Category Archives: Household tips

My inner voice is aristocratic

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Liz Barron

I have renamed my inner voice Lady Louisa Chick. LLC is the impossibly smug sister of the always-socially-distant Mr Dombey in Dombey & Son. (I have yet to read this Dickens’ novel, but binge- watched an old BBC version this … Continue reading →

Posted in America, art, BBC, bras, Charles Dickens, clothes, coronavirus, Household tips, lockdown | Leave a comment

On working with a Poet-in-Residence

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Liz Barron

Sonnet for Damian Gorman “It’s bonkers” wrote the poet, ‘but yes, I’ll come” He packed his bag and caught the first of many planes His eyes were sore, his bum was numb He yawned and asked our students for their … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, creative writing, Cross-cultural understanding, Damian Gorman, Education, Hanna Huntley, Household tips, Language learning, love of words, Marketing, Moonshine, National Poetry Recitation Contest, Poet In Residence, Poetry, red head, story-telling, Summer camp, Teaching, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, visitors, Wilfred Owen, Writing, Writing Workshop, young women, Youth | 1 Comment

A Killer Recipe

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Liz Barron

Disclaimer: There follows a recipe both life-enhancing and life threatening. This blog and its author are not responsible for any injuries sustained should you make this soup. I got a bit over-excited at GUM bazar last week and so my … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Armenia, Cooking, Food, friendship, Household tips, life lessons, Peace Corps, personal failings, Things that gladden the heart, travel | 5 Comments

How to win an Armenian Cookbook

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Liz Barron

This cookbook WILL be mine. All I have to do is come up with an Armenian recipe that rocks. The trouble is, I don’t come across much fancy Armenian food, not least because the simple stuff is so good. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Armenian Institute London, Bardez, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, family, Food, friendship, Household tips, Peace Corps, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Village life, Women | Leave a comment

WD-40: Now in Armenia

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Liz Barron

WD-40 is now in Armenia and could be in a store near every Peace Corps Volunteer in these (squeaky) parts. I predict both a stampede and a sell-out, for Americans who have spent months wrestling with recalcitrant locks, stubborn bolts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, gratitude, Household tips, joy, Language, Peace Corps, resilience, shopping, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, WD-40 | 3 Comments

Packing for Peace Corps

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Liz Barron

These scissors are the single most useful thing I have in Armenia. I didn’t bring them with me in either of my two enormous bags weighing 50lbs each, but found them in my Peace Corps medical kit. These are scissors … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, clothes, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, errors of judgement, Food, Household tips, joy, know thyself, packing, Peace Corps, personal failings, shopping, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel | 3 Comments

Taxi Talk

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Liz Barron

Ara taught himself English from an old phrase book. He was 10 years old and Armenia was at war with Nagorno-Karabakh. His world was an uncertain and dangerous place and Armenia’s economy was in tatters. In 1994 there was nowhere … Continue reading →

Posted in apricots, Armenia, Beauty, Cross-cultural understanding, Driving, Drugs, Environment, family, friendship, Great weekends, Household tips, Jermuk, Language learning, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syunik Marz, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

At the Shops

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Liz Barron

Everything in Armenia looks like I built it. Skirting boards stop short of the door trim. Plastic piping pokes through jagged holes in plasterboard and tiling tails off when the money runs out. The whole country is not quite finished … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Armenia, Candy, Capitalism, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, Food, Household tips, Nostalgia, shopping, Social niceties, Village life, Women, work | Leave a comment

So what do you do there anyway?

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Liz Barron

I spent the 4th of July cutting out pictures of hamburger buns, cheese slices and dill pickles. Black and white pictures, because we don’t have a color printer here. I used the pictures to teach an English conversation class about … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Advice, America, Armenia, Caucausus, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, family, Food, Homebrew, Household tips, Language learning, laundry, Marketing, Moonshine, Mulberries, Peace Corps, personal failings, Press, Syunik Marz, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Village life, Vodka, Women, work, Yogurt | 4 Comments

Hayeren words to live by.

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Liz Barron

Tom and Mike were once guests at a baby shower in Washington DC. The mother-to-be invited her guests to write down a personal  motto on slips of paper. These she would save in a glass jar, ready to share with … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Armenia, baby showers, Beauty, Cross-cultural understanding, Duvet covers, General knowledge, Household tips, laundry, Mulberries, travel, Village life, Yogurt | 1 Comment