Waiting in Line

There are two main places we find ourselves waiting in line, the
grocery store and stoplights. The funny thing is that lines or
queue's don't really exist in Armenia, it is more of mob scene every
time. From what I have been told it is a repercussion of Soviet time
food lines, people weren't sure what line they were standing in so
they would just crowd towards the front to find out. On my first
trips to Armenia I was welcomed by this mob mentality in the airport,
and although with good position originally I found myself one of the
last to go through. Thanks to the terminal at the airport things are
much better now.
Driving here has introduced some other line waiting issues. The
winter snow and sand just about erase the painted lines leaving lanes
up to the drivers imagination. This is particularly intensified at
traffic lights due to several reasons. Left and right turn lanes are
often combined with the option to go straight, and cars waiting to
turn back up the cars trying to go straight. So extra lanes are
usually assumed as drivers pole for unhindered positions, the other
problem is the furthest right lane is often filled with parked cars
and sometimes double parked cars. Probably the worst and most
unpredictable are the mashutkas (public transportation vans), that
pull over and back into traffic so randomly, and are often stacked two
or even three deep into the road. The next problem is the impatient
drivers, usually new black BMW's and Mercedes with black windows, that
will pull out into on coming traffic to cut in front of all of the
cars waiting at the light. Let me just throw in the frequent
accidents, stalled cars, erratic police driving, and lets not forget
road construction and all of the potholes.
In grocery stores from small neighborhood shops to large chain
supermarkets, the "express lane" is missing, this is because every
lane is an express lane. If you want a pack of cigarets you can cut
in line, if you have just one item you can cut in line, if you act
like you are in a big hurry you can cut in line, if you are too cool
to wait in line, you can cut in line. After months of this behavior,
our sweet patient Jonelle had just about enough, and she snapped. We
had just filled our kiddy sized shopping cart with about thirty items
from the cramped downtown supermarket chain, and had them all loaded
on the checkout belt. Just before the checker started an older man
stepped in front of Jonelle and handed his item to the cashier.
Jonelle gave a hard look of frustration and rage that translated very
well into Armenian, and the man said in Armenian "I'm going ahead, if
your not getting too angry." The frustrated Jonelle, started out in
Armenian just let him have it in English. "I'm not ANGRY!" "I'm just
tiered of everyone always cutting in line!" By this time he had
already paid and was walking out the door, with nothing left to say.
I had a good laugh about the multilingual exchange and enjoyed seeing
my wife hold her own.
There was another time I tried to pick up a package at the post
office, and I learned that mail and packages are only about 1% of what
they did. This was the place where people received their social
security, pensions, and other governmental benefits, and it was also
the place where they paid their electricity, gas, and water bills.
The lady giving out the money was backed up about 10 deep (this is
really ten wide as everyone was crowding the counter), and in walks an
old grandmother, straight to the counter and even pushed a few of us
out of the way to get right in the face of the lady with the money.
There is no comment from anyone about the crowding, it is just
accepted. When I saw that I had lost my place as second in line and
was now something like 11th I decided to leave and come back later,
but before I did I saw most, if not all, of the government money get
recycled back through the other lady to pay utility bills. When I did
come back later they didn't even have the package there it was at a
central office, where there was more waiting for a special tag (kept
in a safe) to be filled out with my passport information, stamped and
signed twice, before the package was released!
All this to say three months in and there are still many things we
are still getting used to, and some that we might never understand...

Amazing Armenia

When we came to Hyestan there was major upheaval due to the
Presidential elections. There were protests; peaceful and not,
propaganda on every side, and it was reported that 8 people died in
one up-rising near the Opera. Some stores were looted and vandalized
and many people were injured in the fray. I know all of you around
the globe were worried for us and called or emailed your concerns.
Others planning trips to Armenia in the Spring and Summer actually
canceled their reservations! We were saddened by the actions of a few
that caused so much turmoil here for a few weeks and very sad that
some will not come here because of these events. Granted a rioting
nation is not the ideal vacation spot BUT we are ARMENIANS! We all
make a lot of noise, cause problems, yell, are stubborn and want our
way at all costs...these are detrimental traits and also ones that
have kept our nation and our people alive and well for thousands of
years. The other thing we Armenians can do REALLY well is PARTY!
These Hot Air Balloons were floating up and down over Republic Square
and beyond for inauguration day and a few days following. There was a
laser light show in the evening of the inauguration and music with the
balloons nesting in the Square for the spectacle. At precisely 10:00
pm the fireworks began, huge, exploding canopies of color and booming
sounds filled the night air. (Note: for some reason Armenians like
Fireworks...I mean REALLY like them. I personally have seen no less
than 10 4th of July-esk celebrations in the sky since February!) It
was a tremendous celebration honoring the man that would take
governance of Armenia; who was the center of controversy the month
before. So...rebook your flights and come and see the beauty, wonder,
insanity, and life that is Armenia. (I have been paid BIG $$$$ by the
Armenian Tourist Association (ATA) for this endorsement, I just wanted
to disclose this before you come and see me driving around in a fully
tinted, black ice, H2, with RED license plates!) Jonelle;)

Pentecost Sunday

This last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday when we Christians remember and
celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to all those who believe in
Jesus as their Lord and Savior and the birthday of the Church. The
story in Acts 2 is tremendous, replete with a howling and violent
wind, tongues of fire, people enabled to speak in languages that were
not their native tongues and Jews from around the ancient world
hearing the Good News of Jesus in their own tongue. The Apostle Peter
then stood up and preached to the masses and 3,000 people believed on
Jesus and were baptized! This Sunday we attended The Yerevan
International Church which is gold among the treasures of Armenia.
This Fellowship assembles Christians, literally from around the globe,
to worship Jesus in a smallish upper room in ENGLISH! The only
travesty is that we discovered this haven much too late in our stay in
Yerevan! We met and worshiped with Armenians from Armenia and
Glendale; with Indians...from INDIA, Dutch from the Netherlands,
Germans, Mid-Westerners, Africans--Yes, from AFRICA! I have not yet
figured out all the other nations represented but we with one voice
sang, prayed, listened to God's Word, and worshipped our Lord Jesus
Christ who is King, Sovereign and Lover of His whole Creation!!!
Pentecost must have been an AWESOME experience but we tasted the fruit
of what God intended and what we will experience in heaven forever! A
tremendous and wondrous blessing from God! We are far away but closer
than we realize! Loving you all in Jesus Name and worshiping the SAME
GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! Jonelle;)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This is a Top Ten List dedicated to our Mom's, Elaine & Jane on Mother's Day.  We realized that we wouldn't be in Armenia WITHOUT THEM!  Of course they gave birth to us but they also instilled many things in us that have helped us get here, survive here, & thrive here in Armenia.  (I know they are both shaking their head's and saying, "They're blaming this on us!?!"  : )  We love you both dearly and cherish you as our mothers.  We also want to pay tribute to our Grandmothers too!  Geganoosh (Gertie) Kazarian and Isabelle Najarian, whom are still blessing us with their lives on earth and Grace Garo & Lillie Karabian who proclaim God's greatness and majesty in heaven.  (Don't worry we have another list for Father's Day!)

10.  Talk to EVERYONE.

 9.  Be HELPFUL & SMILE.

 8.  Be ADAPTABLE.

 7.  Act SHNORKOV (in other words BEHAVE).

 6.  Love of TRAVEL (they both love to see the world).

 5.  ADVENTUROUS (they don't want to leave any rock unturned).

 4.  Be JARBIG (go after what you want without being shy).

 3.  Throw the BEST PARTIES

 2.  LEAN ON THE LORD AND USE GOOD JUDGEMENT

 1.  For goodness sake have on the right SHOES!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."   Ephesians 6:10-18

Thank you MOMS for EVERYTHING!  and for a special treat read this wonderful short story by a good friend SHARLA SEIDEL and take action!  Love Jonelle; ) 

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/valley_voices/story/590103.html

Top 10 Best Things About Armenia

10. Walking right up to monuments, climbing on tanks, airplanes, etc
that would all be off limits in the States.

9. Ice Cream literally on every corner (I guess this is good and
bad!!)

8. Darling individual pastries and cakes for less than $1.00 (La
Boulangerie would charge about $5 for the same thing.)

7. No Car-Seats required (again good and bad!)

6. $0.50 Soorj available EVERYWHERE...(note---soorj or cafe is all
they call it...not Armenian Coffee AND Armenian's in Armenia have NO
problem admitting they got it from the TURKS...so get a grip in
the diaspora!

5. Delicious ORGANIC* fruits and veggies (*much more on this later!)

4. Shoe repair for less than $1.00!

3. 24 Hour SHOE STORES!!!!! (note for those of you who know my
Imelda side...I only have 5 pairs of shoes here...it's almost like
suffocating : )

2. 9 Holidays in May with Full-On FIREWORKS EVERYTIME!!!

1. CHOCOLATE BUTTER!!!! (No explanation needed!!)

50% of my list is about food...I MUST BE ARMENIAN!
Enjoy Jonelle;)

Only In Armenia!

One Sunday after church Kalem took the family to a place where both tourists and locals frequent;  Haghtanak Igee (Victory Park).  Mayr Hayastan is there in all her glory, decommissioned tanks, an airplane, rocket launcher, and other military goodies.  Also there is one of the best vistas of Mt. Ararat (when you can actually see it) that takes your breath away!  The first few times we drove by Victory Park, I thought it was nothing really, just a tufa block fence and long-worn-out signs in Russian and Armenian on either side of the entrance way.  From our house in Nork Marash we can see Mother Armenia and a Ferris Wheel near-by her.  It was only weeks later that I realized Haghtanak Igee was a fully functional park and that the huge Mother Armenia statue overlooking Yerevan and the Ferris Wheel were in the same place.  That Sunday we parked and walked down the concrete slab tiles (2 1/2' square with grass growing between the 3" spacing).  Trees lined the walk and vendors spotted the way selling cheap toys and plastic jewelry.  As the walkway continued up to a circle other vendors sold popcorn and cotton candy.  Once we reached the circle we noticed three "British" looking cars from the 40's.  Apparently for a few hundred drams (a few dollars) one can "rent" the car.  That is to say, a person (any age or so it seemed) would pay to drive the car around the circle and down a street perpendicular to the walkway.  We were almost plowed over by a 12 year-old commandeering one of these two-toned autos.  Past the circle the walkway continued; food vendors and rides were the next attractions.  The first ride we saw looked to be an abandoned dinosaur roller coaster.  The track followed a semi-circular pattern with undulating hills and valleys.  The dinosaur had five cars holding four people in each section.  Each car had a "hold-on-for-dear-life-bar" but no safety restraints to speak of.  In the center section of coaster were long metal dowels connecting the dinosaur to one main hub in the middle of the weeds.  The metal platform and guardrails were painted green at one time, but rust and weather had taken their toll.  But the most disturbing thing about this dino-coaster was that they USE IT!!!  In fact, Judi, Peter, Frank and I made our way up the metal staircase to board the roller coaster with much excitement and a pinch of FEAR.  The ride attendant (who looked like some guy off the street) took our 200 drams (per person) and then went to his booth.  No checking to see if we were safe inside our cars.  No strapping our seat-belts tightly...because THERE ARE NO SEAT-BELTS!  No, he just went to his little stool, lit a cigarette and pushed the green "GO" button.  Praise God we got off alive!  There were other ramshackle rides and little cafes with overpriced food just like Disneyland only without the $$$$ entrance fee, gorgeously manicured lawns, colorful characters and an electric light parade!  Okay, so it's not like Disneyland at all, more like Rotary Park's Playland in Roeding Park, Fresno...only way more weeds.

We continued on and let the kids ride some tamer rides and then found a little building with one Skee-Roll type bowling game. For those of you who don't know, JOHN-L, that would be me, LOVES Skee-Roll and looks forward to playing in Santa Cruz every year.  So we walk in and see a little old Armenian grandma with a tashkenak (handkerchief or as Frank calls it, a hanker ship) on her head, several layers of clothing, possibly 6 teeth, and slippers.  We paid 500 drams ($1.66) for 5 balls to roll at bowling pins suspended from an arm above the game.  As each of us took one roll Grandma would say, "Ahbrees" (Well done/good job) even to Frankie's roll right into the gutter and Peter's power roll that hopped the alley and landed on the other side of the booth!  When Kalem rolled the final ball she motioned for us to come to the "PRIZE CENTER" which was a box 4"x8" and about 6" high.  Inside were the following: 2 sets of "high fashion" jewelry, a heart shaped alarm clock, a plastic gun, 5 or so, hairbands, and some bracelets.  Of course I took the clock!  We continued to walk and made our way to Mayr Hayastan; she really is amazing with her gargantuan sword and shield and the view of Ararat was truly amazing that day.  We even visited the Museum of the Ministry of Defense which is located underneath the Mother Armenia statue.  We had "lunch" (ice cream & one koravadz) and then were making our way out of the park when something caught my eye...the park had quite a number of those "CLAW" machines; you know the ones you spend tons of money in to move the claw out to the very spot your favorite stuffed animal or toy is sitting.  You've done it to...you get the claw all lined up and push the button for the three fingers to drop.  You hit dead on your toy and the fingers grab your prize and start to ascend when before your very eyes the claw's grasp is not enough to bring the much desired goodie to the tray...you watch it slip out landing back into the pile of toys and dolls that will NEVER leave that house.  Only in Armenia would you ever see one of these filled not with toys, stuffed animals, balls or caps, but with....CIGARETTES!!!  If you don't believe me see for yourself.  Never ceasing to be amazed...Jonelle;)