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EVS: MY ARMENIA EXPERIENCE
EuroNews, EU
Jan 23 2015
22/01 14:58 CET
My name is Jan and I come from Slovakia. Before coming to Armenia,
I had just obtained my Bachelor's degree in Psychology in my home
country. So I decided to take a break from my studies and change from
learning to doing something more practical and getting some more real
experiences. I love travelling and meeting different cultures.
Therefore, volunteering through EVS (European Voluntary Service)
at KASA Swiss Humanitarian Foundation seemed to be a great opportunity.
Since I came to Armenia, many people have asked me why I chose Armenia
for my volunteering service and to be honest, it was because I knew
almost nothing about Armenia. I considered it a good opportunity
to explore a place which was unfamiliar to me. I started collecting
information about Armenia, its culture, traditions, and got really
interested in the country. And there were two very important factors
(for me) that helped me to make up my mind; firstly, hiking is possible
almost everywhere, and hitch-hiking is "strawberry raspberry" (jahoda
malina - a Slovak expression for describing something as an easy). So
doing something helpful for the Armenian society while volunteering
and having a good time in the region - all while engaging in my
beloved hobbies seemed to be a good choice.
I didn't have any specific expectations or illusions about Armenia. I
just wanted to be somehow surprised after arriving in Yerevan. But
actually, I was not surprised, or at least not at the beginning. I
could say that I was surprised by the fact that I wasn't surprised! Of
course, the architecture is different, the people look different, but
Yerevan is a modern city inhabited with people who have modern habits.
After a period of observation, the differences became more clear
to me. That is the moment when you see the real value of visiting a
foreign country.
The Marshrutka minibus (a form of public transport) was one of my most
interesting discoveries here in Armenia. I have heard some Armenians
complaining about the behaviour of their compatriots on board, but my
Marshrutka Experience (which I'll refer to from now on as M.E.) says
NO to this! Let me explain...
ME No.1
On a marshrutka you always pay after ride. And the first thought I had:
how is it possible that they don't just run away?!
ME No.2
Young people always offer their seat for elderly people. Actually,
to be honest, in Slovakia you can also find young people who offer
their seat to elderly people, but often the latter feel offended by
the fact that they are perceived to be old.
ME No.3
Random people act as cashiers on the marshrutkas. Try giving 100 AMD
(the fee for 1 ride on public transport in the Armenian currency)
to random people in Europe and the money would never reach the driver.
ME No.4
The sitting passengers on a marshrutka often carry the handbags, cases,
and computers of standing passengers who are completely unfamiliar
to them. If I imagine offering to help carry somebody's bag in my
country, they would think I had other intentions...
I understand that this experience is not really an objective way to
judge Armenian society, but my impression is that Armenian people
are very respectful to each other. They are also proud, confident,
loud...very loud =) but always with respect.
Apart from discovering Armenia through my Marshrutka Experience,
I have learnt a lot while volunteering for the "Young Citizens of
Armenia" project. This project aims to introduce the idea of active
citizenship to the young local people while giving them a neutral
platform to reflect on their own role as an active citizen of Armenia.
The project has a number of activities that aim to contribute to the
goal of the project, including discussions clubs where I am actively
involved. I am also co-animating its English club while preparing and
leading discussions on different civil society development topics,
including the environment, governance, and so on. This is a great
opportunity to learn about Armenian civil society and to encourage
the young people attending the discussion club to develop their own
understanding and approach to the notion of active citizenship in an
atmosphere with a plurality of opinions. I am also really happy for
this opportunity to get first-hand experience and knowledge about
Armenia while meeting and communicating with a number of people with
diverse backgrounds that are visiting our club.
And now, I am left with a 6-month countdown to my departure day
from Armenia and I will use this period to further explore this
unique country, its people, places and many other things I haven't
discovered yet.
http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/22/evs-in-armenia-from-learning-to-experience/
From: Baghdasarian
EuroNews, EU
Jan 23 2015
22/01 14:58 CET
My name is Jan and I come from Slovakia. Before coming to Armenia,
I had just obtained my Bachelor's degree in Psychology in my home
country. So I decided to take a break from my studies and change from
learning to doing something more practical and getting some more real
experiences. I love travelling and meeting different cultures.
Therefore, volunteering through EVS (European Voluntary Service)
at KASA Swiss Humanitarian Foundation seemed to be a great opportunity.
Since I came to Armenia, many people have asked me why I chose Armenia
for my volunteering service and to be honest, it was because I knew
almost nothing about Armenia. I considered it a good opportunity
to explore a place which was unfamiliar to me. I started collecting
information about Armenia, its culture, traditions, and got really
interested in the country. And there were two very important factors
(for me) that helped me to make up my mind; firstly, hiking is possible
almost everywhere, and hitch-hiking is "strawberry raspberry" (jahoda
malina - a Slovak expression for describing something as an easy). So
doing something helpful for the Armenian society while volunteering
and having a good time in the region - all while engaging in my
beloved hobbies seemed to be a good choice.
I didn't have any specific expectations or illusions about Armenia. I
just wanted to be somehow surprised after arriving in Yerevan. But
actually, I was not surprised, or at least not at the beginning. I
could say that I was surprised by the fact that I wasn't surprised! Of
course, the architecture is different, the people look different, but
Yerevan is a modern city inhabited with people who have modern habits.
After a period of observation, the differences became more clear
to me. That is the moment when you see the real value of visiting a
foreign country.
The Marshrutka minibus (a form of public transport) was one of my most
interesting discoveries here in Armenia. I have heard some Armenians
complaining about the behaviour of their compatriots on board, but my
Marshrutka Experience (which I'll refer to from now on as M.E.) says
NO to this! Let me explain...
ME No.1
On a marshrutka you always pay after ride. And the first thought I had:
how is it possible that they don't just run away?!
ME No.2
Young people always offer their seat for elderly people. Actually,
to be honest, in Slovakia you can also find young people who offer
their seat to elderly people, but often the latter feel offended by
the fact that they are perceived to be old.
ME No.3
Random people act as cashiers on the marshrutkas. Try giving 100 AMD
(the fee for 1 ride on public transport in the Armenian currency)
to random people in Europe and the money would never reach the driver.
ME No.4
The sitting passengers on a marshrutka often carry the handbags, cases,
and computers of standing passengers who are completely unfamiliar
to them. If I imagine offering to help carry somebody's bag in my
country, they would think I had other intentions...
I understand that this experience is not really an objective way to
judge Armenian society, but my impression is that Armenian people
are very respectful to each other. They are also proud, confident,
loud...very loud =) but always with respect.
Apart from discovering Armenia through my Marshrutka Experience,
I have learnt a lot while volunteering for the "Young Citizens of
Armenia" project. This project aims to introduce the idea of active
citizenship to the young local people while giving them a neutral
platform to reflect on their own role as an active citizen of Armenia.
The project has a number of activities that aim to contribute to the
goal of the project, including discussions clubs where I am actively
involved. I am also co-animating its English club while preparing and
leading discussions on different civil society development topics,
including the environment, governance, and so on. This is a great
opportunity to learn about Armenian civil society and to encourage
the young people attending the discussion club to develop their own
understanding and approach to the notion of active citizenship in an
atmosphere with a plurality of opinions. I am also really happy for
this opportunity to get first-hand experience and knowledge about
Armenia while meeting and communicating with a number of people with
diverse backgrounds that are visiting our club.
And now, I am left with a 6-month countdown to my departure day
from Armenia and I will use this period to further explore this
unique country, its people, places and many other things I haven't
discovered yet.
http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/22/evs-in-armenia-from-learning-to-experience/
From: Baghdasarian