My Fiddle in Armenia - A Peace Corps Journey: January 2016

Sunday, January 17, 2016

SCHOOL DANCE TOUR IN ARMAVIR MARZ

I have started doing what I call 'dance tours' in different areas of Armenia. My first tour was to Armavir Marz, in southwest Armenia. I went to three different schools in three separate villages in the Marz (county), Arteni, Karakert and Aragartsavan. In each village school I had dances in three or four classes. We did American folk songs and then had a barn dance doing two or three easy dances. This was in grades three through 12. It is in essence, not a class to learn English, but a cultural exchange where the children/students experience an American cultural event. It also creates a space of joy for the children where they have fun, laugh, and move about and learn a little something about America. Peace Corps volunteers Andrea Grant and Aileen Fermin were here to help me.

This first group of photos is in Aragartsavan

third grade class. We are dancing The Galopede!!

Group photo... Aileen Fermin on far right...

Me and Andrea - No heat so coats and scarfs on!!

This second group of photos is from the village of

Arteni and Karakert third and ninth graders...

Group of third graders...

Learning left and right!!!

Arteni ninth graders.....

Learning La Bastringue...

Karakert third graders singing....

ARMENIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

In November of 2015 I was invited to the Armenia English Language Teachers Association Conference in Tshaghkadzor at the Russian resort there. I was invited for a cross cultural exchange to put on an American barn dance. There were about 70 Armenian English teachers from all across Armenia present. They virtually all attended the dance that first evening of the conference. From this exposure I have been invited to visit classrooms all over Armenia for cross cultural exchange. My site mate Brian Badgley helped me with the dance.

Evening dance in the old Russian

Tshaghkadzor hotel resort lobby.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

SELLING MEAT ON THE STREET...

Coming up on to New Years Day or Nor Taree as it is called in Armenia, meat is sold on the street at this time of year when it is cold out and then whenever a cow is slaughtered in the neighboring village. A half a cow is brought to a table and then butchered piece by piece on a chopping block with an ax and/or a knife for each customer according to their request. A cow's head is considered a great delicacy here for the tongue and brains and thus the whole head is sold for about 4,000 AMD (Armenian Drams) or approximately eight dollars. I never purchase this meat or any meat in Hrazdan due to concerns regarding ecoli etc. I only eat meat from restaurants in Yerevan when I go there.
The meat stand you see here is just outside my gate at the shooka when I come down my steps. I had to look at these cows' heads every day for weeks. They were certainly purchased as I saw a new head virtually every day. The street dogs and cats hang out by the meat stand in hopes of getting a scrap of meat every now and then.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS 2015/2016

This Christmas and New Year's holidays I spent at my site in Hrazdan. It was a very difficult time for me as I was alone the majority of the time in a different culture and no-one who really speaks my native language. Whenever possible I spent time with the children and Armenian friends.
Our Christmas in the US, December 25th was the last day of school in Armenia. Armenia celebrates Christmas on January 6th. So, on December 25th I went to school, had potatoes with Zoya and then chicken noodle soup at home. New Years Day is the big day in Armenia when stores are closed etc. Christmas Day in Armenia is not a big day - although a holiday, but stores are open and not much celebration at their homes except for a dinner.

Our ladies book club Christmas meeting..

We read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and then

watched the video on my computer.

Fourth grade at school making Christmas cards

with supplies sent to me by friends in the US..

crayons, construction paper and stickers...

After school English club at the language center..

We read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and watched

the video..

Making Christmas cards...

More of Christmas cards...

Playing the favorite new game of UNO :-)

My little friend Arsen at the Christmas

party for disabled children at my site mate

Brian's NGO.

Dancing La Bastringue at the NGO party for disabled children..

I went to the Christmas service at the

Yerevan Anglican service at an Armenian

Apolistic XIIth century monastery in Yerevan..

Surb Zoravor

My fourth grade student Hasmik with

her Christmas card....

Me at the 5th grade class party doing

Armenian dancing with my students...

Peace Corps administrative staff online

Christmas card for Peace Corps volunteers...

Me and Arsen again after dancing...

He is actually 10 years old..

Armenian children are very small

due to lack of nutrition..

My 'Harry Potter' fourth grade student

making his Christmas card...

It started snowing New Years Eve and

didn't stop for three days. This is the view

out of my front window.

Christmas party in the fifth grade..

Sunrise from my east facing apartment window..

Inside view of Surb Zoravor Monastary..

Christmas dinner, having woodstove potatoes

with my friend Zoya in her fruit/vegetable shack..

Monday, January 11, 2016

DANCING AT CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND SUMMER ENGLISH ACCESS CAMP

Each summer, the Children of Amenia Fund (a private foundation funded by Armenian diaspora from around the world) sponsors camps for high school students in Armenia who attend their after school English clubs during the school year for two years. I was invited to come and share about Americanb folk music and put on an American barn dance for the camp in Tsghkadzor. I brought four other volunteers to help me: Andrea Grant, Jim Daley, Brian Badgley and Susan Spano. We had two groups of approximately 50 students. The students loved learning these American dances...