I went with zero expectations. I was composed and surprisingly calm when we approached the land border crossing between Georgia and Turkey. My heart was not all aflutter, my brain was not in a state of readiness to absorb what I was about to see, there were no butterflies in my stomach. I assumed it would be a life-changing journey, but little did I know that it would take me almost six years to write about the experience. It has been and continues to be a process, both intellectual and spiritual.
Meeting Point Armenia
Armenia has become a meeting point, an intersection where old friends and acquaintances meet up, sometimes through careful planning, sometimes even unexpectedly on a busy street corner in Yerevan or at an ancient church or in a forgotten, remote border village.
The Olive Tree and Armenia
In 1974, Yasser Arafat, in a historic speech at the UN General Assembly said, “I come bearing an olive branch in one hand and a freedom fighter’s gun in the other. Do not let me drop the olive branch.”
Filling the Void, Finding the Hope
Every city has a particular smell. It penetrates through your pores and settles underneath your skin so you can’t escape it.
Cooking and Tourists
If you need to pull together a large dinner party on short notice, I’m the person to come to. Seriously. Just ask my sisters.
Lessons from the First Republic
After centuries of being stateless, the First Republic of Armenia, 1918-1920 was founded thanks to the perseverance, valor and heroism of the Armenian people and their leaders.
The ‘People Trust’ vs. the ‘Brain Trust’
In 1932, writer James Kieran used the term Brain Trust in the “New York Times” when referring to the close group of experts that surrounded United States presidential candidate Franklin Roosevelt.
A Little Less Sunshine
The news hit me in the gut… “Our beloved Allen is gone, Sose is in a coma.”
The Time of Reckoning : Thoughts on the Yerevan Municipal Elections
It’s time to take away the levers of their perceived power. It is time to eradicate the uneducated, morally bankrupt, economically powerful, groveling, sniveling mob of young men and boys and silly, vacuous girls who think they will determine the destiny of my country.
Springtime in Yerevan: Early Morning Revelations
Springtime in Yerevan is my favorite season. As the city crawls its way out of winter, spring reveals itself with such grace and splendor in our city.