“Is Armenia getting any better?” I’m asked on a regular basis. Few people hide their skepticism when they ask, but I also hear a hint of desperation in the question. After watching Armenia change over the past 15 years, I’m always happy to respond with plenty of reason for hope, writes Kristi Rendahl, a public figure who had lived and worked in Armenia from 1997-2002 and visits the country regularly.
In her article about Armenia, she discusses issues on the development of transportation, markets, services and generally the treatment in Armenia.
The improvements of air travel in and out of Armenia are far more blatant. During the 1990’s, the airport was dreary, intimidating, smoky, dirty, corrupt, and stressful. When my parents came to visit, I hired the expeditor from the U.S. Embassy to meet them at the plane, because the process was unclear and disorienting.
Fast-forward to 2012 and you’ll find a pristine building, tidy bathrooms, orderly processes, and top-notch customer service at each step.
The quality of life in general is markedly different. I wasn’t there during the worst years, but I was there when water was provided in my village just twice a week for two hours. There’s something romantic about collecting water in huge tubs and taking bucket baths for about a week, maybe two, but not a lifetime. These days, most people have water all the time, and many in Yerevan have hot water heaters for bathing and washing dishes, Rendahl writes.
Tourists no longer need to make Yerevan their base. They never did, of course, but there are far more reasons to leave now. It’s easy to find reasonably priced transit and there are quality inns and hotels around the country. This summer I couldn’t wait to spend my weekends in Dilijan and Goris, soaking up the mountain air I had been craving.
The droves of drivers (no pun intended) who would spell out the same list of the country’s problems whenever the chance arose–“Gordz chka, luys chka, jur chka, voch mi ban el chka” (There’s no work, no lights, no water, no nothing)–now say that things are “okay,” and even, remarkably, that things are “good.”
The shuka (market) still holds its appeal, but people have also embraced the new stores and supermarkets without sacrificing quality.
And don’t even get me started on communication. One dollar per minute phone calls to the U.S. have been replaced by free Skype calls, constant access to e-mail, and clever IT experts who can make an iPhone work in Yerevan. On a drive from Yeghegnadzor to Sevan with friends, I checked my e-mail with an internet jump drive while passing through rugged mountains and later looking for a lakeside restaurant to eat fresh fish.
I said in my inaugural “Odar’s Corner” column that some may find me excessively positive. The airport employee who surveyed my satisfaction with the airport may think the same. But you know what? Rendahl concludes that there’s a lot to celebrate about Armenia today versus Armenia 15 years ago. A lot to fix, but a lot to celebrate, too.
