Just in case I avoid using the computer on my vacation (which I leave for in a few hours) ....

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

I hope 2005 will be an awesome year for everyone, and of course ARMENIA!

Lots of stuff happening in the coming year ... including the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide (although that should have been commemorated over 20 years ago, seeing that the real massacres started many years before 1915.)

While the Turkish government gets ready for EU talks later on in 2005, I'm sure by then more European countries will recognize the Genocide, and this will lead to even more pressure on Turkey to FINALLY come to terms with this annoying issue they just can't avoid forever.

Anyway, too much heavy talk.

Happy New Year to all!

I'll be spending this New Year's in Egypt. :-)

Tsaghgadzor has new ski lifts!

Things have warmed up a bit here (warm being a very relative term), and hopefully New Years Eve will be "nice". No snow on the streets of Yerevan, the few light snows barely dusted the landscape.

December has been a busy month. My Mom arrived early in the month and we have been spending quite a bit of time together. A week or so ago we saw the Carmen ballet at the Opera and it was amazing. The dancers were in general so young and I never would have imagined them to have so much talent - especially considering the harsh conditions in which they practice.

On Sunday my Dad also arrived. He was on the Amsterdan "race" and we were happy as this was not one of the early AM flights. It seems as the Armavia plane that had departed Armenia early on Sunday, however, had made an emergency landing in Ukraine... no reasons given. So in the end his plane arrived at 4:27 AM on Monday morning.

Work is good. Staff preparations for the new years have begun and we will be having our christmas party tomorrow night. It should be interesting to see "secret santas" revealed. This year everyone is particularly careful in ensuring that no one knows who's secret santa s/he is. Many even arrive to work early to stuff stockings to ensure no one sees. Mystery at it's finest I tell you.

Other than that I am preparing for a month long trip to the US. I will be in DC for two weeks and then off to California for another two. This should be an interesting trip as I haven't been for about a year!

EVERYTHING is so expensive here!

This is my new discovery since I have returned. We decided to take the kids to the movies at a matinee showing. It cost us $21 for the entry fee of 2 adults and one child and $22 for snacks and drinks. It is RIDICULOUS. I would pay $3 a person at Kino Nairy and about $8 for the same amount of snacks. I agree that the variety is not as big as it is here, but we get all the new films on DVD within a week or so of their release. I am also driving again which means I have to pay for gas - $42 for a full tank!!! What the h - - - ?

It is very cold here too this year – about 23 Celsius or 29 with the windshield factor.

Tonight will be the screening of my film “15” at the AGBU center. I think I will be showing it on TV as well.

It was great to have done all our Christmas shopping in Armenia. We seem to be the only ones really enjoying the season’s joyful side. Yesterday I spent the day with my aunts and uncle. The kids were with my Mom at the community center to see Santa. Most of our friends and family are still running around shopping, preparing food and so on…

Raffi STOP mentioning Harvey's! I've only been back a few weeks and I miss their burgers already. (For those of you who don't know Harvey's ... they are an awesome Canadian charbroiled hamburger franchise ... probably one of the best in the world.)

This thing Raffi mentioned about Czech Airlines, I've heard from a lot of people. Apparently, that route through Prague with Czech Airlines is a nightmare. The hotel, the distance from the airport, the service, etc. I still think Austrian is doing the best job. And, if I'm not mistaken, they now have 6 flights a week.

Why is it so cold this year? It's definitely colder than last year. YUCK!

Well, I guess another vacation is long overdue. I'll be out of here soon to go somewhere warmer. Plus I can't handle 2-3 weeks of closed shops after New Year's. I think it's ridiculous. Last winter I ran out of bread and had no choice but to make my own at home. I did a pathetic job. :-(

Since I moved out on my own I started dropping by one of the 24-hour bakeries late at night. I usually buy about 4-5 matnaqash breads (the BEST Armenian bread out there, and in my opinion better than lavash.) I cut them up into 3 or 4 pieces, stick them in zip-lock bags, and put them in the freezer when they are fresh and warm. Whenever I need one, I take it out of the freezer, let it defrost, and they turn out as soft and tasty as the fresh ones. YUM!

I was so impressed by the new wing of the Dorval airport in Montreal. The flight was uneventful but quite long. the kids behaved like angels. I must say that unless you are in a financial jam or have no other choice, do NOT use Czech Airlines. They have got to be one of the most unfriendly airlines with the worst flight attendants. NEVER ask for a second piece of bread or to turn the air conditioner down... they will give you a dirty look and say something in their own language (you can understand by their facial expressions that it wasn't "just a moment", or "thank you".

So I had my Harvey's hamburger.... mmmmm;
had a freshly brewed coffee at Cafe Rico;
met with a lot of my friends and family on the first night.

I am finally driving after 20 months of taking a break from that activity. It feels good to be in control of the wheel.

My last log was on Nov 1. I hadn’t been logging much even before then. I don’t know, maybe it’s a phase.

I will be taking a break from Armenia. I am leaving in a few hours to visit family and friends in Montreal that I hadn’t seen for over a year and a half. I miss many things in Montreal, mostly details. I cannot say that I miss these details to the point that I MUST return and live there.
I miss a good Harvey’s hamburger, an evening at the Old Port of Montreal, a weekend at Tamar’s Chalet, my old neighborhood, Ste-Catherine’s street, Concordia University life and my brother (who is moving back to Montreal).

I will also be traveling during the month of January to Toronto, Boston, NY, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. I will be presenting LCO volunteer opportunities to the Armenian communities of these cities. Hope I will see some old friends and meet some cool people.

In the meantime, I will be screening my film at the AGBU center in Montreal next Monday and have organized a photo expo about life in No-Man’s-Land (in NKR) at Café Rico in early January.

I will definitely miss Armenia, but o welcome the change of pace.

The biggest Armenian news of the day is that the European Parliament is, again, pressuring Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to open up the border.

More great news ... famous Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian has been nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Classical Contemporary Composition" category.

In my last log, I mentioned how there were many big investments being made in Armenia. This was one reason why I wanted to move here, and to witness the reconstruction of a new Armenia. Not only in the reconstruction of commercial and residential buildings, but also in the battle to overcome the fall of the Soviet era: to restart and modernize the entire country's infrastructure, including resuming the work of old factories and to build new factories manufacturing or assembling product; the education of religion, as well as a greater focus on the education of English, and of course, the Armenian languages; the positive and negative aspects of seeing Armenians having freedom to do and see just about everything in this chaotic world.

Corruption, as well as shady neighbours, will always be our biggest problems, but there is also so much good happening right now that we can not overlook.

I just read on Groong that the Slovaks were funding the launch of a chemical plant in Vanadzor. There was a time when Vanadzor was the center of manufacturing plants in Armenia. Take a drive through the outskirts of Vanadzor and you can just imagine how much work there once was in this city.

Next, there is the humongous investment the Germans will be making at the molybdenum and copper plant in Zangezur (Syunik region.)

The Russians are building numerous condos and business centers in Yerevan, and the construction of the Iran/Armenia gas pipeline has finally started. These are only a few of the many big projects taking place in our beautiful country.

The OSCE is planning on sponsoring (although the funds don't yet exist) a Western-style police force in Armenia. Well, it's about time someone starts focussing on this annoying problem. I've always said, this country can make a huge load of moolah if our police did their job. Add to it a simple law enforcing fines for littering, and see how much money this country will make, and how much cleaner it will become. I make solutions seem so simple, don't I.

I'm still receiving some clothing, other goodies and money from people who want to help the family I wrote about a while ago. I want to thank you guys. This will definitely be a treat for the family's New Year/Christmas holiday. :-)

"Was it easy to adjust to life in Armenia?"

It was much harder when I emigrated from Lebanon to Canada. Then, I got the feeling that my personal value dropped somewhere across the oceans. No Canadian experience meant no working experience. Took a couple of years to overcome the urge to quit, to adjust.

It was much easier this time. We were coming from a technologically advanced country to a less developed country. Also, we created our own jobs, did not go through the whole local-experience tragic/comedy black drama.

Have I adjusted to life in Armenia? After five years in Armenia, I know there are certain values to which I won't adjust. Like Women issues.

As soon as we start discussing women issues: like getting higher paying jobs for women, pay equity, more women involvement in decision making processes, women in politics, the 'F' word is slapped to our faces. 'F' standing for Feminism and being dirtier than the four letter word.(Step two) It will be mentioned that foreigner (whores) are bringing their own dirty values to Armenia and these issues will be aligned with homosexuality and globalization. (Step three) It will be followed by phrases like 'traditional values' and the traditional role of the Armenian woman and the Armenian man in the family: woman's place being in the kitchen, taking care of the kids; man's place supporting the family and in politics. (The traditional Armenian family unit is under threat.)

An Armenian queen built the two monasteries in the North: Haghpad and Sanahin, after her husband's death. She dedicated them to her two sons. She also ruled the country.
Another princess sponsored the building of 40 monasteries and churches including Arakelotz church on Sevan island; they were spiritual, religious and educational centers of the time.
A mother queen (Gandzasar) gave up her status, her richness to the poor, and went to Jerusalem. As a pilgrim she lived by making needlework. embroidery and by alms given to her.
An Armenian Cilician queen, Zabel, whose first husband was imprisoned, did not enter the bed of her second husband for many years. It was a forced marriage to keep the kingdom in a Nationalistic Armenian family. She also used to wear ordinary citizen's clothes and leave the palace at night to help the poor and the ill.

Current day, the Armenian woman is beautiful, conscious of her appearance, hard working, intelligent, educated and responsible for the education of her kids and the kids of the nation.

In healthcare and education, more than 83 percent of employees are women, yet when it comes to administration women in these two fields have less than 13 percent representation.

She's also less paid, less involved in decision making process, more submissive.
60 percent of women in Armenia have highest education (meaning university degrees), though the average income of women is 48 percent of the average income of men.

Registered unemployed figures: men make 35.6 percent of which 37.5 has highest education; women make 64.4 percent of which 62.5 has highest education.

1918-1921 women had voting powers in Armenia and five percent representation in the parliament; today the figures are the same.

When did we mess up our traditional values? The Armenian queens were more liberated, they knew what they wanted, they were strong and made decisions for themselves and the country, they were feminists before the word existed.

Did we change when Yerevan was a war zone between Turks and Iranians for two hundred years?
Was it Soviet times?

For the past century (if not longer) patriarchal and matriarchal family units have coexisted in our society. I will explain: in the last fifteen years because of the war we lost more than seven thousand (mostly men), a million left the country (more men than women), and many job-seeking husbands left to foreign countries not to return; in the II WW three thousand Armenians died, and in 1915 survivors of the Genocide were more kids and women.
We've had it with each generation, but the fact has not registered in our conscious.

Traditional values change; they're not the same as moral values.

As a country we've got many issues to resolve and need collective strategy thinking and involvment of both sexes. We can't afford to keep more than fifty percent of population away from statebuilding procedures.

i came back to yerevan to find this note from a friend named saro who has spent his last few months working here through birthright at the ministry of foreign affairs. i was so inspired after reading the letter i thought i would convey parts of the letter to you. on second thought here it is in its entirety. saro, we have enjoyed having you here as a friend and a fellow mountain mover and we hope you return soon.

saro writes:

Friends, family (whats the difference anyway, you are all on the list),

The feeling I get when I think about leaving Armenia is anxiety. Its like knowing that I am getting teeth pulled, or a series of painful shots or I have to give a speech in front of a large audience. Its definetely anxiety though. Though four months may seem insignificant when compared to the length of human life, it is enough to get settled comfortably and make an impact in one's thinking.

"Memory is a very real part of life in Armenia. More a part of life than in any other place I’ve been. Memory is not ignored. In fact, it is revered. To forget is sin. To remember is eternal life."-- spoken by a good friend of mine, Rachel Goshgarian.

I've often had trouble explaining the sociological / psychological elements of Armenian culture (Diaspora included), but this statement puts it very well (it may not relate exactly to what I have to say, but I really wanted to share it with you). Even though we may not have actually lived the past hundreds of years, we feel them through the connections within our extended family and through our friends. All Armenians seem to know each other in one way or another, its very much a six degrees of separation game. Whether you are in Yerevan, Marseille, Moscow or Racine, Wisconsin, you can probably link one Armenian to another somehow.

The Armenian language is full of so many intense expressions ... from the overused "tsavet tanem" (let me take your pain away) to the amusing "mernem kez" or "ies ko gyankit mernem" (let me die for you or let me die for your life). Everytime I hear these, especially the latter, I can't help do anything but smile ... Or everyone referring to each other as "aper-jan" or "kuyrik-jan" (brother or sister). Ironically, I came all the way to Armenia and found a cousin (of my uncle's (but in Armenian families, everyone is truly a cousin), who I had never previously heard of. My cousin often says "We are mad" ... I am really appreciative of that madness.

You meet a lot of inspiring people in Armenia - the real do-ers. People that act, not just talk and are full of it, though there are plenty of those in Yerevan as well. Many say they want to come here, but they don't ... Others say they want to help, but they don't .... many Armenians say "every Armenian shares a piece in restoring Armenia", but I think I would extend that to the rest of humanity. Non-Armenians in Armenia often say "I'm not Armenian" when talking about emotional issues like the Genocide and the horrid relations between Armenia and its neighbors, so as to distance themselves. "I'm not Armenian" ... meaning 'I don't have any historical connection to the tragedies in recent Armenian history' or 'I don't understand how to empathize'. I recently had a conversation with a Swedish couple (here working with different international projects) about this statement. You don't have to be Armenian to feel the double standards of the world working around you, you don't have to be an ethnic Armenian to understand the world sucks. You just have to have a some type of thought process and not been completely devoid of emotion. There are many in all communities - like Mexicans marrying Armenians in LA, French marrying Armenians in Paris ... that adopt the language and feel what I am talking about.I hope that that rant did not drive you away -

Last Friday, I went to the Ethnographical Museum at Sartarabad ... Sartarabad is an important place for Armenians. It is the last stand - where Armenians defeated the Turks in 1918 - who wanted to push East to create a "pan-Turkic" region. They say that if the Armenians did not win this battle, there would be no Armenia today. Though I am not usually the type to visit museums, I was glad a got a last minute opportunity to go to this museum. It is filled with centuries old artifacts and Armenian crafts, carpets (which is derived from the old Armenian word for carpet - a few letters got switched), old wine making tools, weapons, clothing, khatchars (cross-stones) and much more. Because the museum is so close to the border with Turkey, it is the best place to take a photograph of Mount Ararat (where Noah's Ark is said to have landed). For those of you who have not heard, though Mount Ararat and the surrounding region (the city Kars) are located in Turkey, up until the early twentieth century, they were largely Armenian.

A group of us went to Barekamavan again recently - it is the same village that I visited last month and sent pictures of. This time, we made a donation of several shovels, rakes, buckets and seeds as to help the villagers to make work a little easier. The arable land that they had before the conflict with Azerbaijan is now mined and prone to sniper fire. The school has been kept in pretty good condition, however, they have a basketball court and gym with no equipment. The books were salvaged from the old library and brought into the school where they lie in heaps all over the floor and in bags. The auditorium/library is in bad shape ... you'll see from my pictures. But despite all the tough conditions these people live in, they are among the nicest in the country. Before the downturn (crash of the USSR and the war), they were openly travelling and trading with their neighbors. Nationalist rhetoric from both sides spread from the cities to the countries and violent conflict ruined these people's lives. A village like Barekamavan would be a perfect summer volunteer project - repairing the school, spending time with the people and simply letting them know that the world has not forgotten that they are there.

I have to say one of the most beautiful places - maybe my favorite - in Armenia is Marmashen Vank past Gyumri in the Shirak Region. While most monasteries are situated on high cliffs and winding roads, Marmashen is located on a low ground, so you actually drive downhill to reach it. The monastery itself is average, however the surrounding streams and waterfall are incredible. I urge you to check out my pictures and see what I'm talking about.Otherwise, all else is going normally. My cousin Steve visited for 6 days - during which I presented I tried my best to present all there is to do in Armenia. If you're planning a trip here soon, plan at least 2-3 weeks. Any shorter than that, you'll miss out on visiting some of the most beautiful and fascinating locations. I think within 6 days, we got a good number of restaurants (Square One, CCCP, Mark's Thai Cuisine, Nor Dzeraberd, homemade food and the ever important Marriott).

It was a good time had for all.At work, I have written and put together a new section of the site called www.armeniadiaspora.com/europe. Its about the activities of Armenian communities across Europe, including genocide recognition, quotes from European officials, news articles on Armenian issues in regards to Turkey's negotiations with the European Union ... Support my efforts by checking it out. Even if you are not familiar with the issues, this can be your introduction. The section is largely put together, but its a constant work in progress and I continue to research and find more information. PLEASE READ IT TODAY.

To celebrate the departure, there will be a big dinner at Chez Garo. In classic Western Armenian style, we will kef over su beureks, manti, tas kebabs with fasoulye, tahn and much more. On Sunday, we will have a chocolate cake eating contest at Square One, which should be a disgusting, but entertaining time ...Otherwise, I hope to stay in touch with you all. I hope these updates have held your interest ... return the favor every once in awhile. Writing is one of the best things to do when you are stressed, bored and need something to do to relax your nerves.

Next week, I set out for London and Manchester ... here we go ...Before I peace out - I wanted to thank those who have helped me / shared this experience with me - Sylvie, Rob, Rachel and Audrey especially ... For a dose of normalcy ... The shouting and dancing in the streets ... Always being at Square One ... Moshi moshi ... My parents and brother ...

Alright folks,Take care,hope you are well,over and out,hatchoghutyun (success),
Saro jan

Well, I'm back in Armenia. I thought I would return home to see the new North Avenue progressed ... BUT ... not really. The 2 buildings they have been working on for months now look the same too me; the third one which is being built ... well, that looks the same as well. The Ara Abrahamyan building (the building where Square One and Marco Polo are located) has progressed quite a bit, and the Russians have bought a plot of land in front of my building and are working around the clock. The other night my jetlag woke me up around 4am, with flashes of light throughout my room. I opened the curtains to see the Russians still working. Bravo! There's been a lot of talk lately about many huge investments they, along with the Italians, Indians and other governments and investors, will be making in this country.

Sure this is all exciting, but this damn cold is SICK! For an entire month, all my friends and relatives in Toronto kept asking me why I don't stay for the holidays. My answer was always, "Are you nuts? Yerevan weather is so much nicer this time of the year!"

Reality is that I'm now in hibernation mode.

I spent a tonne of cash in Toronto, buying some new clothes and goodies for my studio, but the main reason I took the trip was to see my 3 month old niece. :-) My family is crazy for kids, so I had a blast spending as much time with her as possible. Well, now I'm back on the other side of the world. No more waking up in the mornings with her by my side. :-( Or those 2 and 4am wake up calls to feed her. OH!!! I loved every bit of it.

Check her out in her Halloween outfit...

I'm not sure whether this is good news or bad news, but the Dram has gained a lot on the dollar. The dollar exchange rate this week for the first time in years dropped below 500, meaning the dram purchasing power has increased substantially. Earlier this year the dram was as low as the 580s. This is not as good as it sounds however, since a large part of the population depends on remittances from their relatives abroad, which almost always come in dollars, and now get them much fewer drams when they convert them. It is also bad news for exporters who pay in drams here for their production and sell for dollars abroad. Who benefits? Locals with dram denominated salaries and importers...

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.

Coming to work today, I saw one of the most amazing sights ever!!! There on Sayat Nova Street at the Terian Street crossing were TWO large pedestrian signs. Probably the size of three American stop signs, it had a bright neon yellow border with a picture of a person and a cross walk. You just can't miss it! As we all know, Armenian drivers tend to speed up when they see a pedestrian crossing the street. At least this signals that the city is doing just a little to help us walking folk out! Maybe one day pedestrians will indeed have the right of way! Here's to hoping.