Quick notes

It’s 3 am and I just got home. I’m so tired but it was such a day as to brush away all the unpleasant things. The opening of “One nation, one culture” festival was a great success. I doubt that ever before Armenians gave such an amazing undertaking. Everything was organized in such a delicate and refined manner.

The group from Kazakhstan who I guide consists of only five dancers and the others are just accompanying. In total of 12 people. They turned out to be nice people and I hope to get more acquainted during these days. And certainly I advise you not to miss this chance and participate in everything which is happening in the town these days.

Anyways, now I have to pack my things for tomorrow’s trip to Goris then Stepanakert. I’ll be back by 26 so to manage to pass my quiz in time.

“One nation, one culture” Festival

I think not everyone knows that  from June 23 to June 30 the  Pan Armenian cultural second festival called “One nation, one culture” takes place. Check it at www.mekazg.am .  

When I learnt that I jumped to find ways to participate in it. I wanted to be in the core of all those events and see everything by myself and only after that decide for myself whether there is one nation and one culture. I’ve volunteered as a guide and I’ll be guiding the group from
Kazakhstan. I will meet them only tomorrow before the opening.  I hope it’s going to be a great event and if you are in town don’t miss the opportunity to attend those undertakings, besides they all are out of any charge. 

You can find the program here, but I give it in any case: 

EVENTS’ LIST, ARRANGED WITHIN THE FRAMES
 OF “ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE”
PAN ARMENIAN CULTURAL II FESTIVAL  

Georgians and nationalism, parks and cafes, churches and kisses

  

 I want to start with saying that the conference which was supposed to be held in Georgia, was postponed, and we found it out only on Georgian boarder and having no other way as it was late to push us on past
Yerevan, we decided to continue our trip. Speaking frankly I was even happy. This meant that I would be free and had the opportunity to go to the places of interest of Tbilisi, which I never managed during my two previous trips.  The trip was a splendid one. I was on the front seat next to the driver and chatting all the time not letting him  get tired or so. The fairy-like nature in Dilidjan and Idjevan is so enchanting that one cannot drive his eyes away from it. I was open to all impressions and I let my thoughts take colour from what I saw. Enjoy  the pictures I took, but don’t judge them, I’m an amateur.

From my first two trips I got the impression that Georgians are nationalists from head to foot. When you ask what the price of a thing is in Russian they whether ignore you, as if you are a ghost, or declare that they don’t understand Russian and that you’ve better study Georgian. Well, in such situations I hardly resist myself and just leave avoiding any kind of misunderstanding. Shall I explain a man of  50 that his attitude is rude or wrong? He will argue with me, as was the case when once I tried to do it, insisting on his blind nationalism. They posses that feeling so deeply, that they even refuse selling anything from what they have.  Their “you-don’t-know-georgian-so-go-and-study” attitude awfully annoys me and each time remembering those incidents I nearly go mad.  Every time I want to be self-assured that those are only some exceptions and that not every Georgian has that manner, but it must necessarily be me who always faces such situations.

I DID IT !!!

Well, all my days spent reading and writing, breaking my head and getting nervious weren’t in vain, because the result was obvious today. I did it, I got five and my professor's words of praise were higher of any mark. She said she was pleased and very satisfied with me, my answer, my attendance, the neat work that I did regarding my paper and the like. Yea, yea, let me show off a bit, but for a moment I blushed Now I think I shouldn’t have to chicken that much, but on the other hand probably that was exactly the thing which helped me.

 I’m immensely obliged to Onnik that he encouraged and cheered me up all this time. He believed in me more than I did and I justified our hopes. Thanks, Onnik, thanks a lot!!

  Now I feel the pleasure of being free. Though I have one more exam on economy, but as far as I have answered all the seminars during the whole semester the professor is going to grade me mechanically, that is without asking.

 

Anyway, I have five minutes to post this and more five minutes to take my bags and leave for
Georgia. I'm going to participate in a conference there, or rather help in organizing or stuff like that. Don't know yet, everything happened so abruptly. I'll talk about it later ( If I manage )

 For now, wish me good luck and God speed!!

And Sasun danced…

Today I passed my 4th exam on USA Area Studies. Among 70 questions there was only one question, on which the professor had never spoke. Not surprising it was that I took a ticket and turning it I read that exact question: “American-Spanish War”. For a moment I thought: “Aha, Zarchka, you’r caught, you’r flunked”. But eventually I dared let the professor know about it and he just calmed me down saying that that’s the same question as “War with Mexico”. Then again I thought: “Now keep calm Zarchka, consider that you’ve already got your excellent mark”.

But the worse is the best. I cannot treat myself to a holiday unless I pass my stylistics, which, I hope, will occur in several days.

Although, regardless of that fact, today I decided to have a walk with a friend of mine before getting again absorbed in my books. Our conversation was not a cheerful one and we both were in low spirits. The air was depressing, especially when we tried to avoid crowded places, but as far as the downtown is not big enough as to find a deserted place and the cafes appear at every corner like mushrooms, we decided to walk to Opera. For a moment I felt like characterizing the city as a ‘crowded desert’. The other moment I heard sounds of music coming from the Opera Square. Those were not the tedious sounds that you can hear at any café. Approaching we saw a crowd of people in Armenian national dresses (Taraz), who made a round holding by each others’ shoulders and dancing to Armenian National music, accompanied by ‘zurna-dhol’. I inquired and found out that ensemble of ethnic dances ‘Sasun’ had given a concert at Opera hall, after which they had decided to dance outdoors. “ Sasuntses are dancing”- said a woman with amazement.

That was so spectacular!! People had surrounded them and some of them even joined the dancers when they started dancing the ordinary and well-known dance ‘Ver-very’, (that is 2 steps to the right, left foot up and right, right foot up and left). For that several minutes I totally forgot about everything in the world and I was just grasping the energy which was sent by those people. Simultaneously I remembered words of a poem:

And danced Sasun
And all the people got amazed,
And danced Sasun,
And all the people understood
That not a dance this is,
But the history of the nation
Whose defeat even has its proud…
Dance Sasun!!!

I could hardly restrain myself from dancing and now I regret about it. Although I was pleased to see the youth knowing at least how to dance ‘ver-very’. I’ve always kept to the opinion that every person must know the ethnic dances of their nation. That is the strong power which keeps people united, at least while dancing…

I also regret for not having my camera with me… It’s not always that one can witness such an undertaking in the streets of Yerevan, but when it happens it is worth seeing and hearing and feeling. Later I had what is called ‘paradigm shift’ and announced that our city is a ‘crowded desert with small oasis’, just one must be at the proper place at the proper time…

Two exams in the past..!!

Just in brief about my exams.

I have passed already two of them with excellent marks- English and Spanish. Still 4 exams remain. As I said before, the most difficult one for me is stylistics-studying 320 pages plus writing a paper of 5 pages is far an arduous a task, hm? Now while preparing for the coming two exams I also study stylistics hoping to read that book and to repeat it for the second time by  June 19. Anyway, I’m trying to manage everything…

 

Incidentally, as today was International Children’s Day I was at

Freedom Square

just when  children started drawing on the ground with colorful chalks. It was so exciting and I didn’t miss the chance to ask chalks, after which I started drawing by myself. I remembered my childhood… I guess it was spectacular how a girl of 20 was drawing among those kids trying not to let her skirt go up. However, nothing bright occurred to me than drawing Ararat mountain, as many of the kids were doing the same. It was then when I painted the globe surrounded with green leaves in a human hand and quoted from a famous song:

 

Let it always be sunshine,

Let it always be blue sky,

Let it always be mummy,

Let it always be me!!!

 

The air was filled with joy and happiness. Why didn’t I have this feeling before.. hmm?

 

Ok, got to go now- back to my books and copy books. If a friend read this now he’d likely say: “Don’t read that much, the letters will hit on your eyes”. For him to know-I can block them!!!