#1 – Onions! Yes, that is 40 kilos of them friends. All in the name of canning for winter.

#2 – Here is a view of the auditorium in the music school from the grand piano. I am hoping to be able to work with the school in purchasing new instruments and planning concerts. Right now, I go to Nune’s piano lessons on Monday and Wednesday. She is hoping that I will soon be able to work with one of her students.

#3 – This afternoon snack was provided by Mitch, Kim and Trevor! Thanks guys! As you can see it was joined with a few beers to complete the meal. There is no better way to spread American culture and values than through food. Beef Jerky, Peanut Butter filled Pretzels, Reeses, Cookies…

#4 – Ed, Jack and I before our hike up Aragots from the front porch of Eds host families house in Hanaberd.

#5 – No blog would be complete without a closeup..ha. This was about 4 hours into our hike on Day 1. Still smiling…the mountain in the background helped that though…..

#6 – the camp site!

#7 – Ed and I sponsored by North Face

#8 – Sunset…meaning the moment it started to get butt cold…he he…

#9 -  Sunrise…please note the frost on our bags.

#10 – Due to the cold and the early sunrise we set out early in the morning for the summit

#11 – This was the farthest Ed and I made it. Jack kept on going as Ed and I journeyed back to Hanaberd because due to time constraints. Just know if you come visit in the spring, summer or fall this hike will part of the itinerary…incredible.

#12 – Ed rock surfing on our way back

#13 – Kim and her organization in Gyumri just so happened to be doing a dayhike on Aragots at the same time so we met up on the trail and gave each other much needed pep talks…

#14 – Independence Day celebration in Ashtarak! September 21st

#15 – Emil and his friend Artur celebrating the day with their new friends in Ashtarak

#16 – Looking into the gorge in Ashtarak – maybe as a side project I can open a bungee company…hmm…any interested investors?

#17 – Emil and Artur again with another group of new friends, but this time in Yerevan. Yes, they are popular.

#18 – Tigran and I at the Opera in Yerevan enjoying an outdoor concert…the second act was a Armenian American rock singer. The english was much appreciated

#19 – The stage, the excitement, the day of independence.

#20 – After the concert at the Opera we went to Republic Square where we joined thousands of others to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

#21 – Welcome to Sevan! Last weekend over 20 of the volunteers reunited to celebrate completing our first month at our sites, with bbq, beer and lots laughing and games. It was a refreshing time and much needed.

#22 – Here is the toilet seat from one of the volunteer cabins over the weekend. Still not completely sure how it ended up outside near the water. I am guessing wind was not the reason.

#23 – This shows the rise of Lake Sevan that has occurred over the last 10 years. By redirecting a river, Sevan has been increasing its volume much sooner than expected, hence everything being underwater.

#24 – Back in Talin, this was taken across the street in my host mothers friend Anna’s house. Anna is the younger one rolling out the flatbread while her mother places it into the underground oven to bake. It takes only a few minutes to complete and is delicious! The Bokharts will be happy to know that Anna lived in Belgium for a few years  and absolutely loved it…meaning she would love us too…of course..ha.

#25 – This is from the computer lab at school. Here Edgar, one of the school security guards, and I are working. Or, better stated playing chess on the computers. I have yet to win, but I am sure with enough practice I will prevail.

The last couple of weeks have been a little rough with cultural differences and language frustrations, but as you can see from the photos it still has included a lot of fun too. Right now Evelyn, a fellow IT volunteer, is here in Talin to assist with a Web design training at our site and has increased the fun level exponentially..haha.

Also, this afternoon my supervisor from Yerevan will be in town to meet with me and my school directors to figure out my schedule and goals for the next few months at site. I have been looking forward to this day for awhile so I hope this provides much needed clarity.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

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