Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

[Serjik]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

I really really dont advise biking in Armenia unless you want to become road kill.

[Mos]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

I really really dont advise biking in Armenia unless you want to become road kill.

I agree fully, imagine biking the highway to Sevan....

[Federate]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

I have a question along the same lines Federate. My friend, who I would say is a pessimist, just returned to the US after spending nearly three months in and around armenia. He answered my question regarding repatriates by saying there is not much hope of moving there. He said things arent really improving. He said having an american college degree means nothing. Your only hope of finding work is having connections or bribing.

So this leads me to my two part question

In all honesty, would it be reasonable to move to Armenia in 3-4 years? Would someone like me, I will be about 24 with a master's degree in engineering, without any close relatives, have a reasonable chance to make an acceptable living in Armenia?

Furthermore, you mentioned having capital, do you think I would be better suited to wait a couple of years, save some money, then make the move or make it immediately after graduating?

p.s. if everything goes as planned, I will be visiting Armenia for about 3 months in this upcoming summer.

It's not that having an American college degree means nothing, it's that there are plenty of youth running around with degrees in Yerevan because of, what many in Armenia attribute to, corruption by school faculty, i.e. they take bribes and give your son or daughter excellent grades. Things are definitely improving in Armenia, it's just that the pace is too slow for many people. I think this impatience stems from Armenians comparing newly independent republic to the likes of Western countries where these same Armenians have relatives. A geophysicist I had a lengthy conversation with told me the same thing and told me that revolutions are not the right way to make changes. He said the Diaspora is key for Armenia's future and he told me the best way for Diasporans to settle in Armenia permanently is to open businesses in Armenia with investments and create jobs.

Now I can't really predict what will happen in 3 to 4 years time but what I do know is that Yerevan will change rapidly once again. Construction is the biggest booming business sector in Armenia (a little slowed currently due to crisis) and many of the companies that are operating are foreign companies who I am sure are looking to hire professionals and would look favourably on American college degrees. But I think the safest bet is to raise capital, visit the country a few times and THEN move to Armenia.

As for knowing the right people, in the end this applies everywhere in the world. My opinion is that connections can be just as important to success than anything else. In Armenia at the moment, connections are given too much importance which is and can be a problem. I think this is the biggest obstacle to success for many repatriates. Then again, I have seen repatriates with no immediate family or friends in Armenia have success. For example, here's a marketing company opened by a Western Armenian repatriate http://www.deemcommunications.com/ And I have hope that by that time, the crackdown on bribery will diminish it significantly.

[Federate]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

Fed, you really travelled everywhere in Armenia, those are nice pictures Would you recommend a packpacking or biking trip that encompasses all those places you visited? Are the roads wide (and safe) enough for that?

I saw foreign backpackers in plenty of areas of Armenia. Even met two Norwegians at Amberd. The endless mountains and village hospitality is perfect for the outdoors types. As for biking, now that you mention it, I barely saw any bikes in Armenia. I recommend you contact Raffi Kojian, the administrator of Armeniapedia.org, if you want more info on hiking trails and the likes. He has done it from what I remember.

FYI http://www.janapar.org/wiki/Main_Page

[retro]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

Hello Mher

If you intend to work in industry you would be better off working in US for a few years. As you really don't have enough experience at this point. I also think that your best bet in a small country like Armenia is either to be self-employed or to have a practical skilled trade.

[retro]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

Well, I can't say there is a general attitude among all those people towards diasporan Armenians. Let me remind you that almost every person in Armenia has a relative living in the diaspora, so it's normal to them to see and interact with diaspora Armenians. One perception that is sometimes skewed is that everything outside of Armenia is much better, which isn't really true. Every country has its difficulties and no place will give you automatic success. But in the end of the day, at least from my experiences, going back to Armenia is going back home to my family and relatives, going out of Armenia to any other country is going to a foreign land comparably.

At the moment I am visiting my mother in Ireland. Whilst Ireland only has a population of 4 million. Globally the Irish are 80 million strong and Ireland has a very long history of often forced emigration.

Whilst the good thing about emigration is that it broadens your horizons and forces people to be outlooking. The problem with protracted emigration is that it tends to lead to a brain drain and have an erodeing effect upon small nations, economic, intellectual and cultural development. Diaspora Armenians also risk diluting/subverting Armenian identity or developing questionable, dual loyalties.

[Mher]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

It's not that having an American college degree means nothing, it's that there are plenty of youth running around with degrees in Yerevan because of, what many in Armenia attribute to, corruption by school faculty, i.e. they take bribes and give your son or daughter excellent grades. Things are definitely improving in Armenia, it's just that the pace is too slow for many people. I think this impatience stems from Armenians comparing newly independent republic to the likes of Western countries where these same Armenians have relatives. A geophysicist I had a lengthy conversation with told me the same thing and told me that revolutions are not the right way to make changes. He said the Diaspora is key for Armenia's future and he told me the best way for Diasporans to settle in Armenia permanently is to open businesses in Armenia with investments and create jobs.

Now I can't really predict what will happen in 3 to 4 years time but what I do know is that Yerevan will change rapidly once again. Construction is the biggest booming business sector in Armenia (a little slowed currently due to crisis) and many of the companies that are operating are foreign companies who I am sure are looking to hire professionals and would look favourably on American college degrees. But I think the safest bet is to raise capital, visit the country a few times and THEN move to Armenia.

As for knowing the right people, in the end this applies everywhere in the world. My opinion is that connections can be just as important to success than anything else. In Armenia at the moment, connections are given too much importance which is and can be a problem. I think this is the biggest obstacle to success for many repatriates. Then again, I have seen repatriates with no immediate family or friends in Armenia have success. For example, here's a marketing company opened by a Western Armenian repatriate http://www.deemcommunications.com/ And I have hope that by that time, the crackdown on bribery will diminish it significantly.

Thank you, I appreciate your insight and advise. Also, thank you retro. Federate you mentioned construction, and that is fortunate, because I'm studying civil/constructional engineering. It seems like the wiser choice would be stay in the US for 4-5 years after graduation, gain some experience, save some money, and then make the move. I think like that I would have the most positive impact on the country too, because I would be able to create my own small company, and create jobs. I will be visiting next summer, so I will try to do my best to do as much research as possible while I'm there to make a final decision. Once again thank you.

[Federate]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

Thank you, I appreciate your insight and advise. Also, thank you retro. Federate you mentioned construction, and that is fortunate, because I'm studying civil/constructional engineering. It seems like the wiser choice would be stay in the US for 4-5 years after graduation, gain some experience, save some money, and then make the move. I think like that I would have the most positive impact on the country too, because I would be able to create my own small company, and create jobs. I will be visiting next summer, so I will try to do my best to do as much research as possible while I'm there to make a final decision. Once again thank you.

Best of luck to you brother!

[Armanen]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

I have a question along the same lines Federate. My friend, who I would say is a pessimist, just returned to the US after spending nearly three months in and around armenia. He answered my question regarding repatriates by saying there is not much hope of moving there. He said things arent really improving. He said having an american college degree means nothing. Your only hope of finding work is having connections or bribing.

So this leads me to my two part question

In all honesty, would it be reasonable to move to Armenia in 3-4 years? Would someone like me, I will be about 24 with a master's degree in engineering, without any close relatives, have a reasonable chance to make an acceptable living in Armenia?

Furthermore, you mentioned having capital, do you think I would be better suited to wait a couple of years, save some money, then make the move or make it immediately after graduating?

p.s. if everything goes as planned, I will be visiting Armenia for about 3 months in this upcoming summer.

Build up capital where you reside now and then make the move. You will also in the same time have time to visit Armenia often and network with people there who may be able to assist you once you make the move. If you have a good head on your shoulders, some money, and the will then it won't be an issue.

[Mikael]

Re: Trip to Armenia (including pictures)

10x for nice post