work is really amazing but it is keeping me quite busy. i am working on a newsletter for orran (www.orran.am) which is a haven for street children and have also started grant writing. in fact my life has gotten fast busy just like it was in new york... always something to do and always apologizing for events that i cannot attend. i guess if you are a busybee you are one anywhere... even yerevan.

my mom is coming in 17 days and i am so excited that i keep cleaning the apartment and trying to enter with her eyes to guess what her reaction will be. she has only been here for one week and that was in 1997 so this is going to be quite a change. this time she is coming for 70 days... yes you read right 70 days... when she travels, she travels. i am more than excited to host her and already have all 70 days nearly planned. the first place i am going to take her is the ponchikanots. the ponchikanots is my favorite spot in yerevan. ponchiks are better than donuts and even better than most french pastries. each ponchik is 50 dram and its always a contest on who can eat more ponchiks at the ponchikanots. i usually try to but heads with pre-teen who get a kick out of beating me by one or two ponchiks.

i found a giant head statue last week. it was near the trash to the entrance of my hyat (common backyard that i share with my building and neighbors from other buildings in my area)... it is huge and stone and carved into an old roman figure... my friends and i still don't know who it is. but i brought it home and have placed it on my mantle (i washed it before i placed it on my mantle) but during the bringing it home process i pinched a nerve in my back and was shot for a few days. it was all worth it.

perhaps i will snap and pic. of the statue and someone can tell me who i have found... and if he worthy of my mantle... lol