I take back what I said about Yerevan not being decorated and the windows not being pretty and all. It is really nice to see the city getting into the festive mood. More and more people are wishing each other a Happy New Year just in case they don't get to see each other before the 1st.

We've decided to go to Beiruth for New Year's and Armenian Christmas. This would have been our first X-mas here, but when 10 of our friends had decided to leave for Lebanon, we thought that it would probably be the best opportunity for us to go as well. Lara, my wife, hasn't been for over 12 years. Much has changed since. As for me, I have never been to the former hub of the Armenian Diaspora... exciting!

Tonight is Christmas eve. We have decided to have an intime family dinner at home and watch a Christmas film with the kids. We are also going to sleep in the living room under the tree. Baby Jesus will put little gifts for good kids in their stockings.

This week was a reminder of how thankful I should be for what I have, especially at this time of year. I went to the earthquake zone to visit some refugee families that are still living in dohmiks (metal trailers). It sounds beter than it looks and feels worst than it sounds. I visited a family of three who sleep, eat, bath and cook in the same rectangular box. These people are refugees from Baku who have found refuge in the earthquake zone villages. It has been over 15 years that they have made this box their home. This is UNACCEPTABLE!

With this in mind, I wish you a merry Christmas and ask all my friends, family, community and the world to pray a little and act a little for these people.