at 3:20 am this morning there was a loud and disturbing noise. of course i freaked out once again... but this time the noise was different... and too close.
arthur looked out the balcony and saw our neighbors running towards our dalan (the arched entrance to our yard)... arthur set out on the same journey and found that a large and new retaining wall had crumbled and literally broken the floor under it.
perhaps i need to take you back a year or two... so that you can understand how corruption and the system led to the eventual breaking of this wall... and thus structural damage to our dalan and yard.
a year and a half ago, builders with huge connections to the government came to our yard. since we live smack in the center of yerevan, our real estate was like prime rib, and they could only be compared to a pack of wolves.
since we live in a pretty old part of yerevan... there were a group of single family homes... and our building... the builders sent all the tenants away to live in apartments that they (the builders) would sport the rent for. they promised them compensation for their homes within three years of time. the next step was leveling and tearing down all those houses... clearing the land... and digging a large hole while putting up a retaining wall.
at the same time they were lobbying our building (an old three story baghdad style building) to agree (each apartment owner had to sign) for them to build NINE floors on top of our three story building... to make a whopping 12 story building. their connections promised all the political pressure for most of the neighbors to sign ... but a few of us resisted... and without our signatures... it will be difficult for them to start construction.
it does not take an architectural background or even a rocket scientist to understand that there is no way... 9 floors should be built on 3. i was mortified when they came to speak to me... and was amazed they had the nerve.
last night when their retaining wall broke (obviously the normal regulations were not followed upon building this wall)... it took along with it... meters of our yard... down into a ditch they have dug... over ten meters deep.
we do not have car access into our yard, and the rest of the retaining wall which has been left standing... is a danger hazard along with the meters of land near it.
i am sure they did not follow building codes... and i am sure their connections made them exempt from any checks and balances. most of my neighbors have not received their compensation and continue to live in rented apartments waiting for the day that they will receive money for their homes.
this is all coming down too fast and too hard. i don't know too many people that have worn a smile this week. i am not one of them. it really is a somber day and the mood is beyond low... it just does not exist.
while i am in the process of curing a slipped disk... i have realized i am quite numb... the backpain... is the only thing i have felt in a few days... i am just numb... because it is too painful to deal with being sad, frustrated or angry...
arthur looked out the balcony and saw our neighbors running towards our dalan (the arched entrance to our yard)... arthur set out on the same journey and found that a large and new retaining wall had crumbled and literally broken the floor under it.
perhaps i need to take you back a year or two... so that you can understand how corruption and the system led to the eventual breaking of this wall... and thus structural damage to our dalan and yard.
a year and a half ago, builders with huge connections to the government came to our yard. since we live smack in the center of yerevan, our real estate was like prime rib, and they could only be compared to a pack of wolves.
since we live in a pretty old part of yerevan... there were a group of single family homes... and our building... the builders sent all the tenants away to live in apartments that they (the builders) would sport the rent for. they promised them compensation for their homes within three years of time. the next step was leveling and tearing down all those houses... clearing the land... and digging a large hole while putting up a retaining wall.
at the same time they were lobbying our building (an old three story baghdad style building) to agree (each apartment owner had to sign) for them to build NINE floors on top of our three story building... to make a whopping 12 story building. their connections promised all the political pressure for most of the neighbors to sign ... but a few of us resisted... and without our signatures... it will be difficult for them to start construction.
it does not take an architectural background or even a rocket scientist to understand that there is no way... 9 floors should be built on 3. i was mortified when they came to speak to me... and was amazed they had the nerve.
last night when their retaining wall broke (obviously the normal regulations were not followed upon building this wall)... it took along with it... meters of our yard... down into a ditch they have dug... over ten meters deep.
we do not have car access into our yard, and the rest of the retaining wall which has been left standing... is a danger hazard along with the meters of land near it.
i am sure they did not follow building codes... and i am sure their connections made them exempt from any checks and balances. most of my neighbors have not received their compensation and continue to live in rented apartments waiting for the day that they will receive money for their homes.
this is all coming down too fast and too hard. i don't know too many people that have worn a smile this week. i am not one of them. it really is a somber day and the mood is beyond low... it just does not exist.
while i am in the process of curing a slipped disk... i have realized i am quite numb... the backpain... is the only thing i have felt in a few days... i am just numb... because it is too painful to deal with being sad, frustrated or angry...
posted by Madlene at 3:03 PM
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