Sri You Later!

Well as many of you know I am continuing my duties as a kiva fellow in about a week, and somehow the opportunity presented itself to me to go to sriiiiiii lannnnnnka.  After a little initial hesitation, I started to become insanely excited for this opportunity as the country sounds like an absolutely beautiful place, and the people sound amazing as well.  Additionally, the country has gone through a ton in the last decade.

A devastating 2004 tsunami, which initiated lots of aid and subsequently development programs (ahem, microfinance and my reason for being there).  And as recently as May 2009, a nearly 30-year civil war was finally ended with the official ousting of the LTTE (tamil tigers rarr).  But it sounds like the underlying ethnic tensions within the country that fueled the marathon civil war are still largely unaddressed, and the country is in somewhat of a state of flux.  On top of that, just a week or so ago the country had their first presidential elections since the end of the war, with the incumbent president winning, despite some questions as to the validity of the whole process as well as some violence and several deaths in the weeks leading up to the citizens hitting the polls.  While I have just grazed the surface of the complicated and fascinating history of this former-colony and Buddhist/Muslim/Hindu/Christian country, I am beyond thrilled to get there and see everything it has to offer.

And perhaps most valuable of all in this whole fellows experience, will be the contrast that it presents with everything I’ve seen in Armenia.  Going from a landlocked, 98% Christian country in the Caucusus to a tropical island paradise coming out of a civil war will be a great lesson on the ‘global impacts’ of the provision of financial services.  Plus I’m excited for some beach time. And flip flops and shorts.  I haven’t worn my shorts since I left the states in October.  And I wore my flip flops outside the apartment twice in Yerevan, just quickly to take the trash out or something and got some awfully weird looks.  Boy do I love flip flops.

So with that, here comes round two, I’m incredibly excited, feeling a lot more confident arriving blind into a new country than I did with my Armenian arrival in October, and ready to help spreading the Kiva gospel in a brand new part of the world, and in a brand new kiva country for that matter to boot.

here goes KF10…….

the Sri Lankan flag. I'm a big fan of this flag

quick roadie update

OK, so this blog is going to have  a heavy time delay from the postings and the actual events transpiring in my life.  Unfortunately I’m on the move and way behind, but definitely want to chronicle everything I’ve seen and done, as well as wrap up the packaging on the Armenia experiment, so bear with my delays.

I am going to pretend it’s the 1820s and that these blog posts have to travel across oceans in wooden ships to be delivered to the internet, and then my tardiness starts to sound a lot more reasonable, and intriguingly exotic.  So, posts to come…..

a watched package never boils

i was warned before I came here that the mail could be very unreliable in armenia.  i was told that things could get held up in customs, take months, or just not arrive at all.  these words of warning all sounded like old wive’s tales to me, and I had a few very eager people in the states (ok just my mom, but whatever) to send me something from home.

so i decided to risk it and let them try and send me a package.  well its turning out to have been a big mistake.  said package was sent on something like november 16th and there is still no sign that it has arrived in the country.  i’ve gone to the post office at least 3 times (with an armenian to help) and they love to say

“no we dont have a package.”

“well can you look?”

“if we get a package we will deliver it to you”

ohhhh ok, so thats how the mail works?! thanks for describing how the process should happen.  acknowledging otherwise would be ludicrous, so helping must be out of the question.  so to go one step higher we decided to try and pursue the customs office, which apparently isnt able to communicate with the post office, or at least according to the helpful post office man who told us he couldn’t check with them.

So we called customs.  the first couple times they didnt answer.  next day, we tried again.  they gave us a number.  ok, we tried that number. another number. another number. and another.  seriously, at the end of this we had 6 telephone numbers written on the piece of paper, and at the end of the chain……surprise surprise, no answer.  What do these 6 different people do?

I probably sound like a whiny westerner complaining about this, as this isn’t uncommon in most of the world.  And i knew that going in, but i really thought it would at least arrive, if even a month or so late.  and i continue to maintain hope (take that obama!), that it will arrive before I depart from the land of stones….

horovatz and vodka shots…

[Disclaimer: I am probably making it sound like all I do here is drink vodka with the copious references to the friendly clear fermented-potato substance.  but it really is a big part of the culture here.  and after all i'm going for that whole immersion thang.  but i promise i'm helping to spread some microfinance too, even if it does involve tasting a borrower's varietals of moonshine mulberry vodka. seriously.]

So 11 days after commencing, Armenian New Year’s is officially over.  I feel so discombobulated and and confused that I dont know what day it is or if I will ever be able to weigh less than 263 lbs again.

The new year here is a big celebration.  Its family oriented, involves lots of visits to friends/neighbors/relatives and lasts for a week.  New Years Eve is usually spent with family, and, like most Armenian celebrations involves a table packed from edge to edge with all kinds of tasty foods and booze.  In the center is the horovatz (grilled pork) with all kinds of cheeses, dried cured meats, veggies, and often cakes.  I dont know how these families do it because they basically have to be on call for visitors for 11 straight days while anyone can show up at anytime and the table gets loaded up and feasting and drinking recommences.  Everything in the city shuts down (president’s orders – where were you on that one OBAMA?!?) and you can get arrested by the cops if you dont have proof that you’ve gained at least 15 lbs.

12:01 new years at the square....

I was lucky enough to get to experience several different families’ new years.  NYE itself involved hanging out with a fellow group of international orphans at a friend’s apartment, then going down to the central square to see the fireworks, followed by an indeterminate amount of hours at the bar.  And that was day 1 of 11.  The following days were a tour de table of different friends and families, each of which constantly had a table full of meat/cheese/greens/booze on standby for any potentially arriving visitors.  At each stop copious amounts of Horovats (bbq’d pork and always the centerpiece of the table) was consumed with lavash (national bread, like a tortilla with bounce), all kinds of cured meats (I find pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted cured meats), greens (parsley again, dominates every bite), with lots of wine & vodka with thoughtful toasts to family and friends.  At one point I tried a jug of tasty homemade Georgian wine.  At another I had a delicious banana cake.  Also some delicious dolma, accompanied with yogurt sauce.  On Armenian Christmas itself (Jan 5^th into 6^th) I was invited to a good friend and co-workers to eat with her family.

Her younger brother and his 3 friends were very intrigued having an American at the table.  Basically I was treated as a pet tamagachi, and the boozing got taken up a notch or five.  It was kind of like those house parties when a bunch of idiots think it’s a good idea to try and get the cat or dog drunk, that’s a little bit how it worked….”yaa lets make the American drink a shot every 3 minutes!!!” However, as a stand for all the dogs and cats out there I decided I was not to be shown up.  I kept shoveling food in my mouth between every shot and lasted lasted lasted until the 19 year-old ringleader eventually started to slow down a bit.  Somehow I survived until they got bored and moved to the couch.  Victory, America.  I was so proud of myself, I had passed the official Armenian booze test.  Next stop, Russia.

All in all the New Years break was a whirlwind of barbecued meat and celebrations with friends and their families.  It was great to experience the holidays overseas in such an authentic and traditional way.  Plus it was a ton of fun, too.  While I don’t think I’ll let myself accidentally miss Christmas/New Year’s at home next year, this one will definitely always stand out as a great memory…….The Christmas/New Year’s that lasted 11 days and when I lost my six pack.  I’m gonna have to really start pounding my core again.

kaaaa boom

one of the many new years table spreads

…in search of deep techno

Before leaving the States, a friend asked me if i was going to start dabbling in the musical genre of ‘deep techno’ while in Armenia.  I hadn’t even really considered the role of deep techno in Armenia at the time, thinking of it more as an inhabitant of 5 story dance clubs in places like prague, or the dojo where you fight morpheus.  nevertheless i decided to keep my eyes out for deep techno and see if i could make friends with it here in Yerevan.

Well, I have to report that while out and about a few weeks ago deep techno was spotted.  Its not exactly prevalent here, but one night i went with some friends to one of the more popular clubs here in Yerevan.  After walking through the black-painted double doors, it got insane.  Strobes, and sirens, and bears oh my!  Deep techno had been found.

It was pretty much as to be expected, with lots of double-raised-fist-dancing, and the the occasional guy by himself in an extra-small tshirt and fedora hopping around and doing those weird cross-step dance moves that were popular at middle school dances, in the 1990s.  And apparently, we went on the ‘international student day,’ so at 11 pm promptly, everyone started filing out for the exits.  they all had curfews and needed to be home.  after realizing this I felt immediately uncomfortable.  But I have to give credit to the people there that night.  They were entering the club with more flair than anyone I’ve ever seen.  They would storm in, go fishing for the beat, catch it, and start riding the pony a la ginuwine, slapping their imaginary tanto (and flipping the lasso) as they circled the dance floor to the bass of the deep techno.  The instantaneous transformation in enthusiasm and energy after passing through the club doors was impressive.

But the kicker was when I looked up and saw wesley snipes suspended upside-down from the rafters in a black leather trenchcoat and sunglasses with his arm cocked, holding a shiny ninja star.  I officially knew it was time to get out…

bizarro Christmas in Armenia

This was the first time I spent Christmas away from the homeland.  It was definitely difficult but kind of fun in an unconventional way.  Plus Armenia is the first nation to have officially adopted Christianity so that’s a neat place to go for Christmas.  And don’t try to tell me otherwise.  However, Armenians don’t celebrate Christmas on the 25^th of December, but January 6^th instead.  I guess originally Christmas was on the 6^th but then the Romans didn’t find it convenient, so they switched it around to fit their new calendar, but Armenia kept the date, yada yada yada, now there’s a disparity between dates of celebrification.

All in all, I think it was probably the best alternative I could have had to not being with my family, and here I am 5,000 miles away in post soviet lands with a bunch of armenians who don’t even celebrate the 25^th of December.  I was in the mountain town of Tzakhadzor for 3 days with my host MFI because they were having their year-end company-wide conference which involves workshops as well as a chance to just bring everyone together once a year.

I spent time sitting in on the workshops but also got a chance to walk around the city and see what the town was all about.  On the 24^th I happened to cruise by a church and stopped in to freestyle a little Christmas Eve mass.  A priest even came in and started saying what appeared to be a mass, but I wasn’t too sure and didn’t stick around to find out.

Christmas itself fell on the third and final day of the conference, which was great.  During the day I actually went skiing (see below) and then at night they held the end-of-conference party.  this involved massive amounts of food, lots of wine, and vodka.  the food was the standard armenian horovatz — delicious barbecued pork accompanied with lots of bread, fresh veggies, and wonderful armenian treats.  we feasted and toasted together with all 200+ Aregak employees.  A great pseudo Christmas if I do say so myself.  And a pretty good way to juxtapose the year-end mfi party onto my concept of December 25^th.  Lucked out there and was great to make me feel at home.

Eventually, Armenian dancing broke out as they had a live band as well as a rented Santa to MC the events with some year-end awards going out.  I was REALLY hoping for most-improved loan officer but I was BARELY beaten out by a 10-year veteran.  I guess she deserved it.  I was pulled into the armenian dancing eventually and had a grand time.  Armenian dancing is kind of like Irish footwork with middle eastern arm work.  I like it.

Skiing:

So I have now completed one of my top 7 life objectives: I have now successfully skied at top speed down a mountain in the former soviet union while eluding a KGB agent chasing me with a klobb.  This now certifies me as an official yellow belt along the becoming-james-bond continuum.

Vodka, AA Batteries, and Chocolate

This is a very common list of items that I come away from the grocery store with here in yerevan.  Partly because they represent several staples in my lifestyle here, but also partly because its a great way to break change.  this country is an extremely change-breaking averse society, and i find it interesting because the bills are denominated so highly.  When i pull money from the ATM, i only get 20’s (twenty thousand notes), which are about $50 each.  anyway, NOBODY but a grocery store will take these.  therefore i use a trip to the grocery store to break my dubs, but also to stock up on those necessary items.

The Mayors of Microfinance

[a quickie from the fellows blog]

By Brian Kelly, KF9, Armenia

After making several visits to various borrower communities in the rural villages throughout Armenia, I started to notice a familiar figure emerge.  Each village seemed to have a mayor.  Not a mayor in the traditional, sash-wearing, top-hat donning, political scandal-causing sense, but a mayor of microfinance.

The Human Factor: Relationships Are What Make Microfinance Go [From the Fellows Blog]

[Hijacked From the Fellows Blog]
——————————————————-

By Brian Kelly, KF9, Armenia

I have alluded to it several times in the past in some of my posts.  While maybe writing a sentence or mentioning a few words here or there, I think it deserves its own post because it’s turning out to be one of the central themes of what I have learned here about microfinance in Armenia.  The Human Factor.

Understanding your constituents is a vital part of doing business anywhere.  I think in microfinance this becomes especially important, specifically in regard to the customers.  Understanding their needs and capabilities is paramount.  While the good Samaritan in us may want to cater to a customer’s every desire, that usually isn’t the most prudent business decision.  This applies in microfinance, as many of the borrowers are applying for a loan for the first time, and may not have the instinctive financial literacy that privileged Westerners take for granted while growing up with allowances, to savings accounts, to that first credit card.  If you offered your clients whatever they wanted, they would probably take too many loans for too much money and likely be swimming in un-payable debt within a year’s time.  This isn’t any profound revelation, and it’s exactly the reason we have credit scores and screening of loan eligibility anywhere loans are made.

a prayer candle in armenia for greg oden

(this is overdue, meant to post last week)

This sunday a group of us (including two awesome organic basil farmers from hood river, oregon) did a little day trip to garni and geghard, two holy holy spots outside of yerevan with some awesome old ruins and monasteries. the first stop was garni which houses this olllllld temple that has been around seriously since 3,000 bc or so, in various forms, shapes, and flavors.  at one point it was a mosque (see pics below) and the site also housed a palace for royalty as its basically a superbly defendable pad, since its surrounded by a huge gorge on 3 sides and mountains all around.  ok i’ll stop butchering the history, you can continue at wikipedia if you like.

After that we went to geghard, which hands down wins the best-monastery-in-armenia award thus far.  Some have been in cooler locations, but the monastery itself is unbelievable.  Part of it was created by boring into the side of the hill and essentially carving the church out of solid rock.  There were multiple side chambers, as well as little monk dorms, where monks would isolate themselves for a life of contemplation and prayer.  hopefully they contemplated why they made these monk dorms only 4 feet long and how much more comfortable it would have been for them if they were a little larger, at least wide enough for a normal sized human to lay down.  in case one decided to sleep, for example.  probably they contemplated about how cool a flat screen would have been as well.

getting to the title:

so i’ve been lighting and leaving these little yellow candles all over the country in most monasteries i visit, but i feel like in these recent times of crisis it was imperative to leave a special greg oden candle while in geghard.  i asked if they had any candles that were 7 feet tall, but they looked at me like I was asking for directions to the unicorn petting-zoo.  oh well, an 8 inch candle had to carry the workload.

this is the greg oden prayer candle. its burning in a really old monastery in armenia. i'm pretty sure st. geghard was the patron saint for healthy patelli

There were also all kinds of great carvings in the church walls (see pics below) with symbols and scripts.  Many of them have this faint reddish hue, which is leftover paint from thousands of years ago.  the armenians would extract red dye from boiling a certain bug, which made them the cat’s pajamas in the old world because they were some of the first to be able to decoratively use red.  carpets, carvings, you name it.