Shnorhavor Nor Taree!

Happy New Year to everyone. My sister and brother-in-law left town yesterday and now I am getting ready to celebrate the new decade with my parents. Showing them the country has been a treat. Yerevan is all lit up with a huge Christmas tree in Republic Square and there are a lot of dressed up Santas rolling around town.



We explored Khor Vorap, Goshevank, Dilijan, as well as Echmiadzin. Most lovely was Sevanvank, a church perched up on a rocky peninsula that juts out into Lake Sevan. The picture below was taken from there.



We had some delicious meals in Yerevan filled with dolmas, lamb and plumb stews, and lots of khachapuri. Will report more on those restaurants soon.

Armenians here take New Years very seriously with lots of feasting at midnight and visiting family and friends throughout the early morning till January 6th (Armenian Christmas). I have been lucky to have my family here and am reminded by the warmth of all my Armenian relatives in the United States as well as my mom's Armenian family in Sophia and Varna.

A very happy new year to all!

Oh Christmas Tree

My computer crashed, but is back from the dead with many Russian Microsoft applications programmed on it. Coupled with this, I have been preparing for my family to make their way to Yerevan for Christmas, thus the lack of posts.

Preparations have included hunting down a Christmas tree. Easier said than done. I was told by many people that purchasing a real fur tree was illegal. Armenia suffered from severe deforestation in the 90s (in part due to the blockades, the need for fuel was necessary, with no carbons pouring in from the Caspian, trees seemed like a logical choice).

I came to terms with the idea of purchasing a fake. Like in the States, there are tree stands, but only fake trees line the cement. A bit of a shock to see all of these trees with locals haggling over the price, and despite them all looking perfect, I over heard many a family making comments about them not being so great. I finally ended up at a hardware store on the outskirts of town. My tree came in a box, three parts, and was the simplest thing to put together. It stands about my height, a bit over five feet. Over the past week and a half I grew to like my tree.

But the satisfaction of having navigated the tree purchase was short lived. Buyers remorse set in after I noticed a few real trees for sale on street corners. As of this past Monday, fur trees have been popping up for sale everywhere. Even some nice smelling garlands have appeared hung up on strings calling for me to shell out some drams and take them home.

The real thing must be legal after all, but everyone is telling me different stories, and the folks that claim they are illegal are sticking to their story. I guess, all in all, I should be happy that I am doing my part for the forests. And my three piece fake is kind of adorable.

My camera is out of sorts, but soon I will have pictures up, included the massive fake tree in Republic Square. Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th so hope to have some fun stories posted by that time as well.

My sister and her husband just arrived. Next up are my parents. If I don't write tomorrow or on the 25th, Merry Christmas to all!

Carpets

Martin the Armenian is the first known Armenian to have come to America in 1607 during the settlement of Jamestown. Martin ventured across the Atlantic to raise silkworms. Armenians, much like their Persian neighbors, have been known for making carpets for over 2500 years. The Greek historian Herodotus (485 - 425 B. C.) wrote that "the inhabitants of the Caucasus dyed the wool with a number of plants having dyeing qualities and they used it to make woven fabrics covered with drawings which never lose their brilliant color"



Earlier in the week, I explored the large market of Vernasage in Yerevan. They have everything. I wandered into the carpet section. Lovely, but expensive.

More on Gyumri

I have never been to an orphanage before. The language professors at Yerevan State University go every year to the same one in Gyumri. Many of the children who live in the orphanage are there due to the deaths of parents or more often than not, socio-economic reasons that make it impossible for guardians to continue living with the child.

The university students brought gifts and the children performed a small holiday festival of sorts for us. Some lovely Armenian dancing was on display, but the best part of the day was one teenage boy sang the beautiful song by Salvatore Adamo, "Tombe La Neige" in perfect French.

Adamo on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-DKXuWuoYM

Unicef puts the number of children in Armenia currently in orphanages at 50,000, I am not sure where this falls comparatively with other nations, but for a country of less than 3 million it's pretty sobering.

Travels in Gyumri

Over the weekend I went with my tutor and his students from Yerevan State University to Gyumri, as city that lies 120 km from Yerevan. It's also Armenia's second largest city with a population over 160,000. The small city was hit by the 1988 earthquake that killed thousands. The photo below is taken from Freedom Square with All Savor's Church in the distance.



It was a fitting time to be in the city as Monday will be a remembrance day for those who lost their lives during the devastating earthquake. Gyumri also lies close to the Turkish border. The Wall St Journal's Joe Parkinson recently did a report on the potential economic benefits of the border opening from the perspective of Armenians from Gyumri.

http://online.wsj.com/video/a-bitter-century-armenian-city-left-behind/7433E2EC-3D08-4414-921F-7FB4990F1821.html

The Russian military patrols the border between Armenia and Turkey. Pictured below are the backs of three Russian soldiers.



I fell in love with the small city. Despite the sadness sown by the earthquake, a subtle beauty exists in the crumbling 19th century buildings. After exploring the town center, we made our way to the city's orphanage. More on that tomorrow.

Gatta & preserves

It took me a while, but I finally found myself liking gatta, the sugary sweet bread in the picture above. I first felt like it tasted too plane, but paired with coffee it works. It's even better with berry preserves. The head of the documentary company's father made these preserves in the pic above. Everyone here it seems, farm or no farm, make their own preserves at home. The berries tasted almost exactly like rhubarb, but it is not grown in Armenia.

Silent march

The above photo is from a silent march against domestic violence that took place last week. I only was able to walk for 30 minutes or so as the march weaved through central Yerevan and later ended with a candlelight vigil. A lot of signs were in English. Some of the folks who organized this were from the diaspora. I've mentioned it before, but the subject in Armenia is a bit of a taboo in both rural and urban areas. Some NGOs and the American Embassy are making in roads on reversing the stigma associated with domestic violence.

When I lived in India there was also a big push to educate women to seek help if they were being beaten. I recently met some Iranian women who are studying in Yerevan who also have spoken out about the issue in Tehran. If Armenia adopts laws to protect the victim and enforces them this will be a huge step forward.

Lets give thanks to pomegranates

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans! We had a Thanksgiving meal this afternoon. Though we swapped turkey for chicken, the meal was still delicious thanks to the help of the tasty pomegranate.



The Armenians here were taken by the holiday. Though family is incredibly important in this country, no similar national holiday exists. Thanksgiving -- a day for pausing, reflecting, and thanking -- an easy way to transcend cultural barriers.

Iluminated Manuscripts

The Matenaderan is Yerevan's ancient manuscripts museum and home to the largest collection of Armenian manuscripts. Unfortunately, picture taking is prohibited, though I was temped to sneak a few shots of the intricate gold illuminated manuscripts, the guard lurking around made me think twice.



The museum holds a fully preserved 7th century Our Lady Gospel. The museum is also running an exhibition on manuscripts from Cilicia, a Mediterranean town in modern day Turkey that used to be an Armenian kingdom in the 11th century.



Outside the museum are six statues. The three shown in the photo above capture Anania Shirakatsi a 7th century mathematician who helped establish the Armenian calendar, Mkhitar Gosh responsible for establishing Armenia's first laws, and Frik, a 13th century Armenian poet. I had never heard of Frik. Here is an excerpt from one of his poems:

Plant me in the good earth, so I will firmly hold
Southern winds of spring blow, so that I will flower
Prune me and dig weeds out, that I wake and be spright
Dew of life, pour on boughs of my heart, to soften.
Irrigate me gush, so that I green and bud

for more on Frik refer to google books: The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the sixth to the eighteenth century, p. 524.

More on Yerevan's New Museum

The Times, Michael Kimmelman makes a detailed report on the Cafesjian Center for the Arts..

Check out the article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/arts/design/19abroad.html?ref=global-home

and the NYT's slide show

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/18/arts/1118ABROAD_slideshow_index.html

Dolma, dolma, dolma

Ruth Reichl has written, “There’s no better way to experience a culture than to stand at the stove with a wonderful cook.” Reichl speaks truth.



The love, care, and time our office manager/cook puts in to making these dolmas (as seen above) captures Reichl's point. Dolma is a Turkish word basically meaning stuffed thing (so says wiki at least). Dolmas are vegetables usually grape leaves, cabbage leaves, egg plant, peppers, or tomatoes, stuffed with meat, rice and spices or with a scrumptious veggie mixtures. You can really stuff the veggies with anything, one of the cabbage leaves today had a mix of dill, mashed potatoes, and carrots. Sublime.

Many folks call this food their own stuffing the bellies of people in Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Iran, and in parts of South Asia.

This blog, TheArmenianKitchen.com, provides useful recipes for dolma making:

http://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/2009/04/dolma-armenian-meal-in-vegetable.html

How did I miss the Gorkies?

Over the weekend, I made my way to the newly opened Cafesjian Center for the Arts. It's a lovely museum funded by a well off Armenian-American who understands and appreciates the importance of art. The museum is modern, refreshing and colorful.



It is located inside the five levels of the Cascade, a garden tiered monument in Yerevan. One has to go outside to get to certain nooks of the museum providing clear views of the city. The collection includes Pattie Boyd's photographs. The wife of George Harrison and then Eric Clapton, Boyd's pictures offer a look into the lives of the Beatles in the late 1960s. Lots of photos of her time with John, Ringo, Paul, and George in India as well as youthful pictures of Clapton -- who by the way developed a heroin addiction when Pattie first said rejected his advances.

Overall it's a beautiful museum and an ideal investment of diaspora dollars.

The best part of the collection is Arshile Gorky's seven paintings and sixteen drawings...which I had no clue about and missed. For another day.

Tightrope

For someone who came to Armenia to learn more about the people and politics, my work at the documentary company has taught me most about the survival of art...and challenged my views on what art actually is.

Instead of some hackneyed commentary that will bore you to death, I thought it was time to put up the trailer to the company's newest film "The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia." It is premiering at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA) at the end of the month. IDFA just put up the trailer on YouTube. The film is about the disappearing art of tightrope dancing in Armenia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFQOaoyNl-s

Weekend Weddings

Armenians like to have weddings on every day of the week, but like in America, Saturday remains a popular day.



The picture was taken a few weeks ago in a moment of wedding over load. As I was walking down one of Yerevan's main streets on my right were three or four wedding groups in the park taking pictures. On my left were a series of Mercedes wedding motorcades. The motorcades usually range from six to twenty honking cars. The just newly weds are in one of the upfront cars usually with at least one car behind or in front of them with a video camera. Many times I have seen couples hanging out of the car or limo's sun roof waving away like pageant winners. These wedding modorcades follow no traffic laws and they make themselves heard by their honks well in advance of seeing them.

I explained the idea of a wedding crasher to one of the guys in my office today and mentioned (mostly jokingly) how easy it would be to follow these motorcades. He told me how there are in fact professional wedding crashers here in town. He has a few friends who wait near one of the cities main intersections for a big motorcade, start up their engine, start pounding the horn and after a few miles find themselves dancing and drinking.

Chess

Before it gets too cold, I thought it was time to capture the older men who play chess on Yerevan's streets.



Chess is a national obsession for this small country. They have reason to be proud, taking many world championship titles. They also have titans that are much like the Tiger Woods of chess here. Last year after team Armenia won the gold at the World Chess Olympiad (yes it is called an olympiad), they were greeted to a ticker-tape parade.

One family I have met here have a son with chess prowess. Next week, the 2009 World Youth Chess Championship begins in Antalya, Turkey. This young boy will be competing.

http://wycc2009.tsf.org.tr/

I will report a week from now to see how the young Armos do.

Jackolantern

On Halloween I made caramel apples. Not being able to find caramels in pure form, nor having the cooking wherewithal all to endure making my own caramel from scratch, I found chocolate caramels. Lacking a handy microwave, I simply added a quarter cup water and some caramels and stirred in a pot making sure not to let the sticky liquid burn. Then I got out the granny smith looking apples I bought in the market and dipped the apples into the chocolate caramel goo.



As for Halloween night I ended up at an expat bar that was filled with jackolanterns. The pumpkins look a bit discolored from the orange beauties in the States, but I was thrilled to see them. I drank a MGD in light of it being an American holiday, though Miller is owned by South African Brewers, so who knows how patriotic I was being.

I love you, Jon Stewart

Happy Almost Halloween. Please enjoy the oldie from the Daily Show. It's Ed Helms trick-or-treating on Embassy Row. He happens upon the Armenian Embassy after rejections from the Egyptians & Brazilians.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-31-2002/d-c--halloween

Katuner (Cats)

I welcomed some more music exposure into my life last night. At Yerevan's Club 12, I saw Katuner, means "cats" in Armenian, play some fine jazz. The club itself was a smokey, cozy place,(unfortunately everyone, in Armenia smokes like a chimney), but it makes for good atmosphere.

After frequenting the Chicago's music strongholds like Kingston Mines and the Green Mill in my last years of college, I found myself feeling like a jazz and blues know it all, despite being far, far from it. Learning more about how jazz has manifested itself in different ways throughout the world's cities has been an vague interest of mine for sometime. Getting to see how the Armenians actually mix their different flutes and employ home spun rhythms into a Charlie Parker rendition brings a sort of amazing cross-cultural purpose and creative exposure to being in a new country.

Back to the band, Katuner, was founded five years ago by Vahagn Hayrapetyan, who is the force behind the jazz scene here. Vahagn is a middle aged man with a New York Yankee's fan from the Bronx look to him. When he plays his energy is contagious.

This YouTube piece is poorly cut, but gives you a good idea of the band:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGI3zIjvIKo

Vahagn is on the keyboards, his band includes guys who play the trumpet, saxophone, cello, trombone, as well as different wind and percussion instruments. Everyone in the band comes out of the Armenian Navy Band (more on them later). Katuner just came out with a new CD. Their first three songs on their myspace page gives you a good taste of what they do.

http://www.myspace.com/katuner

Fall Food

In Dilijan, I ate a simple, but delicious mushroom & apricot soup which reminded me about how good stewed fruits can be.



As for fresh fall fruits, the sister-in-law of the b&b owner I stayed with asked me to go on a walk with her. We ended up in the home of local artist named Aesop (as in the fables). It seemed they both were eager for me buy some of his works, lots of sculptures made out of twigs and sticks. Unfortunately, I am not rolling in drams here so I politely refused and in return was offered coffee, pears, and roasted nuts. Not a bad deal.

Trip to Dilijan

Over the weekend I visited what lonely planet claims Armenians claim is the "Switzerland" of the country. I spoke to a bunch of Armenians and they swear they have never called it that. Needless to say, it's a lovely little town nestled in the north of Armenia. Near by are two 12th century monasteries. I stayed in a cheap, but delightful B&B. There was an American couple there who had been traveling the world for a year. Tons of interesting stories ranging from Mongolians to Iranians. I learned that about 40% of Mongolians are still nomadic and that it's hard to find anything to eat but meat and dairy in the country.

The first picture above is a typical (though one of the dilapidated verions) of Dilijan's architecture. Intricate woodwork provides an ornate feel to many homes.

The old stone churches in the picture below are part of the Goshvank Monestary.


A view of the town taken from the valley below. Apple trees were in full bloom throughout the little mountain town.

Flutes

The Armenians like the flute. The duduk, a woodwind flute, is an indigenous instrument here in the Caucasus. I got my first taste of it a few nights ago. A band from Yerevan was playing with an Armenian-American from California. I could do without the the American guy's vocals (though the audience liked him). The band on the other hand had a talented musician who moved between a flute and a violin. The flute mixed especially well with the band's two guitars.

Jivan Gasparyan, a duduk talent, plays some wonderful, if haunting music with the instrument. You can listen to him...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDmeeGXip6U

A Flower Culture

When I first moved here, I asked a Polish girl who I met what she liked most about Armenia. She said two things - first how Armenians still respect their elders and second how lovely it is that everyone gives flowers to each other.

As in the picture, these flower stands dot the cityscape. On any give evening you can see many women walking around with flowers that significant others or friends have given to them. Just a couple nights ago I was out with some folks and one of the guys in the group fell back while we were walking through the center of the city only later to return a moment later with roses for all of the women in the group

Mashtots Excursion

My tutor suggested I go on excursion with his university students to an excursion this past weekend. The trip was an ode to Mesrop Mashtots, who as I have mentioned before, invented the Armenian alphabet. We went to a church in his honor where he is buried as well as a few stops along the road that exhibits all of the letters of the Armenian alphabet. The picture is of the letter M.

The overwhelming amount of students were pretty young, like 17/18 and were Armenians from Georgia, the Ukraine, and Turkmanistan. They come to Yerevan to learn Armenian and to eventually study here. I befriended two guys who were a bit older, one a Spanish Armenian and another an Israeli Armenian. Most shocking was the love that these 17 year old boys have for Shakira. They used their cell phones as stereos and blasted "Shakira, Shakira!" for most of the ride. Annoying at first but it did become entertaining when they made the isle of the bus their dance floor. Picture eight teen age boys fighting for dance space, screaming Shakira, in a strange Caucasian dance off. That was my Saturday.

Who's the Boss?

Yup, that's right. Even in Yerevan, the Boss reigns supreme. A few nights ago I found this Bucknell U. poster hanging near a dark corner at Dro's Bar on Sayrian Street. I kind of freaked out when I saw.

When I tell people I come from the land of Bruce Springsteen they are not sure who he is. Then I start singing "Born in the USA" to clarify. Immediate recognition ensues. Speaking of Jersey musicians. My landlord is an elderly man. He has an inclination to play his radio loudly. Instead of the usual sounds of the news that greet me from his wall. This morning, while brushing my teeth, I was surprised not hear any news. Then, I could have sworn I heard Bon Jovi's "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Not sure, I got closer to the wall and heard, "six string on my back." Sounded like Bon Jovi to me. Not a huge fan of the song, but somehow it seemed amazing that my 80 something year-old neighbor was listening to this Jersey boy's song.

World Cup Qualifier

Armenia and Turkey played a World Cup Qualifier last night in Bursa, Turkey.



Armenia lost 2-0. Armenia's President sat side by side with Turkey's. This completed a year long soccer diplomacy spearheaded by Armenia's invitation last fall to President Gul to watch a match in Yerevan (yes, unfortunately Armenia lost that one too).

I watched the game with some co-workers at a new bar in the center of the city owned by two international couples. My office mates were a bit surprised to see me shouting at the screen for Armenia's lack of offense.

Some folks here are not happy that Sargisian went..they see it as further reaffirming the protocols and are worried about what Armenians are giving up doing business with the Turkish government. I see it as following through on diplomatic efforts to re-engage. Though people are starting to tell me that I am becoming too objective. Maybe so, but I would have done anything to get on that soccer field and assist team Armenian, who, by the way, pull talent from 3 million people vs. Turkey's 70 million...I know I am making excuses.

Cheese-less Pizza

I like pizza - a lot. I was blessed to spend a childhood munching on Jersey pizza from places like Da Vinci's and Luigi's. Spending four years near Chicago introduced me to the wonders of deep dish. In DC I had my shameful experiences with the bad (but oh so good) jumbo slice and went to heaven at 2 Amys.



So imagine my surprise upon tasting "lahmejune" the name for Armenia's cheese-less pizza. As a cheese lover, I was skeptic at first, but at 33 cents a pop, it was worth a try. One bite sold me on this deliciousness consisting of light, chewy dough and spicy meet and herbs.

Here's a recipe from Azniv Charkoudian

Ingredients:

Dough:
6 cups flour
5 tbsp. shortening
1½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
2 cups warm water

2 lbs. lamb or beef, ground once
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne
pinch of blk. pepper
2 med. onions, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup green pepper, finely chopped

Directions:

Dough:
Place yeast and 1 tbsp. sugar in ½ cup water and let stand for a few minutes. Use a dutch oven type pan with cover for kneading dough. Combine 6 cups flour, 1½ tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. sugar, 3 tbsp. shortening, 1½ cups water. Add yeast preparation and knead. Use remaining 2 tbsps. shortening on hand and rub on bottom of pan as you knead dough. This procedure will clean hand and bottom of pan of sticky dough. When dough is smooth, place cover on pan and place pan in oven which has been warmed for only 1 minute. Let stand until dough is double in size (about 2-3 hours).

Meat Filling:
Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Rolling out of dough:
Take raised dough and make 12 balls. Now cut each ball in half, making a total of 24 balls. Place balls on tray sprinkled with flour. Let stand 10 minutes.

Roll out each ball to 7″ diameter and place on cookie sheet. Place 1½ heaping tablespoons of meat mixture on each rolled dough and spread evenly. Bake in 450o oven. Place tray on bottom shelf for 10 minutes and then move to top shelf for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and place, staggered, on a tray to cool. (do not stack) When cold, stack with meat filling facing each other and place in refrigerator. When serving, it can be warmed by placing in a 325o oven for 5 minutes. May also be served cold.

Makes 2 dozen

2791

So it looks like Secretary of State Clinton "saved" the protocols last night in Zurich and now the Prime Minister of Turkey is back placing a precondition re: NKR and how Armenians must withdraw. Politics as usual. I have nothing wise to offer regarding all of this so lets talk about something happy. Yerevan's annual celebration of its birthday today was a real treat. The city patted itself on the back for turning 2791 years old.



There were concerts everywhere, tons of musical dance troops performing and what seemed like thousands of children shouting "Yerevan! Yerevan!" Everyone seemed out and about and truly celebrating their city.

Zurich

In about an hour Sec. State Clinton, her Russian counterpart, will join the Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers at the University of Zurich to sign the protocols. I was wrong about there not being any big protests in Yerevan. Last night, about 40,000 folks marched through the streets protesting the accord. So there is definitely anger here too. There are also folks who seem to grudgingly accept that this needs to be done, but worry that the economic gains will only go to the few. This remains to be seen. Once the protocols are signed, both government's must ratify them which will be a lengthy process.

Anyway, tomorrow Yerevan celebrates is 2791st birthday. Will get some good pictures up from the festivities.

A note on pointy shoes

While, women in Armenia dress rather well. The great majority of men here seem to have an obsession with pointy shoes and nylon dress shirts. More on the nylon obsession later. Though I am no fashion connoisseur, it has been hard not to notice the ever present pointy shoe phenomena. When I see a guy not wearing triangular footwear I smile and remember that in this pointy shoe world there are those that dare to break the dress code. I badly wanted to sneak hidden camera shots of some of Yerevan's usual suspects, but worried that I would naturally insult them. I promise to find a way to get some live action shots up soon.

Please click here to see this blogger's perfect example of the pointy shoes that haunt me here...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp1.blogger.com/_h9e_SRUgbZo/SBHe7l_UDmI/AAAAAAAAAEM/UrD9SGuVU-M/s400/patent01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shoesmendhearts.com/2008/04/indieness.html&usg=__0aDQVo4dT32iowmNK2YaSFtocXc=&h=300&w=400&sz=22&hl=en&start=4&sig2=fcPu4H7WMoAniRLDRmdQTA&um=1&tbnid=oPd1axlGnhRTzM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpointy%2Bshoes%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26um%3D1&ei=6ePNSpuFOYuK_Abhtoz2Aw

Some Thoughts on the Iran - Armenia Relationship

I just finished reading Vartan Gregorian's memoir. Gregorian, currently the president the Carnegie Corporation, served successful stints as the president of Brown University and the New York City Public Library. Gregorian is an Armenian from Tabriz, Iran, a town I had not heard of until moving to Armenia. There are many Armenians in Iran. The Persian Empire ruled over parts of modern day Armenia from the early 16th century to the early 19th century.

The modern day relationship between Iran and Armenia is complicated. Armenia, blockaded by Azerbaijan to its east and Turkey to its west, depends heavily on Russian goods (transported through Georgia). Armenia also imports goods from Turkey via Georgia. Armenia has turned to Iran to balance out its dependence on Russia, but also to protect itself from future Georgia-Russia conflicts. Oil rich Iran serves as an important energy partner. None of this makes Washington happy. And while the Iranian government can be accurately accused of being a authoritarian state that kills protesters and spews antisemitism, Armenian's relationship with Iran is really not that different than so many of America's relationships with some of its shady oil partners (Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria)

I have been enlightened by reading Pepe Escobar's work. If you are interested in energy politics and it profound effect on international relations you may also like him. He writes insightful pieces for Asia Times and has a series of short video pieces for the Real News Network.

Here is an example of him breaking down the Moscow/Tehran relationship

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4078

And his most recent article on understanding the petropolitics of the Nabucco pipeline in my neighborhood.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/KJ03Ag01.html

International Animation Film Festival

Yerevan is currently hosting ReAnimania, an international animation film festival. The more I learn about animation the more I am affected by how artists use the medium to portray a wide range of heavy issues. On Saturday I went to see Persepolis, which came out two years ago, but made its film debut here. The subtitles were in Armenian and the movie in French, definitely a test to my wavering comprehension of the French Language. If you haven't seen Persepolis I highly recommend watching it. It sheds some light on Iran's contemporary history.



The movie got me thinking more about the Iranian government and it's former Persian Empire. Iran is Armenia's neighbor to the south and it is not uncommon to see Iranian trucks in the streets or Iranian tourists. Some more thoughts on this later.

The film festival wraps up Tuesday, tonight they are screening "Idiots and Angels" and tomorrow, "Sita Sings the Blues."

Protocols

Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has embarked on a week long diaspora tour to meet with Armenians living in Paris, LA, Rostov-ov-Don (a southern city in Russia), and Beirut. His goal - speak to his fellow Armenians about the importance of the protocols and to hear their concerns...and they have a lot of concerns.



High on the list of the detractors of the Turkish-Armenia protocols to normalization of diplomatic relations (ie opening up the border and establishing diplomatic representation) include fears that

1) Turkey is asking Armenia to question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide by setting up a joint historical commission to examine it

2)Turkey is forcing Armenia to recognize the joint border in a way that legally and psychologically renounces claims to western Armenia (modern day eastern Turkey)

3)The possibility that Nagorno Karabakh, though not directly linked to the normalization process, will become a sacrificial lamb -- that the Turks wont actually open the border until Karabakh is settled in a way that favors Azerbaijan's interests over the people of Karabakh.



In Yerevan there is debate and many of these points are being discussed, but I do not get a sense that the country is revolting against these protocols. The attached pictures are of the main protests coming from the Dashnak Party, the oldest Armenian political party, who for the past four weeks have had folks sit on the steps outside the Armenian Government protesting. I walk by almost every night and there are many old men singing and young teenagers distributing literature on the problems of the protocols.

I know its trite to talk about the potential economic benefits if the border opens -- it is what every booster of this issue says. It can even be insensitive when discussed at the expense of the deeper psychological and moral issues. IE -- when folks say, I know the Turkish government practices genocide denial, but we need to put the past behind us, roll up our sleeves and start doing business.

Maybe it's callous to think so much about the potential economic benefits, but it is difficult not to and it's the reality of day to day life not just in relatively well to do Yerevan, but outside the city. Armenia's economy contracted by 15% (so says the IMF by studying the country's GDP over the past year).

Like in America, the Armenian government needs to do some internal soul searching and reexamining of its economic structures. Looking outward is not the only solution and Armenia does not need Turkish markets.

But it does needs something, open borders wouldn't hurt.

Back to Lunch

There is much to write about concerning politics and international affairs right now in my neighborhood, but I found today's lunch so good that I thought it was time to get down what I am actually eating.



A simple way to cook trout:

--olive oil
--chopped parsley
--salt, pepper
--behead fish, clean it
--season with salt and pepper
--fry for five minutes on both sides

Baba Ganoush - a delightful eggplant dish

2 medium eggplants
1 bulb garlic
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup tahini paste
Juice of one lemon
salt & pepper

Baba Ganoush is meant to have a smokey eggplant flavor. .

Oven Temp: 400°
Pan Type: sheet pan

Preheat your oven.

--slit the eggplant
--place the eggplants into a pan
--Put pan into the oven and roast for roughly 45 minutes or until the eggplant collapses
--when cooled chop off the head of the eggplant, cut in half, and then the skin will easily peal off.
--Many recipes will say to place everything into a food processor. This is not the traditional way, but if you don't like seeds or chunks of eggplant, then do that. Our office's manager who also cooks for us just chops the eggplant very finely.
--As for the garlic, also chop finely and add salt. Mash chopped garlic and salt together until you have a paste and mix into eggplant.
--It is optional to add a half cup of plain yogurt which will cut the bitterness of the eggplant
--pour in 1/4 cup of tahini (sesame paste)
--squeeze juice of one lemon
--stir with whisk

Our office manager also chops red and green peppers into the dish at the end. Or you can just use them for dipping.

Enjoy

Pushkin & Pugacheva

For the past 25 years I have been under a rock. I had heard the name Pushkin but by no means understood his greatness and contribution to Russian literature and poetry. Tblisi, Georgia has a street named after him as does Yerevan. Born in 1799 he died at 37 in a duel. Besides reading Brother Karamazov by Dostoyevsky, my Russian literature knowledge is dismal.

On my seven hour trip back to Yerevan from NKR I sat up front in the marshutka. I was between the an old male driver and a woman about my age. She was reading a book in Russian. So in horrific Armenia I asked "Inche e girke?"... "what is the book?" She responded Pushkin. We went on to speak mostly in English about the importance of Pushkin's works. She was shocked that I had not read Pushkin and was not impressed that I had read Brothers K. She went so far to tell the driver that I had not read Pushkin. He laughed at me exposing his shiny golden teeth.

Her back story was that she was a literature major but was now working in a factory in Artsakh. She was content with her job and once a month made a trip to Yerevan for concerts. She was on her way to see Alla Pugacheva who was stopping in Yerevan on her way to Baku and then onwards in her 1 year farewell tour before exiting the stage. Here's an old clip if you want to get a sense of the music that folks like here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIFmhye6fqw

Pugacheva used to be quiet famous during Soviet times. A somewhat catchy song, but not my taste. I must get to reading some Pushkin.

Gandzasar & Some Thoughts on Christianity

The building of the Gandzasar Monastery began in 1216. The church itself stands as it has for 700 plus years. The near by monastery was bombed during the war and has been tastefully rebuilt to mimic the thirteenth century architecture.

The church sits on top of a mountain with lovely view of the valley bellow and a far reaching mountain range. These old Christians had a knack for placement.



I know I keep posting pictures of churches and I am admittedly not very religious, but I can't help myself from putting up more photos. Armenians take pride in being the first Christian nation, but it is more than that, being Christian is a large part of their identity. Christianity has served duel roles of religious faith and political unity. Christianity is how Armenians differentiate themselves from their neighbors (and those who conquered them) for the past 1700 years.

Most recently, the resilience of Christianity in both Armenia and Artsakh held up against the Soviets. The powers that be in Moscow oversaw the closure of almost all of Armenia's churches (and churches throughout all of the Soviet Union)and persecuted religious leaders.

Many folks say it is the genocide that gives cohesion to the Armenian people, but the longer I stay here, the more I realize that it is this deep sense of being Christian that connects Armenians. This was the intent, I assume, when King Tiridates III made Christianity the official religion early in the 4th century.

I feel a bit out of my element, but am inspired by this rich history.

Papik Tatik

During my trip through Nagorno Karabakh, I visited the Gandzasar Monastery. Thankfully, a friend's co-worker saved me from another marshutka ride and drove me north from Stepankart (NK's capital) to the Monastery. On the road out from Stepanakert the Papik Tatik (Grandfather, Grandmother) statue awaits drivers. "We Are Our Hills" is the monument's official title. Made of the tuff stone, it represents the grit of the people of Karabakh. It also stands as a political statement, in the 1960s the Armenians wanted the statue, but the government in Baku was not too hot on the idea. My guess, the Azeri government, under the Soviet Union had little interest in strengthening the cultural spirit of the Armenian people. Eventually the statue was agreed to.

Artsakh

I took the week to visit Nagorno Karabakh - known as Artsakh to many Armenians. The republic is not recognized and it is considered "breakaway region." It is a defecto state and functions quiet well. One could make a strong case that it is more democratic than Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Armenians fought a bloody war for independence of the region when the Soviet Union began to crumble.



I took a marshutka (minivan) for a seven hour journey. Despite being sandwiched between two large men reeking of cigarettes, the journey was tolerable. The marshutka snaked across southern Armenia with varying rocky landscapes. Once across the Karabakh border larger and greener mountains greeted us. Within 30 minutes I was in love with the lush, alpine landscape.

I arrived in Shushi, a historic city that served as the intellectual and artistic capital of the Armenians, Persians, and Azeries. My bread and breakfast host wanted to walk me through the old roads of the town dotted with white stones. A heavy fog had set over the town. Badly scarred by the war, most buildings - both Soviet and historic lie in ruins. A population of 3,000 or so keep life going and much restoration is underway.



I adored the family I stayed with. I played piano with the daughter, practiced my Armenian with the son, and spoke about the realities of life today and hopes for tomorrow for the people of Artsakh. I drank milk and ate yogurt (matzoon) from the neighbor's cow. I also had my first taste of mulberry vodka. A delicious drink that leaves one without a hangover and somehow more energized in the morning.

I also connected with a fellow diasporan and met her host family. We ate lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers and bread and drank. Later the men in the host family taught us Artsakh dancing which includes a lot of very quick steps, feet stomping and clapping.

Climbing Haytis

Today is Armenian Independence Day -- the country is 18 years old. Will write more on this later.



Yesterday I climbed Haytis, a mountain that is just over 2000 m. I joined a group of climbers who are training to climb Mount Ararat (5000 + m) at the end of this week. At the base of the mountain is a beautiful, small Armenian church. I will put some of these pictures up to view on Flickr. You can just click Armenian Pictures on the right.

One of the climbers in the group was a sprightly 80 year old man. He doesn't drink or smoke and is in fantastic shape. Early in the week I met a Canadian guy who looked at most 28 years old. He was 41. He has been biking across Armenia. It got me thinking about longevity. Maybe the fountain of youth is to bike and climb your way through life?

Heavy fog greeted us as we climbed. Out of nowhere we heard young voices laughing and from the fog appeared a group of Armenian teenagers (in the above picture)carrying the Armenian flag and singing Armenian songs.

At the top of the Haytis, Ara, the leader of the group who will trek to Ararat, took us into his manmade cave for a light lunch of apples, bread, cheese, cake, and tea.



After 30 minutes or so of eating, we left the cave only to be whipped by howling winds and a major drop in temperature. I enjoyed going up more than descending. Lots of stones to be mindful of -- one of the English speaking climbers kept reminding me, Armenia is a country full of stones.

Armenian Philharmonic

Aram Khachaturian remains the most well known composer of Armenian descent. Best known for the ballet Spartacus and Gayaneh, specifically "Sabre Dance"

listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUFWaauGPCs

Last night I got my first taste of classical music here in Yerevan in the venue the concert hall that is named after Khachaturian.



The concert was held in Yerevan's Opera House, built by Alexander Tamanyan in the early 1930s. It fits two large halls into the building one for operas the other for concerts. Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollander, Verdi's Vespri Siciliani, and Haydn's Piano Concerto in D delighted. Though it's not Lincoln Center, at $5, the price is right.

Swayze

I have been interested in how American news is consumed and digested in Armenia. Earlier today a co-worker tapped me on my shoulder and asked, "Did you know Patrick Swayze died?"

I did not know.

The co-worker, in his mid thirties, is an editor, a tech fiend, and a lover of taekwando. Not your average Swayze fan. After talking a bit more to folks, my sweeping generalization of the day is that it seems like everyone here is a Dirty Dancing fan.

I was saddened when Ted Kennedy passed away, my office seemed less concerned. My guess is that the relative indifference to Kennedy's death is that the Senator did not affect their lives (though he was a stalwart on Armenian issues). Swayze however did effect lives. Their is shared nostalgia for this actor. It got me thinking about how American movie stars have a universal appeal and may be (for better or for worse) our most effective diplomats of culture. Unlike our actual diplomats, these actors end up being the transcending messengers of what it is to be American.

The Dirty Dancing story, working class guy meets girl, drama ensues, is similar to many parables cutting across a large swath of cultures. Only changes -- it's a Catskill mountain resort, working class guy is a handsome blue eyed dancer, and the bad guys are a couple that share my last name.

Katchverats

Today, I made my way to Echmiadzin, the Vatican of the Armenian Apostolic Church. I know very little about religious history, so bare with me, but it is said that Gregory the Illuminator had a vision that Jesus came to him and told him to build a church. Echmiadzin was built on this spot. Echmiadzin was the capital of Armenia when the it first embraced Christianity in 301 AD.



Echmiadzin is about 20 kilometers (I've gone metric) from Yerevan. I took a marshrutka (mini-bus) from the center city for 250 drams -- a little less then a dollar.

Unfortunately, I sat next to a persistent man who within the 30 minute ride tried to convince me of many things. No, he was not Armenian, but Persian. He was in his late twenties "touring" Armenia. Iranians come to Armenia quiet often for vacation. The two countries share a border. He claimed to be a history PhD and spoke some English - all wonderful until he started telling me how I should come back to live with him in Tehran where life is peaceful, food is wonderful, and everything is great. I declined politely. He then questioned my views on smoking, drinking, the Muslim religion and President Obama. I was glad to get off the bus.

Having escaped further awkward conversation, I focused on finding Mayar Tachar, the main church. It turned out to be the religious holiday Khachverats, a day devoted to the the holy cross (Surb Khach). It's also a day to remember those who have passed. Mayar Tachar is a three level church with lots of bells and ornate stone carvings.



Beautiful singing voices greeted me when I entered a packed church filled with elderly women with detailed needle points veils covering their hair. After the ceremony, I entered the church museum which holds Surp Geghard, the "Holy Lance" which is my handy Lonely Planet claims was used by "a Roman soldier to pierce the side of Christ on his way to Calvary."

I discovered another church down the road. The original base of the church is 1400 years old (so said the tourist information sign). I walked in to discover a baptism taking place. One of the perks of living in this country - religious holidays and family celebrations of the present are steeped in the past.

Growing Grapes

The picture on the right captures the grape vines above the office balcony. I have been impressed by the do-it-yourself culture here and ability to maximize what will grow from the soil out of a small space. I have so far learned that the best time to prune is during winter when their is less sap pulsing through the vines.

In other news, I have shown my coworkers the joys of American politics with Rep. Wilson's disrespectful "You Lie!" scream fest last night to the President. My coworkers admired Obama's calm response, but were absolutely thrilled by the Speaker's disproving death stare cast at what the Armenian here called "Obama's enemies." The wonders of YouTube. Unfortunately it remains officially banned in Iran, Morocco, Thailand, China, and neighboring Turkey.

Patriarchal Society?

Though I have heard many say it, I am not so sure that Armenia is a full blown patriarchal society. I haven't lived here long enough though to give a good answer. Coupled with limited observation, I am working for a progressive organization where men and women are given equal creative voice and seemingly equal decision making power.

Yerevan is also much like European cities from its nightclubs to outdoor cafes. Women and men mingle freely and women dress and act much like their counterparts in Europe.

Some striking differences do exist:

Women who smoke in public spaces like in parks or the sidewalk are viewed as easy. If they are smoking at a party or in cafe no one cares.

At a dinner table, if men are present, women should keep their hands off the wine and alcohol, it is the man's job to fill glasses.

There are no laws on the book specific to domestic violence. Nor is there a culture to report these crimes or organizations to assist victims. Domestic violence is rampant in the US as well, but the stigma about a man hitting a woman is not prevalent here.

If anything it reminds me a bit of my time in India when on a train from Chennai to Mumbai. I sat with a group of middle aged engineers (all men). After finding out I worked for an NGO that focused on empowering women in city slums and rural areas they expressed their mostly positive views on micro credit then proceeded to lecture me on why Americans should stop trying to impose their views of domestic violence on other countries. Their point - domestic violence is a private matter between a husband and wife.

I agree that major problems occur when one culture imposes its views on another, but reject this "oh its a private matter" or its unnecessary to have extra protections. It reminds me of folks in the US who say hate crimes are unnecessary. It's a limited view that ignores the underlining social reasons for violence and partially excuses the perpetrator.

The sculpture photo is on the first level of Yerevan's Cascade - the lovely white stone steps leading up to the 50th memorial to Armenia being part of the Soviet Union.

Animated Docs

It's easy for me to romanticize fields - documentary making is no different, uncovering real life, shot by shot, revealing the hardships and beauty of life. You get the idea, it's all wonderful. But I am doing my best to burst the bubble by learning about the challenges of the business, how hard it is to garner interest let alone dollars through pitches.

Outside of the political research I am working on, I have been tasked with researching basics on successful animated documentaries for a long term project. Waltz with Bashir may be the most famous in this genre, but it is predated by the work of the artistic genius behind Waking Life, Bob Sabiston. In 2004, he made a 12 minute short, Grasshopper. I am years behind in understanding cutting edge technology, but Sabiston took what's known as rotoscoping to a new level with computers by placing animated sketches over the live action shot.

Our project is not based on rotoscoping, more classic animation, but I fell in love with Sabiston's Grasshopper. It's an interview with an older Kashmiri man discussing philosophy in Central Park.

Watch for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIu0NMDjtCI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzlwVLgp44s&feature=related

Clay Courts in Downtown Yerevan

Since running away from dogs, I am focused on finding new ways to be active in my new city. In a land where chess, wrestling, boxing and car racing reign supreme, I was overwhelmed with joy when I found clay courts this weekend right next to Yerevan State University. For $8 you get an hour of playing time. Not bad. I have never played on clay and am looking forward to it.

The discovery of these courts also brings to mind one of the few famous Armenian tennis players (there is also Argentinian, David Nalbandian). Little known fact outside of those who care to know Armenian facts, the great Andre Agassi is half Armenian. After doing a little research on him, I thought he was well deserving of a shout out.

He has a charter school in Las Vegas focused on underserved high school students.

http://www.agassifoundation.org/

With the US Open underway, he was recently acknowledged last week for these good deeds. His foundation has raised some $75 million. Also, please, when you have a minute google image Agassi, the pictures from earlier in his career display an absolutely impressive shock of hair.

Running with Dogs

So earlier this week, I decided to take a new running route. This time closer to Yerevan's sports complex that has a nice view of the city. It was about 8:30 in the morning when I met a group of four dogs. Yerevan has its share of street dogs. I usually stay clear of them, but these dogs started approaching me. I stopped and stood still with me hands at my sides (this is what I thought you were supposed to do) An old man appeared walking with more dogs (all of them street dogs) following him. One of the four dogs, the leader, started barking at me and then jumped up and bit my left butt cheek. Lovely experience as you can imagine. The old man had a stick and beat them off. And when I say old, he was a vigorous 80 years. One little dog, kept coming near me barking. I had obviously invaded their territory.

Anyway, I freaked out thinking I might have rabies. I ran back home and showered immediately. Then had the women in the office check me out, yes they got a look at my fine cheek. They could only see my irritated skin but no marks, no blood. Also, dogs with rabies rarely remain in a pack. No one thought I should go to the hospital, in fact they thought, that I would only be giving a doctor a peep show and paying him for it.

Nevertheless, paranoia go the best of me and I visited a doctor that the US Embassy has listed on its website. Not only was the doctor in his office, but it turned out, as head of the trauma unit, his office was a meeting place for other doctors. Six other doctors to be exact. The doc asked me to lie down on the couch and show me where I was bit, I ask him to ask the other doctors to leave (as you can imagine throwing up my skirt for one doctor is one thing, but six Armenian male doctors seemingly on a coffee break was another). He asked them to turn away and then examined me. As the women in my office thought, indeed, I was ok, the dog barely broke the first layer of skin, no shots were needed, but my office mates were wrong about having to pay, the visit was free of charge.

Alas, life in a new country. The incident has convinced me to get comprehensive health coverage in case of an emergency.

Lunch Culture: home cookin' meets ping pong

I have now been officially working in Armenia for two weeks. I have luckily landed in an office that takes a unique perspectiv on the midday break known as lunch. For those of you stuck behind the desk during your lunch time (basically everyone I know, unless they are in grad school), think about throwing an office coup to enforce the following:

Every day we break for lunch at 1pm. Our office manager happens to be a tremendously gifted cook who makes a meal for 10-20 people daily depending on whose in and out of the office. The meals are cooked in the office kitchen from 11-1pm. So far we have had stuffed peppers, eggplant, cabbages, baba ganoosh, beef strogenoff, different Lebanese-Armenian dishes, breads, cheese, and fresh salads are a mainstay. We usually eat for 30 minutes, where discussion of work is off limmits. If you do mention a work related topic, someone at the table immediatley screams that you will be "fined" or "beaten" -- interesting humor from the Caucasus.

After we clear the table we have 30 minutes of ping pong. Table tennis is a big deal here. Unfortunately my days of tennis playing have left me with the useless gut instinct to swing the paddle. Swinging renders the ball way over the table. I am slowly learning to use my wrist and talk trash in Armenian. It's surprisingly fun.

Vodka

When I was a freshman in college, in the dead of winter, three of my girlfriends and I, after one too many, thought it would be a great idea to paint Northwestern's "rock." The rock is painted almost every night in the university's south campus. We gathered up supplies, mostly white and green paint and rollers. We couldn't find actual paint brushes, but this did not hinder our efforts. In the freezing cold, we made our way down to the south campus in the wee hours of the morning. After using the rollers to cover the rock with white paint, we painted mostly with our fingers with green paint, "God Bless Vodka." It wasn't creative, but we weren't trying to be. It was a paying of respects of sorts, or maybe more like a collegiate ode to drinking.

I learned last night, that Armenians live this very ode specifically to vodka.

My tutor, Simon, is a studious middle aged professor of linguistics. After our second lesson last night, I learned to speak more like an Armenian two year old child -- "I eat" = "Yes utum em." After our lesson, Simon invited me to stay for dinner with a former student of his, his sister, and his sister's granddaughter. Despite having already had a light dinner, I have learned that it is rude to turn down hospitality - a common characteristic here. A delicious meal of small plates was presented, cucumber and tomato dill salad, breads, cheeses, pickled vegetables, and a bottle of vodka had made its way to the center of the table. I have never had vodka with dinner, but this is not unusual in Yerevan.

We were given shot glasses along with our water and Simon proceeded throughout the meal to toast. By dessert, we had killed the bottle of vodka, probably five shots or so each. The food helped suck up the clear liquor and saved us all from becoming too drunk.

The night was representative of the Armenian culture. Like in many cultures, the people here place a high premium on company, food, and drink. What differs though, is that folks here compared to the West (broadly speaking) seem to warm to guests faster by immediately treating strangers (such as myself) like family.

As for the picture on the right, I felt vodka photo might be too cheesy and unfortunately, I don't have in digital form of my college day shot of the dripping words blessing vodka. This picture is of yet another fruit filled Soviet car. I saw this car just as the guy was half way down the alley with his trunk and roof of watermelons.