Be Nice at Venice: Padus-Araxes Course of Armenian Language, torrents of Wisdom, unforgettable experience...

Garodalí log addicts!!! I missed you, sorry I couldn't log before but I was quite busy, so now I take advantage of this month, January, when Buenos Aires gets calm, but hot as an oven...

Last August one of my dreams came true: To visit Venice and learn (reforce in my case) the Armenian language. The association PADUS-ARAXES lead by the great Professor Boghos H. Levon Zekyan, since 1985 during august joins Armenian from all the world to attend intensive course of Armenian language, its history and culture.

I will retell a common day of this intensive course.

I used to wake up early, about 7 a.m. , brush my teeth, prepare my classbook, dress myself comfortably (Venice is too hot during August) and take a little breakfast. Then run to the Vaporetto Station, walking down the venecian streets, stairs up or stairs down, speaking Armenian while you see the beauty of the city from the boat.
The first class started at 8 am, we had our TATAR (BREAK) to coffee or smoke or whatever at 9.20 am, then again inside the University (Ca' Foscari) up to 1.30 pm, The Teachers were not the same for every class, it depended on the level you were attending for the course. I must admit that the team of Teachers was superb, they were very kind people, true charisma to teach and be your friend at the same time. They were the sweet voice French-Armenian singer Rosine Tachdjian, the wise and experienced American-Armenian Professor Raffi Setian, the charismatic story teller Baron Yervant Manok (French Armenian, borned in Bolis), one of the most Armenian fire-spirits I have ever met (like the Golden Mother Anahit), literature Professor, Oriort Salpy Kasparian from Haleb, the famous artist, sculptor, Lebanese origin but living in Italy, Movses Guloyan (MOSSIG!!!) and the eminence, Professor Boghos Zekyan, (our garodalí Hayr Levon). But this cultural machine wouldn't work properly without the help of two great persons: secretary Daniela Reato, a sweet woman who organizes all about the papers and activities of the course (and someone I cant forget, she was borned on 31st july, like me ;-) and.......The great, the unique, the super... HAYG !!! Hayg helped the teachers, mostly the president of the Association Hayr Levon, to keep all the activities, extra-activites in complete order. He was like the alma mater of the group of students, helped us in all our inquiries, and joined us in all our crazy nights of Armenian joy!!!

It was like a big puzzle of Armenian, all them from different places, all together, all to learn the language of our father Mashdotz...
Try to imagine that in a patio of Venice a bunch of young men and women were united, hand by hand, dancing our antique circle dances, or singing our sweet eternal melodies.
During three weeks, we lived a kind of brotherhood between the students and the teachers, a brotherhood that everyone that had been there will never forget. I will tell you more about the students each in other log. Because not only attending to this course, but most of the teachers and lots of the students too have an active life in their respective communities.

About Venice, what can I say??? REPLACE THE ASPHALT WITH BLUE MEDITERRANEAN WATER!!!, just that!!! The you'll see, that there are still some magic places in this world.

We have been doing also extra-activities, but sure this must be retold in others logs as well. I can't describe Sourp Ghazar Island in two paragraphs,as other Armenian treasures of Venice.


Here in Buenos Aires a tragedy happened, a discoteque got burned, 200 ppl died, mostly adolescents...Big pezevengner in this country, as in many others...What can we do??? The fedayin spirit will return one day!!! Be ready ! ! !

Mishd Badrasd

Juanig