Whinings Why? Why?

[Arpa]

Whinig. Why? Why?

Yes! It is me! You know me!

Some time ago Ed describe me perfectly as “Why? Why? Why?”

Yes indeed, I am the perennial “whiner”, carper and complainer.

I chose to post this under OTHER so as to not pollute some of the wonderful posts by SAS, Thank you!

 

Dear mods and ads, would it not be wise to create a subject topic , something like BEMA/ SOAP BOX , where we can air our concerns and comments, and ramblings See my post about BEMA/VEM.

 

I have been to Armenia several times, the first three were kind of with an organized group. The last one was rather independent family affair, when we , aside from the family affair, we also employed tourism agencies to show us around. . I personally had seen the sites they advertised several times, even if I find something new every time. Most of may companions were first timers and they were amazed at the sights.

However, it seems the tourist industry in Armenia is a cookie cutter , mostly aimed at the Diaspora, mainly for those from America and perhaps France, for those loaded with Dollars and Euros, and for those whose image of Armenia is wall to wall CHURCHES. Nothing wrong with that. Yes we do have wonderful churches like Ejmiatsin, Khor Virab(My favorite), Geghart and…. Many more. Why are we trying impress on the word that Armenia is ONE BIG KHACHKAR FACTORY? Do we have factories of JETS and (Apricot) JUICE? :ap: Hi Mosjan Again. What is the cost of a agllon of Apricot Juicem V a gallon of gasoline?

I wonder if any of those organized tours get any repeat customers. Not me. Every time I see an ad I read the listed sites. You guessed it. Ejmiatsin, Khor Virap , Geghart…. And more church ruins. None of them list the National Museum, the National Gallery of art… etc. Those places are in state of decay, what with leaking roofs and lack of temperature and humidity conditions.

 

We just saw two wonderful threads by SAS. Thank you. Yet, all the times I have been there, I have never seen those sites, no one even mentioned them. To me Mesrop is an even saintlier Saint than Grigor as Mashtots is our LOUSAVORICH/ENLIGHTENER. Of all the sites listed, has any one seen the mention of Karahunj in any touristic brochure? A 7000 year old cultural site, older than Stonehenge. Has any tourist seen it? I have not. Has any native seen it? Or did our history begin in the year 301 AD? Or is it SINFUL to admit that there is pre-Christian culture, not to mention Garni and other such?

Fortunately, there seems to another breed of tourists, mostly no ethic Armenians, thank you, hikers, bird watchers, mountain climbers, skiers … etc who are interested in nature. Who are we trying to fool except ourselves? How many of our near (moslem) and far(catholic or else) neighbors care how many ruined churches there are in Armenia?

 

I can write and carp forever. How many have seen that wonder of nature Satani Kamurj? (Hi MosJan!) . How many, as I have, on the way to Khor Virap urged the driver to stop at the sight of vineyards and have walked up and down furrows (akos) to admire the wonderful grapes? I have, regardless of the complaints of my companions. How many, on the way to Geghart, at the sight of Khosrovi Argelanots have stood up in the bus and begged to please stop so we can see it? I have. And you wonder why I have been labeled as an HERETIC . ՀԵՐԵՏԻԿՈՍ!

It may be time that our tourism agents learn new tricks to attract more Euros and Yens, other than those Hayr Mer and Ter Voghoria crowd. AMEN! Please include me out , as I would rather see Toumanian's House Museum, Sevak's House Museum, Parajanov's House Museum and Erebuni Museum which we did.

AMEN YEGHITSI** ev YEGHITSI LUYS!

** A good friend of mine whose knowledge of the Armenian language was limitet to Hayr Mer and Der Voghormia, who has never visited Yerevan, but would love to visit Kharberd, Aintab or Marash consistently recited "amen yekeghetsi" instead of Amen Yeghitsi/So be it/ Amen, since to him "yeghitsi" had no meaning and thought that it was an error, it meant to be "yekeghetsi". That is the kinfd of "tourists" I am talking about, for whom Armenia is a wall to wall CHURCH, whether you spell CHURCH with the letter CH or the letter E/Yech/Եկեղեցի or Y/Hyoun Յեկեղեցի as in Ekeghetsi/Yekegheti..

Edited June 11, 2008 by Arpa

[phantom22]

When I was in Armenia, I spent most of my time in the Museums and the Matenadaran. The only churches that I found interesting were the two above Lake Sevan and the one at Khor Virap. What about Dilijan? How come few tourist companies mention it? We have an illustriuos history before the Christian era. Enough with the church to church tourist agenda.

 

I surprisingly find myself agreeing with Arpa.

 

By the way this old HAG doesn't look a day over 45.

 

 

Whinig. Why? Why?

Yes! It is me! You know me!

Some time ago Ed describe me perfectly as “Why? Why? Why?”

Yes indeed, I am the perennial “whiner”, carper and complainer.

I chose to post this under OTHER so as to not pollute some of the wonderful posts by SAS, Thank you!

 

Dear mods and ads, would it not be wise to create a subject topic , something like BEMA/ SOAP BOX , where we can air our concerns and comments, and ramblings See my post about BEMA/VEM.

 

I have been to Armenia several times, the first three were kind of with an organized group. The last one was rather independent family affair, when we , aside from the family affair, we also employed tourism agencies to show us around. . I personally had seen the sites they advertised several times, even if I find something new every time. Most of may companions were first timers and they were amazed at the sights.

However, it seems the tourist industry in Armenia is a cookie cutter , mostly aimed at the Diaspora, mainly for those from America and perhaps France, for those loaded with Dollars and Euros, and for those whose image of Armenia is wall to wall CHURCHES. Nothing wrong with that. Yes we do have wonderful churches like Ejmiatsin, Khor Virab(My favorite), Geghart and…. Many more. Why are we trying impress on the word that Armenia is ONE BIG KHACHKAR FACTORY? Do we have factories of JETS and (Apricot) JUICE? :ap: Hi Mosjan Again. What is the cost of a agllon of Apricot Juicem V a gallon of gasoline?

I wonder if any of those organized tours get any repeat customers. Not me. Every time I see an ad I read the listed sites. You guessed it. Ejmiatsin, Khor Virap , Geghart…. And more church ruins. None of them list the National Museum, the National Gallery of art… etc. Those places are in state of decay, what with leaking roofs and lack of temperature and humidity conditions.

 

We just saw two wonderful threads by SAS. Thank you. Yet, all the times I have been there, I have never seen those sites, no one even mentioned them. To me Mesrop is an even saintlier Saint than Grigor as Mashtots is our LOUSAVORICH/ENLIGHTENER. Of all the sites listed, has any one seen the mention of Karahunj in any touristic brochure? A 7000 year old cultural site, older than Stonehenge. Has any tourist seen it? I have not. Has any native seen it? Or did our history begin in the year 301 AD? Or is it SINFUL to admit that there is pre-Christian culture, not to mention Garni and other such?

Fortunately, there seems to another breed of tourists, mostly no ethic Armenians, thank you, hikers, bird watchers, mountain climbers, skiers … etc who are interested in nature. Who are we trying to fool except ourselves? How many of our near (moslem) and far(catholic or else) neighbors care how many ruined churches there are in Armenia?

 

I can write and carp forever. How many have seen that wonder of nature Satani Kamurj? (Hi MosJan!) . How many, as I have, on the way to Khor Virap urged the driver to stop at the sight of vineyards and have walked up and down furrows (akos) to admire the wonderful grapes? I have, regardless of the complaints of my companions. How many, on the way to Geghart, at the sight of Khosrovi Argelanots have stood up in the bus and begged to please stop so we can see it? I have. And you wonder why I have been labeled as an HERETIC . ՀԵՐԵՏԻԿՈՍ!

It may be time that our tourism agents learn new tricks to attract more Euros and Yens, other than those Hayr Mer and Ter Voghoria crowd. AMEN! Please include me out , as I would rather see Toumanian's House Museum, Sevak's House Museum, Parajanov's House Museum and Erebuni Museum which we did.

AMEN YEGHITSI** ev YEGHITSI LUYS!

** A good friend of mine whose knowledge of the Armenian language was limitet to Hayr Mer and Der Voghormia, who has never visited Yerevan, but would love to visit Kharberd, Aintab or Marash consistently recited "amen yekeghetsi" instead of Amen Yeghitsi/So be it/ Amen, since to him "yeghitsi" had no meaning and thought that it was an error, it meant to be "yekeghetsi". That is the kinfd of "tourists" I am talking about, for whom Armenia is a wall to wall CHURCH, whether you spell CHURCH with the letter CH or the letter E/Yech/Եկեղեցի or Y/Hyoun Յեկեղեցի as in Ekeghetsi/Yekegheti..

 

[nairi]

I always felt that the best way to experience a country beyond tourist guides is to meet local people, preferably people you already know, such as family and friends. They will be the only ones to show you sides of the country no guide book or tourist agency could ever show you. Which is why I personally prefer personalized tours. I'm much more interested in what makes a particular place or building interesting for the person who is taking me there than the "objective" history behind it. That stuff I can find in books or the internet, but where YOU used to hang out with your friends as a teenager, for instance, I can only know if you tell me.