Dear readers,
I think I have a place to live now. One of the vols heard about this apartment and told me. The owners are moving to Russia for a couple of years. I went to see it Thursday and while it is quite small, I am taking it. It is about a 5 minute walk from where I live now. It puts me farther away from Caritas and the other ngo for which I work, but not too far. Still walkable. The apartment is on the first floor in a big plain building (think homely white box) - looks like about 5 stories – in an area with several other big buildings. Off the main street , but still accessible. Close by post office where I pay my utility bills
I think I have a place to live now. One of the vols heard about this apartment and told me. The owners are moving to Russia for a couple of years. I went to see it Thursday and while it is quite small, I am taking it. It is about a 5 minute walk from where I live now. It puts me farther away from Caritas and the other ngo for which I work, but not too far. Still walkable. The apartment is on the first floor in a big plain building (think homely white box) - looks like about 5 stories – in an area with several other big buildings. Off the main street , but still accessible. Close by post office where I pay my utility bills
The picture above should give you an idea of the basic layout.
Notes about the apartment:
- entry way has a small hall tree with drawers
- for the safety nuts: the front door is heavy metal (steel?) and has a triple dead bolt as well as a peephole and the windows have bars
-bedroom is not fully enclosed. There is a curtain between a double door sized opening and the "living room". Bedroom has a bookcase/storage unit along the wall opposite the bed. There is a wardrobe beside the bed.
-there are windows all along the living room wall
-.there is a TV on the cattycornered item, which is a small bookcase. The TV will probably not be turned on except to show movies from my computer (its new enough to have jack inputs). I've seen enough bad soap operas to completely satisfy any TV urges for the rest of my stay here.
- the sofa folds out to a twin bed.
- here's the good stuff:
§ the house has a brand new water and heating system, central heat via gas hot water radiators w/ good control mechanism. 24/7 hot water in kitchen and bath from big tank in cellar. The city water comes on about 3 hours a day in the morning. While Emma has a tank, she doesn't have a water heater, thus the bucket baths. This place will provide luxurious showers and the astonishing ability to have hot water in the kitchen.
§ The burners and oven all work (a rarity).
§ The refrig is new and while small, has a separate freezer compartment.
§ The cabinets and counters are all new.
§ The most amazing feature of all _ I HAVE A WASHING MACHINE!!!!
The owners are leaving most of their furniture including linens for the bed and dishes, pots, pans, etc. I'll still have to buy some but not as much as many places would require.
My sisters will love this next part: In the cellar where the water tank lies (and its really a cellar – maybe 5' ceilings) there are shelves w/ canning equipment and at least 100 glass jars!
It is a very small space. However, I am so excited about the amenities. Stove that works. Hot water all the time. A very non-peace corps experience and while I should be embarrassed at all this convenience, I'm willing to live with a bit of shame in order to avail myself of hot showers whenever I want. And I can't begin to tell you what a good deal the washing machine is.
We had our first snow today (Saturday). Only a light fall – about 2" at most. More is predicted tomorrow. I realized I was not in the US when I slid on several of the sidewalks. They are not sanded or salted here and there is no requirement for shop owners to maintain the areas in front of their shops. Clearly not enough lawyers here.
The cars on the road slid about as much as I did. The snow on the road packs down immediately and is as slick as grease. There may be some big snow removal equipment but I haven't seen it. Maybe we need more snow action before it appears.
Another difference from the US is that the tires on most of the cars and all of the marshutnis are old and balding. The marshutni tire maintenance method seems to consist of driving til there is a blowout, then replacing it with a spare tire in similar condition and driving to a roadside stand (shop would be a great euphemism) where the blown tire is patched and becomes the new spare. The passengers watch this process with resignation and calm. The operative word is "vochinch" which means something like "oh, well" or "what can you do".
People here will "vochinch" at any opportunity. Food is cold or the wrong order – "vochinch". Power goes out three days in a row – "vochinch". The oven in your stove doesn't work – "vochinch". The social security clerk who is supposed to give you your pitifully small check expects a 1000 dram "gratuity" to provide you with that to which you are entitled – "vochinch". I understand the Armenia airline has vochinched an unsettling noise while the plane was in the air. I dont think you should "vochinch" an airplane. That's about one too many "vochinches" for me. Again, where are all the lawyers when we need them? Obviously labbying in Yerevan for the tobacco companies. (Armenian men have the highest rate of smokers outside Asia – 62%). Cigarettes are barely taxed even though this government is in great need of revenue and proposed new taxes are defeated as if this were North Carolina. 1 out of 3 male deaths are attributed to smoking related diseases and that percentage is increasing. How did I get on this topic from talking about my apartment and snow. Oh, well. Vochinch.
Notes about the apartment:
- entry way has a small hall tree with drawers
- for the safety nuts: the front door is heavy metal (steel?) and has a triple dead bolt as well as a peephole and the windows have bars
-bedroom is not fully enclosed. There is a curtain between a double door sized opening and the "living room". Bedroom has a bookcase/storage unit along the wall opposite the bed. There is a wardrobe beside the bed.
-there are windows all along the living room wall
-.there is a TV on the cattycornered item, which is a small bookcase. The TV will probably not be turned on except to show movies from my computer (its new enough to have jack inputs). I've seen enough bad soap operas to completely satisfy any TV urges for the rest of my stay here.
- the sofa folds out to a twin bed.
- here's the good stuff:
§ the house has a brand new water and heating system, central heat via gas hot water radiators w/ good control mechanism. 24/7 hot water in kitchen and bath from big tank in cellar. The city water comes on about 3 hours a day in the morning. While Emma has a tank, she doesn't have a water heater, thus the bucket baths. This place will provide luxurious showers and the astonishing ability to have hot water in the kitchen.
§ The burners and oven all work (a rarity).
§ The refrig is new and while small, has a separate freezer compartment.
§ The cabinets and counters are all new.
§ The most amazing feature of all _ I HAVE A WASHING MACHINE!!!!
The owners are leaving most of their furniture including linens for the bed and dishes, pots, pans, etc. I'll still have to buy some but not as much as many places would require.
My sisters will love this next part: In the cellar where the water tank lies (and its really a cellar – maybe 5' ceilings) there are shelves w/ canning equipment and at least 100 glass jars!
It is a very small space. However, I am so excited about the amenities. Stove that works. Hot water all the time. A very non-peace corps experience and while I should be embarrassed at all this convenience, I'm willing to live with a bit of shame in order to avail myself of hot showers whenever I want. And I can't begin to tell you what a good deal the washing machine is.
We had our first snow today (Saturday). Only a light fall – about 2" at most. More is predicted tomorrow. I realized I was not in the US when I slid on several of the sidewalks. They are not sanded or salted here and there is no requirement for shop owners to maintain the areas in front of their shops. Clearly not enough lawyers here.
The cars on the road slid about as much as I did. The snow on the road packs down immediately and is as slick as grease. There may be some big snow removal equipment but I haven't seen it. Maybe we need more snow action before it appears.
Another difference from the US is that the tires on most of the cars and all of the marshutnis are old and balding. The marshutni tire maintenance method seems to consist of driving til there is a blowout, then replacing it with a spare tire in similar condition and driving to a roadside stand (shop would be a great euphemism) where the blown tire is patched and becomes the new spare. The passengers watch this process with resignation and calm. The operative word is "vochinch" which means something like "oh, well" or "what can you do".
People here will "vochinch" at any opportunity. Food is cold or the wrong order – "vochinch". Power goes out three days in a row – "vochinch". The oven in your stove doesn't work – "vochinch". The social security clerk who is supposed to give you your pitifully small check expects a 1000 dram "gratuity" to provide you with that to which you are entitled – "vochinch". I understand the Armenia airline has vochinched an unsettling noise while the plane was in the air. I dont think you should "vochinch" an airplane. That's about one too many "vochinches" for me. Again, where are all the lawyers when we need them? Obviously labbying in Yerevan for the tobacco companies. (Armenian men have the highest rate of smokers outside Asia – 62%). Cigarettes are barely taxed even though this government is in great need of revenue and proposed new taxes are defeated as if this were North Carolina. 1 out of 3 male deaths are attributed to smoking related diseases and that percentage is increasing. How did I get on this topic from talking about my apartment and snow. Oh, well. Vochinch.
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