I like winter

Dear Readers,

I never believed I would be saying the words written above. I am filled with peaceful thoughts as I ride to Yerevan thru a snowcovered landscape. Everything is so white and pristine-looking. I do miss the cow traffic jams - they are safely tucked away in barns, eating hay til spring comes - and walking in Yerevan and parts of Gyumri is an icy nightmare.

I've acquired the right kind of keep warm garments so I can walk outside for a good bit feeling the cold on my face and keeping my hands, feet, head and body warm. Pretty comfortable. Plus, I have the added advantage of living in an apartment where I have fairly reliable heat. The temp in my apartment ranges from 60 - 64 degrees which is very comfortable for me. If I get chilly in shirt sleeves, a sweater solves the problem.

Another factor in my pleasure at winter is that this winter is considerably milder than the last one. We've had several days with highs in the low 30s which did not occur at all last winter. We haven't had as much snow as I would like in Gyumri. I like having at least an inch or two on the ground at all times with new deposits every few days. That keeps alot of the ice at bay and makes it easier to walk with yaktraks. Love!!! my yaktraks.
It was snowing this morning as I walked to work. Very pleasant.

I spent most of the 2nd week in January in Yerevan interviewing potential Muskie candidates (grad school in the US for a masters degree) - 56 over the course of 5 days. A panel of 4 conducted the actual interview. The program administrator managed logistics, took notes and facilitated the ranking process. The other interviewers included a US Embassy official, a professor from the only internationally recognized university in Armenia and a former Muskie fellow. We had some lively discussions with wide ranging opinions, yet finally managed to agree on a ranking of all 56. Now the top people in that group will take the GREs and TOEFL tests, and those results will be forwarded to Washington, along w/ the interviewers' and readers' scores and the interviewers' ranking for the final selection. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the applicants and amazed at the self-determination many of them have demonstrated to achieve their current status.

I think I mentioned the big EU grant Caritas received. We start planning for it this week. Because its a 3 year program, we've set aside 6 months for a detailed planning process so we can get the right information and training to the right people and so that the 3 partners and Caritas are all on the same page.

The school supplies from the Asheville 4th graders arrived. I took them to the center where our exchange students spend their non-school hours during the day. After some discussion w/ staff there, we agreed that every child who wrote a letter to the Asheville children would get their own pen and pencil. The remainder of the pens, pencils, markers, erasers, sharpeners, etc. will be kept at the center and available for use by the children on a daily basis.

Next post will be some pics from the post New Year's weekend at my apartment.