Life in Yerevan - Posted on 03/10/09
Here is a collection of photos and words which attempt to approximate life in Yerevan. I loosely organized them into categories to make them appear to have structure. Enjoy!
Civil Society Podcasts - Posted On 01/26/09
For one of my two volunteer jobs here, I am working for an organization called Counterpart International. They aid civil society projects in Armenia by providing grants and giving trainings. Basically, this means they try to get Armenian citizens more involved in their government, so that the government respects its citizens and addresses their needs. My main task there is making 5-minute radio stories about the successes of their grantees. Here are a couple of the finished pieces and pictures of how they were made. More will soon be available here.
Christmas in Armenia - Posted On 01/12/09
It is Christmas in Yerevan! So in America, it is my understanding that most people celebreate Christmas Eve and Christmas day with our families, then on New Years everyone goes and parties with their friends. Well in Armenia Christmas is not only celebreated on January 6th rather than on December 25th, but it is also more of a religious rather than a family holiday. New Years is the big event to spend with your family. But not only is there a big feast on December 31st, but it also lasts for about a week or two into the new year as friends and family visit each others houses. The whole city shut down for a week, with everything except for grocery stores and a few restuarants being closed.
My Day on December 23rd - Posted On 12/29/08
I took pictures over the course of a day in my life to give an example of what it is like to live here.
Things Around Yerevan - Posted On 15/12/08
A few pages of odds and ends of things that I found in Yerevan.
Southern Armenia - 11/12/08
In addition to the weekly excursions that I do with Birthright Armenia every Saturday to explore the Armenian countryside, once a month they take us on extended weekend trips to places that are farther than a days outing outside of Yerevan. The first month we went to Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory currently inhabited by Armenians nestled in the mountains in between Armenia and Azerbaijan (Armenian's eastern neighbor). Last month we went the the southern tip of Armenia, the part situated between the main part of Azerbaijan, a broken off island of Azerbaijan called Nakhitchevan, and Iran. Here are some pictures and stories from our three day outing.
A Ride on the Metro - 27/10/08
Up until last week, I took the metro every day too and from where I was living. Now I live in the city center and don't need to take it anymore. But like transportation in many places, the character of the metro can tell you about the history of the city that spawned it. Come with me on a trip through the Yerevan Metro!
Trip to Amberd - 06/10/08
Every Saturday my program offers us the option of going on a day long excursion outside of Yerevan. A good portion of the 25 or so people who are here this fall go on these outings. We all pile on a bus, with a vague notion of exactly where the organizers are taking us, and spend the day romping through the countryside, eating magnificent meals, and gazing out the window at the passing scenery. This past Saturday (September 20th) we took a trip just an hour outside of Yerevan (not that anything in Armenia is too from the capital city!) under Mount Aragats, the tallest peak within the current boundaries of the country.
