No trip to Karabach and a landlord with no light

Hi everybody!

I was supposed to go on a trip to Karabach this weekend but it has been canceled due to bad weather conditions. I do not know what they consider bad here in Armenia, all we have had the last couple of days are something that might just be qualified as rain.

For you who do not know what Karabach is and what is so special about it, here comes an explanation. Karabach are a country that does not exist. It is officially a part of Azerbaijan, but since its inhabitants was mainly Armenian a civil war broke out and as a result we have the Mountainous region of Karabach. Not a part of Armenia or of Azerbaijan although not a country by itself either.

Alas the trip is cancelled I will still go some day some time in the future. They say it is the most beautiful part of Armenia, although it is not Armenia. It is a bit like then Armenians talk about Ararat. “It is our mountain; it is a part of Armenia. Although it is in Turkey”.

So I had a couple of days of since the trip was cancelled. I spent them the best way possible, with friends.

This Friday my work had parent’s day. It was quite fun, my students presented ATC in English (I am so proud) and I had to shake the hands of every parent and smile etc…

After that the Georgians invited me to their place for a dinner and party, the Austrian girl joined to. It was really nice, good food and a great atmosphere. It was quite strange. If young Swedish people (or Austrian) would have a dinner with their parents it would not be so much of a party. Not that it would not be nice, but it would be quite calm and everyone would try to behave. Not the Georgians, do not missunderstand me they behaved but, they had a living party in which everyone their participated. Even the neighboring family came and joined in. It was really fun. It might be as my boss stated, the Georgians have adopted Petter as they see him as a foreigner too. (He did not approve of me participating, since it might look bad (bribe).)

So much happens right now. The Malaysian has left, one of the Germans is leaving today and we have no electricity in our apartment.

I am very sad that she has left (the Malaysian girl), I have had a great time with her, she is a wonderfull and happy person, and it was comforting to know that someone was going to stick out with you for the whole stay here. But she did the right thing to leave; they even told her at her work that they would not have anything for her to do. She is now in Austria and will soon see her family again. Good luck and thanks for everything.

About the apartment. We have had some problems with electricity before, but it has been a fun experience. You can call it a 'welcome to Armenia thing', kind of exotic. Anyhow all the time the landlord has fixed it and everything went back to normal. But recently the safeties have been going off while we were away. We could take it for a couple of days believing that it had something to do with some strange Armenian occurrence, somethings you just have to accept. But this Monday it started to smell burnt wire so we switched everything of and contacted @ so that they could contact the landlord. Don't you think that the landlord refuses to fix the problem! and are blaming us for it!. If he fix it we have to pay for it. We are not going to pay for it. Because we do not have electricity and we have been forced to throw away food for a value of more than 200€ and as innocent people we have to live in the dark. Currently we can have one light bulb on for about ten minutes before the safety switch of. It will not cost us much to pay for the electrician but it is also a matter of principle, furthermore we do not know what he will not be doing the next time. We are currently looking for a new apartment. The problems are that I am willing to take a quite expensive one, since I have only two months left, but there will be coming some trainees that will stay here for a longer period and they have to pay for the rent while I am gone. Also that I have a deposit sum to collect from the landlord, from what I have gathered it is one of the hardest things to do, collect money from a landlord. We will see how it works out.

Now I have to get back to my work and preparation for my parents visit in Armenia. It is going to be fun.

/

P

Is a children disco better than a nightclub?

Life is good in Armenia. I am trying to find some better structure in my life. But as soon as find something to do, something comes in and disturbs the original plans. Usually the problem can be spelled ‘room-mates’ or ‘Germans’.

As example I can take yesterday. I had not been home for a time and planned to take the afternoon of, make some nice food and just chill.

In the morning the roomies asked if I was up for something after work. I said ‘No, to night I will make a lasagna’ and with that I left for work.

To my surprise I got an e-mail stating:

Hi,

we want to cook today Lasagne (Petters idea)? Where? At our place or at Claudias? Please Contact me at home after 7 pm or in my office (number: 524802), because I won't be able to check e-mails anymore today.

Regards
[XXX]

I was not up to make lasagna or spend the whole afternoon being social. I did not express that idea, all I wanted to do was to eat by myself and read a book. So I quickly answered with an email subject ‘Disclaimer’:

Hi,

Where did that idea come from? I just remember today that I said that I will not join you downtown, since I intended to make lasagna. The Lasanga planes are anyhow closed, I have decided not to make any.

Regards
Petter

So, no lasagna. It might have been a bit rude but I wanted to be alone. Instead I went and bought ingredients for chicken breasts filled with Feta cheese and some olive potatoes to go with that. Really jummie.

When I came home one roomy asked if he could join, why not. I thought. So we made and ate the dish, really good tasting. After it I took my book and lay down in my bed and started to read. But, the happiness that last. One of the guys was bored and decided that I to was bored, since I was reading. So to be nice to Petter I will talk to him for three hours. My next chance for solitude is… far away.

This Sunday the MCP came back from her semester and IC. So @ decided to throw a welcome party. Ordinary @ Armenia parties are quite lame, but at least they have them at nightclub. But this time they changed place, from the BB club to a place named Mango. I did not really want to go but one of the girls had just got married and another had a birthday, so I went. They had clearly stated that Mango was a much better place than BB club.

The sign it… scared me. It said Mango organizes birthday’s party and children discos. They moved from a nightclub and a children disco! And a children disco it was, the ‘party’ was over at 22.00.

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P

Half time or early age crises

Have been in Armenia for half the time. So what do I feel? I think I am going to do a list of the most and the least. I do not know why but it feels like something every blog should have. I know that you should not follow the mass but what the heck.

Most tiresome question?

‘What do you think about Armenia/n guys/girls?’ I hate that question, especially if an Armenian asks it. What am I supposed to answer? Yes?

ATC

I like it, I am really impressed of what America and Americans are doing over here. I am almost ashamed to be part of EU, especially if I compare the commitment of Americans to that of Europeans.

AIESEC

What can I say? They are all really nice but they are not what make AIESEC so unique. I tried to take part and share my experience of organizations. But, they really drained me. They where really happy and listened to my opinions in the beginning, they even gave me some responsibilities. But then I was involved and integrated in the organization my opinions was worthless, so now I have not attended a single meeting for a month and a half.

Strangest meeting

It has to be when my neighbor’s cousin came to visit; he was from örebro in Sweden.

Second most tiresome question

‘Do you miss Sweden?’ What the hell do you think?

Apartments

I have lived in three different apartments so far, well. If you could live without the landlord and have a refrigerator from before the Great War it would be great.

The kids

I love them; I have a whole bunch on the yard. They play football and are always very happy and try to speak with me in English

Armenian girls

The sweetest and most dangerous there is on this planet

Armenian guys

A tip, for the girls reading this blog. Never get an Armenian guy interested in you, ask the Austrian girl who is here.

Strangers

Armenians are very friendly towards strangers; I think only Georgians can compete with them.

Yerevan

Where cannot be any place in the whole world with more Cafes in the center than Yerevan, they do not have parks they have cafes

German speakers

They are everywhere; five has lived in my apartment. Four Germans and the Greece girl have of course attended to a German speaking high school. The Austrians, three so far. The four Germans we have met in different places in Yerevan. Of course every second Armenian knows German to.

Americans

They are more than the Germans.

World Championship in football

I hate the time difference

Strangest thing

That I won the trip to Vienna

Thing I am going to miss after I come back to Sweden?

My office, I will never get such a nice office as a teacher in Sweden

What will I not miss?

Well, the supermarkets they do not even have paprika and unless you want to fight with a lot of old ladies at the market you have to a higher price.

The best Georgian

Well if I have to choose it is my guy Ilia, he showed me around Georgia the only problem is that he is retaking my class.

The Coolest uncle

Without doubt Ilia’s and Dato’s uncle; He put together a great vacation for me in Georgia, treated me as I was an old friend lost for five years. Thank you Very much

The best Armenian

Well it is hard. I would say Rebecca among the girls. And among the boys it is Arthur and Arthur

The worst thing with going abroad

I missed my grandmas 80^th birthday : (

The best news from Sweden

That my Grandma had a beautiful birthday:) Looking forward to talk to her on Sunday

Of course I miss you all my friends in Sweden, keep it up

My Family, NNIF, S.A.K prOject, Kladdkaks Frida, Dorm 9:210, Container klubben, LR Uppsalas kansli (faktiskt), @ Uppsala., and soon to be Swede K. And a lot of more people

The thing I wish for Armenia before I leave

Peace with its neighbors

The thing I wish for when I come back to Sweden

A great new years party with as many of my friends as possible

Love you

Petter (now 25 years old)

Kayaking at last

I did it. I found the kayaking place in Yerevan. It is on top of a hill not far from where I live. Who would think about climbing a hill to find the kayak club? But anyhow, I found it and they welcomed me with open arms. It was great. I do not know why, but I felt like home. There is something about kayak clubs. Maybe the smell, the run down place they hang out in. The ugly clothes that are too old, smelly and need to be thrown away.

Anyhow, I found it. They lent me a kayak and a paddle. Only one problem though; since Armenia like some other countries and kayak club in the backwater of civilization, they use the left hand to turn the paddle. For those who never kayaked or not kayaked long enough have a hard time imagine how difficult it is if you are used to use your right hand and then change it to the left. It is like driving with a car used for left-side driving with a steering wheel that reacts counter-clockwise. You will at least once end up in the ditch. Of course I went into the lake, but just once. It was great to be kayaking again; it has this freedom to it.

The lake they kayak in is only 400m long and about a 100m wide, it is artificial so no rivers going in or out from it. The kayaks are old like hunter class, the good ones. But they have wing paddles. I am already looking forward for the next kayaking session.

Some pieces of information.

I am getting more and more disturbed over the view of women in this country. From time to time a person likes to come in to my office and discuss different things. He is educated through dictionaries. That is that he knows a lot of complicated words but not when to use them. Anyhow, I told him that I won this trip and a stay at a nice hotel.

‘What are you going to do there?’ he asked.

‘I am going to do some shopping, and tourist stuff.’ I answered.

‘And some hookers!’ he stated.

‘What, did you say?’

‘Yeah, some hookers.’

‘I do not do that!’

‘You do not?’

‘No!’

‘Why?’

‘I think it is degrading, for both. I think it is plain disgusting…’

‘Really?’

‘Yes!’

‘I like your moral! You have a high moral’ he said.

Another Armenian, who is going on traineeship, asked me what country would be best for him to go to.

‘What are you looking for?’

‘I want to party and meet girls!’

‘Well…’

It is not his comment I react on because quite frankly a lot of people wants to party and meet interesting people of the opposite sex when they go abroad. Nothing wrong with that, I am not a strict conservative person. But he has a girlfriend and do not see anything wrong if he goes out and have sex with other girls. But if she does, he will break up with her. That is the thing here. There is nothing wrong with boys having sex, but god forbid if it is with his girlfriend.

Sometimes it feels like I just want to grab hols of them and ask what is wrong with you all. But I will not do it, cause that is trying to enforce your views on someoone else. Now I do not know why I wrote it, but it seems like I wanted it of my chest.

P

I am in Love.

If you are supposed to live in a rather undeveloped country you accept that you do not have all the comforts you have in Sweden. One of the things I have come to terms with are the shower. It only works some hours a day, even fewer if you want warm water. There are only four different settings for the temperature: really cold, cold, almost lukewarm and very hot. A couple of weeks back the showerhead fall of so now we only have a hose. But it works you get rather clean.

But, yesterday I found my love. I went spinning at Marriot Hotel fitness center (I have not gone mad and started wasting money on a membership at Marriots (it costs half of my salary a month). No, I will participate in a charity event so now I can spin there for free some days). After the class I took a shower, it was so beautiful. The showerhead was bigger than my palms, and the pressure. My god the pressure, I had to fight it, it was a struggle! I could also set the temperature by degrees. It was a real shower. It doesn’t ask the dirt and sweat to ‘please move along’. No! this shower showed who is the boss. It does not accept any objection, it does not only remove the sweat and dirt it also beats the crap out of it. Like a good shower should do.

I have only one free session left at Marriot now on Thursday, my legs hurt and I need the rest to be in shape on Saturday. Despite that I will go to the spinning, just for the sake of the shower and the free towels of course.

/

P

Some notes

It feels like I am a bit behind on what has been happening in Armenia.

As you might no I was recently in Georgia, it was great. The hospitality of Georgians has no limit; I was treated as a king. But as you all know, Swedish people are not comfortable to always been treated. But I had no choice.

Before I left for Georgia I climbed Mount Aragat, about 4000m. I do not need to explain that the view is quite good. Unfortunately the batteries in my camera died while I was taking some rather meaningless picture before we started to climb. Well at the top we where greeted by some veterans of the Karabagh war. They gather every year to commemorate the friends who died. The oldest ones were flown up with a helicopter to the peak. They gave us some special drink, vodka, which they used to drink during the war. I can stand my ground in drinking, and I can drink most things. But this drink, ohh my god, my throat did not stop burning until we had descended.

During my stay in Georgia we got some new roommates. I have earlier in this blog mentioned that IAESTE has some people here as well. The thing is that we have been looking for some roommates to lower the rent; at the same time the trainees from IAESTE had started a fight with their coordinator. Apparently their coordinator put 50% on the rent to get some extra money from the trainees. So now we are six people living in our apartment (three Germans, one from Greece, Malaysia and Sweden), it is quite crowded and on Tuesday we are getting one more (German). Fortunately the IAESTE people will only have internships for shorter periods (up to eight weeks).

I have now started working again; I have the same course as this summer and the same students. It is quite funny actually, most of the students passed the course. But since they didn’t get the highest grade most of them takes it again!

Before I left for Georgia I saw Casablanca for the first time. It is really good and I will try to see it again since the sound level was to low. In the following discussion one Armenian firmly stated that Casablanca is nothing compared to the modern classics like Pearl Harbor. In my humble opinion Pearl Harbor is one of the biggest mistakes in film history.

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P