Boo!
No, you are not seeing a ghost. It in fact is me writing... again.
I just spent the past week in Marbella, Spain with my parents and it was an amazing experience. For five entire days I slept, sat under the sun, and ate. Now some might find that to be the most boring experience ever, but it was just what I needed.
My flight back to Armenia was quite interesting. I flew through London and had to switch from Gatwick to Heathrow. I had forgotten how beautiful London can be. The flight from London -Yerevan was PACKED. Literally, there was not one seat available. I've heard that BA is actually opening up three additional flights for a total of six per week. When we landed in Armenia it was truly funny to watch the flight attendants try and man the Armenians who often refuse to adhere to the "fasten seat belt" rule. After a standing ovation (somewhat of an exaggeration) all the Armenians decided to stand up and run after their baggage. Too bad it took another 20 minutes to get the doors open.
After arriving, I went to the baggage claim to pick up my one "chamadan". (This after boasting to some new diasporans about how amazing Armenia's airport services had become). Well what do you know Arina's baggage did not come through. I stayed for one WHOLE hour and a half and in the end my army green bag did not come through. Of course I freak out (I also did some shopping in Spain) and talk to BA who says maybe my luggage went to Tashkent. I then call today and they tell me I did not see my baggage and it had been there the WHOLE time. I have no further explanation....
The summer is going by so quickly. So many foreigners and locals crowd the cafes and the streets. The city is super lively and it's great to be here. I specifically have a few friends in town and a few weeks ago we had a nice evening out at a lounge here in Yerevan. We met one of the "wealthier" Armenians from Yerevan who had an interesting outlook on the future of Armenia. He (who also happens to be high in the government surprise surprise) predicts that Armenia will begin seeing drastic improvements in six months and that the next president will be Levon Ter Petrosyan. My impression that LTP could not be pres again, but then again I don't know what he knows... time will tell!
My final story of the day - about a month ago I went to a lecture on the new (to be adopted) labor code. In discussing the new law on vacations, Armenians will not be guaranteed 24 working days of vacation (28 calendar days). However, the new labor code does not allow them to take a few days at a time, but instead forces them to take a minimum of 14 days each time (meaning an Armenian can either take 14 days twice or the entire 28 days in one go). The moderator is asked... "well what if someone wants to take one or two days off?". Response - "who would want to take just one or two days off. When you take a vacation it should be a minimum of two weeks". It will be funny, yet sad, if they set this rule in stone.
I just spent the past week in Marbella, Spain with my parents and it was an amazing experience. For five entire days I slept, sat under the sun, and ate. Now some might find that to be the most boring experience ever, but it was just what I needed.
My flight back to Armenia was quite interesting. I flew through London and had to switch from Gatwick to Heathrow. I had forgotten how beautiful London can be. The flight from London -Yerevan was PACKED. Literally, there was not one seat available. I've heard that BA is actually opening up three additional flights for a total of six per week. When we landed in Armenia it was truly funny to watch the flight attendants try and man the Armenians who often refuse to adhere to the "fasten seat belt" rule. After a standing ovation (somewhat of an exaggeration) all the Armenians decided to stand up and run after their baggage. Too bad it took another 20 minutes to get the doors open.
After arriving, I went to the baggage claim to pick up my one "chamadan". (This after boasting to some new diasporans about how amazing Armenia's airport services had become). Well what do you know Arina's baggage did not come through. I stayed for one WHOLE hour and a half and in the end my army green bag did not come through. Of course I freak out (I also did some shopping in Spain) and talk to BA who says maybe my luggage went to Tashkent. I then call today and they tell me I did not see my baggage and it had been there the WHOLE time. I have no further explanation....
The summer is going by so quickly. So many foreigners and locals crowd the cafes and the streets. The city is super lively and it's great to be here. I specifically have a few friends in town and a few weeks ago we had a nice evening out at a lounge here in Yerevan. We met one of the "wealthier" Armenians from Yerevan who had an interesting outlook on the future of Armenia. He (who also happens to be high in the government surprise surprise) predicts that Armenia will begin seeing drastic improvements in six months and that the next president will be Levon Ter Petrosyan. My impression that LTP could not be pres again, but then again I don't know what he knows... time will tell!
My final story of the day - about a month ago I went to a lecture on the new (to be adopted) labor code. In discussing the new law on vacations, Armenians will not be guaranteed 24 working days of vacation (28 calendar days). However, the new labor code does not allow them to take a few days at a time, but instead forces them to take a minimum of 14 days each time (meaning an Armenian can either take 14 days twice or the entire 28 days in one go). The moderator is asked... "well what if someone wants to take one or two days off?". Response - "who would want to take just one or two days off. When you take a vacation it should be a minimum of two weeks". It will be funny, yet sad, if they set this rule in stone.
posted by Arina at 10:09 PM
12 Comments:
Levon? Pres? LOL! Who's going to vote for him? I'm scared to see what will happen at the next presidential election. The potential candidates, in my opinion, look worse for the next election than this past one. Imagine Serge Sargssian, or Arthur Baghdassarian, or Levon, or Gegham as the next pres. The thought of it makes me want to return back to Canada. I vote for Vardan Oskanian. :-)
The baggage business can be amazing in Armenia. When I missed a connecting flight in Washington DC, United had sent my luggage to Vienna. I tried to track it in the US or Austria, and it was not in the system.
When I got to Yerevan a few days later, my chamadan was sitting next to the conveyer belt.
Also, according to the constitution, one is limited to two CONSECUTIVE presidential terms.
I think there is a lot of respect for LTP in Armenia. But he will need to campaign. Since 1998, he's been absent from public life so it's gonna take a lot of effort to convince the voters.
Respect for LTP? Do these people remember what Armenia was like under his rule? Kocharian is a saint next to him. He needs to stay absent from public life.
Nazarian, I have a lot of local Armenian friends. I do not know ONE person that likes that guy. You might want to tell me more about this "a lot of respect" you mentioned.
Surprisingly, one thing I noticed is that I've heard a lot of locals mention that they would have loved for Raffi Hovhannessian to be elected, and no local Armenian. Interesting.
They must be ARF members :)
Nazarian, I would like you to reconsider your limp classification of the relationship between R.Hovanessian and the ARF. There is no relationship. I personally think the ARF is wonderful organization but kind of lost or out of social step with current day Armenia…what do you think? They take an all or nothing approach (a heavy hand if you will) that doesn’t seem to work anymore.
Yes today’s R. Hovhannessian adds much needed balance and healthy debate in Armenia’s political enviroment , but can he win an election? Will that personality broadcast in time for the next presidential election? Only if he buys enough votes/face-time my friends…
Nazarian, I do not know of ONE ARF member that likes Raffi. And none of those people that said they would vote for Raffi are pro-ARF. Why would they be anyway when ARF was backing Kocharian for the last election, and Raffi teamed up with Demirjian and Geghamian?
I did not post about Raffi H.
I posted about ""Nazarian, I have a lot of local Armenian friends. I do not know ONE person that likes that guy". And it had a smiley face.
Anyway.
I was hoping that Raffi H. would show strong support during the last elections but unfortunately, he didn't.
You are aware that he wasn't even a candidate, right?
Nazarian, so your "They must be ARF members :)" comment was in regards to my friends who support Raffi H? If so, just to let you know, the friends who mentioned this hate ARF.
Anyway, this conversation is a waste of time, considering Levon imprisoned most ARF leaders and members when he was supposedly leading this country.
I agree with der hova.. It's gotta be Vardan Oskanian! I 'm not sure if its ever possible but I just like his outlook. Not so much western...but, he has that touch, is it the western touch? I'm not sure what touch? Or the intelligence touch..?-Which is certainly lacking in Armenian politics today.
It pains me ( and still does ) to watch the Armenian prime minister Margarian stand there with a cig in his hand , trying desperately to string a sentence together that sounds reasonably intelligent, and in my opinion, if you can't even do that, you should be not be involved in politics, it doesn't matter how many army barracks you've headed, or how many Azeris you drove away, these are matters for the military, and we should all be proud, but I think the ties between military and political life in Armenia are worryingly close, but its understandable due to the problems we've faced in the past...
I'd love to be president of Armenia - but in all honesty, im scared i'd be shot.
*
Harmick
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