Back safe and sound. The trip was delayed a day due to fog, and the return trip was delayed two days due to mechanical problems. I don't remember ever having my flight actually cancelled, but this time it happened both ways. Anyway, it was a good trip, with lots of people turning up for the presentions and meetings. For the town hall meetings, which were held in Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City, we showed a video giving a general overview of where US aid was spent, and then a new video of business and investment in Armenia. Hopefully we got some people thinking. Then the Ambassador and Director of USAID/Armenia answered peoples questions about the US-Armenia relationship and anything else that came to their mind. This is probably the last such trip for these guys since they will both be replaced sometime this summer it looks like - but maybe they will manage one more trip to the SouthEast. You have probably heard that it was extremely cold on the East Coast last week, making me wish I was in Yerevan. When I got on the plane in NY it was -15C (27 below freezing for farenheit), without windchill.
London was a very nice change, and I walked around the city for about 5 miles, kind of randomly. From Leicester Square Metro (nice) to Camden Town, which was a really interesting mix of Venice Beach (stalls selling hemp products, t-shirts, loads of weirdos around), Jerusalem (narrow alleys, stalls, bricks) and a tiny bit of Venice (some water, boats, bridge). From there I cut west towards a big park and then straight south towards Piccadilly Square (by then it was night, and the plentiful pedestrian only streets in the area were packed with people on a Saturday night). I headed back by metro as well. It is true I went pretty far by metro, but the round trip ticket cost a whopping $11, after a 25% weekend discount. That would make for an expensive daily commute. I don't think I'll go into any more detail on the trip, except to say internet opportunities were remarkably scarce for those without laptops, and seeing (+making) friends was quite nice. Oh, I must say thanks to Shant in Philadelphia who made it possible for me to realize my greatest aspiration on this trip - eating a delicious, authentic Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Okh, it was good.
Urish? Yerevan seems as I left it. Some snow on the ground that is melting away very slowly. I am planning this years garden and planting some seeds already. Now that I have access to some land it will be great. BYW - If anyone wants to grow some sweet potatoes, I can share some with you. Also if anyone will be coming in Feb/March and wants to bring a small plant I want to mail order, let me know please!
Aside from that I seem to have lots to do and very litte time to do it. Friday I think I leave again for Budapest - again for work. So I have to be very productive before I go. I worry that I will never have the time to reprint Rediscovering Armenia.
London was a very nice change, and I walked around the city for about 5 miles, kind of randomly. From Leicester Square Metro (nice) to Camden Town, which was a really interesting mix of Venice Beach (stalls selling hemp products, t-shirts, loads of weirdos around), Jerusalem (narrow alleys, stalls, bricks) and a tiny bit of Venice (some water, boats, bridge). From there I cut west towards a big park and then straight south towards Piccadilly Square (by then it was night, and the plentiful pedestrian only streets in the area were packed with people on a Saturday night). I headed back by metro as well. It is true I went pretty far by metro, but the round trip ticket cost a whopping $11, after a 25% weekend discount. That would make for an expensive daily commute. I don't think I'll go into any more detail on the trip, except to say internet opportunities were remarkably scarce for those without laptops, and seeing (+making) friends was quite nice. Oh, I must say thanks to Shant in Philadelphia who made it possible for me to realize my greatest aspiration on this trip - eating a delicious, authentic Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Okh, it was good.
Urish? Yerevan seems as I left it. Some snow on the ground that is melting away very slowly. I am planning this years garden and planting some seeds already. Now that I have access to some land it will be great. BYW - If anyone wants to grow some sweet potatoes, I can share some with you. Also if anyone will be coming in Feb/March and wants to bring a small plant I want to mail order, let me know please!
Aside from that I seem to have lots to do and very litte time to do it. Friday I think I leave again for Budapest - again for work. So I have to be very productive before I go. I worry that I will never have the time to reprint Rediscovering Armenia.
posted by Raffi K. at 8:46 PM
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