Six am, hot coffee, and the sun rising next to the Noah's Ark monument (my name for it. It represents the leaf the dove brought to Noah to say there was dry land nearby). Whatever. It's a nice landmark.
Temps in the low 100's this week. That works for me and I haven't heard too much grumbling. Women feel happy to get their sundresses and sandals out. Men wear some pretty classy sandals too.
I awoke Thursday morning surprised to find myself standing there! My eyes filled with tears as I said "Hi Jean". It was like the "miracle question" used in therapy sometimes: " You go to bed. The next morning you awake and everything has changed. Things are better. How will you know that there was a miracle that night. What will be diferent?" Not quite like that but close. I felt well for the first time in weeks. Yahoo! Stressed, discouraged, depressed, demoralized, angry along with some physical stuff...gone.
This particular job, in this particular project, has been and will continue to be very difficult. We've just finished a 7 day training in counseling orchestrated by Paris. It was intense with long days going from 8:30 to 6:30 or 7. That's been part of the stress but also will be part of the solution. I've felt like Sisyphus with his rock. The training showed the staff what counseling IS and what we are wanting them to be doing. Whew! Lights went on for a few of them. They had lots of role plays for practice. It'll still be an uphill battle but at least we have a ledge now and the rock may not roll all the way back down. Unfortunately the older ones with 20 to 30 years in the psych field were the ones who didn't get it very well. And sadly they thought they did. Alas. Talk circulates about letting them go. Alas again. Team would be stronger but geeez. Unfortunately these folks went to school 30 to 40 years ago and don't have the advantage of conferences and such to keep updated. So they are in the old mold of: wear a lab coat, have a desk between you and the patient, remember to keep a professional distance, work with the psyche rather than the here and now, confront the patient and tell them what to do to solve the problem. So the "doctor" remains the primary person in the room. Of course we were trying to flip that to a patient centered approach. Alas again.
The other big work issue the past 2 weeks is that we DID let someone go. She was told the day before the training that she wasn't going and that her contract was not being renewed. Of course all hell broke loose there. She was totally undone, in denial, bargaining, etc. Long story I won't go in to it here. Her replacement was hired the same day and wee did a handover yesterday. Very awkward stuff. Too much drama and very time consuming.
So 5 weeks remain. There is still way too much to do but I feel like I have a focus at least.
On to more fun stuff. I've moved the computer to one of the decks so am now seeing Mt Ararat on one side and the city buildings on the other. It's noisy but cool. LOVE the netbook!
There's a summer weather thing in Yerevan that brings strong winds every evening. They are quite lovely actually and I slip into sleep easily.
There's been no shortage of entertainment activities this past two weesk. Sunday was a trip to Garni and a hike in the Garni Gorge. Very beautiful place. I am still having trouble downloading pics but recommend looking it up on-line. Basalt columns that are spectacular. We went with an MSF car that was taking some of the trainees on a tour the n ventured off on our own. While walking by the river on a dirt road an old blue dump truck came along. The driver was lost and looking for directions. Ha!We were friendly but no help as we didn't know where we were exactly either. Later that afternoon we were back in Garni and looking for the martchuka station for Yerevan and he passed us. He pulled over and offered us a ride. So we climbed up into the front seat which easily held four people and lumbered on. Very nice man. He stopped along the way to help another traveler who was out of gas and siphoned some of his off. We managed to communicate enough to learn where he was from, what he did for a living, and how many children he had using sign language. He dropped us near the metro, refusing any gas money of course. I am so impressed with the warmth, friendliness and hospitality of Armenians. They are so welcoming to strangers from other countries. I feel no fear from them and have no fear of them. It's a very safe place to keep getting lost in!
The week before we had been out hiking near Lake Sevan and 2 of us hitched a ride home with a large family in a van. 25 people stuffed in, grannies, babies, etc. My companion was Constance, a young gorgeous French woman which I am sure helped us get the ride! The ride was fun. The hike was not so pleasant but still an adventure. We got a bit lost getting from the road to the lake following locals finger pointing and walked through swamp after swamp up to our calves in oozing black sucking stinking muck. We looked a sight. No leaches or snakes however which was a good thing! Constance is maybe 5 feet tall and was shrieking....mostly "I hate you Luis". And those who know me well know that I am full steam ahead when I see a direction I want to go and will not detour or retreat, so stubbornly led the 4 of us directly through the swamp. Another adventure for the rocking chair stories.
In Yerevan there weere free tickets to a quintet playing Mozart and Shuman. My appreciation of this is coming up. It is so nice to just let go and sit there letting the music play me. The musicians were young, perhaps recent graduates of a music school and VERY good. This week was La Traviata at the opera house. Well done in an amingly beautiful setting. The opera was followed by watching the Germany/Spain game. Luis set up the TV and a projector on the top "deck" with a sheet on the wall so we could see it in "big screen". Three of his Spanish friends came and were uncontainable when Spain won.
So there is no shortage of fun things to do.
The house has been full of guests. Some left and more have arrived.
I am going to post this hoping "all beings who read this are happy". Please add comments or write. I wonder what is happening in your lives.
Jean
