Fresh apricots...everywhere

I think this blog should end with a sweet story. The admiration and lore surrounding Armenian apricots predates biblical times in historical and cultural descriptions. Armenians take their apricots seriously, as the International Conference on the Armenian Apricot makes clear. While in Armenia you encounter apricot trees everywhere, and outdoor fruit vendors make buying opportunities plentiful. One of Dr. Yaghjyan's patients brought a big basket of apricots as a gift of appreciation, and Dr. Yaghjyan shared part of his proceeds with me. Armenia’s estimated forest cover is less than 8 percent of its territory, a dramatic decrease during the 20th century. There are many worthy causes beyond apricots to ensure the health, self-sustaining prosperity, and cultural inheritance of Armenia in the 21st century. Please consider a donation to the Fund for Armenian Relief, which provides many innovative programs in every aspect of a productive and compassionate society. There is also the Armenian General Benevolent Union, which promotes Armenian heritage throughout the world and provides major funding to sustain the innovations taking place at the American University of Armenia. Please find an opportunity to visit Armenia and taste the sweetness of fresh apricots and experience the kindness and generous spirit of the Armenian people.

Certificate Presentation

As the creator and instructor for the Biomedical Libraries for the 21st Century: Resources and Services short course, I had the privilege to create and present a certificate to three of my students on my last night in Armenia. Pictured with me, from left to right, are Anush Toneyan PhD, Astghik Markosyan, MD, and Ara Nazaryan MD. The other students that successfully completed minimum attendance and assignment requirements would receive their certificates the next day, while I am traveling.

EUFA Euro2008 Final- Fuel to Cheer

Sharon and I went to Gevorg's home to watch the EUFA Euro2008 Final on Sunday night. The game did not start until 11:45pm Armenian time, so we had a pre-game take-out feast of Armenian barbecue which arrives wrapped in a layed cylinder of the traditional Armenian lavash flat bread. You peel back the lavash on a platter to to reveal meat and vegetable combinations. Then you grab a hunk of the lavash bread, wrap some barbeque, and then...well...take a look at my face. Yes, you have to wash these wraps down with something...

Going Away Party--Charlie makes pizza!

All my Yale and Connecticut colleagues know I am in my element when the dough rises, the oven temperature is accurate, and the toppings are fresh. Fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil, eggplant, peppers, etc. We are using the apartment that one of my researcher cohort students shares with her parents (they were conveniently away at a summer location). In this picture is Sharon from Yale and a special young friend who wanted to make pizza too (just like my daughter did).

Visit to the American University of Armenia

The American University of Armenia is an American-style graduate school founded in 1991, becoming a reality thanks to the steadfast support of key internal Armenian goverment ministers in the fledgling Armenian independent government and two major institutions in the United States: the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the University of California (UC) . The Library at AUA is moving into a newly constructed campus building in November, and the former library building will be converted to other uses. Library Director Satenik (Bella) Avakyan and Reference Librarian Hasmik Galstyan provided a warm reception and tour of the whole school. Of course I was prepared to give a reference librarian the YUL t-shirt.

Final Lunch in Armenia near Cascade

On my final full day in Armenia (for this trip!), following my blogging in the internet cafe (my first encounter with the morning shift there) and a shower, I headed out for a last look for impressions and a rendezvous with the U.S. Embassy representative that arranged a visit to the American University of Armenia Library. I stopped for lunch at a cafe right at the base of the Casade Museum, and I had this wonderful fresh mint ice tea (with purreed mint) and some light pasta. The hostess was typical of all things warm and open about Armenian people.

Sunday Afternoon: Vardavar!

There is a great description of Vardavar here. I was warned by my friends to dress in clothes that would not be hurt by a drenching, so I wore jeans and a t-shirt and left my leather wallet and camera at home. During my expedition to Vernissage there was no problem, but as I waited for my friends to pick me up to go to a water park for fun with vardavar frenzy, I could see kids already bringing their buckets to the Republican Square fountain and looking for automobiles with open windows. I was taken by my friends to a new Tufenkian Heritage Hotel which was hosting an open house for Armenian Cultural presentations (read place for politicians to speak on a Holiday) with food, dancing presentations, and, inevitably, a water-bucket fight that started at 2:00pm, after the beautiful costumed dancers and musicians were safely out of sight. We only had a few minutes to awaken the worst aspects of your inner child (finding a dry victim for your bucket of water) before deciding to call it an afternoon. Still, quite memorable. My camera stayed dry at home.

Photo from Abovyan.com

Last Sunday morning: Vernissage Marketplace

I had an un-rushed opportunity to stroll around the Vernissage outdoor market, a mecca for all sorts of commerce in goods both used and new. Spread over several acres and loosely organized by zones for commodities such as linens, rugs, paintings, automobile parts, laboratory equipment, as well as lots of arbitrary placement for souveniers such as clocks, handbags, table and wall ornaments, pottery, musical instruments, chess sets, just about anything you would want to carry away. There are also a large amount of families selling possessions from arbitrarily placed blankets (though they try to be near the better vendors). Being there first thing in the morning, the prices were often high and firm, though I occasionally invoked the "first customer of the day" good-luck discount. I could also go to more than one vendor and engage in real hard bargaining, as I did with aquiring a set of three cotton table clothes (one large and two small) at the same price that the largest one was quoted originally. The fluctuation of the American dollar is making life as a vendor challenging, as they would accept payment in either dollars or drams (the Armenian currency, about 303 drams to $1 dollar yesterday). Picture by Karine.

Last Day of Instruction: LibGuides

I introduced the librarian cohort to LibGuides, thanks to the generosity of the publisher SpringShare and their sales and marketing founding partner, Mazen Koury. He granted Yerevan State Medical University at subscription, based on the country's HINARI status that limited the ability to acquire a wide variety of databases. I have a great class and a great translator, and with slow and and deliberate demonstration and explanation, we were able to create several new beginning guides for their institution, on topics such as allergy treatment by homeopathy, resources on stress, anesthesiology, tuberculosis, family medicine, and biostatistics. One of the great things about libguides is the ability to wait to publish during the guide polishing stage, which is where YSMU is right now.

Yerevan State Medical Unitersity Graduation

Tonight I attended the graduation ceremony for Armenian medical students from YSMU. International students had their own ceremony on a different night, given the size limitations of the the Opera House in Yerevan. The bright and high energy ceremony featured presentations to distinguished faculty, three popular Armenian pop singers (with the students swaying and clapping in the background), and a recitation of the Armenian version of a Hippocratic oath. Then it was all over, with hugs, tears, and a new traditional event of graduates presenting their parents with baskets of flowers.

A Teacher's Best Friend- A Live Translator...

Alina (seated next to me) has a Master's Degree in Linguistics and knows both Spanish and English. She works in the Office of the YSMU Dean for International Programs. She is very helpful with the librarian students and has learned so much about medical library tools and techniques that I am tempted to make a health information professional out of her. But alas, she is eager to start a PhD in Linguistics start learning a new language. Oh well...

Speaking about Librarianship at the US Embassy

The library staff at the US Embassy in Yerevan invited me to talk to a general audience of Armenian academic librarians on June 26th about the digital library era we have entered. Besides showing off the main Yale Library and Cushing/Whitney Medical Library web page and explaining the dominance of an Electronic "front door" in the US, I also showed off the usual array of tools for contemporary library outreach and reference: blogger, meebo, Elluminate vroom, Zotero, and the tool that YSMU is about to experiment with, LibGuides. (courtesy of a SpringShare donation).

Entertainment at The Club

On my second night at The Club with a member of the American Embassy in Armenia, we were treated to a guitar-violin duo about twenty feet from our table. With no amplification for the violin and only a little for the guitar, the sound was great.

Librarian Students

These are most of the students in the Yerevan State U. Medical Library and the Republican Scientific Medical Library. They do all the right things, like come for extra help during my office hours and ask good questions. I have a translator with this group. I will feature this special person in another entry.

Tech Support Star

Not only does George come to my rescue in the teaching room at least twice a day, but he also plays jazz from his computer in the lab. Here he is promoting our New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas.

Research prep....chopping veggies

Some of my researcher students took me out to dinner at a nice calm restaurant called The Club. The two students closest to me ordered a salad to split, and when the waiter delivered a basket of un-cut vegetables and quickly departed, it became clear that this was a kind of make-your-own salad....from scratch. They know how I enjoy cooking, so here are the three of us chopping veggies. I chose the big green pepper as my contribution. Be careful of what you ask for.

Student Cohort - YSMU Research Staff

In case you are wondering who I am teaching, these are my friends from biomedical research units at YSMU. I work with them two hours a day with my curriculum, plus I offer individual appointments between 4:00-6:00pm in the afternoons. Today I had a consultation with one researcher intrigued by my use of Moodle and intending to use it for a seminar on biomedical ethics. This group all are pretty strong with English. You can see I have a nice facility, even an air conditioner in the top of the picture. I will post a picture of the librarian cohort tomorrow.

Tuesday Morning- Meeting the Staff of FAR

I had an early morning opportunity to meet the Deputy Director and Coordinator of Continuing Medical Education at the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Office in Yerevan. We had a wide-ranging discussion, and I learned about how an organization started in the wake of the 1988 earthquake has expanded its mission to include a spectrum of homeless populations, medical skills, and job training in economically challenged regions of the country that try to keep young professionals from flocking to the big cities in search of jobs. They are looking for industries interested in joint ventures to employ young and technologically savvy young people in this rurual locations. I shared my experience with the YSM Homeless Auction as an excellent vehicle to involve the YSMU community.

The Yale invasion of YSMU

Sharon A. Chekijian, MD, from the Yale University Section on Emergency Medicine arrived on Monday night looking incredibly fresh, after taking a round-about route from Baghdad where she was doing a medical relief mission. Dr. Yaghjyan is taking the picture in a "private dining room" of a country restaurant. Dr. Nazaryan is on my right, trying to get into the greater NYC spirit. OK, Red Sox fans, go to the next entry....

Wild Cherries

Gevorg Yaghjyan's family summer home has cherries, apples, apricots, squash, and a peaceful silence. We had a Sunday night snack with his mom.

Sunday Visit to Echmiadzin

The Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin, along with the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Echmiadzin is the spiritual centre of Armenia and the seat of the the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. It is about 20 km west of Yerevan in the town known as Vagharshapat. Historically, the focal point of the town is the Echmiadzin Cathedral, the oldest in the world. It was originally built in 301-303, when Armenia was the only country in the world in which the state religion was Christianity. The small group I was with, members and relatives of the YSMU family, had arranged for us to visit the galleries of the Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House. I was honored with a curator who provided the tour in English. These were special reverential moments for the whole group.

Saturday Culture Tour- Matenadaran, Parajaov, and the National Gallery

Anna Shirinyan from the Republican Scientific-Medical Libraryand her daughter Eliza expanded my cultural horizons on Saturday, as we visited three cultural venues: Matenadaran: Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, the Sergey Parajanov Museum, and the National Gallery of Art of Armenia. The photograph of Anna, Eliza, and myself was taken in front of Parajanov’s installation that resembles an elephant face combined with a leather suitcase. Eliza is a modest yet competant art historian, which added to my understanding and experience. In case you were wondering about the rules for museum photography, the Matenadaran was pretty liberal with photos (I have some preservation examples for Sarah), I paid a small ticketed fee for permission to shoot liberally in the Parajaov Museum. The National Gallery says “Vooch” (no) to all photography.

Friday night Jazz in Armenia

On Friday evening Drs. Yaghjyan and Nazaryan and two other colleagues accompanied me to the famous Malkhas Jazz Club. I forgot my camera, but we were treated to a young quartet with a lead harmonica player and a short finale set played by Malkhas himself with a trio. It seemed like visitors from all over the world were in attendance, and the walls were adorned with photos of Coltrane, Monk, Louis Armstrong, and other legends.

Presentation to Medical Librarians at RSML

Besides my once or twice daily series of workshops I am doing with my workbook "Biomedical Libraries for the 21st Century: Resources and Services", I also have special occasions to talk and present, such as this group of library staff from many of the academic and hospital libraries in Armenia, hosted at the Republican Scientific Medical Library, which is building a consortial approach to a library system, with many economic challenges. Anna Shirinyan and her staff were gratious hosts, and the librarian for the American Embassy also attended. The YSMU Dean's office provided a energetic Armenian English translator for any activity where I need one. (including one track of my BML21C workshops).

Mother Armenia

You can actually get pretty close to this special statue, but I took advantage of a new zoom lens capability catch this sunset profile. The Mother Armenia statue located in Haghtanak Park (Victory Park) and overlooking downtown Yerevan. Underneath the statue is the Mother Armenia Museum of the Ministry of Defense, and next to the statue is an amusement park. My hosts took me through the park to the base of the statue, but I still like this distant picture better, as most of the Yerevan citizens see Mother Armenia from a great distance down the hill.

My Tour Guides

I have been escorted to the top of Cafesian Museum with all of its incredible sunset views by my closest hosts and friends, Dr. Gevork Yaghjyan and Dr. Ara Nazaryan from the Plastic Surgery Department of YSMU. They are as dedicated, generous, and hospitable as busy surgeons can be (as a library liaison for surgery, we get along well). They are the visionaries for advancing the integration of library services and resources into the evolution of their institution. Dr. Yaghjan is the YSMU coordinator for FARFAA-Salzburg, as well as a busy clinician and residency administrator. FAR-FAA is a non-for-profit organization of medical professionals, aimed at improving the health care system of the community and advancing medical sciences in Armenia. FAR FAA was established in the end of 2000 in Armenia by the doctors, who previously participated in the training programs at major medical centers in the USA under the patronage of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) from 1990 till 1998. The main objective of FAR FAA is to provide free medical care for people, who are unable to receive it from the State sources.

In the shadow of Ararat...

From the top of the Cafesjian Museum you seem nearly level with Mount Ararat in the distance.

Encountering Botero in Yerevan

The Cafesjian Museum's outdoor collection features some large Botero statues, such as The Roman Warrior (1986).

The best view in town...worth the climb

My first walking tour of Yerevan took me to the highest point, not far from my hotel and the University. Yevevan's most recent attraction for tourists and locals alike is the Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art superstructure, which rises out of the hill in a series of levels, taking you high above the city with dramatic views.

The street where I am staying....

I am staying directly across the street from the Medical University, on a steeply inclined hill called Aykestan, which keeps you above the street noise and really ideal for sleeping. This is the Parvev Doon Hotel. They have an excellent breakfast with a variety of vegetables, fruit, Armenian yougurt, flatbread, hard-boiled eggs, and very sweet hot oatmeal.

|ntroduction to YSMU

My first full day at YSMU provided not only an orientation to their physical space and meetings with many dean-level administrators, but also an opportunity to do the final plan for my training sessions. In the picture at left Dr. Yaghjyan and I are going over the assignment of topical workshop sessions, with attention to both a researcher/clinician track and a library/IT track. Dr. Yaghyjan offered me an Armenian coffee break, which is strong espresso in small cups, accompanied by a Coca Cola chaser.

On the road...in Schiphol Airport (Netherlands)

I am using this plane-change opportunity at the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands to work a little more on my moodle site for the Yerevan State Medical University Staff. In a few moments I will held down to my gate for the flight on Armavia Air Company. Check out the food I am expecting in the economy section. I will fly into Zvartnots" International airport in Yerevan and be met by my host, Dr. Gevorg V. Yaghjyan at about 10:40pm. There are some pictures of Dr. Yaghjyan's visit to Yale as part of the delegation from Yerevan State Medical University.