Azeri Spy Arrested in Armenia!

Today, Grevorg Hairapetian, an Armenian citizen, was arrested by the Armenian National Security Service on charges of spying for Azerbaijan's Special Services.

Hairapetian, who was a reserve lieutenant colonel, was also transferred to the Armenian Reserve in 2007 for severe violations of military and service discipline. He was arrested under the article "Treason against the State as Espionage". Also, a contact between Hairapetian and the Azeri Special Services was detained.

Source: http://www.a1plus.am/en/official/2009/10/21/spy

Armenia's Economy Down 18.3%

According to the A1+, when compared to the economic growth of last year's January to September period, Armenia has fallen 18.4%, easily overshadowing the .1% gain this month which was caused mostly by an 8.8% growth in construction. However, even construction has fallen, in the January-September period it dropped 43.8% below where it was last year. On a more positive note, unemployment is declining slightly from 83,800 to 83,100, meaning 700 people were employed since the beginning of this month. Will this trend continue? Only time will tell.

Sources: http://www.a1plus.am/en/economy/2009/10/20/economics

My Armenian Heritige

My Armenian Heritage is very imported to me. I am a true Armenian. I still go to Armenia Saturday school, were I learn Armenian. I learn about the heritage about the history also Armenian culture. I learn to read and wright. I participate in many different Armenian activities. I go to an Armenian Scouts called Homenetmen. At Homenetmen I am always with my armenian friends. We play and learn together. Every four years Homenetmen from all around world get together in Armenia and we go to places in Armenia. Other activities that i participate in are like when there are dances or other stuff like a fair or something. I have learned Armenian throe out my life. At home I only speak Armenian, when my sister speaks English in the house i tell here to speak Armenian so that she will not forget Armenian. My sister right now goes to Armenian School. My parents are from Kessab which is currently part of Syria. It used to be part of western Armenia which is called Cilicia. I am an Armenian and I will never forget my language.

Midterm Heritage Assignment

A heritage is something that is given to you from birth. Everyone has a unique heritage, especially me. I truly think i am the luckiest person to have such an amazing heritage one where my culture exceeds in all fields such as culture, art, religion, and much more. Part of my heritage was the language, it is a fun but challenging language. I would have to thank my parents of coarse for sending me to an all Armenian private school for eight years where i learned the language, the history and the culture of the Armenians. Learning all this it inspired me to go farther into my heritage and learn more about myself and my culture. I enlisted in an Armenian scouting activity at the age of 12 there i had so much fun being surrounded my friends and family just having a great time camping and doing activities. My parents also have told me to speak Armenian in the house so that i don't forget the language, they want me to speak Armenian because after i graduated i wasn't in an all Armenian school and there were others speaking English all the time and my parents feared i may forget the language and speak English. That is why i mostly speak Armenian in my household.
I love my heritage and it is a very vital part of my life because everything i do is part of my heritage it can affect my heritage positively or negatively. I try to affect it positively by helping the community and going to church and reading in Armenian too, but i also accidentally sometimes affect it negatively by speaking English with my parents. In elementary school my class and i took a trip to Armenia. This was one the most enjoyable times I've ever had and the best part was that i got to spend it with my family and friends for ten days, we went to restaurants and had real Armenian food we saw a play at the famous opera house and we traveled all the way from Yerevan to Shushi, it was a 12 hour bus ride but it was worth it i got to see Ararat and it was nothing like the paintings or pictures it was so big and light blue colored it was an unbelievable sight. I saw mountains and valleys. I also got to swim in the famous Sevan lake which was numbingly cold but none the less a beautiful lake.
This is why my heritage is so very important to me. And it should be just as important to many other Armenians. Others should have the same experience as i did, i don't think i would be happier with any other culture i know i belong here and this is where i will stay. I hope one day generations from now other Armenian children and teens can so all this and they will be proud of their heritage and where they come from i know i am. I consider myself the luckiest person to experience all this i feel like Ive improved my heritage and gone deeper into learning more about myself and my heritage.

My Life As An Armenian: Meghri

My Wonderful Family

My Armenian heritage is part of who I am, and where I come from. I was born in Aleppo, Syria no it's not an Armenian country, but has a large population of Armenians, due to the spread of people after the Genocide. Ever since I was born I was taught the Armenian language and immersed into the culture. Although I wasn’t born in Armenia, my parents made sure I was getting the best education of Armenian language and the history. As I grew up, the only language that was spoken in my house was Armenian, and still is. When I was young, my parents would tell me all about the Armenian Genocide, and how my dad’s grandmother was a survivor. Though I never met my grandparents from my dad’s side, their stories reached me in one way or another. 

I would love to learn as much as I can  about Armenian history and culture, then maybe one day I can pass it on to my own kids. I want them to carry around the pride as I do each and everyday as an Armenian.

For as long as I can remember my mom has always loved historic Armenian art, and had some hanging on the walls. As a curious child, I would ask her to tell me the story behind each image and the stories would simply fascinate me; especially how one image had so much power and meaning to it. One of my favorite images has to be "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) because, the love that the commoner had for the princess Tamar was so strong that he risked his life night after night. He followed the light she had lit for him, until one night her father blew it out and left the boy in the middle of Lake Van with no directions to lead him. His last words were “Akh, Tamar…” 

Hearning such stories from my mom has influenced me to learn more about the art of Armenia. From all the people that have been in my life, my mom has made the biggest impact on my development, and she has always made me want to know more about Armenian culture and background.

Town of Meghri, Armenia

I also owe it to my uncle, because he named me after a town in Armenia. I know that it is southernmost tip of Armenia, overlooking the Iranian border and one of  the hottest part of Armenia. The town and its fields are a lush green thanks to the ample water from the Meghri river. I've always wondered why "Meghri?"All my life I've wanted to go see where my name comes from, and what the background is.

AGBU Lazar Najarian Calouste-Gulbenkian

 
 My school was AGBU Lazar Najarian Calouste-Gulbenkian and it is in Aleppo, Syria. It wasn’t a private school, it was even better. My school was known to have one of the best Armenian educations in Syria; it taught us language, history, and poetry. Though I only attended that school until fourth grade, I still have amazing memories that I will carry around for a long time. It was in that school where I learned the alphabet, and how to read and write. It was there where I learned who Vartan Mamigonian was, and what he had done for the Armenians. My teachers were strict and my studies were hard, but it all got me to where I am today, and that’s all it matters. I owe it to those teachers that once taught me, to be the best version of myself. Most importantly, I learned the importance of Armenian religion, culture, and history. Armenians should be proud of their heritage that they are born into. The lessons and values of life that I learned in that school are mended into my heart and soul for the rest of my life.

Midterm Assignment

                               My Heritage is Influenced by........

                                            My Parents

Growing up in my household, my lifestyle was mixed.  My mom is Greek and my dad is Armenian, so I guess you can call me Armeek.  I was taught more about the Greek language, and at the age of 19 months, I was taken to Greece and I lived there until I was four years old.  I never really identified my self as Armenian until I was around eight years old.  My dad would tell me stories about his ancestors and his parents, and how they were hard working Armenians.  He told me about his siblings, who are now scattered in France, Lebanon, and Syria.  His brother came to visit us with his wife and children back in 2001.  My cousins taught me some Armenian, but eventually I forgot what they taught me.  They made me interested in the Armenian heritage at first.  In my household, Armenian food is a big part of our lives.  My mom barely cooks Greek food anymore because of my dad.  I'm surprised of my mom and how much she knows about the culture.  She was able to pick up on certain things when she was around my dads family, and she knows more Armenian than me!  Their the ones who encourage me to learn more.
     
                                             My Brothers

My brothers, where do I begin with them?  My brothers are not close to my age group.  My oldest brother, Sako, is 27 years old.  My middle brother, Vatche, is 24 years old.  I told you, not even close!  My brothers were enrolled in Armenian school.  They went to St.Stevens Elementary School in Watertown.  Me you ask, I went to Hosmer Elementary School.  My brothers were taught how to read, write, and speak Armenian.  I was taught how to say the months backwards.  Not so much Armenian was going on in my school.  As I got older, my brothers would try and teach me Armenian, and they would tell me stories about our grandpa, whom I never got to meet.  My brothers were the ones who helped me understand what was going on at parties we would go to, and of course, the people there were all Armenian.  Their the ones who told me to take Armenian as a language in high school.  They took it, so they thought it would be appropriate for me to take it as well.  They even promised to help me with my homework.  That was a lie! I do it all by myself, with some help from my dad.   

                                             My Friends

My friends play a big role on my influence in my Armenian heritage.  In the eighth grade, I would spend time with Ani and Meghri.  I had classes with them.  I'd sometimes hear them speaking Armenian, and I was fascinated by the language.  Eighth grade was when I realized how much I really wanted to learn Armenian.  When I heard Armenian is offered as a language in high school, I didn't have to think twice about it.  But because I was in Special Ed, my teachers thought it would be a bad idea to take a language.  I fought for it.  I wasn't going to have someone tell me I can't do something.  My friends even encouraged me to fight for it.  In the end, because of my high grades, my teacher signed off Armenian as my foreign language in high school.  I was ecstatic.  I was a bit nervous though because I didn't know any Armenian.  My friends promised to be there for me if I struggled and needed any help, and guess what, they kept that promise.  Now, I am determined to learn as much as I can.  On the first day of Armenian class this year, I remember Mr.McDermott telling me that if I can't understand what we are learning, I should drop out.  That is never going to happen.  I have no clue what is said when we have discussions, but because of that, should I drop out?  I think not!  I'm not a quitter.  I am determined to finish three years of the Armenian language.

My Armenia, My Culture, My Life : Ani

My Biggest Influences to My Heritage

My Parents

Since I was born my parents had implanted my Armenian heritage into my mind and soul. As I grew up, they told me stories of my ancestors, taught me how to speak in my native tongue, sang Armenian songs and cooked Armenian food. By teaching me all these things about my culture they hoped I would always remember my heritage and take pride in sharing with with others.  And so I did, and still do today.

St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School

When I was three years my parents enrolled me in St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School, a private Armenian school on Nicols Ave in East Watertown, MA. It was there, from nursery 1 until 5th grade (the highest grade the school went up to) I experienced my first years of education. Everyday was a new experience for me as a child. I made friends who were just like me and their parents who were similar to mine that taught them all the same words and songs.

I realized how important it was for all of us to stick together as one culture. Although for the first few years of my life I had known a few things about being Armenian, it was at this school where I learned to read and write in Armenian. I also learned my necessary academic subjects, as well as Armenian religion and history. This school had been the basis for the rest of my life as an Armenian.

My First Visit to ARMENIA

Two summers ago was when everything came together for me as an Armenian. It was my first trip to my motherland. All my life I had dreamed of this trip, and finally it was here. I went with my parents and a group of people from my church (St. James in Watertown). Everything I had learned and been told all my life, everything that made me the person I am today had all come together. Actually being on the land and seeing the sights, hearing literally everyone around me speak MY language, it was the most amazing experience of my life and I will never forget it