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StarNewsOnline.com, NC
Feb 5 2012
Armenian winter does not cool enthusiasm for area couple
By Judy Smith
Special to the StarNews
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series by retired
Wilmington residents and Peace Corps volunteers Dave and Judy Smith,
who started their assignment in Niger in 2010 but were transferred
last year to Armenia.
The first heavy snow of 2012 has fallen in Dilijan, Armenia. It lies
quietly over the landscape, covering streets and sidewalks, leaving
fluffy mounds of white in the evergreens and topping the mountains
with white accents resembling cake frosting.
It's beautiful, but our water is frozen. The college where I work is
closed until Feb. 1 to save heating fuel for the even colder months of
February and March. My husband, David, continues to go to work but
rides a small, crowded bus instead of walking the usual 45 minutes to
his office, even though he dislikes the shoving and pushing of others
also trying to get on this mode of transportation. Small children
trudge through the snow, bundled up from head to toe and faces wrapped
in scarves, leaving only their small noses and eyes visible. Warmth
should reward their trek to school, but most classrooms are without
insulation and only minimally heated; school corridors can be colder
than the frosty, white world outside.
This is our first winter in Armenia, a mountainous, landlocked country
situated to the east of Turkey. It began with an early snow in
October, then the weather relented, allowing us to enjoy a cold though
not frigid fall. David and I are two of the older volunteers serving
with the U. S. Peace Corps in Armenia. Our group of older volunteers
now numbers 11 - the Armenian AARP, as we call ourselves. One of our
peers chose to return to the U.S. early for various reasons, so why
are the rest of us still here? Why are we doing this when we could be
home enjoying holidays and other celebratory events with family and
friends who speak our language, eat foods that we like and share our
cultural outlooks and mores?
Many younger volunteers voice the same questions as the harsh, cold
winter sets in. Wood stoves that require constant attention to provide
adequate heat, water that freezes inside the house, sporadic
electrical power outages and visits from small gray rodents are
challenges not always off-set by the natural beauty of a country
blanketed in crisp, white snow.
Those of us who persevere in Armenia are committed to finishing what
we started, difficult as it may be. Dave and I share our service in
the Peace Corps with amazing individuals of diverse ages, talents and
backgrounds. These volunteers bring experiences, from editing
children's books to working at the United Nations for 20 years. Others
have experience in insurance, real estate, small business development,
computer technology, education and research.
We are all trying to teach English or help with business development
in an emerging country suffering from a depressed economy. We also
work hard to promote a better understanding of Americans by Armenians
while also communicating with Americans about life in Armenia.
The slogan, "Life is calling - how far will you go?" is frequently
voiced by Peace Corps recruiters. With the number of early retirees
and baby boomers reaching 65 increasing every day, there is a growing
pool of potential volunteers for Peace Corps service. For people with
curiosity about the world, a desire and willingness to travel and to
learn a new language, as well as a desire to do something interesting
and meaningful in their mature years, Peace Corps service is certainly
an opportunity worth pursuing.
Take note of comments from our peers regarding their Peace Corps service.
Terri recalls that her childhood dream was to live in another country
and share her life with locals.
Barbara says, "I am still the 23 year-old I was in 1968." Her husband,
a former Peace Corps volunteer in the `80s, agrees that it's now her
turn to be in the Peace Corps.
Skip, an older volunteer serving without his wife, says that he wants
to prove, "I am not a statistic," referring to the fact that
reportedly only about 3 percent of married volunteers serving without
their spouse make it to their closure of service date.
Karen, age 69, acknowledges the challenges faced by older volunteers
but is serving for a second time because of her awesome first Peace
Corps experience 20 years ago.
Retired from a UN career, Judith joined the Peace Corps to lend a hand
to countries in need, to broaden her horizons by seeing more of the
world and to stay active at age 72.
Martha, whose father was a Foreign Service officer, says she yearned
for a return to stimulating international life and wants to help
people secure their livelihood through small business development in
an emerging market.
Other peers desire to help Armenian youth become more competitive in
the world job arena by teaching English as native speakers.
David and I have learned that older volunteers should carefully
consider where they agree to serve; to be prepared for the stresses of
a slower pace in life; and to expect to re-adjust one's thinking
related to finances when in a different country.
Visit the U. S. Peace Corps website for more information at
www.uspeacecorps.gov.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120205/ARTICLES/120209876/-1/opinion?Title=Armenian-winter-does-not-cool-enthusiasm-for-area-couple
Feb 5 2012
Armenian winter does not cool enthusiasm for area couple
By Judy Smith
Special to the StarNews
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series by retired
Wilmington residents and Peace Corps volunteers Dave and Judy Smith,
who started their assignment in Niger in 2010 but were transferred
last year to Armenia.
The first heavy snow of 2012 has fallen in Dilijan, Armenia. It lies
quietly over the landscape, covering streets and sidewalks, leaving
fluffy mounds of white in the evergreens and topping the mountains
with white accents resembling cake frosting.
It's beautiful, but our water is frozen. The college where I work is
closed until Feb. 1 to save heating fuel for the even colder months of
February and March. My husband, David, continues to go to work but
rides a small, crowded bus instead of walking the usual 45 minutes to
his office, even though he dislikes the shoving and pushing of others
also trying to get on this mode of transportation. Small children
trudge through the snow, bundled up from head to toe and faces wrapped
in scarves, leaving only their small noses and eyes visible. Warmth
should reward their trek to school, but most classrooms are without
insulation and only minimally heated; school corridors can be colder
than the frosty, white world outside.
This is our first winter in Armenia, a mountainous, landlocked country
situated to the east of Turkey. It began with an early snow in
October, then the weather relented, allowing us to enjoy a cold though
not frigid fall. David and I are two of the older volunteers serving
with the U. S. Peace Corps in Armenia. Our group of older volunteers
now numbers 11 - the Armenian AARP, as we call ourselves. One of our
peers chose to return to the U.S. early for various reasons, so why
are the rest of us still here? Why are we doing this when we could be
home enjoying holidays and other celebratory events with family and
friends who speak our language, eat foods that we like and share our
cultural outlooks and mores?
Many younger volunteers voice the same questions as the harsh, cold
winter sets in. Wood stoves that require constant attention to provide
adequate heat, water that freezes inside the house, sporadic
electrical power outages and visits from small gray rodents are
challenges not always off-set by the natural beauty of a country
blanketed in crisp, white snow.
Those of us who persevere in Armenia are committed to finishing what
we started, difficult as it may be. Dave and I share our service in
the Peace Corps with amazing individuals of diverse ages, talents and
backgrounds. These volunteers bring experiences, from editing
children's books to working at the United Nations for 20 years. Others
have experience in insurance, real estate, small business development,
computer technology, education and research.
We are all trying to teach English or help with business development
in an emerging country suffering from a depressed economy. We also
work hard to promote a better understanding of Americans by Armenians
while also communicating with Americans about life in Armenia.
The slogan, "Life is calling - how far will you go?" is frequently
voiced by Peace Corps recruiters. With the number of early retirees
and baby boomers reaching 65 increasing every day, there is a growing
pool of potential volunteers for Peace Corps service. For people with
curiosity about the world, a desire and willingness to travel and to
learn a new language, as well as a desire to do something interesting
and meaningful in their mature years, Peace Corps service is certainly
an opportunity worth pursuing.
Take note of comments from our peers regarding their Peace Corps service.
Terri recalls that her childhood dream was to live in another country
and share her life with locals.
Barbara says, "I am still the 23 year-old I was in 1968." Her husband,
a former Peace Corps volunteer in the `80s, agrees that it's now her
turn to be in the Peace Corps.
Skip, an older volunteer serving without his wife, says that he wants
to prove, "I am not a statistic," referring to the fact that
reportedly only about 3 percent of married volunteers serving without
their spouse make it to their closure of service date.
Karen, age 69, acknowledges the challenges faced by older volunteers
but is serving for a second time because of her awesome first Peace
Corps experience 20 years ago.
Retired from a UN career, Judith joined the Peace Corps to lend a hand
to countries in need, to broaden her horizons by seeing more of the
world and to stay active at age 72.
Martha, whose father was a Foreign Service officer, says she yearned
for a return to stimulating international life and wants to help
people secure their livelihood through small business development in
an emerging market.
Other peers desire to help Armenian youth become more competitive in
the world job arena by teaching English as native speakers.
David and I have learned that older volunteers should carefully
consider where they agree to serve; to be prepared for the stresses of
a slower pace in life; and to expect to re-adjust one's thinking
related to finances when in a different country.
Visit the U. S. Peace Corps website for more information at
www.uspeacecorps.gov.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120205/ARTICLES/120209876/-1/opinion?Title=Armenian-winter-does-not-cool-enthusiasm-for-area-couple