What's up?

Hi guys! Just checking it in case anybody is still reading this blog (doesn't seem so, but oh well).

We are almost done with our renovation, in fact I am hoping to move in this coming weekend. maybe that won't happen, but the end is near anyway.

Vicky is turning 18 on Sunday. She can't wait to become all independent and grown up. Looks like she wants to move out, too.

The weather is nice and crisp and cool, and the leaves are all colors of the rainbow. Must be fall. It already snowed in the mountains. It's time to make preserves, and Roxy and I spent a Sunday shopping for veggies, peeling, cooking, filling jars and sealing them. It was fun, and it will be even more fun opening those jars in the winter.

And - hear this - I might become the first dual citizen in Armenia! Or second - ever! The law passed not too long ago and is just starting to come into effect (i.e. trickle down to the concerned legal entities). I will keep you posted on how it goes.

On equal rights and other such

There is no better place to rub shoulders with someone and feel close to fellow humans, than public transportation. Especially if it is a minibus, packed far beyond its capacity, like it usually happens here in Armenia. Don’t know why, but anyway – this is not about transportation, this is about something else.

I couldn't help but overhear an interesting conversation today – a girl who was sitting right next to me was talking on the phone. In fact, I only really heard one side of the dialog, but as you will see in a moment, it wasn't hard to guess the rest. Here is how it went:

- I just asked your opinion on whether or not I should go…w hat do you mean by "do whatever you are well pleased?" I AM asking your opinion, am I not?
- …
- No, I haven't decided anything yet; I just want to know what YOU think.
- …
- Yes, I did reserve the tickets already, but…
- …
- Well, I expected you to say something like: "It's okay to go" or "I will go with you" or something…
- …
- You know, if my sister is asking me to come and stay a year in France with her, then it probably IS important, she wouldn't ask me for no reason.
- …
- You could come with me, you know. You have relatives there, too.
- …
- You can stay in a hotel…
- …
- Well, I am sorry for you if you can't afford it, but…
- …
- No, I don't always do, as I want. In fact, I usually do what YOU want me to do.
- …
- For example? For example, when you made me quit driving. I am riding a bus even as we speak, only because you asked me not to drive!
- …
- AND you asked me not to take taxis!
- …
- No, I can't ask YOU for a ride every time I need to go somewhere! You wouldn't like it either if I called you twenty times a day asking for a ride.
- …
- You know, my dad didn't like the idea of me driving, but even he finally gave me permission.
- …
- The point is, I do what you want me to do, so you can't say I don't. I even quit my job, so you can be cool like that and say, "My girlfriend doesn’t drive and she doesn’t work and stuff!"
- …
- So I listen to you!
- …
- No, I can't come right now!
- …
- No, you can't pick me up! I AM IN A BUS!!!
- …
- So what your grandma is coming, I can't come right now. You should have told me earlier she is coming.
- ……!!!!!!!!
- Fine, I'll go home, change and call you!

(End of conversation)

I could have commented volumes on this, because as it happens, I believe in equal rights and dignity and other such things. But I won't. I felt like asking that girl (a good-looking young lady of about 22-24) a few question, but I didn't do that, either. What's the point? The bus reached my house by then, anyway…

Pana-what??

????? Yes, this is a vacuum cleaner. Mom says it's pretending to be Japanese.

And, did you know that the original adidas label should look like this?

What, you didn't know? Well, it's written as clear as day: original international...abibas. Yeah!

Mom cut her hair a few weeks ago and I decided to copy her the week after. Here are some pics. Mom's looks about the same, but shorter. Some better shots of the both of us will hopefully follow soon.

This is what the back looks like.

In other news, we attended a dog show last week. It was small, but there were a few interesting dog breeds. We'll hopefully have some pics of those soon, too.

Only in Armenia

The story goes like this: all of a sudden Yerevan municipality decided to build several underground passages/bridges/ramps to bypass the busiest and most dangerous intersections in the city. An admirable intention altogether, except - do you know what happens in a city already crowded with traffic when 7-8 major intersection are closed to traffic? Mayhem! There is a much more informed commentary on the issue here: http://www.cilicia.com/armo_life-log.html, with quotes from the authorities, etc., so I won't repeat all that here - just follow the link if you want to know more. But watch the video first!

flop

There was supposed to be a video here - one of those "only in Armenia" things, but it didn't upload. Still working on it...