�If living is seeing
and holding my breath
in wonder, I wonder what happens next.
A new world, a new day to see�
-From the song New World by Bjork from the Lars Von Trier film entitled, �Dancer in the Dark�
My last night in Yerevan was a tough one. It was like being at an Armenian summer camp like Camp Hayastan or AYF Olympics on the last day. I knew the end was near, but I was still there. I was trying to take in all of the sights, sounds, and emotions of my present situation although I knew it had to end. While I was with some very close friends on my final night in Yerevan, I was already mentally preparing myself for the trip ahead of me back home to Boston the next day.
This time around, my trip to Armenia was about the little things. The way people interacted with each other on the street, the way children played tennis against the wall in their pag (apartment courtyard), the way people bought food, the way people danced, and finally, the way diasporans made Armenia their home. It wasn�t like my first trip where I was trying to connect an idealized Armenia I had heard about all of my life with what it really was. No, this time it was about the little things.
As with any society there are positive and negative aspects. People tend to like to talk about the negative aspects of Armenia (me included). Various reasons for this could include having something emotionally loaded to talk about at the dinner table, a genuine concern for the greater good of Armenians, or just plain pessimism. Take your pick, we all have our reasons. Yet, people tend to forget that the positive aspects of Armenia can be just as seductive and satisfying. For example, Armenians from all backgrounds volunteering their time on Saturdays to build shelter and homes for the needy is something Armenian Habitat for Humanity is doing. Or, teaching English to schoolchildren. How about going to church at Echmiadzin on a Sunday? Cheap living, great scenery, and wonderful food are some others.
Yes, there are problems in Armenia and you will encounter them when you go. After all, don�t we see societal problems wherever we live now? Poverty is poverty, crime is crime, and so on. I think what made Armenia so accessible this time around was that I wasn�t thinking on such a grand scale. I just took things one day at a time and enjoyed the atmosphere of being in a beautiful country where my original language was spoken. After all, wasn�t that what our parents and grandparents wanted for us all of these years. All those years of Armenian school, AYF meetings, Olympics, Sports Weekends, social functions and the like. Weren�t they in preparation for the real thing?
These were some of the things I was thinking about during my flight back to Boston. What was the downside for moving to Armenia for me personally? A favorite TV show, baseball games, certain foods? I didn�t even think about these things once when in Armenia. Instead, I asked myself how much I could live without Armenia for the time being? The language, the people, the culture, a change in scenery, and modest living expenses, everything.
I suppose that we all are chasing ghosts when we see Armenia for the first time. Trying to get a glimpse of yesteryear and the present all at the same time. It�s an emotional journey that either signals the end or beginning of our Armenian experience. For those who are entering the twilight of their years, seeing Armenia for the first time is the bookend to a long life. For others, it�s an opportunity to see dreams of past generations and future generations come to fruition. Folks, Armenia is there, waiting for us.
June 26, 2001: I just bought my one-way ticket to Armenia today. I will be moving there in September.
-Raffi Meneshian
Postscript: I was asked to clarify a few things by some friends via private email pertaining to my take on the log postings. I thought I would share my answers with the readers. My log postings were adapted for the Armenian Life Section of www.cilicia.com from my own personal diary and journal. The process of adaptation took place while here in Boston over the last three weeks (June 3- June 26, 2001) after I got back from Armenia. Most of my experiences were recorded in my journal within a 24-hour period of when a particular incident happened. This technique was intended to capture the spirit of the moment.
�What�s up with the quotes?� In the process of adaptation, certain songs and films came to mind that I was able to associate with a particular posting or episode. They usually dealt with the general theme I was trying to convey about my experiences. Music and film helped jump-start certain emotions that were lacking in my journal. I later gathered all of the songs that I associated with my trip to Armenia and burned them onto a CD to give me a musical imprint of my trip to Armenia. You are welcome to a free copy of this CD. If nothing else, I think it is a collection of great music. Just email me at: djmenesh@hotmail.com and I�ll send you a copy for free. Here are the songs in no particular order:
Grey Gardens: by Rufus Wainwright
Rebel Prince: by Rufus Wainwright
Poses: by Rufus Wainwright
New World: by Bjork
Sarera: by Gor Mkhitarian
Hasta Llegar: by Les Negresses Vertes
Easy Girls: by Les Negresses Vertes
The Oud and the Fuzz: by John Berberian
Petit Pays: by Cesaria Evora
Don�t Tell Me: by Madonna
Armenian Navy Band Excerpt
Complainte De La Butte: by Rufus Wainwright
It�s Not Right but It�s OK: by Whitney Houston
August Day Song: by Bebel Gilberto
Finally, since this is my last post about this trip, thanks to my friend Aram Hajian for hosting me and Raffi Kojian of www.cilicia.com for allowing me to share my experiences with the readers of the Armenian Life Log. I hope I didn�t bore anyone.
and holding my breath
in wonder, I wonder what happens next.
A new world, a new day to see�
-From the song New World by Bjork from the Lars Von Trier film entitled, �Dancer in the Dark�
My last night in Yerevan was a tough one. It was like being at an Armenian summer camp like Camp Hayastan or AYF Olympics on the last day. I knew the end was near, but I was still there. I was trying to take in all of the sights, sounds, and emotions of my present situation although I knew it had to end. While I was with some very close friends on my final night in Yerevan, I was already mentally preparing myself for the trip ahead of me back home to Boston the next day.
This time around, my trip to Armenia was about the little things. The way people interacted with each other on the street, the way children played tennis against the wall in their pag (apartment courtyard), the way people bought food, the way people danced, and finally, the way diasporans made Armenia their home. It wasn�t like my first trip where I was trying to connect an idealized Armenia I had heard about all of my life with what it really was. No, this time it was about the little things.
As with any society there are positive and negative aspects. People tend to like to talk about the negative aspects of Armenia (me included). Various reasons for this could include having something emotionally loaded to talk about at the dinner table, a genuine concern for the greater good of Armenians, or just plain pessimism. Take your pick, we all have our reasons. Yet, people tend to forget that the positive aspects of Armenia can be just as seductive and satisfying. For example, Armenians from all backgrounds volunteering their time on Saturdays to build shelter and homes for the needy is something Armenian Habitat for Humanity is doing. Or, teaching English to schoolchildren. How about going to church at Echmiadzin on a Sunday? Cheap living, great scenery, and wonderful food are some others.
Yes, there are problems in Armenia and you will encounter them when you go. After all, don�t we see societal problems wherever we live now? Poverty is poverty, crime is crime, and so on. I think what made Armenia so accessible this time around was that I wasn�t thinking on such a grand scale. I just took things one day at a time and enjoyed the atmosphere of being in a beautiful country where my original language was spoken. After all, wasn�t that what our parents and grandparents wanted for us all of these years. All those years of Armenian school, AYF meetings, Olympics, Sports Weekends, social functions and the like. Weren�t they in preparation for the real thing?
These were some of the things I was thinking about during my flight back to Boston. What was the downside for moving to Armenia for me personally? A favorite TV show, baseball games, certain foods? I didn�t even think about these things once when in Armenia. Instead, I asked myself how much I could live without Armenia for the time being? The language, the people, the culture, a change in scenery, and modest living expenses, everything.
I suppose that we all are chasing ghosts when we see Armenia for the first time. Trying to get a glimpse of yesteryear and the present all at the same time. It�s an emotional journey that either signals the end or beginning of our Armenian experience. For those who are entering the twilight of their years, seeing Armenia for the first time is the bookend to a long life. For others, it�s an opportunity to see dreams of past generations and future generations come to fruition. Folks, Armenia is there, waiting for us.
June 26, 2001: I just bought my one-way ticket to Armenia today. I will be moving there in September.
-Raffi Meneshian
Postscript: I was asked to clarify a few things by some friends via private email pertaining to my take on the log postings. I thought I would share my answers with the readers. My log postings were adapted for the Armenian Life Section of www.cilicia.com from my own personal diary and journal. The process of adaptation took place while here in Boston over the last three weeks (June 3- June 26, 2001) after I got back from Armenia. Most of my experiences were recorded in my journal within a 24-hour period of when a particular incident happened. This technique was intended to capture the spirit of the moment.
�What�s up with the quotes?� In the process of adaptation, certain songs and films came to mind that I was able to associate with a particular posting or episode. They usually dealt with the general theme I was trying to convey about my experiences. Music and film helped jump-start certain emotions that were lacking in my journal. I later gathered all of the songs that I associated with my trip to Armenia and burned them onto a CD to give me a musical imprint of my trip to Armenia. You are welcome to a free copy of this CD. If nothing else, I think it is a collection of great music. Just email me at: djmenesh@hotmail.com and I�ll send you a copy for free. Here are the songs in no particular order:
Grey Gardens: by Rufus Wainwright
Rebel Prince: by Rufus Wainwright
Poses: by Rufus Wainwright
New World: by Bjork
Sarera: by Gor Mkhitarian
Hasta Llegar: by Les Negresses Vertes
Easy Girls: by Les Negresses Vertes
The Oud and the Fuzz: by John Berberian
Petit Pays: by Cesaria Evora
Don�t Tell Me: by Madonna
Armenian Navy Band Excerpt
Complainte De La Butte: by Rufus Wainwright
It�s Not Right but It�s OK: by Whitney Houston
August Day Song: by Bebel Gilberto
Finally, since this is my last post about this trip, thanks to my friend Aram Hajian for hosting me and Raffi Kojian of www.cilicia.com for allowing me to share my experiences with the readers of the Armenian Life Log. I hope I didn�t bore anyone.
posted by ArmeniaLog at 7:40 AM
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