Talking about moving to Armenia reminds me of my story. It only took me one visit to Armenia in 1999 to fall in love with it, and that was my first. It's one thing that it's my motherland, and another that it feels like home. True, life here is much simpler, and cheeper too. Practically you can find everything you want. If it's something special, just order it... they'll get it for you. Since I had only a year at the Electrical Engineering school in Egypt to get my B.A. I had to make sure that if I move to Armenia, I'll be able to continue what I started 4 years ago. A visit to the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA, http://www.seua.am) is all I had to do. I got the application paper, and talked a bit with the dean. He was so glad to see yet another Armenian from the diaspora moving to our motherland.
The next thing I know was that I'm working on my army papers back in Egypt to move here. It took some time, to be honest, but that's the way things work in Egypt. The foriegn students office manager, here in Armenia, was really cooperative though. He replied to my e-mails, with answers to all the questions I used to flood him with, almost daily. He called me and faxed me an invitation paper that helped my with the rest of the paper work (in Egypt.)
Since the moment I steped on Armenia's grounds, I felt I'm home. A feeling that is not even possible to find the words to describe it. I enjoyed everything from the nature, mountains and valleys, to the churches and monasteries... The history of our land and culture is just carved on every wall.
I moved on the 16th of August, 2000. I have NO relatives in Armenia (that I know) and no one to get me from the airport either. No place to stay and no plans on where I was going. I just returned to my motherland, that's all I cared, and I can't be lost! Anywhere was home, as long as it was in Armenia.
These were my feelings and that's how they still are. I didn't have to look for taxi, they were there. They just approach you and tell you they'll wait for you when you're done with the customs. He took me down town. I told him I need a $10 room in any motel/hotel. He told me no problem. And so we when to hotel Erepuni, with the intentions of finding a room for that price. It was $35 for non-locals (though I have residency, that don't count they told me!)
I had a friend's phone number, I thought I call him. I found out he had already moved to an new place. That left me with one other phone number. A guy's brother's friend's number. That guy, I didn't know. Nor his brother or friend. He was just someone I had to call to get some money from! Apparently he owed that money to my aunt's husband! I called, and he was not there... Only His brother was, so I told him how come I had their phone number and why I'm calling. And as soon as he heard that I had just arrived and had no place to stay, he said, 10 minutes and he's gone be there to pick me up. And there he was, took me and all the way to his wife's brother's and mother's place! There I stayed for two weeks. Though I got the money at the end, I never met who I was supposed to meet. And I don't know who he was anyway.
Soon I found a place to rent and a job... and my school was about to start... and that's another long story.
The next thing I know was that I'm working on my army papers back in Egypt to move here. It took some time, to be honest, but that's the way things work in Egypt. The foriegn students office manager, here in Armenia, was really cooperative though. He replied to my e-mails, with answers to all the questions I used to flood him with, almost daily. He called me and faxed me an invitation paper that helped my with the rest of the paper work (in Egypt.)
Since the moment I steped on Armenia's grounds, I felt I'm home. A feeling that is not even possible to find the words to describe it. I enjoyed everything from the nature, mountains and valleys, to the churches and monasteries... The history of our land and culture is just carved on every wall.
I moved on the 16th of August, 2000. I have NO relatives in Armenia (that I know) and no one to get me from the airport either. No place to stay and no plans on where I was going. I just returned to my motherland, that's all I cared, and I can't be lost! Anywhere was home, as long as it was in Armenia.
These were my feelings and that's how they still are. I didn't have to look for taxi, they were there. They just approach you and tell you they'll wait for you when you're done with the customs. He took me down town. I told him I need a $10 room in any motel/hotel. He told me no problem. And so we when to hotel Erepuni, with the intentions of finding a room for that price. It was $35 for non-locals (though I have residency, that don't count they told me!)
I had a friend's phone number, I thought I call him. I found out he had already moved to an new place. That left me with one other phone number. A guy's brother's friend's number. That guy, I didn't know. Nor his brother or friend. He was just someone I had to call to get some money from! Apparently he owed that money to my aunt's husband! I called, and he was not there... Only His brother was, so I told him how come I had their phone number and why I'm calling. And as soon as he heard that I had just arrived and had no place to stay, he said, 10 minutes and he's gone be there to pick me up. And there he was, took me and all the way to his wife's brother's and mother's place! There I stayed for two weeks. Though I got the money at the end, I never met who I was supposed to meet. And I don't know who he was anyway.
Soon I found a place to rent and a job... and my school was about to start... and that's another long story.
posted by Ashod at 4:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home