ARMENIA

Thank you for reading my blog this past year!
So Long,
KMF

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Parev! That is hello in Armenian. Well, I have made it through almost a full year of traveling and adventures. I am pretty sure this will be my final blog entry. I am leaving for the airport in just an hour to visit my homeland, Armenia. On my final journey, it is hard to put into words how important this trip is and how much it means to me. To visit the land where my ancestors are from is quite remarkable. I never thought I would ever make it to Armenia, but now I WILL!

Armenia is located in Asia and if you have been following my blog, you know what that means: I have officially been to all 7 continents!

It is also my last volunteer experience of my year off from teaching. I will be working for an organization called The Fuller Center for Housing (created by Millard Fuller who was also the founder and president of Habitat for Humanity). The focus is on completing unfinished houses, replacing and repairing roofs, and installing sanitation and heating systems for low-income families in both urban and rural areas. When I arrive in Yerevan(the capital of Armenia), I will find out my specific project.

Please click on the link to learn more about the organization I will be working for-

Our Fuller team of 6
http://www.fullercenterarmenia.org/

There is a 9 hour time difference and it is HOT in Armenia. I will hopefully be in touch frequently. If not, I will definitely have a lot to share in three weeks when I return to NJ.

Armenian flag, Mt. Ararat, Yerevan

So long,
KMF


Fri., June 26 and Sat., June 27 (Travel days)

Traffic strikes again! Unfortunately, I was late to catch my flight to Armenia due to NJ/NY traffic to JFK. I was there about 55 minutes before my international flight. However, the rule is that a person flying internationally must be CHECKED in 1 hour before the flight departs. Flying with Air France, they were certainly strict about this rule. I was able to get onto the next flight with a little extra payment. Not a big deal, but not what I was planning. Suzy, the team leader of my group, and I were happy to be able to get onto the next flight.

We went through security and were ready to board our plane. We were flying to Paris and from there connecting to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Feeling a bit better, we sat on the plane ready to go. Unfortunately, mother nature had different plans for us. Our plane made it to the runway, but then lightening and thunder stopped us. We sat on the runway for about 4 hours and then finally took off. The 6 1/2 hour flight was okay, but because we had to sit for the extra four hours it felt much longer.

My sister, Marisa, met up with us in Paris. Another 4 1/2 hours and we finally made it to Yerevan at 9pm on Sunday.

Sunday, June 28th

YEREVAN

This afternoon Suzy took Marisa and I on a walk around the city of Yerevan. It is a tiny city, but full of character. Extremely easy to navigate as it is quite small. There is the newly renovated area, the republic square, parks, an Opera House, over 500 cafes, and of course plenty of old buildings that are reminiscent of Soviet rule.

Armenia was once ruled by the Soviet Union(for about 70 years), there is still a feel of it here. Although the main language is Armenian, most speak Russian as well. In 1991, Armenia gained its independence as its own republic. However there were a lot of problems(and there still are), unemployment, industry declines, and for some time they had a period called "the dark years." Food was scarce, families left with nothing, their money was no longer good as the currency changed, etc. Even now with the economic crisis, the joke is - The current economic crisis came to Armenia and said, "Wait, I think we've already been here."

Over 500 cafes makes Yerevan seem as if it could be a trendy and comfortable city. However, there is a lot of money flowing in from Armenians not living here in the country. The money is coming from American Armenians or other countries. This money, foriegn money, has helped Yerevan to become a modern and attractive city. Yet, these cafes are not found in the out-skirts
of Yerevan, or towns and villages.

Armenians are very proud and have survived through many trying and tragic events in their lives. Even though they may not have a lot of money, they live as if there is no tomorrow. Meaning, they enjoy the little that they have and aren't saving up as much as we do. At night, when the weather is cool, there are many young people out at cafes till late in the evening (even with their young children). It has been said by many tourists that Armenians in the city of Yerevan really aren't that poor, but if they realized the way they live their lives, they truly aren't as fortunate as we assume.

Water show at Republic Square

The weather is HOT and DRY, without humidity. There is also hazy skies and so the Armenians most prized mountain, Mt. Ararat, can hardly be seen for all of its beauty. The night time is when the people go out to socialize. The sun can still be very strong even at 7 pm at night.

Mt. Ararat
The money is called the dram. 361 drams = 1 dollar. Of course I was introduced to the internet cafe and for only 400 drams I can check emails for an hour. Unfortunately, many people smoke here, including inside the internet cafe. This is something that bothers me, but there isn't much I can do about it.

The food in Armenia is amazing, especially the fruits and vegetables. TOMATOES are out of this world. I know they say Jersey tomatoes are the best, but I beg to differ. I have never eaten such a ripe tomato that is deep red in color with the skin just melting as I ate it. Apricots are also a popular fruit grown in Armenia. The juicy and sweet fruit is commonly served with dessert. The food is all grown on the farms and almost everything I have eaten is so pure and organic.

Mon., June 29

Suzy had set up an opportunity for us to take a ride to Khor Virap. Khor Virap's main attraction is the tiny church chapel built upon the pit of St. Gregory the Illuminator. According to the legend, around the 3rd century, Gregory was preaching Christianity in Armenia. At the time, Armenia was a pagan nation. The king did not approve of this crime and imprisoned Gregory in a pit for about 13 years. He was not given any food and was tortured. So, the legend claims that the king eventually became very sick and his wife told him to free Gregory and maybe this would cure him. Of course, it did, and so the king, refered to him as St. Gregory and proclaimed Armenia as a Christian nation in 301 AD. Just a side note, it is said that he survived all those years without food- BUT he actually received food from the king's sister-in-law.

I climbed straight down the 27 steps using a metal ladder that is bolted to the shaft. Let's just say it was confining, dark, hot, steep, and somewhere I would not want to be for over 12 years. It was so hot my hands were sweating and my grip on the metal ladder was slippery. I was glad I could witness the pit, but was glad to be back up on solid ground at the end.

St. Gregory's Pit video
Suzy has been to Armenia before and helped two other families to build homes. It was great to see the final product and be welcomed by these complete strangers with open arms. They didn't know us at all, but because of Suzy, had prepared a table full of food. This is typical of Armenians here to treat their guests to all the best foods in their house. We had fruit(apricots, mini apples, mulberries, currants) cake, candy, and more. Even if I didn't want anything, I had to pretend to eat it or it would have been considered very insulting. The second house did the same, plus ice-cream was offered. I would say it was a very filling afternoon.

We had an orientation meeting where we found out more about the program, our project, and each other. There are a total of 6 members and our team leader, Suzy. In addition, there are two other very important people that are with us every day on site. Gohar(female) and Melik(male). Gohar is incharge of our group on the site and when we go on a tour, helps us the whole time we are in Yerevan, and works with us on the house. Melik is our van driver as well as helps with the construction of the house.

LEADER: Suzy, (5th time to Yerevan),NJ
OUR TEAM:
Marisa- (my sister), CA
Nellie- originally from Yerevan, but has lived in NJ for last 20 years
Gabriela (Nellie's daughter), NJ
Lori, (has volunteered 8 times prior to this trip) NJ
Minas(male, 3rd time as a volunteer in Yerevan), NJ
Me, NJ


Tues., June 30

This morning we were greeted with a bit of a shock. Suzy, our team leader, had to fly back home to the USA for a family emergency. I was so sad that she wouldn't be able to stay with us, but understood because family is always first priority. The six of us still in the group headed onto the van and off to our placement. The ride from Yerevan (city) to the village is about 40 min.

Day 1 atVolunteer Site - Haytagh Village

This morning we were introduced to the family that we would be helping to build their house.
Eight years ago, Ashot, Neli and their two kids, Gevorg and Arpine, started to build the foundation of their house. Despite all their effort, they could not complete the construction all by themselves. It is hard to feed a family and build a house.

Top- Family:Arpine, Neli, Ashot, Gevorg
Fuller Program to the rescue! There are many families that apply to be granted assistance, however, there is a specific selection process. The family must have a need, ability to pay back, and partake in a partnership with Fuller. Fuller then helps with supervision, volunteer labor, and supplies. Our team is the first of many teams that will partake in helping this wonderful family. After we leave in about 10 days, there will be another group coming in. That group also has more than 6 team members. Following that group, are another four groups that will help to finish this home and continue on to help other families. The goal is with all the international help and money, the family will finish the home by the end of the year.

1st day at site video
As we exited our van, we could see the exterior of the house. The outer walls of the house were already completed and a roof of some sort was covering the walls. Inside there were five rooms of hard earth(dirt) and two rooms had huge mounds of stones. There was a main living area, 2 medium rooms(kitchen and bedroom), and 2 smaller bedrooms.

Our job was to make the mound of stones level. The basalt stones were heavy and we took the morning hours to complete the leveling process. Once even, we needed to add more to a make it higher. The other rocks were outside. This required the wheelbarrow and passing the basalt from another pile outside a side window. Luckily there are other people working with us so we know what to do. There are two engineers and at least 6 men who are on site with us every day, giving directions, measuring with a piece of string, moving heavy items, sweating like you wouldn't believe. Plus, a lot of the families friends and neighbors stop by throughout the day to support us with the labor.

Outhouse/bathroom
After our 1 hour lunch break, we were throwing buckets of dirt onto the rocks. By the end of day 1 we had put a huge dent in the 3 larger rooms. Working inside was nice since the sun was extremely hot. With the money that we paid to be apart of this program, all volunteers are provided with unlimited amounts of bottled water. Therefore, we are constantly being asked if we would like some water. There is an outhouse for us to use incase we need to go to the bathroom. My first experience wasn't that terrible.

In the evening we were treated to a show at the Opera House. It was a 2 hour Armenian dance performance. The show consisted of about 15 male dancers and 18 female dancers. Incorporating both traditional and modern moves, the professionals wowed us spectators. The costumes were beautiful, they must have changed their attire at least 10 times. The jumping, foot and hand movements, and talent were apparent throughout the show. I took way too many videos and will definitely be posting upon my return.

Opera House Dance Performance video

Opera House Dance Performance video

Wed., July 1

I forgot to mention that we wear special gear to help us protect ourselves on the site.
Strong leather work gloves, steel tipped boots or hiking boots, back support belt, respirator face masks, goggles(optional). Regardless, I am always filthy from the materials we use.

Day 2 at volunteer site

The best part of the housing project is that it is in a small village. All the neighbors are very aware that there are new people around at Ashot and Neli's house. The neighbors usually want to help out. Today was the perfect day for some assistance. I think there were about 30 people total (including some teenage boys) to aid us in the building project.

We made a lot of progress yesterday and wanted to keep it going. Today we utilized the buckets and made an assembly line. The men would pick up the big stones and using our gloves we passed them into the largest room of the five. When we ran out of basalt stones, we did another assembly line through the window to place soil on top of the two medium sized rooms. After soil, came buckets of water.

Our assembly line
Our lunch break was short. Oh, lunch, forgot to say that it is amazing and there are about 16 of us at the table every day. Our program fee pays for us and the family to eat lunch. Gohar and Melik buy the food in the morning and the office workers at Fuller have hired someone to prepare the lunch daily. We usually get an hour for lunch and then have a dessert break around 3pm or so. The men like to sit together at one end of the table and the women at the other. It is quite funny because they really don't want to sit by us women.

The afternoon session was extremely quick, we were rapid. Our assembly line was executed perfectly and we accomplished filling the 3 rooms with gravel(small gravel) swiftly. This required us to shovel fast (the men or sometimes Marisa or Lori- we like to call them the over achievers of the group), pass fast, pour fast, and then pass back the empty buckets fast, place the empty buckets down fast, and then start all over again. Having the extra help today was vital to our success. We were actually told that we are working so quickly, the other groups may not have as much to do because of our strength and determination to aid in building this house.

Thurs., July 2

Day 3 at volunteer site-

The day started with our team using the buckets again. Our assembly line is fantastic and runs so smoothly. Today we were shoveling a light weight volcanic rock called Tuff (burnt orange/red in color). Even I picked up a shovel today. There were 20 of us total, 7 on the roof, 11 of us on the assembly line, and 2 people shoveling. The two people shoveling have to constantly be in motion filling buckets with the tuff. Once filled, the next person reaches down to pick up buckets. From there, it is passed along by a couple people to the scaffold. The person next to the scaffold then lifts the bucket to the person on the scaffold. At that point, it is up on the roof and the 7 men take care of insulating the roof with the tuff. When they are done with the buckets, the assembly line takes over and passes the empty buckets back to the two people shoveling. We did this for a good portion off our morning(of course taking 5 min. water breaks here and there).

The afternoon session consisted of us filling the large basalt rocks into the two smaller rooms. After that was completed, we focused on the gravel. Gravel was filled into the buckets( at least 20 buckets are being utilized) and we created our seamless assembly line. With the twenty of us working together, we were able to complete the gravel covering of both small rooms in about 25 minutes.

Our team is so Awesome! I am not bragging, but for only six volunteers (and the others) we have made SO much progress in three days.

We found a kitten video

Friday, July 3

Our group of 6 had the day off from working. Today was a full day of sight seeing with tours and fantastic views of different parts of Armenia.

1. Matenadaran -basically a place where over 17,000 manuscripts dating back many centuries are housed.

2. Genocide Museum/Mermorial- A place that remembers the genocide/killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks during the Ottoman Empire, starting in 1915. The first true genocide of the 20th century.

There is an outside structure of 12 massive panels leaning inward surrounding the eternal flame on the ground. The flame represents the memory of all that were apart of this terrible massacre. On April 24, national day of commemoration and mourning, many Armenians make there way to this memorial to remember loved ones.

Genocide Memorial/Eternal Flame video

3. Garni -only Pagan Temple in Armenia, built in 1st century, AD. The temple overlooks Garni Gorge and is breathtaking.

4. Geghard Monastery - Buildings that are built into the side of the mountain. The rooms and many chapels of the monastery are literally carved into the mountain.More than half of the floor area is located within the mountain itself.

Inside of Geghard video
I know I haven't written much about what we do at night, but it is dinner together with the team at all different types of Armenian restaurants(well, last night we did have Chinese). Then I usually end up here at the internet cafe typing as much as I can on the blog or checking my emails. Some of my other team member come to the internet or head to one of the many cafes.

Sat., July 4

Day 4 at volunteer site

FOURTH OF JULY

Our friends here in Armenia were very aware of OUR holiday and our work day was a bit different than normal. Instead of getting right to work, we were greated with a huge cake that was topped with a giant sparkler. After the cake, we all got back on the bus and went to see how lavash was made. Lavash is a paper thin bread that is typically eaten with all meals. There was a deep fire pit and we saw the two elderly ladies working hard to make a months worth of the lavash. One would roll the dough and the next would shape and stretch it over a long oval type of mold(hard pillow). The second lady then would take the mold and smash the dough up against the stone wall. After only a minute or so, the lavash was ready to be taken out to dry. Again, I took video of this and will share when I get home.

We only worked for a couple hours and the sun was really strong outside. It was our assembly line of buckets to insulate the roof/attic area with the small tuff rock. Lots of bucket passing, shoveling, and quick movements. There were neighbors helping as usual.

Making lavash video
Tonight our group of 6 is going to celebrate the 4th of July Armenian style: eating and dancing.
Although there are no fireworks here, Tues. night - Sun. night at 9pm there is a water/light show. The show lasts two hours and is in the fountain at Republic Square. It is accompanied by a medley of music and street vendors are out selling ice-cream and snacks for the little kids. It is a popular meeting spot. I am thinking we might stop by there tonight in honor of the holiday.

Sunday, July 5

Since today was Sunday, it was arranged for our team to visit the one of the most important places in Armenia: Holy Echmiadzin. It was only a 15 minute ride from Yerevan. We were able to see some of the church service, which was quite moving. Lighting candles, listening to the choir boom in volume, and seeing people kissing the cross and bible. The old Armenian women were a sight, some crying, all with a scarf covering their hair, reading from the bible in Armenian. I was certainly taking it all in. We walked around the grouds of the church and then headed back to Yerevan.

Outside of Echmiadzin video

Inside church video

Church service video

Our afternoon consisted of shopping at Vernissage. Vernissage is an open air market, but I like to think of it as a garage sale with over 400 houses to stop at. Some things are old and some are new. There is jewelry, Armenian souvenirs,books, many items made of wood, music, tools, old phones, and a whole section dedicated to artists who display their beautiful work. It was a little difficult to bargain with these people. They wouldn't budge on the prices like I have been able to do in the past. It was funny to me since I am usually the one who won't budge on my end. One Armenian meeting another!

It rained today, but only for an hour in the early evening. This has happened the last three nights. Rain will come for a little and then it is sunny again. From what I 've heard, this is not typical weather in Armenia.

Mon., July 6

Day 5 at volunteer site

A group of 8 young (high school age)Armenians joined us today on the site. Many of these young Armenians are apart of a group called FLEX (Future leaders exchange) where they lived in the US for 10 months and learned English. It was easy to communicate with them and having them on site was really helpful today because of the amount of work we needed to accomplish. There were also three other college aged Armenians who assisted us. They live in America, but are here for 4 months doing an internship. I think we had about 40 people total.

Our main focus for the day was transporting the large stones into the bathroom and pouring cement. I know I mentioned there were five rooms in the house. So, where is the bathroom? Well, it is actually attached to the porch outside. Today there was a new hole in one of the rooms that allowed us to see the giant hole that we needed to fill for the bathroom floor. Thankfully, we had all the extra hands on site to really make a big dent.

CEMENT TIME! Finally, all of us new volunteers were waiting to do some cement work. Well, since there was a storm last night, the electricity wasn't working today. That meant that instead of using electric cement mixers, the men would have to do it all by hand. First, they made a mound of sand(and some fine gravel) and the cement mixture. Then it was mixed with the shovels and a crater was made in the middle. Buckets of water were dumped in the middle of the crater till it was filled almost to the top. The water was absorbed by the mixture and Voila- CONCRETE was formed.

Our group of 40 worked tirelessly to concrete one medium and one small sized room floor. We really were fortunate to have all those extra people to assist us today. The concrete was transported via buckets down a long assembly line into the room where the men dumped the buckets. One man was incharge of leveling the concrete. He is a professional who came on site specifically to complete this job. We really needed the extra help since we had an extra long assembly line and heavier than normal buckets. Overall, a very successful day!

Cement video

Tues., July 7

Day 6 at volunteer site

The electricity was back in the village. The men were able to use the cement mixers and we were able to cement the a third room (small bedroom) by the end of the morning. It took us a while to finish, but we did it.

In the afternoon we didn't do as much work because a bunch of the men (at least 6) were focusing on the water pipes. The pipes were set up in the kitchen and bathroom. Then some cement was poured ontop of them. Apparently we are really ahead of schedule because of how much work our group has done. We were told that we were too quick and that the other groups may not have enough work because of us.

Every day we are busy, either with a tour or work. My time is almost over and I still haven't made it to the post office to mail my postcards. It is nonstop(in a good way) and I am looking forward to our day off on Friday. One more day of work and another tour day and then back to NJ.

Electric cement mixer video
Wed., July 8

Day 7 at volunteer site (LAST DAY OF WORK)

All of the work we did on the house video
Another small group of 3 volunteers joined us today. However, they were definitely helpful as we were going to work with cement again for the kitchen(4th room). The same routine as usual: make the cement, form the assembly line, pour the cement onto the rock and gravel, pass buckets back, and keep it moving. It took us most of the morning to do this. In addition, we added more rocks to the bathroom(technically room 6).

We did take a mini break to visit another house that was selected to be partners with Fuller. The family has the walls up, but no roof or floors. The house will be worked on once more funds arrive and the other teams fly in.

It was an emotional day for the family and all of us volunteers. The mother and daughter were especially moved by the friendship that we developed in such a short amount of time. As well as all the hard work we did so that they can have a house one day in the near future. Right now they are living in a friend's house. I know that it was also very hard for half of our 6 volunteers to keep the tears back. We all were happy to be apart of this amazing experience and give to our people in a way that was more than just a monetary donation.

Thurs., July 9

LAKE SEVAN

There has been a lot of rain for us while here in Yerevan. Usually it is in the evening for an hour or even less. Today we went to Lake Sevan(45 min. from city of Yerevan) and of course, it rained. It wasn't for long, but the sky was extremely cloudy and terrible visability of the lake.
Lake Sevan is a popular place for Armenians to vacation in the summer. The weather is a bit cooler here than in the city area so it is a nice change from the heat.

Lake Sevan video
There was a farewell dinner with the Fuller Staff and our team of 6. We enjoyed a fabulous meal and were thanked by the Fuller Staff for all that we did during the past two weeks. Each volunteer received a certificate of participation.

I watched the water/light/music show. It really is a great way to socialize with neighbors, friends, and family. From 9-11pm most of Yerevan flocks to the Republic Square to enjoy the show with vendors selling cotton candy, ice-cream, popcorn, etc. for all to enjoy.

Water/music/light show video

Water/music/light show at Republic Square

Fri., July 10

What is up with the scales?
I have noticed that there are men with scales around the streets of the Republic Square. I was a bit confused as I keep my scale in my bathroom. So, do people not own scales or do they just want to know how much they weigh after eating lots of Dolma (meat, rice, stuffed in grape leaves or cabbage- looks like a cigar)? It was explained that it is another way to make money, a job. The men usually charge a small fee and then you can find out how many kilograms you are. I am just going to wait to find out my weight when I return home. FYI- Of all my travels and all the cities I've been to, this is the only place I've seen this.

Scale, Dolma
Armenian Food
The food is something that is so typical and normal to me that I haven't spoken about it much. That is because I have been raised by an Armenian mother who knows how to make many of the delicious dishes. However, since many of you aren't Armenian I should try to tell you a little bit about what I've eaten here.

lunch, fruits, lavash

There are so many wonderful fruits and vegetables to enjoy here. As I mentioned before, things are pure and natural. The tomatoes, strawberries, apricots, and basil were just some of the more popular items that were grown by the family we were helping. At every meal we had cheese(so spectacular since their cows aren't injected with hormones, etc.), a salad, and bread. The salad is ONLY cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and basil. There was no oil added or dressing, even though it tasted so fantastic. Of course bread and lavash (the extremely thin bread- NOT PITA) was at every meal. Also, there was an egg, tomato, and onion dish served frequently. The eggs were scrambled and broken into pieces, and the tomotoes and onions were hot.


Sat., July 11

Cascades video, city of Yerevan
My time in Armenia has been more than I could have expected or asked for. I am so glad that this is the way I got to experience the land and people for the first time, as a volunteer.

Thank you for reading my blog.


Sunset on Mt. Ararat

So Long,

KMF