Blossoming trees

During this weekend I've been on a photo-hunt since everything is blossoming around, every single branch, every single leaf and grass knows that it's spring. All creatures move out to look at the beauty, to enjoy the smell which just makes your head go round. It is so wonderful, so warm, so nice! it's spring!













To see the rest of the photos, click on the album below:

Spring 2008

Karlson

Yes, Karlson. It is absolutely impossible that you are not familiar with this character if you were born anywhere in the ex-ussr. The story is by Astrid Lindgren and this story is probably one of your favorite fairy-tales on which you were brought up. I had read it millions of times and watched the cartoon not less. However there are some people who don't like this fairy-tale very very much saying that children have nothing to learn from Karlson, that he is spoiled and will bring nothing but troubles and is terribly-mannered. These same people treat the "Pippi longstocking" story just the same way. And those people are very dull and very much like Freken Bok from "Karlson". Anyway. I've found this cartoon on youtube and it has English sub-titles. (great!! I won't have to translate :D ). I hope you will have as much fun as I did today (I watched it at work and was constantly smiling). Yes, it's a cartoon for kids, but oh the grown-ups have so much to discover in this cartoon and they have so much to learn from it ... and from the children.

"Junior and Karlson" part 1 and 2, with English subtitles





"Karlson has returned" part 1 and 2, with English subtitles





Also, if you notice, the very common phrases that we use in our every-day life so much, come from this cartoon. for example:

мужчина в полном расцвете сил - man at his prime

пустяки, дело житейское - such is life; things like that do happen; there is nothing unusual [out of the ordinary] about it; it's nothing! that's an everyday-ish thing

спокойтвие, только спокойствие - don't worry! just don't worry!

друг спас жизнь друга - the friend saved the life of his friend

я так не играю! - i don't play that way! (like: i don't play with this rules)
this expression has even been translated into armenian, and is used *a lot* in every day life. i myself use it much, but i realized only today that it came from this great cartoon/book.

By the way, even though the cartoon is a very good one, i strongly recommend to read the book :) it will be a great time even if you are a grown-up.

Spring has come!

ah ... Spring! what comes to your mind when you say it? trees in blossoms, lots of flowers, lots of colors everywhere, the awakening of the nature, new birth, new beginning, and joy, joy, joy! the dull and gray skies of winter, snowy mud, dirty streets, and the cold is left behind! what didn't i mention? Love? Love. Love! And I want to dance and there's constantly some melody in my head and i smile and i walk on the air... everything is so very beautiful, so very wonderful, so exciting! how great it is just to wander in the streets and look at people and their lives... but my thoughts are far away as usual :D no secret where they are... especially in spring (well though at any season).

Michael asked me to take some photos of Yerevan. They still have snow and will probably have it until somewhere in may (!!!). one funny thing is that in america for an unknown reason spring doesn't start on march 1st. it starts god only knows when. probably summer doesn't start on june either. so how comes they consider march a spring month or june a summer month? Anyway. It's sprin here, and here are the proofs (be ready for many photos of flowers..)





I was taking photos of flowers... and there were several sales-people. One guy gave one tulip to me and one to mom, and the girl asked me to take a photo of them too.



When i showed her the photo, she liked it very much and i promised to print it for her. I'll do my best to keep my word :)

i'm sorry that the next photo is not very straight and that the head of the monument is 'cut' a bit... but i took the photo while crossing the street and i had to do it quickly :D



Spring? Spring. Spring!




Sorry.. the bee is blurry, but she flew in too late! :D

this guy noticed that i took a photo of him and got extremely happy :((






Please have a look at the red writing in english :D




And finally, madame Bottle'of'Wine, in her new spring dress. Easter fashion.



yes and besides! Spring is the time when bears wake up from their sleep! yes Мишка?

Easter

The Easter is very early this year. What's funny is that in America it is on the same day! the dates coincided! in Russia it will be on the last sunday of april. Anyway. In our family, aunt always paints the eggs and lays the table. This time she came and said "we will have very special design this year". So on Saturday i come home from work... and see the following:


I can't believe my eyes and rush into the kitchen to see how this happens. Here it is how:

=>

Some Easter photos :)

sunset colors

Walking in the streets of Yerevan under this bright colorful sky at an evening hour was just great! The evening was warm and calm, not much traffic in the streets and couples were out in the streets living the same miracle. It brought lots of joy and peace at the same time. The beauty was breathtaking and people were united by this feeling.. And all i could think of was how wonderful it will be to sit with Michael by the lake and watch the sunset together... :)

red and black

It's well known that red and black are our favorite colors. People roll the eyes or think we are crazy to have everything in red and black - clothes, accessories, themes, suitcases, interior design... However, it is what we are and our love is red and black, too. Red is the color of love, passion, desire and fire. It's burning bright and just like fire when there's much red it hurts the eyes. It's a color of strength and when there's too much it's out of control. However, add some black color and the red will be shaded and will look even nicer. Black is the color of intellect and mastery. It reveals the deep connection, unity of spirits.

Red and black love? It's when there is passion and connection, when you listen to both your heart and mind because they are in peace with each other. There's the madness of passion.. yet it's under control to some existence.

   

And here are our new skype / msn icons :))

what the hell?

Levon Ter-Petrossyan. Everybody knows him well. The first president of Armenia.
When he came to power Armenia was prosperous and one of the strongest republics of soviet union. By the end of his 2 terms (second elections were forged but many don't remember about it) Armenia was in DEEP depression: no job, no electricity, no bread, no food, no water... nothing. Blockade, war for Nagorno Karabakh.
Some will say: it's not Levon's fault. it was war.
And who started the war??? it was LEVON, who convinced everybody to free Nagorno Karabakh, started a war.
Armenians won the war, current government came to power and during this 10 years Armenia has done pretty well in general. Yes many things were terrible. But we have advanced after the depression.
Also some people have forgotten who closed factories "which were bad for the ecology". Levon and his team did.
Now people are so mad at the current government that they follow LEVON again..
how can people forget??? when it's a teen person, I understand, they want everything be fair, they see how it is now and they think if somebody else comes to govern it will be all democracy like in Europe. They are romantic and believe speakers. What about older people??
After elections for 9 days there were aggressive meetings in the city center and the government didn't really do much to stop it. What did the supporters of Levon do? they killed 7 policemen, burnt cars, pulled the car of red cross over, rioted, robbed stores (big stores, super-markets), destroyed pavements (!!!), threw rocks at police, buses, mini-buses. There are 131 wounded all in all (including the policemen), 8 dead (7 policemen).
Levon? where is he? at home. he is not under home-arrest like he was telling. He was told that if he leaves and goes to meetings, the guards take no responsibility of his security. that's all! they are guarding HIM now.
The government? now there are soldiers in the city, and tanks. Small tanks. 10 passed by my house at night yesterday and now have left already. Maybe the government would use tanks against people? No. it was just something psychological and security. People would not throw themselves against tanks, and tanks would be a good way to block things or defend things. Soldiers were some 20-year-old guys mainly. What would it be for them to fire at people?

What do the supporters say now after everything? government is bad, poor people. poor people??? the ones who were throwing stones and killing and robbing? yes poor armenian people. they have degraded so much that are worse than those who they consider barbarians. the PEOPLE started this aggression. People were motivated by several idiots who had already SHOWN what they are.

Tragedy of armenian people is not that they are living with their past, it is that they don't learn ANYTHING of the mistakes made.

Some photos taken by me: