Now I know what an ice cube feels like.
I worn you, I have a lot to say… and you may not like some of it. Here goes!
The past few days have been a killer! It went as low as -30C.
But I shouldn’t complain. Montreal is well equipped and heaters are everywhere. Talking about heaters, I’ve been meaning to log about this for some time. Last September my friends and I had gone to a Resto-café and we decided to sit on the terrace. I kid you not when I say that the terrace was heated, what do I mean? I mean they had powerful heaters to heat the outdoors… yes, outside! I was disgusted with the waste of energy and to our level of being spoiled. We were ready for the chilly evening, we had jackets and we wanted the cool air… Although my friends thought it was cute that there were outdoor heaters, I insisted to go inside. We argued about this topic for a long while. I couldn’t believe that some of my friends thought it was a smart move and a great way to attract more customers. I had had enough of this consumer based arguments. So what if the resto makes a few hundred less every night, isn’t worth respecting the environment and stopping to waste energy for nothing. I mean you can have your club sandwich inside… it will still taste the same. You can enjoy your friends’ company, they will still be the same people… why does it matter to insist on sitting outside. If it’s a terrace you want, and a warm one for that matter, you can either wait for summer or move to a warmer place.
All the time, I was imagining telling my friends in Karin Dag that we in Montreal heat our exterior with powerful energy consuming heaters when they couldn’t afford to heat their living room for their 3 kids. Disgusting!
Back to the cold… it’s still winter here.
I wanted to talk to you about a course that is being offered by Mr. Vartkes Dolabjian. He has prepared a ten session course on the history of the Armenian Cause and also has a practical side that deals with writing to editors and replying to articles etc. He has a great approach. I followed this seminar about 2 years ago. Hye Tad is hosting it.
I am busy with a few things now. Of course the kids take up a lot of the time. It’s great to be here, at home when one of them says or does something for the very first time. They love to be fed, bathed by their Baba. Amassia always wants to be with me, which is an excellent ego booster. My parental leave will end in May… then it’s back to reality. Mind you, this is probably more work then work! As I’ve mentioned in previous logs, I also am helping with the LCO summer campaign. I will do some recruiting and will be in NY, Boston, DC, Detroit, Toronto and Ottawa. I will let you know when I will do these trips and maybe some of you might be interested! Lara, my wife, is still writing her MA thesis. It has taken her longer then expected. After all, she had 2 kids during the process. It will be a great research paper once it’s done… I hope, for her sake and mine, that it’ll be done soon… and no more kids on the way!!!
I have a very good friend, Tamar, who followed her heart and went to Lebanon to marry someone that she met in the summer here in Montreal and fell in love with. This is the happiest I have ever seen her. Bravo! This year has gotten off on a great start.
In some of the comments, people were talking about languages and so on. Although it is not a sin not to speak Armenian, I believe it’s wrong and just plain laziness on the part of that Armenian. Now, let me clear this up. If you live in a remote town with some Armenian families scattered around, I understand: if you are a child or grand-child of a mixed marriage, even that could be excusable. But when you live in a community, a vibrant one at that (NY, Montreal, Toronto, Boston, LA) it is unacceptable to approve of someone who speaks only English and does not do the effort to speak some Armenian. I’m not even talking about reading and writing. You know, we have great poetry, songs and proses inside jokes that can not be translated. You MUST read or at least speak the language to understand. After all, if you, as an Armenian, don’t attempt to learn the language that is yours by right, who will? I speak five languages, there is no reason why you (whoever that is) cannot speak 2 (the language of the country you live in and Armenian). I am sure that I am not smarter than the average Armenian. I know this comment might sound a little harsh, but I am tired of letting my fellow Armenians get away by using lame excuses such as: “well I don’t have any Armenian friends with whom to speak”, or “we never spoke Armenian at home”, or the best “what good will it bring me anyway, I know English and that should get me by anywhere”… I expect more from us.
I can’t wait for my next Armenia trip. I feel it’ll be very soon.
I worn you, I have a lot to say… and you may not like some of it. Here goes!
The past few days have been a killer! It went as low as -30C.
But I shouldn’t complain. Montreal is well equipped and heaters are everywhere. Talking about heaters, I’ve been meaning to log about this for some time. Last September my friends and I had gone to a Resto-café and we decided to sit on the terrace. I kid you not when I say that the terrace was heated, what do I mean? I mean they had powerful heaters to heat the outdoors… yes, outside! I was disgusted with the waste of energy and to our level of being spoiled. We were ready for the chilly evening, we had jackets and we wanted the cool air… Although my friends thought it was cute that there were outdoor heaters, I insisted to go inside. We argued about this topic for a long while. I couldn’t believe that some of my friends thought it was a smart move and a great way to attract more customers. I had had enough of this consumer based arguments. So what if the resto makes a few hundred less every night, isn’t worth respecting the environment and stopping to waste energy for nothing. I mean you can have your club sandwich inside… it will still taste the same. You can enjoy your friends’ company, they will still be the same people… why does it matter to insist on sitting outside. If it’s a terrace you want, and a warm one for that matter, you can either wait for summer or move to a warmer place.
All the time, I was imagining telling my friends in Karin Dag that we in Montreal heat our exterior with powerful energy consuming heaters when they couldn’t afford to heat their living room for their 3 kids. Disgusting!
Back to the cold… it’s still winter here.
I wanted to talk to you about a course that is being offered by Mr. Vartkes Dolabjian. He has prepared a ten session course on the history of the Armenian Cause and also has a practical side that deals with writing to editors and replying to articles etc. He has a great approach. I followed this seminar about 2 years ago. Hye Tad is hosting it.
I am busy with a few things now. Of course the kids take up a lot of the time. It’s great to be here, at home when one of them says or does something for the very first time. They love to be fed, bathed by their Baba. Amassia always wants to be with me, which is an excellent ego booster. My parental leave will end in May… then it’s back to reality. Mind you, this is probably more work then work! As I’ve mentioned in previous logs, I also am helping with the LCO summer campaign. I will do some recruiting and will be in NY, Boston, DC, Detroit, Toronto and Ottawa. I will let you know when I will do these trips and maybe some of you might be interested! Lara, my wife, is still writing her MA thesis. It has taken her longer then expected. After all, she had 2 kids during the process. It will be a great research paper once it’s done… I hope, for her sake and mine, that it’ll be done soon… and no more kids on the way!!!
I have a very good friend, Tamar, who followed her heart and went to Lebanon to marry someone that she met in the summer here in Montreal and fell in love with. This is the happiest I have ever seen her. Bravo! This year has gotten off on a great start.
In some of the comments, people were talking about languages and so on. Although it is not a sin not to speak Armenian, I believe it’s wrong and just plain laziness on the part of that Armenian. Now, let me clear this up. If you live in a remote town with some Armenian families scattered around, I understand: if you are a child or grand-child of a mixed marriage, even that could be excusable. But when you live in a community, a vibrant one at that (NY, Montreal, Toronto, Boston, LA) it is unacceptable to approve of someone who speaks only English and does not do the effort to speak some Armenian. I’m not even talking about reading and writing. You know, we have great poetry, songs and proses inside jokes that can not be translated. You MUST read or at least speak the language to understand. After all, if you, as an Armenian, don’t attempt to learn the language that is yours by right, who will? I speak five languages, there is no reason why you (whoever that is) cannot speak 2 (the language of the country you live in and Armenian). I am sure that I am not smarter than the average Armenian. I know this comment might sound a little harsh, but I am tired of letting my fellow Armenians get away by using lame excuses such as: “well I don’t have any Armenian friends with whom to speak”, or “we never spoke Armenian at home”, or the best “what good will it bring me anyway, I know English and that should get me by anywhere”… I expect more from us.
I can’t wait for my next Armenia trip. I feel it’ll be very soon.
posted by Raffi N at 12:46 PM
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