AGLA NY started blogging

In a welcome move and in line with previously announced expansion of organisational activities, Armenian Gay & Lesbian Association of New York (AGLA NY) launched its blog, with the focus on life of LGBT Armenians in NY, US, as well as organisational news.

Here are some headlines from recent posts.

“Member spotlight” presents NY fashion designer Loris Diran and metalware designer Michael Aram

Nancy Agabian reports on a lecture by Vigen Guroian, Prof. of Theology at Loyola College (MD), entitled, “Homosexuality & Same-Sex Union” at the Armenian Prelacy (16 November 2007). “The main point of Professor Guroian’s talk was that same sex union goes against one of the Armenian Apostolic church’s sacraments, that of a marriage between a man and a woman, as stated in the bible.” However, as Nancy concluded, “The event wasn’t openly hostile towards gays and lesbians; rather, people seemed interested to listen and talk to teach other about the issue. This represents real progress, especially for those who remember when the word gay wouldn’t have even been understood within an Armenian religious context. Our queer Armenian voices were heard in connection with the church, and on the issue of gay marriage, which affects many of us.”

There is also announcement on a special Gartal event in NY on 17 February 2008 which featured reading of the new book (An)daratsutian Mej or In the (Un)space (Women’s Resource Center, Yerevan, 2007) in English, French and Armenian with authors Nancy Agabian, Lara Aharonian and Shushan Avagyan. “In writing about such topics as the domestic violence of upstairs neighbors, an absurd gynecological visit, and furtive reading in a grandmother’s library, the tri-authors create the “(un)space”, where each Armenian woman must interpret herself and translate others in order to find a place to more fully exist.” Hrag Vartanian has more details.

I will keep an eye on AGLA NY blog and will update here on new developments from NY LGBT Armenian community. You may access their blog at http://aglany.wordpress.com

Defenders of democracy in Armenia

I thought I would never see it again. It’s like 20 years ago, the same atmosphere in Yerevan. Despite all differences, in this crucial time for the future of Armenian democracy people seem united, they refuse to be intimidated by authorities. They share food, tea, they dance, they spend night in Liberty sq, they feel togetherness, exactly like it was 20 years ago.

I am proud of you, guys. I am proud of my parents. I am proud of my dad who after hearing in the morning that police announced “rally is not sanctioned by authorities” and “there may be unforeseen consequences”, instead of being intimidated, immediately went out of the flat and joined the crowd. Like thousands of you. You did not get intimidated, instead – you danced, tens of thousands of you. I am writing these words, and feel very emotional now. I feel proud of being associated with you.

You are great, people!


P.S. And it is so encouraging to see so many young people around. (photo via Hetq)

The Winners - Liberty sq, Yerevan, Armenia

I am with you, guys!



*see also Unzipped (video via A1+)

To Winners

Whatever happens during election day, you people – tens of thousands in Liberty sq in Yerevan, thousands in Armenian regions - are Winners for me. Today you sent the very clear message that you want and demand changes, that you are, after all, not indifferent to your future and future of Armenia... that after years of oppressing your real dreams, after years of apathy, you are sick of this hibernating state.

For more - see Unzipped

Armenian LGBT NGO to launch new Community Centre in Yerevan

*source: WFCE January newsletter

NEW OFFICE IN YEREVAN CITY CENTER

From 1st January 2008 “We For Civil Equality” NGO moved to the new office just in the heart of Yerevan City, 3 minutes from Republic Square. This not only staff administrative office but also Community Centre named LGBTIQ Informational and Counseling Center (ICC).

The main aim of the community centre is providing a safe and alternative place for LGBT communities to develop a feeling of unity within the different sub-communities. The resource centre includes informational, educational and entertainment material for LGBT.

The new office and LGBTIQ ICC will be officially presented on 14th February 2008. We intend to start with:

- Round table on HIV/AIDS and LGBTIQ Issues in Armenia. Several topics will be discussed:
• HIV/AIDS situation in Armenia
• At-risk population, vulnerable groups
• LGBTIQ as High Risk Group
• MSM, WSW
• Prevention in Human Rights Context
• Access to health care and services
• Psychological counseling
• Educational programs
• Policy approach
• Civil society
• “We For Civil Equality” NGO mission, vision, activities.

- Lesbian artist exhibition opening
- Official Welcome Ceremony in ICC
- “We For Civil Equality” NGO and PRECIS Project Presentation

we intend to invite mass media and partner organizations to the official part and continue with a strictly community-only celebration later on at the Safer Sex Promotion Party.

Armenia participated in ILGA-Asia regional conference

Although a member of European Region of International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), for the first time, Armenia participated in the 3rd ILGA-Asia Regional conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand - 24 - 27 January 2008.

Acoording to "We For Civil Equality" (WFCE) Armenian LGBT NGO January newsletter, its head participated in this conference of about 160 lesbian, gay and human rights activists from both Asian and non-Asian countries.

"The conference was hosted by the Committee on Lesbigay Rights in Burma (CLRB) and M-Plus, a local gay group which runs a drop-in centre. Armenia was chairing plenary on transgender issues in Asia. A workshop was done on transgender issues and by Armenia’s initiative it was decided that Pan-Asian Transgenders Association will be established. The role of "We For Civil Equality" will be some kind of bridge between Europe and Asia."

"A street parade was held in the city for the first time as over 200 conference attendees, observers and members of the local LGBT community marched from the Buddhist Centre (Puttastan) to Pantip Plaza on Saturday night."

I certainly welcome this participation which indicates an increasing involvement of Armenian LGBT activists in various regional projects and collaborations.
***

Just one 'technical' remark: WFCE January newsletter states in relation to this news that "Geographically and politically Armenia is a part of Europe but culturally and morality is a part of Asia." While I would not go into debate as to which continent Armenia belongs to "geographically, politically or culturally", it seems everlasting and opinions differ, I find it bizarre the part about "morality". I personally would go for "politically and culturally - Europe", and geographically - Wikipedia description of Armenia as "transcontinental nation". As to "morality", that notion is the vaguest to define, and one could argue that "morality"-wise Armenia is closer to Greece or Balkan countries etc. In any case, I'd rather not mention "morality" at all.

History in making: Opposition unites behind Levon Ter-Petrosyan ahead of presidential elections in Armenia

In what could be considered the most significant development ahead of presidential elections in Armenia, one of the main and arguably most respected opposition party led by former foreign minister Raffi Hovhannisyan declared his support of Ter-Petrosyan’s bid for presidency.

[...]

I've made my position clear in one of my earlier posts and now want to confirm my support for Levon Ter-Petrosyan candidacy. It is now not a simple choice between prime minister Serj Sargsyan and former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. It’s now a choice between ‘no change’ (Serj) and ‘possibility of change’ (Levon with Raffi and others). I choose change!




For more details - see Unzipped

“There Will Be Blood”

No, you guessed it wrong. It’s not some kind of pessimistic prediction for post-presidential election Armenia I am writing about. It’s about film which I saw over weekend in London in the run-up to British equivalent of Oscars.


Set up mainly in early 20th century, this is the most powerful film to come out in recent years to depict religion leader’s hypocrisy in contemporary world, contrasting it with brutal inhumanity of emerging oil businesses and questioning who is the real prophet? – business interests, money… Daniel Day-Lewis with his brilliant performance in “There Will Be Blood” won today prestigious British Academy Film Award for leading male role.


Watch it, you won’t regret it.

*photo of Daniel Day-Lewis - via BBC

Armenian Aryan Order dislikes all candidates and that’s good news for presidential elections in Armenia

A group of far right nationalists and bigots called themselves Armenian Aryan Order along with 2 other ‘organisations’ declared that they will not support any candidate during upcoming presidential elections in Armenia, and urged their supporters participate in elections and vote against everyone. Not that anyone cares about their opinion, and this announcement would not have grabbed my attention, if it is not for the reasons as to why they dislike all 9 presidential hopefuls. I will not describe reasons specific for each candidate. The good news is that, according to Aryans, candidates’ ideology is “far from that of Armenian-Aryans and true nationalist ideology.”

Aravot newspaper: Routine homophobia on ‘behalf’ of Armenian bloggers

Thanks to the post made by Nazarian, I noticed this article by Aravot daily (in Armenian).

They dislike political games and disregard homosexuals

(title of Aravot article on blogging in Armenia)

What on earth homosexuals have to do with an article on blogging in Armenia, one may wonder. The answer is simple. Journalist Tatev Harutyunyan probably worried that her article on blogging would not attract much attention, so she had to sensationalise it, to spice things up. What else could be more attention grabbing than gay-related headline or homophobic rhetoric? Nothing, apparently.

The whole article was based on mentioning few Armenian blogs within the LiveJournal’s vibrant community and then an interview with blogger Uzogh (aka Ruben Muradyan). And it was from his words she somehow managed to build up that title, although as I understand from Uzogh’s subsequent post, it’s not blogging she was really interested in, but rather who bloggers support for presidential elections in Armenia and… ‘minortities’ as she put it – meaning gays. I am not going to go into the details related to the blogging part of that article, it is full of over-generalisations and mistakes, although I must admit that it’s one of the rare reflections of blogging and bloggers in Armenian media. However, Aravot journalist did not even bother making at least brief research on a subject matter (blogging) she was writing. What I want to do here is to discuss the issue of routine homophobia.

I was not surprised in relation to Aravot newspaper’s periodic ‘masterpieces’. Last spring it published an ill-informed and blatantly homophobic article on gay people in Armenia, ironically rightly stating that gay life is pretty much hidden in our country without even realising (?) that it’s partly because of media attitudes like theirs, that gay men and women prefer remaining ‘in closet’ (“hidden”).

Therefore, my first reaction was disappointment, not with the Aravot but with blogger Uzogh who I thought agreed to be published under that title…

I met Uzogh and couple of other bloggers in Yerevan for pre-New Year drinks. We had very pleasant time together. I still have good memories of our get-together. I did not specifically raise gay related issues there, because I thought it was not the occasion, although the topic came out naturally due to recent protest action by few bloggers, including Uzogh, who protested against Azerbaijani Days in Armenia and handed in soaps to organisers. Uzogh re-assured then that their last ‘soap action’ was not intended to be homophobic. And I believed him, although I would certainly prefer if bloggers use other than soap symbolic for their action, as soap in that context for any local Armenian (as perhaps opposed to foreigners or Diaspora Armenians) instantly associated with negative connotation related to gay people, in a kind of routine, but not always obvious way.

When asked by Aravot journalist what do Armenian bloggers write about “minorities”, implying gays, Uzogh (who was apparently considered in this article as a sort of voice of bloggers) answered: “There are more serious issues we discuss. What do you want us to write about gays [in original Armenian version – normally derogative shortened Russian use of ‘homosexual’ –‘gomik’]?.. how great that they exist? or let’s go beat them?..” So here we are: based on Uzogh’s answer, Aravot journalist concluded that Armenian bloggers “disregard homosexuals”. I wonder how would she categorise me or many other Armenian bloggers who certainly do not fit into that description?

I am glad that Uzogh clarified in his blog (in Russian) that the published version of the interview is over-generalisation and misinterpretation of his words.

However, what concerns me most is the widespread use of derogative references, e.g. Armenian or Russian versions of ‘faggot’ etc, by many Armenian bloggers in LiveJournal community. Some use it because of direct homophobic insults they want to cause; others use these words without specific homophobic connotation, just because they used to, because our everyday language is full of this sort of ‘labels’. Language is funny and at times dangerous thing: flexible, rigid, hiding or exposing. Overall, language is a good proxy of the social state of society, and in this case a proxy indication of the level of homophobia in our society, on very routine level.

Only when people start thinking twice before using derogatory language (like they do now in case of race references), it would mean that at least on formal society level it is not OK to insult people based on their differences.

People who routinely use these derogatory, homophobic references should understand that behind the ‘labels’ are people, like me, you…

Let's go to modern Russia, and here we are, we all - Armenians, or in fact any other Caucasus people, gay or straight, are minorities. There also a widespread use of routine hatred language there, in relation to non Russians, people of Caucasus origin, people who are different, whether in media or in everyday life. It also became an important proxy indicator of the level of racism and intolerance in Russia. We justifiably protest it, and unfortunately witness what are becoming frighteningly routine racist killings.

Intolerance towards one minority group generates intolerance towards other… creating the sort of environment where extreme right-wings, religious fanatics and others find it’s OK to attack foreigners or ethnic minorities, it’s OK to attack gay and lesbians, it’s OK to attack people with different opinions, political opponents, human rights activists, it’s OK to attack journalists…

Armenian citizens among almost 500 married Czech same sex couples

Prague (CTK): The number of registered partnerships between Czech same sex couples reached 487 by the end of last year with homosexual male couples prevailing considerably, according to a poll the results of which were given to CTK by the Sidovsky Management agency today.

Eight of the registered partnerships have ceased to exist and in five cases it were lesbian couples, the poll showed.

The law on registered partnership that allows marriages between gay and lesbian couples has been valid in the Czech Republic since July 2006.

Since then, legal registered partnerships were concluded by 353 homosexual male and 134 female couples.

In 43 cases, one of the partners was a foreigner, especially from Slovakia, but also Azerbaijan, Taiwan, Israel, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the Netherlands, the USA and Canada.

Homosexual couples were prosecuted in the former Czechoslovakia until 1961. The law on registered partnership of same sex couples was passed by the Czech Chamber of Deputies in March 2006 when the Chamber overrode President Vaclav Klaus's veto by a narrow majority.

Under the law, same sex couples can officially register their partnership with legal consequences. The partnership, for instance, guarantees its members the right to information about their partner's health, sets the duty to take care for the partner, but does not allow the adoption of children.

Picture of the Day

Sale sign, Soho, London

Gay Armenians in Diaspora: still a taboo

For anyone who wants to get some inside on how it is to be gay Armenian in LA, a home to the one of the largest Armenian communities in Diaspora, I would recommend reading this brief paper by Ani Garibyan (2005), which was prepared as part of her student term project at UCLA.

It is not an in-depth study but rather descriptive one, involving several interviews with LGBT people, members of community and church. However, it’s well written and gives general picture of and some of the challenges faced by Armenian LGBT people in fighting prejudice and discrimination in their local communities, in this case Southern California (US).

It’s not a secret that Armenian society (inside and outside Armenia) is feeling pretty uncomfortable and at times hostile towards the fact that there are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people among us. One of the reactions when they are confronted with the reality is homophobia, another possibility is confusion, minority would be pretty accepting and welcoming. But one of the commonest reactions is… silence.

Very convenient attitude, isn’t it? We frequently think that if we ignore an issue around us, if we ignore existence of something or someone which does not fit into the ‘picture’, we would end up with that ‘picture’, as if it is for real. It may be very convenient but what we would end up with actually, as we do in many other cases too, is mixing the real reality with the reality which suites us.

As Ani Garibyan writes in her brief student paper, which, by the way, one of the rarest works on the state of LGBT Armenians in Diaspora, when confronted with the fact that there are gay and lesbian Armenians in Southern California… you guessed it right: “The community does not speak about it.” So Ani decided to explore the subject further, to see what are the obstacles on the way of acceptance and tolerance towards LGBT people within the Armenian community in California.

There are hundreds of openly gay Armenians in California, there are much more who hide their sexual identity and remain ‘in closet’ because of intolerance. “They are mostly well educated, successful and well rounded people,” as the author notes. One of the main reasons of intolerance towards them is coming from Armenian churches which have strong influence especially in local communities in Diaspora.

Reference:

Ani Garibyan, “The Unspoken Words: Gay, Lesbian,” Term project for History 111C, UCLA, 2005. <http://webpages.charter.net/georgebbruin/projects>, accessed [24 January 2008].

Other useful related links:

GALAS - Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society of LA, established in 1998, the biggest and the oldest Armenian LGBT organisation in Diaspora.

Club Nur – gay Middle Eastern Nights in LA, Armenian friendly.

Actor Heath Ledger is found dead

Was watching BBC news and suddenly... shocking breaking news... Heath Ledger is found dead in US... Feel very sad right now... Heath Ledger will always remain in my memory as Ennis Del Mar from “Brokeback Mountain”.

via NY Times:

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain”, a 2005 film. The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”

Fighting back tears on stage – a standing ovation to Turkish transsexuals

It’s tough to be gay in Turkey. It’s even tougher to be transsexual there. Discrimination and persecutions are common. Struggle of LGBT people in Turkey to reconcile their sexuality with religious beliefs ads to complexities. But as this report by AFP proves, things are changing in Turkey, as despite widespread homophobia, LGBT people make their presence more visible, and use different platforms to voice their protest against discrimination. Prospect of EU membership helps, indeed. Well worth reading and taking notes on similarities, differences, potential influences and developments in South Caucasus too.

*Turkish transsexual Sera Can puts make up on back stage before her performance in Ankara, 14 January 2008. (AFP)

ANKARA (AFP) - A unique play in an Ankara theatre ended with a standing ovation this week as the little-known actors -- transsexuals and gays raising their voice against discrimination -- fought back their tears on stage.

Their play, "Pink And Grey," put the spotlight on the plight of transsexuals in mainly Muslim Turkey, in the latest initiative of a fledgling but increasingly vocal movement for rights by a community long ostracized and often harassed.

Beaming with pride and excitement, the amateur stars, male-to-female transsexuals Derya Tunc and Sera Can, received congratulations in the boisterous backstage, taking a welcome respite from their actual jobs as sex workers.

"Despite all the discrimination we face, I have no regrets for what I am," Can cheerfully told AFP. "My only regret is having ended up in the prostitution sector."

Almost all transsexuals and transvestites in Turkey make their living as prostitutes. They say they have no other option in a society where homophobia is strong and often accompanied by violence.

Three quarters of Turks say they are "disturbed" by homosexuals, a recent opinion survey showed, although many gays today are recognized as being among the country's most prominent singers and fashion designers.

Notoriously harsh against transsexual prostitutes, police have been accused of arbitrary round-ups, mistreatment, torture and rough "clean-up" operations in several Istanbul neighbourhoods popular with transsexuals.

Activists say police abuse declined in recent years as the homosexual and transgender movement became organised and Turkey's bid to join the European Union made human rights a priority issue.

"Before, the police used violence -- now they only fine us," said Buse Kilickaya, the head of Pembe Hayat, or Pink Life, a newly-founded association that advocates transgender rights and sponsored "Pink and Grey."

She pointed to the ongoing trial of four people over an assault on transvestite and transsexual prostitutes in Ankara's Eryaman suburb in 2006, which left several seriously injured.

The victims were attacked by young men wielding sticks and knives who were allegedly encouraged by local authorities and property developers; their flats were ransacked and they were eventually forced to flee the neighbourhood.

Attorney Senem Doganoglu, a supporter of Pink Life, said transvestites and transsexuals continue to be arbitrarily detained and could end up in a police station simply for showing up in the street.

"I had a case in which one was detained when she went out in the evening to buy bread," Doganoglu said.

Prostitution is not a crime in Turkey, so the police use a law that provides for fines for disturbing public order to pursue transsexual sex workers, she explained.

That the advocacy of conservative values by the governing Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) "is fostering the existing climate of intolerance," she said.

Islam's impact on sexual freedoms, however, has proven to be a tricky issue in secular Turkey, where same-sex relationships and sex change operations are allowed, unlike in many other Muslim countries, and homosexual traditions can be traced back to the palaces of Ottoman sultans.

One of Turkey's best-known gays, prominent fashion designer Cemil Ipekci, made the headlines this month as he praised the AKP, described himself as a "conservative homosexual" and said he would have worn the Islamic headscarf had he been a woman.

And a transgender association in Ankara has called for a special mosque where its members can pray without disturbing the conventional Muslim flock.

"They cannot deny us the right to pray for salvation, can they?" asked group leader Oksan Oztok.

Activists hope discrimination will decrease as they become better organised and more vocal.

"We know things cannot change overnight. But there is progress already and we will continue to fight," Kilickaya said as she and her fellows excitedly discussed the date of the next "Pink and Grey" performance.

I wish I could say "We are all Hrant Dink!"...

Today we mark the 1st anniversary of assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. There was intimate ceremony in London, organised by a number of Armenian organisations and attended by representatives of Kurdish and Turkish communities. For details, see Unzipped

Here I want to re-post one of my very first posts when I started blogging. It's about Hrant Dink. It's current as ever...

Hrant Dink on Turkey-Armenia, family and gay issues

It's a rare interview (in Armenian and French) with Hrant Dink (The Independent named him "Armenian champion in Turkey"), a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor who shot dead on 19 January 2007 in Istanbul for his stance on Armenian genocide and human rights in Turkey. This interview (autumn 2005, Paris) is exceptional, since here, along with Turkey-Armenia relationships, a prominent Armenian spoke out in support of gay rights (an exceptionally rare move in current Armenian reality). When asked, what would be his reaction if his son or daughter came out as gay, Hrant Dink said that he would provide with support:

"You should live your life, If you ever have any problems, I will be beside you, I will support you!"



I wish I could say "We are all Hrant Dink!"...

You and your prostate

knowledge through humour

via Queerty, this humourous take at a very serious matter - prostate cancer, the most common male cancer.

"Gay Armenia" cap at Amazon.com

Many thanks to LostArmenian for info and link. "The cutest hat", as he put it - agree! ;)

http://www.amazon.com/EMBROIDERY-SYMBOL-ARMENIA-Medium-Large/dp/B000RG2ZZU/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1198313501&sr=1-71

LGBT magazine in Georgia goes bilingual

Thanks to support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Me magazine of Georgia's LGBT NGO - Inclusive Foundation, became bilingual (Georgian/English). Until now, only very brief summary for each issue of Me was available in English, which limited its readers to Georgian-speaking only. Me magazine's 6th issue marks new bilingual chapter for this publication. It now aims printing more issues and disseminating not only in Georgia but also abroad.

The following announcement I received from the Inclusive Foundation in Georgia:

"TRANSFORMATION:
beyond what you see

New, fully bilingual issue of "Me" Magazine
Entire content of the issue available also in English

Transformation, a slogan, reflects on main topic of the magazine to expose transgender issues, as well as, underline the change of format to that of international bilingual publication.

What is interesting in this issue?

>>> Pink puddle era that never came
The history of Stonewall Riots

>>> ... But Lithuania is a small country!
ILGA-Europe conference diary from Vilnius. Two smoke bombs and anti-gay demonstration

>>> Transgender activists fighting for equality
Interview with Deborah Lambillotte and Justus Eisfeld

>>> Why do they try to push us back to closet?
The fight for public discourse

>>> Gender is not black and white
Transgender in various cultures and religions

>>> Nobody is perfect!
Transgressive Cinema: Films that violate boundaries

Please visit discussion board for LGBT community http://www.gay.ge/

NEW Service for LGBT: online counseling with psychologist and sexologist at
http://women.ge/minority/qa/

NEW Publication by ILGA-Europe/COC Netherlands
Forced Out: LGBT People in Georgia

The new issue of the magazine is accessible here

Previous issues of the magazine are accessible here"
***

Paata Sabelashvili, head of Inclusive Foundation, added: "Some people have criticized it because of the health page that medicalizes issue too much, but that reflects on situation in Georgia and countries alike. While interviews with two western European activists balances the attitude."

Happy New Year!!!

New Year came early for me :) Well, apart from being my favourite holiday for as long as I could remember myself, this time it is particularly special for me. I am going to celebrate it back in Yerevan! I’ve been out of Armenia for couple of years now. Miss enormously. Besides, during last years I used to spend my New Year holiday in other countries, and, to be honest, quite missed the whole Armenian / former Soviet style of celebrations. I know, it can be ‘pain in the ass’, but painfully wonderful nevertheless. Very colourful, in fact.

Celebrating New Year at home, with family, then friends, and yes, TV programmes, special New Year films, special New Year food… it’s a package deal :)

Btw, if you want to visit London, do not do it for Christmas and New Year holiday. It’s the most boring time (ever!) in London. It may be hard to believe, but trust me (as someone who knows how to party and have fun London style), it’s very true. Any other time, this is one of the most exciting cities you could ever find.

Past year was very turbulent for me. To be honest, I do not miss it at all and look forward to its formal farewell. But, hey, I started my blogs this past year; in fact, only several months ago (in April/May); it seems like years though... In 2007, my life was full with unfinished matters, some of which from previous years. It was very stressful at times, frustrating and disheartening… But I made it - THE closure. It feels so good now. It feels liberating. I wish you all effective closure and very happy and exciting New Year ahead!

P.S.
I will resume my blogging most probably at some point during the week of 7th January. But you never know, depending on circumstances, may well continue blogging. Otherwise, will certainly reflect my Yerevan experiences in upcoming posts in New Year.

Many thanks for reading my blogs, many thanks for your comments and messages. Keep in touch!