Maria Titizian

Max Sivaslian has his eye on the world

Dec 18, 2009: Photojournalist Max Sivaslian grew up in Marseille. After having traveled the world several times over, he arrived in Yerevan in 1992. He traveled to Karabakh and stayed on the battlefield, photographing and creating a visual story of the bloodshed, the horror, and finally the victory of Armenian forces in 1994. He is still in Armenia. Maria Titizian spoke to him.  more...

Arminé of Artsakh and the spirit of the season

Dec 18, 2009: She has large, dark eyes that take up half her face, an infectious smile that rarely fades, and an inexplicable charisma that draws people to her. Her name is Arminé and her provenance is Artsakh. In Maria Titizian's "Living in Armenia" column, Arminé helps put the New Year in perspective.  more...

Aramo and Emma Petrosyan, a musical love story

Dec 04, 2009: Aramo (Aram Gevorgyan) and Emma Petrosyan are both classically trained musicians and talented in their own right; as a couple they finish each other's sentences, complete each other's thoughts and together make beautiful music, Maria Titizian interviews the couple.  more...

The Armenian face of Facebook

Dec 04, 2009: While we are often frustrated by what we see in Armenia, and while we may not always agree with its domestic and foreign policies, we must never abandon it, Maria Titizian writes in her Living in Armenia column.  more...

A fusion of food and design at Charentsi 28

Nov 27, 2009: Maria Titizian speaks to Silva Kharshafjian and Alice Attarian, who moved to Armenia in the early 1990s, and have lately opened a restaurant with “an eclectic and constantly changing menu and stylish ambiance.”  more...

Sargsyan, Aliyev hold summit as Baku issues an ultimatum

Nov 27, 2009: The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 22 held talks at the residence of the French consul general in Munich, Germany, on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The talks were overshadowed by an ultimatum issued by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on the day before the summit Maria Titizian reports.  more...

Poverty increases in Armenia because of global economic crisis

Nov 20, 2009: World Bank surveys show that the poverty rate in Armenia increased from 25.6 percent in 2008 (second quarter) to 28.4 percent in 2009 (second quarter). In real numbers, this means that in Armenia, the numbers of poor has increased by 90,000 people.  more...

Blot, bazaar blot, a national obsession…

Nov 20, 2009: When we were little, most weekends my father would play Blot (or Belote), Maria Titizian writes: four men, sitting at a table, drinking scotch, and chain-smoking while the women sat around and complained that their men were playing blot, drinking scotch, and chain-smoking late into the night.  more...

Innovative e-solutions for Armenian art

Nov 20, 2009: Albert ­Poghosyan, the heart and soul behind ArArt Platform, a promotional art agency based in Yerevan, is an imposing figure, at least at first glance. The 29-year old may seem better suited to being a member of a crack SWAT team than trying to promote Armenian art to the world through the Internet. But his extensive experience and knowledge of e-marketing and e-business, coupled with his passion for art makes him the ideal person to head up such a groundbreaking endeavour.  more...

Cynthia, Pattie, and the Beatles

Nov 14, 2009: For over an hour, Cynthia Lennon and Pattie Boyd disclosed intimate moments they shared with their husbands and each other. They were in Yerevan as part of the Grand Opening of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Maria Titizian reports.  more...

When glass has a mind of its own

Nov 14, 2009: "The light in Yerevan is not normal," the sculptor of glass Jaroslava Brychtová, exclaimed. Some of the work she and her late husband Stanislav Libenský did collaboratively is on display at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan, and she is fascinated by the new colors emerging in the work in Yerevan's light. Maria Titizian and Gregory Lima spoke to the artist.  more...

The rise of the oligarchs, the decline of the nation

Nov 05, 2009: The confluence of big business and political leadership has created special challenges for a range of countries, including Armenia. Maria Titizian in her Living in Armenia column looks at the experience of the United States in combating monopolies.  more...

Citing economic downturn, Armenia postpones pension reform

Oct 31, 2009: Vazgen Khachikian, head of the State Social Security Service, announced that proposed reforms to the country's pension system, which were supposed to come into force in January 2010, will be delayed for another year due to the economic crisis. Maria Titizian offers a news analysis.  more...

Minas Halaj: Every artist needs to have a revolution

Oct 23, 2009: Minas Halaj is back in Armenia for the first time since leaving seven years ago as an aspiring 19-year-old artist. His journey initially took him to New York City and then to Los Angeles, where he now lives and works. Maria Titizian spoke with him.  more...

Narek Duryan is luminescent, on and off stage

Oct 23, 2009: Narek Durian spoke to Maria Titizian about leaving the Soviet Union, making it as a director in Paris, and his success back in Yerevan, as he prepares for an evening's performance of his hit play, "The Aunt from Paris."  more...

The Forty Days of Musa Dagh premieres in Armenia

Oct 23, 2009: Armen Elbakyan, one of Armenia's most respected directors, has taken Franz Werfel's masterpiece, which recounts how the villagers of Musa Dagh ascended their mountain and organized a self-defense against the encroaching Ottoman army, and has brought it to the Armenian stage. Maria Titizian attended the final dress rehearsal.  more...

60,000 protest Armenia-Turkey protocols in Yerevan

Oct 09, 2009: One day before the anticipated signing of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, tens of thousands of Armenians marched through the streets of Yerevan in protest, Maria Titizian reports.  more...

Creating wall art with an Armenian twist

Oct 09, 2009: When Shoghig Demirjian decided to decorate her four-year-old daughter Lara's room with works of art, she realized there was something missing in the market. "I wanted to decorate her room with unique and contemporary works of art; art that was fun and whimsical but yet had a modern flair.Children's wall art was everywhere. I had many options of colours and designs to choose from," she says. "However, nothing I found was truly unique. It was then, that I realized what I was really in search for, did not exist. I wanted something personal, something with meaning that would inspire her creativity."  more...

Once upon a time in Turkey

Oct 02, 2009: What story can a collection of a few hundred postcards from a century ago tell? What secrets can be revealed in the faded images of villages, towns, schools, factories, and churches? Individually, they may appear interesting and novel. As a collection they tell the story of the social and economic history of a people who no longer live on their ancestral homeland. They tell the story of the Armenian people.  more...

Open Music Fest wraps up in Yerevan

Sep 26, 2009: The closing gala concert of Open Music Festival 2009 took place on September 21 at the open-air amphitheater behind Moscow Cinema in downtown Yerevan. The first-ever music festival of its kind, Open Music Fest had kicked off with a gala concert on July 30.  more...

Exhibition of rare Armenian postcards opens in Yerevan

Sep 18, 2009: The opening of an exhibition entitled, "My Dear Brother, Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago," took place on September 15 in Yerevan. It represents the substantial presence of Armenians in dozens of cities and villages within the Ottoman Empire.  more...

“Will you go to POM with me?”

Sep 12, 2009: Toronto prepares for the Pomegranate Film Festival, September 25-27, Maria Titizian reports.  more...

The story of the missing recipe

Sep 12, 2009: "Sometimes there are no recipes to share. Sometimes the story gets in the way," Maria Titizian writes in this week's Food column. "It was a chronicle of heartbreak, loss, and unbelievable courage." But a recipe for potato kufte is included.  more...

The cerebral and very artistic Raffi Anderian

Sep 04, 2009: What happens when you are a gifted artist, but your father dreams of you becoming a doctor or lawyer? You make smart choices, study hard, work even harder, get a leading national newspaper to create a position specifically for you, and then go on to win the National Newspaper Award for editorial cartooning – Canada's version of the Pulitzer.This is what Raffi Anderian, the illustrator for the Toronto Star, did. In an interview with Maria Titizian, Raffi talks about his roots, his choices, and his rise in the art world.  more...

Karina Es prepares for success

Sep 04, 2009: Karina Es has just released her debut album, "Make It Real," and recently showcased for Gene Simmons and his new Canadian label Gene Simmons Records/Universal Music at The Super Market in Toronto. Maria Titizian has a profile.  more...

Zerzevetov Pilav: The autumn dish of Musa Ler

Sep 04, 2009: Armenuhi Tossounian moved to Canada from Ainjar in the 60s and, with her husband, opened one of the first restaurants specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine in a very Anglo-Saxon part of Toronto. In our Food column, Armenuhi's niece Maria Titizian tells the story behind Armenuhi's Zerzevetov Pilav, part of the Musa Ler heritage.  more...

Living away from Armenia

Aug 28, 2009: On a rare trip to Canada, "Living in Armenia" columnist Maria Titizian discovers that her parents and relatives seem to have aged overnight.  more...

Friendship Cake, Armenian-Italian style

Aug 28, 2009: In this week’s Food column, Maria Titizian writes about the Friendship Cake, a family tradition. Her mom learned to make it from her Italian friends. The starter takes two weeks to make, and some of it is given to friends to have a base for making their own cakes. “It becomes something like an edible chain letter.”  more...

Going on a picnic, Armenian style

Jul 10, 2009: Forty people, including a whole slew of children, in nine cars headed out for Aghveran the other day, “Living in Armenia” columnist Maria Titizian writes. As they drove north of Yerevan, the bright, blue sky started clouding over, but no one seemed too concerned about the impending rain.  more...

Armenia itself is a character in Braden King’s movie, “Here”

Jul 10, 2009: Zoe Kevork, the executive producer of the feature-length film “Here,” being shot entirely in Armenia this summer, hopes that when people see the movie, they will walk away with the impression that Armenia is a great place to explore. Maria Titizian reports from Yerevan.  more...

Hrach Titizian on his love of acting, his family, and his hopes for the future

Jul 03, 2009: When Hrach Titizian was a kid, his parents would invariably have him perform for guests. But they were none to happy a few years later when he decided to be an actor. But he has their full support as he makes a name for himself in Hollywood. Maria Titizian has a profile.  more...

Upholding the law? Or encouraging misdemeanors?

Jun 26, 2009: Living in Armenia columnist Maria Titizian discovered her license plate missing one day, taken by the police for a parking infraction. She learns many lessons that day. For example, her son is allowed to drive without a license if a senior police officer says so.  more...

Olympia Dukakis discusses "Hove (The Wind)," which is premiering in Palm Springs

Jun 26, 2009: Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis tells the Armenian Reporter's Maria Titizian about her father, who was from Asia Minor and barely escaped Turkish atrocities. Dukakis appears in Alex Webb's short film "Hove (The Wind)" alongside Shirleyann Kaladjian. Webb and Kaladjian tell Titizian what the film means to them.  more...

16 months after deadly clashes, prisoners are freed in amnesty

Jun 24, 2009: Under the terms of a general amnesty, former foreign minister Alexander Arzoomanian and members of parliament Hakob Hakobyan and Miasnik Malkhasian were released from state custody on June 22, after having been convicted of organizing deadly post-election riots in Yerevan on March 1, 2008, and having been sentenced to five years each in prison.  more...

Love stories are a passion for Janna Hakobyan

Jun 20, 2009: “I am for free love,” says Janna Hakobyan, Armenia’s preeminent romance novelist. “If a person loves someone, then he or she must be able to attain that love and live in harmony and happiness.” Hakobyan, the author of eight novels, including Nostalgia, and seven books of poetry, spoke to Maria Titizian.  more...

A taste of life (and a recipe for Armenian lentil soup)

Jun 12, 2009: For most Armenian families, food is more than just sustenance. It’s the medium through which we communicate, commemorate, celebrate, grieve, and express love. Maria Titizian introduces a new column about food, invites readers to share recipes and stories, and reveals her mother’s recipe for Armenian lentil soup.  more...

Milestones

Jun 12, 2009: Columnist Maria Titizian celebrates a milestone, the graduation of her son from high school in Armenia, achieved with much loving and caring support from an excellent teacher and school. And she contemplates how achieving other milestones in Armenia will be no easy task.  more...

The power of the people

May 02, 2009: Watching Armenians in different countries commemorating the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I realized we are so unbelievably strong when we are united, Maria Titizian writes in her "Living in Armenia" column.  more...

A photographer searches for lost Armenians in Der Zor

Apr 25, 2009: Bardig Kouyoumdjian and Christine Simeone have traced the lives of children who lost their parents in the Armenian Genocide and became Moslem and Arab. Maria Titizian interviews Kouyoumdjian.  more...

Armenians around the world commemorate the Genocide

Apr 24, 2009: Hundreds of thousands of people, from near and far, today made the solemn journey to Tzitzernaka­berd, the Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan. In Washington, President Obama issued a statement on “the 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire,” avoiding the term genocide.  more...

The man in the gray coat

Apr 18, 2009: The man in the long, tattered, gray coat is my friend, I think, writes Living in Armenia columnist Maria Titizian. We see each other daily. We have never spoken to one another. I don't know his name or where he lives exactly, but I have my suspicions. I'm quite sure he knows where I live. Small country, very little privacy.  more...

The Armenian Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia

Apr 10, 2009: Gayané Khachaturian’s artwork is to represent Armenia at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Maria Titizian has the story.  more...

The stories we have yet to tell

Apr 04, 2009: We have the ability, through the printed word to relay stories that have significance and substance, Maria Titizian writes in her "Living in Armenia" column.  more...

Saved by the monuments

Mar 21, 2009: Living in Armenia columnist Maria Titizian is showing off the country to guests from Germany. Scenery that's breathtaking other times of year is bland now, and mudslides have brought about destruction. But the temple of Garni and the monastery at Geghard save the day.  more...

Sos Sarkisian and the struggle for statehood

Mar 21, 2009: Sos Sarkisian, the legendary actor, speaks to Maria Titizian about his life, his career, and the state of Armenia.  more...

Gas stations, toothaches, and trims

Mar 07, 2009: What can you do, it's a funny country, Maria Titizian writes in her "Living in Armenia" column. Having gas-station attendants stare at their customers, and not having to pay for dental services or haircuts are part of everyday life.  more...

Armenia prepares to privatize social security

Mar 06, 2009: Starting in January 2010, workers in Armenia will see part of their pay go into private pension plans. The government of Armenia adopted this decision in November, at a time when other countries are moving away from private pension funds. Maria Titizian looks at the risks and benefits of the government plan.  more...

If a million people had stayed

Feb 20, 2009: When columnist Maria Titizian occasionally complains about life in Armenia, some people assume she is ready to pack up and leave. That got her thinking, What if a million people had not left Armenia over the last two decades? Perhaps they too would see the twinkling eyes and bright spirits she saw in Yerevan's Lovers Park on February 16.  more...

Meet Hakob Hakobyan: repatriate, patriot, painter

Feb 20, 2009: Maria Titizian visits one of the greatest Armenian painters of our time, Hakob Hakobyan, who moved to Soviet Armenia in the 1960s and is now creating sculptures out of scrap metal in his Yerevan studio.  more...

Seeing the world in red, blue, and orange

Feb 07, 2009: In conjunction with Army Day, which is celebrated in Armenia on January 28, a three-day photo exhibit and competition titled, “The Tricolor in My Eyes,” was held in Yerevan. Maria Titizian reports.  more...

Taxi drivers – from the comical to the ridiculous

Feb 06, 2009: "Living in Armenia" columnist Maria Titizian knows more than she wants to know about the lives of the men who drive Yerevan's taxicabs, and they know too much about her life.  more...

Armenia Fund director visits Iran

Feb 06, 2009: The executive director of the Armenia Fund, Ara Vardanyan, was in the Islamic Republic of Iran for a two-day working visit to discuss possibilities of establishing a fund affiliate there.  more...

School of cheese making in Tashir to go regional

Feb 06, 2009: With the support of the Center of Agrobusiness and Rural Development (CARD) and the Armenian State Agrarian University, the Daughter Melania Cheese Factory is now being used as a school for cheese makers. Professors from the university and experienced cheese making specialists are teaching there.  more...

Car imports grew by 18.5 percent in 2008

Feb 06, 2009: 41,104 cars were imported into Armenia despite declining demand for cars globally.  more...

Investments in construction hit $2.8 billion in 2008

Feb 06, 2009: According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service (NSS), investments in construction in Armenia in 2008 grew by 1.7 percent to $2.8 billion.  more...

Cease-fire violations continue along Karabakh Line of Contact

Feb 06, 2009: On the night of January 30–31, Karabakh’s Armed Forces registered a number of cease-fire violations by the Azerbaijani army.  more...

Richard Giragosian appointed director of ACNIS

Feb 06, 2009: Richard Giragosian, a former professional staff member of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, has been appointed director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, founder Raffi K. Hovannisian announced.  more...

Armenia’s deputy police chief murdered

Feb 06, 2009: At approximately 8:30 P.M. on February 3, Police Colonel Gevorg Mherian, 33, a deputy chief of Armenia's police force, was shot dead in front of his apartment on the seventh floor of an apartment building in Yerevan.  more...

Gnishikadzor Valley to be nominated for submission in UNESCO World Heritage List

Jan 31, 2009: Armenia has nominated its Gnishikadzor Valley for the UNESCO World Heritage List.  more...

Credit program of German KfW Bank to continue in Shirak

Jan 31, 2009: The construction of new water and sewage pipelines in Shirak is to continue within the framework of a credit program provided by the German KfW Bank, according to Armenpress. The three-staged program to construct these pipelines began in 2002 and the first round was completed in 2008.  more...

Highest taxpayers in Armenia for 2008 announced

Jan 31, 2009: A mobile phone operator has displaced the copper-mining industry as the top taxpayer of the year in Armenia, with some $100 million in taxes paid in 2008.  more...

Armenian labor market feeling the crunch of the world financial crisis

Jan 31, 2009: The head of Armenia's State Employment Service announced that about 2,000 people had lost their jobs by the end of 2008, with more job losses looming in the near future.  more...

Istanbul hosts second Caucasus Platform meeting

Jan 31, 2009: On January 26, a meeting on the Turkey-initiated Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform took place in Istanbul. But Azerbaijan's envoy ruled out cooperation in the Caucasus until the Karabakh conflict is settled.  more...

Clashes claim two lives at Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact

Jan 31, 2009: An Armenian civilian crossed over the Line of Contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan on Jan. 27. Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire on Nagorno-Karabakh positions and, as a result, an Armenian soldier was killed along with the civilian.  more...

Army Day celebrated throughout Armenia

Jan 30, 2009: January 28, Army Day, is a national holiday in Armenia. Speaking at Yerevan State University, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian addressed recommended changes to the law on military service. The changes, if adopted by the National Assembly, would call for service in the army to begin at 18 years of age, as opposed to the present law which allows young men to complete their university education before being drafted.  more...

Razmik Arzooian finds permanence in the homeland

Jan 23, 2009: Guests staying at Daravand, a bed and breakfast hand built by Razmik Arzooian in the Armenian resort town of Dilijan, get more than a comfortable room, good food, and spectacular scenery. They get a dose of Razmik’s charm and hospitality. Maria Titizian reports.  more...

Dilijan vistas and impressions

Jan 23, 2009: Strolling on the ice in the resort town of Dilijan, "Living in Armenia" columnist Maria Titizian runs into a little girl with twinkling eyes and an Armenian translation of "Le Petit Prince" in hand.  more...

The Malatya market

Jan 09, 2009: In her Living in Armenia column, Maria Titizian describes a holiday visit to Yerevan's Malatya market, with its sights, smells, sounds, and crowded, vibrant atmosphere.  more...

Armenia holds first-ever international conference on the disastrous 1946–1948 repatriation drive

Dec 20, 2008: The Soviet Union, following the Second World War, had lost millions of its citizens and its republics lay in economic ruin. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, geographically the smallest republic, had lost 12 percent of its population - some 175,000 people - in the war, and was at the brink of collapse. There were power outages several times a day and food was in short supply.  more...

Songs, water, fish, and faith

Dec 18, 2008: Last weekend we went to the village of Abaka on the outskirts of Etchmiadzin, Maria Titizian writes in her “Living in Armenia” column. Abaka – future – is a strange name for a village, she thought. But then she met Samvel and Sirun.  more...

Incurable forms of TB challenge Armenia – and the world

Dec 12, 2008: In a jarring article datelined Yerevan, December 7, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof sounded the alarm about a potential worldwide public-health disaster, the quick spread of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB). The Armenian Reporter staff in Yerevan spoke to public-health specialists and people working with patients to assess the extent of the crisis, what is being done about it, and what more needs to be done. Maria Titizian reports.  more...

American diplomats take to the streets of Yerevan

Dec 06, 2008: U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch led a group of some 40 people on a 5 km walkathon through downtown Yerevan to highlight the problem of violence against women in the country on Sunday, November 30, Maria Titizian reports from Yerevan.  more...

Armenia to take part in European Figure Skating championship

Dec 06, 2008: Armenia will be taking part in the European Figure Skating championships in Helsinki in January. Meanwhile, Armenian-American figure skater Pier Balian might represent Armenia in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.  more...

First ever “Best Volunteer of the Year” held in Armenia

Dec 06, 2008: In cooperation with the UN volunteer program, the Youth for the Sake of Peace and Development non¬governmental organization (NGO) held an awards ceremony for the best volunteer of the year.  more...

International conference on repatriation to be held in Armenia

Dec 06, 2008: Armenia’s newly created Diaspora Ministry is organizing an international conference titled, “1946-1948 Repatriation and Its Lessons: Issues of Repatriation Today,” in the resort town of Tsaghgadsor from December 12 to 14.  more...

National Assembly approves a bill on referendums

Dec 06, 2008: The Armenian parliament approved a bill that allows nonbinding referenda to gauge public opinion on critical national issues such as foreign policy, military and national security.  more...

Two Armenian presidents participate in road opening

Dec 06, 2008: The new 2.5-kilometer Getar expressway in Yerevan has five multilevel overpasses and three underground and overground pedestrian crosswalks, will help ease congestion and allow unhampered transportation on 10 key streets of the city.  more...

From earthquake theories to plane crashes, the art of spreading rumors in Armenia

Dec 06, 2008: Did you know? A scorpion, hidden among the many layers of tulle and veil bit the young bride! In her "Living in Armenia" column, Maria Titizian takes on the pervasive phenomenon of rumors about anything and everything in Armenia' -- where many people are skeptical about everything except unsubstantiated rumors.  more...

Women of the world

Nov 22, 2008: We live in extraordinary times, to be sure. I have contemplated the women in my life, the women in Armenia, and the women of the world with pride, with anger, with love, with anticipation, and loss and rage and expectation. They have given me the opportunity to feel moved, profoundly. They have inspired me with their strength and courage.  more...

The day the earth moved

Nov 08, 2008: Maria Titizian was five months pregnant and had just finished weeks of grueling work in an unsuccessful attempt to elect the first Canadian-Armenian to Canada's parliament. She needed to be left alone. That's when the call came: "There's been an earthquake in Armenia. You have to come."  more...

A calm oasis in the heart of Yerevan

Oct 25, 2008: "We envisage a park that is beautiful and unconventional in its manifestation and worthy in its content; a gift from my family to the city of Yerevan," Albert Boghossian said. His family is responsible for the complete revitalization of Lovers' Park in the heart of Yerevan.  more...

Yerevan vistas and the reasons for staying

Oct 25, 2008: Swan Lake, nestled among weeping willows on the corner of Toumanian and Teryan is home to Arno Babajanian, sitting in front of his piano, one hand extended in the air immortalized in the form of a basalt statue. In her "Living in Armenia" column, Maria Titizian finds that Swan Lake is one of the things that keeps her attached to the homeland.  more...

Where’s the glue to repair our shattered mug?

Oct 11, 2008: "This past year has been especially difficult," Maria Titizian writes in her "Living in Armenia" column. "Between the presidential elections, the riots, the war in Georgia, and the tentative steps being taken with Turkey, we have had our plate pretty full of internal and external challenges and threats. Many heated debates have taken place about all of these issues. The one thing we have failed to discuss has been the decimation of a value system, and the void it has left behind."  more...

War in Georgia, vulnerability in Armenia

Aug 30, 2008: It has finally happened. I knew the day would come. I had fooled myself into believing that I would be able to manage the impending and inevitable crisis. Although my personal history had not prepared me, I believed I would have the fortitude of character to withstand the difficulties, the uncertainties. I now understand that I am ill-equipped on every possible human level to do so. I now understand what it means to live in a landlocked country which is under a blockade by two of its four neighbors.  more...

Yerevan Spring: a metaphor for instability

Mar 22, 2008: The first day of spring is celebrated on March 1 in Armenia. It has nothing to with the tilting of the axis of the earth toward the sun, impacting the length of daylight as the hemisphere begins to warm. No, it's just an arbitrary date, like all things Soviet. Summer officially begins on June 1, autumn on September 1, and winter is December 1. It is an oversimplification of processes, both natural and cultural, which probably began when Soviet authorities decided to change our alphabet decades ago, allegedly to simplify the spelling.  more...

The tanks in the squares of my city

Mar 08, 2008: The city of my dreams was not a place where armored vehicles and tanks roamed. It was not a place where armed soldiers guarded bridges, underpasses, government buildings. It was not a city divided. It was not a city that looted. Or burned cars. Or destroyed public property. It is no longer the city of dreams. It is a city in shock and in a state of emergency.  more...

The three presidents of modern-day Armenia

Mar 01, 2008: Armenia is probably the only country in the world who can boast that it has three presidents. Three. That's right. There's the incumbent, Robert Kocharian, there's President-elect Serge Sargsian, and then there's the self-proclaimed president of Freedom Square, Levon Ter-Petrossian.  more...

The murky political waters

Feb 16, 2008: Pollsters, political pundits, taxi drivers, sociologists, political scientists, journalists, vegetable vendors, students, old people, young people, co-workers, politicians, janitors, city officials. Everybody in Armenia is consumed by the upcoming presidential elections.  more...

Serge Sargsian believes that Armenia’s future lies in a knowledge-based society

Feb 16, 2008: As the current prime minister and President Robert Kocharian's designated successor, presidential candidate Serge ­Azati Sargsian promises stability and continuity as well as reforms.  more...

The wings that carry us home

Feb 02, 2008: There is this phenomenon known as the Canadian snowbirds. The snowbirds are people who in their younger, more financially productive years had made sound investments. Their children have flown the coop. They are retired and have more money than they know how to spend. That generation were notorious savers of money, unlike mine (or perhaps only me) who have decided to live in the moment and not wait for the rainy day or for our retirement but enjoy the fruits of our labor. I was lucky enough to have wise people in my life who taught me that lesson. Nonetheless when the first signs of winter are in the air, Canadian snowbirds make the trek down to Florida in droves. Most of them have apartments in gated communities from Miami to St. Petersburg. And as the first snowflakes descend upon the Canadian prairies the snowbirds are already halfway down to Florida.  more...

The kings of Armenia might hold the secrets

Jan 26, 2008: I once read somewhere that it took Europe 14 centuries to achieve relative stability after the collapse of the Roman Empire. To expect peace and stability in the Middle East today when the collapse of the Ottoman Empire happened less than a century ago then is to be overly idealistic and optimistic.  more...

Final thoughts, the leg of pork, the wish list

Dec 22, 2007: The holiday season has always left me a little befuddled. Having to deal with the rigid customs and traditions that Armenians in the homeland follow has had its ups and downs. Back in 2001 a single leg of pork had me stumped. We had only been in the homeland for a few months when we had to begin preparations for New Year's Day. I had managed to pick up the mandatory Russian terms and local jargon necessary for me to manage at the markets. But nothing had prepared me for the leg of pork.  more...

’Tis the season of khash

Dec 08, 2007: Traditions, customs, rituals, and ceremonies. These are terms that are synonymous with being Armenian. At least they were in my family. There were certain things we just weren't allowed to question. Aside from the obvious religious and national observances, my mother had oddities perhaps peculiar to her generation, perhaps just peculiar to her genetic makeup. We always used to joke that even if the heavens heralded the second coming of Christ, it wouldn't matter to our extremely devout mother - every Friday we would have to go grocery shopping and then every square inch of our home would have to be dusted, washed down, and scrubbed. Although I look back on those days now with nostalgia, at the time I couldn't figure out certain obsessions that we Armenians, in the name of tradition, hung on to - even if those traditions involved housework.  more...

What happens when the dream comes true

Nov 24, 2007: My generation was blessed with witnessing sweeping changes in our world. As a child we were taught that the threat of nuclear holocaust was imminent. In eighth grade, The Chrysalids, a science fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic future after God had sent "tribulation" (nuclear holocaust), was required reading in our school. We were instructed what to take with us in underground bunkers should a nuclear bomb be detonated. Images of the atom bomb exploding, obliterating everything in its path had become commonplace. Deformities caused by radiation was the stuff of our nightmares. I realized how dated I was when my children stared at me in astonishment when I told them about it. Foolishly, I thought they were taught about the potential of a nuclear war. Don't ask me why, sometimes I'm in a time warp. But that's when I realized how much the world has changed.  more...

The things that make me happy and sad

Nov 10, 2007: Northern Ray Boulevard: This past Sunday we took a stroll along Teryan Street, which cuts Northern Ray Boulevard, to get a first-hand look at all the buildings that make up this new neighborhood of downtown Yerevan. It has been under construction for the last several years. The architecture, the color, the glorious inlaid colorful stones on the walking paths were fantastic. I told my husband that 20 years from now, with some wear and tear and loving care, it would resemble a new Europe.  more...

The freedom to navigate

Oct 27, 2007: I often wonder what would happen if we had access to the sea. Let me state for the record that I ask this not from an economic, political, or strategic point of view. However, like many others I obviously do wonder how it would positively impact exports and imports; how it would no longer make us rely on the good grace and behavior of our neighbors; how business and tourism would flourish; how we could have access to larger markets and integrate into the global economy; how it would impact transportation costs; how we could import goods for much lower prices. We are not only cut off from access to seaborne trade, but are also cut off from the resources of the sea - alas, sushi restaurants are not in my top 10 picks of places to eat in Yerevan.  more...

Searching for Camelot

Oct 13, 2007: Camelot, located nowhere in particular, can be anywhere....  more...

Departures and arrivals: scenes from the airport

Sep 29, 2007: When I was a child I used to love going to the airport. Yes, I loved it so much that I usually made myself sick. The airport for me was the gateway to exotic destinations waiting to be discovered. I got the travel bug from an early age, and even now the idea of seeing new places and experiencing different cultures continues to be alluring.  more...

Musings of the victorious

Sep 15, 2007: For almost a century we have defined ourselves through our tragedies. We have occupied that space in our collective memory with ardent fervor. It is a place that is familiar. On a conscious level it is easy being the victim. You are never accountable; you were after all the prey. It's easy to preach from the pulpit, to declare to the world that you were subjected to the horrors of mankind. You can point your finger at the perpetrators and demand recognition and restitution. You can place blame squarely on the shoulders of humanity. For centuries you were the victim. It's the first thing you tell people about your people. You tell them about the Genocide, about the lost homeland of which only ghostly relics remain and which you have not claimed. We are a nation of emotional cripples, forever looking over our shoulders into the depths of our tragic past and secretly finding comfort and familiarity in that space.  more...

Crazy things that happen in small countries

Sep 01, 2007: "What a country. The crazy things that happen here. You know, when I was a kid, one afternoon a boulder fell on a boy, and killed him on the spot. Right in our backyard. We all shared a backyard, all these buildings shared one backyard, and there was a slope running along the edge of it, like a hill, with stones and boulders And the boulder fell on this poor kid and killed him.... I sometimes think there's a reason for all these freak accidents. Some message. A message from above....The place is dangerous.  more...

A conversation with myself

Aug 18, 2007: Most of us become engaged only when we are outraged. All of us have a threshold which contains the series of outrages that life, in its arbitrary and obligatory way, throws in our path. And that is the twist that stops me cold in my tracks and forces me to question the choices I have made. In the past it served as the impetus that used to compel me to become engaged. But now I fear that this feeling of outrage that has taken hold of me is beginning to blind me, to distort my perceptions, and strike a blow from which I may not recover.  more...

The lexicon of the ancients?

Aug 04, 2007: Isn't it time we had a serious national conversation about unifying the spelling of the Armenian language? This is a question which begs an answer. Life, however and its many perplexing and unexpected revelations has demonstrated that there is another national conversation we need to have before we begin public discourse on whether the Mesrobian spelling or the much later simplified spelling that was imposed by the Soviets in the beginning of the 1920s should be the official spelling of the official language of the Republic of Armenia.  more...

With home ownership comes a sense of belonging

Jul 21, 2007: Buying a home can be a daunting and emotional journey for most of us. So many hopes and dreams are tied up into owning a home, especially when it's your first one: "This is where we'll build a life for ourselves, raise our children, plant a vegetable garden, and grow old together." More than a real estate transaction, buying a house is a commitment, not only to the bank, but to our concept of family. Owning your own home is an intrinsic part of the American dream and according to the U.S. Census Bureau almost 70 percent of Americans own their own homes.  more...

Surprise? Armenians like to gawk

Jul 07, 2007: Being the unpaid tour guide that I am, I have on many occasions taken friends and family to various locales throughout Armenia.  more...

Soccer, Armenian style

Jun 23, 2007: I am in a reflective mood this evening as I sit in front of my computer struggling to write. Children are playing on the street, birds are chirping rather wildly by my window­sill and the sun is playing games with the clouds as it quietly sets. Mt. Ararat is settling down for a night's repose, and in a few minutes its faint silhouette will frame the evening sky and then softly disappear into the darkness.  more...

School’s out, university entrance exams are in

Jun 09, 2007: A few days ago I was sitting at an outdoor café with some friends, enjoying the cool evening breeze after a blisteringly hot day. We were discussing the election results and the rumors flying about whether there would be a coalition government, which political parties would get which ministerial portfolios, and which ones would choose to go into opposition.  more...

A typical day

May 26, 2007: Making the decision to come was easy. Actually getting here with all our physical and emotional baggage was hard. Living here has been extraordinary, to say the least. I am not going to philosophize about our reasons for moving here, or describe in minutiae what monumental changes have occurred in our lives as a family since. Anyone who has lived here will intuitively know and anyone who dares to dream about moving here ... well, you'll just have to make that great leap of faith for yourself.  more...

Women and parliamentary elections

May 05, 2007: Parliamentary elections set for May 12, 2007 in Armenia will not likely present a significant increase of women in parliament. Although women's organizations have been lobbying more actively this past year to have a greater representation of women in the National Assembly and some political parties have been showcasing their women candidates on the campaign trail, it is unlikely that the status quo will change.  more...

A grandfather, a granddaughter, and destiny

Apr 21, 2007: Can genetic material serve as the medium through which thoughts and memories are transmitted? Some would argue that it is scientifically difficult, if not impossible to prove. I on the other hand, have nothing to prove. All I know is that I ended up where he began. Not quite, but close enough. We came from different countries but we were both born by the sea.  more...

Traffic jams are a new fact of life in Yerevan

Apr 07, 2007: When we first moved to Armenia, driving was a daunting daily ritual. Not so much for the cars, but for the abundance of potholes one had to be careful to avoid or risk facing substantial car repairs. That of course was no consolation for the shocks on our car that had to be changed frequently because on most dark, rainy nights we invariably ended up in a pothole. Strangely enough I don't recall ever changing the shocks on my old Japanese car which I abused while I sped along the absurdly smooth streets and highways of Toronto. But of course, nothing is ever simple in this complicated corner of the world.  more...

A month of flowers

Mar 03, 2007: A month of festivities and observances await women in Armenia. It all begins with International Women's Day on March 8 and culminates on April 7, Mother's Day.  more...