All is well as of July 31st, but post is for July 27th

Preamble to our blog: While we were in Yerevan Gary wrote the blog pages but I had difficulty getting the internet to upload them. Friday's work day will come as will Saturday's. Then we traveled to Yeghegnadzor where we arrive to no power. It is Monday morning and the power just came on at bedtime last night. No guarentees if we will have internet tonight, but will work harder to get updates from Yerevan even if Shirak still has issues. All are well and safe, we've just been powerless, experiencing something a bit normal in Armenia for the rural regions.

Blog, day 2, Thursday 27jul12 by Gary Gostanian

We arise each morning to a view of majestic Mt Ararat from our hotel room. Breakfast at the Shirak Hotel is always a wonderful daily surprise of fruits, vegetables, breads, meats and mystery foods.

Another beautiful day in Armenia with tempature in the high 90’s. We arrived at our worksite and our family was hard at work with us. Their 10 year old daughter, Hasmik, is a delightful addition to our team.

Our assignment was to continue to plaster the walls. We have almost completed two bedrooms and the hallway. Work on the living room is about ½ ways completed.

Our work day was short today but topped off by another home cooked Armenian lunch, the highlight of which was the local watermelon and the end of season apricots.


On return to Yerevan we were treated to, after a short shower break, we were treated to a 2 hour walking tour of the city. Our guide as young woman born at the end of the Soviet era, who lived her early days during the war years on the Azerbaijan border and later spent a year as an exchange student in the US, returning to Armenia to complete university studies in history and political science. It is amazing to imagine what she has experienced in her short years.

Dinner was at an underground restaurant, The Club, beautifully served, delicious food and entertainment by a pianist and baritone singing Italian songs.

Day 1 Orientation and work

My apologies for the lack of postings. Evidently the Hotel Shirak was having internet connectivity issues. It seems that the floor lobbies near the elevators will get internet but not in the lobby. The good news is that pictures seem to be working now! So we will go from here!

Blog, day 1, Thursday 26jul12  by Gary Gostanian

By Wednesday evening all the team had arrived in Yerevan, tired but ready for our experience. As our plane flew into Yerevan snow capped Mt Ararat arose majestically welcoming us to Armenia. The latest arrivals were treated to a late dinner of lamajoon before being dropped off at the Shirak Hotel.

The team members met in the morning for orientation – Susan, our group leader, Gohar, our Fuller coordinator and team members, Bill, Lauren, Tamar, Kristyna, Jirka, Gary, Judy Molly and Jill, prior to our 1 ½ hour bumpy bus ride to our home, driven by the trusty Malik, who drives, as well as is a job site supervisor.

As we arrived we were greeted by our host family given directions for our job of the day. We were instructed on sanding and plastering the walls of the home.

At about 1PM the main table was cleared and delicious Armenian meal was served. Then back to work.

The originally shy 10 year old daughter of the family, Hasmik, gradually joined in with the work of plastering – it was quickly apparent that this was not the first time she had helped with the work. She proved to be as hard working as any of the grown-ups.

We pastered throughout the afternoon and taking a late break for coffee and cookies. The work was new for most of us to those of us who had never plastered before but we quickly caught on to the job.

The end of the afternoon was cleaning up – a job which took longer than we expected, washing up in a 50 gallon and a stream running across the property. Malik added comic relief to the job by tossing little sticky purple thistles at the working team – before long the ‘kids’ joined in.

A tired crew headed home for showers and a delicious dinner.

The day was fun, hard work, gratifying as the walls slowly showed the effects of our efforts. The gradual getting acquainted with the team members, sharing smiles, bits of stories, plaster and sharing of a purpose.

Notes between teams

Notes between teams
On our last team evening together, after dancing and eating a final meal of Lahmajoon we returned to say goodbye to 8 of our team mates at 2 am. Hugs were shared all around with many "Thank you's" and "Keep in touch" sentiments spoken. And the group shrank as they left for the airport.
The next 2 were departing a mere 1 1/2 hours later. In the morning Peter left for Georgia to extend his travels, and we were only 5. As Leo and Sona had the day booked we made arrangements for dinner at my apartment with Matt and Tony our last evening and an excursion to follow.
I picked up the first 2 team mates for my trip, Bill Chattin and Lauren Jones at 2pm. Nice to have a mid day arrival! I settled Bill into Hotel Shirak and Lauren into my apartment until the team arrived.
We had a small dinner for 5 at my apartment with 2 former team mates and 2 future mates. It was definately much quieter than the raucous crowd of 16 I had entertained  a few nights earlier.
As Bill and Lauren were game the 5 of us decided to meet up a bit later and head up the Cascades. The boys had done this several times previously but only in the mornings so this was a new experience for them to see Yerevan from the top of the Cascades at night. It was beautiful!
Then we crossed to Victory Park, which was surprisingly quiet, and walked through to see Mother Armenia. After many pictures were taken, we took a cab back to the hotel. They departed by cab around 2:45 am. Sona and Leo were also leaving in the wee hours of the morning at 3:15am. It seemed like a good idea at the time to accompany them as it was time to pick up my next 2 team mates, Kristyna and Jirka from the Czeck Republic who were due in at 3:20am. Unfortunately they were much delayed and it was around 4:45 that they finally exited the baggage claim area.
After checking them into Hotel Shirak around 5am I got to bed around 5:30am. Lauren, fortunately was sound asleep when I turned in, so I didn't disturb her. But my contacts were screaming obscenities at me by then! 9:30 am came too early but the sunlight woke me anyway.
It turned out to be a more leisurely day which was exactly what I needed! Bill Lauren and I wandered around a bit, visiting some shops and checking out the Blue Mosque. In the afternoon, Bill had some errands to run, Kristyna and Jirka decided to rest and spend the day on their own, so Lauren and I went shopping at the big bazaar and wandered around town for a bit.
Bill had met up with a former exchange student that had lived with his family a few years ago named Hasmik. She had invited he and Lauren to dinner that night. Jirka had lit up at the suggestion of pizza for dinner so we went to MamaMia restaurant. We ordered light for starters with salad and a thin pizza. Then we had a second round of pizza before filling up. It was an early night for a change for which I was VERY thankful. Final team mates were due the next day and I needed to be ready to get the show on the road.
I think I have lost track of the days but that happens when you are on a great vacation! Wednesday we had another leisurely day but I can't remember whether it is the day partly described already or another day.... Anywho....
The 5 of us had dinner at Tashir pizza Wednesday night which was different from MamaMia, as this was a thick Pizza. 1 salad and 2 thick pizzas were enough for this group as well. Then at 8pm I headed out to the airport to pick up the remaining 5 team mates. Fortunately they were wearing their red Fuller Center T-shirts. It was very easy to spot them!
They had not enjoyed their airplane fare and were starving, so we stopped for Armenian fast food~PIZZA~ AKA Lahmajoon! Which they thoroughly enjoyed! THEN, we went to the hotel to get them checked in and settled for the night. After all tomorrow is our first work day! A good night's rest is in order!

Manuelian Trip Finale

Trip Finale
Though it's still hard to believe, our trip to Armenia has come to an end. Surely everyone was sad to see each other leave so FCHA planned for us a fun filled day to ease the pain. First, Melik took the band to Holy Edjmiatsin and it was certainly a great sight to see. From the first step into the cathedral I became overwhelmed with the site's history. Just the thought of how 1700 years ago, St Gregory the Illuminator had built the beautiful church and it had survived to this date was tough to grasp. It comforts me to know that through all the adversity that Armenians have went through as a people, the Church is still standing and standing as strong as ever. Luckily, we were also able to catch a glimpse of the Рatriarch as he entered the church as the last person in a long precession. After visiting Ejmiatsin, we were taken to a nice small restaurant in Yerevan where the cheese fries had everyone's mouth watering before the first bite, (okay, maybe only me).

After the restaurant, we were taken to Khor Virap where we were absorbed with even more history. At the monastery we were able to to go down the pit where St. Gregory the Illuminator was jailed for 13 years. How Gregory managed to remain sane after more than a decade in a pit is mind boggling. I gave myself about 5 minutes before the combination of heat and claustrophobia started to drive me crazy. At Khor Virap we got a close view of Mount Ararat and the border with Turkey. Although we lost Mount Ararat to the Turks, I was instilled with a sense of pride that they weren't able to take Khor Virap and that brought me satisfaction.


Our farewell dinner



Leo and Sona dancing
 at the restaurant

After returning to the Shirak to rest for a little, we were taken to a distance away from the hot city to a nice place alongside the Kazhak river where we were able to dine, dance, and watch the animals. We might have even cause a bear fight with a few morsels of lavash tossed into the cage. The food was good but I believe the highlight of the dinner was the emotional toasts made by a few members of the FCHA office and our group. It was great to hear the appreciation that FCHA members had for us, and it surely was a mutual feeling.

After heading back to the Shirak, the group headed to the Stoyka Pub where we danced the night away and boy, it was a blast. As the morning approached, the time came for us to say goodbye and personally, it was a tough moment. I'll never forget the friendships I made on this trip; from the young, rambunctious David Talanian to the older, wiser Peter Manuelian, we all bonded on this adventure and no matter what, our bond will remain unbroken.

As I reflect on this trip from the Shirak Hotel cafe as one of the last members in Armenia, I'd like to say that this was the best experience of my life, (believe me, I've had some fun times.) As a group, we filled a hole in the world and that will forever be something that I will cherish. Seeing my native country and the city of Yerevan were definitely highlights of the trip, but nothing compares to seeing the joy and happiness on the faces of those we helped. There's no greater gift than the gift of giving and I still have a lot of giving left in me. I leave Armenia honored to have had the chance to help those in need; it is an unmatched feeling and I look forward to coming back to continue this mission. Hayastan, its been real.
Till the next time,
                         Matt Ishkhan



Leo Manuelian's Team~ Over and Out!

Photo album for the Leo Manuelian trip

So here is a link to a combined photo album for Leo's team trip to build houses in Armenia. Much was accomplished and lots of fun was had as well! :-)

https://picasaweb.google.com/smiley25b/LeoS2012Team?authkey=Gv1sRgCISq8uGh6tGn_AE#

Souvenir shopping at Vernissage

Vernissage and Thank you dinner by Susan Bosovich

It was a good day to have MUCH less structure! After staying up and Dancing Friday night after a full day's work, I was in need of a sleep in day.

Our original plan was to go to the history museum at Republic Square at 10 am. My daughter, Alicia, and I had gone to see this museum in 2009 so I was not planning to attend. Evidently that was a thought in alot of minds.

Our other plan for the day was shopping at a flea market style place called Vernissage. You could get just about ANYTHING, except the kitchen sink there!. That had been on the calendar earlier in the trip but we had run out of time, much to the dismay of our serious shoppers. (Another reason to skip the museum and go staight to shopping) We met for lunch at Square one(a more americanized menu) and continued shopping!!!!
Note: In the past we have bargained with the sellers and been able to get lower prices. This year, however there were signs up in Armenian at many of the booths. Some added Russian as well. It was when we were almost done that we saw a sign in English that said, "Do not try to bargain." Now we understood why no one would come down in price.

Everyone seemed to find something interesting to purchase. Rug purses, Duduks, Nardi boards, magents, bookmarks,jewelry, etc,... so we were happy with the game plan. In the end Leo and his brother, Peter, were the only ones who went to the museum after lunch while we went back to Vernissage.

Personally, I slept in, meandered through making and eating breakfast as I am in an apartment instead of the hotel (which includes breakfast). I took a mini nap before actually getting dressed and ready to go. Then, I went to the hotel for internet to upload to the blog, check email and FB and such before meeting up with Tony for the walk to Square one for lunch. He had taken the opportunity to go to the internet cafe to upload grades for school. We have several teachers in our midst but he's the only one who actually had to do school related work on vacation!

We met at 6 pm to go to a thank you dinner with the family who's home we had worked on last year. Fortunately it wasn't a 70 minute drive to get to this house. It was wonderful to see the family in their completed home, smiles on their faces and exclamations of,"Shnorhakalutyun!" (Thank you!)

We had a delicious dinner of Khorovatz ("Grilled" over a small, hot stick fire)Lamb, chicken, tomatoes, mild peppers and eggplant, with vegetable salads, delicious fresh fruit varieties, breads, olives, and wine. It was followed up with a variety of Honeycomb (yum!), watermelon, sweet cakes for dessert with Armenian coffee. Way too much to eat AGAIN, but so hard not to try a little of everything. {I hope that my next team comes with a very big appetite!}

On the way back we saw fireworks going off but did not know what the event was, we just enjoyed them. Some of us went out to a local cafe under the trees near Republic Square where we could hear the music accompanying the water show. They really play an unusual mix of music! I called it an early night and the rest of the gang hung out for a second drink before calling it a night.


 The kids had decided to go our for ice cream instead. Evidently they met up with some of the youth from KPMG group and so they hung out for quite a while. When the adults returned they were a bit surprised but handled it well. Everyone had enjoyed the evening in their own way. Only one more day together and then we must say goodbye. (Can we start planning a reunion already???LOL!)

Our Last Day of Work with the Manuelian team

Heather
Susan
Sona

 Today was the last day of work. Half of the crew were up in the attic and half of us were on the ground, passing buckets of gravel down the line and up the pulley, to the roof.

After a good long work session, we say down for lunch. The family wanted to make us a lamb barbecue for lunch as a way of showing us how grateful they were of the work we had done. The grandfather and grandmother had been cooking it at their house and then brought it over to us. It was very satisfyingly delicious. I was trying to savor every moment of this lunch, knowing it would be our last.

After lunch had been served, a series of toasts were given by Leo, The father, and grandfather. It was so touching to see how thankful the family really was. After we had scarfed down our food and our tummys were full, it was time to bear our gifts to the family. The little girl, Hasmik who is 10 years old, had been taken with Rachel and I (both of us are 17) throughout the previous work days. She had let us know earlier in the week that she loved babies. So we thought what better gift could we get her.


Our family- Tigran and Salvi
Hasmik and the twins, Sasun and Sarkis

We called her over and handed her both of the dolls. Her eyes were at bright and happy as they could be. We also gave her a jump rope, some hair accessories and clothes. She was so overwhelmed with the attention and gifts, she wasn't quite sure what to think. The two twin little boys, who are about 3, received two large special ordered Teddie bears with their names on them from Leo and Sona. Plus, they inherited two big water guns.(Remember Vartavar?)

 Their giggles when they got to shoot their grandfather and anyone else, were priceless. It was so enjoyable to play with and watch them. After we played with the family and their new toys for about an hour, it was time for us to say our last goodbyes. Hasmik stood and waved goodbye to the bus until it was out of her eyesight. And even then I bet she still stood and waved. It was very heart wrenching to say goodbye but also leaves hope for the future that I can come back and see the family again, living comfortably in their fully finished house.

We came back to the hotel and got all cleaned up and ready for our subway trip to a restaurant called Paplavok. Me, being from Missouri the subway was a new and exciting experience. We walked down big stairs that went underground. The wind was blowing like crazy once we got down there. Leo handed us our coins and we walked into the entrance. On the subway I got laughed at by locals that probably take the subway everyday. I was showing my excitement very loudly and clearly. It was a fun ride to say the least.


Dinner at Paplavok

 The restaurant we went to was out on a pond. The food was actually very delicious. We had bread(of course), salads, and chicken with mushrooms. They had a live band playing jazz music. All in all it was a great way to end the bittersweet day.


The pond behind Paplavok

                              
  
                                      By Hannah Reynolds