My Fiddle in Armenia - A Peace Corps Journey

Saturday, January 9, 2016

ONE HUNDREDTH YEAR COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE - APRIL 15th

Two thousand and fifteen was the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated against the Armenians by Turkey in 1915 where over 1 million Armenians (men, women and children) were murdered via beheading, shooting and forced marches into the Syrian deserts without food and water. It is a very sad chapter in Armenian history. Turkey and the United States (for political reasons - military bases) refuse to acknowledge this event as a genocide whereas virtually all other European nations recognized this as a genocide.
This year virtually all of the public schools had programs commemorating this part of their history as well as the Republic of Armenia with a holiday and events held across Armenia on April 15, 2015.

Modern dance replicating the genocide..

The Armenian flag and placing a memorial...

A play.. telling the genocide story...

The play....

More of the play..

Singing...

Singing patriotic songs and waving of the Armenian flag....

My little students, awaiting their performance.... 3rd graders...

A replica of the genocide memorial

in Yerevan in the school hallway..

A larger replica of the genocide memorial....

OPEN HOUSE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ARMENIA

This fall I took a few students from the high school English club at the Kotayk Library in Hrazdan to the American University Armenia in Yerevan to an open house there. I wanted to expose them to something different from the typical Armenian University where cheating and buying good grades is rife. Yes, purchasing your grades and class position is common if one has money.
American University Armenia is an extension of the University of California. It is managed then as an American University and has many US professors. The standards and financial aide are the same as in the US and the students have US college credits which they can of course transfer to the US should they decide to go to graduate school there.
The trip opened their eyes to something different that is available to them. They are young and have a few years before time for a university, but they will remember when the time comes this day.

My three students...

Introductory program in the auditorium....

Audience participation with a student musical group....

Later.. ice cream cones on this warm day in Yerevan..

Me and two of my students, Narine and Nellie

just having found out they passed the first qualifying

round of the FLEX competition.

FLEX is Future Leaders Exchange where Armenian students can spend a year of High School in the US if they win the completion of 300 students a year chosen from Armenia. Nellie, on the left, passed the second round but elected not to further compete as her family did not want her to go alone for a year to the United States. Narine's family was very supportive, but alas, she did not make the second round. Narine can compete for her four years of high school so she has more chances to improve her English for this competition.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

FOURTH OF JULY AT THE US EMBASSY

All Peace Corps volunteers in Armenia were invited to the United States embassy in Yerevan for a Fourth of July barbecue with embassy staff including the ambassador. Maybe half of us went. We hadn't had an American salad with real American dressing, hamburger, fries, salad, watermelon and corn on the cob for over a year. When we got there we heard American rock and roll blaring loud and everyone spoke English. There were some sporting events and games for children of embassy staff. All in all it was a lovely time.

View of Gilmore Field at the Embassy.. Yerevan

and the Hrazdan River in the background..

Cheeseburger, fires, salad, corn on cob and watermelon..

I know it seems so mundane, but for us on this day

it was incredibly wonderful :-)

Under the big top...

Peace Corps volunteer table....

My best friend Susan Spano and me enjoying our

corn on cob..

Me showing off my incredibly American and most

wonderful meal since I arrived in Armenia :-) It

was really such a treat! Little things mean a lot when

one is far away from one's country...

Sunday, October 25, 2015

BERLIN GERMANY WITH MY SON IAN

In late July I went to Berlin Germany to visit my son Ian. The last three spring/summers he has spent in Berlin and Eastern Europe working at music festivals. This time I hadn't seen Ian since a year ago August when he met me in Vienna for a day - my Peace Corps layover stop from the US to Armenia. We had about eight days together in Berlin. We did some sight seeing, went to a concentration camp north of Berlin, then spent two afternoons at two of the big beautiful parks in Berlin. We had some lovely meals together and had an all around most wonderful visit. I don't know where and when I will see him again. Maybe in India this winter.