how do i sum up such a wonderful weekend?
first a rave (A RAVE, WOO HOO I HAD NOT BEEN TO ONE IN A YEAR AND MISSSED THE TECHNO AND TRANCE LIKE CRAZY) in Republic Square. Hundreds of Armenian youth dancing and partying to the sounds that I had gotten used to in New York right here in Yerevan. The perfect weather, the perfect DJ line up (France, England, Russia, and New York) and the perfect company. Even my older more conservative brother who lives in Los Angeles was getting down. It was soo fun when this group of guys noticed our group because of my huge afro...and then noticed that Arthur Ispirian was part of our crew (famous singer here) so they started to attack us... they danced with us... and they videotaped us and said tsavet danem a million times before they left. but the greatest was when they grabbed arthur and i for a big armenian circle dance. my excitement was unparalleled... circle dancing to techno on the perfect night... in the middle of Republic Square, Armenia.
my parents are in town. that made my weekend more amazing. i have them running around with no time to breathe as i introduce them to everyone including the shoe repair guy at the corner. they love my friends and my circle and it is going really well. after years of struggles about my move here... (it was hard for them to accept the fact that i was moving to armenia) they have finally become somewhat adjusted and even show hints of smiles and hugs... ahh they are beginning to understand.
my friends and i have been doing a lot of talking about living here and every armenian's responsibility towards this country. although I understand that everyone cannot repatriate and that some people are better off in the diaspora and can contribute in other ways it has become quite annoying some of the attitudes that we face.
there is the ongoing issue of the tourist that comes here and falls in love with the place... meets us, the diasporans, promises that this is the best life and they will come right back and ... flop... we never see them again. they return to their world and their visit here becomes a dusty fairytale.
then there is the large crowds of people in los angeles and other communities all over the world who get together to scream Van Mern Eh, Bitlis Mern EH (Van is ours, Bitlis is ours) and do not follow through on the idea that Yerevan IS ACTUALLY OURS, KARABAGH IS TOO... Who will live in Van and Bitlis when there are so few repatriates here in Yerevan TEN years after independence?
Many of these screamers, these nationalists whose rhetoric is full of talks of a great Armenia, vacation in Europe instead and build mansions in America while Yerevan becomes a far off land where they send the donations which pays their way to allow them to speak the way they do. Please do not misunderstand me, everyones contribution is real and valid. i am not accusing anyone of being insincere or am not saying one type of contribution is stronger than the other. there is no better armenian or stronger armenian. however there are people whose rhetoric does not match their lifestyle and that becomes annoying for us. most of the diasporans who live here were not as loud before their move. i have met so few repatriates who were those same screamers of yesterday when i still lived abroad. i have been here a year now and i am happy to say that i feel strong in wanting my Van and my Bitlis back because I am repatriating Yerevan now. I cannot speak on behalf of the other loggers because by chance none of them were part of this conversation but I can speak for the five repats that were.
this may have come off as a bit harsh, i guess the purpose was to vent or to bring awareness to some of the issues facing diasporans in regards to their homeland and how much of an obligation one should have. i go back to LA and see a lot of vigor and a lot of heart and passion towards Armenia but then i come back and do not see a lot of that followed through. there are so few brave armenian diasporans making a difference. we can count them on our hands and toes. i can count the repats, i can count the donors, i can count the number of hospitals rebuilt, of old monuments re-built, of new programs and centers opened. i know there is more love and more strength than what i see here. i know there are more Armenians out there. i am just saying that we need to tap into that energy and vigor and direct it towards realizing all those talks in the diaspora about a great future for our ARMENIA.
first a rave (A RAVE, WOO HOO I HAD NOT BEEN TO ONE IN A YEAR AND MISSSED THE TECHNO AND TRANCE LIKE CRAZY) in Republic Square. Hundreds of Armenian youth dancing and partying to the sounds that I had gotten used to in New York right here in Yerevan. The perfect weather, the perfect DJ line up (France, England, Russia, and New York) and the perfect company. Even my older more conservative brother who lives in Los Angeles was getting down. It was soo fun when this group of guys noticed our group because of my huge afro...and then noticed that Arthur Ispirian was part of our crew (famous singer here) so they started to attack us... they danced with us... and they videotaped us and said tsavet danem a million times before they left. but the greatest was when they grabbed arthur and i for a big armenian circle dance. my excitement was unparalleled... circle dancing to techno on the perfect night... in the middle of Republic Square, Armenia.
my parents are in town. that made my weekend more amazing. i have them running around with no time to breathe as i introduce them to everyone including the shoe repair guy at the corner. they love my friends and my circle and it is going really well. after years of struggles about my move here... (it was hard for them to accept the fact that i was moving to armenia) they have finally become somewhat adjusted and even show hints of smiles and hugs... ahh they are beginning to understand.
my friends and i have been doing a lot of talking about living here and every armenian's responsibility towards this country. although I understand that everyone cannot repatriate and that some people are better off in the diaspora and can contribute in other ways it has become quite annoying some of the attitudes that we face.
there is the ongoing issue of the tourist that comes here and falls in love with the place... meets us, the diasporans, promises that this is the best life and they will come right back and ... flop... we never see them again. they return to their world and their visit here becomes a dusty fairytale.
then there is the large crowds of people in los angeles and other communities all over the world who get together to scream Van Mern Eh, Bitlis Mern EH (Van is ours, Bitlis is ours) and do not follow through on the idea that Yerevan IS ACTUALLY OURS, KARABAGH IS TOO... Who will live in Van and Bitlis when there are so few repatriates here in Yerevan TEN years after independence?
Many of these screamers, these nationalists whose rhetoric is full of talks of a great Armenia, vacation in Europe instead and build mansions in America while Yerevan becomes a far off land where they send the donations which pays their way to allow them to speak the way they do. Please do not misunderstand me, everyones contribution is real and valid. i am not accusing anyone of being insincere or am not saying one type of contribution is stronger than the other. there is no better armenian or stronger armenian. however there are people whose rhetoric does not match their lifestyle and that becomes annoying for us. most of the diasporans who live here were not as loud before their move. i have met so few repatriates who were those same screamers of yesterday when i still lived abroad. i have been here a year now and i am happy to say that i feel strong in wanting my Van and my Bitlis back because I am repatriating Yerevan now. I cannot speak on behalf of the other loggers because by chance none of them were part of this conversation but I can speak for the five repats that were.
this may have come off as a bit harsh, i guess the purpose was to vent or to bring awareness to some of the issues facing diasporans in regards to their homeland and how much of an obligation one should have. i go back to LA and see a lot of vigor and a lot of heart and passion towards Armenia but then i come back and do not see a lot of that followed through. there are so few brave armenian diasporans making a difference. we can count them on our hands and toes. i can count the repats, i can count the donors, i can count the number of hospitals rebuilt, of old monuments re-built, of new programs and centers opened. i know there is more love and more strength than what i see here. i know there are more Armenians out there. i am just saying that we need to tap into that energy and vigor and direct it towards realizing all those talks in the diaspora about a great future for our ARMENIA.
posted by Madlene at 10:29 AM
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