting, we met separately with the President of the Goris NGO, who wants to formalize a network of all three Women’s Resource Centers. Again, she asked insightful questions and I think we gave her some good ideas.

I didn’t realize this when I said I would go, but our presentation was the main item on the agenda. In fact, it was the only item on the agenda. What would OSCE have done had we not agreed to go? Originally, Tim was going to attend the meeting, but the dates of his international travel changed. I wouldn’t have gone if he had been available (but of course, he would have been the main item on the agenda). So it all worked out.

The trip itself was a pleasure, too. It rained for most of the way down, but with green fields and flowering trees, Armenia looks beautiful. Some of the mountains still had snow, and some were green. Goris is only about four hours from Yerevan; without going all the way down to Meghri or even Kapan, the ride didn’t seem so long. We arrived around noon, started right away, and ended at 5:00. And with the day so much longer now, we had time to walk around the town after the meeting. The rain had stopped, and without fog, snow and ice, this time we could see the pinnacles and old caves for which Goris is known.

Zoe, the PCV who works with the Women’s Resource Center, was away, but she left us the keys to her place. Brian and I bought food to cook – a chance to cook! – and I invited Hedley, another PCV who I had met, to join us. When he arrived, I asked if there was a way to walk to the caves, and we went over there. We walked up through the cemetery (funny, had to do that in Azrou too); that in itself was interesting. Here the plots are fenced off, and the tombstones have carved “photographs” of the people in the graves. Up we went, past some grazing cows, to cave/pinnacle level, where we had a view of the city and the taller mountains beyond. I remarked that I think it was the happiest I’ve felt since I’ve been here. Natural beauty, the climb, the unplanned hike, being away, good company, fresh mountain air, the sense of accomplishment from the meeting and feeling unburdened all combined. I’d love to go back and do it again before I leave. Not that there aren’t equally or even more beautiful places in Armenia, but I will always have a soft spot for Goris since it was one of the first places I went to, and since I felt so happy here…

Back down the hill and across the gorge, we made pasta with vegetables and had so much food that we invited yet another PCV to join us. Good food and good conversation (and some not-bad Armenian wine) made for a delightful evening.

So, How's Work Been So Far?

My first day in the MCA-Armenia office was last Wednesday. Yes, OSCE convinced me to go to Goris after all; writeup to come. It was fine with MCA-Armenia; they were catching up from the events with the President and the Prime Minister. Actually, it’s still a stressful time; the MCC CEO is coming from Washington next week. Then things should calm down a bit. But in the meantime, there’ve been some things I could help with.

April 20 was the kickoff of ten days of tree planting. For every tree that was cut during construction, MCA-Armenia had pledged to plant a new one, and they chose the ten days around Earth Day to do it, two communities per day. I was sent to write up a small piece for the MCA-Armenia web site. And I was invited to plant a tree – a Peace Corps dream come true! I had asked environment volunteers in both Morocco and the Philippines to invite me if there was ever a tree-planting, and somehow it had never worked out. It finally did here! A pine, in front of the village hall. And then I watched 40 schoolchildren plant oak and ash trees near the school and cultural center. It was great. Coincidentally, I had donated money to the tree-planting partner organization when I saw a sign for it in Artbridge. You can too! www.sunchild.am. Armenia needs trees! Also read http://www.sunchild.org:8080/index.php?id=17&no_cache=1&L=0&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=217&cHash=da5fd59d940c3938bd555cf996ee153c to find out what happens to the two tons of flowers that people left at the Genocide Memorial on Sunday. Two tons!

On Earth Day itself, we went to a tree nursery; again, I wrote up a small piece for the web site. Here we learned about saplings and rootstock that had been given to this nursery; when the fruit sold well at market, nearby farmers ordered it and the nursery is propagating them. So from a few trees, many farmers will now be able to plant high-value trees and berries of their own. It did give me some pause – an example of one of the successes is the Fuji apple. Does that mean that the world is going to be one Fuji apple? What about local varieties and variations in the gene pool, plants that are adapted to their very specific environment? That’s a debate for another day – in the meantime, the farmers’ income will rise and that is the objective of the program. We were supposed to plant more trees that day, but it rained all morning and was quite muddy. We still walked around the nursery – so on Earth Day I got lots and lots of earth on my shoes!

I went to yet another event this week, this one in preparation for an article about how the program has impacted policy – new legislation will make things easier for the Water User Associations and the farmers. I was there just for the opening sessions of a two-day conference. It was all in Armenian and there wasn’t a translation so I didn’t understand much, but at least I have some background and a visual and can write the article when I get more information. The conference was near Charentsavan, where I went my first week; it looks beautiful now that the mountains are green!

I was supposed to go to the final tree-planting event yesterday, but there was a transport issue; it was fine to have a full day in the office. In addition to the events, I’ve been asked to do other writing – summarizing CVs into bios, wordsmithing fact sheets. I enjoy the writing and editing. I also think the program is very interesting – there are many components to it, and seeing things come to fruition is rewarding, even though I haven’t been in on it from the start. I did some background reading about the gender component and next week will interview one of the consultants (and from there, some of the female farmers) for the gender article; I’m also enjoying the reading. I still feel stressed, but it’s more because everyone else is stressed than because of my own workload. We’ll see what it’s like after the CEO visit. Busy as they are, everyone has taken the time to welcome me and thank me. I might have been thanked more times in the past week than in my entire corporate career! Well, maybe a slight exaggeration, but every time I get thanked I realize I’m not used to it. So this assignment is a definite improvement.

I don’t have my own space, but I was put in a conference room that is rarely used; last week I shared with a visitor from MCC in Washington (the third one I have met in three weeks – there are only 300 MCC employees and I have met one percent of them!); he was pleasant company. I don’t like carrying my computer back and forth – it’s heavy, and it means adjusting my routine so I can go home and put it down before going back out. I haven’t found all the lunch places yet, but at least there are a few places where I can go for a little walk, get something quick, and get back. There’s filtered water there, which I very much appreciate. And in “my” conference room, there’s a window I can open. All in all, off to a good start.

Visitors from the East

Katie and Theo are RPCVs from the Philippines with whom I overlapped. In one of my most memorable moments there, we went for a hike towards a waterfall in Sagada on Thanksgiving Day. The rice terraces were flooded and the walls were unstable, I fell and was stuck in the mud, and Theo had to lend a hand so I could get up (I gave him permission to laugh; he was trying so hard not to). While reminiscing, we realized that we really saw quite a bit of each other while I was there. They COSed (close of service) in October and have been traveling the Silk Road ever since. Six months from the day they started, they arrived in Armenia (along with Theo’s brother William, who joined them a few weeks ago). It’s been wonderful spending time with them this past week.

Much of our conversation has consisted of tales of their trip. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. Two months in China, first in the not-so-visited southeast and then starting the Silk Road in Xian. In winter. Uighur “Stan” – if the British hadn’t played with the map in yet another part of the world, they might have their own former-Soviet-Union country now. Kazakhstan – the most Russian of the Stans, and the bleakest Peace Corps country they went through. Had to miss Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – too much snow, passes closed. Uzbekistan – their favorite Central Asian country, the only one with intact Silk Road cities, and the one that sounds most intriguing to me…. Turkmenistan – had to have a driver and guide every day; only way to see the country. Ferry across the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan – not that interesting and too expensive. Georgia – they loved it and spent three weeks there; I do think I should go for at least a couple of days before I leave the Caucasus. Next will be Turkey and then they will see how much time they have before meeting her parents in Italy and going home from there.

I greeted them on Sunday night and gave them a map and some suggestions, based on what I had heard (since I haven’t been many places myself – yet). They went up north for a few days and returned on Thursday afternoon with more tales. I found myself defending Armenia or at least telling the Armenian side of the story – for example, they had heard that the world’s oldest wine was found in Georgia, but Armenia has a claim to it, and they had heard the (Peace Corps) Azerbaijani side of that conflict….

Thursday evening we ate at an outdoor café by the Opera House (hooray for spring!) and went to hear an organ concert. I’ve looked at that organ while attending orchestra concerts and wondered what it sounds like. Well, now I know; unfortunately the concert itself left something to be desired. We then went back to the hostel where they were staying to talk some more. We did that every night, in fact – it’s the latest I’ve stayed out since being here, for several nights in a row. Hence, pent-up blog-writing demand!

Friday night I had them over to my home stay for Zina’s dolma, one of my favorite meals. We went to see “Spartacus,” the other major ballet composed by Khachaturian (we PCRVs saw “Gayane” when we first got here). It was great! Made up for the organ concert (either that or Verdi’s Requiem, which they saw on Sunday, did).

On Saturday we went to the Vernissage. As I have said, I like going with different people because I see different things. Katie bought a duduk, Armenia’s most famous traditional musical instrument (a kind of flute) and Theo bought a wood-carving. We went to the Cafesjian Museum and up the Cascade (no Ararat view, but they did get one on their way out of town). We discussed other things they had bought and somehow they had – not necessarily intentionally – bought silk in every country so far except Georgia and Armenia. We then went back to the Vernissage – in the drizzle, at the end of the day (they say that is the best time to buy) so they could get a couple of silk scarves. That night, we went to the Genocide Memorial; I’ve already talked about that and Sunday.

I treated them to a farewell breakfast at Artbridge on Monday morning; I had brought Lonely Planet with me so we could read its intro to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azeris say that the people there are descendants of the Christian nation of Albania (not related to present-day Albania); that is the version Katie and Theo heard. The Armenians say that the people are Armenian and that Stalin handed the territory to Azerbaijan so that everyone would be loyal to the Soviet Union and not to their own territory. PCVs are not allowed to go there, but many do after their service. U.S. Government employees cannot go there. Katie and Theo thought about possibly not being able to go some other time, flipped a coin, gave William a say (but overruled him), and decided to go! The lure of another passport stamp and visa was just too much. They come back into town tomorrow – I’ll probably see them for coffee or maybe a quick dinner, hear more stories, wonder whether I too should go when I COS (or decide that I don’t need to), and then see them off on the 7:00 overnight train to Georgia (I hope they buy some silk there before heading to Turkey…). So, so glad to have them visit while I’m here!

Easter and Genocide Memorial Day

It’s been a busy week… I’ll start with Sunday and then write more later. Sunday was both Easter and Armenian Genocide Day. Easter moves around, of course, and it was unusual already in that “Western Easter” and “Eastern Easter” were celebrated on the same day this year; usually they are a week apart. April 24 is Genocide Memorial Day – on that date in 1915, the intellectuals were rounded up in Turkey and killed.

For breakfast, my host mother had dyed eggs with onion – natural dye! The red (it’s more brown than red but that’s a technicality) is supposed to represent the blood of Christ. Some people put leaves on before they dye the eggs, so they make kind of a stencil pattern. I learned at dinner that an Easter tradition is to have an egg fight – one egg taps the other and person whose egg breaks the other wins both. One strong egg can amass quite a collection of broken ones! Breakfast also included rice pilaf with dried fruit and fried lavash – I hope I can convince her to make that again when it’s not Easter.

Katie, Theo and Theo’s brother William stayed through the weekend, in part to experience the day (more on them next time). They hadn’t been to Etchmiadzin yet and thought that it would be interesting to be there on the holiest day of the year. We arrived around 10:00 am; we had been told to get there really early but didn’t – and I’m glad, because it wasn’t very crowded, and we would have just been waiting. As it was, we waited a while – once we were in a good spot, we didn’t want to walk around the complex. We saw dignitaries, including the Ambassador, the Prime Minister and the President, the last of whom came in with the Catolicos. The altar and icons that had been covered when I was there before were on view now. The singing was beautiful – this time by a mixed-gender choir – and the Catolicos spoke from the altar. It was an impressive service. We didn’t stay inside until the end, partially because we were getting squished, partially because we thought it might be nice to let some Armenians have our spots if they could! Walked around a bit, listening to the rest of the singing over speakers, and went to nearby St. Gayane Church again.

Then we went to the Genocide Memorial. We had gone there the night before, around 11:30 pm, and the commemoration had already started. There were several other people there, laying flowers down and staring at the eternal flame. I had heard there would be lots of candles; there weren’t, but it was nice to have the time to contemplate. Katie had taken a Comparative Genocide class in school and shared some of what she remembered from it. When I got home on Saturday night, my host mother had tears in her eyes, and she thanked me for going and for caring about her people.

I knew that on Sunday there would be a procession of people but I didn’t really know what to expect. When we arrived – around 4:00 pm – there was a huge stream of people – thousands – and I know it had been like that all day. The only other time I have seen thousands of people walking purposefully in one direction was at the Mackinac Bridge Walk. This was all the more amazing because it wasn’t for fun – it was for determination, the determination to remember and to pay tribute. The pace was about the same, though – not slow and solemn, but purposeful and proud. You walked up a long path and then down the sidewalk to the flame, you put your flower down, you got out of the way so the next person could put his down. The walk to the Memorial might have been a mile, and then there was maybe another half a mile out the other side, down the hill and into free buses that took you back into town – extremely efficient. We also went to the museum – most people did not. I am so glad I went – and glad I had company!

They went on to Verdi’s Requiem (which I listened to today, on the internet); I had a prior commitment – dinner with the Ambassador! Yes, this is whom I had the egg fight with – my egg won, but since I am a Peace Corps volunteer she said she I should take the eggs anyway – along with the leftovers (and she treated!). Though we have seen each other several times now, we hadn’t had a chance to really talk, so she invited me out to the finest restaurant in Yerevan, where I had by far the best meal I’ve had in Armenia (this would be a candidate for best dinner worldwide!) – same Armenian food (eggplant rolls, tomato with goat cheese, dolma), but with superior ingredients and preparation – and wonderful conversation. It was really special.

A Few Armenian Recipes

When I eat at my home stay, my host mother/sister cooks; I haven’t made anything for myself! But here are recipes for some of my favorite Armenian foods so far, from the Peace Corps Armenia cookbook (along with my comments). Looking at the cookbook has me looking forward to cooking for myself again – when I get back.

SPAS
Note – macun is the yogurt here; I wonder if Greek-style yogurt would be the closest thing available at home.
Սպաս/spas (sometimes pronounced səpas).
Ingredients: ½ C wheat (or rice), 1-2 T flour, 1 L մածուն/macun (well-stirred), 1 onion (sautéed or raw: optional), 1-2 C cold water, chopped fresh cilantro (optional), 1 egg (beaten)
o Cook the wheat as you would cook rice. When finished, remove from heat and let cool a little. Add the մածուն/macun, water, egg, and flour. Mix well, until there are no lumps and it doesn’t separate.
o Heat on a low flame, stirring constantly to avoid separation of մածուն/macun and water. When the soup boils, add the onion and cilantro. Let boil for 5 minutes, watching closely (it will boil over) and stirring constantly.

DOLMA
Note – there’s a “summer” (or Lenten, i.e. vegetarian) dolma too – I have not had this yet, but when I do (and I am sure I will like it) I will post a recipe!
Ingredients: grape leaves or cabbage leaves or vegetables, 300 g butter (cut small), 1 kg ground beef, 2 C chopped fresh herbs, 4 big onions (chopped), pinch of salt, 1 t red pepper paste, ¼ C dried cilantro, 1 T tomato paste, 1½ C uncooked rice
o If using grape leaves, use canned grape leaves. If using cabbage, boil it first to soften, then peel off the leaves.
o Combine everything except wrapping material to make a fine mixture. Roll a small amount of mixture into the leaves or stuff the vegetables.
o Line the bottom of a large pot with dolma; invert a plate over the dolma; cover the dolma with about 2 inches of water above and boil until the water boils down to the level of the dolma. Serve with garlic and yogurt; makes 50-70.

KATNOV
Note - my host mother/sister made this with added pumpkin – yum!
Ingredients: 200 g milk, 80 g rice (⅓ C), ½ g cinnamon, sugar to taste
o Pour rice into boiling milk and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time.
o When rice is cooked, add sugar, and cinnamon. Can be served both warm and cooled.

ARMENIAN COFFEE
Note – I might have to bring a jazzve home!
Ingredients (per person): 1 demitasse cup of water, 1 t finely (finely!) ground coffee (i.e. Armenian style), ½ t sugar
o Place water, coffee, and sugar in a jazzve (long-handled coffee pot), and place over medium-high heat. Coffee and sugar will dissolve in the water and a slight foam will form on top. The coffee will appear to thicken slightly before it begins to simmer around the edges. Hold it at this state for about a minute, watch carefully to be sure it does not boil over.

More recipes to come.