Proud EXPAT

I believe it's Tzghot

I was watching a debate on H1 (State Armenian TV channel) here in Armenia last night. The debate was if there should just be one dialect. The good part was that the 2 speakers (one an Eastern Armo the other Western) were quite fair and had vaild points. It was also good to see that the Eastern Armenian was defending the Westerns point when it came to the debate of spelling the original Mesrobian way. By the way I have many Armenian friends from Armenia whom have studied Western Armenian in school, so it does actually exist. The cool thing is that I know many local Armenians that know a lot of the words we Western Armos use that they usually don't such as "asor/anor/ador", "hos/hon", "adika/anika/asika", etc. When I first moved here not a lot of people knew these words, but it's changed quite a bit over the years. I always say why not give up both dialects and go back to Grabar. I think it is a beautiful language. Either way, I don't think the differences in the dialects are that different. When I first moved here I couldn't understand anything people were saying, but once in a while I would meet someone whom I could totally understand. Why? Because they were speaking proper and clean Eastern Armenian, none of the Russian words or slangs. Gor-Gor it's better to talk about getting all those spyurqahays over here rather than opening up all these churches and schools abroad. As far as Armos in the middle east go, they are, at a fast pace, decreasing in population. Take for example Armos in Syria. They used to be the elite minority, and most Arabs, from what I've heard, used to think of them as a special race. Now all the Arabs have conquered the industries Armenians were once known to be masters at. Sad. The new generations of Armos in Lebanon and Syria are moving here. Studying here, then deciding not to go back.

HAKOB seems the most correct to me. The original Mesrobyan spelling with Eastern Armenian pronunciations. And who's to say it shouldn't be pronounced YAKOB? Just like HARUT/HAROUT can be YARUT/YAROUT? We'll never really know the truth about the tricky "hee/yee" letter I guess. And by the way the variation of AKOB exists only because the letter H doesn't exist in the Russian language and we all know how much influence the Russians have had on our heritage.

Who said that's all we listen to? Why don't you tell us some of your fave styles or groups? Ya I suppose Massive Attack can be labelled trip hop, but I think their mish-mash of many styles make them unique. BTW I think Massive Attack KICKS Portishead's butt!

How did hip hop create Ms. Dynamite or Beyonce? They are neo soul R&b artists wouldn't you say? I shouldn't even get into my views on hip hop, where it started from and what useless things almost every commercial rapper has to say these days. In any case, categorizing music is stupid and restricts creativity if you ask me. Try to categorize Massive Attack, you really can't. And that is what makes them so interesting. Missy mixing experimental neo R&B with rap and even a house tune ("this is for my people") is brilliant and proves how talented she is. Plus I love it when black artists appreciate house music. After all they were the pioneers of house music. You just don't see too many black people into house anymore.

House music, sure it's become dry and typical, but then again almost every style of music as well. Don't tell me hip hop has become creative (other than a few artists like Missy experimenting a little bit.) Early 90's techno from the UK, Canada and the Detroit area of USA were brilliant, but then again the majority of people especially in Armenia call any music made with synths techno. DM were awesome until they became a little dry over these past few years. Nevertheless I have hope they will kick some _ss again soon. Massive Attack has always been amazing. There's really not that much awesome music around. Creative with longevity, know what I mean? Thank God for System of a Down for showing a little big of creativity and depth in rock music. Not just saying it because they are Armos, but in all honesty. I don't listen to them, but I know they are amazing at what they do in their genre of music. Don't say house is boring, like I had said, that term doesn't say much these days since it's branched out so much.

'non-music'? What the heck is that? Banging on a pot with a spoon is music to me. As far as mainstream goes, USA is way too hip hop based to ever accept house music on daytime radio. Canada has been playing house music on daytime radio for the past 10+ years. The UK are pioneers at playing it on radio, they've been doing it for ages. House music has branched out to over 20+ subcategories, so being a little more specific helps. As fare as Hi-NRG goes, it's perfect for aerobics.

When you say SOM is that an acronym or do you mean "some"? MosJan your spelling is horrible, maybe that is why I don't understand what you have to say. Whatever the case you are angry if I am not mistaken, right? Armenians NOT ONLY ABROAD but Armenians in general are being milked everyday, all around the world, and this has existed, I'm sure, for centuries. Spyurqs don't trust other spyurqs, spyurqs don't trust Hayastantsis, Hayastantsis don't trust eachother, and they don't trust spyurqs as well. We have MAJOR TRUST ISSUES. Spyurqs have slowly gotten their acts together and are having people sent to Armenia to keep a close eye on whatever investments or money they are contributing to Armenia. This is the right way to do it. 70 years of bullshit communism has not moulded our fellow Armenians in Armenia into the most generous people. But the new generations are becoming more and more beautiful in every sense, and they can be trusted more and more. I friggen HATE when people bad mouth others. Maybe this is my Christian side talking, but I'm SICK of spyurqs that talk BS about Hayastantsis without even for a split second thinking about what BS they have grown up with because of the BS SOVIET UNION. Back to Hovnannian, he is doing a good job. As boring as I think his houses are, he's contributing in some way with this project.

Communication through internet SUCKS! MosJan you've twisted what I have said and I will try to correct what you have misinterpretted. I can write you a list of everything Hovnannian has done in Armenia and in the Diaspora. It is a long list. I said that HE IS NOT BOUND TO MAKE THESE CONTRIBUTIONS. No one is holding him by the balls saying "Do this, do that for Armenians", he is doing it because he is very patriotic. Do you understand now? I agree with most of what you are saying, but dude you need to relax. And this comment you made "Yes it’s also our Homeland Not only yours " ------ who was this directed to? I wasn't monopolizing Armenia dude. I have lived here for a couple of years now, I am a pure Diasporan bud. 100%

Bud, I live in Armenia, I don't live in the Diaspora. As far as creating jobs for locals of course that is awesome, but I suppose it would have even been even nicer if they used local materials or materials processed here rather than importing EVERYTHING. And by the way, in the past 3 or more years they have built less than 10 houses if I'm not mistaken. Their dream is to build a couple of hundred or more, yet they are not attracting many customers. Whatever the case Hovnannian is not bound to do this but at least he is here and he's contributing somehow. No one is bound to contribute and I'm sure there are tonnes of Armenian millionaires that could care less about Armenia. I've got a pic of that ugly home across the street. Let me see where it is and I'll post it.

I'm not sure if you guys are aware of what real estate prices are right now, but it is almost impossible to find ANY new apartment for less than $1,000/sq. meter. A 3-bedroom apartment will usually be 100+++ sq. meters. So that is $100,000. I have seen apartments here, pathetic apartments in old 9 storey buildings that are rotted and need at least $30,000+ spent on renovations, selling for more than $100,000. Northern Avenue apartments (yes I understand is prime in the city) cost between $1,500-$2,500/sq. meter and this does not include washroom sinks, toilets, baths, or kitchen counters and appliances. If I'm not mistaken these apartments are no less than about 150/sq. meters each = $225,000+++, with no washroom or kitchen. Personally I don't like the Vahakni homes. I think they could have picked a better location, and "more Armenian" designs. In any case these are blueprints of homes he has built in the US so obviously no money is really being spent on new designs. People who live in this community are people who have successful businesses in the country, and I've heard the US embassy has ordered a dozen or more houses for their employees.

So if the child has any sort of health issue the parents should just wait around 18 years till their child decides what is right? The main reason why Armenian parents do this to their children is because they believe it's healthier.

Arpa you know they LOVE using Russian terms here, so they usually call it "coraptzia" in Armenia (don't mind the spelling.) Don't know what the publications say, but I'm sure they use this Russian term. Did we not have corruption a couple or more thousands of years ago when the Armenian language created??? I dunno.

Corruption = pchatsum, aylaservatsutiun, kasharakerutiun

They use "XNDREM/KHNTREM" in Armenia. I think we have mentioned this quite a few times in this thread. They DO NOT KNOW "Hajis" in Armenia, unless they have learned it from a Western Armenian. Nowadays almost every Hayastantsi I come across knows most of the popular Western Armenian words, ie. hos/hon, yertam/yegur, asank/anank/adank, etc.

The word "please" more or less is related to asking for something rather than pleasing or being pleased, right? It's true "hajis" does not exist in Eastern or Western Armenian dictionaries, yet "xndrel (khntrel)" does in both. I hate the word "hajis" anyway, it sounds Arabic to me (even though I know it's not). "Xndrel" and "Xndrum em" sounds so much nicer, NO?

I live in Yerevan, I've never met any Yerevanci that knows the word hajis unless they have heard it form a Western Armenian. Plus I just looked in my awesome Eastern Armenian dictionary, and it doesn't even exist in it.

I HATE it when Armenians use the word trashvil. It's NOT Armenian. Why can't we just use saprvil/saprvel????

Parents from the Mid East, born in North America, yet left 2 years ago with great job opportunities back home for Armenia. I've been here since and I love it. Sure it's not paradise, not even close actually, and the rest of Europe is more beautiful, but I love it and I'm glad to witness the making of our new Empire. I never twist arms for people to stay here. Everyone is free to do whatever the heck they want, hypocrite-mypocrite, who cares. Living here is not as difficult as some people think. And NO I don't have a good paying job at the US Embassy or USAID. No offence to those American Armenians that come here for those jobs, but I've heard many of them admit they will leave as soon as their contracts expire. In the meantime it's good to know they are spending at least some of that cash here. You know there are some fields that have many job openings in Armenia that pay pretty decent money, unfortunately many teens here don't go for that opportunity and study fields that really have no future. I'm not saying they shouldn't follow their dreams, but studying IT or whatever else that has a good future, then studying history or acting or music on the side because it's a passion, is really the way to go I think. To each is own. And for all the diaspora that just talk to much, get off your a_sess and give it a try damn it. It's not a big deal to try living here temporarly. I know otars (non-ARMOS) that live here, that don't even have good jobs, but they love it. Isn't that embarrassing for our diaspora? Especially for those that have never seen Armenia yet spend all their money on other stupid things? Oh ya, to each is own. I'm such a hypocrite.

I live in Armenia, it is quite sad to see all the spyurqs come here wanting to spend every night of their "connect with the homeland" experience at the many rabiz joints on Proshian where you can find a guy singing this cheap music, and his voice stuck in modulation, imitating turkish crap. Then you take these spyurq visitors to Hin Erivan or Mer Gyugh and they sit there all bored dying to get out cause they think Ashoughakan and old Armenian popular music is boring. I think there are more spyurqs that listen to this "music" than locals in Armenia. At least here they also listen to all the Armenian pop music which most spyurqs didn't and still don't know exists. Sirusho, Hasmik K, Christine B, Andre, Arsen S, and tonnes of other singers. Some singing crap, some singing beautiful songs, some singing patriotic songs, some rerecording old Armenian songs. And what are spyurqs listening to? Tata, Aram, ArmenCHIKO or whatever the heck his name is. Then there is Shoushan and Alla which the more progressive ones know about. But how about the pop music I mentioned? How about the classical and rock and even dance music coming out of Armenia? If "rabiz" is truly "blue-collar" music, then over 80% of spyurqs are"blue-collar", and that is pretty scary.

I posted this a while ago but I don't think everyone understood it or have just skipped over it. Here I post it again. TATA IS RABIZ. He is true rabiz, the rest of the names mentioned on these messages are NOT true rabiz. Rabiz culture and music has been around for decades, it's not a new thing. Just recently over the past decade or so has it been cheapened by pathetic new artists mixing in our enemy's melodies, which are actually stolen from Arabic and Greek anyway. TATA ADMITS HE IS RABIZ, but he will also admit he is the true rabiz that does not mix in our enemy's melodies. I for one don't listen to any kind of rabiz, the genuine form or the pathetic "new rabiz", but without it it is almost impossible to enjoy yourself at most Armenian get togethers. I think it's about time we have more "true rabiz" artists such as Tata. Artists that create the basic, true and quality "dance" music Tata does. In the meantime, long live Sayat Nova, Komitas and Khatchadour Avetisian, the best artists to ever represent our culture.

Oh I never realized Chers, Mike Connors and Agassis roots of having Armenian blood were rumours. I guess when they themselves admit to have Armenian blood that is not enough proof? A friend of mine, went to Egypt last month, while on a tour, the guide (an Eqyptian) mentioned Nefertitti being of Armenian origin. My friend who is a historian argued and said that this is not true yet the guide insisted that she is Armenian (be it 100% or whatever.)

Good job aliendj.

No offence guys I know it's good that someone in Armenia is creating some music that is different than the rest of the crap, but even Gevorgian's music is dated synthesized wannabe Yanni.

Guys check this out. The girl gets on my nerves but this is cool. http://www.geocities.com/grandcandyremix