Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

[Mher]

I'll be leaving for Armenia in May and will stay for just over two months. I'll be going through the Birthright Armenia program, that pays for most of your expenses and assign you a family to live with, in return for >30hr/week of internship. A requirement of the program is that in the summer you must live and work outside of Yerevan, as to be able to have a more authentic experience, rather than the typical tourist experience. I've been to Armenia 3 times when I was much younger, and stayed in Yerevan with my family. I don't have any close relatives in Armenia. I have a few questions I was hoping you can help me with.


1) Has anyone completed the Birthright program or know anything about the program? What have you heard?



2) Where do you recommend I should stay if it has to be outside of Yerevan? I am leaning towards Artsakh? good idea? bad idea? any recommendations?
How much can you tell me about the culture in Artsakh(stepanakert)? Attire, daily life, anything really
For example how to people dress as compared to Yerevan, Iran, or the West. I rather not stand out, and look like a tourist

I'm not all the tech-addicted or fashion/trend following type. I prefer a tradition lifestyle and I've lived in very poor conditions before for long periods of time. I can adjust to most living standards pretty quickly and get by without some things we consider basics in the west without much trouble.

I'm fluent in speaking Armenian, and can read/write pretty well. However I am Parskahye, and speak in the Iranian East. Arm. dialect.

How is internet access? especially with smart phones? I am just buying a smart phone for the first time, so I don't know much about phone wifi

I know the dialect is a bit different? how different is it than the Eastern Armenian of Yerevan? Iran?



3) I am planning on moving to Armenia after finishing graduate school. What can I do to prepare for the prospects of a career in engineering/construction, especially considering I'll be staying outside of Yerevan.

What are my chances of being assigned an internship in anything having to do with Construction/Engin/Archit since I'll be outside Yerevan?



4) How much money(in dollars) will I need to last me 2 months, considering I'll be spending most of it outside of Yerevan, paying no rent, paying little for food, and not really spending like a tourist. Should carry all of my money in cash, or a card?

What else do I need to take with me that one wouldn't necessarily take in a typical tourist vacation.

What things can I buy from there?



5) What is the best way I can show my gratitude to my host family. I'll essentially be a part of the family, living in their house, eating with them, etc. I feel like any cash gift would feel inappropriate and insulting. What is a meaningful gift I can take with me from the US or buy in Yerevan? I don't yet who the family will be. I'm pretty skilled as a tutor and love working with kids, I was thinking I could help in that way by offering to tutor the kid(s) in english or armenian or anything else.

6) anything else that I need to know that I didn't mention.



Answer to any of the questions would be appreciated.

[arakeretzig]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

4) How much money(in dollars) will I need to last me 2 months, considering I'll be spending most of it outside of Yerevan, paying no rent, paying little for food, and not really spending like a tourist. Should carry all of my money in cash, or a card?

What else do I need to take with me that one wouldn't necessarily take in a typical tourist vacation.

What things can I buy from there?

when i was in armenia last summer, i spent about 500 dollars a month (excluding rent), and i lived as a typical tourist. And that's in yerevan. so you can deduce from that.

Electronic things like TV, laptops, smartphones etc are all expensive in yerevan IMO, not much difference from sweden for ex. Clothes and shoes in armenia, while not my taste, cuz most of it is turkish crap, are generally cheaper than EU. In yerevan, my favourite shop was Debenhams, europian style, and they have sale most of summer.
If you want to buy headphones, i recommend Sony Center in yerevan ( near german embassy), they have cheap headphones for good quality. it saved me 50% price compared to EU.

[UrMistake]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

Give us some picks at the end , not much i can help you :-(

[Mher]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

Give us some picks at the end , not much i can help you :-(

Definitely will

[Tamar]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

I'll be leaving for Armenia in May and will stay for just over two months. I'll be going through the Birthright Armenia program, that pays for most of your expenses and assign you a family to live with, in return for >30hr/week of internship. A requirement of the program is that in the summer you must live and work outside of Yerevan, as to be able to have a more authentic experience, rather than the typical tourist experience. I've been to Armenia 3 times when I was much younger, and stayed in Yerevan with my family. I don't have any close relatives in Armenia. I have a few questions I was hoping you can help me with.


1) Has anyone completed the Birthright program or know anything about the program? What have you heard?



2) Where do you recommend I should stay if it has to be outside of Yerevan? I am leaning towards Artsakh? good idea? bad idea? any recommendations?
How much can you tell me about the culture in Artsakh(stepanakert)? Attire, daily life, anything really
For example how to people dress as compared to Yerevan, Iran, or the West. I rather not stand out, and look like a tourist

I'm not all the tech-addicted or fashion/trend following type. I prefer a tradition lifestyle and I've lived in very poor conditions before for long periods of time. I can adjust to most living standards pretty quickly and get by without some things we consider basics in the west without much trouble.

I'm fluent in speaking Armenian, and can read/write pretty well. However I am Parskahye, and speak in the Iranian East. Arm. dialect.

How is internet access? especially with smart phones? I am just buying a smart phone for the first time, so I don't know much about phone wifi

I know the dialect is a bit different? how different is it than the Eastern Armenian of Yerevan? Iran?



3) I am planning on moving to Armenia after finishing graduate school. What can I do to prepare for the prospects of a career in engineering/construction, especially considering I'll be staying outside of Yerevan.

What are my chances of being assigned an internship in anything having to do with Construction/Engin/Archit since I'll be outside Yerevan?



4) How much money(in dollars) will I need to last me 2 months, considering I'll be spending most of it outside of Yerevan, paying no rent, paying little for food, and not really spending like a tourist. Should carry all of my money in cash, or a card?

What else do I need to take with me that one wouldn't necessarily take in a typical tourist vacation.

What things can I buy from there?



5) What is the best way I can show my gratitude to my host family. I'll essentially be a part of the family, living in their house, eating with them, etc. I feel like any cash gift would feel inappropriate and insulting. What is a meaningful gift I can take with me from the US or buy in Yerevan? I don't yet who the family will be. I'm pretty skilled as a tutor and love working with kids, I was thinking I could help in that way by offering to tutor the kid(s) in english or armenian or anything else.

6) anything else that I need to know that I didn't mention.



Answer to any of the questions would be appreciated.

1.) I took part in Birthright last summer and can't imagine a better experience. http://tamarnajarian.wordpress.com/ you can go on my blog and look under the Birthright Nostalgia and Birthright Advice categories for more information on it it was personally the most entriching experience I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in.

2.) I don't know if Birthright allows you to do a placement in Artsakh, but definitely look into it! I worked in Artsakh with the Youth Corps program and loved every moment! it was definitely something I would not have traded. Stepanagerd is beautiful and a mini Yerevan. However, it's cozier and somehow more homely. You do get free wifi in the parks and in some restaurants, which worked nicely on my friends' iphones there. Internet cafes are good as well. Not the fastest internet, but pretty decent and the one we went to often had a separate room for the computers with voice and camera options. For dress, I don't think you would look much like a tourist in your regular attire. I know jeans are common now.. t-shirt and jeans were what the men normally wore, or the traditional black pants.. black jeans blends you in better :P the language, in artsakh you're gonna have to pick up their parpar or else they know you're from abroad (their dialect is a mix of Armenian parpar, russian and Azeri)... however, speak in your dialect for best results If your quote is to be taken to heart, you're a tashnagtsagan.. I can put you in touch with the tashnags in Stepanagerd and they'll help you with anything you need

For your prospects in that field, I can't really help ya. However, my cousin in Ghapan might be of some help/. Moneywise, if you have so little to spend, I should tell you that in 3 months, I managed to fit 800$ easily, with some to spare. And that was with actually living it I would suggest carrying cash, though you can pull from card relatively easily from most places. However, outside Yerevan, I don't remember many places that took credit. The country is well equipped with everything, so you don't have to worry about taking everything with you. You will be able to buy what you need and then some.

As for the gift for the family, I took things that had Canada written on it. They enjoy having things from around the world and would defintiely appreciate things that represent the country you're from. However, if you wish to make a gift later, I would suggest looking in their home and finding what they need most. If they need a new showerhead, get that. If they don't have a computer, maybe you can get them something small to use. it depends on how much you want to spend and what they are really in need of. Also, buy groceries from time to time and bring home little surprises. They will adore that and feel appreciated.

[Mher]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

1.) I took part in Birthright last summer and can't imagine a better experience. http://tamarnajarian.wordpress.com/ you can go on my blog and look under the Birthright Nostalgia and Birthright Advice categories for more information on it it was personally the most entriching experience I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in.

2.) I don't know if Birthright allows you to do a placement in Artsakh, but definitely look into it! I worked in Artsakh with the Youth Corps program and loved every moment! it was definitely something I would not have traded. Stepanagerd is beautiful and a mini Yerevan. However, it's cozier and somehow more homely. You do get free wifi in the parks and in some restaurants, which worked nicely on my friends' iphones there. Internet cafes are good as well. Not the fastest internet, but pretty decent and the one we went to often had a separate room for the computers with voice and camera options. For dress, I don't think you would look much like a tourist in your regular attire. I know jeans are common now.. t-shirt and jeans were what the men normally wore, or the traditional black pants.. black jeans blends you in better :P the language, in artsakh you're gonna have to pick up their parpar or else they know you're from abroad (their dialect is a mix of Armenian parpar, russian and Azeri)... however, speak in your dialect for best results If your quote is to be taken to heart, you're a tashnagtsagan.. I can put you in touch with the tashnags in Stepanagerd and they'll help you with anything you need

For your prospects in that field, I can't really help ya. However, my cousin in Ghapan might be of some help/. Moneywise, if you have so little to spend, I should tell you that in 3 months, I managed to fit 800$ easily, with some to spare. And that was with actually living it I would suggest carrying cash, though you can pull from card relatively easily from most places. However, outside Yerevan, I don't remember many places that took credit. The country is well equipped with everything, so you don't have to worry about taking everything with you. You will be able to buy what you need and then some.

As for the gift for the family, I took things that had Canada written on it. They enjoy having things from around the world and would defintiely appreciate things that represent the country you're from. However, if you wish to make a gift later, I would suggest looking in their home and finding what they need most. If they need a new showerhead, get that. If they don't have a computer, maybe you can get them something small to use. it depends on how much you want to spend and what they are really in need of. Also, buy groceries from time to time and bring home little surprises. They will adore that and feel appreciated.

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. It was really helpful, and I'll make sure to read through your blog for more information.
as far the quote, I'm not affiliated with ARF, its just that this site had a character limit on the signature and I couldn't get the rest of the quote there

[retro]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

In yerevan, my favourite shop was Debenhams, europian style, and they have sale most of summer.

Debenhams a British department store and I'm very surprised that they are quite so international.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debenhams#International_stores

[Mher]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

I was going to wait until the end of my trip to post photos, but these photos were unique, and I thought I should share them right now.
The Birthright Armenia group got access to the Turkish-Armenian border beyond the buffer zone (regularly access is not granted beyond this point), all the way to the edge of the Arax river, were Ani was very much visible. The ruins of Ani were a few hundred meters from our feet. It was so close, you felt like running to it, but you couldn't do anything about it. Needless to say, it was a very unique and emotional experience.



Fence at the start of the buffer zone- no civilians allowed beyond this point







Ride through buffer zone on a old soviet bus









Armenian Fort at Ani with a Turkish flag












Our View

[Tamar]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

NICE! I'm glad you're enjoying it!!

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Questions about upcoming trip to Armenia

I was going to wait until the end of my trip to post photos, but these photos were unique, and I thought I should share them right now.
The Birthright Armenia group got access to the Turkish-Armenian border beyond the buffer zone (regularly access is not granted beyond this point), all the way to the edge of the Arax river, were Ani was very much visible. The ruins of Ani were a few hundred meters from our feet. It was so close, you felt like running to it, but you couldn't do anything about it. Needless to say, it was a very unique and emotional experience.

Fence at the start of the buffer zone- no civilians allowed beyond this point

This is just more proof that in Armenia democracy has very shallow and feeble roots. Any normal country would have got rid of all these Soviet Cold-war-era border restrictions and barriers. They have nothing to do with protecting Armenia's border but everything to do with maintaining the Soviet-period ethos of controlling and restricting its own citizens. It also allows the Armenian-Russian crimimals / military officials that "guard" the border to earn fortunes by running smuggling routes across that border.

On my visit to that part of the Armenian border opposite Ani I remember an American Armenian's video camera being grabbed by a Russian thug (or maybe an Armenian thug in Russian uniform) and the tape being ripped out and thrown up in the air as if it were confetti.

I note that you have no photos of the mafiosi-run quarries. Is this because you were forbidden from taking pictures of them - or were you practicing self-censoring and selective viewing?