So, today all of Yerevan woke up to a beatiful, white blanket of serenity, and the city seemed, even at 9 a.m., to be still and pure. It was a big surprise to see the first snow fall, and the fall and fall and fall. We've had close to 30 hours of snow fall, although not heavily so, but certainly consistently. And once one is over being initially mesmerized, one gets down to the reality of snow in Yerevan. The brown slush, the foming ice, and slippery streets make for an interesting day. But with all said and done, as I was walking home at around 11 tonight, the city had returned to its pristine calmness, and it was beatiful to occasionally slide on the new Kirk Kerkorian sidewalks, and get the urge to join some older kids throwing snowballs.
Travel's been hectic the last few days. I don't envy those who had to take to the skies into or out of Yerevan. First, the thick fog and then the snow have caused flight cancellations and postponement, but things seem to be getting back to normal with the airport.
So, I was reprimanded for not providing a bit more information about myself in my initial log. So here are a few things about me. I moved to Yerevan in April of 2002 and have been here since. I'm from Los Angeles, where I last worked as the director of the west coast operations of the Armenian National Committee of America, and earlier this year was hired as a consultant with a USAID project here in Armenia. Unlike most, I have to say that my move to Armenia was not because of some altruistic reason, but in fact, I found a great job, that allowed me to move to Armenia--which I had wanted to do after visiting several times, but I didn't come here with grand plans of changing a whole country. In fact, I have been professionally involved in the promotion of the Armenian Cause for most of my twenties, and I saw this move as a good opportunity to branch out.
At the same time, contrary to what I sometimes read on the logs, I don'ts subscribe to some grand illusion that those of us who have moved here are somehow better assets to this country or to our nation. There are Armenians around the world who do more in promoting Armenia and the Armenian Cause--which in my mind includes the strengthening of Armenia's stathood--than some people who live here (and I mean Diasporans who have moved here). So, that's my premise. I enjoy my job, I enjoy being in Armenia, and I enjoy discovering this country, but most of all I enjoy discovering the Armenian people. My job affords me to interact with a variety of people. In fact today, I had a conversation with my colleague on feminism in the Armenian context, and I learned that what I hold for gender equity is not what a modern Armenian working mother holds for the concept, and so on and so forth. But more on that soon...
What I enjoy about Armenia is its unpredictable nature, and what I dislike about Armenia is its unpredictable nature. For instance, not having electricity in my city block for close to 30 hours last weekend is not what I'd call enjoyment, but I've come to realize that that's what Armenia is. All of its good and all of its bad make it what it is, and it would be very easy to criticize, and call names and assign blame, but it is much more brave to combine it all, get frustrated but also see the absurdity of it all.
I never felt out of place in America, I never felt out of place in Germany (where I spent my youth), and I never felt out of place in Iran (my birth country), but I've also not spent enough time in any of those countries to call it home, so I suppose I'm looking for a home, and although Armenia is not home yet, the pieces are coming together. So, I hope in the next few months or however long I'll have the privelege of sharing my thoughts with you, I'll get to explore some of the daily struggles and triumphs in Yerevan with you, and answer any questions you may have.
So, tomorrow morning I'll get up at 7, get dressed, put on my odd looking hat, and bundle myself in my scarf and head out the door, for another day of slip and slide, and hopefully, I'll have something interesting to share with you. Thanks for indulging all of us loggers.
Oh and I forgot...I took some pictures this morning of the cat (I live right by it) with a nice snow cap, and some urban winter scenery, but unfortunately, I'm having trouble with the publishing tool, so as I soon as I get it straightened out, I'll post it.
Travel's been hectic the last few days. I don't envy those who had to take to the skies into or out of Yerevan. First, the thick fog and then the snow have caused flight cancellations and postponement, but things seem to be getting back to normal with the airport.
So, I was reprimanded for not providing a bit more information about myself in my initial log. So here are a few things about me. I moved to Yerevan in April of 2002 and have been here since. I'm from Los Angeles, where I last worked as the director of the west coast operations of the Armenian National Committee of America, and earlier this year was hired as a consultant with a USAID project here in Armenia. Unlike most, I have to say that my move to Armenia was not because of some altruistic reason, but in fact, I found a great job, that allowed me to move to Armenia--which I had wanted to do after visiting several times, but I didn't come here with grand plans of changing a whole country. In fact, I have been professionally involved in the promotion of the Armenian Cause for most of my twenties, and I saw this move as a good opportunity to branch out.
At the same time, contrary to what I sometimes read on the logs, I don'ts subscribe to some grand illusion that those of us who have moved here are somehow better assets to this country or to our nation. There are Armenians around the world who do more in promoting Armenia and the Armenian Cause--which in my mind includes the strengthening of Armenia's stathood--than some people who live here (and I mean Diasporans who have moved here). So, that's my premise. I enjoy my job, I enjoy being in Armenia, and I enjoy discovering this country, but most of all I enjoy discovering the Armenian people. My job affords me to interact with a variety of people. In fact today, I had a conversation with my colleague on feminism in the Armenian context, and I learned that what I hold for gender equity is not what a modern Armenian working mother holds for the concept, and so on and so forth. But more on that soon...
What I enjoy about Armenia is its unpredictable nature, and what I dislike about Armenia is its unpredictable nature. For instance, not having electricity in my city block for close to 30 hours last weekend is not what I'd call enjoyment, but I've come to realize that that's what Armenia is. All of its good and all of its bad make it what it is, and it would be very easy to criticize, and call names and assign blame, but it is much more brave to combine it all, get frustrated but also see the absurdity of it all.
I never felt out of place in America, I never felt out of place in Germany (where I spent my youth), and I never felt out of place in Iran (my birth country), but I've also not spent enough time in any of those countries to call it home, so I suppose I'm looking for a home, and although Armenia is not home yet, the pieces are coming together. So, I hope in the next few months or however long I'll have the privelege of sharing my thoughts with you, I'll get to explore some of the daily struggles and triumphs in Yerevan with you, and answer any questions you may have.
So, tomorrow morning I'll get up at 7, get dressed, put on my odd looking hat, and bundle myself in my scarf and head out the door, for another day of slip and slide, and hopefully, I'll have something interesting to share with you. Thanks for indulging all of us loggers.
Oh and I forgot...I took some pictures this morning of the cat (I live right by it) with a nice snow cap, and some urban winter scenery, but unfortunately, I'm having trouble with the publishing tool, so as I soon as I get it straightened out, I'll post it.
posted by Alex at 12:36 AM
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