Proud EXPAT Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 (edited) gevo27 jan, My grandparents are from what we now call Western Armenia, my parents are from the Mid-East, and I was born in North America. I grew up attending Armenian school part-time till I was about 14, I only spoke Armenian at home, I attended Armenian churches, I listened to a lot of Armenian music, I was part of an Armenian folk dance group, and I was always so proud of my heritage because it was and is rich and has so much history. I moved here to Armenia 2 years ago and I am so happy to be here. Just the thought of it makes me want to cry. Sometimes I forget where I am, does that make sense? Or does it seem impossible to some? Sure there is so much I can complain about, but WHO CARES! If something upsets me I don't ignore it, I face it and hopefully a positive outcome will be made. Sure there are crazy drivers (but remember that most of Europe is like that), sure there is bad customer service (but believe it or not there are some places that have better service than most restaurants in North America), sure there are annoying Rabiz boys that mock and get on your nerves (but believe me there are more nice people than those people with no education). I don't understand why people say they could never live here. Is it the water issue? Even though most of Yerevan will have 24 hour water by this summer? There is no electricity issue any more. So what else can it be? Guys it's possible. Remember I was born in a city of millions of people in North America. Now I'm in a city that has honestly brought me to life. This place makes me mad, it makes me happy, it makes me sad, yet it makes me proud. Sorry to say, where I'm from I barely felt those emotions. I felt like a zombie. I'm so proud to be here and so proud that many people have also taken this risk as well. Edited February 29, 2004 by Proud EXPAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
America-Hye Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 If I moved to Yerevan, I would be DEAD within six months. Solely going to work and sitting alone in my apartment, the Armenian gossip-mongers would insure that someone would KILL me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 If I moved to Yerevan, I would be DEAD within six months. Solely going to work and sitting alone in my apartment, the Armenian gossip-mongers would insure that someone would KILL me. get a life. you are only important in your own mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExtraHye Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 If I moved to Yerevan, I would be DEAD within six months. Solely going to work and sitting alone in my apartment, the Armenian gossip-mongers would insure that someone would KILL me. Why do you think anyone would harm you there America Hye? It's not like that at all, people are very friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
America-Hye Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Azat, Importance has NOTHING to do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
America-Hye Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Extra, I have been to Yerevan. Yes the people were very friendly. They were WONDERFUL. I had a lot of fun joking with them. That is not the point that I am making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Guys I changed some of the larger pics to links as they would just kill anyone on dialup. Hope you don't mind. I would say as a general rule of thumb, pics over 50K should be linked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Sip, you can make an excception in this case. They are too good to be linked, and I'm sure the viewers would be rewarded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Expat, if you dont mind me asking - how do you make a living in Yerevan? own business of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anonymouse Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/gallery/summer_yerevan/evening_street.jpg Jiguli... Jiguli It should be noted, my dad had a Jiguli and I always sat in the front seat as we drove through the streets of Yerevan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel4hope Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 anileve- those pictures you posted are beautiful--> and this previous one- the way the sun is shining- id give anything to see that... vor asoom en hayastanee oteen oo jooree ooreesh aa..jeesht en asoom...hayastanee kaghtseer jooree aghpyooree--sarree saree jooree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Guys thank you so much for your warm comments. I simply wanted to bring back a piece of home and share it with you. And Sip thanks for messing up the visual flow of the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph parikian Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) If I moved to Yerevan, I would be DEAD within six months. Solely going to work and sitting alone in my apartment, the Armenian gossip-mongers would insure that someone would KILL me. You are right you will be very lonly i can see it from here no friends and no body to visit i wonder why??????? You will not fined Anglo-hye's there they are HAYASTANTSY HYES Edited March 1, 2004 by joseph parikian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Any pictures of Dilijan anyone. I remember going there when I was little kid, but I still clearly remember the beauty of the nature there. There was a wonderful lake near by and a kind sanatorium with pools and whole complex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph parikian Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 http://math.iu.hio.no/armenia/yer-top/picture-006.jpg http://math.iu.hio.no/armenia/yer-top/picture-018.jpg http://www.ngoc.am/NGOS/botanical/flower6.jpg http://www.ngoc.am/NGOS/botanical/flower5.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) Any pictures of Dilijan anyone. I remember going there when I was little kid, but I still clearly remember the beauty of the nature there. There was a wonderful lake near by and a kind sanatorium with pools and whole complex. Gamavor jan, I used to go there as a kid too. They had this field of daisies I will never forget, it looked like a carpet made out of white flower petals. And who can forget the cafeteria there, I hated the food there. My mother used to force me to stay there until I finished all of my food and would tell the waitress to watch me. Sometimes I would spend 1 hour over my film covered frozen soup. That is until my childhood friend Karen came, he also had bad eating habits as well as a sneaky nature. He simply waited till our mothers left and told another waitress to take our plates aways because we were finished. Now why didn't I think of that? http://www.armeniaforeignministry.com/unesco/jpg/22.jpg http://www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/national/armenia/proarea/dilpho.jpg Dilijan Edited March 1, 2004 by anileve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Yes, that is the one, the lake!!! There was a bridge too You go girl! Encore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 anileve your beautiful words and imagry just are inexplicable...i seriously sititng here in the middle of the night looking at those pictures and remembering--although i was really young and havent been to most of those places...youre words and imagry just captivated my emotions and wouldnt let go until i shed a tear... Angel jan, thank you for your kind words I am glad that the thread evoked such warm feelings. Although I must say that every place is beautiful in its own way, I am sure that if I left New York I would miss it tremendously. Half of my heart is here and the other half is in the past Hayastan. Azatik: Evul jan, I can't tell you how much I thought about this thread last night. SO many happy memories. I have so many GREAT memories of my childhood in Armenia and non of them had an XBOX or PS2 in them. There was no color TV and cartoons all day long, no PC and not even internet to surf on. All my memories are of childhood friends with whom are grew up with, went o school with. Azatyushka, tasava tanem, I know exactly what you mean. Unlike my brother I have had the same childhood you did, with every possible activity and filled with creativity and nature. Something that kids here are deprived of. My brother is very different from me, he grew up here and hardly had the same memories that I did. Every day I thank my mother for giving me the childhood that one can imagine only in their dreams. It was not full of toys but the amount of memories and the every joyful moment I've had are enough to make every poor person here rich. Truthfully I am a bit afraid to go back, since everything has changed and I want to preserve the enchantment of my memories eternally. It is true, you don't need a whole lot of money to be happy, and imagination is at times more rewarding than knowledge. Another place my mother used to take us to - Jermuk. http://www.ac2k.am/sch/jermuk_2/pictures/jermuk_006.gif http://www.ac2k.am/sch/jermuk_2/pictures/jermuk_002.gif http://www.armentour.am/images/tours/11jermuk_02.jpg We used to drink the most delicious mineral water out of these clay cups my mother bought. They had two nozzles: 1 to to place under the stream, so that the water may pour in while you sip it from the other nozzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Evluinushka jan, you are the bomb!!! Another memory. "Kom aigi"... many good times. Do you guys remember the 2 and 3 kopek soda machines? When everyone basically drank from the same cup.(I don't even want to think about it now). My mom would get paranoid every time I told her that I had limonat from one of those machines. Or the Kvas sold from those yellow tanks on wheels... I also remember many great days in manka tatron. Mom or dad would take me and my sister to go and see a play for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Dilijan road http://home.maine.rr.com/jpo/images/Sights/DilijanRoad.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gevo27 Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 i would love to live in Armenia actually.. i do understand your qutoe azat jan " in armenia they work to live, here we live to work" very true... And, it seems like as much as i think about it, and try to say well not neccessarliy,, i cant.. lol.. we go to school to learn to live to work.... And in Armenia people only work for what they need to live... interesting the difference in two governments which the constitution for both is very very similar.. I wish someday i make the road to Armenia like the road to work, this way i wont miss much of my homeland.. i have missed it for 15 years almost, and day by day, the more i understand and see its beauty, i long for it even more.. I think though, in truth every Armenian would go back to armenia, if the political and governmental system was not so corrupt... i know personally a few cases where just because of disagreeing to the people in charge people have been murdered.. even relatives have been muredered and for what?? not even for a noble cause,, only because some people didnt like the way he talked..?? BS! thats what keeps us away.. and america-hye is sort of right in that regard, as nice as people are, they are nice to visitors and foreigners, its not the same when there is any business or money involved..!!! it sucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel4hope Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 heeeeeeey limonat--i remember that-- when i was like 3 during christmas i drank so much imonat that i almost got sick---those were the days...dancing around the christmas tree-- and we'd get happy for getting candy and kagheen and stuff for x-mas- but kids here want a barbie or a louis vuitton barbie-next thing u know-- but in armenia kids would get excited with a simple doll and some candy- because the emotional happpiness was enough- we didnt need all those materialistic goods to supplement anything....those were definately the days.... i wish i could go back to those days .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) Evluinushka jan, you are the bomb!!! Another memory. "Kom aigi"... many good times. Do you guys remember the 2 and 3 kopek soda machines? When everyone basically drank from the same cup.(I don't even want to think about it now). My mom would get paranoid every time I told her that I had limonat from one of those machines. Or the Kvas sold from those yellow tanks on wheels... I also remember many great days in manka tatron. Mom or dad would take me and my sister to go and see a play for kids. OOOH my God, I so remember those!!!!!!! No azatyushka you are da bomb! Yes the thought of sharing one cup does send me into uncomfortable convulsions. KVAS!!!! I completely forgot until you've reminded me. I would give anything for a a glass of cold sour kvas, I haven't tasted it in 13 years. I also remember when gyro sandwiches first appeared with those rabizikner running the stands, slicing meat with one had and cleaning their ear with another. My mother specifically told me to stay away from those, "katui misa" she would say. I think I broke the rules and ran to the park to get a little bit of a taste, and I think I felt a little sick just because I kept remembering my words and started believing that I ate cat's meat. http://www.dfmk.hu/argenti/yerevan.jpg Edited March 1, 2004 by anileve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) KVAS!!!! I completely forgot until you've reminded me. I would give anything for a a glass of cold sour kvas, I haven't tasted it in 13 years. KVAS was the best! Unfortunatelly its not as good as it used to be, or maybe it just seemed like it when I was kid, mind you turkish bublegum also tasted a LOT better in those days btw. they have built a long tunnel to bypass the 'dilijani pavarotner' - it was completed very recently by one of the largest Armenian construction companies, the owner/director of which was/is very good friends with my dad since they attended uni together Edited March 1, 2004 by Accelerated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anoushik Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 This is a great, great thread! Thanks Anileve! I envy you, and Azat, and Accel, and Gamavor, and the rest soooo much. You all have this wonderful memories of Armenia. I wish I could join you in sharing those memories of Armenia, if only... Ahhh, I only wish... My beautiful Armenia... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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