armo rap

Alright - I have an address you can download the Armenian rap song from. Just a warning - the first 20 seconds are lame, I don't know what they were thinking... then it just is hilarious. It is a thick Beirutsi accent though, so good luck understanding it all! Someone needs to transcribe the words and include explanations :-) So on to the song: http://www.armeniapedia.org/armorap.mp3

Sunday was fantastic - just relaxed, napped, etc. Never left the house. I could go for a repeat today, but unfortunately Feb 28 was never made a holiday in the US or Armenia. Quite a shame, it is the last day of the shortest month of the year... seems worthy of celebrating to me.

peanuts

are what I'm munching on. It's early and it will be a couple of hours before people will be up for a brunch... so peanuts it is. Just to tide me over.

Yesterday was a blast. We left for the ski slopes at about 9 and got there about 10. The parking lot was empty, the lifts weren't on. We wondered why it would be closed - what the occasion was? There was one guy around and we asked him, he said not to worry, it wasn't closed - nobody had come yet. As people trickled in things would start up. So we got ready, they indeed turned on the first lift just for us, we got up and rented some normal (yippee!) skis (a big victory after having no luck finding any the last couple of times) and we went to the next lift - where you actually ski down from the top. It was still closed (it was 11am at this point) until they had a few more customers - which came along after about 15 minutes. So yes, things get a very slow start in Armenia in general. People are not rushed to start the day - neither businesses, nor customers. In the US there would be lines of customers at7 or 8 am. The topmost run was open as well, and as I was feeling more confident in my skiing, we went up there too, where from the ridge you can see much of central Armenia. Mt. Ararat, Mt. Aragats, Lake Sevan, and more. Stunning! The president skiied too that day, but he doesn't take the lifts... they take him up on ski mobiles, and of course lots of security.

I was exhausted of course, it was quite a workout, and came home and tried to nap amongst frequent phonecalls. Finally gave up and went over to a friends where we were all just talking. I lost track of the time and got to bed much later than I planned. Again.

So today there is nothing solid planned. Brunch, Vernissage (souvenir market), a nap and the game of RISK are all under serious consideration...

OH! I almost forgot. Marie Gh. emailed me an Armenian rap song, in western Armenian that is just SO hilarious, I couldn't believe it. Downloading 4mb is no easy task here, but my gosh it was so worth it. I have no idea who it is, or what, but I am putting it online to share. I would buy the album if I knew - so if anyone can tell me if this is from a real album, or if it is just a one-off internet thing, it would be good to know. I will try to put it online so you can download it...

single digits...

The countdown to the end of my contract has hit single digits (in weeks, not days -- yet!). Under 10 weeks to go before I am completely free to wander the earth, doing whatever I please, whenever I please. So what will you do next is the first thing people ask me, and of course I have asked myself that very thing. The answer is vague and fuzzy, both in my head and in reality... which is fine. It's just what I am looking forward to.

I have plans though... based here, I want to hit all the countries in the area which I have not bothered to visit. Including neighboring Georgia - an embarassingly close 3.5 hour drive away and Iran. But I haven't been to Georgia partly because there has been a jinx which has ruined my plans whenever I did bother to try to visit. Russia, Budapest, Prague and Greece are also likely targets through the rest of the year, being quick flights from here. Perhaps late in the year it will be time to see the USA as well as take a trip all the way down Baja California, a longtime desire. And finally, Christmas in Australia is my last goal before I hit a blank slate. Can all of this change? Sure. Nothing is tying me to any of it. But these thoughts formulated in my head a long time ago, and they haven't changed much in a long while. So no, it doesn't look like I will be working again this year, and no it doesn't look like I will be leaving Armenia (a very popular question as well).

Now that my future plans are layed out... here is what's going on now. I am drooling over the new laptop which will be arriving any day now. I have finally treated myself to this toy, in time for all these trips - some of which I would like to take it along on. It will allow me to work on my new website quite easily, from anywhere in the world. The site is coming along quite well, having passed 1,000 pages last weekend. Details will come in the future, when it is ready.

Remond - I am preparing to remodel another apartment. I can't even think about the headaches which will arise now, having so recently finished an 11 month project which must have been more painful than birthing a child... but there is no use putting it off, so I have to just cross my fingers, hope, and occasionally tear my hair out. Luckily you will be here for me to vent...

Rediscovering Armenia Guidebook - it's in the process of republication, after a good year of being out of print.

The weather - always so important to me has been beautiful since last weekend, after months of sunless grey and freezing. Let's hope this doesn't ruin the fruit crops by causing premature blooming.

And finally, I just wanted to share a funny in a not ha-ha way page I ran into online, about the world's worst lesbian (oh, and if that doesn't entice you to click, there is an Armenian angle in there).