tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231761362024-03-07T00:49:04.312-08:00East Meets West: Two sides of the Armenian diasporaVarious topics of interest discussed from the point of view of Western Armenians and Eastern Armenians.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-49059189277999352612007-10-16T22:28:00.000-07:002007-10-16T22:29:35.992-07:00A PoemHere's a poem I wrote a while ago, it can be found here<br /><br />http://groong.com/tlg/tlg-20070825.html<br /><br /><pre><b> A SHROUDED SECRET</b><br /><br /> by Levon<br /><br /><br /> If only I was a poet.<br /> I could portray the earth's entire beauty<br /> And have my pen draw nature.<br /> But instead of lilies I find ivy<br /> That shrouds my potential<br /> And instead of the wind's soft touch,<br /> I feel the heat from the fire of my trapped soul<br /><br /> If only my stroke could show me my love<br /> And tell her that I miss her gentle touch.<br /> Yet my heart seems to take me to quiet pastures<br /> Only to lead me to a cliff and bid me adieu<br /> For you, my bitter flame, my sanity hangs on the edge<br /> Begging you to show me my future, so that my soul can rest today<br /><br /> If only I could create a tower of words<br /> Whose tip can pierce the sky<br /> And create a tempest among stars<br /> My great yet unreachable goal<br /> Is it possible that my hidden dreams can transform?<br /> So that my unanswered prayers find me once again?<br /><br /> If only I had a golden tongue<br /> Whose words would sprout flowers in the air<br /> And carry with them the seeds of my soul.<br /> But No, the wind does not carry my words out<br /> But brings me the chill of despair<br /><br /> I wait for fate to create for my heart<br /> An antidote for life's poisons<br /> And cure me of my loneliness<br /> Yet in vain does this ink stir<br /> My abstractions to concrete,<br /> My thoughts to words<br /><br /> And with the pain of unfulfilled expectations<br /> My thoughts fool me to dwell on the past<br /> To disavow the present and live unhappily<br /> And I remain, an abandoned man, with a message to preach<br /> But without a voice to tell it</pre>Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com115tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-33496350958831173512007-09-02T22:02:00.000-07:002007-09-02T22:36:39.554-07:00Why the removal of Hoagland's nomination doesn't impress meBefore I begin I'll admit my views may prove controversial and isn't representative to how most Armenians view this situation, but I'm going to write it here because I feel the urge to say it. All I'm providing is my views and analysis on the situation, feel free to disagree.<br /><br />It's old news but Bush removed the nomination of Hoagland as the new Ambassador of Armenia. For those who don't know, Democrats in Congress acted with the discretion of Armenian voices (namely but certainly not limited to the ANCA) and blocked the nomination and Hoagland was named a genocide denier.<br /><br /><br />Well, does it seem like a victory for us? Perhaps on the surface, democrats worked in conjunction with the Armenian community in a move against genocide denial. Several democratic and republican senators grilled Hoagland at his hearing just over one year ago. Does this send a message to the Bush administration that Armenian Genocide Recognition should be taken seriously? Is this a victory for us? I don't think so.<br /><br />The reason why Hoagland's nomination was removed was because Bush declined to use a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recess_appointment">recess appointment</a>. A recess appointment is a tool that the President can use where an ambassador gets appointed to a position during a congressional recess. It pretty much bypasses congressional opposition. Why didn't Bush use a recess appointment for Hoagland? Enter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Fox">Sam Fox</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton">John Bolton</a>. John Bolton was the Permanent US representative to the UN and Sam Fox is the current ambassador to Belgium, both were appointed via recess appointments with Fox's appointment happening recently on April 7, right in the middle of the Hoagland crisis. Looks like Bush has a history of nominating ambassadors that congress doesn't like, looks like Bush has a history of using recess appointments to get these guys through, and it looks like congress finally got fed up with it. So what happened to that recess appointment for Hoagland? Sorry buddy, you're collateral damage, congress is griping at me because of these recess appointments and I don't want to deal with it anymore. Bush needs his guys at the UN and the EU a lot more than he needs them in Armenia (EU headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium). Armenia is expendable to Bush, seeing that he doesn't really need an ambassador in Yerevan he took the easy way out and withdrew. Now, does it really matter to Bush why congress didn't want Hoagland? My guess is no. Does it matter to congressional democrats? Or are they just using this as a tool to score points off of Bush? Does it matter to anybody? Ok ok now I'm being too cynical. This was a huge act of defiance against Genocide Denial by the Armenian community, but is this move what the Armenian community is making it out to be, i.e. is this a success for the Genocide Recognition? Or did it get jungled up together with Washington politics?<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I'm all for advocacy, and the Armenian community did stand up for something they believe in, but I think there's a tangible difference between what we want this to be and what actually happened. Maybe I'm thinking too much through the DC perspective, but this perspective is the way we are going to get Genocide recognized.<br /><br />About the merits of urging congress to block Hoagland's nomination, I was against this move from the start. It doesn't make sense to me to have Armenia without an ambassador during a critical time in US Armenian relations highlighted by the MCC deal.<br /><br />Does it seem prudent to go against the wishes of the Armenian government in its dealings with the US? (yes the Armenian governments stance was in favor of Hoagland being appointed, but you won't find this stated everywhere). The Armenian government generally isn't much prudent either I'll admit, but in this case I think it's a legitimate question to ask.<br /><br />I welcome debate.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-89347662453299736112007-08-24T22:27:00.000-07:002007-08-24T22:40:17.285-07:00Familiarity with a homeland?I came back from Armenia about just over three weeks ago. This was my second trip in three years and after spending 6 weeks there I was...well... ready to go home.<br /><br />I wasn't sad upon leaving my homeland, I wasn't wondering about my return, and I definitely wasn't attached to anything. Why? Because Armenia became familiar to me.<br /><br />The first time I went I spent 2 months there and when the time came for me to come home I wanted to stay longer and cherish my times there. I grew attached to the entire experience, the immersion into a different world, and the friends I made. It all hit me at once, the cars about to run over you, everybody speaking Armenian, all the stuff you encounter the first time and wake up with a "culture shock." All of these concepts sound cliche to me now whenever I think of Armenia.<br /><br />This time I was used to crossing the street, the language, the different realm became familiar territory for me. I was therefore not attached when I was leaving, in fact I was ready and eager to go home. The initial "culture shock" dissipated and I remained just another diasporan enjoying his summer in the homeland. Is that, after all, everything that Armenia offers? After the first time, and that's it?<br /><br />Well, there's a reason why I became familiar to the atmosphere of Armenia, and as I look back there is an inherent beauty to my acclimation. Yes it was familiar and no longer new, but at the same time I realized that I became familiar with my homeland. I suppose that isn't a bad thing, and I was able to show others what I experienced the first time.<br /><br />Now as I look back it isn't entirely a bad thing to be familiar with one's surroundings, but for now I'm looking for something that... well... isn't too familiar :)Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-34260232063298724642007-04-24T12:45:00.000-07:002008-12-09T01:04:02.862-08:00Another April 24 entry?Here it is, April 24, a perfect opportunity to write a cliche remembrance entry into my blog which has been in desperate need of a post for more than a month... i'll try to keep this fresh (try is the key word here).<br /><br />This year I did not hesitate to be a cynical voice among the thousands of Armenians in Los Angeles ready to brandish their flags on their cars and honk in front of the Turkish Consulate or in Little Armenia in Hollywood. No, I'm not participating in marches, protests, or remembrance events (After going to so many last year I went to none this year), I don't have any flags on my hood or waving out of my window... and yes... I went to work today. I suppose this makes me a bad Armenian. But I if I step back just a little bit and reflect on the meaning of this day, it's worth just as much as all the activism that saturates the Armenian Diaspora this time of the year.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVtwFpGBEiEhoIVD32uAjxezOk2WLMRrW-Ja2Cwctt06kquecJIU2WxsSQ7uuhhaOQxLBkIzYRaiOEInALwo2wtDnVJENsNoWoyvQB5I9gPeKSAPdLOqqQdXLgcm8JrCgTDTcmg/s1600-h/177px-April24Victims.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVtwFpGBEiEhoIVD32uAjxezOk2WLMRrW-Ja2Cwctt06kquecJIU2WxsSQ7uuhhaOQxLBkIzYRaiOEInALwo2wtDnVJENsNoWoyvQB5I9gPeKSAPdLOqqQdXLgcm8JrCgTDTcmg/s320/177px-April24Victims.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057089698611194914" border="0" /></a>What exactly happened on April 24 that makes it the commemorative date? April 24 marks the beginning of the Armenian Genocide as over 200 Armenian intellectuals and leaders were rounded up in Istanbul and eventually executed. Here is a picture of 10 individuals who perished. Among them are giants of Armenian literature and poetry: <a href="http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/literatu/varoujan.html">Taniel Varujean</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krikor_zohrab">Krikor Zohrab</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamanto">Siamanto</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupen_Zartarian">Rupen Zartarian</a>, Rupen Sevag, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erukhan">Erukhan</a>. On this day, 92 years ago, they were all brutally executed at the hands of Turkish officials, and this is the tip of the iceberg. 1.5 million Armenians perished and this number doesn't even take into account how these deaths affected the survivors. <a href="http://eastwestarmos.blogspot.com/2007/01/vahan-tekeyan-armenian-poet.html">Vahan Tekeyan</a> had survivor's guilt since he was fortunate enough not to be in Istanbul on that day as his contemporaries and friends perished. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komitas">Komitas Vartabed</a> went insane at the sight of the killings and lived the last 20 years of his life in a psychiatric clinic. <a href="http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Hovhannes_Shiraz">Hovhaness Shiraz</a> was born in the city of Gyumri which at the time was housed destitute Armenians fleeing massacres (his father later died fighting off Turkish troops). Granted the genocide dominates Armenian identity, almost too much sometimes.... but it's hard not to notice it when you take this information into account.<br /><br />Now just to take a step back, April 24 seems to have two facets. The more mainstream is activism: protests, marches, events at schools/churches/community centers, etc, in other words, the stuff I'm not so thrilled about participating in this year. I'm not saying it's not important, political activism is a key part of remembrance since there were also political leaders who were executed on this day. It's just not my thing, I've had my full and it just gets redundant.<br /><br />The second is a much more personal level of remembrance. For me, I see this day just like any other day. I'm not going to take off work or go to a protest and yell and scream in front of the turkish consulate when chances are nobody is inside. What I am going to do, and I do this almost everyday, is take time out of my day to sit and read what our writers that died on this day, 92 years ago, wrote down and try to capture a deeper meaning of April 24. Right now I look at my calendar which depicts a different armenian poet every month. This month it's Siamanto, who died on this day, 92 years ago.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1173610407233308842007-03-11T04:09:00.000-07:002007-03-11T17:48:27.250-07:00Ahhhhh the Elections!!!Well it seems that Levon's poetry muse has packed up and left town; for which I am thankful to all the holy deities that exist. Since now we can concentrate on some serious issues, like the parliamentary elections in Armenia and the opposition's role in it.<br /><br />I know I said serious issues, but here I go and talk about the Armenian opposition, oximoronic isn't it? Yes ladies and gentleman our opposition is as serious about itself as Brittney Spears is serious about marriage. Levon justifies their actions by saying that they are "hamar" or stubborn, I disagree. They are not stubborn, they are greedy, self indulged, inept, corrupt, "me first" individuals. None of them deserve to become a president, since none of them really care about the people and their problems (well maybe Raffi does, but who are we kidding here folks that guy has no chance). These guys care so much about gaining power that they forgot to at least present some kind of a running platform. You know if I want to vote for someone I also want to know WHY am I voting for that person. These guys did not give me a single reason to vote for them, none. They have no publicly announced plans for decreasing joblessness in Armenia (the most important issue for Armenia today), they have no such plans for the Karabakh issue, for health care, for emigration, and pretty much any other important issues.<br />Now this does not mean that they don't have plans at all, they do, personal ones. For example Demirjyan Jr. (I have great respect for his father BTW, God bless his soul) is like a character from a bad B movie; you know son sees his father 's brutal death and promises to avenge his father's death, NO MATTER WHAT. Sarksyan also can very well be from that bad B movie, but this guy is here to avenge his brothers brutal death. These two basically are running for presidency in order to get the real masterminds behind the parliament hostage takeover (to be honset official investigation was more than unsatisfactory), where these two lost their relatives, and Kocharyan very conviniently lost two of his biggest rivals. I love Artashes Geghamyan's plan; he runs for the presidency because he wants to be president. Does not get any simpler than this folks, these guys put their personal needs before the needs of the people, just like the current bunch in the power. So a question arises; Why should the people change the ruling elite if the new comers are not going to bring anything new?<br /><br />Although to be honest I have to give them credit for one thing, honesty about their ambitions. These guys are not shy about their ambitions, they want to become president, they want it now, and they don't want to share any power with anybody, and they make this crystal clear anytime there is a microphone pointing their way, brilliant.<br /><br />Folks Armenia needs a benevolent dictator, a guy who walks softly but carries a big stick, a strict teacher type, a guy with an iron fist wrapped in a soft fabric, call it whatever you want, we need somebody who cares about the Armenian people and their future and is ready and willing to put the hard work, that requires to achieve that goal; the current leaders don't fit this profile, neither does the so called opposition.Armanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057329380651688432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1173473156833860762007-03-09T12:16:00.000-08:002007-03-09T12:45:56.850-08:00Typical Armenian PoliticsI haven't written about politics in a while, and with Armenia's parliamentary elections coming up in May I felt compelled to discuss it but I didn't come across anything noteworthy until now.<br /><br />A recent article by Armenialiberty,<br /><a href="http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/03/0F792B69-ADA7-4E35-9F89-EDD4AC7ED0C7.ASP">http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/03/0F792B69-ADA7-4E35-9F89-EDD4AC7ED0C7.ASP</a><br /><br />It talks about the reasons why the Armenian opposition failed to coaelesce in contesting May's elections. Since the situation is a bit complex, allow me to provide a brief context of the big players:<br /><br />Raffi Hovannisian-former foreign minister of Armenia. Head of the Zharangutyun (Heritage) Party. Outspoken member of the opposition.<br /><br />Stepan Demirchian-son of the Soviet era Armenia leader, Karen Demirchian (also former presidential candidate in 1998 and later speaker of the National Assembly, was assasinated along with Vasken Sargsyan). Stepan is the leader of the People's Party of Armenia.<br /><br />Artarutyun (Justice) Alliance-The main opposition block. Made up of several parties, including Stepan Demirchian's people's party. Recently disbanded.<br /><br />Vazgen Manukian-head of National Democratic Union.<br /><br />Aram Sarkisian-Former Prime Minister. Head of the Republic Party (not RepubliCAN party, these are the guys in power). Brother of Vazgen Sargsyan (former Prime Minister, assasinated).<br /><br />This is just a portion of all the members of the opposition, as you can see there are so many parties, which makes it obvious for them to join, right? Well, this is when things get complicated.<br /><br />Last week talks between opposition parties commenced with Aram Sarkisian initiating them. The goal was to form an alliance, and it failed. Manukian's National Democratic Union announced that it will boycott the elections, Stepan Demirchian said he's going at it alone, and poor Raffi Hovannisian was left preaching to deaf ears about how he wished an alliance could be made. Recently an aide to Demirchian said that the main reason why the parties couldn't join forces was that Demirchian wanted to be the chief presidential candidate in next year's election. Similar accusations were made of Raffi Hovannisian, who denied them. So where does this leave us? It seems like Hovannisian was earnest in his efforts, he was ready to cede five spots on the opposition bloc to other parties. The main problem was Demirchian's presidential aspirations. I really hate to say this, and it's soooooo trite now, but the situation warrants it... the opposition was being too Armenian, <span style="font-style: italic;">inad</span>, stubborn...call it whatever you want, too many ppl wanting to be the chief or in this case one guy trying to use a situation to help him become the chief. It's quite humorous, but in the end it's unfortuante. That being said, I just hope that May's elections be fair, and not just because it's the way it should be, but because Armenia has a lot at stake riding on these elections. Armenia's future with MCC aid will be dependent on them having transparent elections and let's not forget the Karabagh talks being on hold until after May. So hopefully there won't be a cloud of fairplay this spring.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1172984064404230792007-03-03T20:22:00.000-08:002007-03-04T19:45:53.866-08:00Armenian Drama and some more on PasadenaLast Saturday I went to a play put on by the AGBU Ardavazt Theater Company, it's a chill small amateur group that performs plays a couple of times a year. Their current production is Կորսուած նամակ մը, or "The lost letter."<br /><br />The play isn't a straightforward comedy, it's a satire, or երգիծանք. It's an adapted screenplay originally written by Ion Caragiale, a Romanian. It's a clever take on politics, corruption, and personal relationships that underlie it all. Quite interesting but since I'm more used to the comedies I didn't enjoy it as much, it was a little too subtle. But now after a week the play's themes have really settled in. The interpretation worked because the themes used can easily apply to Armenians today and in this sense it was a great work of social criticism.<br /><br />My thesis project is going slowly. I have to compose a 30 page paper by the end of June and so far I have only interviewed two sources, so that's money. I have to get more in the next couple of weeks, hopefully get at least 6-8 substantial ones, quite frustrating. There are so many dimensions that it's hard to focus on which one, but the my main concern is with the church. It's amazing how a community can just get together and build something that sustains themselves, a self preserving mechanism if you will. Yet at the same time there are other topics such as relations with neighbors, internal struggles, and evolution of identity. I think my problem is not so much coming up with material.... I have plenty of that, I just need to substantiate it with sources. My main problem is gathering up all of the different portions of my topic and bringing it together.<br /><br />Take 70s for example. The Lebanese Civil War hit and an influx of Armenians came to America, where do they go? Well, Armenians attract other Armenians, so California was a big target. Pasadena had a good community going, so a lot decide to move there. But they run into the already existing Armenian American community, who have a different perception of Armenian identity. This ultimately leads to a clash. So this dynamic can be like one section of my paper. It also presents a good take on assimilation.<br /><br />Then you have the relocation of St. Gregory. This event shows how the Armenians coelesced for a common goal. It also is a testament to the growing number of Armenians in Pasadena.<br /><br />I look forward to completing this project, as it will help me understand my people. But it also presents a fascinating topic, but difficult to grasp due to its enormity.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1172544513365024372007-02-26T18:29:00.000-08:002007-02-26T18:48:33.380-08:00Pasadena's Armenian ChurchesOk so enough with the poetry and back to the vibrant Armenian community in Pasadena. This past weekend I took a stroll through the town and went to all the old and new Armenian churches. Some of the old churches that existed back in the 40s are gone, but others are still arou<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/1600/207408/Churches%20001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/320/138048/Churches%20001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>nd.<br />This is the old building that housed St. Gregory in Pasadena. It's on Michigan Ave off of Walnut, just south of the 210. When I first pulled up by it I was amazed at how small it is. St. Gregory moved to its current location in 1964 due to size issues, the Armenian community was growing.<br /><br />This church is now converted to what seems like a community protestant church. It's in fairly good shape for its age. It has a small parking lot on the left and an alley on the right. A pleasant little church, but the street it lies on is extremely narrow, a parallel parking nightmare on sundays.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/1600/161679/Churches%20006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/320/755944/Churches%20006.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This is the old location of the Cilicia Congregational Church. It was erected in 1936 and was actually the second location of the congregation (the old place is long gone and was used in the 20s).<br /><br />This church has since been converted to an African American Church of Christ, it has very little remnants of an Armenan church.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/1600/113123/Churches%20013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1746/2369/320/70801/Churches%20013.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is the new church for St. Gregory. This location was used since 1964, but for 5 years now they have been rebuilding it. It was a great sight to see as I was driving on Colorado, it towers over the block and makes our presence known. It isn't done yet though, the committee says it will be done by June, but I and a lot of other seriously doubt it. It should be done the fall hopefully, and if not then next year Pasadena will have its grandest church to date.<br /><br />In studying the Armenian community in Pasadena, this church is one of the best things to happen to this city. It's relocations and reconstructions are testaments to the growing influx of Armenians into Pasadena.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1171947365088220522007-02-19T20:41:00.000-08:002007-02-19T20:56:05.116-08:00Bedros Tourian-RepentanceMy Aunt gave me a calendar made in Aleppo in which every month corresponds to a different Armenian poet. The month of February has Bedros Tourian on it, and I have never heard of him before and he didn't come up in Dr. Bardakjian's reference book. I asked my dad and he told me he was a precocious youth, a poet who never reached the age of 21 yet was able to create such beautiful works.<br /><br />Again, Groong is an invaluable source with an article on Tourian<br /><a href="http://www.groong.com/tcc/tcc-20060911.html"><br />http://www.groong.com/tcc/tcc-20060911.html</a><br /><br />He contracted tuberculosis at a young age and was fated to die a young man and he knew this. A quote from the Groong article:<br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;">“Tourian’s love is the beginning and the end of his desire to live and the dark fate of being predestined to die… The motive of (his) poetry is always the battle between the desire to live and the fate of not being able to live… the clash between being and not being, striving and not reaching…”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">This poem is entitled Զղջում, or repentance, and it epitomizes his state of mind that was wrought with grief. He shares the pain he feels at the sight of his mother crying over him because he is doomed to die a young man. At the end he poignantly asks God to forgive him for causing such grief.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> Զղջում<br /><br />Անշուշտ ճակատիս վրայ մահու<o:p></o:p><br />Դալկութիւն մը կը պլպլար,<o:p></o:p><br />Եւ մահու թռիչ մ՝ունէի,<o:p></o:p><br />Լսեցի մօրս հեծեծում...<o:p></o:p><br />Բացի աչերըս խոնջած,<o:p></o:p><br />Մօրըս արտօսրը տեսի՜...<o:p></o:p><br />Ո՜Հ, Ճշմարիտ գորոխի<o:p></o:p><br />Մարգարիտներ սուտ ու կեղծ...<o:p></o:p><br />Մայրս անհո՜ւն ցաւ մ՝ունէր,<o:p></o:p><br />Այն սեւ ցաւը Ե՜ս էի...<o:p></o:p><br />Ա՜Հ, գըլուխըս փոթորկեց...<o:p></o:p><br />Այս սեւ հեղեղն տըւի դուրս...<o:p></o:p><br />Ո՜Հ, ներէ՛ ինձ, Աստուած իմ, <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY"><br />Մորըս արտօսրը տեսի...:<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1171834630635704152007-02-18T13:26:00.000-08:002007-02-18T13:37:10.646-08:00Armenians in PasadenaAfter studying for over 6 months, I finally took the lsats last Saturday. This test had consumed my life and now that I'm done I suddently have a lot of free time on my hands, which I will need as I'm writing my senior thesis on the Armenian American community in Pasadena.<br /><br />Much of my sources include oral history of old timers who have been active in the community for quite a while. Last week I sat down with a man who was in Pasadena when the current church was being built. He was a carpenter and actually helped build the church. It was a great chance to learn about our community, and I suppose it's safe to say that the community in Pasadena can serve as a microcosm of Armenian communities elsewhere. When the church was being built, all Armenians (protestants, apostolic, etc) coalesced to build this church and its adjacent school.<br /><br />What is interesting is the trend in Pasadena in Armenian immigration. The first Armenian settlers in Pasadena were from Turkey and subsequently lived in Pasadena for generations (Amerigahyes). Yet there have been two recent influxes of Armenians from other locations. The first main one was those that came from Lebanon and the Middle East due to the civil war (my parents) and the most recent one is the influx of Hayastantsis. There is definitely some sort of network here. The more recent immigrant may have had contacts or were drawn to Pasadena due to the current Armenian community at the time of their arrival. Whatever the case, Armenians attract other Armenians. First Amerigahayes, then Beirutsis, then Hayastantsis, but all Armenian.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1169513108749461442007-01-22T16:33:00.000-08:002007-01-22T16:45:08.766-08:00Taniel VaroujanQuite ironic that a week after I post Vahan Tekeyan's poem a great tragedy happens in Instanbul with the death of Hrant Dink. It would have been fitting to post the poem after his death, since it speaks on the effects of genocide on the Armenian psyche.<br /><br />Nonetheless, I have another poem that may apply to the situation. It is titled argaydz jrac (chrag), which means A Flickery Lamp. The poem is written through the eyes of a father whose son is about to arrive victorious from battle and subsequently marry his love. The father constantly tells his son's future bride to light the lamp, yet he ultimately realizes that his son isn't arriving victorius, yet fatally wounded. The last remark poignantly captures the sudden grief experienced by the father. This grief was experienced by me when I found out about Hrant Dink's death, and I'm sure the same can be said about Armenians all over the world.<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">ԱՌԿԱՅԾ ՃՐԱԳ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Յաղթանակի գիշերն է այս տօնական.-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հա՛րս, եղ լեցուր ճըրագին:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Պիտի դառնայ կռիւէն տըղաս յաղթական.-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հա՛րս, քիթը ա՛ռ պատրոյգին:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Սայլ մը կեցաւ դըրան առջեւ, հորին քով.-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հա՛րս, վառէ՛ լոյսը ճրագին:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Տըղաս կու գայ ճակատն հըպարտ դափնիով.-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հա՛րս, բե՛ր ճըրագը շեմին:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Բայց… սայլին վրայ արի՞ւն եւ սո՞ւգ բեռցեր են…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հա՛րս ճրագդ ասդի՛ն երկարէ:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Հերոս տըղաս հոն զարնուա՜ծ է սըրտէն.-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Sylfaen;" lang="HY">Ա՜խ հարս, ճըրագըդ մարէ՜…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />An english translation can be found here <a href="http://www.geocities.com/hjanoyan/poets/varoujan.html">http://www.geocities.com/hjanoyan/poets/varoujan.html</a><br />Credit to Daniel Janoyan for the translation, his website is a gold mine of Armenian poems translated to english.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1169084489331603322007-01-17T17:18:00.000-08:002007-01-17T17:51:32.506-08:00Vahan Tekeyan-Armenian PoetI've recently begun reading Armenian poetry with the help of Dr. Kevork Bardakjian's Reference Guide to Modern Armenian Literature. We have a mini library of Armenian books and poems in our house that my grandfather brought over from Beirut and I was perusing through them and I found an old piece by Vahan Tekeyan called Hayerkoutyoon (or Hayergoutyoon) which translates to Ode to Armenia. It was published in Cairo in 1943 and is a collection of his works gathered up from newspapers. After reading through a couple of poems, I looked up Tekeyan in Dr. Bardakjian's book and read up on him, and immediately I had an affinity for the poet's works.<br /><br />Tekeyan was born in Istanbul, but unlike his contemporaries Taniel Varoujan and Siamanto who were assasinated on April 24, 1915, Tekeyan was in Jerusalem teaching and therefore escaped death. He lucked out, and this realization is seen throughout his poetry and complements his lamentations for the death of his people.<br /><br />Perhaps Tekeyan's character and poetry can be best described by Dr. Bardakjian,<br /><br />"Tekeyan's poetry was on the whole cerebral, austere yet poignant, subtle and elegiac, distressful yet lyrical and dignified. There was something of the stoic in him; personal love remained elusive, and only dreams and hopeful anticipation of reciprocal affection periodically illuminated his otherwise sad life."<br /><br />Here is one piece by Tekeyan entitled Piti esenk Astutzoh (We shall say to God). Here Tekeyan grieves over the death of his people by rhetorically asking God if he will once again allow the Armenians to enter hell (the first time being the Genocide).<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Պիտի Ըսենք Աստուծոյ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Թէ պատահի որ այսօր անհաւասար այս կռուին <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Չըկարենանք դիմանալ և ուժասպառ, ոգեվար<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Գետին ինկած՝ չըկրնա՜նք ոտքի ելլել վերըստին<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Ու յաղթէ՛ մահը կեանքի ոգորումին մեր երկար<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Թէ լըրրանա՜յ այս ոՃիրն ու վերջին հայը փակէ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Վըրիժավառ իր աջքերն՝ որն յաղթութեան չողջունած...,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Ահ, թո՛ղ այժմեն երդուըննայ իւրաքանչիւրը մենէ՝<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Որ հանդերձեալ կեանքին մէջ երբոր գտնենք մենք զԱստուած<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Ու երբոր Ան՝ երկրային մեր մեծ ցաւին փոխարէն,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Ուզէ ըզմեզ ըսփոփել, վարձահատո՜յց մեզ ըլլալ... <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Իր այդ շնորհն ապաժամ մենք մերժելով ուժգնօրէն՝<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Պիտի ըսենք.<span style=""> </span>- «Մեզ դըժոխք, դըժո՜խք ղրկէ՛ անգամ մ'ալ.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">ՉԷ՞ որ զայն լաւ կը ճանչնանք, զայն ճանչցուիր մե՜զ շատ լաւ,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="HY" style="font-family:Sylfaen;">Եւ Թուրքերուն յատկացո՛ւր արքայութիւնըդ ամբաւ...:»<o:p></o:p></span></p>Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1167736554065389022007-01-02T02:48:00.000-08:002007-01-02T03:18:16.366-08:00Alpha Epsilon Omega Scholarship FundWell it feels good to be back and blogging, especially after the fact that our little en devour was noted in the AGBU Magazine.<br /><br />Although there are some interesting things happening around the world today, I will not talk about them. As the title of this thread is pretty much self explanatory, you probably already guessed what I am going to talk about today; yes ladies and gents it's our very own Scholarship Fund .<br /><br />The idea was brought up in one of our chapter meetings by our fellow brother Edgar K., and we all liked it; in fact we liked it so much that we decided to offer a scholarship to our studious and socially aware Armenian males who are graduating from high school this year. Of course to make sure that the awarded amount goes towards purchasing books and university units and not rims and cigarettes the student has to show not only a proof of his acceptance to one of the six eligible universities, but also a proof of attendance. Only after that he will get the scholarship award ($500).<br /><br />Since this is the first time that our organization is doing such a thing, we decided to keep the award amount relatively small. If it turns out to be a "great success" (I had to quote Borat somewhere), we will do this again next year and most probably offer a higher award.<br /><br />So if you or anybody else that you know, are an Armenian male, graduating from a high school, with an 100% intent of studying in either CSUN, UCLA, Cal State LA, UC Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona, or UC San Diego, please do not hesitate for a second and grab the application form from<a href="AEOSF.ALPHAEPSILONOMEGA.ORG"> AEOSF.ALPHAEPSILONOMEGA.ORG</a>, complete it by following the instructions, and send it to the address provided in the application by March 13, 2007.Armanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057329380651688432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1167703895896833652007-01-01T18:05:00.000-08:002007-01-01T18:11:35.910-08:00Armenian Independence as seen through the eyes of SportI came across an article by chance yesterday on armenianow about the decline in Armenian athletic performance at the Olympics since independence, the article can be found here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=1910&IID=1111&lng=eng">http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=1910&IID=1111&lng=eng </a><br /><br /><br />To summarize, Armenia has been quite a source for gold medalists during its tenure in the Soviet Union, but ever since independence the infrastruce and resources necessary to train athletes have disappeared. Dodi Gago, the current chair of the Armenian olympic committee, is promising a return to excellence, but mainly by attracting foreign athletes to compete for Armenia for cash incentives (he is also building up resources as well).<br /><br />I couldn't help but see this as a microcosm of Armenian independence. Although independence is what we all dreamed of, some of the vital tools for success and sustenance blew away with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It just reminds me that it's always easy to point out the negative influence of communism, only to forget the most apparent benefits that existed back thenn.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1167545252265014152006-12-30T21:55:00.000-08:002006-12-30T22:07:32.276-08:00Groong and OrbelliI just wanna take a break from politics and point out an excellent resource for news and other info, Groong news network. <a href="www.groong.com">www.groong.com </a><br /><br />This site is great, it's a news mailing list that covers headlines from Armenia and pretty much all over the world, kind of like google news but it predates it. In addition to news, groong has a lot of topics on history, political analysis, culture, and a databank of treaties including the Armenian Constitution. But I have to say one of my favorite sections is Ruth Bedevian's Armenian House Museum Series <a href="http://www.groong.com/orig/armeniahousemuseums.html">http://www.groong.com/orig/armeniahousemuseums.html</a><br /><br />In Armenia most of the houses of famous poets/writers/painters etc.. are converted into museums (kind of like Shakespeare's house in England). Ruth Bedevian traveled throughout Armenia to these houses and wrote about them including the history of such individuals. I checked out her description on the Orbelli Brothers House and I was blown away. Talk about an Armenian version of the Rockefellers or Kennedys, these guys made huge contributions to science, literature, history, and most of all their people. Their family dates way back and one of the family members was even buried at Noravank Monastery in Armenia. They seriously put us on the map with their contributions. I urge you all to read up on these guys and other famous Armenians.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1167109405629440112006-12-25T20:58:00.000-08:002006-12-25T21:03:25.640-08:00Armenian Educational Relief FundA while back I made a post about the Armenian Educational Relief Fund (AERF), an organization that was spawned by the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Omega, the Armenian Fraternity here in Los Angeles. Last summer they went and spent around 6 grand purchasing supplies for Kindergarten #7 in Armavir City and donating it all first hand. This year the organization is gathering up funds to renovate the same kindergarten plus two others. These guys do great work, they are mostly college students who raise the funds here in LA throughout the year and travel on their own expense to help out needy children. You can check out their pics from last summer's journey here<br /><a href="http://aerf.alphaepsilonomega.org/gallery.php"><br />http://aerf.alphaepsilonomega.org/gallery.php</a>Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1166512650288135682006-12-18T23:15:00.000-08:002006-12-18T23:17:30.300-08:00PetitionAs some of you may heard, there is a petition on cilicia blogs to protest the leniency in a recent ruling to a man who drove over a 17 year old girl in yerevan. He pretty much got off with a slap on the wrist, this said a lot about not only the Armenian judicial system but on the lack of driving laws existing right now. Please sign the petition below so we can do something about this tragic situation:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/araz">http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/araz </a>Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1166330795733452562006-12-16T20:43:00.000-08:002006-12-16T20:46:35.746-08:00No Resolution to Karabakh conflict before 2007 voteRecent article on Armenialiberty.org here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.armenialiberty.org/">http://www.armenialiberty.org/ </a><br /><br />Kocharian rules out a resolution to the peace talks until the parliamentary votes in 2007.<br /><br />While some may see this as Kocharian covering his ass, I see this as a shrewd move not only for him but for Armenia.<br /><br /><br />Being at the negotiating table is tough as nails. Not only do you have to appease the opposing side, but you also have to please the people (something that Ter-Petrossian failed to do that lead to his resignation). And let's not forget appeasing the Minsk Group while the international community is watching the process.<br /><br />Aliyev does the same thing, so should every politician, you can't let an issue like this be used as leverage by your political opponents. It'll disrupt things at home and abroad.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1166231164145293892006-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:002006-12-15T17:06:04.160-08:00New Armenian LobbySome news going around about the new Armenian Amerian lobby group by Cafesjian and Vartian (formerly the ED of the Assembly). Interesting, I tried to wrap my mind around it for a while:<br /><br />1-Do we need another one? Probably not, but I suppose it won't hurt to add another voice in DC. The more groups there are, the better we can have our voice heard.<br /><br />2-Is this divisive? Well, considering that Cafesjian is a member of the Assembly board and Vartian is the former ED, it seriously brings up some concerns. I'm sure the Assembly is a bit bewildered about this.<br /><br />3-What are the motives? The fact that Assembly members (past and present) decide to split and form their own organization needs an explanation. Do they want power? Fame? Regardless of the intentions, I still see this move benefiting Armenians due to the increase in voice.<br /><br />4-Ross Vartian-Man this guy came out of nowhere, wasn't expecting him to show up again. It's good to see him back in action though. I admire his efforts in establishing strong relations with the Republic of Armenia during his tenure with the Assembly. It's good to see Armenian organizations consulting the government of Armenia, will this new organization follow the trend? I hope.<br /><br />Ultimately I'm stuck between two points to this issue. Either it's too divisive or it will add another dimension to the Armenian lobby. What does this organization have to offer that the ANC and Assembly lack? Perhaps Arman can provide an explanation (this is your cue to comment!)Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1166076241578152532006-12-13T21:53:00.000-08:002006-12-13T22:04:01.610-08:00AGBU MagazineI read the latest on blogs in the magazine, which highlighted cilicia and a couple of others and also gave a list of blogs, and I saw that they included our humble blog in their list. Quite exciting, but it made me realize that I haven't updated this thing in a while (Arman you are guilty of this too). BTW, that AGBU magazine is great, I learned a few new things in their articles, and being the Armenian political junkie that I am, I greatly appreciate the journalism that the magazine puts in.<br /><br />I especially read up on the article by Richard Giragosian on Armenia's relationship with Russia. Again, an excellent article covering a lot of important facets of Armenia's bilateral relations with Moscow, but I had to disagree on a few points. First, the article mentioned Armenia's emulation of Russia's political system and how it serves to the detriment of a democratic Armenia. Granted, the prevalence of corruption is a remnant of the old Soviet model, but Armenia can benefit from Russia's leadership in dealing with this problem. Putin, although consistently bashed in the western media, plays a strong hand when dealing with oligarchs and Armenian leadership can learn by example. Again, I ain't completely supporting Putin (that's Arman's job), but I do believe emulating Russia's government does have its merits.<br /><br />Also, the article also portrays Armenia's reliance on Russia for security in a negative light. Although Russia greatly benefits from the alliance, Armenia does so too. The Russian base in Gyumri offers protection from Turkey (even though the chance for military conflict is low, it's still substantial to warrant protection from Russia), and although Russia supported Azerbaijan as well as Armenia during the Karabakh conflict, Armenia right now still needs Russia's military support.<br /><br />There's a lot of Russia bashing going on, and yea the Soviet Union produced was the bad guy in the Cold War, but you know what? It did more to protect Armenia than any western country during the time. While Britain backed the Azeris during Andranik's campaigns in Zangezur and the American Congress overturned the creation of Armenia with its borders in the Treaty of Sevres, Russia offered the best protection against Turkey. Yea, they did screw us with Karabakh, they ain't perfect, but overall give Russia some credit, since the West doesn't do much either.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1162091345535279382006-10-28T19:54:00.000-07:002006-10-28T20:09:05.546-07:00Armenian collective conscienceSo I forgot that I blog here again, and apparently so did Arman...<br /><br />It's tough to keep a blog that's solely devoted to politics and Armenian news, since when I don't see anything worthwhile to talk about I just don't blog here. My current schedule is a mess too, school is ruling my life with a wrath that it hasn't had in a long time, and most of my free time is spent sleeping (I have gone out once in the past 1.5 months).<br /><br />Right now I'm sitting in my room with a really annoying fly buzzing around me. It's a big one too, which should make it an easy target but for some reason I haven't been able to swat it down (I like to swat flys out of the air instead of waiting untill they land since it's more fun). This is pretty much my break from studying.<br /><br />Some news about the apparent anthem being changed, it's been shelved, woohoo (whatever). Making a big deal about nothing... which reminds me of this one guy in Glendale...<br /><br />Stepan Partamian is his name, he is known for having very controversial views on Armenians and bashes us all the time. He had a one man show at the Alex Theatre a while back, and me and Arman went. Neither of us like the guy but we thought it would be interesting to see this show. It was more of the same from him, just talking a bunch of nonsene, whever you get a big group of Armenians together to talk about our culture/politics, you really don't get anywhere. Granted, Partamian is bringing these issues to our conscience, but do we really need someone to do that? There are a TON of people in the Armenian/Diasporan community who merely talk, and in the end people are satisfied with having a good discussion. Yet how many of these guys who bring up issues do anything about it? I suppose I'm guilty of doing this too by talking about it, but I'm not reaching a wide audience and getting on a high horse about it, which leads me to my next point...<br /><br />Armenians lack leadership. When was the last time we had a good leader? And I'm NOT talking about military leaders or fedayis (Monte Melkonian, Zoravor Andranik). Those guys were great, and I respect their sacrifices, but can we say Armenia has had a good leader in government? Politics? Anything other than military? Karen Demirchian maybe, or maybe not. I must be forgetting someone. There is a sense of insecurity in the Armenian collective conscience, and I think having a good leader will be a big step forward in rectifying this issue, while having someone just bring up the same old issues to the spotlight will not do much.Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1159160874946766992006-09-24T21:57:00.000-07:002006-09-24T22:07:54.986-07:00Armenia-Diaspora ConferenceThe latest Armenia-Diaspora Conference went underway last week with a resounding success (if you define success as getting a bunch of Armos together in one room to do what they do best: talk). I honestly didn't follow it too much, but I did hear about Catholicos Aram I and his speech denouncing the government and corruption. That was nice to hear, but about every year it's the same old same old. This, along with the Conference on Dual Citizenship, was the big meeting this year between Armenia and its Diaspora. I really don't see too much coming out of either conferences, but the Armenia Diaspora conference DID include a section devoted to rural development, which was Kocharian going up on stage and proclaiming that Armenia needs more money... you have to give it to the prezo, he's a straight shooter.<br /><br />I was just sad that I couldn't attend the conference. I know I know... with all the dirt that I'm throwing it sounds weird, but it would be hilarious to be in that room. Just think of it, everybody who is anybody in the Armenian spectrum is in one room and they all want to get their ego trips out. I only get a watered down version of this as I go to the ArmeniaFund telethon... but that is for a good cause whereas this is just... well... like I said, ego trips.. and networking, can't forget about networking. But yea, I heard that some (if not most) of the people were sleeping during the conference.. just another reason to attend!<br /><br />The apparently boring conference was followed by an apparently cool military parade to celebrate Armenia's 15 years of independence. Now that's a way to celebrate a holiday, forget fireworks...Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1155706389737444942006-08-15T22:11:00.000-07:002006-08-15T22:33:09.750-07:00DC storiesI came back from my two month internship in Washington DC this past week. I must say I'm not too thrilled with this blog not being updated, Arman isn't holding down the fort since he is swamped with classes/finals/midterms, no rest for the wicked eh Arman ;P.<br /><br />So what do I have to say about DC? Eh... not my kind of town, but my internship was great. Working at the Armenian Embassy turned out to be a blessing, I learned so much about Armenia that I got a new perspective not only on Armenia's status, but in politics in general. The people at the Embassy were great to work with as well, and I am going to miss working there. But on to more politics..<br /><br />The Lebanon Israeli conflict sets the background here for some interesting stories. Just two weeks before the fighting started, I was interning at the World Bank with ATHGO international, <a href="http://www.athgo.org/default.asp">http://www.athgo.org/default.asp</a>, where I heard the Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Farid Abboud speak. I later walked up and asked a quick question regarding Lebanese stability in regards to its sectarian politics. The Ambassador was very optimistic about Lebanon, stating that the country will manage. I told my mother this and we were both a bit skeptical about it. Soon after the fighting started, I call my mother and she jokingly tells me that I should go back to the Ambassador and sarcastically ask him how come Lebanon can't manage. How ironic.. but my Lebanese tails don't end...<br /><br />One of our fellow interns turned 21, so to celebrate we went to a Lebanese restaurant. I later ask the waiter if he is Lebanese (knowing the answer would be yes) and tell him that my mother was born and raised in Beirut and then ask him what he thinks of the situation in Lebanon. He said Lebanon's hope is for the next generation to go back and proposes that I should do so, being under the impression that I was Lebanese. I tell him that I'm Armenian and he simply responded, "you should still go back, whether it's Armenia or Lebanon." Now back to the World Bank...<br /><br />One of the moderators of the panel that was going on was the Economic attache to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in DC. I was later speaking with him and he reiterated was the Lebanese waiter said about the next generation going back.. that even though the opportunities are available in America for educated Armenians/Lebanese/Czechs/, the only way the homeland will be changed is if the younger generations go back.<br /><br />So here I sit, in Los Angeles, the Mecca for Armenians leaving Armenia/Iran/Lebanon, and I was trying to put all of this together. With all the Armenians that left Armenia, how many of them will actually return permanently? My boss at the Embassy and I were both sure that at least half if not more will not return, and my boss replied, "Armenia doesn't need those that won't return, it's the other half that it needs." Ever since returning from Armenia I've been considering going to Armenia one day and living there, even though it won't happen for a very long time. Yet I'm sure that Armenia's troubles today can be overcome once the next generation of Armenians, whether they be from Los Angeles, Lebanon, or Armenia itself, will play an enormous role twenty to thirty years from now. So, here's to the next generation of Armenians :).Levonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608674159758653256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1152481409298826862006-07-09T14:25:00.000-07:002006-07-10T09:23:03.566-07:00We Have a Winner!!!!FRANCE 1:1 ITALY<br />(Penalty FRANCE 3:5 ITALY)<br /><br />Well after 64 matches the World found their new soccer champion....Italy. IT was an intense game that went into the 30 minute extention period, where no goals were scored and thus the game was decided by penalty kicks. France's chances of winning this game could have been much higher if Zidane did not act like a mongrel idiot and did not hit the Italian player on the chest with his head; apparently because the Italian said something derogatory towards him. No one yet knows what was exchanged verbally between those two, but I am sure whatever it was it was not worth to screw your own team on the World Cup final game; that's what Zidane did.<br /><br />Zidane received a red card and was kicked out of the game, rightfully so, that kind of behavior has no place in soccer. Zidane disappointed millions of people and he backstabbed his own team and nation with his selfish action, hence he stayed in the locker room when his team was receiving their second place medals. Not a good way to go into retirement for a soccer legend.<br /><br />I, like many Armenians that I spoke with, was crossing fingers for both of the teams, and whatever the result I was going to be happy. Not counting Zidane's idiocy this was a great and memorable game. Lets hope Armenia will make it into the 2010 World Cup.Armanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057329380651688432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23176136.post-1151959083337629462006-07-03T13:23:00.000-07:002006-07-03T13:38:03.353-07:00Armenia To Export Oil?!Yup, thats right....or is it?<br />Well according to Transeuroenergy Corp. of Canada our beloved country has the potential to export oil. The Canadian company firmly beleives this because of the amount of the oil that our neighbors have (if they have it why shouldn't Armenia logic), and because the idea that Armenia might have oil is not a new one at all. During the 1970's Soviets tried to find new oil spots in Armenia but it was not done for economic gain but for ecological, hence the budget was small and the program was cancelled. Americans too were looking for oil in Armenia in the late 90's, and the only reason they stopped was because the owner of the comapany died.<br /><br />Now people imagine if we have oil (also TRY to imagine that our government does not screw this one up..I know it is hard), things will be good for Armenia VERY, VERY good. The experts say that even if they dont find oil in Armenia (Armavir region mainly) they are sure that we will have natural gas (this is easier to extract), which is still very good for our budget. Armenia is a small country if such oppurtunities arrise and if they are managed right, I do not see why Armenia cant be the next Qatar or Kuweit. The only down side to this will be the environmental issue, but lets be honest here, from the winter of 1992 Armenia stopped caring for its environment. Maybe the money from the oil can be used to make Armenia cleaner.<br /><br />I am very excited about this, the oppurtunities will be endless for our little country. No poor people, well equiped schools, new TOYS for our boys in the military, kick ass healthcare, you name it.Armanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057329380651688432noreply@blogger.com7