speaking out for oneself or democracy in action

I've been meaning to write about this for a week now.

Last week, I joined a group of 50-60 people who took the streets (sidewalks actually) with proper police escort and all. The protest was organized by a grassroots women’s' group called Women's Resource Center. We held a vigil and a silent march from the Cascade to Republic Square. There they read out loud their open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This initiative was part of the women's coalition for peace in the Caucasus. What this means is that other women groups held similar demonstrations in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ajaria...

What we were hoping to achieve from this regional civic action was the inclusion of women during the peace talks. As a majority of the victims of war and conflicts, women directly and indirectly are pushed aside when the time comes for developing peace resolutions (for Karabagh for example).

As part of the learning process, Lara (co-director of this local NGO) feels that the girls (students mostly) involved in organizing and implementing this event have not only learned the essentials of the organizational part, but also that their democratic rights can be practiced, if they put their minds to it.

Hayastancis discovering us, loggers

Discussing repat issues in the office, Arsineh and I mentioned this log space to our colleagues (Liana and Mane) and automatically they jumped on the internet and looked into this log... what did they think? they liked the idea of this kind of space where us repats actually talk about real issues and comments about the local lifestyle etc.

I think it interesting to have locals read about our thoughts and even more interesting to have them comment on our experiences and how we look at things... this being said, I am not inviting people to start arguments and insult each others' view. It is clear that many of my readers live the same experience differently and frankly, that's how it should be.

Anyhow, enough rambling, back to work.

Vote for Armenian artist Silva

Guys only a few hours left, but go to this site and vote! Silva is on the list of the remaining 20 in the BBC's competition The Next Best Thing. If you don't know anything about her, she's a new artist from Armenia, and currently has a very popular ballad on the charts in Armenia. If you want to support an Armenian artist then DO IT NOW!!!!

Mmmmmmmm.... yammmmmmsssss...........

Okay I have an explanation for the dictatorship thing. So, I have a strange fear of needles and knifes. The second they are in someone else's hands, I start freaking out. When they are in my hands, I'm totally cool and calm. I realize this could be some serious psychological trust issues, but at least I'm not afraid of bananas (yes, this fear is a real disease which my friend has). So when I'm in the kitchen and other people are there... NOT behind the barrier of the counter, I get nervous. So there. I said it. I'm not ashamed! Besides, that was some mean barsgagan pilaf WITH the perfect tadik. I even flipped it PERFECT onto the plate so it didn't fall apart. Also on the menu were the Turkey Lara prepared (thank you Lara), yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatos (provided by fellow DC barsgahye repat Anoush), Baghali polo, Bamia khoresht, gravy, stuffing, barsgagan rice with tadik, Arsineh's special salad (which I invented last night and shall claim as my recipe), Lucy's special salad (with funky-lookin' mushrooms), special appetizers like my special new olive dip, Kojian's favorite string cheese, hummus, and then dessert... Lucy's apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, Kojian's fruit salad, Araz and Artyom's mix of sweets (eclairs and such), and Arsineh's special tea.

I mention our entire menu because I never made a full meal for more than two people at a time and wanted to show off. :) LOOK MOM, I MADE THANKSGIVING DINNER!!! But seriously, I didn't even know I can cook.

It was clear who were the Americans in the room (4 out of 9) when we got to dessert. The others stopped eating and looked at us as if we were crazy for continuing... ok, they looked at me and thought I was crazy. So no dessert was consumed... I had half an eclair... and tea... and Bailey's. :)

So that's my Happy Thanksgiving story. I hope everyone enjoyed, can't wait for leftovers!

Armenian Talents

For all those who think there is a lack of talent in Armenia, I can assure you otherwise. Having just produced Mister X’s live concert on Sunday and Monday (Nareg, you should have come to that…) I understand the major issues as far as holding regular live concerts in Armenia. I know this may sound lame, but it all boils down to MONEY. Sound equipment is very expensive. In addition, not all groups carry a full range of equipment (Forte, Ovation, and such). A producer must make selective and wise decisions not to get caught up in a big spending spree.

Recently, Shushan Petrossyan performed Live at the Opera, Lilit Pipoyan, Artur Mesjyan, Haiko, Tata and Andre also did the same, before that Arsen Safaryan and Nune Yesayan. In a few days Yegishe Petrosyan (Arzagank) and then Rouben Hakhverdyan and Sirusho will also be singing live. These are the artists that make the up the Armenian music scene here. So, talent we have, producers with lots of money is where the problem lays.

Mister X was on stage with over 30 musicians (Radio Jazz orchestra). He sang a variety of songs including a masterpiece with Anna Mailyan; Pieta Senore. He will be soon touring North America and during the tour will remove the mask and hopefully also change the name. I, like so many out there, feel that his image (masked man) and his music are not compatible. He has finally agreed and will soon follow through… after that, keep an eye on him as he will be a rising star!

... but this is not Canadian Thanksgiving Day

So we’re having thanksgiving with a bunch of American-Armenians (most of whom have or still log here)… guess who ended up making the Turkey? Yep, us Canadians!

Well it’s ok really, we have been known to be the backbone of North America.

Of course I am kidding. I love teasing my Armenian-American friends and am able to take some Canadian bashing myself, so no hard feelings I’m sure.

The main reason for this log is regarding a thought I was having today. It’s so interesting that when we were in the West (USA, Canada, Europe etc) we would go all out to make sure that we celebrate that Armenian holiday. Here it is the opposite. We make sure that we do something special on Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas (well, that’s because Lara’s and some of my family is Catholic). Anyhow, this beig said, I think us Armenians get the better of each world, no matter where we live.

Happy Thanksgiving – remember to watch the All Armenia Fund Telethon and pledge!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are an hour from eating our feast, as Arsineh has taken over the kitchen and is being a bit of a dictator. We are letting it slide though because she seems to know how to make some mean barsgagan pilaf!

2 people had babies in the past 24 hrs and it's very cool, especially since one is named Raffi :-) (and the other one has my grandmothers name by coincidence!).

So it's going to be a good one, and the ArmeniaFund Telethon will be broadcast live from LA on H1 here in a few hours. I hope everyone's watching!

I went up to Tiflis last weekend, it was a really great trip. I finally got a great tour of a ton of Armenian places which are not known to be Armenian by most. A couple of great young Armenians showed us the sites, with Armenian inscriptions and all. I put a bunch of it on Armeniapedia. I'll try to add more pictures very soon instead of letting it slide for a long time. There's also a few pics on flickr.

Lip-Stinking in Armenia

I’ve just returned from a fine evening at the Opera House here in Yerevan. A concert had been organised in moral support of Lebanon, given the war that took place over the summer, expressing hope that this country, which has meant so much to Armenians, to the Diaspora, will soon be back on its feet, etc., etc. They aired it live on H1, via satellite, too, by the way.

It was nice seeing the Opera packed, meeting old friends and hearing lots and lots of arevmdahayeren. Naturally, there were many lipanantsis present, so the “dzos” and “gors” rang to my heart’s content. I have nothing against arevelahayeren, of course, but the kind of language I grew up hearing at home does feel that extra bit special, as I’m sure one would understand.

The concert itself can be summed up in one word, my very favourite word in Armenian – khaydaragoutiun. That is truly what it was. It started an entire hour late. I have no problems there. Some of the people on the programme did not perform. Again, that’s fine by me.

My main point of contention – and the real reason I’m writing this blog entry is to vent my frustration at this – is a widespread practice here in Hayastan which, to me, comes under that “incomprehensible” category that also contains being clad in red from head to foot and wiping one’s pointy black shoes with a piece of cloth every three seconds. My beef is with lip-synching.

To begin with, who in Heaven’s name are they kidding ? On at least two occasions this evening, the music began BEFORE the performer(s) actually pretended to perform, and, again, twice the music ended in a fade-out. A fade-out! It’s just the one chap on stage with a microphone, but there’s at least two or three voices singing…! And then this group comes on, all dressed up nicely in old-fashioned, traditional Armenian clothes, going the ashough way with some Sayat Nova. They bring their chairs and musical instruments up front (canon, kamancha, dhol, etc.), and the singers get in line at the back. The music starts, and they barely, barely make it in time to make it look like they’re actually playing, but the real pièce de resistance is the fact that all the music is blasting away from the amplifiers, but there isn’t a single microphone on stage anywhere…! Aboushner!

Seriously, man, such khaydaragoutiun!

Okay, to be fair, there were one or two numbers that were for real, and they were good, and there were two dance pieces which were, of course, quite authentic and legitimate. But I do NOT get the lip-synching and I feel thoroughly upset because of it. I mean, you don’t go to a concert to hear the guy’s CD; that’s what you do at home. You go to a concert to see the guy, his entire group, feel the energy, hear his actual voice… I’m no artist – far from it – but I know when I’m being fooled and I don’t like it.

Is this a common occurrence in other parts of the world ? Will someone please explain this lip-stinking phenomenon to me ?

Dilijan Tourist Information Center open

As of today, the tourist information office in Dilijan is officially open. It looks beautiful I must say, and has some good resources for anyone in the area. More info on the CAPS site. The road to the opening was a tough one, but the results were definitely worthwhile.

Internet monopoly ends in: 2006???

I mean, I'd heard the rumors, hoped against hope, and dreamed, but now it all seems so much closer to reality. The internet monopoly in Armenia might end this year, which would cause prices to drop like CRAZY! A direct quote from RFE/RL: "Government legal advisor Vahe Yaghubian announced that it was the initiative of VimpelCom to bring up the matter of monopolies and said that the Russian firm is ready to get rid of monopolies within a short period of time. Thus, VimpelCom will give up monopoly on internet data transmission immediately after closing the deal."

Well, as always, I don't believe it till I see it, but it is definitely incredibly encouraging! There might be cheap, high speed, wireless internet at all the cafes next summer, so pack your laptops when you come! :-)

THE WORLD HAS SPOKEN!!!!!!!

First of all, YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY AMERICA!!!!!!! All those non-believers who accused me of being an America hating communist, take a good look. I've never been more proud to be an American as I am today!

Democrats take over the House
Democrats take over the Senate
and DONALD RUMSFELD RESIGNS!!!!

Oh, for the cherry on top, UN lifts the embargo on Cuba. Wait, that is kinda a commie thing to say. Well, whateverrr.....

SHNORHAVOR AMERICANS, you can now look towards a brighter future... sorta. Let's face it, the Dems aint much better, but at least they aren't AS evil.

By the way, here is an old photo of our New Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaking at the Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Observance for the 90th Anniversary. Let's do our job reminding her of her loyalty to us. :)

Random Notes

Random notes:

Just dropped by the newest Star Supermarket franchise located in Zeytun. Very impressive, and probably the most modern supermarket in Armenia. They're open 24 hours a day, and its layout is the closest thing to resembling a European or North American supermarket. Prices are also very reasonable, but too bad they are located far from downtown Yerevan. Modern supermarkets are the latest trend in Yerevan, popping up on every corner of the city.

I've heard many people mention how good Armenians seem to be in interior designs of retail stores, restaurants and cafes. But like most things in Armenia, there are extremes. Mocka is a brand new café located by Cascade. Small, very original design, decent menu, but hopefully they don't cheat customers like we were almost cheated. Our total was 3 times more than it was supposed to be. Hin Yerevan (which has a tendency to cheat customers the same way) has turned into a 7-story restaurant. In the same complex is a pizzeria with an ugly sign which reads Santa Rita Four Pizza. Not sure what the "Four Pizza" means. Giani Jewellers is opening a shop on Northern Avenue with another ugly sign that reads SAVE THE QUEEN! GIANI. Huh? Across from that, there is a restaurant of some sort opening up on the first floor of an "elite" business building. Inside you'll find a built-in barbecue, similar to those found on Proshyan Street. Can you guys picture what the new and elite European-style Northern Avenue is turning into?

Sort of off topic, but I just heard a couple of stories dealing with corruption and powerless police.

1 - Someone got their car broken into, and their laptop was stolen. Of course data in the computer was more valuable than the actual computer. Cops were notified and eventually the laptop returned. How? The cops called the local thieves of that community and asked them to return the computer because it had lots of important files inside, and so they did.

2 - A car is stolen. The owner calls the cops, but they tell him they can't really help. Eventually, the cops make a deal with the local thieves of that community to return the car. The car is returned for a fee of $500.

Sad isn't it.

Great election news!!

Two particularly fantastic bits of news are that Nancy Pelosi from San Francisco, who has pledged to support Armenian Genocide legislation will be the new House Speaker, and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey held on in a very hard race - he has a hold on the confirmation of Ambassadorial nominee Hoagland. These are big news for Armenians who had to deal with Speaker Hastert, who makes my stomach churn.

Ararat, Azerbaijan, Tourists, and GO VOTE!

Yes, Raffi, you may uncork that bottle of champagne. I've decided to log once more. My absence has been merely a function of circumstance, and nothing more.

As many indicated the summer/visitor season was quite intense, but nice, I must say. A variety of people dropped in and out of the scene. As much as we all complain about the tourists coming out of every nook and cranny of this city during the May-October months, for us who live here, their visits revitalize us and keeps us going through the quiet period. So, keep coming, and keep staying with us. We love you! And as a friend of mine pointed out to me, many of our friends and family who've been to Armenia several times by this point, do keep coming back because they want to see us and not Garni and Geghard, so can we please acknowledge that as well!

My view of Ararat this year has been particularly interesting. In the last few days Ararat has been visible in the middle of the night, because of the particularly clear skies (read: cold, cold winter air at night) and the freshly powdered peaks, and the beautiful moonlight. So, a siluette of the two majestic peaks are clearly visible throughout the night, and the dramatic dawn images are things of natural wonders. I will try to capture a few pictures soon.

Raffi had logged about the tourism Armenia ads that are now running on CNN International. The other night, I was watching a program on CNN, and this ad came on, and my friend and I were trying to figure out from the get go what country it was, because the images/dances/landscapes were oddly familiar. There was an Iranian tea cup scene (well made), dancers (very Armenian circle dance like), and you can't tell what country it is or who it is--except the music is reminiscent of Kurdish string music--you get the point--and all of a sudden at the very end of the commercial, as the images are fading away, the words Azerbaijan appear on the screen. No voice over, nothing...I guessed Turkey, before Azerbaijan appeared on the screen. They've done well, presenting a collection of regional tastes and cultures under the banner Azerbaijan.

And finally, have you voted yet in the US elections? By the time this log appears, you'll have a few more hours/minutes (depending on where you live), so GO VOTE! If for nothing else, but for the opportunity to have the first female Speaker of the House of Representative--and not only that, but she's a first rate legislator.

Raffi, I want a glass of that champagne.

5th Anniversary!

I came to the realization the other night that it was exactly 5 years and 5 days ago that I first moved to Armenia. Thus, I wanted to share a photo from my first month as a resident in Armenia (November 2001) that speaks for itself. For those who are not familiar with my story, I came... and went... and came and went and came and went and came and went and came... and stayed. Just like that.

What's changed? Everything and nothing. Here's a top 10 list just for entertainment sake:


STILL THE SAME:

1. Water issues (at least in my flat)
2. Old school personal heater
3. Smokers everywhere I go >:(
4. Khorovadz still too salty
5. Baked goods still melt in my mouth
6. I walk everywhere :)
7. Crossing the street is like frogger the game (we don't always make it across)
8. Loitering
9. Scientifically parted hair
10. The medical system still sucks (sorry, had to bring it up)


ALL THAT'S CHANGED:

1. High speed internet
2. Cell phones (just found out I can SMS the US for 20 drams!!!)
3. SOOOOOOO many repats now
4. Real estate prices (yikes!)
5. My digital camera to capture all the beauty
6. AMAZING new arrival terminal at the airport (wow)
7. Business competition (or getting there)
8. Smiling faces (slowly... this includes customer service)
9. Non-smoking section at 2 restaurants that I know of (let the movement begin!!!)
10. I love my work :D

With that said, it's been a lovely journey and I cherish every minute I've spent in Armenia for the last five years. I hope to share more stories for another 50.

Armentel sold...

Well, the Russians have bought another very important Armenian asset - Armentel. The company owns all of Armenia's land lines, one of only 2 mobile phone providers, the monopoly on the internet and external telephony. I have nothing against the Russians, but the amount of stuff owned by one foreign power seems out of control... especially when they have a reputation now for using their assets as a foreign policy tool.

There were rumors that when Armentel is sold, the internet monopoly would be removed from the company - now I wait to see if it is true or not. I definitely won't believe it till I see it! It will be interesting in general though to see what happens to prices of the internet, which are so incredibly high here - and with unreliable service on top of that, now that it has been sold by the utterly incompetent Greek operator. The Armenian Government talks a great deal about the importance of Information Technology in Armenia... now let's see if it's just lip service.

Sniffles

I finally got the cold that has been circulating around town. I tried to avoid it, but a few too many days on the road combined with nights out sealed my fate.

As Arsineh said, the large masses of visitors are definitely gone, so some quiet is nice too, but it means the dreaded cold is coming... getting together in peoples homes becomes more possible with less people around, and also much more necessary now that outdoor cafes/restaurants are gone and true non-smoking places just don't exist.

I love Yerevan in November... how 'bout you?

New York in June ain't got nothin' on this. I got back to Yerevan last Friday and it's soooo good to be back. As great as my trip to the US was, it's becoming very clear that Yerevan is my home. The familiar faces, the busy streets, the smells of food and the daily lifestyle, it's beautiful this time of year!

I'm back in full force at work and as our company grows, the clients increase and the characters that pass through entertain us with all their unique quirks. It adds to the excitement of our daily routine. Work aside, every night is a spontaneous gathering. Either running into friends somewhere or getting people together last minute for a pleasant viewing of movies at someones house. With the tourists gone, it's easier to see close friends who live here without the distraction of "oh, I can't make it, I have cousins, parents, aunts and uncles in town I have to entertain..." It was great to have that, but now it's nice to see friends here too. Life is normalizing in a positive direction.