Last day in office

Today is my last working day in this office, in Yerevan, in Armenia. I have been working here for 1 year and 7 months. Such a strange feeling it is leaving the place where you have been spending most of your time without noticing how attached you have become to every detail surrounding you. One more hour and these all will not be a part of my life any more.

Last 2-3 months went in a crazy way. I was involved in preparations of my wedding and all other things following the wedding and my grand move to other country that I didn't have time to think of what I would feel while leaving everything and everyone. Admittedly I was avoiding  thoughts about it...
However everything has its beginning and its end as  there's no construction without destruction. And it's more than obvious in my case that for the beginning of my new life I need to say by the old one.
I am starting that long and painful process, lasting less than one month, today, right now and I must say that will be tough to pass through...

Photo competition

I submitted this photo to participate in a Photo Competition here. The competition is dedicated to St Valentine's Day. It is organized by the Retro Cafe Patephone under the title “The most original love photo in black and white colors”. As you can guess the arms are my sweethearts' and mine. The photo was taken during our first outing in Delhi. The competition is on up to 14th February. The first two prizes are determined according to the number of Likes and the Third prized will be determined by the administration of the cafe "Patephone".

SOULMATES

1st prize - A dinner for two persons at cafe Patephone
2nd prize - 50% discount for a dinner for or two persons at cafe Patephone
3rd prize - One time free admission for an event at cafe Patephone

If you like the photo and are registered in Facebook, please take one minute of you time, go to the website and click Like for it.

Thank you :)

Ru Zi

Places of Delhi

India Gate

Parliament House

Mandir in Old Delhi

and I was crying ...

Two weeks ago, after long debates, the French senate adopted a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The bill was a real bliss for us, the Armenians all over the globe. It needs to be stated that as a result of the same Genocide, there are more Armenians in the Diaspora than in the Republic of Armenia itself. Thousands of Armenians, who managed to escape the well organized and implemented Massacres by the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the 20th century, spread in different parts of the world and started their life once again from the scratch, thus forming the Armenian Diaspora. The total number of deaths resulting from the genocide is generally held to have been between 1 million to 1.5 million. Turkey till date has not accepted this well recorded fact.

After the news about the French senate adopting the bill spread, many Armenians celebrated this prominent development in the history of the genocide recognition and expressed their gratitude to France and the French people. However, there are still others who ask "What is the result of this bill, what can it change? Will the century long pain of a whole nation be healed if someday somewhere in France some Turk is arrested?"
Without going deep into the history and especially into the world politics I want to express my genuine and humble opinion regarding this.

Whatever course the world politics takes in shaping the contemporary history is a matter about which I don't want to discuss. However, what I am sure of is that not only the denial of a historical fact should be criminalized, but also the Genocide of intellectual property has to be stopped. Ask me why.

During my last visit in India, one nice evening I went to a cinema with my fiancé. We bought the tickets, but as we were a bit early for the show we decided to spend our time looking around. We entered a shop near the Cinema. It was a two-story garment shop. From the very moment I stepped inside the shop my ears caught the familiar sound of the music playing there. It was duduk - traditional Armenian musical instrument, also known as Tsiranapogh which means "Apricot pipe". It was a pleasant surprise, but I was not amazed because Duduk has become very popular in the last 10 years, especially after Maestro Jivan Gasparyan played the famous soundtrack of the Hollywood movie "Gladiator “on it .  As we went downstairs I told my fiancé: "This is duduk, I am sure". Then I realized that not only duduk was played but also there were Armenian motives in the melody. Ok, maybe this is broadcasted by a radio channel and most probably it is played by Pedro Eustache ", I thought. Otherwise how could an Armenian melody be sounding at an Indian's shop in the center of Delhi.? I kept on wondering about the heart-warming familiar tunes that made my heart melt...The sweet music went on.... Blouses, trousers, jeans, accessories, everything disappeared. I forgot where I was, why I was there, what I was doing. I was lost in the tunes that filled up my heart and my soul. I realized that it was not only duduk that could be heard, nor mere Armenian touch that could be detected in that music. Neither was in a modern interpretation of some western-eastern mixes. No! It was absolutely like an Armenian soul coming from the depths of centuries.  I was getting impatient. I had to know what it was, I had to satisfy my inner urge. I ran up to the shopkeeper and asked desperately: "Sir, which music is this?" What I heard next gave me the greatest shock of my life. "It is Turkish music", he said. "What???? "

...I was stunned. For a moment I could not say anything. "Yes, I have bought this CD while traveling in Turkey.", he confirmed again. "I entered a restaurant where this nice music was sounding. I liked it so much that asked the owner how I could get a record", he said, showing me the CD which was covered with Turkey's flag with all Turkish names mentioned as the duduk players. It made me enraged. I was not surprised that he liked the music. I was just angry over the shameless deeds of the Turks who not only took so many lives of a nation, left its generations struggle in different corners of the world but also dared to steal their cultural and artistic heritage. "It's really great that you like this music and play it for you and your customers Sir", I sad, "But please, don't ever tell anyone that this is Turkish music because it is Armenian."
Saying this I felt that I was unable to stand in that shop anymore and ran out of it, tears streaming down my face.

That is not fair!!! It shouldn't be like that. That is the real genocide - stealing our cultural and artistic heritage, ruining our architectural treasures or presenting them to the world as Turkish. I wonder. Should we fight to make Turkey recognize the genocide of the past, or must we stop the ongoing ones first?

My 2011

As the Christmas is rushing and the year is almost over everyone send wishes, blessings and kind words to each other. The atmosphere becomes lighter, brighter and full of love.

Christmas really brings miracles to people's life and makes them more sensitive. Last year was really blissful for me. Lots of longings came to a happy end and made me feel blessed with having all the people in my life who fill up my days with love and care.

The year of 2011 was eventful indeed. My sweetheart visited my country and the result was our engagement. We had a great time in Armenia and then I got an opportunity to visit India. I was happy but apparently I couldn't imagine myself how wonderful that trip would be. During those two months not only had I a chance to discover the most incredible country in the world but also I made friends from all over the world.

Just imagine almost 70 people from around 20 countries gathered at a place studying, traveling, eating, spending time together and becoming closer to each other. That was a really amazing experience. And today receiving so many greetings and well wishes from all of them I realize how much blessed I was to meet each of them. They really made my trip an unforgettable one.

Now I know that Bangkok is not the capital of Thailand but the city where my sweet Puk lives. I can see her in a mess of preparations for the wedding which is so soon to be. I wish I were there to help her anyhow. She is such a lovely and caring person. I just wish her a happy family life with lots of lovely kids and promise to bye a helmet when I am back in India :)

My sweet Melissa whom I called the best traveler of our group. She was always in search of new discoveries in Delhi. Her camera saw all the corners of the city. The Camera, Delhi map and Metro map were in her bag in search of new places to see, to eat and to buy. I remember the day when I saw her with her notebook making a list of sight seeings for her husband to travel in the city while she would be at classes. Every morning she would wake up earlier than everyone to manage to talk to her daughter left at home with her grannies. Amazingly she was also managing to take care of her business. I always admire this wonderful mother and woman and wish her a new addition to her lovely family.

Cuba - is not the farthest communist country of hot dancers any more but the place where Leticia enjoys the life the way she used to do in Delhi, so cheerful, joyful and enthusiastic like none can be. I will never forget the way she was teaching me to dance Cuban way, how she was speaking so quickly, making jokes and poking everyone. She was my roommate for two days at Agra and Jaipur hotels where I managed to see that behind this strong personality a big and soft heart is beating... I wish my Leticita lots of love and romance for the coming year.

Machu Picchu is my next destination whenever I plan to travel. Did you know this is in Peru? I didn't. This is the country of Jaime and Pamela. Yes, now I know Jaime who is not the bold headed and strange & funny man from a South American serial but the modest graphic designer from Peru who can dance a whole night without brake :) Actually I overestimated him a bit regarding dancing. Actually even the challenge to win a game couldn't make him dance:) I wish Jaime a big love, a wonderful girl who will understand his gentle heart and hopefully will make him dance.

Martha lives in Namibia. Firstly I loved her curly hair then discovered the cheerful woman. She was storming Palika Bazar all the time buying up everything for her daughter. That night in her room at the Jaipur hotel was one of the most unforgettable moments in India. She was infecting us with her laughter and will to enjoy her life to the fullest. I wish Martha all the best for her coming soon wedding and all the joy in her family.

My day is not a day if I don't get greetings from Ghana where Alice lives. My lovely Alice, thanks for making my days. "Teacher", your voice sounds in my mind all the time I remember our classes. I hope the coming year will bring a new beginning in your life, the one you deserve.

Zaur is going to become a Father for the first time. Or maybe the kid is already born? I am sure he is going to be a good father. There was so much love and dedication in his eyes when we were talking about his wife. He also helped me with a small gift to my niece living in Tashkent. So the day is not far when I will visit Uzbekistan where Davron, Zamira and Dima also live.

Vote for Halong Bay to become the next wonder of the world. It's in Vietnam - the country of our Bodyguard!!! He was making so much fun all around even with his little knowledge of English. But that was not a big problem because he would say "Yes" to whatever he was requested or asked. The last thing we heard from him was the news about his wedding. Now he must be enjoying his honeymoon. Hope to see new photos of his happy family life.

In Costa Ricca lives a Cosita Ricca Yorles and a gentleman named Ely who is desperately looking for Rimma from Kazakhstan.

My Moldavian neighbors Katya and Leta, Cherry and Tan from Thailand, Jose and Malala from Madagascar, Satish from Bhutan, Xong and Ekalath from Laos, Edmenty and Florence from Hait...

I wish you all a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. May all the success, happiness, health and prosperity come to your homes and may you always be surrounded with only good people and caring friends.

Lots of love and hugs to you from Armenia.