Category Archives: Learning

Northern Ireland and Armenia: bordering on —well, what?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Liz Barron

Above all else, politicians and peace-builders in Northern Ireland — not two completely overlapping groups— know that people find it hard to change. It is 20 years since the Good Friday agreement and many stumbling blocks to lasting peace and … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Armenia, Belfast, Borders, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, fear, Learning, life lessons, Millisle, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Northern Ireland, Peace Corps, Peace Corps Armenia, Terrorism, Things that make a difference, travel, velvet revolution, war, Women | 3 Comments

Our happy, homogenous town

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Liz Barron

Conversation One. “This is our American volunteer– her name is Liz” “Come in Come in (hugs). Pleased to meet you. What will you have to eat?” “We ate” “But you’ll have something? Chai? Coffee?” “Tea would be nice but don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Bullying, Christianity, Cross-cultural understanding, equality, family, friendship, gay rights, Human rights, identity, Learning, Safety, Syunik Marz, Village life, welcome | Leave a comment

The real thing: not sugar that looks like salt

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Liz Barron

“Your stories matter” said the poet. “They are how you make yourself known to others. They are a way of stretching out your hand to someone else.” Damian says that the mistake most newbie poets make is that they feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Armenian writers, creative writing, Cross-cultural understanding, Damian Gorman, family, Hanna Huntley, know thyself, Learning, life lessons, love of words, National pride, Poet In Residence, Poetry, public speaking, story-telling, Summer camp, Teaching, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Writing, Writing Workshop, young women, Youth | 2 Comments

Stories out of school

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Liz Barron

I was to teach a class about networking– how to make the kind of friends that help you get by. Ironic really that this session was scheduled for the evening Serzh Sargysan lost his job: the very day that thousands … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Capitalism, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, entrepreneurship, gratitude, Language learning, leadership development, Leadership School Yerevan, Learning, life lessons, National pride, networking, serzh sargsyan, story-telling, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, velvet revolution, work, Yerevan | Leave a comment

Teachable moments in Dubai

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Liz Barron

I once had a boyfriend who said I could suck the fun out of anything. Fair warning: I am about to give this treatment to Dubai, a place I, perhaps unexpectedly, now adore. Everything you have ever heard about Dubai … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Capitalism, Cross-cultural understanding, Design, drinking, Dubai, eating out, fashion, Food, Islam, joy, Learning, life lessons, Marketing, Middle East, National pride, shopping, Things that gladden the heart, travel, UAE, Vacation spots, Women | 3 Comments

Traveling hopefully

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Liz Barron

Looking at the New Year posts of some of my Peace Corps colleagues here in Armenia I realize that they have it pretty tough. Tougher for some of them than I had realized. Reflecting on 2017, they talk about what … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018, America, Armenia, Being a Grandmother, Blessings, family, fashion, friendship, gratitude, joy, know thyself, Learning, life lessons, Lonely this Christmas, Mother/daughter dynamic, New Year, Peace Corps, personal failings, resilience, social media, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, work, Writing | 1 Comment

Poetry Please

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Liz Barron

Gohar Ghazaryan’s  13-year-old students are preparing for 2018’s National Poetry Recitation Contest, reading and analyzing poems by AE Housman, Langston Hughes and Jack Prelutsky. Two of poems are copied below, so you can see just how accomplished these five students are. … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, BBC, BBC World Service, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, Language learning, Learning, National Poetry Recitation Contest, Peace Corps, Poetry, Syunik Marz, Teaching, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, Village life, Youth | Leave a comment

Where Worlds Collide

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Liz Barron

J’s beautiful face is surrounded by the hijab she uses to cover her hair. Her hijab is the only one I have seen in Armenia. J speaks Farsi, Kurdish, Arabic and of course English. She glowed as she talked about … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Christianity, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, International Human Rights Day, Islam, Language, Learning, life lessons, Literacy, Middle East, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Nature, Poetry, Religion, Rt, Syunik Marz, travel, Turkey Armenia relations, war, Wilfred Owen, Writing | 2 Comments

School report

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Liz Barron

The CEO of Dasaran pulls up a slide that shows the number of logins they get from abroad—click throughs by the thousand from Russia, Spain and other parts of Europe and the Middle East. “These are dads working abroad” says … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Dasaran, Data Analysis, Education, family, Internet, Learning, life lessons, Play, Technology, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Youth | 2 Comments

Queening Around

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Liz Barron

I have had three chess lessons now, so obviously I am in a position to post about the game. And I am not a complete newbie. Goodness no! I have played chess before–or thought I had. Years ago, my father … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, chess, Education, Embarrassment, errors of judgement, Games, know thyself, Learning, life lessons, personal failings, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel | 2 Comments