Zabelle (of Nigol & Zabelle) asked me to post this for her - she is having trouble posting... what she didn't ask me to do was post this link about their new real estate development project. I passed by it yesterday and it looks really nice - www.vanahovid.com

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We got a couple from Brazil. With the second edition of Lonely Planet we were hit with a new wave of walk-in customers: backpackers holding the LP the way you would your passport at the border.

Hotel work is seasonal; Mid November was the opening of dead season. I offered free English classes to my middle-aged employees, twice a week. Hired a lady journalist, who is earning her money by tutoring English, has an accent, but ‘got a system’. She’s teaching ‘pupil for ‘student’, ‘I’ve got for I have’.

Invited a couple of friends to join the group. Women are talking, and more women want to join in. The youngest in this group is forty-something. Almost everyone knows the alphabet, except for the cleaning lady, who feels cheated because back in Lori they got passing marks but not German knowledge. You think it would have helped her?

Being in the same age group gives them confidence. Younger employees already have essential English.

If nothing else, I figure it’s a good pass time, bonus knowledge. Though Julia was not enthused with the idea. She wants to teach Armenian to every tourist that comes to our DooN. Perhaps, I should write to Lonely Planet and say visitors can get free Armenian tutorials while having breakfast.

It’s hard to land well paying jobs in Armenia and as a friend said, English helps even when you’re applying for a driver’s position.