trip to Armenia - part 2

first day

Even after all this flight and lack of sleep i couldn't possibly sleep for too long knowing where i was. i woke up around 10-11 AM. And number one thing to do was to very quietly without waking the bear (Michael) up steal the suitcases into the living room and make a "mess grandiose" trying to find all the presents we had - at first for the family members then just all of them - to show. It was so much fun! i love making presents and love people who can receive presents. by this i mean people who immediately and impatiently open the present wrap up tearing it to pieces and express how much they like it and leave all the thank yous and "oh you didn't have to"s out or at least for later. I don't really remember all the stuff i got for my family. i just remember that it was a wonderful sunny morning full of joy and happy excited faces. Mom and granny liked their presents a lot and approved of everything i brought for all the friends and relatives. Aunt called around 12 asking to call her once i'd wake up. however i was put on the phone and 10 minutes later she was there. Mom and aunt took vacations to cook for us and spend all the time we'd be at home together.

Aunt loved her gifts too. I think with presents it can be something small and meaningless to other people but something very meaningful for the receiver. It shouldn't be a present you get for a tick in the list. you can try planning what to get for who but the best presents you see on spot - you just see this thing and it reminds you of somebody or something in their life. And that's what it is about - just a thing to say "hey while i was far away, i saw this and it made me think of you". anyway. too much on this :D

once aunt came home and after we were done with presents she said "well don't you want to try your favorite apple vodka?" i said "now? oh what the hell? let's do it" so we had a shot of 140 proof vodka early in the morning before breakfast. Then i went to wake Michael up to inform him the breakfast was ready. i said "and in general stop sleeping! your wife has just had vodka." he sleepily blinked at me and asked "already? oh god."

after breakfast which by the way was awesome and mom-made i tried demolishing the mess i just caused. as a result it seemed to me i was lacking 2 pairs of shoes. we all decided that they were taken out by the customs since they had bigger heels and there was a story of some lady having a bomb in her heels. later when Mike woke up me, him, and mom went up the street to get me new shoes and other stuff. later i found the lacking shoes - they were lost among the plastic bags with presents :D

i decided to spend the first day with the family and not to announce our arrival to the world. However i did call one of my best friends - Helen.i called from my old number which my mom saved (and which i will always use while in Armenia so yes don't delete it from your phones). Helen upon seeing my number on her cellphone display got overly excited she picked up and said:
- wait a second i'll go somewhere without people to scream... Meh my grandparents are in the living room. let me see the kitchen. OMG there are people everywhere! ok let me go to the bathroom.
i was waiting on the phone smiling and waiting for her. i thought she just wanted privacy. but once she got to the bathroom she really did scream on top of her lungs and i almost dropped the phone and had to hold it away from my ear.
-Woooooo-hoooooo you are here! OMG! i can't believe it! how are you?? how was your flight? how is Michael? when did you arrive?... and many other questions. when she stopped asking i already forgot what the first questions were :D

but it was so so sweet to hear all that to feel how important you are for somebody and how happy they are about your arrival. The funny thing with Helen is that she's actually a couple months older than me. but it always feels like i'm her older sister. we first met when we were 8. and nevertheless have a lot of differences maintained the friendship (with ons and offs) for years and now still are best friends. i don't know how she still tolerates my psychotic personality with constant adventures and troubles i ever got us both into.

All these thoughts were flickering through my mind during her tirade of questions and i was just smiling happily.

We set to meet on the next day (i believe). Right now the first couple days are kind of blurred together in my mind - i remember every detail every meeting and every face but i don't remember exactly when it happened or in what order.

Then i believe mom and aunt cooked dinner and laid the table. Grandma's lifelong friend who we all call aunt Liza arrived as well. i got her and grandma 2 absolutely identical soft blankets and both of them had such joy and excitement that it surprised even myself. Aunt Liza got me a very cute fashion jewelry ring which unfortunately was too big on my finger :( Also, aunt's husband arrived and we all sat at the table had a wonderful dinner with drinks (wine or vodka at choice). The rest of the evening i just don't remember. Probably that was it - just because of Mike waking up late the dinner was late too and lasted for a long time.

One of the things that makes such a mess in my memories is that i didn't take a single picture for the first couple days. i had my camera with me all the time but i was so busy with enjoying conversations and finally seeing people that i would remember about the camera only after everything would be over. So the next 1 or 2 posts will still be without photos. But i'm getting there - then you will have A LOT of photos from the trip :D

Anyway.. i'm wrapping up here and will continue tomorrow (not a promise but probability :D )