Yikes! I haven't logged for a while.
I've been keeping super busy running around getting ready to live solo for the first time in Armenia. My aunt and uncle (expats for over a decade) have taken great care of me, but freedom awaits and I'm anxiously looking forward to it.
Other than shopping and ordering furniture, last week I decided to pay property tax (or whatever it is called) for my apartment ... about 50 cents for a year. Then I decided to go pay my water bill. I haven't lived in my apartment since I bought it last summer, so obviously I expected to pay pocket change since I've barely used the water. So I dropped by the Post Office (where you can pay phone, electricity and water bills) and they told me I owed 59,000 drams = $110 US! Long story short, I refused to pay it, went to Jermugh (the water company), where they told me that there was a mistake and that all I owed was 500 drams, not even a dollar. Can you imagine if I paid the $110?
Other than my so-called "remond" (I hate that overused term) and dehydrating in 40 degrees celsius, everything else is just greaaaaaaat!
There are a few new restaurants in the city, but I haven't really checked them out. At the corner of Tumanyan and Abovyan there used to be a variety store, which transformed into an ugly and unpopular Hin Erivan franchise. That didn't last long, and has now been transformed into a fast-food place called Milen (the "M" imitating McDonalds' golden arches.) Armenians either have no creativity whatsoever, or are completely over the top (best example being artist Paradjanov.)
Tourist season is here; Diasporans are buying homes all over Yerevan, even at $700+ per square meter in buildings that are falling apart. Construction continues, including many high-rise (Armenian high-rise = 8-14 stories MAX) residential buildings, costing buyers approximately $1,000 a square meter, or $1,500+ on the future North Avenue.
A BIG CONGRATS for our President who did a great job at the PACE conference (Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe.) It started off with a long speech, followed by over two-dozen questions/answers. Turk and Azeri lawmakers also questioned Robby, and I think he answered very confidently. (No matter if you like him or not, the confidence he portrays is quite impressive.) Even opposition leader Artashes Geghamyan said some positive things about Kocharian's presentation of our country's policy towards the Artsakh issue. Burning the Turks was the highlight. I don't know it word for word, but he said something along the lines of, "Although you refuse to open the border with us, don't assume we're not surviving, we are progressing at a fast pace on our own."
I've been keeping super busy running around getting ready to live solo for the first time in Armenia. My aunt and uncle (expats for over a decade) have taken great care of me, but freedom awaits and I'm anxiously looking forward to it.
Other than shopping and ordering furniture, last week I decided to pay property tax (or whatever it is called) for my apartment ... about 50 cents for a year. Then I decided to go pay my water bill. I haven't lived in my apartment since I bought it last summer, so obviously I expected to pay pocket change since I've barely used the water. So I dropped by the Post Office (where you can pay phone, electricity and water bills) and they told me I owed 59,000 drams = $110 US! Long story short, I refused to pay it, went to Jermugh (the water company), where they told me that there was a mistake and that all I owed was 500 drams, not even a dollar. Can you imagine if I paid the $110?
Other than my so-called "remond" (I hate that overused term) and dehydrating in 40 degrees celsius, everything else is just greaaaaaaat!
There are a few new restaurants in the city, but I haven't really checked them out. At the corner of Tumanyan and Abovyan there used to be a variety store, which transformed into an ugly and unpopular Hin Erivan franchise. That didn't last long, and has now been transformed into a fast-food place called Milen (the "M" imitating McDonalds' golden arches.) Armenians either have no creativity whatsoever, or are completely over the top (best example being artist Paradjanov.)
Tourist season is here; Diasporans are buying homes all over Yerevan, even at $700+ per square meter in buildings that are falling apart. Construction continues, including many high-rise (Armenian high-rise = 8-14 stories MAX) residential buildings, costing buyers approximately $1,000 a square meter, or $1,500+ on the future North Avenue.
A BIG CONGRATS for our President who did a great job at the PACE conference (Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe.) It started off with a long speech, followed by over two-dozen questions/answers. Turk and Azeri lawmakers also questioned Robby, and I think he answered very confidently. (No matter if you like him or not, the confidence he portrays is quite impressive.) Even opposition leader Artashes Geghamyan said some positive things about Kocharian's presentation of our country's policy towards the Artsakh issue. Burning the Turks was the highlight. I don't know it word for word, but he said something along the lines of, "Although you refuse to open the border with us, don't assume we're not surviving, we are progressing at a fast pace on our own."
posted by Der Hova at 2:25 AM
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