12 for 3,000

Labor day in Armenia, like in other places in the world. I left my first class of the day to be greeted with what I presume to be just one of the official events to take place on workers celebration day - ze parade.  This parade complete with big flags, children-sized flags, horns, aging adults plus their younger counterparts, and of course a large picture of a bronze workers' statue, passed down a main center street just as the garbage crew was in full swing. Some people just don't get to celebrate on these official days.

The sight of us waiting for the bus was slightly blocked by the city garbage truck.  An older lady and I stood just behind it where we were safe from oncoming traffic in order to get a better look at the marching festivity. The two men that were working the garbage eating machine began yelling at her to give space as she might get dirty or hurt standing in front of the compactor.  They yelled back and forth at each other in the loving Armenian way with her glancing to me with widened surprised eyes a couple of times, waiting for me to agree with her enthusiastically that the men didn't have to be so harsh about the request.  I just shrugged as my interpretation of the exchange was probably not as accurate as i maybe thought/think myself to be.

Which brings me to a sadness, for which i hope to scream about on stage one day.  Another one of my acquaintances professed to working 14 hour work days for which they earn around $4.  On their only day off they have decide to invest in English and Russian courses to get out of the hell hole they are currently in. To boot, they are from Syria and learning the caveats of the 'eastern' version of their mother tongue (Eastern Armenian)- aka, learning a new language.  12 for 3,000 = 14 hours/ 2,000 dram.