AYF-YOARF Interns Write from Armenia

The following articles are written by AYF-YOARF interns currently in Armenia.

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By Ani Sarajian

So this is my first blog post. I’ve never blogged, but I’m going to try to make all of you feel the love I have for being in Armenia, even though I’ve only been here for a week and a half.

Ani Sarajian (left) in Gogaran
Ani Sarajian (left) in Gogaran

Where do I even begin to describe what an amazing and exciting adventure this has been for me so far? I guess the first thing I should discuss is how hard it hit me that I’m finally in Armenia. When I drove extremely close to Mt. Ararat I had the most breathtaking realization. I’m not lying. I grabbed my friend’s hand and gasped because I was so taken aback at the beauty of it.

I thought that being in Armenia for the first time, let alone living and working 5,000 miles from my home in New Jersey, was going to be slightly intimidating at first. However, I find that I’m not intimidated at all by being here; I feel at home, I feel completely comfortable. And as I wander through the streets of Armenia, I find myself feeling incredibly grateful for having this opportunity. I truly believe another reason I felt so at home, but being so far away, is because I am exceptionally lucky to have family here in Yerevan. Though I had never met my cousin Vardan, as soon as we did meet, he took me in and was constantly making sure I was doing well here. Vardan took me out to dinner with the rest of my family living here. At first I was nervous to meet my family I had only heard of, but I immediately felt love and comfort when I was with them.

In a short week and a half, I’ve learned so much about this country. To me there is one important thing I’ve learned thus far—that is to step out of my comfort zone and go with the flow. I’m working on trying new things and doing things that may not be what I would typically do. For example, while just letting things play out for themselves, some could call me a picky eater. I don’t like much meat aside from chicken and a few other things, but while I’ve been here, along with encouragement from other interns and our director, I’ve been pushing myself to try new foods. One instance of this was from our excursion to Haghpat and Sanahin. On our way home we stopped for a bite to eat at this small restaurant. I was nervous to try some of the food on the table but our director, Nairi, told me to take the opportunity while I have it, and I ended up really liking the kebob!

Here in Armenia I’ve noticed people do not seem stressed or run around frantically, which is so different from many others, including myself, who live in America. I guess that’s where I’ll leave you all for now! But don’t worry, next post you’ll get an inside look at our first excursion to the Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries along with how my first week at my internship went!

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Soaking in Yerevan’s Architecture

By Faye Khatchadourian

As I walk through the streets of Yerevan I am impressed by its rich architectural style. I am fortunate to have been given this opportunity to work and study the architectural designs of numerous buildings in Yerevan.

As an intern I am working for UrbanLab, a well-known architecture firm here in Yerevan. When I first arrived, before starting my job, I was walking around the city and found myself attending a protest where citizens of Yerevan were trying to stop the government from destroying a particular building. The next day, as I was having my first meeting with my boss, he told me all about it and how the building used to belong to a wealthy family. Unfortunately the building is now gone because of the many loopholes that exist in our government’s system.

Faye Khatchadourian
Faye Khatchadourian

I would have to say that it was quite an experience for me to witness how people here get extremely involved and voice their opinions, and rightfully so. The project that I am presently working on is to locate the historical buildings of Yerevan and to catalogue them so that they do not get destroyed, and in turn to find ways to promote these historical buildings to tourists each year. The best part of this is that I get to walk around the city and discover many areas that are hidden and not well known to the visitor. Even though sometimes I get lost, I feel that it just makes the experience more enjoyable and the best way to get to know the city. Yerevan is designed in such a way that it encourages people to explore its rich historical and cultural sights.

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New Perspectives

By Dalita Getzoyan

As I begin this journey, my first time in Haiastan, I cannot help but take in all of the new perspectives I have been exposed to. I have learned about appreciating what I have and embracing my culture. I have learned about how far this country truly has come since its independence in 1991, and yet how much work still needs to be done. With new perspectives and more information comes many unanswered questions, including figuring out what my role will be here throughout the rest of my life. While my future blog posts will probably tackle these points, I would like to take some time in this post to share one of my first meaningful experiences.

Dalita Getzoyan
Dalita Getzoyan

On June 25, I attended a concert at the Aram Khachaturyan Philharmonic Concert Hall (a.k.a., “The Opera”). Before I had even arrived in Armenia, I wanted to attend a performance here. As a musician, I felt one of the ultimate experiences for me in Armenia would be to connect with one of the most famous locations in the country through my appreciation for the performing arts. The concert was by the famous jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan, along with two other pianists Armen Babaghanyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan. The tickets were 10,000 dram, which equates to about $25 in the United States—a fairly cheap price for a professional concert. However, as I stood outside waiting for the doors to open, I ran into a few of the students I work with at my internship placement, Sistema Armenia. As classical music students, they were very excited to see the performance. However, there was one problem: They did not have tickets. In Armenia, the price for these tickets is considered very expensive. When I asked what they were going to do, they simply answered that they would sneak into the concert! I was shocked when I heard this answer, and yet they told me they do it all the time. As I watched them sneak past the doors without a ticket and sit down, three girls on two seats, I was shocked at how natural this seemed for them. Prior to the beginning of the concert, I was happy to see the entire hall filled with people. It was so beautiful on the inside, as I imagined it would be from the outside.

During the concert, I was incredibly moved by the performance. Some people may have considered it “too dramatic,” as the musicians put everything they had into their playing, and some of those people even left halfway through. This angered me as they took for granted their ability to attend this experience right in front of these young girls sitting near them who had to sneak in to the concert in order to hear it. I reflected on the fact that I was just so happy to be embracing my culture and the passion that Armenian musicians have for their artistic form. I was living a dream, a connection that I had wanted to achieve during my time in Armenia. I felt so grateful to be having this experience. I was proud to have a glimpse into the Armenian music community, and I look forward to attending more performances while I am here.

I continue to appreciate what I have and embrace my culture. Every new experience, every new perspective I am exposed to connects me more to Armenia as a real place, and less like a fictional location that has only existed in my imagination until now. As I connect more to the physical Armenia, I connect more to myself and the definition of my identity as an Armenian.

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Journey to Gogaran

By Ani Sarajian

Arriving in the village of Gogaran, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was a little skeptical to see how much village life differed from city life. Yerevan is quite different. I thought I had experienced culture shock coming from the United States to Yerevan, but I had no idea how different it was going to be out in the villages. While it was nothing like that which I had become accustomed to since arriving in Armenia, I enjoyed seeing this new lifestyle away from the busy streets of the city.

The interns in Gogaran
The interns in Gogaran

Upon arriving we were immediately welcomed with open arms by our host family. They took all of the interns in and were so loving towards us, even though they had only met us minutes before. Our host mother, Lucine, wasted no time trying to feed us and make us comfortable. She constantly made sure we were enjoying our time. I was blessed to be placed with a host family who had the two best kids in the entire village: Siranoush, 12, and Mourad, 14, taught me a lot while I stayed in their home. Aside from how to play extreme dodge ball and some new Armenian words, they showed me that even though they don’t live a lavish lifestyle, they can still be happy. Their family has been dealt a tough deck of cards, including the passing of their father a few years ago; however, they remain positive and so optimistic. They also know how to make some pretty goofy faces!

When we woke up Saturday morning, we immediately went on a hike up a nearby mountain, and yes, my clumsy self managed to trip both up the mountain and then again on the way down. Ardranik, 22, a villager and our guide for the weekend, showed us all of the caves within the mountains where people once lived. We definitely worked up an appetite from our hike and were treated to fresh lavash made by Andranik’s mother and our host mom. We watched them prepare the dough, put it in the tonir, and as they pulled pieces out we didn’t hesitate to dig in. I’m not lying when I tell you, writing about it now is making my mouth water!

We then got all of the village kids together and had a huge water fight, which was awesome. We had brought water guns and toys from Yerevan; it was so nice to do something for them and see that it brought them so much joy and excitement. As the night continued, we gave out more toys to other village children and spent a long time outside just playing with them. That day in Gogaran is probably my most rewarding day in Armenia so far.

Sunday morning, our last day in the village, we were joined by a few of our ungers from the Worcester “Aram” AYF Chapter and the Armenia Tree Project (ATP). We spent the day planting trees around the memorial of our fallen soldiers and the church, both within Gogaran. It was nice to accomplish this project with the help of the villagers. Knowing that they had a hand in it makes it more likely that they will follow up and make sure the trees grow as they should. The boys from the village found it funny when we had trouble digging the hole for the tree, so they stepped in to dig the holes needed, and in turn we helped by placing the trees, covering it with dirt, and watering it. It felt great to spend the day with the locals and pitching in to make a nicer area for the villagers to enjoy and flourish.

Leaving the village Sunday night was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do. I had become so close with Siranoush, Mourad, Lucine, and their family in such a short time, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. As we all hugged and said our goodbyes, everyone was emotional; I wish we could have stayed longer, but I’m hoping to have the chance to see them once more before returning to the States in August.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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