My favorite things

Looking over what we posted so far I noticed that, according to my character and the old journalistic habit, I was mainly focusing on the problems, leaving well alone. I hope no one got an impression that everything is really bad, simply terrible here. Because it’s not.

So, what’s good?

The long, fragrant evenings, with the sun setting around 9:30. I missed those, without even realizing it.
The beautiful buildings and the beauty of the city in general. Yerevan was visualized and built as an architectural ensemble where every part complements the others, and still retains that look despite some random construction going on these days.
The history that goes back centuries. It’s everywhere, in everything, and it’s reassuring.
The old memories still lurking behind every corner and some still trapped inside the house.
The convenience of a pedestrian lifestyle. Everything is arranged so that one doesn’t have to own a car. aving a car here is a choice, not a necessity.
The festive mood in the center of the city, where I live. This is mainly due to the fact that our apartment is smack in the middle of “student city”, with the university and colleges within walking distance and dressed up students promenading at daytime and romancing at night in the park.
Many meetings and surprises, friends and relatives, little kids all grown up and new kids and grandkids born whom we haven’t seen.
The warmth and willingness to help shown by many people, including strangers, especially when they find out we chose to come back, even temporarily.
The familiar, not exotic, bugs.
The fruit and veggies that actually taste like they should.
The swallows filling up the skies from early morning till late at night, endlessly patrolling the city from bugs and mosquitoes and feeding their young, nestled in the crevices of the old buildings. There is a nest right above my window, too!