Comments for Cilicia.com

Comment on Disgruntled Librarians by Vahagn

Vahagn — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:12:51 +0000

This is how ALL Soviet libraries used to operate, and most (if not all) Armenian libraries continue the same practice. No browsing at all. You tell them the specific book you what, they bring it out to you. As you rightly pointed out, no wonder there are no people in libraries.

Comment on Disgruntled Librarians by Antoine Terjanian

Antoine Terjanian — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:55:10 +0000

Raffi Jan:
What you describe is unacceptable, and is one of the remaining traces of Soviet bureaucracy.
We have a public Library in Yeghegnadzor, and from the start Sheila and I befriended them by giving them any extra english books we had. Then Sheila started buying and bringing them English books discarded from Canadian libraries. They were most appreciative and we could (you could too) come and browse the Yeghegnadzor library anytime. They are located on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the Kulturayi Toun, and were recently renovated.
No wonder they came in at the top in the readership survey of Armenia.

Comment on Map of Non-Smoking Places in Yerevan by David B

David B — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:39:44 +0000

Found this conversation and was hoping to use it as a poll for this subject. Do you think a very central cafe’ serving great coffee with a good environment could be profitable in Yerevan if it were 100% no smoking???

Comment on Snow storm by Arina

Arina — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:28:24 +0000

I almost fell near the Narek Shop on Mashtots for exactly that reason. While in there a young man approached them asking if they were interested in him getting breaking away the ice – and they said we’ll only pay you 1000 AMD. He of course didn’t do it. That’s all our backs and legs are worth to them!

Comment on Disgruntled Librarians by Raffi K

Raffi K — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:52:41 +0000

Hey Adrineh – what I coincidence. That’s the only library I’ve really entered. I was with some friends and we’d just gone to the little gallery next to it which so often has really interesting exhibits. We popped in, and it was a surreal underground space, with a traditional music group playing instruments, people hanging out, etc. But I really only noticed the English books of the American Corner and British Council. I’ll have to go back to see what they have in terms of Armenian books. I understand their need to ensure books people take home come back, but just to let someone browse? I don’t get it.

Comment on Disgruntled Librarians by Adrineh

Adrineh — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:26:58 +0000

Raffi jan, you can look at books at the Isahakyan Library near the Hraparak (Republic Square) metro. Well, library in the singular sense of the word is misleading because the Isahakyan Library is actually a lot of little “libraries”, which also includes the British Council Resource Center and the American Corner (perhaps you’ve already been there?). In any case, I found the task of obtaining a library card to take out a book from these libraries to be another headache in and of itself! Before I began this process, I never realized it would be so difficult to take out books from a library. It IS a public service, after all!

Comment on snow, snow, and more snow by Raffi K

Raffi K — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:47:33 +0000

I was happy with the “warm” winter continuing, and having to go to the mountains in case I wanted to freeze, but I’m glad the kids love it

Comment on Hemshin Repatriation by Edward Demian

Edward Demian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:29:44 +0000

Kool. What do you need? One big “parerar”, or a thousand small donations from other like minded Armenians. Do you need a central bank account for the donations to be sent to? One needs to opened one, under the name of “Hamshen Resettlement Fund”. As soon as we have enough to spend, we hire a person to go and pick one family; Just bring them into Karabagh, let them pick some abandoned village, wherever they want, and let them reclaim what infrastructure there is, or pioneer their own, in remote areas. We need to stop talking about changing their religion. Religion is a private matter. No one’s business. What if these people were Atheists?

Comment on European Court and Buzand Street in Yerevan by Raffi K

Raffi K — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:20:19 +0000

It’s not in the least bit clear to me what the numbers were that were being asked, that were given originally, or what total amount is now received. I just know the ECHR gave them more than before.

Comment on European Court and Buzand Street in Yerevan by Antoine Terjanian

Antoine Terjanian — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:51:49 +0000

I understand they got between 5000 and 40,000 Euros while they were claiming over 200,000 Euros(am I correct). It wasn’t clear in the report I read whether that included their costs for taking this action or if there was an additional payment to cover these costs.
In either case, with the amounts they have now received, they would not get anywhere near the cost of an appartment in any of those buildings. Correct?