To keep with Raffi's theme of "something new everyday," here's a tale of cultural dissonance. The weather's been quite warm this week in Yerevan, and it feels (finally) like summer has arrived. With summer's arrival, and my incessant need to forget this past winter, I have taken out my choice shorts, which I now wear around Yerevan. This of course, being an unusual sight for Armenians in the homeland, I get the occasional double take, and the otherwise lengthier visual study of my hairy legs.
Last evening, I met Lena and a few others at a local eatery, and thereafter I assisted Lena with a framed painting she was taking home. Walking along Sayat Nova, into the sunset, and as we were approaching Terian Ave. we noticed two women standing smack in the middle of the sidewalk taking photographs. As any good, distrusting, and paranoid westerner would do, Lena and I immediately veered to our left, so as to avoid being caught in the lense of the photographer. As we were passing by, we noticed that they were speaking English, and so again, as two unavoidable foreigners would do, we asked who they were, and found out that they were from National Geogrpahic. Before long, I realized I was speaking with Alexandra Avakian, an accomplished and well-respected photographer, whose work I've admired for some time now, and was blown away by here images from Iran in an NG issue a couple of years back. So, we spoke a bit, and she said that she was doing some additional shooting for a story on Armenia, which according to her is scheduled to appear in early 2004. I know that Alexandra had been in Armenia in 2001 at the time of the Pope's Pontifical Visit to Armenia.
So, we spoke for a brief while and continued on our way to Lena's apartment, all the while scolding ourselves for being so distrusting, that it cost us a potential appearance in NG. There goes that cultural dissonance again.
I can safely say that tourist season is in full swing here in Armenia. We have school groups, organizations, individuals, families and friends visiting already, and this is not the best of it yet.
One last note on the fruit front, every corner seed seller now also has a selection of shlor (gojeh sabz--for the persian speakers, generik-for the arabic speakers)--and for the English speakers, these are unripe plums. They're sour and wonderfully refreshing in the summer. Reminds me of my childhood.
Cheers!
Last evening, I met Lena and a few others at a local eatery, and thereafter I assisted Lena with a framed painting she was taking home. Walking along Sayat Nova, into the sunset, and as we were approaching Terian Ave. we noticed two women standing smack in the middle of the sidewalk taking photographs. As any good, distrusting, and paranoid westerner would do, Lena and I immediately veered to our left, so as to avoid being caught in the lense of the photographer. As we were passing by, we noticed that they were speaking English, and so again, as two unavoidable foreigners would do, we asked who they were, and found out that they were from National Geogrpahic. Before long, I realized I was speaking with Alexandra Avakian, an accomplished and well-respected photographer, whose work I've admired for some time now, and was blown away by here images from Iran in an NG issue a couple of years back. So, we spoke a bit, and she said that she was doing some additional shooting for a story on Armenia, which according to her is scheduled to appear in early 2004. I know that Alexandra had been in Armenia in 2001 at the time of the Pope's Pontifical Visit to Armenia.
So, we spoke for a brief while and continued on our way to Lena's apartment, all the while scolding ourselves for being so distrusting, that it cost us a potential appearance in NG. There goes that cultural dissonance again.
I can safely say that tourist season is in full swing here in Armenia. We have school groups, organizations, individuals, families and friends visiting already, and this is not the best of it yet.
One last note on the fruit front, every corner seed seller now also has a selection of shlor (gojeh sabz--for the persian speakers, generik-for the arabic speakers)--and for the English speakers, these are unripe plums. They're sour and wonderfully refreshing in the summer. Reminds me of my childhood.
Cheers!
posted by Alex at 1:49 PM
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