Myth #3 People in the 3rd world eat potato and bread all the time

 

This myth is actually true.. see myth #2 for the reason…

Myth #2 Life is cheap in the 3rd world

Well it is if u decide not to buy anything. But I’m sure it’s the same with you guys who are sipping ur cappuccinos reading this blog. Mmmmmmmmmmm cappuccino with skim milk and no sugar. I knew this gr8 little place called Qube on Bathurst st. … anyway, out off the day dream to reality. I’ve been in Armenia for 2 weeks and I have already spent $300. Now u may think that’s not much $s but let me give u some facts. I do NOT spent money on, accommodation, internet, travelling to and from work, and the first week I did not spent any money on food either. I still haven’t visited any tourist attractions or been outside Yerevan. So it is puzzling right… Well I do enjoy some western luxuries such as mobile phone cards, use taxis at nights and buy food besides potatoes.

U c I, who have no living expenses (rent, water, electricity, council rates etc), will need minimum $600 per month to live in the 3^rd world, yet the average income (ie the norm) is $160 per month. so the way they maa they live is through sharing. All members of the family work and for majority of the population they do not pay rent so they combine all their income and live on basics.

Myth # 1 It is a life changing experience

It is a life changing experience but it sucks. You see things such as having a running hot water, refrigerator, showers etc they all do not exist. But more on that in the “Survival Pack”

Survival Pack for the 3rd world

I recently been living in Armenia, part of the former Soviet Union. It is situated north of Iran, South of Georgia, West of Azerbaijan and East of Turkey. This year in September it will celebrating the 20^th year of independence from the soviet era.

 

Moving from Northern Beaches, surrounded by 180 degree of views of the city and the Pacific Ocean, having a reliable European car and quite comfortable life style to the 3^rd world with all the promises of life changing experiences has been challenging to say the list. However, life in the 3^rd world needs to get used to and requires some life style adjustments. So in the next couple of blogs I will try to break some of the myths associated with living in the 3rd world and very important, step by step, instructions on how to do simple things like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, washing dishes etc.

091, 093, 0410…

I’m pretty amazed with the number of different identifications I’m collecting visiting different countries. 091 452738, 093 95 80 67, 0410 57 0447 . in 2000 it was enough to have Carmen.hovagimian@hotmail.com to get messages and stay in touch with the locals and others. But now it is almost impossible not to travel with a mobile which has o/s roaming that sends and receives sms’s and makes u feel @ home. But why do I want to feel @ home when I travel 24 hours more than 25K km distance and be in pain and suffering to feel at home? Nevertheless now I’m thinking that we need special sim card accessories. Maybe different colours to represent the countries, a disposal plan, sim card sharing plan (like car share) and many more business possibilities….

Earth Calling Bush…Earth Calling Bush…

Having further conversations with the locals in Aleppo I came to the following realisations…

 

a)      they do not like America

b)      they do not like Israel

c)      they love their country

d)      they love the person who is leading them and have no intentions of becoming democratic country, in-fact they think it will destroy them

 

the other believes that they had were:

 

1. they have 2 million Iraqi refugees which they believe are destroying their social and cultural way of life.
2. terrorists are crossing boarders from Iraq to Syria
3. Syria had nothing to do with the Lebanon’s prime ministers murder (Al Hariri). In fact they think Hariri was involved in mafia activities and they think UN has already proven that he was killed accordingly

Of course not all these are facts and true…

1. According to the Refugees International there are 1 million Iraqi refugees in Syria. Syria is the only boarder with Iraq that is still accepting refugees. Unfortunately this will not last long. Syria’s infrastructure and social services are not equipped to handle the refugees and they are not allowed to work or attend school under the current structure. The Syrian government is more then willing to relocate these refugees to the “Coalition of the Willing” countries but surprisingly the “Coalition of the Willing” who freed the Iraqi’s from the dictator are not very willing to take in the refugees or to support countries such as Syria financially. Perhaps because Syria is part of the “Axes of Evil”…
2. The Syrian’s, like any other citizens on this planet, are concerned when foreigners are entering their boarders. Hence they dislike the fact that Iraqis who are perceived as insurgence are entering their boarders and they don’t have any plans to exit. Syria has a diverse political and social structure. It gives it’s citizens little freedom, even socially, but ensures that there is order. When I was in Aleppo, a kid was kidnapped and everyone assumed it was the Iraqi’s. of course we will never know, but one thing for sure, once they know who they were they will not stay alive for much longer…. Hence the teaching of social behaviours
3. I am not yet clear if the UN council has or hasn’t proved that Syria killed Hariri. All reports have said Syria had influenced but the facts do puzzle me. USA and the UN demanded Syria to withdraw from Lebanon within certain timeframe. Syria did withdraw and Hariri got killed couple of months after the withdraw.  As to why Syria will kill Hariri after they withdraw is not very clear to me. Regardless, I will be interested in your thoughts on this issue

As to more observations on Syria

• Syria’s economy is performing better then what it was 7 years ago when I visited it
• The people have more choices. There are private universities and colleges. Far too many foreign schools.
• There are far too many kids who do not go to school even though it is free and compulsory to attend until year 6. this really did bother me
• Syrian men (under the age of 30) are better looking then the women (under the age of 30).
• Syrian men over the age of 30… well beauty is in the eye of the beholder

On this note I will like to end the search for the crimes of the “Axes of the evilest”…