This was one of those great Yerevan days, both because of all the things we did and didn't do. Saturdays start off for me with teaching English class to the most amazing group of kids at a local church. All week I look forward to my lessons with the kids, who are so full of energy and hope, that it makes up for so much else that I experience during the week. I have a core group of kids who show up to lessons, and we have a great time learning grammar, conversing about various issues, and doing different activities in English.

During the parliamentary elections, for instance, my kids prepared--according to their own interests--public advocacy campaigns for the elections. They drafted issues, researched them, prepared presentations, and argued their points with a representative of one of the candidates, and they did all this in English. It was a wonderful experience for me to see their progress, but also to see how much they care for their country and their surroundings. Last week, they had decided that they were going to do a day of church yard clean up, and so for the English class portion, we did vocabulary of things used to clean up the yard, and did verbs of activities that we were undertaking. This is what living in Armenia is all about, truly! It's about the hope you see in people--kids, particularly, but also the hope they inspire in you.

But, back to the day. So, after teaching class and tutroing two of my kids for their upcoming TOEFL exams (English as Foreign Language Exams, required to enter language programs etc.), I met up with Lena and Raffi and a few others at Artbridge for a quick lunch, after which Lena, Raffi and I walked down to Vernisage for some non-tourist rummaging and shopping. It was a very hot day, and you could certainly feel the heat reflecting off the concrete. After bargaining, looking for wine glasses, almost buying a carpet, we decided to go check out a new hotel that has opened up near the market--Europe Hotel. We were pleasantly surprised by the cool atmosphere, and decided to have a quick bite to eat, and I think we've discovered a new sandwich place. They have a really nice selection--a bit overpriced, but nothing to complain about too much.

While having lunch, we overheard a couple of diasporans speak, and picked up on their accent to be Australian, and you know what that means with Lena around. Oh boy, Raffi and I were treated to a wonderful hour of Australian banter and idioms, and it was a great time. The two visitors had come for the pan Armenian games, and were getting ready to leave on Monday, and had enjoyed Armenia quite a bit. I'll let Lena tell you the rest of the story about the Ausies and their common acquaintances--definitely one for the "it's a small world" file.

But, the reason why this was such a wonderful day, is because we were able to be completely spontaneous enjoying what the day threw our way and not worry about much except the pot holes in the city and staying clear of the dust. Speaking of which, we went out to Republic Square, and I think in our minds hoped that there would be much more to see once the construction concludes. The sidewalks in front of the National Gallery of Art looked good, but nothing to write home about.

Even though the remodeling saga continues all around the city (ask Lena about this, too), we did well. A great day overall.