Sorry for the delay between postings, folks. I know you have all been anxiously awaiting some new tale from the world of yours truly. I imagine when you see this posted into the FB feed that you will feel your heart rate quicken and a stirring in your belly similar to that of when you were on the precipice of your first kiss.
Last week there were two Armenian holidays, so including my off-day on Thursday, I only had two days of school. One of those days, my program manager came to visit. She met with my Principal (or Director), myself and my counterpart. Interestingly, as I met her at the school's front steps and we entered the school, she informed me that it is a direct insult to the Principal if upon her immediate arrival she did not go see him first. He had only wonderful things to say about me, that I show up for meetings I don't understand, that I understand more Armenian than the volunteer before me and that I am 'cheerful'. It's uncommon here in Armenia to smile at others for something unwarranted. Most people are typically frowning or neutral when greeting one another. This is because they regard smiling as foolish or childish, and they want to be taken seriously. This is also the thinking behind their mean mugs in photographs, no matter how exciting an occasion.
I am not sure what the exact details are behind the holiday on Monday, but I tagged along with my family to the village church. There we each lit three candles, admired the grounds which over look the ruins of the original Malishka. Afterwards, we headed to the first graveyard where Siranush's father is buried. I hadn't realized that he only passed away two years ago, which is really no time at all when you are close to a person. As she approached the tombstone she greeted him, "Barev, Pop" (Hi, Dad). Her husband Samvell prepared a small little fire in the appropriated silver bowl behind the gravestone as Siranush and the twins cleaned the tombstone and surrounding area. They wiped the stone down, pulled out weeds and burned incense in the fire when the area was ready. They didn't say much throughout the process, but it was certainly emotionally intense. There were many other families in the graveyard doing the same thing. We went to a second graveyard for another family member but it wasn't quite as emotional.
Afterwards, we went to the home of the two residing holistic doctors here in Malishka. They live on the side of the mountain overlooking the rest of the village. They have an amazing view and home. The wife is Russian and the husband looks like Santa Claus. They were very cool people. I even got an energy balancing treatment while I was there! It was so awesome to know that I have access to holistic treatments while I am here. The Russian wife is trained in Tibetan understands of health and medicine, and I am not too sure about the husband. They are the godparents of Siranush, and I am welcome there for free treatments at any time.
Last Friday was the 21st Anniversary of Armenia's Independence Day. Oddly, no one did much of anything at all. We went to go see Samvell's parents who reside in this tiny little shack in the mountains during the summer months. It's a place that looks like somewhere I THOUGHT I would end up before I actually got here.
The next day I went to Yerevan to meet with the co-organizer of the National Poetry Contest that I am helping put together. After our meeting I went shopping with my friend Joy for some new shoes, but couldn't find anything that I liked and or fit me AGAIN. That night a big group of us went out to experience the nightlife of the capital. Things were... interesting. The entire night I kept thinking,"This is Peace Corps?" It's definitely weird to have vices available to me that I was hoping to not have the temptation of for two years. Oh, the irony!
I will post again over the weekend hopefully to fill in little awesome tidbits, but for now I am sick in bed with a bad a cold and want to close my eyes. I wrote only because I know how you've longed for a slice of my life!
"Sometimes, when I'm at home alone... I blow my nose." Joy Roberson
Song of the Week: Afro Celt Sound System: Listen to Me
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