Home is where the Heart is

In Yerevan, I had a nice family I was staying in a small, charming, and traditional home (family guesthouse).

I arrived back to my accommodation at around 8pm and was kindly greeted by Lusia, who is 32 years old and has a 6 year old son named David. Lusia is an accountant for the army. She said that she always wanted to work at a bank, but working for the army had better benefits. She was dressed in a traditional green camouflage army uniform with the combat boots. I found it interesting she had to dress that way as an accountant. She said that it was required for almost all positions in Yerevan.  She said that she has a very busy schedule as she works until late at night. David has swimming and gymnastic activities and also has a tutor. He is very active sharing his books with me and doing cartwheels in the living room. She cannot always spend that much time with him so she likes to drop him off at school to have that one on one time(a lot of parents really cherish that time-its sweet).

Her mother and I had already had some conversations in the beginning of the day on Google translate. It is really amazing how you have the ability to communicate through Google translate(it is not always the best, but it can be incredibly funny and entertaining). She told me that she wants to visit India, but her husband does not like spicy food. He like to eat the same Armenian food everyday(I don't blame him as Armenian/Georgian food is great).  

The place I originally booked was just for a night and it was very cold inside. I told her that the other accommodation did not have the best heating system. I pointed to my nose to indicate I had a slight cold. She went to the living room and came out with some kind of IV and liquid bag.

I started laughing and said “Oh no no.” I put my hand on my heart to indicate that I was grateful for her kindness. She said that she is a doctor in the hospital 3 days out of the week. She said this would help give my immune system a boost.

After our adorable exchanged, she went to the kitchen where she was cooking “peach compote,” which is a drink that is loved across Georgia and Armenia. She also had some green beans boiling, which is a dish that I absolutely love. She shared the hot peach compote and I smiled with my eyes widened as it was so incredibly sweet, but her Georgian dish(name I forgot) was fantastic.

I made the choice to stay with a family in their house because I wanted to get a dose of Armenian hospitality. It usually includes some cooking together, sharing meals, language exchange, activities, and helping around their house. Each culture has its own way of “treating the guest.” It gave me a dash of Armenia and how they behave within their home and family. 

Sometimes a home is really where the heart is....