exchanges

There are a couple of things that when found in bulk on the street quickly break a heart. One of those is eggs. There is just absolutely nothing to do with old eggs, especially when you are about 8 months away from Easter. This lack of purpose multiplied by 100+ just makes for a funny SMS from the roommate, 'Any ideas on how to use 200 trash eggs?'

Recently, there has been a little more work than was initially required in the informal exchange that began between myself and a local, who will be referred to as S.Vet. I spent the morning cracking what turned out to be about 100+ old eggs down the sink. This was less about evidence ridding, but rather about safety for animals that might dig into a seemingly innocent mountain of eggs. I remember buying a batch of old eggs at the outside market... not good.

It started with an interest in 1) 'downcycling' for different projects (i.e. chipped mirror turned into mosaic pieces) and 2) the 'reusing' process for glass bottles. Noticing that people picked bottles out of the trash called for this house to start separating bottles into another plastic bag from the regular trash. This was to ease the work load - sanitarily so - for the people who took to digging through each unsorted neighborhood trash bin.

A side note on being Green in Armenia: Sure, there's no official recycling program in Armenia, but there is a system. [ oct. 23rd correction - scratch that. approximately a month after this post, i saw two bins in the gentron (downtown) area on the way to who knows where for the collection of plastic bottles !! ] The consumer driven society that is promoted by the powers that be, allows for homeless, jobless people, or those just strapped for cash to find glass gold in trash bins. Bars have a similar system in that they keep empty bottles for the supplying companies to pick up when they make their rounds. As far as i know, coke bottles go for 50 dram ($.13). I had unintentionally made about 350 dram when i decided not to throw out my collected bottles at work and returned them to the cafeteria... So, some things get recycled, achem - 'reused' .

The local that began to receive our bags of empty bottles ($$) was chosen because they usually had a pack of dogs around them and helped trash cats get their food - they had a philanthropic bone, so i connected. just another case of like connected with like. (so the cycle continues...such a product of society! hmm)

And now yes, i often find myself chickling at what has become the resultant home life adjustment to S.Vet "Freegan's" only means of showing gratitude or feeling as though the score is settled. 'Trash' is commonly used as an adjective to distinguish between items in the house. If it is 'trash' something or other, special care is taken if it is used. Also, it has been interesting to watch the acclimation of an Armenian friend to the idea that "not all things trash bound are necessarily bad." For those of you less familiar with this idea please see your way to the following New York Times article that describes 'extreme recycling' by 'Freegans': http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/garden/21freegan.html?pagewanted=all

Coincidentally, the intensity of exchange with S.Vet increased just as the new roommate arrived. ha! Yes, come live in the house and here is some quirk to go with your welcoming.

The neighbors have no doubt noticed my interactions with S.Vet. and as a matter of fact, yesterday i had my first verbal warning from an older lady walking with her grandson. 'Asis jan,' (Dear baby) she began with a concerned scowl on her face...

Viva!

the looking glass

From a section entitled Cultural Changes and Rising Xenophobia in Russia
[relevant years 2001-2008]

"One of the problems in dealing with cases of xenophobia and hate crimes is an institutional weakness of the law enforcement bodies. Russia's police had little experience with such types of violence in the past and have no adequate training and expertise in the present. In addition, many such attacks are directed against migrant workers who often lack appropriate registration documents and therefore are reluctant to contact law enforcement agencies. As in many developed countries, some groups in Russian society have become hostile to the migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus in times of economic difficulty, such as the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, often claiming that migrants take jobs from Russian citizens and do not integrate into Russian society. Some populist politicians call for tougher immigration regulations and significant reduction in working visa permits for 2009. "

Abazov, Rafis (2009). Human development research paper: Current trends in migration in the Commonwealth of Independent States. United Nations Development Program.

Viva!

the way to travel

Today's English session with one of my 'patrons' was an interesting one - they normally are. So interesting in fact that 1) i can't bring myself to call them 'students,' it's like i'm taking an Armenian culture course from them. It would best described as the case of the 'teacher learning much more from the students.' These conversations are my way of observing the culture through the interpretation of the lay/expert Armenian. You see, currently, the sessions are attended by an accountant, micro-finance program assessor, and a history professor - crème de la crème. These people are of my age cohort and older. Let it be stated that when i'm caught up in the learners mode of this and that fascinating detail, i often find myself mouth agape and mentally slapping myself back into correcting-English mode.

Where i decided to take the conversation today was to a topic that i had been mulling over for the past several days - transportation. I asked her what she thought would happen in the winter due to the metro price hike? What would happen during this time when marshutkas (the mini buses) are preferred over a longer walk to the metro entrance, as you're likely to break a hip on some hard ice if foot bound for too long. Man, are the marshutkas cozy in the winter - well heated, aka packed with body heat. What initiated this particular mulling was that the new roommate noticed - a price increase sign for one of the larger buses. More price hikes?! eh, reconfigure budget stat!

The conversation then spilled into bus origination. There are a total of four types of buses around here. Reasoning for such variety: They're all cheap hand-me-downs from other countries. The Ministry of Transportation and Communication takes what it can get. I like this method, no doubt. something not surprising for those of you familiar with my lust for treasuring others' trash. Why build a whole new fleet of pollution making vehicles?

So, for instance, this nice big maroonish bus that has only one or two routes is French - as in, it was imported from France. According to my source it was one city's refuse after flooding some years ago. Armenia won whatever bid and now transports its citizens in its renovated interior. The source sarcastically stated, 'We're all just waiting for the radioactive buses from Japan to arrive.' Surely that's a little much, but then i remembered that the U.S. government contracted out an Alaskan company that provided an asbestos ridden fleet of trailers to give to the suffering homeless after Hurricane Katrina... real smooth.

All this just to say -bring on the buses! The metro is not fun in the winter!

This blog post will have a sequel around February 2012. I'll either have a picture of me atop a whizzing marshutka in a winter coat or one which captures me in crutches waiting for the metro.

Viva!