This past weekend was celebratory in the country. The Armenian national football team beat Bulgaria on home turf, finally breaking a streak of losses at home. Young and old danced in the streets, strangers congratulated one another and the tricolor was draped on everything from people to cars.
The Men from Moush
Developing complex models and postulating theories, writing academic papers, organizing high-level conferences and advancing policies to address some of the most pressing issues facing the Armenian nation is typically the method we employ. We discuss and analyze, argue incessantly, lose our composure in the melee of verbal and pseudo-intellectual traffic and usually end up nowhere.
Fish Out Of Water
When we were little, our parents used to take us fishing in the summer months. Almost every weekend, we would gather our gear, pack the car and drive two hours north of Toronto to a summer resort area we simply knew as cottage country. We usually stayed at some motel, definitely not five-star but when you’re a kid you don’t notice the less-than-stellar rooms or amenities.
Marketing a Piece of Heaven
Having been on the receiving end of discrimination, I normally refrain from passing judgment on any other country or nation. Sometimes, however, inappropriate decisions and lack of taste leave the door wide open for commentary and scrutiny.
Autumn Promises: From Moscow to Brussels and Back
It recently dawned on me that I don’t know how to have fun anymore. Work is about the country. Home is about the country. Dinners out with friends or social gatherings are always about the country. I can’t recall what we used to talk about before moving to “the country.”
The Truth about Us
Years ago, a friend lamented that I had limited my life choices and career by moving to Armenia. I know now that his intentions came from a place of genuine concern and kindness but at the time I was incensed and immediately went on the defensive.
The Clock Is Ticking
If the current trend continues, it is estimated that by the end of 2013 almost 100,000 Armenians will have left the country. In a few short months we will learn the final figure of this new wave of mass departure.
The Art of Non-Verbal Communication
You probably won’t come across many people smiling randomly in Yerevan. It is not the default facial expression in the country. To some it may even be a symptom of or a predisposition to pathological behavior. Others simply may not have much to smile about.
Solidarity and the Lone Soldier
This is how the story (joke) goes… A young man decides to enlist in his country’s armed forces. The commanding officer, wanting to see how prepared the young conscript is for battle asks him a rhetorical question, “You’re on the battlefield and you see two enemy soldiers approaching. What would you do?”
Sojourn to Western Armenia: From Ancient Cities to Modern Realities
Part II BY MARIA TITIZIAN We left the now-beloved city of Ani behind, but a secret promise was made to return one day only for her. Spending a few hours in that once majestic Armenian capital currently on Turkish territory was fiercely unfair to its history, heritage and legacy…it warranted days, weeks perhaps even a…