Eleeza is elsewhere

floating westward

2009-06-01T02:15:00.006-04:00

I left Kiev behind yesterday after two jam-packed days and am now in green and lush Holland, where I've enjoyed a stroll on the beach with a caipirinha, and some lovely local sheep with whom I've made friends. More importantly, I've been visiting with my old friend Molly who I haven't seen in several years. It's been a lot of fun catching up. But first, a recap of the last few days:

The most important news is that I struggled past my fears and at the last possible moment jumped into a hot air balloon and floated over Kherson oblast for a total of 45 minutes. Don't believe me?

As you see here, I suddenly found faith just before the balloon took off. Though my legs and hands were shaking almost the entire time, I talked my way through most of the ride and only felt heart palpitations when the pilot fired up the gas and we floated higher into the atmosphere. Despite the horror of floating 75 meters above ground in a basket that is literally held up by a thread of wires and an acrylic balloon full of hot air, it really was an incredible experience. The views were stunning: Kherson oblast is full of wheat and strawberry fields. We floated over villages, where the farmers and other residents are so used to seeing this particular ballooning group fly by that they simply smiled and waved and went about their day.

After our early morning balloon ride (we started the day at 6:30 and were back on the ground and at breakfast by 9:30), we finished our last day of work with VTV Plu, prepared for their journalists and producers' upcoming trip to Louisville, and had our farewell dinner before boarding our second 12-hour overnight train of the week back to Kyiv. Though the trains are old, and the rails a bit rickety, I can say with confidence that the former Soviet railways far surpass their counterparts in Egypt, where a few years ago Courtney and I suffered through a similar overnight trip in the first-class compartment, that was basically a car with wider chairs. At least in Ukraine, you get a bench to sleep on that includes a small mattress, pillow, and sheets.

In any case, we safely got back to Kyiv and spent our last two days in the city, briefing our funders at the U.S. Embassy on the results of our trip, touring the Chornobyl museum (very good and quite frightening), and taking in two performances at the opera house. On Friday it was Carmen, which far surpassed the Kennedy Center's recent production. And on Saturday we saw a ballet: "Vienna Waltz," with music by Strauss. The opera house in Kyiv is just ornate enough to make you think you're actually in Vienna. On Saturday we also visited Lavra, a monasterial complex on a hill above the city, which includes a series of caves built into the hills, where monks once studied and are now buried. (I saw their creepy mummified hands, and that was when I was done with the narrow caves.)

Yesterday morning I arrived in Amsterdam after an essentially sleepless night in Kyiv. Took the train down to the Hague and spent a lovely and relaxing afternoon with Molly. It's been refreshing to not be working, or explaining cultural differences, or waiting for someone to translate my sentences. We took a walk on the beach here, which looks not a little like Newport, had a caipirinha, and relaxed at home. Today we'll do a little more site-seeing, before I head back to Amsterdam and spend a little more than a day in the city, where hopefully I'll be doing more nothing. My plan is to sleep, drink good coffee, read my book in a park, and maybe go to a museum or two.

Back to DC on Wednesday!

zebras, bison, and peacocks, oh my

2009-05-27T15:49:00.003-04:00

So, I should be in bed, so that I can wake up at 5 a.m. and potentially go hot air ballooning, but more about that in a moment.

We spent a large part of today at Askania Nova, a large nature preserve about a two hours' drive west of Kherson. The giant biosphere is in Kherson oblast (state) and is situated in the dry Tavriya steppe. The park is beautifully preserved with lush green grasses for the larger animals to graze on, and a beautiful arboretum and largely open zoo for the many species of birds to flock around. There were hundreds of peacocks, a small flock of zebras, a herd of American bison, African antelopes and many other fascinating creatures roaming as though you were on safari. Pictures will come late Friday, as tomorrow is our last day at work in Kherson.

In the morning, the US partners and my Ukrainian colleague are planning on flying in hot air balloons just outside Kherson. I've agreed to join them at least to watch and (if I'm feeling brave enough and don't see the balloon pilots taking side swigs of vodka) go up myself. Mostly, however, I didn't want to sleep in as tomorrow night we'll be taking another overnight train back to Kyiv and I'd really like to be able to sleep most of the way there. Though hopefully Nyquil will also help with that.

Pictures and more to come over the weekend.

strasvutsye (Hi, in Russian)

2009-05-25T15:12:00.003-04:00

A few observations about Ukraine:

1. It feels very much like being in Armenia, only with more Russian. In fact, almost as much Russian as Ukrainian. Though the languages are similar, they are still two different tongues. That said, the southern and eastern parts of the country identify more with Russia, whereas the west aligns itself more closely with Europe and is proud of its uniquely Ukrainian heritage. Here in Kherson, far in the south of the country, all you hear and see is Russian. Svita, my IREX partner in crime, says she seems to be the only one speaking Ukrainian around here. Even the TV station with which we're working broadcasts in Russian. Which brings me to my second observation:

2. I may be fluent in Russian by the end of the week. I've started tuning out our excellent translators as I seem to be picking up more and more words. After two months of media research in Armenia, I learned all the Russian words for media there (redaktor=editor, registor=director, operator=cameraman, montage=editing.) As our partners describe their activities or ask questions of their American counterparts, these common words fly out to me and seem to wave a flag in front of my face as though to say: "See! You know us! You understand us!" It's strangely comforting.

3. Finally, I feel I've really put the knowledge and skills I've built since moving to DC to use. A combination of my research project in Armenia, which led to my master's thesis, and the coursework I chose for my degree have really helped me to shape all the discussions we've had so far about telecommunications, spectrum, the impact of the Soviet Union on its former states' media systems, and geopolitical and other pressures journalists face in this part of the world. In addition, my background as a journalist in the US has been a huge boon for working with the two U.S. partners we're hosting this week from a TV station in Kentucky. I can better explain to them why the standards for journalism that they're used to may not be the norm here.

4. While this experience so far has been totally fulfilling and engaging, I'm still not convinced the NGO life is the one for me. It's also yet another reminder of how much I miss journalism and a life of deadlines. Am I ready to go back to the newsroom yet? Not quite. At least, not while I can still take a few more trips like this one on somebody else's dime.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...

first day in Ukraine

2009-05-24T16:29:00.003-04:00

Made it here safely, but have not had a proper night's sleep since leaving DC 48 hours ago, so I won't write much tonight. I'll leave my pictures to explain. Check them out here. One highlight, I may have a new man in my life:

finally, something interesting to report

2009-05-10T15:21:00.003-04:00

I've heard the complaints from on high: Druz in Iraq, my Aunt Mary in New Jersey, my own parents in Irvine. Everybody's wondering why I've been so quiet lately. As much as I'd love to give some exciting answer. There really has been nothing new to report. I go to work each week and enjoy my job. On the weekends I often cook, go out with friends, and have been more dilligent about running and recently started taking yoga, as well. I read a lot in the evenings and generally try to go to bed early so as to get to work early, leave early and enjoy the long-lasting afternoon sun that graces DC in the spring. (Though in the last week, we've had more rain and clouds than sun, but the last two days have happily made up for that.)

Two interesting things have happened in the last few months. The first: I turned 29. Not a monumental birthday, to be sure, but it feels auspicious, with 30 just around the corner. It's left me thinking a lot about what I expected of myself at this age and where I think I'll be in the next year. My career is going down a path that seems promising. I enjoy living in my rented apartment but have begun thinking about living in a space that I own and wondering how that can be possibly given my finances. It's certainly not impossible, but I still have some work to do to get there. Mostly, I've enjoyed my life on my own in this still relatively new city of mine. I love exploring the neighborhoods, reading a book on a warm Sunday in the park, learning to enjoy cooking for myself, and of course often doing all these things with Vahan, who's become my best friend and partner in many of these adventures.

As our relationship has matured and strengthened, so have we as individuals. Which brings me to my next interesting bit of news. In two weeks I'll be traveling to Ukraine for work. I'll be accompanying two managers from a TV station in Louisville, KY, to Kherson in Southern Ukraine. I'll work with them to host training sessions and discussions with a TV station in Kherson that my organization is working with this year. I'm looking forward to this new challenge in my career, and am particularly excited to see a new country and work in a totally unfamiliar environment.

After I finish my work in Ukraine, I'll be heading to Netherlands for a few days of rest and to visit a good childhood friend, Molly, who's lived in the Hague for a few years now. I'll be seeing her for a day, then spend two days exploring Amsterdam on my own.

I'm looking forward to an adventure on my own and promise to keep you all updated about it.

chocolate + bacon = happiness

2009-02-22T13:44:00.006-05:00

This is an equation I have always firmly believed in, as the two represent some of my favorite food groups. Much has been written on the topic of chocolate-covered bacon. I'd always wanted to try it, but the opportunity to service fried pork products dipped in chocolate never really presented itself until my office announced the theme ingredient for last month's Iron Chef competition: Chocolate. The choice was clear. I went to the star and bought two pounds of bacon -- one each of regular maple smoked and turkey (to offer my non-pork-eating friends a chance to enjoy this singular culinary delight.)

And so, to recreate the two glorious nights it took me to pull this off -- and cause our apartment to smell of bacon for roughly a week -- I hereby present you with a step-by-step guide to chocolate-covered bacon.

Step 1: Fry lotsa bacon.

Step 2: Melt chocolate in which to dip delicious bacon.

Step 3: Dip all the bacon in the chocolate and lay on parchment paper. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 4: Drizzle with white chocolate to emulate the pure white streaks of fat that make bacon so delectable. Et voila!

In case you're wondering, the refined palettes of my fellow nonprofit professionals deemed my dish third out of 16 other chocolate-themed concoctions. I guess chocolate-covered bacon is far more refined than you'd think.

inauguration part 2

2009-02-01T22:25:00.003-05:00

Per Heath's request, I am attempting to remedy my lazy blogging habits with a picture of Vahan and I at our future home.

I should make clear that Vahan is only interested in the First Lady's job, while I am more interested in having everybody finally do whatever I tell them to do. "Vahan? First Lady?" you may be wondering. If you've met the man of my dreams, you'll know that there's nothing he loves more than throwing a good party, especially one that involves him cooking multiple ducks for many guests. And the guest of honor at each party must be someone who has never before attended a duck party. I don't think he'd mind hosting a duck party with Alex Ovechkin as the guest of honor. But I'm fairly certain he'd balk at my dream guest: George Clooney. Too bad. As First Lady, he'd just have to respect the President's decisions.

my inaugural inauguration

2009-01-24T10:01:00.008-05:00

I know I'm pretty much the worst blogger in the world, but I really haven't had anything interesting happen to me lately -- that is, until this past Tuesday. Below is an essay I wrote for the Armenian Reporter about my experiences in Washington this week. Enjoy!

When I woke up at 4 a.m. January 20, 2009, I certainly didn't think that at the end of the day I'd be sitting next to President Obama and Vice President Biden.

I had volunteered to work as an usher along the inaugural parade route. All I knew was that I had to check in at 5 a.m. and could expect to be on my feet and outside until at least 5:30 p.m. What followed were 14 of the most interesting, coldest, and exciting hours I've experienced since moving to Washington, DC 2 1/2 years ago.

I left my apartment around 4:30 a.m. and started making way down to 14th St. NW and New York Ave. NW, just a few blocks from the White House, where I’d be stationed all day to assist people to their seats in the bleachers that lined the parade route. I knew we were in a good spot, but I didn’t know how good it was until our volunteer team leader told us we were stationed next to the president’s reviewing stand. Suddenly, the prospect of not actually seeing the inauguration – there were no jumbotrons on the parade route -- didn’t seem so bad.

Our bleacher was directly in front of Blair House – the White House’s official guest residence and the Obamas’ last address before moving into the big house across the street. As 11:30 a.m. crept closer, a pair of moving trucks pulled out of the White House gates and another pair pulled in.

The inaugural committee staff flipped on the loudspeakers on Pennsylvania Avenue and set the radio to a broadcast of the swearing-in ceremony. I heard Barack Obama become our 44th president while sitting on a bleacher on an empty stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, and huddling near three total strangers with whom I was assigned as a volunteer. Tears welled in my eyes and a chill went down my spine. I looked back toward the White House and smiled.

Soon after, the crowds swelled up from the National Mall to the parade route and I finally jumped into action as a bleacher usher. I’ve never seen a happier crowd. Even as I told people to please step inside and fill in the seats up top, they were perfectly content to oblige. There were Obama hats and blankets and scarves, pins and calendars and commemorative tickets, parents with their children, grandparents with their grandchildren – all American and all desperate for a glimpse of their new president. As each one passed, they all asked where they could get the best view of the president. I explained that I wasn’t sure whether he’d make his way down to our bleachers, the last ones on the parade route.

A short while later, when the parade announcer said President Obama would indeed be walking down Pennsylvania Avenue all the way to 17th Street – where my bleacher was rapidly filling up – there was a roar of approval from the crowd. Sure enough, when the new president and his wife walked right by our stand – with me front and center – the crowd pushed forward to get a glimpse and I got my own quick picture, thinking I’d gotten what I’d volunteered for: a chance to see the new president in person.

As the sun set and the parade continued on, my feet started to go numb and ache from the 13 hours spent outside in the freezing temperatures, I contemplated heading home. I'd seen most of the parade, snapped a picture of the Obamas and Bidens walking right past me on the parade route, and met some incredible volunteers.

I was leaning against a barricade, stomping my feet to regain feeling in my toes, when an inaugural committee staffer counted off five volunteers, smiled and said: "Would you like to join the President in his box?"

A volunteer I had never met hugged me and jumped up and down while saying: "I don't even know you but I'm so happy!"

We were ushered into the president's box and sat a few feet away from him and Vice President Biden in the seats the real VIPs had long ago abandoned in favor of going home to get ready for the inaugural balls.

Vice President Biden turned to our small group in the box, made a motion as if he were shivering and mouthed to us, “Why are you here? It’s freezing!” We laughed and pointed at him and said, “Because of you!” He laughed and blew us a kiss.

The highlight? As President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama left the box upon the parade's finish to return to their new home behind them, he turned to our small group waved and said, "Thanks for coming guys!"

We replied: "Thank you, Mr. President."

The next day, I was one of a lucky 200 who won a lottery to attend an open house at the White House. My boyfriend Vahan and I arrived promptly for our tour, made our way through several formal sitting rooms and suddenly came face to face with Michelle Obama, who warmly welcomed us – two Armenian-American kids from California and Michigan – into her new home. I told her I was honored to meet her, and she thanked me.

As we walked out the gates of the White House, I found myself standing in front of the box that just 24 hours before held President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, and me.

You can see more pictures in my Facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2154142&l=3d861&id=1417897

Druzopotamia

2008-11-09T12:10:00.004-05:00

My good friend Heath (aka "Funny Uncle Heath) Druzin has taken a major leap in his reporting career, from the rugged American West to the somewhat wilder west of Iraq. He recently started a year-long reporting gig with Stars and Stripes (the preferred newspaper for America's military) as an embedded reporter in Iraq. He'll also be reporting from Afghanistan later on during his contract.

His insights so far have included a lament for the woeful lack of beer in embedded units, the interminable "hurry up and wait" atmosphere, and the culinary delights of chow halls.

If you'll permit me a moment of sappiness (save the snark, Heath), I've always been impressed by Heath's determination and neverending curiosity. Though I and all our friends worry and think about him daily (I won't even mention what his poor mother is probably going through), I'm impressed by his dedication to this position and I know that he'll leave his mark on the cannon of Iraq (and later, Afghanistan) war journalism that's currently in the works.

So, upon his insistence, I've added him to my friends' blogroll. Honestly, I should've done this much sooner, but I've become a pretty delinquent blogger of late, so please enjoy.

President Obama

2008-11-05T21:17:00.003-05:00

This picture is taken on U Street at roughly 2:30 a.m. when I ran into Dave, Vahan's roommate. At this point, Karin and I were going on pure adrenaline.

Finally, something interesting to post about. Something truly Washingtonian. Something that made yesterday one of the greatest days of my life. Though on the one hand it seemed there was no stopping the Obama momentum, until the moment CNN called the election for him, I can honestly say I've never felt jubilation quite like that before. Nor have I ever felt so proud of my country and my countrymen.

My evening of election celebration all happened on U Street, Washington's historically black neighborhood, U Street. We started off at Ben's Chili Bowl, a landmark half smoke joint that's been around for 50 years. Until now, only one person famously could eat free at Ben's: Bill Cosby. After yesterday, that rule was amended to include the Obama family. Can't wait to see little Sasha and Malia stopping by for a snack! U Street is also the epicenter of DC's jazz clubs, including the one where Duke Ellington used to play and where we watched Barack Obama become the 44th president. Bohemian Caverns had three levels of bars, TVs, and a bounce house to keep us entertained. A friend was DJing and we kept dancing as the numbers got better and better.

Around 11 p.m., when they finally named him President, the bartenders popped the champagne, soaking everyone in the vicinity, including yours truly, who also snagged a full glass and a beer from a particularly jubilant photographer who'd snuck behind the bar. We stuck around for McCain's extremely gracious (I thought) concession, did a little boogaloo, listened in rapt silence to the man in whom we now entrust all our hope, then quickly headed to the streets.

Already they'd stopped traffic at 11th and U, right outside Bohemian Caverns and just two blocks from my place. Strangers hugged strangers, high-fives were had all around, and the downpour that started around midnight couldn't dampen the dancing and chanting. The crowd swelled and stretched along U to 14th Street, where a drum circle took over one corner, and revelers in trees and on bus tops waved American flags and intermittently chanted, "U-S-A!" and "Yes we did!"

Word spread that a crowd was forming at the White House, but Karin, Mona and I stayed put at 14th Street, where we joined a conga line and slapped high-fives with everyone around. Every time we spotted a friend in the crowd (which was pretty often) we embraced, screamed, and jumped up and down in circles. A Marine in his uniform stood up on a newspaper box chanting "Yes we did!" as everyone around him clamored to hug him and applaud him.

What may have been the most moving was seeing all the African-Americans with tears streaming down their cheeks and everyone (white, black, Latino, Asian, gay, straight) hugging them and each other. It brought tears to my own eyes and goosebumps all over. And hokey though it sounds, I couldn't stop thinking to myself, "We, as a country, have come a long way."

We kept going until about 2:30 when Karin and I slowly started trudging back to 11th Street, and when our tired feet reminded us that our jeans were now soaked from dancing in the rain-streaked streets. We stood at the corner of 11th and U watching the impromptu parade continue to gather steam. When we saw there was no chance this party was going to let up, we walked back up to our apartment, collapsed in the living room and watch Obama's speech replayed on CNN, before finally crawling into bed.

My only regret is that I let Vahan borrow my camera this week for his trip to Hong Kong. Thankfully my friends got numerous shots and this YouTube video of 14 and U Streets will show you just exactly what we did last night.

it's been a while

2008-09-23T22:48:00.003-04:00

Hasn't it? The trouble with blogging is that it's not very interesting to blog when you have nothing to blog about. I pointed this out to the V when he was complaining about my un-updated blog this weekend. He helpfully reminded me that I DO have something to blog about. Two words: NEW. JOB.

OK, three words: HOORAY!

It took not nearly as long as I thought it would and when I saw it I knew it was the perfect one for me. The job I'd gone to graduate school to get. One that allows me to work with journalists, overseas and in Washington, and lets me help them be better at their jobs so that governments will do their jobs even better. Where in particular, you may ask? Russia, Ukraine, Azerbeijan, and...Armenia! Hopefully I'll get to travel to all, but most likely the first two at least a couple times a year.

They already knew me over at IREX from my travels last summer. They were kind enough to fund my research project and, in turn, my thesis. Now they'll be funding an above-poverty-grade lifestyle for this newly minted NGO staffer. In truth, it's a much better salary than I expected and I'm happy to report that I'll be able to pay my rent, bills, grad school loans, and possibly even tuck away a tiny bit into a retirement account each month. This is more than I can say for many friends in the NGO/think tank world.

Though it would've been nice to have transitioned into a full-time gig at the current office, I am somewhat relieved to be leaving the think tank world. It was a great complement to thesis research and an even better introduction to the field as a whole, but I'm ready to get my hands dirty, as it were. Hopefully, however, I won't have to dirty them eating borscht, the national dish of former Soviet states suffering from a dearth of taste. Blech.

In other exciting news, I cut my hair short! *giggles* It's very fun. See!

back to dodge and out again

2008-08-18T18:38:00.002-04:00

They're not kidding when they say DC is dead in August. I've spent the two short weeks I've been back at work after our vacation mostly reading about Russia and Georgia doing stupid things to each other, marveling at how Olympians can swim/run/flip around in the air several times, and generally doing nothing of any consequence. It helps that The Boss is out of the country, and just about everybody else is on vacation.

I headed out of town again Thursday afternoon -- this time for San Francisco and little Whelan's wedding, which was a ton of fun, and only slightly less debauched than every other Basement Reunion to date. Duringthe Friday night rehearsal dinner -- a nighttime cruise around the Bay -- I was reminded of how much I miss California, but really Northern California. Orange County will always be home, but there's something about San Francisco and the Bay Area that feel so right to me. Maybe it's the people, or the lifestyle, possibly even the weather. (It doesn't take long to be absolutely sick of the swamp that is DC in the summer.) I would love to live up there and be only an hour's plane ride from home, instead of a minimum six-hour trek across country. I'd love to be able to wear a trench coat for the summer evenings, but still walk around in a tank top and skirt during the day. And the Mexican food, oh the Mexican food. Guacamole just ain't the same when you have to ship the avocadoes across country.

But then I remember what I love about DC. The seasons, the excitement, the pleasure of being able to walk anywhere (work, store, National Mall), the culture, the interesting conversations, and the even more interesting jobs I've held since moving there. It feels like home to me now. Especially today as I clean out dusty bookcases and decide which of the CDs I left behind I'm going to sell. I can't make room in my new life for much more of the stuff from my old life.

I don't yet know if Washington is where I'll settle permanently -- somehow I doubt it is -- but it's home for now and I'm grateful for it.

getting out of dodge

2008-07-24T21:01:00.002-04:00

I've been quiet lately mostly because there hasn't been much to say. Since school ended, I've been enjoying the life of a regular DC civillian. I read far too many magazines, journals, and books, discuss politics and foreign policy with my colleagues and friends alike, go out to dinner and even make a few new things, and generally feel like I'm melting every time I leave the house.

It's been lovely, but here's the thing. When you don't have a car, you don't get out of town much. And in case you've never been to D.C., I'm going to let you in on a little secret: It's kind of little. As in, you need to get the hell out of Dodge every couple months or you start going stir crazy. It's a great city, but unlike New York, you rarely discover new neighborhoods, or shops, or really even restaurants. You run into friends all the time, and you rarely venture out of your routine. 90 percent of the time, that works just great. But in the last few weeks I've been feeling itchy. I need out.

Tomorrow I'm off to Detroit for a wedding and this time I'm going to see college roommate Jessie and finally meet her new little daughter, Leah! (We'll also see her husband Mike, but who really cares about that when there's an adorable little baby to hold? Mike is cute, but he's not cuddly.) Monday morning we'll take a train to Chicago for several days of sight-seeing and eating lots of good food and hopefully lots of sleeping. Thursday we'll take a train back to Michigan, only this time to Kalamazoo, home of Vahan's alma mater. We'll have dinner at his friends' nearby farm, then head to South Haven, MI for several days of lakeside relaxation.

It's sure to be fabulous and I'll let you know just how good it goes when we get back Aug. 3.

happy fourth of july, muppets!

2008-07-04T16:03:00.002-04:00

Last year I spent the fourth of July with my dad, eating hamburgers at Yerevan City Diner because tickets to the bbq-fireworks extravaganza at the U.S. Embassy were sold out.

This year, I'll be drinking beers on my friend's rooftop in Glover Park and watching the distant fireworks over the Washington Monument.

And now, in celebration of America's independence, one of my very favorite things about America: MUPPETS!

now what?

2008-07-02T22:38:00.003-04:00

So there have been more than a few complaints about my lack o' blogging. (How did I miss the entire month of June?) Part of it may be because school is over, the madness of graduation week is over, the three weekends in a row of having friends and family in town has also (mercifully) come to a close, and now I've got nada. I walk to work every morning, which has been lovely. I usually walk back in the evenings. (At 3 miles for the round trip, I feel that is sufficient enough to excuse my lack of all other exercise.) And as of late May/early June, I've been obsessively job hunting.

I'd been dreading the thought of job hunting since I began graduate school. Because I enrolled in such a touchy-feely humanities program, I knew I'd be running the risk of struggling somewhat in my post-graduation job search. Since January, however, I'd been ambling along under the somewhat questionable hope that my current employer would be able to hire me full time. My boss said she'd love to, I was enjoying the work, even if it wasn't a dream job, the pay was decent, and HELLO! I could WALK to work. But the funding for my position didn't come through and so my contract ends in August. As of September my student health insurance runs out, and shortly after that, I have to start paying back my student loans. What's a girl to do?

PANIC!!

Not quite yet. I've had some bites -- an informational interview today, a real interview tomorrow -- but none of the jobs really excite me. Part of the problem is I'm *still* not exactly sure what I want to do. I'm still totally fascinated by media development, and using new media to engage people in civic participation, but that only gets you so far, even in Washington. It also is a one-way road to nonprofits, which are wonderful, but when you're staring down $50k in debt, something more FOR-profit is tempting.

What does that leave me? Government would be interesting and I'm still leaving that door open. Consulting/private development (read: FOR profit) firms are also quite tempting and I have some friends who are helping to open some doors in these directions. But again, all of this needs to be the right fit for me. And what that is, I still don't know.

I'll let you know when I figure out the secret to happiness.

on master's degrees and my future

2008-05-26T16:05:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since my last post. I've spent the last month finishing up graduation requirements, buying caps and gowns, wearing caps and gowns, welcoming my family and Vahan's to DC (and introducing them), hosting more friends this last weekend, and trying to figure out what's in store for my future. Needless to say, it's been a bit busy around here.

Graduation was wonderful. The ceremony was, of course, long and boring, but Vahan and my parents threw a fantastic party at Vahan's house. Our parents got to know one another (and like each other!), and got to know our friends, who I think want our parents to adopt them now.

Now I'm trying to figure out what's next. I'll be here through the summer. After that? It's still up in the air. Maybe stay on as a staff member (I'm a contractor now.) Maybe go elsehwere? I'm looking but haven't been enticed by anything yet. Part of me is toying with the idea of going back to journalism -- that itch never seems to leave you. But then I hear horror stories of layoffs in all my friends' newsrooms and I wonder if I'm willing to put up with that sort of lifestyle again. One where nothing is ever certain.

When I started graduate school I thought it might help me find something that was a better fit for my intersection of interests between journalism, international affairs, and media development. And (I won't lie) I was hoping it would be more lucrative than the journalism career I left behind. So far it's only marginally so. Now that school is over, however, and I have some time to think and read and talk to more people this summer, I'm hoping to come up with a better answer to my dilemma.

In the meantime, enjoy this image of the Agopians and Callans and a master's graduate.

saying goodbye

2008-04-27T22:53:00.003-04:00

On Valentine's Day my mom called. My grandmother -- Lily Mommy we called her, because she was everybody's Mommy -- was not doing well. She'd been in a nursing home since November. Now the nurses were saying it could be a matter of days. I insisted on booking a ticket, but then held off. Unsure what I'd be booking a ticket for. Finally, I flew home for a few days over spring break. I got off the plane and went to see her.

It was heartbreaking to see how she'd deteriorated. I'm still not entirely sure she recognized me. In December, when I'd seen her last, my mom told her that I'd come from Washington to see her. And she looked amazed that I'd traveled such a distance. She sort of understood it.

In March, she didn't even really speak. I held her hand, and stroked her hair, and kissed her on the forehead over and over. Then I said goodbye.

She let go of this world on Tuesday. At the funeral, I kissed her forehead again. But it felt strange and cold. I couldn't bear to touch her beautiful hands. She looked like she was asleep. Peacefully so. I whimpered, and said goodbye again. But she was already gone.

My mom asked me to speak at the funeral, but I just couldn't do it. It was too hard to stay composed. If I had, however, here's what I would have said:

I can never repay you for all you taught me: The importance of being a tough, independent woman. To never depend on anyone. To pursue whatever I wanted in life. To be unafraid in the face of challenges. To be graceful and ladylike -- though I may still struggle with that last one.

You were my Lily Mommy. As good as a mother to me. I'm grateful to have had you in my life for 28 years. And the world will forever benefit from the 89 years with which you graced your presence.

I love you. And I miss you so, so much.

on distinction and fresh fruit

2008-04-07T20:22:00.004-04:00

Exhausted. Elated. Overwhelmed. And proud. Very very proud.

My thesis defense couldn't have gone before if I'd planted the questions in the audience myself (And NO, I did NOT!) It felt more like a conversation than a defense, which is what it's supposed to be anyway.

Then I stepped out of the room with the most wonderful friends (and boyfriend) a girl could ask for and waited. For about 5 minutes. Then Dr. Garcia called me back into the room and before I could even shut the door she said the words I really wasn't expecting to hear:

"Don't you want your friends in here too, to hear that you got distinction?"

I gasped. I stared. I grasped my stomach. Then I hugged her. I hugged Nelson, too, who I think was a little startled by that. But I digress. Their only recommendation to me? Get it published. So, that's project #2. After my brain comes back to life and I finish the remaining assignments for Nelson's class.

Vahan and I went out to celebrate at J. Paul's with oysters and beers. And that's when the exhaustion descended. Two beers later I just wanted to go home and go grocery shopping with the roommate. Now I have fresh produce and a master's degree earned with distinction.

It's a good day.

it's really happening

2008-04-05T10:07:00.001-04:00

It really is.

stay tuned...

2008-03-27T23:48:00.001-04:00

You don't really expect me to post while I'm working against the clock, do you?

If all goes well, I'll have a complete draft read and approved for presentation by Monday afternoon. Like I said, stay tuned...

thesis

2008-03-11T23:06:00.003-04:00

Thesis, thesis thesis. Thesis thesis thesis thesis. Thesis? Thesis thesis. Thesis thesis thesis thesis. Thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis. Thesis thesis thesis thesis. Thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis thesis.

"Thesis thesis thesis thesis?"

"Thesis!"

"Thesis thesis!"

Thesis thesis thesis thesis.

Oh, and Vahan's in India. Lucky bastard. Thesis.

California/no end in sight?

2008-03-03T14:02:00.004-05:00

Well, maybe that's not entirely true. My adviser assured me there IS light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, this is after she requested my sixth revision of the neverending chapter 2. I handed it in Friday afternoon and hightailed it on out of there to fly home Saturday morning.

Now I'm in Irvine. Still revising away at Chapter 3 (and even bits of Chapter 1). All while it's sunny and 70 degrees outside. It's good to be home, even if the circumstances aren't ideal. I've slept more in the last two nights than I typically do in DC. Perhaps too much to get me wound up about? Guilt about not being awake and writing? Whatever it is, it doesn't tread as heavily on the mind in good ol' Kah-lee-fohrn-ya.

While I was reading the LA Times Sunday travel section, I felt nostalgic about my home state and all the wacky fun things you can find here. The 70-degree weather helps, too.

I'm not yet ready to move back west, but I suppose absence does in fact make the heart grow fonder. Maybe it's just nostalgia, or maybe it's homesickness. It might even be the fact that at present, Washington only promises nonstop writing, revision, and working. Whatever it is, California is looking good this week.

things to do when i've finished my thesis

2008-02-20T23:55:00.002-05:00

Actually, the list on my desk is titled: Things to do when I'm DONE (double underline under the DONE)

(Also, for those curious, I'll be DONE sometime after 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16. Not that I'm counting or anything.)

When you're working on the fourth set of revisions to a 20-page chapter that provides an overview of the literature supporting your argument that indeed electronic media does have a role to play in democratic development, you need an end goal in sight. A light at the end of the tunnel. Or, more to the point, 10 lights at the end of the tunnel. (Though I'm fairly certain this list will grow longer.)

As it stands now (and in no particular order):

1. SLEEP (oh how I covet thee.)
2. Guitar lessons (How long have I been saying I'll do this? I'll be -- hopefully -- gainfully employed with significantly more free time to juggle.)
3. Couples yoga with V. (Can't believe I just published that on the internets, but we'd talked about it this week and as much as I despised yoga the first time around, I'm willing to give it another go if only because the V Man himself is actually quite enthused about the idea.)
4. Go out more (dancing, bars, restaurants, game nights with friends, anything social, really.)
5. Attempt to cook more complicated meals. (last night's highlight: pasta with any vegetable left in the fridge. actually turned out decent.)
6. See things on the East Coast that are not in the Greater Washington Area. (I never ever leave the Capitol except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and..oh wait. That's it. I never leave. Le sigh.)
7. Exercise (No, really. I'd started jogging a few weeks ago on Saturday mornings. Then there was the Saturday that it was 10 degrees. Then there was the Saturday after I fell down the stairs banging my back in the worst possible locations and walking was painful. I'm walking a lot though!)
8. Read novels. (Oh books, how I miss you. How I miss a decent story that isn't an academic treatise on the Importance of Democracy.)
9. Read the entire Sunday paper, possibly even at a coffee shop. (Whaaaaa??? A lazy Sunday you say? Impossible!)
10. (related to 9) Not feel guilty about not working on a Sunday. (or a Saturday for that matter. A girl can dream.)

sometimes you just need to laugh

2008-02-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a tough week personally for a number of reasons that I'd prefer not to get into online, but suffice to say that when things are tough, it's good to have friends.

Last night we dined at Napoleon for dear Dora's 28th birthday, then indulged in some decadent chocolate-raspberry cake from Cakelove, and made very silly (some may say inappropriate Valentines). It was fun and hilarious and much-needed.

Tonight, finding myself with some spare time I hopped on the Metro and went to Macy's at Pentagon City to peruse the shoes (since the Macy's two blocks from my office never seems to have anything available in my size. I guess every woman who works downtown and shops at Macy's on *her* lunch hour is also a size 8.5.) I scored with an adorable pair of black ballet flats, which were desperately needed since I literally wore off the soles on my old pair running around Washington last year. What was even better: The sticker said the shoes were on sale for $45. Good deal, right? The clerk rings them up: $21! It was like Christmas! It also felt somewhat like I was getting away with murder. I can't wait to wear my adorable little shoes.

But first we have to get through this week's latest cold snap. Last Wednesday it was 70 degrees! Tonight? Yahoo! Weather says it feels like 15. Spring keeps teasing us but won't actually arrive yet for god knows how long.

In the meantime, I amuse myself by staying indoors and watching moviesand hilarious online videos, both of which I highly recommend.

It's the little things that keep us going. And I'm just going to go remind myself of that right now with a bite of Swiss chocolate. (Thanks, Christie!)

i wrote a thesis and all i got was this lousy t-shirt

2008-01-27T22:22:00.001-05:00

Actually, it's a FABULOUS t-shirt, brought to you by the fabulous Katy. I'd give you the link to her blog but she's all private about that.

Incidentally: Garcia is our thesis advisor.

(If your eyesight is as terrible as mine, it reads: When Garcia says jump we ask in how many pages?)

onomatopoeia (and other favorite words from the English language)

2008-01-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks Liz for the inspiration.

onomatopoeia
monosyllabic
mist
dusk
flabbergasted
insufferable
autumnal
egalitarian
intelligentsia
muffin
pumpkin
gurgle
bubble

Let's make this a work in progress...Your favorites?

according to Yahoo! weather it feels like 10 degrees outside

2008-01-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

That would explain why I can't feel my fingers and nose and am still wearing Uggs as I type at my desk.

Also: Calling your professors on the phone is weird. Very weird. That said, however, it was also very helpful. I'm three paragraphs away from an honest-to-goodness abstract! Yippee!

Finally: How had I forgotten the amazingness of dim sum? We went this morning in Rosslyn with a group of 10 mostly Georgetown pals. Total bill (split 10 ways, remember): $106. I love the Chinese.

muuuuuuuuuuuuch better

2008-01-16T21:49:00.001-05:00

All it took was one meeting to realize, "Hey! I'm not doing so bad!"

I have my thesis schedule in hand: A chapter every two weeks with revisions in between and since I have a solid draft of my second chapter, I'm already ahead of the curve! This is not to say I'm on cruise control, but I did need some mental massaging. The anticipation was killing me.

As for the job, well, I guess I'm less worried there, too. I'm doing good at the new place and have gotten praise from the New Boss. I wouldn't mind sticking around there for a little while after May 16 (aka D-Day, aka Graduation!), at least until I figure out what's next. I've always managed to land on my feet and I see no reason why that won't happen again.

In other words, I've gotten a much-needed attitude tune-up.

This is all my way of saying: "Don't worry, I'm fine. Still have my head above water."

denial

2008-01-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

I started my last semester of graduate school yesterday, but I feel like it's never going to end.

I attended the first class of the last graduate course I'll ever take. But it doesn't feel like I'm leaving the classroom for good.

Tomorrow morning I attend my first-ever thesis colloquium for what will probably be the biggest academic endeavor I ever take on. And yet every time I open thesis.doc, I scan a few pages, freeze up, and close it.

Am I afraid to start because I don't know what's going to happen when I finish? Where will I get a job? What happens after 2:30 p.m. May 16?

eleeza is back home...in the District

2008-01-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

My how time flies. A little more than two weeks ago I was giddily hopping my flight to LAX. A week later, Vahan showed up, we spent four whirlwind days seeing family (mine and his), had our first Christmas together, enjoy each other's families, then hopped another plane (a plane delayed by 5 hours -- grrrrrr Northwest) to Michigan, to see his family and attend two weddings, back-to-back, one of which he was in as a groomsman. (Though it would be funny to see Vahan as a ringbearer. All 6 feet 2 inches, and many many pounds of him.)

I wish I could say it was relaxing -- parts of it were -- but mostly it was a lot of fun and fulfilling to see so much family and not nearly enough friends. I did a rather poor job this time around of getting together with Orange County friends, but time was crunched the first week by a pesky final I had to get done.

Now I'm back and started my new job today. I think it's going to be a challenge and a good step forward in what I hope is becoming a very interesting niche in international development. And starting next week: it's back to All Thesis All the Time.

In the meantime, enjoy these silly little elves:

eleeza is coming home soon

2007-12-14T11:20:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow begins a much-needed two-week break. I'll be home for about 12 days before flying to Detroit for two weddings and a hockey game. What else would I do in Michigan in the dead of winter?

The weeks since Thanksgiving have been a nonstop trainwreck of reading, writing, making presentations, and attending lectures. But now I'm in the home stretch. All that's left is a short 10-pager, which I'm going to conclude at home.

Now, I'm on my way to campus to hand in a rough draft of the first chapter of my thesis! I never thought you could really quantify knowledge, but if you wanted to quantify the first chapter of my thesis, all you need to do is look at this ivory tower of knowledge that's taken over one corner of my room.

In the thick of all that knowledge came this year's first snowfall last Wednesday. Waking up to this picture outside my bedroom made me even more anxious to get home for the holidays:

Hey Tom Friedman, GW kids want to help unflatten the world

2007-11-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

As I walked out of the Farragut West Metro stop during my lunch break today, I noticed a group of GW students holding homemade signs asking for money to help finance their "alternative" spring break. I scoffed, seeing as how GW is the most expensive school in the country. At a little more than $50,000 a year for undergraduates, I'd imagine mom and dad are OK with supplementing at least some of that, even if you're taking out some loans.

As I was chuckling to myself, one of the more obnoxious students yelled to some passerby: "Even famous New York Times staff writers can donate!"

Wait...whaaaa? I looked at the man walking ahead of me. Was there...? Could there have been a hint of a moustache on that face? I stepped up the pace as he came to a stop at the corner, subtly turned my head and...Sure enough! Thomas "The World is Flat" Friedman!

Because I'm such a nervous nelly around celebrities (see George Clooney siting) sitings, and yet a total teenage girl (yes, even for NYT columnists), I was too excited to say hi or mention how much I loved his "From Beirut to Jerusalem."

Though I'm sure he would've been amused to hear praise from a girl in a red coat and silver shoes.

one step closer to being a master

2007-11-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

November 26, 2007

Dear Eleeza,

The Graduate School has received, reviewed, and accepted your application to graduate with the MA in Communication, Culture and Technology. We look forward to working with your graduate program to confirm the completion of your degree requirements. If you have any questions about your degree application, please stop by our offices, ICC 302, or contact us by reply email.

Thank you and best wishes!

Graduate Student Services
Georgetown University

fall foliage and communist bears

2007-11-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

The view as I crossed Duke Ellington bridge from Adams Morgan into Woodley Park on Saturday afternoon was stunning. I'm always stunned that there's this giant wooded park in the middle of the city.

The giant pandas really are GIANT. And they like to eat. A lot. In fact, they did little else, except maybe sleep, and occasionally swat food away from the other. Just check the Panda Cam, if you don't believe me.

Vahan wanted to be sure he got this picture of him posing with his dinner, so here you are, dear:

A fun anecdote: Vahan decided it would be fun to mock the spotted owls in the bird house. He made faces and noises, before finally sticking his tongue out and letting out a loud "Pbbbbbtttt!!" (Yes, it is like dating a 9-year-old sometimes.) The spotted owl did not look pleased. He cocked his head to one side, turned around so his behind faced us, and pooped, then turned back around and continued staring. That put Vahan in his place.

top 7 songs of the moment

2007-11-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for tagging me, Liz!

My favorite seven songs of the moment, in no particular order...

1. "Sovay" by Andrew Bird: Peaceful, melodic, good for work, when I'm often demanded (gently encouraged?) to play d.j. by Natasha, my friendly officemate.

2. "Fighting in a sack" by The Shins: I hadn't listened to the Shins in a while when I'd dug up my Garden State soundtrack, which prodded me to go looking for Chutes Too Narrow. Awesome album. Get it. Get it now.

3. "Silver lining" by Rilo Kiley: Probably my favorite song off their new album, "Under the blacklight." With every album, my crush on Jenny Lewis just grows and grows.

4. "Blue train" by John Coltrane: Apparently, jazz is the perfect thesis writing music because I listen to Coltrane over and over and over. In fact, I probably listen to "Blue Train" over and over and just don't realize it because it's perfect background music.

5. "Presidente" by Kinky: If you're not a morning person like me, you need a major kick in the pants when slogging to work in the mornings. Kinky wakes me up AND puts a skip in my step.

6. "Let factories open" by Armenian Navy Band: I realize most people won't be familiar with this AWESOME band. Here's a hint: Jazz, pop, rock, Armenian, fabulous. This song reminds me of my summer in Armenia, and in particular, a fun little road trip I took with my dad and some other OC friends while he was visiting me there.

7. "Way to blue" by Nick Drake: Fred once made fun of me for being a whiny emo girl because I liked Nick Drake. I find him soothing. I do not find Fred soothing.

links galore

2007-11-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

A friend sent this one along. If you dig music, NPR, and punk rock grrrls, you'll dig Monitor Mix.

I started reading Life in Armenia while I was actually in Armenia. The contributors are all diasporans who now live in the motherland. Very well written, and very interesting insights.

Last, but certainly not least, Panda Cam! Scroll down to see the adorable communist bears. Vahan and I are going to visit them today, even though he dislikes them for their unwillingness to mate. Who cares, right? Totally cute!

christmas for everyone

2007-11-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

Waiting at the cash register at my local CVS, examining the names on the stockings already hanging behind the cashier. Included among them, one for Ibrahim.

armenia...in pictures...three months later

2007-11-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

So I realize this is a bit delayed, and many of you have already seen my pix (especially if you're on Facebook). But if you're not, these public links allow you to look through my pix without creating an account.

Enjoy!

First days: http://georgetown.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2069130&l=e9701&id=1417897
Random road trips, around town: http://georgetown.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072428&l=65564&id=1417897
Ill-advised Kharabagh trip (and yet, SUPER fun): http://georgetown.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2069130&l=e9701&id=1417897
Last days: http://georgetown.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2074289&l=9196a&id=1417897

I like Web sites with a sense of humor

2007-11-01T21:20:00.000-04:00

And I like meta-sites that search all the airline prices for you and come up with something less than NASA's budget for a winter break trip that involves Irvine, Detroit, and DC.

The sense of humor part? I already forgot my password (there are too many passwords on the interwebs these days!) and when I clicked "Forgot your password?" it replied "Having a hard day are we?" Why yes! Yes, I am, Kayak.com. Thank you for recognizing that!

the gods must be smiling OR best monday ever

2007-10-29T21:22:00.000-04:00

I'm still giggly and excited by the amazing chain of events today. After several weeks of general thesis proposal frustration, trouble sleeping, etc., I supposed I was due for some good news. But all this? Too good to be true, and yet...It wasn't!

First, my advisor (who, strangely enough, is now my friend on Facebook) approved the bazillionth draft of my thesis proposal. Hooray! Cleared for thesis launch!

Second, after basking in the glow of that accomplishment, I checked my e-mail and discovered that the director of a place for which I'd reallllllly like to work come May asked me to come in for a second interview this week. Woohoo!

Third, by now excessively giggly and giddy, I headed down to Quick Pita with Katy and Nick for a pre-class shawerma when just a block away from our department's building we encountered police cars, a crowd, and...movie trucks? Then that little item that's been nagging me since I saw it in Friday's Post -- George Clooney is in town filming the latest Coen Brothers movie. OMGOMGOMG -- I SAW GEORGE CLOONEY! It was a quick take. He jogged up the hill at 35th as a black sedan rushed past. But I SAW HIM. (And consequently was reduced to the blubberings of a teenage girl.) Katy tried pointing out that as a Southern Californian, it shouldn't be such a big deal, and it wouldn't be if it wasn't GEORGE F'ING CLOONEY! Siiiigh. Vahan, just a warning, if I see him tomorrow, I will propose marriage.

As if that couldn't be topped (and in further proof that my nerd-dom was fully restored only a few short hours later), I attended an honorary degree ceremony for one of my new favorite authors, Orhan Pamuk, who won last year's Nobel Prize for literature and is one of the many Turkish intellectuals who have the courage to speak the truth about what happened to the Armenians in Turkey. If you haven't read Snow, do so. You can thank me later.

Hooray for the best day ever! Now, I'm going to make some tea and eat a slice of pumpkin bread and gloat to myself.

new linx (Which makes me think of lox, which I love. It must be my inner Jewish)

2007-10-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

Please note the new batch of links to your left, just beneath My Friends. They are aptly titled The Hood. Seeing as how I'm really enjoying my new community, I wanted to share some of the voices from around the neighborhood. Some are more DC general (DCist and Wonkette) but I often find that they provide me with (usually) happy reminders that I live in the District of Columbia. Like, for example, this little collection of gems. Enjoy.

bad blogger

2007-10-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

I guess I'm just not good enough (have enough free time? care enough?) to post regularly to my blog. Possibly it's because I'm not currently traveling, though living in DC is always an adventure. Or it could be the daily cycle of work/school/read/write that's draining me of originality. That said, however, there have been some fun happenings in recent weeks.

1. The Wedding of the Century (aka Vahan's brother finally marries his girlfriend of 7 years) was last weekend in Detroit. When I say Wedding of the Century, it might only serve as such for Armenians in the greater Detroit, and possibly even East Coast, area. 350 people at a reception is no small shindig. It's a proper love festival. If you want to get just a taste for it, go here and here. Or, if you have a Facebook account, just check out my two most recent photo albums.

2. In addition to wedding festivities, Sunday was Vahan's birthday. We got the entire reception to sing to him and brought out a cake. Today I wanted to take him to the Four Seasons for a $20 scotch (as I accidentally did last year), but apparently the anarchists will not allow that this weekend. Too bad.

3. The march for a thesis proposal goes on. I'm finalizing my draft this weekend and will begin writing the first chapter next month. There's no turning back now. Yikes!

I wish I could be more witty. At least I'm pithy. Hopefully I'll come up with better anecdotes soon.

further proof my brain is beind held hostage by theory

2007-10-01T10:50:00.001-04:00

This is just sad. I downloaded and installed it. Le sigh.

apps adapter

2007-09-26T20:26:00.001-04:00

So I've resisted many a Facebook application, but I couldn't resist the neighborhood apps. I wanted to peruse people in my hood. But now I'm freaked because there are people who live very near my block on there. I'm going to be eying people closely when I walk to the bus in the mornings.

On the plus side, I just discovered a new store opening at Union Row, the latest in new urban gentrification on 14th, right near Busboys and Poets. It's Yes! Organic. Frankly, the name endears me slightly as in, "Yessssss. That's awesome." But then again, I'm weary of the gentrification. But then again, again, as Vahan likes to remind me, I'm one of the people moving into the neighborhood, driving up prices and frequenting the Whole Foods at 14 and P. What's a girl to do?

really reconnecting this time. i promise.

2007-09-25T18:11:00.000-04:00

After scoldings from both my dad and uncle this weekend for my terrible fall off the blogging bandwagon, I've hopped right back on! Here's hoping the insanity of thesis prep this semester doesn't push me back off.

Which brings us to our first topic: Why has Eleeza decided to write a thesis when she doesn't have to? Is she insane? Masochistic? Discuss.

I'm still convinced that the intellectual challenge will be good for me. I've never written anything longer than 25 pages, so roughly quadrupling that ought to either:

a) Force me to quit grad school before I get my degree. (Just kidding Mom and Dad!)
or b) Turn into a raging lunatic (Very likely.)

I've come to realize that I need to just accept this and know that I'll feel good when it's all over. Or so my professors keep telling me. However, a conversation with the Big Chief of the department made me nervous today. Theory?? Who needs theory?? Yikes!

Moving on.

Roommie and I are all settled into our new place and loving it and the neighborhood. It's so refreshing to be able to walk here and here and here.

Finally, I had a nice (if exhausting) quick trip home this weekend to see the parents, sister, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and probably half the people I'm related to in the greater Southern California region. It was a whirlwind from 4 a.m. Friday morning to 5:30 a.m. Monday when I landed at Dulles, but it was worth it. I hadn't been home in six months -- the longest stretch of being gone from home for me. I really wish I lived a six-hour drive away and not a six-hour flight. But then again, I'm happy living in DC and wouldn't trade that for anything right now. Maybe someday I'll make my way out west again.

That's all for now.

reconnecting with the world

2007-08-21T17:23:00.001-04:00

So I moved into my new bulding/temporary new apartment in the new building a little over a week ago. But much to my and Roommate's dismay, we were totally unable to pilfer anyone's internet. Much chagrin ensued, but we were both comforted by the fact that we were headed out of town for a week and could probably subsist off coffee shop wifi for the time being.

Oh how ignorant we are to our own codependence on reliably available high-speed internet connections. Consequently, I went nearly mad until I got on a plane and soon thereafter arrived at Camp Haiastan to lecture the kids about the motherland and enjoy Vahan's day off with him in nearby Boston. Incredibly, summer camps these days have wifi. Who knew?

As of today, however, we've got wifi at home. Thank the broadband gods!

Camp was fun, the lectures went well (despite my terror at having to speak in front of hordes of judgmental children), and Vahan and I had a fantastic night at the fabulous Taj Hotel, followed by a lovely picnic in the Boston Public Garden just across the street the next day.

Afterward, I rented a car and drove through the scenic Berkshires and into Vermont to see Bec, Jason, and the new Zimbaby: Abigail. (It's a girl!) She's even cuter than her pictures, with much redder hair and even bluer eyes. It's fair to see that I'm an auntie smitten. Just look at that face:

And please note the adorable yellow booties I bought for her in Armenia. I have some taste. Even if she'll probably outgrow them by Tuesday.

repatriation

2007-08-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

I've finally recovered...mostly. And just as I was starting to feel somewhat normal, we moved. It was a good move though -- I'm finally living in a city...temporarily. Sort of. My life is so complicated. Le sigh.

K and I moved to 11th and W, just two blocks from the funness of U Street bars, restaurants, and cafes. A short walk from Adams-Morgan, and Dupont. And, most important, only two blocks from a metro station. It no longer matters that I don't have a car. Hooray! Everyone is welcome to come and visit...but only after September. You see, we're cramped in a one-bedroom this month until the two-bedroom upstairs is vacated and cleaned, so we can move all our junk (again) into the more appropriately sized apartment.

Though it's cramped and a bit of a pain. I've got plenty of little get-aways planned to keep me out of the house. (In addition to not having Internet, which means I spend a couple hours a day in a coffee shop.) Tomorrow I'm flying to Boston to see Vahan, who's spending his summer vacation as a counselor at Camp Hayastan. After giving a lecture to the kid, he and I are staying at a fancy Boston hotel, before I take off for three days in Vermont to meet little Abigail, Rebecca's new daughter. I'm looking forward to a week of Americanness (with a little Armenian-Americanness thrown in for good measure.)

The last two weekends in August will be spent in NY. First for a wedding of Vahan's former coworker, then for AYF Olympics in Newark (admittedly not in NY, but close enough that I plan to spend a lot of time there.)

And after all that, we can *finally* move into a normal-sized apartment. And classes will start. And the long, slow march to a master's degree will resume.

stateside

2007-07-30T08:07:00.000-04:00

I got back last night after two very long flights, one very short connection, a lot of sweating, and some fear that my bags were left in Paris (they weren't -- thank goodness!). But I'm back. Back to the humidity and the D.C.-talk (last night at Vahan's there was a long conversation about which federal agency would be the most boring to work for. Front-runners included FDIC, USDA, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.)

I promptly crashed at 10 p.m. and got up at 6 a.m. I'm hoping to get out and see some friends and start dealing with Friday's impending move. I have a feeling I'm going to fall asleep on the metro at some point. Oh well. I'll look like a trendily-dressed bum.

As for the move, K and I are moving to 11th and W...for now. Long story, but we're crashing in a one-bedroom for this month until we figure out the situation on the two-bedroom. More details to come on that later.

That's enough for now. I'm going hunting for more coffee, stat.

goodbye armenia...for now...

2007-07-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

So this is it. Eight weeks and now only eight hours. It would be an understatement to say that this time around, Armenia has really opened my eyes to what's happening in this country, in my own life, and how the two may someday intertwine. I'm still not yet sure I'm ready to live here, work here, or even permanently resettle here, and those lingering questions leave me struggling with my identity and what that means as an Armenian in the diaspora. A friend said it well: The decision to move to Armenia should never be a struggle. It should come as a natural step and choice.

Not that the aim of my summer here was to answer these questions, but I feel myself wondering about that every time I've wandered through Armenia. It's a question of identity and so it will persevere.

And now, as I leave Yerevan for the fourth time, I feel more secure in my purpose in visiting and the impact I may leave now and the assistance I hope to offer in the future. At first, I felt very discouraged about the state of media here. The general lack of professionalism or adequate training, coupled with the culture of corruption has really weakened press freedom here. I wondered what point there was to investing brainpower in strengthening those outlets. But in the last few weeks, I've seen that when a real effort and initiative is made by determined and capable people, it IS possible to affect change.

I only hope I can be just one of those mechanisms for change.

That's all from Moskovyan Street for now. I'll write from another capital city after I return tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

at least she didn't have to amputate

2007-07-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if the series of medical disasters in the last month or so are a sign that I need to leave Armenia, or if it means I shouldn't even consider it. Either way, I'm getting on that plane Sunday morning and, so far, I should be getting on it in one piece.

The latest medical drama: Monday night I noticed the index finger on my right hand becoming a bit swollen and sore. At first I figured I was dehydrated as my other fingers were also a bit swollen, so I went home and chugged some water. On Tuesday that soreness hadn't passed and continued to worsen until yesterday when I finally asked a doctor friend from the US working here for a month to take a look. She gave me some neosporin and assured me I didn't have some rare strain of finger cancer (after rolling her eyes, of course.) Then she checked off the other ailments I couldn't possible have, including (to my horror) an ingrown nail (!), arthritis (!!), or gangrene (!!!). Instead she concluded it probably got infected as a result of all the dust and dirt that's swirling in the city nowadays, which probably entered my system via an open wound from a hangnail.

The pain continued today when I was visiting my friend Armineh, a surgeon who know runs an NGO specializing in early intervention for special-needs children. And who was the subject of the documentary I worked on here with Harry.

I informed her of my own special need. Immediately upon removing the band-aid, it was apparent that the infection was worsening -- a greenish color had formed around my nailbed. She looked at me and said with all the seriousness of a surgeon: "We have to cut it open and draw out the puss."

I nearly fainted. Protesting did no good. Begging for my mother didn't help. The other women in the office simply laughed and told me to toughen up.

(Here I should note that Armineh lost her leg in the 1988 earthquake and I was whining about my finger.)

A warning for the squeamish: I couldn't even look while she was doing this. You may not want to read it.

She had just gotten a case of supplies from Doctors Without Borders (God bless the NGOs), including sterile kits with surgical scissors and syringes. I gripped the hand of one of their therapists and choked back the tears as she cut and drew out the yellowish puss that had gathered in my finger.

It was over in a few minutes, my finger throbbing somewhat less. She sent me home armed with a kit of iodine, cotton swabs, bandages, a big hug and an order to email her upon arrival in the U.S.

I love Armenia, but I'm really looking forward to going home.

Me, post-op, with my saviour.

camera revisited

2007-07-24T14:32:00.000-04:00

As soon as I have normal Internet connectivity again (dial-up is KILLING me!), I'll upload some pictures from Kharabagh...because I got my camera fixed!

I was very distrusting of the guy at the repair shop. He was sort of crabby and blamed me for not immediately taking my camera apart after it got wet (like I know how to do that) to dry out the inside. When he did, it was completely rusted inside. But after grumpily explaining to me that there was only a 10 percent chance he could fix it...VOILA! He did!

I almost kissed him when I picked it up. (Don't worry, Vahan. I didn't.) I did, however, happily hand him the 5,000 AMD I owed him. (Roughly $15.)

my battle for karabagh

2007-07-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

It’s been a while, but the last week has been jam-packed with getting through the last of my research interviews, dealing with IRB consent form signatures (which meant going back to all the people I interviews in June. Not fun.), and generally running into people I haven’t seen in years and didn’t realize were in Armenia. So now my social calendar is full.

I finally got to Kharabagh this weekend…just barely. I figured it would be an adventure when three of my friends decided to rent a car and drive the 350 km ourselves over mountains, and bumpy roads. But I wasn’t expecting what happened three hours after we left Yerevan.

We were taking turns driving (everybody wanted to say they’d driven in Armenia). We stopped off at a field in Sisian to admire the view and Mary got behind the wheel. About 10 minutes later, as she was driving, she got distracted, realized she was veering off the road, overcorrected, resulting in a nasty fishtail across the two-lane highway before the car took off over a sloped embankment and banged into the field.

It felt pretty awful and probably could have been much worse. We flew over several sizable piles of rocks that probably would have caused the car to flip, not to mention the fact that the three of us in the back weren’t wearing seatbelts, a la Armenian style.

I got banged against the passenger door pretty hard and probably clenched my jaw because it’s been sore ever since. A few cuts and bruises cover my elbow and my right arm and leg have been really-strenuous-workout sore the last few days. I asked a doctor friend who’s in town to check me out and she proclaimed me paranoid, but lucky. Also, it appears I’m not bleeding internally. Apparently if I was, I would have passed out a few hours after the accident. Good to know, eh?

So we call the rental car company, which drives out from Yerevan with a new car for us to destroy…errr… drive. Of course, since we’re three hours outside Yerevan, we had to wait. In a field. With no food. Or bathroom. And it was so windy outside we couldn’t even really stand outside the car. The phrase “bonding experience” doesn’t it justice.

Finally the rental people arrive, are incredibly kind, and send us on our way. Only to call us the next morning in Shoushi to insist that we return to Sissian right away so that Mary can take a blood alcohol test. 24 hours AFTER the accident. Uhh. No. We didn’t go.

Instead, we had a wonderful weekend in Kharabagh. (Even if we did get there four hours after we planned on arriving.) Saturday night was a party at a Kharabaghtsi’s house with the Birthright volunteers who were also there for the weekend. Sunday morning we attended services at Shoushi’s beautiful church, which when Shoushi was held by Azeris during the war, they used as an ammunition depot.

Then we drove down to Jugulduguz (not sure if I got that right.) Basically a giant beautiful gorge in Shoushi. Then we drove to the town of Aghdam, a village that was completely annihilated by the Armenians during the war to ensure that the Azeris wouldn’t and wouldn’t want to capture it again.

Driving through the ruined buildings and homes felt like going through a ghost town. A few squatters had taken over some plots with horses and cows. But we saw very few people in a village that probably once was home to thousands of people.

The eeriness continued when we reached the mosque in Aghdam, which the Armenians allowed to stand, but desecrated inside. Now it’s the home for several cows and pigs. We climbed to the top of the minaret for an amazing view of Kharabagh and, to the east, Azerbeijan.

To ensure my own safety, I insisted on driving back. It was a pretty incredible feeling to be driving the streets of Stepanakert, through the Lachin corridor, and the fields and mountains of Armenia.

Now I’m working hard to get through the last of my grant requirements in my last days here.

Back to DC on Sunday!

(For my odar (read: gringo) friends, a primer on the war in Kharabagh. And here’s another on Kharabagh in general.)

another vartavar victim

2007-07-16T08:05:00.001-04:00

When I left the house yesterday afternoon, I thought to myself, "Hmm, I really ought to leave my digital camera here." Then I forgot to take it out of my purse.

When I got soaked by the man on Nalbandyan, I thought he just nailed my skirt and some of my shirt. But then I reached into one of my purse pockets and found soggy pieces of paper. Then I remembered my camera.

It wouldn't turn on. I took out the battery in the hopes that drying it out would help. It turned back on when I put the battery back in and would turn off when I hit the button on the camera, but it wouldn't turn back on unless I took the battery out and put it back in.

So I dropped it off at a computer repair shop today in the hopes that they can open it up, let it dry out on the inside, and then (hopefully!) now how to put it back together again. If not, I'll have to spend my last two weeks without a camera. :( I'm very, very unhappy about this.

battleground armenia

2007-07-15T08:02:00.000-04:00

I've been dreading today since I arrived in Armenia. I knew it would involve sneaking from shop to shop, ducking behind cars, and sometimes running for your life.

It's vartavar. A day when children -- really anyone with a mischievous streak -- is given free reign to terrorize unsuspecting people with buckets of water, water guns, hoses, and anything else that will enable them to drench the defenseless pedestrian.

Vartavar's origins are actually found in the church. It falls 98 days after Easter Sunday. But it is also a mix of pagan traditions. A brief Google search didn't turn up a more complete explanation.

At first, I was steadfastly opposed to leaving the house today. I figured I'd stay home, get some work done, do some reading, and glare at the mean little children gathered behind my building. Instead, I decided I should at least experience vartavar firsthand once. And so, with a deep breath, sandals, and clothes that would dry out quickly, I left the building.

As I stepped out of the elevator I waited for someone to jump out and immediately drench me. At which point, I figured I'd just go back home and sulk for the rest of the day. Instead, it seemed the hallway was safe, as was the entrance to the building, and the street outside.

"This isn't so bad," I stupidly thought.

I walked a good five blocks before I heard a whoosh and a stream of water came crashing down from a balcony above. It only splashed the back of my feet. I looked up expecting an 8-year-old culprit. Instead, I saw a woman my age and her mother. I smiled and walked on.

As I got closer to the city center, it felt more and more like the wild west. The streets are unusually empty for a Sunday afternoon. Maybe Toumanyan, a main street that runs near the opera house, would be a bit quieter. I was craving a shawerma anyway.

Bad choice.

Both sides of the street were lined with boys and girls armed with buckets, hoses, water guns, water bottles, and various other weapons of choice. That was the first time they got me good.

I ate my shawerma and decided to keep heading down Toumanyan, which looked quiet enough. As I approached the corner of Nalbandyan I noticed a man standing in a doorway with one hand behind his back. I immediately grew suspicious. Then he put his hand forward and I saw it was empty. I relaxed. He stepped inside the shop, and I figured I was in the clear.

Wrong again.

Just as I passed the shop, he emerged with a large blue bucket. I screamed and ran but he drenched me. I stood on the corner wringing my skirt out as the policemen across the street laughed at me.

Finally, I got to vernissage. I was determined to finish my souvenir shopping today. I figured with all those goods, I'd be safe there, too.

Apparently, I'm a slow learner.

While there were no buckets, it seems every jewelry seller keeps a water gun hidden underneath his table. I got sprayed a few times, but luckily no drenchings.

Now I've taken refuge in my apartment, but I've stupidly agreed to dinner with a friend in an hour. I guess I'll be taking my chances again.

one last rant

2007-07-13T16:25:00.002-04:00

Probably my biggest complaint about Armenia is both personal and relates directly to my research. Telecommunications infrastructure is beyond antiquated. While I understand that it's only been 16 years since independence, there's no reason why until now there has not been more investment in DSL or even a decent wireless network for Yerevan. I won't even get into the issue of Internet connectivity in the regions outside Yerevan.

So it was with some surprise that I came home from dropping my dad off at the airport tonight only to discover him on Gmail chat. Apparently, the Yerevan airport now offers free wireless.

Only in Armenia. Le sigh.

(I hope I've given you enough to read, Dikran.)

a few of my favorite pictures

2007-07-13T15:59:00.000-04:00

Drinking buddies at the Irish pub.

At Amberd in Byuragan, during my day trip with Yerkir Media.

Just one of the presents Vahan sent for me via the obliging Pifer. I haven't yet enjoyed the soup. I also received a second can of soup, but that one was condensed. Additionally, I've enjoyed the two-week-old copies of the Grand Rapids Press and the Kalamazoo Gazette. If sending two cans of soup and newspapers from halfway around the world doesn't say love, I don't know what does.

That's enough pictures for now. Each one takes roughly several minutes to upload. I'll work on putting some more up tomrorow/today.

this one goes out to Dikran

2007-07-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

I've been having trouble logging into Blogger due to Armenia's generally poor telecommunications infrastructure coupled with the fact that I'm handicapped by a weak dial-up connection at home. No matter. I promised Dikran a blog posting (apparently it sucks without updates) and so I'll deliver.

Also hampering my communications these past two weeks has been my dad's visit. Though we didn't travel around the country very much, we somehow managed to fill our days in Yerevan between visiting friends, lounging at cafes, and probably eating too much. (Sorry, Mom.)

So in honor of my dad I'll share my favorite story from his week here. I will preface the story by saying that I'm now officially boycotting Magnolia, an opera cafe next door to Megheti (Melody in English.)

A few days ago we stopped in this cafe for lunch. Dad was craving ghorovadz (BBQed pork) and wanted to sit outside. He ordered a beer and the waiter said they had beer on the tap, so I ordered one, too. The waiter arrived with our drinks and placed a very tall beer in front of my dad and a much smaller glass in front of me.

I gave him a funny look and dad told him he didn't order a large beer. The waiter replies: "Here we give the women smaller glasses."

As you can imagine, the fury began to rise in me. I glared at him and said: "Aren't men and women equal?"

"Oh yes, yes, but that's not the issue. We give women smaller glasses because they're lighter and easier to lift."

This is when I kindly informed him that I'm a feminist and I won't hear such nonsense.

After we finished lunch and the bill came, they of course charged us both 600 AMD (about $1.50) for each beer, regardless of the fact that I was served only about half what dad got.

Only in Armenia.

P.S. It seems I've finally been able to upload a photo to the blog (though it took some time). I'll try to post two or three more here and there when I can.

in praise of fathers

2007-07-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

All a sick little girl wants is her mommy. Short of that, her daddy will do, too. I'm very glad my daddy got here Sunday night with Robitussin, Ricola, and DayQuil at the ready. I downed all three before calling it a night. The cough remains, as does the runny nose, and now I've developed a lovely case of eye boogers. Sorry, but if I must suffer in Armenia, you too must perish with me.

There are other reasons why dads are great. They buy you delicious Thai food for dinner, and make you go to smoky jazz clubs because they met the owner on a train in Italy. Then they buy you a $10 glass of cognac because "it's good for your throat."

Also, they want to go to Karabagh and Georgia with you. They even think it'd be fun to have hamburgers on the Fourth of July across the street from Vernissage. They think walking around Yerevan aimlessly is just as fun as you think it is. And they feel as sad as you do when you see the sad, lonely, hungry dogs and cats that wander with even less purpose on the streets. They make you salads with tomatoes and cucumbers, and cut up apricots for you to share.

Dads are great and mine is even better.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANYA! (It was on July 3rd, people. Make the call.)

motorcade, armenia-style

2007-06-29T09:49:00.002-04:00

Still sick (ugh) but I'm determined to stay in the next couple days so as to be at least 90 percent better by the time Dad gets here Sunday night. That means no more lazy nights at the cafes, no more rock concerts because "it sounds so cool!" Siiiigh.

Anyhow, I wrote this up Tuesday afternoon before the plague descended upon my house and thought my D.C. readers especially would enjoy it.

Living and working in the Washington area, I've almost become accustomed to the regular traffic disruptions of motorcades. After nearly a year I can almost distinguish the presidential motorcade from the diplomatic missions from the high-ranking Congressional members.

But today was an Armenian first. An executive level motorcade for the visiting Greek president. Why is he in town? Well, he's Greek so clearly it must be the Summit of Nations that Hate Turkey.

The motorcade itself -- pretty funny. The streets were cleared a good 10-15 minutes before the presidential escort actually arrived complete with a fleet of motorcycle officers (another first for me in Armenia -- they got motorcycle officers here?), followed by black Secret Service-style SUVs carrying Secret-Service-looking agents with walky-talkies pressed to one ear. (I guess they're not advanced enough for the little ear piece thingies.)

My favorite part: The absolute silence that resulted when the police stopped nearly all the traffic in the city. No honking taxis or mashrutkas. No dirty, loud, old Opels or Nivas. Not even a flashy BMW or Mercedes revving its engine to show off. Only the quiet sound of me chomping on sunflower seeds, a few birds chirping, and the occasional cop yelling at a pedestrian to get off the street and onto the curb.

A total stand still.

And in a flash -- the arrival of the motorcade -- it was over.

sick

2007-06-27T04:48:00.000-04:00

There are few things that irritate me more than being sick in the summer. In the winter it's expected and in some strange way a little comforting to stay home, bundled up in blankets, drinking soup.

But in the summer, in Yerevan, where it's hot and dry and you don't have a can of chicken noodle to make you feel instantly better, it leaves a lot to be desired.

I've had an unproductive couple of days due mostly to interview subjects flaking on appointments. Yesterday I ended up having nothing to do all afternoon so I just wandered around town, stopping for a bite to eat, grabbing a beer, then coming home to cook a quick dinner. It was as I was sitting on the couch, catching up on CNN that I started feeling the chills. I was wearing a tank top and it was windy outside, so I closed the window. Then I put on a long-sleeved shirt. Then I wrapped myself up in a blanket. I took a decongestant, thinking it was my backed-up sinuses bothering me again, but that's when I realized I was feeling pretty woozy and my whole body was aching.

It got progressively worse after that. I finally dragged myself to bed and tossed and turned most of the night until I woke up late this morning feeling only slightly better.

I think it's a flu and not a cold, because it's not just a runny nose (though my nose is still a bit stuffy.) I still feel somewhat woozy and weak. My plan now is to gather enough energy (my remaining Luna bar helped here) and go down to the corner to buy a big bottle of Sprite and, if I'm feeling a little stronger, try the hot and sour soup at the closest Chinese restaurant.

Hurry, Dad! Get here, so you can bring me soup!

connected to the world

2007-06-22T07:50:00.000-04:00

I decided to cave and buy a dial-up Internet card today. Boy am I glad I did! The connection is far better than in the Internet cafes as I'm not battling for bandwidth with pre-pubescent boys playing online games. Not to mention that 1,000 AMD for 8 hours is a steal compared with the relatively cheap Internet cafe price of 300 AMD/hour.

The only snag is that my phone card is very short and the jack is directly behind the TV stand. I've pulled up a chair right behind the TV (which is as far as the cord will extend) and am using that as a desk. Dad, maybe you can bring a longer phone cord? Oh well. This'll do for now.

This has been a successful week for interviews. I got 6 good ones done. Now I'm looking forward to a weekend of sleeping (as if I could sleep any more), a little shopping (I've so far resisted at Vernissage, but I'm sick of my earrings and think it's high time for new ones), and on Sunday going to Pyuragan with the staff of Yerkir TV, which ought to be a little crazy, but definitely fun. For those unawares, that's the Tashnag TV station. And if you don't know what a Tashnag is...well, I'll explain when I get back. :)

Apparently the connection isn't quite good enough to upload photos. That'll be my next task, I promise.

Bachigs.

exchange rates

2007-06-20T09:09:00.000-04:00

Today it hit the lowest I've seen in 2 1/2 weeks here: 341 AMD/$1. Only 2 1/2 years ago it was floating just above 500 AMD/$1.

Life is still relatively cheap, but it's left me wondering what money is worth nowadays. You used to be able to buy a shawerma and a tahn for a little more than a $1. Now it's about $3. A taxi anywhere in the center of the city was about $1. Now it's creeps closer to $2 to $3.

It's still inexpensive for me, but what about the rest of the country? How are their lives being affected? With massive influxes of tourists every summer -- Armenians eager to spend their money in the motherland -- prices for everything on the rise. Even apartments. My rent here costs more than what I was paying in Arlington.

The last time I was here I was stunned at the site of a Lacoste boutique on Sayat Nova. Now there's Hugo Boss, Levi's, Mango, and Benetton. If I can't afford it, who here can?

workin' hard for the money...?

2007-06-18T12:07:00.000-04:00

A lot of you have been asking about my work. First off, I should note the big differences between doing a research project in Armenia and actually working in an office, NGO, as many of the friends I've made here are doing.

Work mainly consists of reading newspapers, watching TV newscasts, and surfing the Internet for Armenian news all in the name of determining how electronic media are transforming the overall media landscape and, in turn, influencing the democratic transition.

The answer so far: Not by much.

It's a solitary adventure, which for the most part I enjoy. After working at a newspaper for so long, where you're constantly dependent on others, it's nice to be able to do things my way. That means setting my own schedule, reading and writing what I want, and generally being independent.

The drawbacks, of course, are that I miss out on the collegial workplace environment. I have been doing some research in the resource library at the Caucasus Media Institute, but the resources available to me are limited.

As such, it's been challenging to stay focused and not wander the streets like a lost little puppy. Though I have deadlines, they require very little of me, other than the final research report, which isn't due until a month after I return. I try to schedule an interview or meeting every day so as to structure my time, but it's challenging even to stick to that.

Part of my grant requires me to volunteer my time as a media expert. I'm hoping to start some of that work soon with www.Hetq.am, Armenia's investigative journalists organization.

That's about all for now. I'm going to go to bed early for a change and wake up before 11 (shock!) to attend a conference on modern Armenians communities tomorrow. Should be interesting.

requiem for moskovichka (and blogger, too)

2007-06-14T06:43:00.000-04:00

I've been having trouble logging into blogger the last few days, that's why I have appeared to be MIA. Fear not. I'm back. Below are some thoughts I wrote a few days ago about my neighborhood market. I'll add more up-to-date stuff soon (provided I can log into blogger again.)

On Monday, I woke up early and, for the first time, felt fully rested after a normal night's sleep. I took a shower, had a glass of pomegranate apple juice (delicious) and decided to leave the house early to stop at the market across the street. I'm running low on water and wanted a few more snacks. I saw a group of people standing outside the Moskovichka market. It looked like either a fight was brewing or maybe someone fainted on the sidewalk.

That's when I smelled the smoke. And I saw the melted glass on the sidewalk. And I saw the unconscious woman.

I peeked inside the store, whose doors were open. Black smoke had stained the walls and ceilings. Some of the glass deli cases were ruined and others were pulled onto the edge of the sidewalk. The beverages section survived in tact, but the deli, and breads, and cleaning products seemed to be wiped out.

I felt a pang of sadness and personal loss. The little corner market was my Moskovichka. After only a week it was my little market.

I carried on to the CMI library to do some work and by 2 p.m. was sufficiently hungry that I went for a pizza at Square One on Abovyan. Just as I was finishing my lunch, the skies turned dark, and a wind I can only describe as hurricane force (I think some of the trees outside the windows were on the verge of snapping in half) blew hard through the city. I could hear the distant thunder and then: The rain. It started steadily, then grew harder, and with the wind seemed to at one point be falling horizontally. I waited. And waited. Slowly sipped my Diet Coke until finally it stopped. I paid my bill and decided to head home to type up my notes.

It seems the rain came at the right time to blow away the smell of charred breads and melted glass. As I walked home, the young women who worked at the Moskovichka were all sitting outside the dank, dark store. Doing nothing, and looking very sad in their milkmaid-style uniforms.

I'm still not sure what happened. But it seems there was a fire either late last night or early this morning. I passed by the store the night before around 11 and was disappointed it was closed because I wanted to get a few things.

Now I suppose I have to start going to the Russian supermarket - SAS Supermarket -- another block over. Of course it doesn't compare to American-style supermarkets, but it is much larger than the Moskovichka, with American-style checkout counters, and a far wider selection of brand-name products. (An addendum: It also has American-style prices. Another reason to be disappoitned.)

Somehow it only makes me sadder.

a little about where I live

2007-06-09T07:22:00.000-04:00

So I thought I might give you some insight into my neighborhood. For those of you familiar with Yerevan, I'm on Toumanian, near the corner of Baghramian Street. If you know where the CNN building is (i.e. the building with the CNN logo on it. Who knows if it actually contains a CNN office), it's just down the street from that.

Living so close to the center of the city means I can:

*Walk to the Opera house (and the oodles of cafes that surround it) in about 5 minutes.
*Walk to Toumanyan Shawerma (best shawerma EVER, PERIOD, HANDS DOWN) in about 10 minutes.
*Walk to Republic Square and CMI in about 12 minutes.

In other words, the location rocks my world. Plus, I have a 24-hour Internet cafe and a supermarket across the street.

Last night I decided to do some exploring in my neighborhood and ended up a rock club (Stop Club) also across the street. I listened to the band that was billed as folk-rock. It turned out they were a bit more indie. It was awesome. What was more awesome, as I sat at the bar, was seeing one of Anya's best friends walk in. Yup, finally found Maro! She came here as a volunteer for two months. That was eight months. Maro was supposed to go home next week. I may have convinced to stay at least as long as I'm here. (Sorry, Anya!)

After that, we went to an Irish pub and then a cafe near the opera with some Brits of Polish origin who'd come to Armenia for the week to see the Armenia-Poland football (soccer) match. I got home at about 3:30, which means I woke up at 1 and barely got out of the house a few hours later, which is probably better because the atrocious heat has begun. You can't walk 10 minutes without sweating like a pig. Ick.

the bulleted update

2007-06-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

* Got the suitcase -- but got reamed on cab fare. Ugh.

* The heat has begun. Thankfully, the late afternoon thunderstorms are still coming and clearing the air at night. There's a nice breeze going now, and back-to-back lightning. It feels good.

* Got set up at CMI. I'll be working from their library, which has a computer with an Internet connection at my disposal. (Sweet!) I won't be there every day, but it's nice to know I have a space that isn't the apartment with all the distractions that come with any apartment (i.e. TV, refrigerator, balconies that peer out on interesting neighbors.)

* Also got my first interview and set up a few others. I'll be checking out NDI's Yerevan office on Monday or Tuesday. I'm excited to finally see a field office at work.

* Eaten at Toumanyan Shawerma twice already. Never gets old.

Those are the high points for now. It's about 11:30 pm here. I'll try (again)to write something more cogent about my impressions on how Yerevan has changed sometime tomorrow.

Bachigs!

pari kaloosd

2007-06-04T09:47:00.000-04:00

Parev from Yerevan!

I arrived late last night, 1 1/2 hours late and one suitcase short. British Airways apparently decided to only load one of my suitcases on the flight to Yerevan. Unfortunately, the one that got left behind had all my toiletries in it. They promise it'll arrive by Wednesday morning.

Otherwise all else is well. My apartment is amazing. I highly encourage anyone who's considering visiting this summer to do so. I've got more than enough space to house a couple people. It's a brand-new renovation -- I'm the first person to stay there! My balcony has a view of the opera building and the kitchen window looks out toward the Cascade. It's probably bigger than my place in Arlington. Seriously, people, come visit!

I woke up late today and got moving rather slowly. I'm still jet lagged and exhausted from the trip -- even though it was so much shorter than flying from California. But I did take a nice walk around the city today. I stopped in the IREX office to thank the staff who helped me find a place. Then there was lunch at Artbridge, my favorite cafe, where I met one of my favorite friends, Azatouhi, with whom I spent a lot of time when I was here in 2004 with Harry. I took a walk around the city in the afternoon only to be caught in a serious thunderstorm.

It finally let up and now I'm at the 24-hour Internet cafe across the street from my sweet pad. I'll probably go to bed early tonight and get to work setting up interview tomorrow.

My brain is a little mushy now. I'll try to write something more eloquent tomorrow and give you a little insight into how I think Yerevan has changed in the last 2 1/2 years. There's plenty to say about that.

Until later...

obligatory airport post

2007-06-03T06:34:00.000-04:00

Got to London safe, but perhaps not so mentally sound. Why didn't anybody tell me that only one carry-on (as in, one bag, not one purse and a bag, JUST ONE BAG) is permitted on flights in and out of London. Well, apparently United isn't too strict about into London, but they should be as I had a minor meltdown at Dulles as I tried ot lighten the load of my main suitcase (It was about 27 pounds overweight.) and then also cram space in my carryon for my laptop and enough space to cram my purse in London. Stupid stupid terrorists. They ruin the fun for everybody.

Anyhow, I ended up having to buy an extra carryon that I checked and was able to lose the extra 27 pounds in my massive suitcase, and consequently avoided paying $50 penalty I would have been charged.

Needless to say: A very unnecessarily stressful experience. Avoid this at all costs if you can.

That said, I'm only 7 hours away from Yerevan and getting more excited by the minute. Mostly I just want to sleep. It's 6:30 my time (11:30 in London) and I slept only about 2 hours on the remarkably short flight. Another bonus: A 24-hour wifi pass at Heathrow runs about 5 pounds, or close to $10. Money well spent on killing three hours if you ask me.

Another word of advice: Californians move to the East Coast or travel overases from the East Coast. Wayyyyyy easier on the body. It only took 6 hours getting from DC to London. It takes longer flying home to California. Amazing.

That should be all for now. Next post/stop: Yerevan!

leaving on a jet plane....again

2007-06-02T13:03:00.000-04:00

Vahan says I should write that I'm so happy to be leaving and I can't wait to get to Armenia.

Only the second part of that statement is actually true. I'm very excited for my summer there, but I'm also a little sad to be gone from here, Washington/Virginia, my new home these last 10 months. That said, I'll be back in eight short weeks, and still have three weeks of summer to live it up. (As much as you can live it up in the disgusting mugginess that is D.C. in August.)

I'm excited, however, to be living in Yerevan for two months. Though my trip last spring was also two months, I felt I was getting back on a plane by the time I got used to a new place. This time, I'm actually going to get a sense of living in Armenia, something I've been wanting to experience for a long time.

So I'll do my best to keep you posted with funny English translations, crazy cab drivers, delicious Toumanian shawerma, and maybe occasionally write about my work. Oh, and there'll be pictures, too!

Lots of love to you all!

bachig bachig!

detroit rock city

2007-05-30T23:25:00.001-04:00

It seems the Motor City is going to be a required vacation destination for the foreseeable future, so I've been making the most of it.

This long weekend was devoted to the ACYOA Sports Weekend. For my gringo friends, this means a weekend o' partying Armo-style. Vahan and I flew in late Thursday, where we were met at the airport by his sister and best gal pal Greg.

VERY IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: Lest I be exiled from Vahan's family forevermore (and not invited to his wedding) the wonderful DIKRAN picked us all up from the airport at 10 p.m. just because he's a nice guy. He also let me sleep on the couch in his basement. He did not, however, come with us to Ram's Horn. I guess that means he is a gay.
After a late-night snack at Ram's Horn -- my new favorite all-American greasy spoon, where the menu includes wonderful combinations like the third and fourth items:

(Aren't they clever?) we crashed. On Friday, we checked into the Troy Marriott and got pumped for a weekend full of parties. Friday night at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Saturday night at Ford Field (preceded by a delicious Italian dinner with Vahan's grandfather and his wife), and Sunday night at St. John's, which included an open bar...made of ice!

Cool! (Pun intended.)

We wrapped it all up with a church picnic on Monday. Craaaaazy weekend. One too many dirty martinis, lots of dancing for my now-sore feet, but it was all worth it. It was nice way to leave the U.S. behind for two months and prepare for an onslaught of two months of Armenianness when I take off from Dulles on Saturday....stay tuned!

For good measure, here's my favorite pic of me and Vahan from the weekend. OK, really I just wanted to show off my new cute short haircut. Enjoy!

And no, we're not doing the robot. It's Armenian dancing at Ford Field, naturally.

vacation, all I ever wanted

2007-05-24T11:51:00.000-04:00

Finally done with work. For the first time in years I get a real honest-to-goodness summer vacation. Soooooo very happy about that. All that's left now before I leave for Armenia next Saturday (!!!), is to hopefully find an apartment for August, and an apartment in Yerevan for the summer, which is proving to be more expensive than I thought. Ugh. Oh well. Good thing my new pals are footing the bill for that.

In the meantime, I'm headed to Detroit tonight for the long weekend to boogie with some Armos. I'll post a full report with pictures when I return.

it doesn't get more washington than this

2007-05-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

More to come on this, but just to give you a mental image of my week:

I've been playing tour guide for a Bosnian parliamentarian, a Kenyan political party chief, and a Liberian civil society leader all week. It's involved me shopping at H&M and Forever 21 with the Bosnian, going grocery shopping with the Liberian, and debating perfume choices with the Kenyan.

I think I need a break from Washington. Good thing I have one coming in two weeks.

DONE! Part 2

2007-05-08T23:34:00.001-04:00

Presented the documentary. Professor called it beautiful. Much rejoicing ensued, including a lovely after-screening snack provided by my generous professor. It included beer, succotash (more delicious than it sounds), homemade mac 'n cheese, and my new favorite food: frickles. That would be fried pickles. Egad was it good. The salty tartness of the pickles, mixed with the salty flavor of the cornmeal batter was heaven.

I celebrated some more with shoe shopping...which quickly devolved into shoe-dress-blouse-pants shopping. But that's ok. I deserved it. Plus, I haven't spent all of my tax refund yet.

So, to reiterate: I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

DONE!

2007-05-06T22:23:00.000-04:00

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished editing my 10-minute documentary for my war/media/tech class today. The screening/Q&A hour is Tuesday. The only thing I have left to do is write a 1-2 page reflection on the process and then I will be really, *really*, honest-to-goodness DONE with my first year of graduate school.

It feels...immensely gratifying right now. And like a relief. And then I think about potentially writing a thesis next year and the anxiety builds up again, but that's just me. Thinking ahead. Wayyyyy too far ahead.

For now, I'm looking forward to my last couple weeks at work (for which I'm helping organize a really awesome seminar on youth and politics in post-conflict states), spending quality time with The Boy (including some even more quality time in the great state of Michigan), and then...come June 2...8 weeks in Armenia! Yahoo!

My letter of invitation has been shipped to the embassy. Now all I need is the visa, an apartment, and hopefully a desk here and my summer will be off to a fabulous start.

another sign that finals need to end

2007-04-25T12:16:00.000-04:00

After eating my cereal this morning, I went back into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I reached into the cabinet for a mug and poured in my coffee.

Apparently, I was still thinking about cereal, because I poured my coffee into another bowl.

Finals. Must. End. NOW.

doody

2007-04-22T13:18:00.000-04:00

If you spend too much time in the library like I have this weekend, you'll find book titles like this one extremely funny: "Science has no sex"

Also funny: Listening to an interview subject in a documentary project say doody (OK, fine, DUTY) over and over.

This semester needs to end.

27

2007-04-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

Apparently March Madness leads to April Run Amok. It also means, the Month o' Visitors.

Note to self: When finishing thesis next spring do not accept house guests in April.

(Note to Christie and parents: Very happy you came to town this year. Please don't misunderstand my appreciation. Of course, if you're Christie, you book a trip 9 months in advance and people have no choice but to accept you into their homes. I kid! She's been nice enough to host me in SF on numerous occasions.)

In fact, Christie and I had a blast Easter weekend, along with Christie's Santa Cruz friends and MY neighbors Liz, Brian, and the new little Adriana. Now that she's moved to London (yes, the one in England), she takes full advantage of her time in the U.S., where everything is "half off!" British pounds. Of course, I couldn't just sit back and watch her shop her little heart out. So perhaps my credit card faced a little damage as well, but dammit! I got my tax refund and it IS my birthday month.

Yes, month. All of April belongs to me. Hooray! Actually, the day o' birth was April 10, but I like to milk it for all its worth. The day before, Vahan took me out for tapas and showered me with gifts (highlights included a box of Godiva chocolates, and Maureen Dowd's "Are men necessary?" Gotta love a man with a sense of humor. Of course, I shouldn't forget the book "The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team." Oh that sense of humor.)

The night of, we took the MARC train up to Camden Yard to watch the Tigers beat the Orioles, hang out with Drs. Freddy and Laura, and for me to eat every possible bit of junk food in the stadium. Amazing but true: If you eat an Italian sausage, french fries, two beers, peanuts, cotton candy AND funnel cake you won't get sick. This must be why I'm capable of eating anything in a foreign country. There should be a medal for that.

This past weekend my parents were in town for much D.C. tourism, Eleeza's-new-life-tourism, and general parent-child bonding. They had planned their trip around the annual cherry blossom festival, unfortunately mother nature had other thoughts in mind. Namely, an unwelcome repeat showing of the tail end of winter. Gusty winds, rain, and cloudy skies couldn't keep us from the tidal basin, or the Jefferson Memorial, or the Smithsonian. Yes, my feet still hurt. But I probably needed the walking after all the eating we did.

So now I'm down to the last two weeks of school. I'm six classes, two final papers, and a 10-minute documentary away from being halfway through graduate school. It's a little surreal, but definitely welcome.

The new 27-year-old me is looking forward to what my 28th year on this planet may have in store.

one year

2007-03-30T13:41:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the schmaltzy post. Just wanted to put down some thoughts that I've been ruminating over lately.

Exactly a year ago today I left my job at The Paper and got ready for a two-month trip round the world, a move across country, going back to school and generally starting a new life.

In that time I saw four new countries, started a job in a brand-new field and one that I'm really starting to love, found someone that I really do love, and generally fell in love with my new city and school. Now I'm preparing to spend two months in Armenia doing my own academic research (frightening but exciting), starting the second half of graduate school (and the more frightening prospect of writing a thesis), and in just one more year figuring out the next steps in my life.

As I was talking to Sarah the other day, she commented on how much my life had changed in the last year and how it was exactly what I'd been trying to do for so many years but just couldn't figure out the HOW part. She's right. It took me a while to figure out what to do if I went back to school, but once I got that part down, everything else just sort of naturally followed.

I've felt pretty fortunate in the last year, but I also feel like it's been well-deserved, so I won't make many apologies about it. Only one more thing could make this year perfect: A Georgetown win in the final four tomorrow night! HOYA SAXA!

HOYA SAXA!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

Georgetown is in the Final Four!

So is UCLA...

A Georgetown-UCLA matchup in the final you say?

Dad -- You're going DOWN!

march madness

2007-03-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

First and foremost:

GO HOYAS!!!! (They play UNC in Elite Eight at 5:05 ET tomorrow!)

Second: An apology for absentia.

Since going home for spring break in early March I've been running around nonstop seeing family, getting school work done, seeing more family, obsessing over March Madness, and planning for a summer in Armenia!

Third: ARMENIA!

Yes, that's right. I'll be spending June and July in beautiful Yerevan on an ALL-EXPENSES paid fellowship to do research on electronic media's impact on Armenia's democratic trasition. Needless to say, I'm beyond excited. It's all thanks to this wonderful organization. So if anyone's looking for some floor space to crash on in Yerevan (or will otherwise be in the country this summer) let me know. It's gonna be a "hoyagab" time.

In other news: Vahan and I spent a nonstop week in California on my spring break and his vacation/meet-the-family time. He thinks he's the Mayor of Cypress Tree Lane. I think his head has gotten too big for the L.A. Dodgers hat he bought in Venice Beach. You be the judge:

Now time to cram in a little bit of reading before spending the afternoon with Anya and Zela who are here for their spring break, then dining with Vahan and his parents who are here for a funeral (not as sad as it seems as Great Uncle Aram was 96 years old and he got a full military funeral at Arlington Cemetery on Thursday.)

Let the March madness continue...

my own oscar contender?

2007-02-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but that was the last real down time I had all month. It's been a nonstop parade of reading, projects, and work since then. And it all culminates at 4 p.m. this Thursday at exactly which point I will begin SPRING BREAK! Though sadly my first spring break in five years will include exactly no drunken beach escapades or wild road trips (not that any of my collegiate spring breaks lived up to the stereotypical antics) I am very much looking forward to sleeping in at my parents' house, eating good food that I don't have to cook and introducing Vahan to my California life. Yikes.

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, I've spent the last two weeks getting to know the finer points of iMovie and enjoying the closet-like confines of the video editing rooms at the Georgetown library all in the name of my very first digital story, or, as my professor calls it: A cultural identity narrative. I decided to focus my project on South Africa and combined text from J.M. Coetzee's novel Disgrace, the South African film "Tsotsi," and music from that film to pull together a narrative exploring South Africa's culture of violence in the post-apartheid state.

But really, none of that is as cool as the fact that I just made a 9-minute movie!

(An addendum: I was never able to properly upload the movie to YouTube. If I ever get it figured out, I'll add it in a new post.)

As if all that weren't enough, we were doused with snow again yesterday. As much as I've enjoyed this new-fangled season called winter, the inner Californian I so desperately try to suppress is now officially ready for the arrival of spring. It's gotten so bad, that I've refused to wear gloves under the doubtful notion that if I don't wear gloves it can't possibly be that cold. Ugh. At this point, I consider 35 tolerable and anything about 45 to be "warm."

California, here I come.

An addendum: The video may not be immediately available as YouTube processing seems to take roughly forever. So much for instant digital gratification.
P.S. #2: Thanks Katy for the inspired idea of making our work available to the world. See, those hours in Gelardin were *NOT* wasted!

cheez whiz

2007-02-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

The only mistake I made in Philadelphia this weekend was ordering a cheesesteak with provolone instead of the Cheez Whiz. First off, I was too scared to order myself as the guy taking orders seemed to relish barking at anyone who glanced his way, so I made Vahan order for me. He should've been a man and just changed my order to include the Whiz, but no, he followed my pathetic, marginally health-conscious order and asked for the provolone. It was good, but the Cheez Whiz was infinitely better.

Oh yeah, we went to Philly this weekend.

Vahan surprised me Saturday morning by showing up at my apartment in a white Mustang. We saw the Penn Campus, where Vahan and Ben Franklin discussed the finer points of electricity:

And we went to the Art Museum, where we decided *not* to be one of the dozens of morons running up the steps a la Rocky, but we did opt for this photo with a Rocky-esque statue:

Then we had a fabulous Italian dinner, a nightcap at a nearby cigar bar, and hit up the Italian market and the aforementioned cheesesteaks before calling it a weekend and getting home just in time for me to ignore the Super Bowl and him to cook for all the people watching the Super Bowl at his house.

On an unrelated note: Snow is back and still no snow days. Keeping my fingers crossed for a university AND work shutdown soon!

so much to update so little time

2007-01-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

Several exciting developments in the last few weeks that I've been meaning to post, but have lacked time that is otherwise devoted to hundreds of pages of weekly reading assignments. Ugh. On the upside: I'm really enjoying all my classes this semester and so am even happier to be working less and devoting even MORE time to reading. Hooray!

On to the excitement (in pictures):

First, it actually SNOWED about a week ago. And since then it's been flurrying on and off every few days. This is the kind of snow I can deal with -- light coats on the trees and streets. Just enough to make everything pretty and not-slushy or otherwise dangerous and a pain to deal with. Here's what it looked like outside my front door last Sunday:

In other Exciting Developments, I attended my first honest-to-goodness Washington protest (and really my first actual protest ever seeing as how journalists can't protest.) We got to chant fun phrases like "Bush! You liar! Your cowboy ass is fired!" Though, I must say, my favorite was Eve Ensler's (of "Vagina Monologues" fame) getting all the women in the crowd to shout "Pull out now!" Ahhh. Hippie humor.

Here's what the streets surrounding the Capitol looked like as we marched:

Awesomeness.

Also, in exciting appliances news: A couple weeks ago I bought a TV for $25 from a moving sale. This weekend I hit up Target for a DVD player and a little TV stand. So now we have what passes for an entertainment center in our little television-deprived household. Still don't have cable, but that does mean that visitors will no longer be reduced to watching movies on our laptops. Hooray!

Finally, SoCal kids, get out your Blackberries/DayPlanners/scrap pieces of paper. I'll be home March 3-11 for spring break (hooray! I get spring break!) and am bringing with me a certain native of Detroit, Michigan for the ride. So you best be prepared for some good times.

this must be what it feels like for the rest of the country to watch the super bowl

2007-01-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

Since I missed the Big Time Dem Party on Election Day (which totally should be a national holiday for many reasons, not least of which the fact that win or lose you're going to want to drink at the end of the day), I figured I had to do something appropriately DC-esque for the State of the Union.

Alison and I tried to go to a SOTU bingo party but apparently RSVP'ed too late. (Yes, in Washington these types of parties fill up fast. MASSIVE nerds.) So instead we hit up Adams-Morgan and settled on a bar that advertised $5 buckets of beer and jello shots every time Bushie utters your chosen word (mine were "energy" and "diplomacy." Energy, as you *should* know came up several times. Diplomacy not so much. Though Whelan kindly corrected me to point out that he did say it four times. The midget barkeep owes me jello shots!)

The packed bar actually fell silent once the speech started, though there were appropriate boos and cheers. Being a blue-tinged bar, Hilary got a lot of whoops and hollers and Bush plenty of hisses. To be fair though, more than a few of us suggested Ted Kennedy was perhaps past his prime, if I may be so bold.

Some of my favorite comments from the night:

"More Dikembe, less Bush!" (By the way, I do believe Georgetown was the only university mentioned in the speech. Go HOYAS!)

"Woohoo terrorism!" (She wasn't actually cheering jihad so much as hollering for her free shot.)

And my favorite: "Ethanol sucks!" (From your tree-hugging friend and mine: Ali D. You stay classy Ali D.)

basic human rights

2007-01-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

This story saddened me for so many reasons. Not least of which the fact that Hrant Dink was an Armenian voice of reason in Turkey. He also took a stand for freedom of speech in that country in the hopes that it would make his home nation one day acknowledge that so as to join the EU. I admired (and still admire) his principles.

After this week's horrifying murder of an NDI staff member in Baghdad and now more fatal oppression in Turkey, I do question why I'm so devoted to promoting freedom of speech. But I know that it's simply because I truly believe that guaranteeing such basic human rights is a strong step toward a more peaceful world, where we can debate one another without going to war.

I hope some world leaders are taking note of the same thoughts.

war is hell

2007-01-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

When I first started tinkering with the idea of graduate school, part of what drove me was the realization that a master's degree is essential to doing international work. I'd always been interested in conflict zones (like last spring's travel itinerary), partly as a result of my parents own flight from civil war in Lebanon, which was fed by their constant addiction to news, whether it was NPR, NBC Nightly News, or the LA Times. With the war in Iraq settling down a couple years ago, I thought it would be great to be able to work in a post-conflict zone and help establish a functioning participatory democracy, one in which a newly independent media can thrive.

But some scary news at work today really drove home the dangers of Iraq. Not that we weren't already cognizant of the Wild West-like atmosphere of kindappings and ambushes, but it had almost become routine. A dozen Iraqis killed in a suicide bombing here, four more Marines killed in an IED explosion. Sadly, it was no longer shocking. Just another bloody number to add to the ever-growing toll.

Then came this:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide car bomber killed 17 Shiites at a teeming Sadr City market Wednesday, while gunmen in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad shot up a convoy of democracy workers in an ambush that took the lives of an American woman and three bodyguards.

The attack on the marketplace came one day after car bombings killed scores of university students just two miles away, indicating that al-Qaida-linked fighters are bent on a surge of bloodshed as U.S. and Iraqi forces gear up for a fresh neighborhood-by-neighborhood security sweep through the capital.

Although nobody claimed responsibility for either day's car bombings, such attacks are the hallmark of Sunni militants, who appear to be taking advantage of a waiting period before the security crackdown to step up attacks on Shiites. There had been a relative lull in Baghdad violence since the first of the year.

An Iraqi army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said the attack on the Western convoy took place in Yarmouk, a predominantly Sunni neighborhood in western Baghdad.

The three-car convoy belonged to the Washington-based National Democratic Institute, according to Les Campbell, the not-for-profit group's Middle East director. He said the four dead included an American woman along with three security contractors -- a Hungarian, a Croatian and an Iraqi. Two others were wounded, one seriously, Campbell said by telephone from Washington. Their names were withheld until their families could be notified.

''It appeared to be an attack with fairly heavy weapons, we don't know what kind,'' Campbell said. ''We have some information that a firefight ensued. Our security company responded to the attack.''

Campbell said the ambush took place at midday as the group returned from a program elsewhere in Baghdad.

washingtonesque

2007-01-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

Just a few of the happy reminders that I'm back in Washington:

* Celebrated Armenian Christmas (again) on Monday at the Armenian Embassy, with an Armo soprano's recital.

* Marked a friend's birthday dinner at Cactus Cantina. Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought the place appropriately festive. From last week's WashPost: "Laura Bush, Condi Rice, Mary Matalin, Margaret Spellings and Harriet Miers at Cactus Cantina for a surprise birthday party for Karen Hughes. A dozen Bush administration power babes gathered at the Tex-Mex restaurant for fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, margaritas and chocolate cake with a "classified" number of candles. (Hughes turned 50 on Dec. 27.) No word on how many hot chilies Miers ate, but she announced her resignation yesterday morning. Hmmmm." According to the waiter, I share my taste with Condi -- we both had the chicken fajitas.

* Overheard a public policy student on the bus to Georgetown talking to a friend about his morning on the Hill: "Well, you know I'm from Illinois, so there was this coffee thing and we were chatting with Obama."

* At a work lunch at Palm, spotted Mary Matalin's husband James Carville taking a seat a few tables down.

It's good to be back.

and we start anew

2007-01-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

Good friends, good drinks and some fabulously retro music helped ring in the New Year for me in Hollywood on Sunday night. At first, I really wasn't looking forward to an LA night out. But I doushed my negative attitude with a few well-spiked cocktails and had a good time, no less. Still: One of these years, I'm determined to have the perfect New Year's Eve at home. Perhaps a la Moon.

This time last year my grad school applications were posted and on their way to several discerning admissions committees. I was (still) recovering from my wildest New Year's Eve ever in Long Beach, and I was (still) slaving away at The Paper, wondering if I'd ever get out. As I (we all?) are wont to do, I was wondering what my life would be like at the dawn of 2007. Would I be in grad school somewhere? Would I still be a singleton? Would the Republicans rule this country forever and ever and ever?

Happily, the answers to those questions were: Yes. No. And (Sorry Whelan), a very resounding NO.

A LOT has changed in the last 12 months. So much so, in fact, that I'll be content to keep up with the status quo in 2007. Grad school is going great. I'm really enjoying working in a new environment. Building a relationship with someone is as wonderful as I remembered. And there is hope for the political future of this country. (See, I'm totally a Washingtonian now.)

And so with that, I'm anxiously awaiting getting back to forming this new life of mine and enjoying it every step of the way.

Happy 2007!

cabin fever

2006-12-30T19:06:00.000-05:00

I've been home two weeks and the itch to get busy with work has settled in again. I guess I'm just not very good at sitting still and relaxing, but that's not exactly a surprise. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed my time at home, sitting in my pajamas all morning, reading the whole paper, taking walks, etc. But after a while -- and with no car -- it gets a bit tiresome.

The boredom really started to settle in yesterday. I haven't watched much television at all -- shock! -- though I have gotten sucked into some of the premium movie channels we have. I started watching a particularly dull film yesterday and was so bored that I dug up my guitar, dusted it off, and started reacquainting myself with some chords. I'd like to bring the guitar back to Washington with me, but with all the other stuff I'm checking in, carrying on-board, etc. I'm not sure I'll be able to. I'd rather not check it, seeing as how I don't have a hard case, just a soft gig bag. But I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to bring it on the plane, since it is a full-sized acoustic. Anyone have any experience with this?

Other than that, I've been enjoying reading. I'm almost done with Keri Hulme's "The Bone People." I've been catching up on some Vanity Fair and New Yorker articles and today started reading a book called "The Future of Peace," which is a collection of interviews with some of the world's leading peacemakers. Seems the right time of year to be hoping for peace.

Though I won't be getting any peace tomorrow night. After last year's New Year's Eve madness in Long Beach, this year I was hoping some friends might get together at home, play some games, eat a good meal and relax. But no. I'm going to a bar in Hollywood with Taleen and some of her friends. I'm sure it'll be fun, even though I've never been much of an LA person. My only other option was to sit at home with my parents and as much as I love them, that wouldn't be quite as much fun, now would it? It also wouldn't help with this lingering case of cabin fever.

Hope you all have some fabulous plans lined up. Most importantly remember to: 1. Be safe. and 2. Rock out!

Happy new year!

Happy Christmas

2006-12-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

It's 75 degrees outside and my nerdy family is playing Scrabble and soon we'll be sitting outside smoking hookah. A very Merry California-Armenian Christmas to you all!

And if you're wondering what the rest of the Vorperian-Agopian clan does on the holidays, check out the lovely accessories my mom bought for the "kids."

DONE

2006-12-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

Too tired (and sick -- boo!) to write now, but most importantly: I'm DONE with my first semester of graduate school. I got home Sunday night with a nasty congested nose and a general not-good achy feeling, but all that melted away this morning just as I finished the final touches on my 505 final, meaning I'm DONE!

Hooray! Now I'm off for sushi and shopping with my sister and friends. Let the holidays commence!

my only deadline this weekend is catching my flight out of Reagan on time

2006-12-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

The Foggy Bottom-George Washington University station is where I get on and off the Metro for my commutes to and from work every day. The metro stop is directly underneath the GWU hospital, where Sen. Tim Johnson has been undergoing treatment the last few days. As you all know (or should know) Johnson collapsed earlier this week and later underwent surgery to stop bleeding in his brain, thus leaving the already-delicate Democratic majority in the Senate in a total panic.

The last couple days, as I've walked by the hospital, there have been hordes of TV cameras and reporters camped out in front of the entrance, hoping to catch a quote from a family member or one of Johnson's doctors. And each day I've passed them with a little smile on my face, content in the knowledge that for the first time in four years, it isn't me circling like one of those sharks, hungry for the smell of blood. (Pun intended.)

I hated camping out in hospitals. It was the absolute worst part of the job. Rarely do you ever get anything newsworthy out of it and most of the time, you'll get a nasty scowl or even a threat of bodily harm for your trouble.

So these last few days as I keep my fingers crossed for that Democratic majority (and Johnson's recovery, of course!), I've also been grateful for my pressure-free NGO job where the word deadline is loosely defined. Rather than being due in the next 2 hours, most of my projects are due "in the next couple weeks or sometime around then."

There are still plenty of things about journalism that I miss. And the tight deadlines and excitement are definitely two major points. But at this time of year, I'm happy to know that when I turn on my cell phone in the morning and there's a message waiting for me it isn't from a certain Lunatic Editor demanding I rush to the scene of a fire, but rather is just a friend asking if I want to meet for lunch.

P.S. I fly home Sunday! Hooray!

what weekends were like pre-graduate school

2006-12-10T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'd forgotten what it was like to have a weekend that didn't require an entire afternoon devoted to reading, researching and writing. A whole weekend to do whatever I wanted. (See how I'm not letting those last two teeny papers get in the way of my fun? Don't worry, mom. I'll get my work done.)

Saturday I went to Eastern Market for my first trip there. If it wasn't 30 degrees, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more. But I'm already planning return trips for cute jewelry, fun artwork (though maybe not a set of wooden ducks that Vahan decided his house desperately needed), and some delicious fresh meats and seafood.

In the evening we dined on bratwurst that we'd picked up at Eastern Market, then headed out to a rather odd little U Street bar, which may be my new favorite watering hole: The Saloon. They've got some rules that work in their favor:

* No standing around the bar. If you can't find a spot to sit, you're asked to leave.
* No loud conversations. Only your friends are interested in what you have to say, not the five people sitting around you.
* Some beers you can only have one or two glasses of, because it's just that precious.
* Black chocolate stout may in fact be liquid heaven.

Afterwards we headed over to Twins Jazz for some excellent music, probably the best chicken wings I've ever had, and a Guinness, for good measure.

This morning was Vahan's famous brunch: homemade hash browns, sausage, French toast, and omelettes made to order.

A weekend of good eats, in all. The training for marathon holiday eating has commenced.

Also, for those keeping track at home: I'll be home in just one week! Get ready!

home stretch

2006-12-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

I had the last lecture of my first semester of grad school tonight. I'm almost DONE. All that's left is a take-home final (due Dec. 18, one day after I get home) and a final paper/project/whatever-I-want-to-make-of-it/creative-type assignment (due Dec. 20, three days after I get home).

See, at this point, everything is considered in terms of how long it will be before I get home. Today? 12 days before I go home! Tomorrow? 11 days! Fun game! Teach the kiddies some math and play at home!

Why so anxious?

1. I haven't been home since August.
2. I'm desperate for real Mexican food.
3. When my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning and NPR came on, the announcer (who really didn't deserve the flurry of epithets I spat at him) told me it was 28 degrees outside!
4. Right now it's 35 degrees.
5. Oh yeah, I miss my family and friends and stuff.

All I need to do is get through those two damn papers...soo close, yet so far away...

procrastination nation

2006-12-03T22:51:00.000-05:00

I should be writing the last 140 words of my STIA paper and what am I doing? Screwing around on the Internet, catching up on my friends' blogs, mindlessly flipping through MySpace. Ugh. I did so great for the first half of the semester. I was energized. I did ALL the reading. I enthusiastically participated in class discussions. Now? I just want to go home, eat mom's food, and zone out in front of a TV. (I'm *really* starting to miss having a TV. Just a little CNN or DiscoveryTimes. Is that so much for a girl to ask?)

I wonder if part of my fatigue has to do with the semester system? The 10-week quarter always seemed to zip by rather quickly. The four-month-long semester seems to be interiminable. Especially now that I'm on the cusp. Last lecture is Tuesday and after that I only have one paper/potential multimedia project and a take-home exam, which probably will run no more than 5 or 6 pages. Easy!

Counting the days to Dec. 17...

In addition to all that, Roommate and I have decided we both really want to move into the city and are looking into subletting our place and moving into the Big Bad City sometime around mid-January. Part of tonight's procrastination revolved around us simultaneoulsy searching Craig's List and Washington City Paper and calling out attractive-looking listings. I'm going to call a few places tomorrow.

Our apartment is great and it is in a cute neighborhood, but we've both been feeling pretty isolated. Some of you have heard my complaints on this. It largely has to do with my lack of a car and the general unreliability of the weekend bus schedules. Also, after riding the train, waiting up to half an hour for a bus can be pretty frustrating. So we'll see what comes up. No guarantees yet, but we're both pretty excited about the possibility.

So if any of you D.C. readers have suggestions/ideas, let me know!

lowdown on motown

2006-11-27T22:44:00.000-05:00

The semester is winding down and I can't wait until Dec. 17 when I can officially shut off my brain for a good solid three weeks, gorge myself on my mom's cooking, and watch some good trashy TV.

Life is moving at a fever pitch in the last month or so. School is definitely on the upswing and so is work and to top it off there's been a new friend who I've been spending some time with. Normally, I wouldn't broadcast this to Internet-land, but it's the only way I can explain why someone would choose Detroit as a vacation destination.

Yes, the Motor City. I was there from Friday-Sunday, partying it up with my new Armenian friends and their families and generally blowing off the steam that's been building up since I moved here mid-August. It was also the first time I'd left the beltway in three months. I was desperate to get the hell out of Dodge. So when I was invited there for the weekend, it seemed like the ideal vacation spot.

Armenians + food + friends + dancing = a rockin' good time. Even if it's in the Midwest.

Don't believe me? Have a look:

With some fun Detroit kids at the AYF dance on Friday night.

With my two favorite Detroit Tigers.

They got art in Detroit, too. (Diego Rivera's murals in the Detroit Institute of the Arts.)

quick rant

2006-11-14T21:18:00.000-05:00

How is it that someone can work as a professional writer for five years (nine, if you count the four years at The Aggie, which I do. Even if I was paid crap.) and still go crazy at the thought of writing anything longer than five pages?

How? HOW?

Ugh.

End rant.

elections ad nauseum

2006-11-12T23:23:00.000-05:00

At the behest of Dr. Freddy's dad -- both of whom I joined at the National Gallery of Art this afternoon for a Sunday afternoon respite from the rain and studying -- I'm updating my blog. I got a stern talking-to while looking for what he called the cheap thrills section of the gallery (the familiar Monets, Manets and Renoirs.)

My life is so consumed by school and work and politics these days, I've barely had a chance to come up for air. In fact, I haven't even really had a chance to properly celebrate the Democrats' win. (Hooray! Huzzah!) There was a lot of NPR listening going on election night as I worked at breakneck speed to finish my 505 midterm. I was tempted to crash the Dems' victory party that night but was deterred by 1) icky soggy weather and 2) the nagging midterm. Luckily, the paper was quickly delivered to my TA by midnight, leaving Friday night open to eat dolma at a friend's house (it's nice having friends who can cook you the foods you miss eating at mom's house) and finally celebrate the Dems' win.

Only, in my case, it turned into a comiseration party for Young Republican Andrew, who sadly lost his job as a result of the election results. To that end, we're trying to convince him to switch teams, but apparently that's out of the question. Something about Pelosi being the devil or something. Hey Andrew! You said you have more Dem friends anyway -- wouldn't this make your life easier?

At least we go to have some beers at Brickseller. It's not much of a bar, but I love it because it has about 1,000 different bottled beers on their menu from just about every country in the world (except Armenia. *sigh* Where can a girl get a Kotayk in D.C.?)

All that said: I'm happy to report that for the first time in my life I voted for a real, honest-to-goodness winner. My vote helped propel Jim Webb's slim margin of victory in the Virginia senate race, consequently unseating that macaca-uttering bufffoon George Allen (and hopefully dashing any presidential hopes he may have once harbored.) Yes, I've voted for both Boxer and Feinstein the past, but those are givens. After years of wasted votes on Gore, Kerry and Edwards (voted for him in the CA primary), it felt good to back a winner.

And as if all that wasn't enough, watching President Shrub announce Rummy's resignation with my lefty colleagues made for a truly fantastic week.

Here's to the new Congress!

Yes, I know I suck...

2006-11-02T00:18:00.000-05:00

But you try to juggle working 30 hours a week, 3 classes and a full social calendar! Go ahead! I dare you! Try it!

(Mom and Dad, before you call to scold me for working so much, bear in mind that I'm getting straight A's! Woohoo!)

Brief recap: 1. Prom was FABULOUS. Pictures to follow. Add one part academics, two parts graduate students and an open bar and you'll have one fabulous cocktail of a good time.

2. I may not have bought a new top for the occasion, but in the last couple weeks I've decided that my credit card needed a workout largely because the weather has a tendency to dip 20 degrees every few days and I have no appropriately cute east coast sweaters. As such, I'm hoping Fannie Mae offers loans for H&M and Ann Taylor. Said purchases perhaps may have included a totally hot black-and-red cocktail dress for which I have no use, particularly as winter nears, but whatever. It was too adorable AND on sale. I consider it an early Christmas present to me.

3. Work is going swimmingly. So swimmingly, in fact, that they've asked me to stay on in the spring. The position was only supposed to last through fall semester, but I'll be staying to work exclusively on some youth-in-conflict related projects, which I'm very excited about. AND I'll only be working 20 hours a week. Phew! More time for happy hour....I mean....writing papers...errrr. Yeah. That's it... Hi Mom!

4. My cooking skills are markedly improving, thanks largely to Trader Joe's and Cindy who are my enablers in this regard. In the last week, I made my *own* variation on a pork chop recipe in a red wine sauce that turned out delicious and tonight I tried my hand at acorn squash that would likely have turned into a yellow mushy mess had it not been for Cindy's patient telephonic advice. So despite *some* people's snickering over my two pans and a pot and Rebecca's insistence on buying me a blender for Christmas, I'm doing just fine.

5. I'm certainly not undernourished. It doesn't help that the last two nights of school I've resorted to college tactics and had cheeseburgers. But they were reallllllllly good cheeseburgers at Five Guys and The Tombs, which is my program's de facto study hall. I also discovered they have free wireless during happy hour. Guess where I'll be "studying" before Monday night classes. Heehee...

6. Didn't really do the Halloween thing this year. Too much homework, etc. going on. I did wander around Georgetown's M Street with fellow grad students after class last night. Halloween on a Tuesday night is a bad idea for people who work and I went home after one beer. See! I can be disciplined when I need to be.

That about covers it. I was all set to load pictures but my free (ahem) wifi is acting up, so you'll just have to settle for the power of the written word tonight.

an addendum

2006-10-12T20:11:00.000-04:00

Dad called last night. I can go to prom. Yay!

Now I just need a snazzy new top...

Dad...can I borrow $20?