Gamats gamats
That's the answer to the question how am I these days. Nothing too exciting to report, but since it's been a while I thought I'd check in. I've been going out of town for work on a weekly basis, and it's been a hot, sticky, tiring process (the cars never have A/C). It is still very hot, but the wilting heatwave is over. There are loads and loads of visitors in town, and I don't know how many people I'm meeting who are planning to move here, but it's a lot.
I finally got out of town for fun this weekend, and it was a great time for sure. The temptation of a place in the coutryside once again grew on me - simply by breathing fresh, clean air, and having some peace and quiet. Overall, the center of Yerevan is a noisy, dusty place - the dust will be around till all this construction ends, which looks to take another 5 years at least. I have also been for some reason noticing cigarette smoke in my face a lot more these days, and it is becoming infuriating. I am really sick of the smell following me virtually everywhere - even on sidewalks as there always seems to be a guy smoking in front of me. The AUA Business Center cafeteria (on Alex Manoogian) is a nice respite I must say. Smoking is so ingrained here that even a cab driver would virtually never ask if you mind if you smoke. One almost had a heart attack when I told him not to smoke on a 1.5 hour drive. Four times he tried to smoke anyways.
Well I said there isn't too much to report, so that's it for now...
I finally got out of town for fun this weekend, and it was a great time for sure. The temptation of a place in the coutryside once again grew on me - simply by breathing fresh, clean air, and having some peace and quiet. Overall, the center of Yerevan is a noisy, dusty place - the dust will be around till all this construction ends, which looks to take another 5 years at least. I have also been for some reason noticing cigarette smoke in my face a lot more these days, and it is becoming infuriating. I am really sick of the smell following me virtually everywhere - even on sidewalks as there always seems to be a guy smoking in front of me. The AUA Business Center cafeteria (on Alex Manoogian) is a nice respite I must say. Smoking is so ingrained here that even a cab driver would virtually never ask if you mind if you smoke. One almost had a heart attack when I told him not to smoke on a 1.5 hour drive. Four times he tried to smoke anyways.
Well I said there isn't too much to report, so that's it for now...
posted by Raffi K. at 7:50 AM
14 Comments:
Unfortunately, the smoking situation is like what I've seen in the Amercan movies from the 60-s where everybody smoke. It still strikes me when I see young chicks smoke while driving their Neons. I can actually smell if someone is smoking and we are stopped at the red light or driving slowly in a school zone.
I haven't smoked in 7 years but sometime miss the cigar smoking experience of my youth. Tried one a year ago and surprisingly it was disgusting.
The good news is that there are now laws forbidding smoking in gov't buildings and anti-smoking commercials on radio specifically mentioning cab drivers shouldn't harm their passengers with cigarette smoke. However, a lot more must be done to get the through to the local Armenians. What is even more sad and disappointing to me is that Diaspora Armenians, who establish businesses in Armenia or visit, most often adapt to local ways rather than try to set a good example by doing what is right. For example why the hell does Square One which caters to mainly Diaspora Armenians allow smoking inside or at least doesn't set aside an area for non-smokers? Artbridge at least has a non-smoking section but that is still not good enough, smoking in restaurants should be banned completely and it has been so very successfully in the US and most advanced countries in the world. Anyone who argues banning smoking in restaurants will hurt business is a damn fool who doesn't care about the health of its clients and doesn't realize that a good business will succeed despite banning smoking.
Raffi hope all is well.
Ok... this is where I disagree.... We need to show them what is "RIGHT"??? And WHAT made us the authority on "what is right"????
Just because we have lived in the West, doesn't mean we know what's right and what's wrong. Face the fact that people in Armenia have different customs, routines, rituals, preferences, etc. Fine, I admit that there are some things that would be nice to change--for example, I'd love it if people smiled more, and said hello more. But to expect them to do "the right thing"..... that's a bit too much.
Please remember, just because certain things are done a certain way in the US, it doesn't mean it's the RIGHT thing for Armenia. We didn't survive this many years by being copy-cats.
As for smoking... sure, it bothers me too, but I have the option of leaving right? :)
Sorry Shoosh, this is where you're completely wrong... there may be no right or wrong when it comes to fashion, to women's role in society, etc. We were raised to believe one thing, and here they were raised to believe another - so you can argue that nobody is right. But cigarettes KILL people, they kill innocent people. They kill innocent bystanders, children, workers at the bars and restaurants. You can't just say, "well stay in your home for the rest of your life". It is a public health issue that it is a governments job to address, and eliminate.
It is, in every society, in every place, EVIL.
Raffi and co., I completely fail to see the logic in your comments on this particular topic.
Cars also kill people...innocent people at that. Cell phones are bad for you. Microwaves, etc..
If we start listing off products that are not good for your health, or potentially harmful, we'll be posting a book's worth of info here.
Shame on this Anglo-American "let's make everything like America" attitude that most Armenian-Americans have.
And it's not just Armenian-Americans who have this warped attitude. Italian-Americans have it, Greek-Americans have it, Serbian-Americans, etc..
Every time these people go to their country of origin, it's all.. "Well that's not how it's done in the U.S." Maybe not in so many words, but that's always the underlying mentality.
This is a typical American bred trait. Just about every American I have ever met has this attitude and I don't know why.
God forbid we start taking Anglo-American culture as a protocol for the world.
The Italians smoke, the French smoke, the Greeks smoke, the Armenians smoke, the Spanish smoke.
(May I also mention that all of the above peoples have about the same driving habits too. Coincidence, I think not. It's cultural.)
Let's not go back to stone age America where they love to oppress your civil liberties people.
What's the next "reform" you'd suggest for Armenia? Anglo-American style political correctness? Where you can't even utter a sentence without being sued?
Wrong again.
A car, when used properly, does not kill people by design, and serves an extremely useful purpose. A cigarette, when used properly, kills people, and serves no good purpose. I have never owned a microwave and never plan to. I don't know about Cell phones being dangerous, but if so, again they fall under the car category, they serve a good purpose. Cigarettes kill and stink.
I have the advantage of coming from the USA. I say advantage, not because it is better or worse there, but because it is different. Coming to Armenia and staying here a long time, I can see what is better about here, and what is better about there. I wish we could just take the best of everything, but it doesn't look likely to happen (it certainly isn't happening that way now). Overall, I prefer it here. So all your arguement that I come here and tell people how it should be just like America is wrong... like your arguement about cigarettes.
Cigarettes are EVIL. Pure, unadulterated, EVIL. Something that the majority of the users have tried to stop using, that kills them and those around them, but they just can't quit no matter how hard they try? That my friend is what I call evil. That is what is "enough is enough".
Well, I'm talking more GENERALLY... I don't like the attitude that some people (not necessarily you Raff) have... this mentaility that just because it's done like this in America, it's the "right way".
I've met tourists who were originally born in some slum in the middle east, came to the US and think they made something of themselves, and then after visiting Armenia for the first time, had a LONGGGGGG list of things that Hayasdantsis "do wrong". Yukh-- that's annoying.
I only needed to read a couple of lines to get disgusted by the complete lack of understanding and reason by couple of the writers above.
Everyone has a choice in helping improve Armenia. Those who know what is right from wrong with regards to smoking can make the decision themselves to set examples for those who don't understand the harmfulness of smoking to bystanders. However, to stand idle and do nothing while Armenia's population decays into a society of unhealthy people, is the worst thing anyone with reason can do. Really one look at most of the aged looking young men in Armenia with their skinny unexercised bodies and cigarettes in hand is enough to make anyone with the slightest bit of brains to understand that Armenia must change its ways to become a normal and healthy society.
"Enough is enough", I have rejected your latest comment. I seriously can't believe you claim that second-hand smoke is politics, and I won't have any of that crap here.
Raffi,
That's sad. Reminds me of hetq's complaint regarding freedom of speech in the Armenian press.
What can I say? It took me a while to write that too.
But alas, your blog, your choice.
At least you had the decency to let me know.
I shouldn't be expecting any black-clad sunglass wearing mafiosos to come around in the middle of the night and "rough me up" for talking controversial politics, should I?
Awareness is the key. In Armenia we strongly lack awareness about the real dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke. A 50-year-old heavy smoker person dies from a heart attack and everybody wonders "why", "he never had any heart problems."
Raffi is absolutely right. We need a political will to curb this terrible habit. But, look at our parliamentarians and government officials. What can you expect from them when you see the prime minister giving an interview and smoking at the same time...
Nanul
"Enough is enough", it seems that replying to you is a waste of time, but anyway...
Freedom of speech is not the freedom for you to write whatever you like on MY website, it is the freedom for you to write whatever you want on YOUR website.
And if you believe that people who don't like the smell of cigarette smoke were able to defeat the mult-billion dollar tobacco companies when there are no health risks... well then I have some beachfront land to sell you here in Yerevan... MILLIONS of people are dying every year from this shit (which I would like to point out originates in the USA). MILLIONS.
Guys, have the common courtesy to here each other out in spite of where it is that you disagree. How else would it be a debate...surely we learn from the good and the bad, the right and the wrong and Raffi's point of you and everyone elses...not that I'm saying someones right over another person in here...
Raffi, why do you have the blog if people cannot express how they feel or share their opinion?
Ah, another anonymous commenter chimes in. Why you would be afraid to share your name is beyond me, but whatever...
I am sorry, but I cannot have common courtesy in the case of smoking. The common courtesy would be for people to smoke where I don't have to breathe it, THAT is common courtesy.
Debate??!?! What are we, in kindergarden? Are you kidding me? We can debate all kinds of things here. God, politics, construction... the list goes on and on. But we can NOT debate simple facts, facts which can and HAVE been proven already. Facts like smoking kills smokers and everyone who breathes that carcinogenic shit, facts like the genocide and the holocaust, the earth is not flat, etc.
That's it. No more comments on this subject, I can't believe this nonsense. Go read the American Cancer Societies website: http://www.cancer.org and wikipedia's article on the subject (all backed up with sources): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking#Passive_smoking
I have this blog to share what life in Armenia is like, not to debate proven facts with people who seemingly have nothing better to do with their time.
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