“Thanksgiving in Hollywood” is a contemporary song found on
the internet by my Armenian students. I do not want my students to think this
song’s lyrics are a true reflection of what our American celebration of
Thanksgiving is all about, even though the music is appealing and lends itself
well to a program aimed at college aged students. Just the mention of “Hollywood” encourages
the students to think of the stereotyped, media’s portrayal of America---the
land of rich people and vast opportunities.
We are planning a program about Thanksgiving in America
and will include harvest time in Armenia since the times coincide and inspire
similar feelings of being thankful for what one has. I am trying to help my
students to understand the history of our Thanksgiving Day and how it is
celebrated now. The program will be presented primarily in English, but
readings must be translated so that the majority of the audience will
understand the message. Of course, the
universal communicator, music, will be of utmost importance. Unfortunately,
songs which I love and recall -----“Over the River and Through the Woods”,
“Come Ye Thankful People Come” and “Harvest Home” are not nearly as exciting as
“Thanksgiving in Hollywood”.
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| Dave and Judy with Peace Corps Niger Training Director, Tondi, 2 years ago |
Armenia is a Peace
Corps assignment wrought with challenges as well as blessings. What are David
and I grateful for as we continue our 2nd year of service in Armenia?
The first is the blessing of good health, unlike Thanksgiving 2010 which we
spent in Niger, Africa during our first Peace Corps assignment. On that first
Thanksgiving, David was being released from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day.
Music and Art: Armenia cherishes music and art and encourages
its young people to study both. David
and I have come to anticipate attending occasional concerts of the Armenian
Philharmonic Orchestra in Yerevan and the Dilijan Music School in our town. Dilijan Art School is a fine example of
available training for young talented students as they join the ranks of other
famous Armenian artists. Music soothes the soul and art brings a different perspective
to life in Armenia where strife and stress abound.
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| Armenia Philharmonic Orchestra performing in Yerevan, Armenia |
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| Director of Dilijan Art School with students submitting art work to the K-12 ONE WORLD Classroom International Art Exchange |
Mountains: Visible
from our apartment are lofty mountains which surround our town. Their majestic
peaks will soon be snow-covered, but we are thankful for their mighty presence
as we watch the seasons change throughout the year.
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| View of mountains from our apartment |
Flowers: Prolific
profusions of flowers from early spring until the snows of winter make Dilijan,
Armenia a haven for flower lovers. I am
thankful for that blessing of beauty which brightens our days yet is taken for
granted by many Armenians.
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| A beautiful example of wildflowers found in Armenia |
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| Armenian family we met and shared a meal with several times: very hospitable people |
Hospitality of the Armenian people: Warm welcomes, a kiss on the cheek, an invitation to have coffee , small gifts
brought to every encounter even by those with little money…… we cannot be
grateful enough for those expressions of
acceptance by people with whom we become acquainted.
 |
| Armenian language tutor with Judy |
Tutors: Without
our tutor we’d be lost. Our tutor not
only teaches a foreign language to older learners such as David and me, but is
also a link to the community in which we live, to the people we want to meet,
to her family, to events we enjoy and to life in Dilijan. For Knarick’s presence we are grateful.
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| One little boy in our neighborhood-------being shy, but so cute |
Children: loving,
laughing, curious, shy, ever present…..they are Armenia’s future and must be encouraged
in the pursuit of more than basic education and life without hope. We are
thankful to meet so many and to see them grow.
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| Narvik, special little child in our neighborhood who loves to study English with us. |
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| Gas Heater in our apartment: we are fortunate to be able to stay warm on the cold days of winter in Armenia
Heat: we have gas heat, expensive and warming. We are grateful to able to afford it in our
old age!! Many volunteers rely on wood stoves and must balance staying warm
with the scarcity of wood as the winter progresses. Most Armenians we know also
struggle with staying warm in a cold country.
|
Peace Corps: without this organization we’d not be in Armenia. We are thankful for the opportunity to be in the Peace Corps and hope our time in Armenia means something to others.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. May your day be blessed with loved ones wherever you may be on the 4th Thursday of November, 2012. Judy and Dave
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