Day Two

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Today was our first day working on the house site. We started the day by meeting the family we are helping. It is a fairly large family with six children ranging from ages 16 to 4. For most of the day we shoveled gravel in to buckets and passed them along the bucket chain to be poured on the floor as a base that supports the concrete we will be pouring tomorrow.
We had a lunch break where we ate lots of potatoes, fresh vegetables, and bread. One of our group leaders who plays the guitar serenaded us with some Armenian folk songs.
We practiced our Armenian words. Anna's favorite word is parikisher (goodnight) which she says "peprika shed" to the amusement of the Armenians. We also like the word Shnorhakalatyoon (thank you).
After lunch we worked for another hour or two then had a coffee break which is a very long berak where everyone drinks their choice of coffee or tea. It is an Armenian tradition to read your fortune in the bottom of your coffee cup.
Our group is full of great people, we have talar and ani the other two teenagers on our trip who are both fluent in Armenian, and their mother Nadia who is fluent in Turkish, Armenian and English.

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Photos

Wren,Stuart and Izzy outside Hotel Shirak
Standing outside the hotel where we sleep

The Family
The Family we are helping standing on the front steps of their home this morning before starting work

Rebeka and her friend
Rebeka, the youngest child of the family at four years old stands with a friend watching Sam and Stuart carry the roofing shingles

The House
The house we are working on, which now has a the beginnings of a floor and most of a roof

Taking a water break
Ani, Talar, Anna, Wren, Izzy and Stuart take a water break which are frequent due to the heat

Stuart shoveling
Stuart hard at work, of course

Guitar
One of our Group leaders playing the guitar during lunch

Comments

[Ann]

Great Pics
Your blog is awesome and the pictures are most excellent. I wish something as exciting were happening here so I could fill you you in - the best I can do is to let you know my latest project, 'cleaning the shed'. Keep up the good work!

[Kappy Laning]

thank you!
hello family! thanks for the daily posting and the great pictures! all is well here, love, kappy