ak8081

hi Anoushik, I recently wrote a legal brief about recognizing gay marriage. There's a lot of fact specific stuff in there but most of the arguments you can make legally about recognizing gay marriage are addressed (Equal protection, California Statutes, etc) You're welcome to it if you'd like.

His Funniest line, in my opinion --- was "Areva-Mtav-Yelav-Hayeren" used to describe a mixture between Eastern and Western Armenian -- what the new generation in the US will be speaking soon Thought that was pretty creative!

hi Maral, I went to his show about a month ago. I thought he was alright --his humor was very Western-Armenian. My Parskahye friend had trouble understanding, so I had to translate to Eastern-Armenian half of the time. But overall, he was pretty decent. I like Krikor Satamian better though. Annie

Thanks Sip, I've already checked that website out. It's good, but I'm looking for something more intensive -- the goal is to learn how to be fluent within a year or 2.

Hi guys, I was just wondering whether anyone here knew of a professional who was offering private tutoring lessons in Eastern Armenian in the San Francisco area. The person interested in the lessons is a non-Armenian speaking Armenian adult (so no elementary schools, etc). Or, does anyone know of any good seminars or crash courses in Armenian? Thanks!

I think it is amazing that most people attack Armenian Pirate's views when it is exactly that sort of thinking that will ensure that our culture carries on. Boghos, when you claim that the Armenians in the diaspora will inevitably disappear -- how much does that say for the survival of Armenia? Armenian citizens are leaving Armenia by the thousands every year. With the low birth rate, and the very understandable desire for many people to leave and find a better life elsewhere, Armenians are condemned to disappear within a few short centuries -- max. As the new generation, the responsibility to carry on our ancient culture lies in our hands. Embrace that responsibility.

Thanks for the welcome Sip

Dear Koko, I think you misunderstood the point I was trying to make. I just meant that foreign women (not just limited to Armenia but other countries as well), when compared to American women (again--Not necessarily American-Armenians, but women in America) , are willing to work harder to preserve a marriage and to please their husbands. This includes: cooking, cleaning, being respectful of men's feelings and wishes, looking good physically and generally toughing it out. I actually respect this a great deal -- regardless of what fuels the difference. My question was --why the difference? In comparison-- why are American women quicker to divorce and to leave? I think someone here posted a commentary about how American women are at the bottom of the desireability chart when it comes to wives. I believe the reason is that here women are more economically independent, have less social pressure/stigma attached to divorce. I am not passing judgment on women from Armenia. If a guy wants to marry a girl from Armenia, my response is: Why not? They're our women, and they're going to be the mothers of future generations of Armenians. My parents are from Hayastan, and if they did not immigrate here in the 1970s, I would have been born and raised as a female in Armenia. All I am saying is that our situations and environment are different, and this explains some differences in women that men seem to notice between women in the U.S. and foreign women. Also, in terms of having income become a factor in deciding who to marry -- it is most definitely there -- perhaps not at such a direct and obvious manner. Just for example -- If you notice, usually people that are PHD's or have Master's degrees tend to marry those who are equally educated or have equal earning capacities. This is especially true of the women. Would a PHD woman marry someone with no high school education? I haven't seen it happen, but Im sure there are some exceptions. Now, I have seen men marry less educated women---- but here other factors enter into consideration such as those I mentioned previously (Like the young, good looking woman, etc) Given there are other factors that do go into this -- If you have a formal education, maybe you have more in common with a person who is also formally educated. This logically carries over into the monetary aspect as well -- By capitalistic standards -- you are labeled as more "driven" and more "sucessful." By other standards, you are labeled as "materialistic." Anyway, sucessful people tend to marry sucessful people. They find things in common. They fall in love. I'm not talking about a $5K differential in income that's going to make or break a deal but rather generalities about real life and how i have noticed things to work. I am in law school right now and out of all of the Armenian girls here, none of them are engaged to men who have lesser education (thus earning potential) then they do. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But it is definitely a discernable trend. Sorry if this seems rather cold and hard-nosed, but it's my opinion of how I have seen things to work.

Marriages for centuries were done as economic transactions -- women have always wanted a breadwinner, and someone who is financialy stable, and men have wanted a woman who is younger, good-looking, and able to provide and care for children and a family. Perceptions in America might become a little skewed. Men want a smart, educated girl, but then don't want them to even give a second thought about how much money they make. They think that foreign brides are less materialistic --but its all relative--women from foreign countries usually have it really bad and have lesser materialistic standards and will work harder to please a man. A woman in America is less dependent and will leave when it gets too difficult. Women here live in a capitalistic society and are sometimes as money driven as their male peers, so understandably it carries over into their choice of a mate to a more attenuated degree. Whether people admit it or not, they look at these things and then decide what they are willing to accept, or not -- this is implicitly evident---usually people end up marrying close to their socioeconomic range. If a girl were to tell me that she doesn't care how much her future husband is going to make, I would be very skeptical of that person. If a man told me he didnt care what his wife looked like, or how old she was (as long as it was love) i'd say he was within the exceptions. Like it or not -- this is how society is driven, and was driven. Not to say that this is THE ONLY CONCERN, but -- it is a concern. Not just limited to women in America----We are all products of our environment.