My new Spitak home is the average Armenian home. It has a tiny kitchen, a huge dining room, a pretty large tv room and two bedrooms and a bathroom. Thank God for the bathroom. The house is currently being remodeled, I think they are adding a porch, my host mom said I will be able to drink coffee there. Spitak is surrounded by mountains in every which way you look, and my house is not too far from one, so I am hoping to take some good hikes.



The tiny little kitchen has two working burners that really are on a hot plate that sites above the Oven. I have never seen an Armenian use their oven, they always have a small toaster oven that they use to bake in instead.
Spitak has a beautiful park with benches that overlook the river. This is where I met to speak to my school director and counterpart. For the most part it is pretty serene, although it happens to be a favorite place for kids to hang out. I was told that in Spitak boys are allowed to swim but girls are not. On my last day in town I will start a gender revolt and will go for a swim in the middle of the pool in a bikini. Maybe I will have a few friends join me. Girls can’t swim!!! Haha can you imagine if I really did do that?





My amazing new Spitak family. They are such an interesting bunch. It’s amazing how my host mom looks after my host dad. One day while sitting for dinner the cell phone rings in the bedroom. The mom who has just spent hours cooking, jumps up and runs to get it, not answering it, but running to bring it to the dad. Then when he is finished, she takes it back to put it on it’s charger. Ten minutes later and the scene is repeated. He doesn’t even attempt to get up and answer his own phone. But he is amazing, and so kind to me. This is a completely different host father experience, and I am glad he was around. He makes it so much easier for me to understand what is going on.

My Tatik the day I went for a walk and she drug me home. She says that she will marry my grandfather in America if he has a little money and she can get a green card! She is too funny and I love drinking my hot chocolate with her and talking about a bunch of nothing and just laughing when we know we can’t understand a word the other is saying! When I first learned I was going to Armenia I was the most excited to have a tatik, since back home I lost my grandmother. It’s nice to have one again.