I just spent a few days in Belfast, Northern Ireland and I loved it — friendly people, wonderful architecture, good food and, of course, pubs. But first, a reminder that Northern Ireland is a part of Britain and the Republic of Ireland to the south is an independent nation. This is relevant to the fact that twenty years ago, visitors to Belfast were the same kind of people who today would visit Damascus….. Continue reading
What a relief to meet these two smilers
I went to Armenia because I thought it would be a good place to write — pleasant without a lot of tourist distractions. I expected to feel a special connection in Armenia. It is my ancestral homeland. I have wonderful memories of spirited gatherings with my Armenian family. And I believe in genetic memory, a physiological connection to our ancestors’ experiences.
It was pleasant and quiet as I expected. But I didn’t like Armenia so much.
About 100 years ago, thousands of Armenians left their homeland to escape the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks. Many fled to Syria and settled there. A hundred years later, some of their descendants are returning to Armenia to escape another war. Armen is one of them. Continue reading
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Today I fell in love with Sergey Parajanov. Continue reading
Newborn colt. His mama has the same haircut as many Armenian men.
The Armenian countryside is gorgeous. Rolling hills and highland valleys of farmland are framed by snow-topped Caucasus mountains. This week, I spent a couple of days on a tiny farm in a tiny community called Fantan, about an hour north of Yerevan. Continue reading
Sometimes, I accidentally come across something that is both entertaining and more evidence that humans are very cool.
Chinese symbol for internal conflict
So well, I have a very small problem. I no longer know whether I have a travel blog or a blog about the world I am seeing. Since I began my serious traveling in August 2014, I have been writing mostly chirpy stories. Travel makes me happy. Although I have seen hardship, I guess I saw it through my own optimistic lens. Continue reading
Yerevan is a great place to hang out and write, which is what I came to do (mainly). I have a nice apartment that overlooks a park that is full of public art and lined with cafes. I love to go out walking through the city and, although Yerevan does not have world class tourist sites, there is always plenty to see. The weather at this time of year is perfect and the pace is nice. Continue reading
