To smoke or not to smoke?

Armenia raises prices for cigarettes to try to stop people from smoking. A1+ interviewed people and people say that they will just spend less money on other stuff and pay more money on smoking.

Armenia helps Haiti

Over the past few weeks, Armenia has raised over $2000 to help Haiti.  The money was collected through an SMS contribution, in which people send text messages in order to donate money.  The money was collected by the Armenian Red Cross.  Anna Eghiazaryan, Secretary General of the Armenian Red Cross, says Armenia couldn't stay indifferent to Haitians.  "Our help is both material and moral. Our people should help Haiti with all possible means," she said.  The number of victims totaled from the earthquake is roughly 200,000.

Levon Aronian ranks 3rd in Linares chess tournament

February 22, 2010
11.11am Armenian time
Armenian Levon Aronian drew with Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the eighth round of Linares chess tournament in Spain. AT the beginning he started off struggling but the then he was able to get off the situation and tie the game. The rankings where 4,5.

Brawl in the Skies

A fight broke out in an aircraft cabin on a Moscow-Yerevan flight. While what caused the altercation is not certain, the fight that ensued was heated. According to stewardess Natalia Sh., one passenger, Sergei Vandanyan, struck another passenger, Karen Grigoryan, over the head with a bottle. The police would give no other information other than that an "investigation is underway"

Who Will Represent Armenian in This Year's Eurovision Song Contest 2010?

On February 14, 2010 during the semi- finals of Eurovision Song Contest, this took place in the National Opera Theatre in Yerevan and was broadcast live, it was Armenian's turn to chose a representative. The main focuses were Eva Rivas, and Mihran and Emmy. As the performances were going on, there was SMS text voting, to have the winner chosen by the end of the night. Eva’s victory is contested by some who believe the results were rigged. Nadezhda Sargsyan, the mother of Emmy, has threatened to take the matter to court. Sargsyan claims that soon after the 15-minute SMS voting started, some names were blocked. As Eva received 5,000 votes, where as Mehran and Emmy as a duo got 1,400. During a press conference on Feb. 20, Nadezhda Sargsyan claimed that ARMTV’s chairman, Alexan Harutyunyan, had reassured her that Emmy and Mihran would “definitely” represent Armenia at Eurovision.
As if that wasn't enough controversy for the winner, Eva and the song- writer, Moscow-based Karen Kavaleryan, and music by Armen Martirosyan have other problems heading their way. The Turkish composer Yagoub Mutlu, who was present at Armenia’s national finals, has accused “Apricot Stone” of having a clear political message. He believes that the first line of the song refer to the Armenian Genocide, and believes that the term “motherland” refers to Turkish territories, while the rest of the song is a clear message directed at Turkey. The writer Karen Kavaleryan, an experienced Russian-Armenian lyricist familiar with the Eurovision Contest world and their rules. Rivas’ public relations manager, Hayk Markosyan has told ArmeniaNow that “the song has nothing to do with the Armenian Genocide, and it does not have a political context. The song simply presents the Armenian culture, the Armenian traditions, the apricot, which is just an Armenian fruit and it is the symbol of Armenia, and the thoughts of a young Armenian woman who lived far from the homeland for years.”
After all of these problems who will preform at Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway from May 25-29??

Ani Serebrakian Represents Armenia in the Olymipics

Ani Serebrakian is now representing Armenia in alpine skiing. She came closest to placing out of the team of four Armenians who have entered in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Serebrakian placed 26th on the Whistler out of 82 countries! Good job Ani, keep up the good work and to your teammates as well!

Eva Rivas in Eurovision

Eva Rivas representing Armenia in Eurovision singing apricot stone. Born July 13, 1987, she was gifted with a voice of a goddess. And is prepared to show her magnificent voice to the European world, and to the whole world.

Armenian Eva Rivas representing Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest

The evening of February 15, 2010 , the Armenian entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest was selected in a national final out of nine contenders. Eva Rivas became the winner of the Armenian selection tour and will represent Armenia at Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with her song Apricot Stone. The selection among 9 candidates was based on SMS-voting and jury decision. The Armenian final was broadcast live from the National Opera Theatre in Yerevan on Sunday evening and featured Another Story Rock -band, Ani Arzumanyan, Meline Beglaryan, Emmy & Mihran, Davit Ashotyan, Nick Egibyan, Maria Kizirian, Razmik Amyan and Eva Rivas. 22 years old Eva Rivas and her song "Apricot stone" got the largest number of TV viewer's votes. After the results of the vote were publicized Eva Rivas got excited and thanked her team and audience. During this year's Eurovision contest, Armenia will be participating in the second semi-final, which will take place on May 27. Also competing on that day are Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Lithuania, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Cyprus, Romania and Israel.

Greek and Armenian Specialty

Have you ever tried and Armenian and Greek dish? Well try making Dolma, which is stuffed grape leaves.  

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 potato, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce
• 2 cups water, or as needed

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the uncooked rice, ground beef, parsley, allspice, pepper and curry powder until well blended.
2. Pour oil into the bottom of a large pot, and spread to cover. Make a layer of potato slices to cover the bottom of the pan. The dolmas should not be able to touch the bottom of the pan.
3. Lay the grape leaves out flat on a cutting board. Place about a tablespoon of the beef mixture in the center of one leaf. Fold sides in towards the center, then roll up from the bottom loosely. Set in the pot seam side down. Repeat with the remaining mixture and leaves. For large leaves, you may cut them in half at the center vein. Place a heavy dinner plate on top of the dolma to keep them from unraveling. The cooking pot should be about 2/3 full.
4. Pour tomato sauce and water over the dolma. The liquid should cover them by at least one inch. Adjust the amount of water if necessary. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender.

How To Make Armenian Cheese Bureg

Cheese Bureg is one of my favorite Armenian dishes. It's mostly an appetizer but I always eat enough to fill me up!

INGRDIENTS:

Purchase fillo dough at your supermarket.
1/4 pound, or more,  butter melted,  or better yet rendered.
You need 6 sheets plus 3 sheets of fillo dough the size of the pan you are using

FILLING:
1 1/2 lbs. Jack cheese,  or ricotta,  or Armenian (Feta) cheese. Mix or take your choice.
Feta is the most authentic. I like to mix feta and jack cheese.
1/2 cup chopped Armenian or Italian parsley,  Flat leafed
2 eggs [beaten well]
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Mix the above ingredients for the filling

1.) Butter your cake pan well and lay in a sheet of fillo,  and butter the top.
2.) Put on a layer of filling.
3.) Add another fillo and butter the top and add more filling.
4.) Do this until all six sheets of fillo are used and your filling is used up.
5.) You can now add the last three sheets of fillo making sure to butter each one.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake another 20 minutes.
The time is not as important as tshe color of your fillo dough.
Make sure it is a golden brown.
Take out the sou-berag and let cool for 5 minutes.
Cut in diagonals or squares and serve warm.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
  
• 1 cup fine cracked wheat
• 1 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 2 cucumbers, seeded and diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoons sea salt

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed. Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss with the mix. Combine the oil, lemon juice, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well. Chill. Serve and enjoy.

Armenians give a helping hand to Haiti

      It has been three weeks since Haiti was struck with a devastating earthquake, killing nearly 200,000 people.  Shortly after the news about the earthquake reached Armenia, the Armenian Rescue Service decided to help and send out a strong team of helpers, search dogs and special equipment to Haiti.  However, a few days after the announcement, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said, “Unfortunately we could not carry out the mission because Haiti was not prepared to receive the team and there were numerous problems with logistics and aid coordination… International structures told us that there are problems with physically shipping things and that financial assistance would be more expedient.”

I think it's a good cause and mission for Armenia to help Haiti.  Haiti helped Armenia during the time of it's earthquake back in 1988, so it's nice of Armenia to give back.

Read the article for yourself!