Since I�ve arrived in Armenia, the number of logs I�ve written is severely lacking. But it�s also highly representative of the number of things I�ve been doing and then also, the internet: its speed and normal lack of connection to the outside world. Most of the time, it�s fine, just not when I need to use the net!

For the first month our training consisted of language learning/improving for the morning sessions and then various discussions, guest speakers and visits to sites of interest to the AVC, were conducted in the afternoons. All of this training was very informative and quite useful in the attempt to cope with a very different culture and environment, and the AVC is a very unique set-up, which so far, has been a very definite pleasure to be a volunteer with. Jason and Anna are just excellent in organising everyone�s job placements and planning the training etc etc.

As new volunteers we participated in helping with Habitat for Humanity for one Saturday, helping a family to build their house in the village of Oshagan, and then last Saturday we participated in �Makure Yerevan� which was celebrating its one year anniversary � that was interesting, example: one of the guys who was watching us clear rubbish, when asked if he would help, said he couldn�t because he was Buddhist not Christian, and when it provoked the wrong reaction (ie I laughed a lot) he got very embarrassed and then apologised saying that he wasn�t Buddhist but couldn�t help because he was ill (hmmm)��..slowly slowly we�ll get there!

So training for the four new volunteers for the AVC has finished, and we�re now all working in our respective job placements. Most of the volunteers have at least two jobs. The jobs, which everyone hav been allocated with, are all very relevant to peoples� professional and private lives - all due to Jason & Anna. I have three jobs: one with Yerevan State University with a semiconductor research department, which will provide a good insight into the real workings of academia within Armenia, another one with a company, who are researching and developing fuel cells and are all a great team, and then finally I�m working with an absolutely amazing chamber choir, Hover, in helping to administrate them and their concerts within Armenia and then hopefully organising a grand tour of the US for next summer�..look-out for their CD (one of Raffi Meneshian�s Pomegranate signings) which should be coming out soon�.

Our host family time is nearly over, and I�ve really enjoyed living with my host family: Maurice, Sona and Hasmig � they�re really kind and generous people. I�m trying to look for an apartment to rent for the year and the main disadvantage at this time of year is that there are still many tourists renting apartments, and so people are looking for short term gains rather than an overall larger gain in the long term. They can charge so much more for two weeks, but then don�t really assess the situation in that their apartment will be empty until the next summer��so I may just stay with my host family until all the tourists have gone.

So, this is my log for the month, hope everyone else is well, I do wish I got Christmas presents like Lena this time of year � it�s funny how little things can do so much!