where from

[spiral]

hey people

I'm curious as to who came from where, and how long you guys have been here.

I was born in Armenia, and I have been here for 16 years.


I don't have many memories from Armenia, since I was so young when we left. I haven't gone back, but I'm really looking forward to visiting in the summer.

how about you guys?

...especially those who have been at wherever you were born, long enough to remember. Like it here or there? why?

[patlajan]

I don't get how there are all these stanci people that are in the U.S. from forever ago. How did you manage to get out in 1987? That must be quite a story.

[xBaron Dants]

Re: where from

Originally posted by spiral hey people

I'm curious as to who came from where, and how long you guys have been here.

I was born in Armenia, and I have been here for 16 years.


I don't have many memories from Armenia, since I was so young when we left. I haven't gone back, but I'm really looking forward to visiting in the summer.

how about you guys?

...especially those who have been at wherever you were born, long enough to remember. Like it here or there? why?

I'm born in Syria, and have been in Montreal for 12-13 years now. I was about 4 years old when I left Syria, so I don't remember much from my childhood there. However, when I went to visit, I prefered Montreal. But when I went to Armenia, I prefered Yerevan.

Good things about Syria:
- Good food
- 3 hour break in the day where you go home, eat, and nap, then go back to work.
- Stroooong armenian community. Not speaking armenian is unheard of.
- Nicer weather

Good things about Montreal:
- Good education
- Good nightlife
- Mix of different cultures
- Veeery nice french canadians
- Good hockey
- Safe city

Good things about Yerevan
- Everything is armeniaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
- Everyone is armeniaaaaaaaaaaaaan
- the city wakes up at 10am
- The taxi service invited us over for coffee, watermelon, and ice cream
- The traffic cops invited us over for Khorovadz
- Ararat
- and everything else about it...
********************************
Bad things about Aleppo Syria:
- some places smell bad
- pictures of Assad everywhere
- donkeys walking in the streets.....wait, that's a good thing
- too much noise

Bad things about Montreal:
- armenian community that pisses me off at times (though it's still a strong one for North America)
- routine, predictability, etc...

Bad things about Yerevan:
- I'M NOT THERE RIIGHT NOOOOOOOOOOOOW

[anileve]

Re: Re: where from

Originally posted by Baron Dants
- The taxi service invited us over for coffee, watermelon, and ice cream
- The traffic cops invited us over for Khorovadz

Really Baron jan? Did they invite you for khorovats and coffee? Did you go? Did they tell that money situation is tight, if you can donate to their kids tuition? People in Yerevan love tourists, since they know they have money. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I like this thread, I thought recently of creating it, but somehow never got to it, good job spiral.

I am originally from Yerevan, came here in 1992. American embassy didn’t allow my entire family to come here, they granted visa only to my father. He came to New York, worked for 2 years and then was able to find a sponsor for us, that is when we arrived. I have very vivid memories of Yerevan, since I was 13 when I left, practically all of my childhood was spent there. I never went back since, maybe one day.

[xBaron Dants]

Re: Re: Re: where from

Originally posted by anileve Really Baron jan? Did they invite you for khorovats and coffee? Did you go? Did they tell that money situation is tight, if you can donate to their kids tuition? People in Yerevan love tourists, since they know they have money. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I like this thread, I thought recently of creating it, but somehow never got to it, good job spiral.

I am originally from Yerevan, came here in 1992. American embassy didn’t allow my entire family to come here, they granted visa only to my father. He came to New York, worked for 2 years and then was able to find a sponsor for us, that is when we arrived. I have very vivid memories of Yerevan, since I was 13 when I left, practically all of my childhood was spent there. I never went back since, maybe one day.

Mmm, we didn't go to the cops, cause we met them on one of the last days. As for the taxi people, it was actually a funny situation.
It was a small family-owned company, and their headquarters (their house) was situated right next to the kids rehab center where we worked. Therefore, every time we wanted to go to the city, we'd contact them. Every time, they'd tell us we have to go over for a coffee, and we'd just say "yea, sure" cause we thought they were saying it just like that.

One night, we were gonna go clubbing with the whole group, and we called them. We filled three cabs, and they drove right to their home, and told us to get out, and go in the house. Once there, they said "since you weren't coming, we said we have to bring you". That's when they brought coffee, ice cream and watermelon, even if we insisted for them to stop. And no, they didn't ask for sponsorship, and they didn't even hint about poverty to insinuate it. Actually, the father told us they were happy as their business was going very well lately, and they had 4-5 good employees who were also very happy.
In fact, one of the employees, when he first met us, refused to take our money saying that "since you came here to volunteer for your country, I can at least do the same to you."

So I'm sorry if I burst your bubble, but you might be wrong about this. Everyone in Armenia isn't dying to get out.

[anileve]

I agree not everyone, especially not the ones with successful business, but most are, they just can't afford it.

[xBaron Dants]

Originally posted by anileve I agree not everyone, especially not the ones with successful business, but most are, they just can't afford it.

It wasn't a "successful business" that was bringing back millions. The guy had borrowed money, bought a car, and so on, and now has 4-5 of them.

Another example would be Shaliko, our bus driver to Artsakh. This man had left Armenia for two years, and worked in a factory in the States. He said he liked the atmosphere and the people in the States, but he just missed Armenia too much. So he told his boss he was leaving, and the boss offered him a position as a foreman with a big salary increase. He refused, came back to Armenia, repayed his debts, bought his bus, and he was genuinely the happiest man I had ever seen.

Yet another example was a man, that I named Baron Hayastan, who would bring his daughter to the rehab center, and once told me "Can you arrange me a visa so I can go to Canada with you?". I asked "Why would you want to do that?". He started laughing like hell and said "So I can go to Canada, and see how lucky I am to be living in Armenia". He then said that there was no way he could ever leave Armenia, and that, thankfully, he was also starting to make more money as he was involved in the home renovation business, which has picked up lately.

So yes, there is still poverty, and yes, people still look for money abroad, but if you can't see the positive aspects of your country and build on it, and keep reminding the negatives, you have basically doomed your country to failure.

[Anonymouse]

Re: where from

Originally posted by spiral hey people

I'm curious as to who came from where, and how long you guys have been here.

I was born in Armenia, and I have been here for 16 years.


I don't have many memories from Armenia, since I was so young when we left. I haven't gone back, but I'm really looking forward to visiting in the summer.

how about you guys?

...especially those who have been at wherever you were born, long enough to remember. Like it here or there? why?

Also born in Armenia, I can draw you a map of the city streets of a small radius from where I lived, the streets that led to Hamalir, as Hrazdan, and then Hraparak, to my grandmothers house, etc.

I tell yea this xxxx is still with me despite being 6 or 7 at the time.

[Emil]

I was born in Tehran. We moved to the states when I was 1. So I don't remember anything. That was 25 years ago. We first moved to San Diego, then a bunch of other places. From Pre-School to 7th grade I changed schools 5 times.

Emil

[anileve]

Originally posted by Baron Dants and keep reminding the negatives, you have basically doomed your country to failure.

I have no need to do that Baronchik, it's sort of there. I am simply a realist. When I see some serious improvements my views may change. If I didn't think it's so bad, we wouldn't have left or I would have gone back by now. It's one thing to visit, it's another to live there. I have, I remember what it's like, also I have family and friends who live there so their stories are a window on what really goes on there.

But I am glad that you have a postive outlook, there is always a need for people like you to keep the spirits afloat.