Good Morning, Good Day or Good Evening depending on when you are reading this.  It is Sunday morning here in Armenia (Hyastan).  I just finished washing most of my laundry (Yes by hand in a large tub) and hanging it out to dry on a line in front of the house.  Before I get to the domestic update let me go over the last couple weeks as they have been full.

I flew to Philadelphia on Tuesday the 27th. Flying the day after Memorial Day meant the airport was crazy and crowded.  I was a bit over on my bags but they didn’t charge me.  It may have been because I told them I was traveling on a government ticket (so I didn’t have to pay for the second bag) and may have given them the idea I was military as I said I was heading out and may have used the word “Deployment”.  I did mention Peace Corps a couple times so maybe they were just sympathetic.  Anyway I had a boring 5 and a half hour flight to Philly where I then caught a van to my hotel.  After getting to the hotel I caught a cab to the Hard Rock and had dinner and got my lighter (I get one every time I go to a Hard Rock).  After I got back I met a few of the other volunteers from the West Coast in the bar and we got to know each other.  We agreed to meet the next morning and head out to see the monuments. 

In the morning Vanessa, Mari, Elizabeth, Sasha and I caught a cab to the historical center of Philadelphia.  We walked around a bit seeing some of the buildings then got in line to see the Liberty Bell.  It felt kind of surreal and a bit stunning to realize I was seeing the Liberty Bell in Person and I was in the birth place of United States and that we were going off to a distant place to do what we felt was the best way to help people.  I won’t get to introspective but I did feel pretty good and may have stood a little taller. 

After the Liberty Bell we walked around for a while and then headed back to the hotel about 30 blocks away.  Along the way we stopped so Vanessa could buy a camera and then we asked a local for a good place to eat.  He recommended a hoagie place nearby and so we headed there and all got Pizza ?  It was great pizza!.  Then we walked back to the hotel to change and go through registration. 

The registration process was simply giving them the forms they had mailed us and verifying the passports were correct.  They gave us a sheet with a fun fact about every person in our group (50) and for the next two hours we went around and met each other and figured out who was who on the list.  It was a good way to meet everyone and find out at least one thing about them.  Toward the end we were just introducing ourselves by our number (I was number 3, a senior International QA Manager at PayPal).  We have some really interesting people in our group.  Out of the 50, 10 are over 50 years old.  A very high percentage for the Peace Corps (average across all countries is 8%).  I was really happy to meet the group and get to know some of them.  They seem like a great group and as I have gotten to know them better I am more and more impressed. 

After a couple hours of meeting and chatting we started out first classes to get us ready to go.  It seems like orientation is mainly about teaching you the Peace Corps policies and beating in to our heads that alcohol is bad.  They spend a lot of time on alcohol and that drinking is a bad thing.  You really get the impression that Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV’s) have had a lot of problems with drinking.  Armenia seems especially like a problem because of the culture, but more on that later.  We also talk about our fears and anxieties of which there were many.  We do a lot of things in teams and skits.  It was entertaining as that kind of a session can be.  After the session ended we changed and got together in the lobby then split into different groups to head out to dinner.  Some went to a place to watch the Hockey Playoffs while others went to the downtown area for some more lively entertainment.  A couple groups of us walked a few blocks to an Irish bar and restaurant where we had dinner and a few drinks.  Food was good and it was walk able.  On the way back I ran into a few other A-16’s (our group, Armenia-16) and they invited me to another bar so I joined them for a few beers and trivia.  I headed back to the hotel a couple hours later. 

The next morning we had a full day of class with more on the policies and procedure and how to deal with different issues.  There really wasn’t a lot of country specific information in these sessions, just general PC stuff.  I guess we would get that information when we got to Armenia.  After a full day of class and just before we ended I “volunteered” to be a group leader on the way to Yerevan.  This would turn out to be more than I bargained for.  That night we again broke into groups and went out in search of food.  The group I went with ended up at a nice restaurant and had a good dinner followed by a nice shot of good Tequila, the last I am likely to get for a while.  Some of us headed back a bit early.  I took care of some email and business then went to bed.  Some people didn’t get back until the wee hours of the morning, making their last night in the states a fun one.

The next morning a small group of us went to visit Benjamin Franklin’s grave.  Emily is a big fan of his and had the goal of visiting the grave so a bunch of us tagged along.  It was cool to see the graves of several founding fathers.  From there we headed out to get a bite.  I had to have my Philly Cheese Steak and finally got it.  It was great, even if I only could eat half of it.  After lunch Jack, from Sacramento, and I peeled off and did a little shopping.  When I tried to buy running shoes I found out my credit card was being used in Europe to buy jewelry, so that got cancelled immediately (different card from last time).  I used a different card and did my purchase then we got a cab back to the hotel.

Part of my job as group leader was to make sure my 12 people gave me money for tips and were all accounted for each step of the way.  We tipped the bell boy in the hotel for loading up over 100 heavy bags onto the bus, and then got everyone on two busses for the long trip to New York and Kennedy Airport.  Along the way we practiced the Alphabet and the words we were asked to know when we landed.   It was a long drive and pretty boring.  A number of people slept since they had not slept much the night before. 

When we got to the airport the busses dropped us off at the wrong terminal.  We had to get 50 people and a lot of luggage onto an airport train and to a different terminal, checked in and through security.  The other 3 “group leads” and I were able to get it done but it was a pain in the nether regions.  Once everyone was through security and at the gate we relaxed a bit.  We had plenty of time before the flight, which was also delayed a bit.  I am happy to say that all 50 of us made it on the flight. 

After a long flight into Paris we had a real pain getting through security.  In New York we were told that there were no security checks in Paris as we arrived and flew from the same terminal.  I didn’t believe them but some people did and they bought alcohol at the duty free.  When we go to Paris we did indeed need to change terminals and get through security.  Also with our flight delayed from New York the time frame to get the Yerevan flight was really tight.  We got stuck in long lines and Security in Paris is a pain.  They confiscated all sorts of things that New York was fine with.  This included a skateboard that belonged to one guy, a pair of hand weights belonging to one of out team and all the alcohol even thought it was still in duty free bags.  We were able to get the skateboard back by having an Air France person come to security and pick it up to check on the flight.  It was a pain but we finally got everyone through and onto the flight just in time.  Some of us were the last ones on the plane.  We never did get the hand weights as I was told they could be used as weapons against the captain.  2 pound, plastic coated weights?  They gave us metal knives for dinner on the plane.  Damn the French!

The flight to Yerevan was about 4 hours but we were all wiped out from a day of traveling and people were not really sleeping much so it seemed a lot longer that it was.  When we got to Yerevan we got through passport control pretty easily.  The luggage was already circling and while it took a bit we got everyone bags.  It turns out one sleeping bag was missing so the person filed a claim for it.  As we exited Customs there were Peace Corps people waiting to welcome us and get out things into a truck.  I met an A-15 named Gary.  Gary is a really cool guy who went to UC Santa Cruz and had worked in San Francisco.  Being an A-15 he has been in country for 1 year now.  We peppered him with tons of questions which he was patient enough to answer for us.  I felt a bit bad for him because we asked questions constantly while waiting at the airport and all the way to the camp where we were staying. 

We did not see much of Yerevan as it was dark as we drove through it.  We arrived at the camp which was pretty high up in the mountains around midnight.  When we got there we found out that the lights in our building were out so we were led up in the dark with a cell phone to light the way.  When we got there someone lit a few candles and we found beds and dropped our stuff and headed back to get the big suitcases.  We waited for the truck to come and waited.  It was cold and we ended up doing the penguin to keep warm.  We all grouped close to each other touching to share body heat.  It helped.  A while later we heard the truck but it never shoed up, turns out they burned the transmission about a quarter of a mile down the road on a switchback.  They were going to send a few guys down in a van to shuttle the bags up but that would take forever so a group of about 12 of us walked down and formed a chain to unload the bags into a van.  It took 3 trips and about an hour but we got everything up to the camp.  I fell into bed around 2:00 AM.  We had to be up for breakfast at 9:00.

More to come on what it is like in Armenia. 

Hajol oot soon
(Good bye – actually Good Luck)

Holy Cow, I leave in 2 days.  The last couple weeks have been pretty crazy, I have been trying to spend time with all my friends and do my last minute shopping, packing, organizing, etc.  I think I am going insane.  O with just 2 days left I have a few more people to see, a BBQ to go to, Packing to finalize, etc.  I am just about done with packing, I have packed and repacked my bags at least 5 times so far.  I have had to toss a lot of things out because at one point my larger bag was weighing over 65 pounds and we are limited to 50 pounds each, 100 pounds total for the two bags.  So I pulled out a lot of the things in that bag to either pick up at Christmas or to have sent later.  Now packing might not seem that hard, it didn't to me since I have packed for all sorts of travel, then I came to the realization that I had to pack summer clothes, winter clothes, work clothes and casual clothes.  The summers are hot and the winters are cold so I had to pack for the extremes.  Then I had to pack toiletries for an extended stay along with entertainment items, journals, and all the things that I figured I would need to have during the stay.  Finally I had to pack gifts for the host family and others I would meet there.  It all added up.  I think I am done but I am still over by a couple pounds on each bag.  I hope they let me skip by or at least don't charge me much. 

So I had lunch with a good friend and past colleague today.  We had a great conversation about taking risks and having adventures.  She commented that she thought what I was doing was really brave and that I was a role model.  This got me thinking and I have thought about it a lot all day.  I certainly don't feel brave nor would I ever consider myself a role model (just the opposite in fact).  I told her at the time that I joined the Peace Corps based on my gut and that while I considered what I was doing I haven't really sat down and analyzed my decision very deeply.  I think that if I did I would come to the conclusion that I was a bit crazy and I am afraid I might think about backing out.  This got me to thinking about why I was doing this.  What I came up with was a short list, some selfish reasons some not.  On the selfish side it is a way to do something without having to get a job.  It is also a way to travel on someone else's dime.  But it is also a way to give back to the community.  I am not a religious person but I do believe in Karma and this is one in the plus column.  I am also looking forward to making many new friends with the other volunteers and with the people in Armenia.  Finally I am doing this because it feels right.  I don't know why it feels right but it does so I am going with my gut (after all when something that big tells you to do something you don't argue). 

OK, I apologize for the public soul searching but I had to get it off my chest and since I won't be seeing many of you before I go I thought I would have a conversation this way. 

Now before I go, I have received two articles in the last few weeks that I really want to share.  The first is an article about the Peace Corps by the former country director of Cameroon.   While it is critical of the Peace Corps it fits with comments I have heard before from past volunteers. 
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4295&page=0


The second article I really encourage everyone to read.  It is management advice from Colin Powell's book.  I read it and it really fit with how I have tried to manage and really struck a chord.  I am not only thrilled that it reaffirms my beliefs but I think it just makes common sense.  If you have time please read it, even if you don't manage.  If you think I am off base on this please write to me and let me know.  I would really love to hear others view points.
http://govleaders.org/powell.htm
 

Well that is it for now, It is 12:45 and I have to go clear off my bed so I can get some sleep.  I hope to write once more before heading to Philly, but if not I will write from there. 

Brian

Today I had a BBQ with my friends from Team in Training.  It is something that I have been promising to have for 3 years now, at least that is what they told me.  Why am I writing about this on the Armenia blog?  Well it is part of my going away.  I am trying to connect with as many friends as possible before I leave and I couldn't go without saying goodbye to Janna, Carol, Deb, Bonnie, Debra, Lisa, Lori and Corey.  I know Bonnie is reading this and letting everyone else know about it (Hi Bonnie!!) so I want to say thank you for the gifts.  You really shouldn't have gotten me anything but I do great appreciate it. 

I think the toughest part about leaving is knowing it will be a long time before I see all my friends again.  I know I travel a lot and it has been a while since I connected with a lot of my friends but there was always the possibility of getting together in the near future, now I know it will be a long time before I see everyone again, that makes it tough.  I know Memorial day weekend is going to be a whirlwind, I have a BBQ with my best friends on Sunday.  These are the friends I have known most of my life.  We all go back almost 25 years and have had incredible times together.  We know each other so well we finish each others sentences.  Monday I am going to be at my sisters house for brunch with her, my brother-in-law and my nephews.  It is great to see everyone but it makes leaving all that much harder. 

I have met some of the people I will be serving with, at least online chatting and I am looking forward to meeting them in person.  I think we are going to have a great group and we are going to have a lot of fun.  

Well that's it for this entry, a little different than the usual but that is just how I am feeling.

Until next time

Brian 

Time is moving really fast.  I am back in California and trying to get everything ready for the trip to Armenia.  I am been talking to a number of other volunteers in my A-16 group and I am happy to say I have a really cool group of people I will be going over with.  We seem to be a pretty good mix with some over 50 and some just graduating from College this month.  I heard that we actually have 15 people over the age of 50, which would put us at double the national average.  I also know that there are two married couples.  It should be a great adventure. 

I also received information on where people can send letters and packages during our first 3 months (Pre Service Training).  Here it is in case someone is bored and would like to send me a letter or wants to send me a care package.

Brian Gilmer (you probably could have guessed that)
House of Culture
K. Demirchyan Square
2501 Charentsavan
Armenia

I have finished all my shopping and I have way to much to take with me.  It is hard to pack for 2 years.  For example shoes.  OK a simple thing, right?  Not at all.  I have a pair of waterproof shoes that I like to wear daily so I bought another pair to take, but I also like having my walking shoes, then I need dress shoes and a pair of winter boots for the cold and snow.  Finally slippers are nice to have.  That would be 5 pairs of footwear to pack, way to much.  So I think I leave my slippers and walking shoes and take the boots, dress shoes and casual shoes.  There are lots of things like that, winter and summer clothes, dress, work and casual clothes, gifts, etc.  Finally the big one for me, gadgets.  Yes I have to have computers, camera, music, games, etc.  That adds up to a lot of gadgets and power supplies as well as batteries.  What fun packing is. 

I will write up another blog entry before I take off for Philadelphia at the end of the month, after that it might be a little while before I can do an update.  I would suggest you sign up to have updates mailed to you.  That way when I do update the blog you will get an email letting you know.  It saves you having to check the site multiple times a day to see if I have written anything new (Yes, I know but don't ruin my fantasy).

Cheers

Brian

Getting ready for this adventure has been a little crazy.  The Peace Corps sends you a book for Armenia that includes packing tips along with a lot of other useful information.  I think that Packing and deciding what to take and not to take is the first test, and the one that everyone stresses about.  Why?  Well just in clothes you need to pack business clothes and casual clothes but you also need to pack for warm summers and really cold winters.  Plus don't forget all the footwear, from casual to dress to winter boots. 

Just as an example I went and did a little shopping and bought:
North Face Winter Boots
Down Parks
2-in-1 jacket (Outer shell and fleece liner that can we worn separately or together)
Warm socks
New jeans
A whole bunch of collared shirts
Winter gloves
Glove liners
Long underwear

Then there are the gadgets:
I got a very portable very cheap laptop to use as a back up and to watch movies
My regular laptop
External hard drives
rechargable batteries and charger that works on 220
multi-tool knife
Crank flashlight and radio
world band radio (still need to find a good one) This is recommended for getting BBC and US news

I also want books to read
Journals to write in
entertainment which means an MP3 player and a hand held game machine

Finally they also recommend you bring gifts for the host family and other people you meet.  I am going to keep this small

I got onto a Peace Corps Armenia group on Yahoo and found a lot of great information there but they recommend a bunch of other stuff like a sleeping bag, towels, cooking gear, spices, etc.  If I packed everything recommended I would need 4 big suitcases and it would run into the hundreds of pounds   So I am trying to cut down on everything but I am sure I am going to be over the weight limit on the airlines.  I am just hoping that they will be generous since we are Peace Corps.  I am going to plan on paying extra for the overage because I have been told it is cheaper than shipping it.  I can believe that because I already sent a couple packages ahead to a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV)  who I have been talking to.  Sending a small box cost about $50, the bigger box was closer to $80.  Ouch

Well that it is for now.  I will write more later

Brian

Hello and Welcome to my Armenia Blog!!!


This is the first entry of what I expect to be many over the next two and a half years.  As many people know I have joined the Peace Corps and they have invited me to go to Armenia.  I got this news just after arriving in Laos for a motorcycle tour and I had to look up where exactly Armenia is and what there was in the country.  I knew a little about it but had never thought I would get assigned there and so had not really done much research on it.  As coincidence would turn out one of the guys on the ride had a sister who was in the Peace Corps in Armenia.  I believe she was in the A1 group (first group in Armenia, I am in A-16).  After I got back to the states I talked to her and a number of other past volunteers as well as some people living and working in Armenia now.  Everything I heard impressed me and so after a lot of thought I accepted. 

Now I am getting ready to head over there.  From what I have heard we will have orientation in Philadelphia starting around May 28.  This is where we get general information, shots, etc.  I can't imagine I will need any shots given all the ones I have had for my travel in the last 2 years.  Even my doctor called me a pin cushion.  After a couple days there we head to Yerevan, the Capital and are immediately whisked away.  I heard a rumor that we are going to spend our 3 months of pre-service training in a town between Yerevan and Sevan, the big lake in the North East of the country.  Pre-Service Training (PST) is 3 months of what I hear is intense language, culture and history training.  I am a bit worried about the language give my past experience trying to learn any other language.  Hopefully it will go well and I will be sworn in after the 3 months.  During PST I will live with a host family.  After PST i get assigned to a town and an organization and may live with a host family or get my own place. 

I have already talked to a number of current volunteers over in Armenia as well as a bunch of the volunteers in my group.  It is going to be a great experience.  I hope that you will continue to read and comment on this blog. 

Brian