Single parenthood

For all of you parents and even people who just want to give their opinons, feel free to inundate me with advice because I can use all the help you can give.

What exactly is the logical consequence for boys who take the wet mop that is supposed to be drying, treat it either as a broomstick (like Harry Potter) or just starting beating the cement with it thereby just about shredding it? What about a child (Austin) who throws black bean juice all over the kitchen just because it is fun? Or, a child who refuses to wear shoes just socks, goes outside, gets on a tricycle made for a two year old and goes down using his feet as brakes thereby ripping holes in his socks? (This would be Cole who has a serious sensitivity to sock seams; we are now down to 2 pairs and I know we can't get the seamless ones here.) Or my most recent favorite.... throwing water on your brother way past bedtime. Oh yes, and Madisen. She's tricky b/c she is quick to blame the boys, antagonize them, or deliberately tell them something just so they get upset (She gleefully broke the news to them that she tossed the tricyle over our wall).

I try making them clean up their messes, the tricycle disappeared, and CR struggles with not always having socks at his disposal, but I tell you, their ability to create chaos is far better than any logical consequences that I can come up with. And when there is three of them and one of me.... well let's just say that I am thrilled Tom is visiting next week. Please wish me sanity.

Zaghatsor......again

We went to Zaghatsor again. It was fun, but it was a short trip.

Once we were in the town Zaghatsor, we went to a hotel called writers workshop. The hotel supposedly didn't have any room, so we went to another hotel. There was room in that hotel, and stayed there. Our room was big, compared to the hotel rooms at home. There was the living room, a bedroom, a room for jackets and the bathroom. The bathroom was o.k, but the thing I liked the most was the jakoosy tub. There were 3 twin beds, plus a fold out couch.

After we ate lunch of soup, mom decided that we should go see a church, at the top of a hill. After 30 minutes of resting, we went. First we had to climb up a steep road, and then walk for a little ways. On the way to the church, a dog came by probably looking for food. It looked like it was nursing. Once Cole, Austin and mom got to the church, they had to wait for me to catch up. I was wearing boots around an inch off the ground. Mom and the boys were wearing tenishoes, and they said the wished they had brought snow boots because snow was on the ground, But I wished I had brought tennishoes.

There were 3 stone churches, built in different times. They were all stoney, and dark except for the last one which was used for church sevices.

After we looked at those, we went on to the ski lift, at least a mile away and almost all uphill, my feet were aching so much after that. After walking 45-1 hour almost all uphill, we reached the ski lift, it was not moving. Mom asked a guy if he would do it for us, and he nodded. We sat down, and he took a picture, and walked away. Mom said neretseg (excuse me) and pointed to go up. He said chi, which means no. So then mom asked if it was open on Sunday, it was open from 10-3, so we walked down the hill.

I got back and started the jakoosy, and got my bathing suit on. Mom said it takes so long to fill up that we might want to go in together with our bathing suits on, so I agreed but I kind of wished I could be in there alone. After the jakoosy we ate dinner.

After dinner of chicken, we wanted something sweet. We started to walk, and then Austin got a bloody nose. All mom had was a bag, so she held it against his nose. She took it off and he looked really funny, we laughed. Then I ran back to the hotel to get a tishuo. We went walking up the steep road again, and got some cookies, chocolate and yogurt drinks for in the morning because breakfast was at 10.

Mom took a bath, the boys went to bed and I started to read. Once mom got out, she read for a little while, and I finished my book. I woke up to talking because Cole and Austin of couse were awake.

After breakfast we walked to the ski lift again, and it was moving. Mom had a 20,000 and for us to go on it was 1,000 per person. She needed change, so she went to get it. We had brought food from breakfast for some dogs, and there were 8 or 9 of them here, both puppies and adults.

We got on the ski lift and went up the mountain. It was fun but cold. We had to change seats to go back down but everything else was fine.

After that we walked back to the hotel, and went home in a taxi.

The pictures at the top are of Austins nose bleed, Mountains and buildings taken from the ski lift, us on the lift and Austin and me on the ski lift.

madisen

Legal Clinics

I have GOT to remember that legal education here is so vastly different than back home. Part of my job is to set up a new clinic. We started discussions with a private European based university to open a clinic focused on human rights. The university liked the idea, was enthusiastic about finding good staff to run the clinic, has a very Western bent, and everyone was excited.

Our vision: Under the supervision of a practicing attorney (an "advocate" in Armenia) a law student would represent poor people who would not otherwise have legal representation. Students obtain valuable practical experience, the university offers a course that is not common in Armenia, the private bar is not harmed because the client is too poor to pay, vulnerable populations have a voice, and the poor person has real representation. Everyone wins.

Their vision: hire a director to work on policy, an assistant director to work on day to day clinic staff, an adminsitrator to administrate, and a bunch of professors to teach. For ten students. For just consultations (see below). And not hire an advocate who knows his/her way around the court system.

We spent 30 minutes discussing why the clinic's director could not also work as a criminal investigator for the Armenian government. The conflict you non-lawyers might ask? It would be like a district attorney responsible for prosecuting criminal cases representing criminal defendants on the side. A real good way for a lawyer to be disbarred or sued. The university director tried to convince us that while it might be unethical in the US and Europe, it was ok in Armenia, the proposed individual was very ethical and knows whether abuses have occurred, and the University director would make sure no conflict existed. Keep in mind that one of the big issues in Armenia is corruption and the average person has very valid reasons to distrust the legal system.

And then the other issue: they want to just provide consulting, not representation. Because it would be too hard for students. Because private attorneys would be upset that students were taking business away from them. And once people are informed their rights have been violated, they can then take matters into their own hands. So, the clinic would tell a torture victim that torture is against international and Armenian law. And now that the victim has the knowledge that his human rights were violated, he can now take on the Armenian government.

No real need for an advocate then.

We are still looking.

Obviously an American

I have given up trying to blend in. It is impossible. First, none of us look remotely Armenian - they tend to be thin, olive skinned, dark eyed and extremely well dressed. The women teeter on 3-4 inch -spiked-heels-with-pointy-toes boots even when it is icy. Boots/shoes match the outfit perfectly. Armenians wear nice clothes and uncomfortable shoes while commuting; then change into comfy shoes at work. Children don't have ripped clothes or holes in their jeans (that would be Austin who is on a quest to destroy or stain every single piece of clothing that he has).

My office mate, Liana, says that if I were to not wear a backpack, then perhaps I could pass as European. I have given up the backpack, but started wearing tennis shoes.

Here you go to the store, point/motion/talk to a saleslady behind the counter and they get you what you want. It is quite civilized compared to HEB on a Sunday afternoon.

Most everyone knows Armenian and Russian. Imagine learning 2 languages and alphabets while in elemetary school and being fluent in both. My colleagues also know English and usually another language or two.

I am teaching my new friends key American-English phrases: my Russian teacher Larissa likes "couch potato" and introduced it to her colleagues so now many Armenian children will incorporate that phrase into their English lexicon.

I am attaching a picture of Austin performing in his pre-school Easter musical. It has nothing to do with this subject, but hey, I am a proud mom.

Lori

Noravank & Selim Caravanserai

Here's a picture of the two story church/monastary that Madisen wrote about and why the kids think it is so cool to climb up the narrow, steep, and no railing stairs.

The other picture is the entrance to Selim Caravanserai. Imagine driving for an hour on a two lane deserted "highway" up, through, and around mountains to find this place. When the taxi driver pulled over next to a snowbank and pointed out a building barely visible, I thought he was joking. We traipsed through about 4 feet of snow to find the one entrance to the place (only one entrance to deter thieves so says the guidebook). The Selim Caravanseri was on the ancient trade routes and is where merchants would meet to feed their horses (?), etc. while they traded with other merchants. It was dark, dank, cold and would have been much worse in the 14th century as the animals were inside with the people.

Next chapter: gross 60-70 Armenian man with horrible breath hitting on American single mom with three kids riding in martshrutka (shared minivan-taxi) using Armenian man who spoke a little English as interpreter.

Our trip to Yeghegnadzor

Her are pictures of Cole, Austin and me climbing up the church's stairs. The second is of Daisy, the boys and me. The third is the boys in the meeting place. The fourth is of Austin, Cole and me in the church's entrance

This weekend we all went to Yeghegnadzor. It is a small town 2 hours out of Yerevan. We left at 11:00 and got to the town at 3:00 or 4:00.

On the way to Yeghegnadzor we stoped to look at a church. It was beautiful, built in the 1300. The thing I thought that was most interesting is that the church was 2 stories high. The stairs to get to the second floor were narrow, steep and no railing. They were about 15 to 20 feet off the ground. Mom was scared to death when we were about to go up. I was half way up when I decided to wait, and the boys and mom went ahead. They said it was beautiful upstairs. Then mom read out of her guide book saying that the church was only for men (edit by Lori: originally the whole complex - Noravank was a monastary and the ruins were begun in 1100's by a real progressive man: no women nor lewd persons were allowed).

There were 2 churches at the same place, so we looked at the next one which was built in. The church had tumbstones in it, it also had a place where the preist is.

After that I went up to the first church we saw, and went upstairs, it was beautiful.

After seeing that we kept on going to Yeghegnadzor. Once we finally got there, we went in circles to get to the homestay we were staying in. We found the homestay after asking directions from at least 5 people. The lady who ownes the homestay spoke English and had a dog named Daisy. After we got to our room she brought up these cookie things with pudding inside them, they were good.

At 5:30 the boys and I went outside to play. Mom soon came out and asked the owner if we could play with Daisy, the labrodor dog. Daisy came out and we played with her for 30 minutes. By that time it was 6:30, and we went out to eat. We orderd fish, soup,bread,and meat. It was good but the fish was boney and I did not really like the soup.

Once we got back to the homestay we played memory and progrisive rumme, then the boys went to bed while mommy read, and I wrote in the journal my friend had given me, and I read Eragon.

When we got up we had boiled eggs, tea, lebena, bread, cheese, those cookie things filled with pudding and cookies. It was all very good. Then we got ready to leave.

On our way back to Yerevan, we saw an old Jewish cemetary and a meeting place for travelers. We took a mashtrutca back to Yerevan.

madisen