Today is Patrick's birthday, and all day it's been snowing small perfect snow flakes. Thinking about Patrick and his life's work, I was reminded by a colleague that those who lend a helping hand in building this country in whatever form, also etch their legacy in history, because one of the wonderful things about Armenia is that one can see his or her work turn into real tangible change. Patrick's everywhere today, and will be tomorrow, in Armenia.
As Armenian Americans were hitting their keyboards, phones and faxes to protest the Bush Administration's arbitrary inclusion of Armenia on a list of terrorist countries, Armenians in Armenia, too, were outraged and ready to take to the streets and make their voices heard. In recent weeks I've had the same argument over and over again with people who tend to think that the goals of Armenia and the goals of the Armenian Diaspora are somehow divergent. This angers me. I challenge anyone to ask an Armenian citizen of Armenia about the Genocide and the current incarnation of the Armenian Cause, and 9 out of 10 people will tell you that we, as a nation (this includes the Diaspora) are on the right path. A non-Armenian American colleague of mine recently published an article in an online journal, in which he went on to voice criticism on Ararat the film, and what he concluded was a disconnect from current day Armenia. The implication here was that talking about a homeland long gone and an era that does not have much of a connection to current day, does not help Armenia (today) in any way. I disagree, and find the idea that Western Armenia is somehow an abstract notion that only Diasporans and Genocide advocates relate too, absurd. Our nation is unique in that we are able to talk history, we are able to feel history, and it is that history that fuels our drive to build our homeland, in whatever limited form in which it exists today.
An interesting mundane fact of life: I have regular trash pick up in my neighborhood. The truck pulls up at around 9 a.m. and the collector starts banging on a pipe in the backyard, notifying the neighborhood about his presence. Then, like released ants, we all run down to meet him with our bags of waste. Quite an interesting site, especially in the slippery days of winter. I'm told this is not regular practice in Yerevan.
Good night!
As Armenian Americans were hitting their keyboards, phones and faxes to protest the Bush Administration's arbitrary inclusion of Armenia on a list of terrorist countries, Armenians in Armenia, too, were outraged and ready to take to the streets and make their voices heard. In recent weeks I've had the same argument over and over again with people who tend to think that the goals of Armenia and the goals of the Armenian Diaspora are somehow divergent. This angers me. I challenge anyone to ask an Armenian citizen of Armenia about the Genocide and the current incarnation of the Armenian Cause, and 9 out of 10 people will tell you that we, as a nation (this includes the Diaspora) are on the right path. A non-Armenian American colleague of mine recently published an article in an online journal, in which he went on to voice criticism on Ararat the film, and what he concluded was a disconnect from current day Armenia. The implication here was that talking about a homeland long gone and an era that does not have much of a connection to current day, does not help Armenia (today) in any way. I disagree, and find the idea that Western Armenia is somehow an abstract notion that only Diasporans and Genocide advocates relate too, absurd. Our nation is unique in that we are able to talk history, we are able to feel history, and it is that history that fuels our drive to build our homeland, in whatever limited form in which it exists today.
An interesting mundane fact of life: I have regular trash pick up in my neighborhood. The truck pulls up at around 9 a.m. and the collector starts banging on a pipe in the backyard, notifying the neighborhood about his presence. Then, like released ants, we all run down to meet him with our bags of waste. Quite an interesting site, especially in the slippery days of winter. I'm told this is not regular practice in Yerevan.
Good night!
posted by Alex at 11:24 PM
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