GOING HOME

One family's diary, journeys and thoughts

Sunday, February 24, 2008

More on elections

Since I am not really involved in the election process, all I can do is post links to the writings of those, who are. Here is an article which can be characterized as follows: "it would be funny, if it wasn't so sad."

http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2859&lng=eng&IID=1175

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

What am I looking at?

That white nothingness down there is not a snow desert - it's lake Sevan in all its winter glory. The winter was harsh this year, so the lake is frozen over. It was fun walking on the ice, looking into dark cold water in ice-holes and playing snowballs with the soft flaky snow.


The locals make ice-holes for fishing - somewhere under all that ice the delicious trout and white fish is hiding. We took a trip to Sevan with a group of my coworkers and their families for the specific purpose of having some fresh barbequed fish. We had it, and let me tell you - it was good!

That - on the following photo - is a pier. Normally, it's propped in the middle of lapping waves...







Friday, February 01, 2008

«Speed» in Armenia

You know the movie Speed with Sandra Bullock and what's-his-name guy with big muscles? The one where an ex-cop turned terrorist puts a bomb on a city bus and they have to drive around at no less than 50 miles an hour so it won't explode? I was just imagining the same movie set in today's Armenian reality. You know what? IT WON'T BE THE SAME! Given the same premise, you will get a totally different movie, and here is why:

1. The bus would be so full the cop wouldn't be able to jump onto it

2. The stunts with the cop going under the bus moving at full speed would be impossible, because the cop's pointy shoes would catch on the wiring or moving parts and it would be the end of him.

3. The guy in a fancy car wouldn't surrender his vehicle to the police, merely resorting to four-letter words, like he does in the American version. He would stop the car, get out, tell the policemen who his uncle is, then call up the bros in white Nivas and beat the crap out of the cop.

4. A random girl on the bus wouldn't know how to drive.

5. The bomb wouldn't explode when triggered, because the parts used by the terrorist would be low quality imports from China.

6. The government wouldn't be able to come up with the amount of cash ransom requested by the terrorist, because the total would exceed the country's GNP.

7. In the end, the terrorist would bribe the police, escape punishment and open a business making bombs for the oligarchs trying to eliminate each other prior to the presidential elections.

Yeah...

What's new

January was a difficult month – cold and very busy. Compared to last winter, which was long and snowy, but not TOO cold, this one was dry and FREEZING. (Good thing my house is warm!). Two days ago the weather finally changed, it got warmer and snowed, so now we get sludge in the afternoon and ice at night. Every morning the traffic slows to a crawl, trying to stay steady on solid ice. City sends trucks to spread sand on the roads the old fashioned way – two guys with shovels stand in the back of the truck and throw sand on the road at equal intervals. Too bad I don’t have my camera (it’s still dead and no hope of fixing it anytime soon!!!)

Another piece of news is that I am finally getting a replacement for my current job and will be moving to a different department soon. Hopefully, the move will go a long way in saving me from a nervous breakdown.