15 things I love about you, Youth Corps!

There is so much more about why I love the AYF Youth Corps Program, but maybe you can add them next year when you are a participant. I don’t want to miss my flight!

Only a Beginning

As our final days of Youth Corps come to an end, I realize that in the past six weeks on this trip, there were times when I had never felt more exhausted, uncomfortable, excited, happy, intrigued, or even sad. I experienced a number of “extremes” and discovered things about myself I didn’t know beforehand.

Ղարաբաղցի

Հայրենասիրական երգերը կամուրջ կը ստեղծէն ներկայի ու անցեալի հետ: Մեզ կը կապի մեր նախահայրերուն հետ, մեր պատմութեամ , ու մեր մշակոյթին հետ: Ուր ու ալ ըլլանք աշխարհի մէզ , երքը կ՛ունենայ նոյն արժէքը եւ կ՛ունենայ նոյն իմաստը:

Վաղ Թէ Ուշ

Հայաստանէն մեկնիլը ոչ մէկուս համար հաճելի չէր: Ամէն անձ կ՛ուզէր պատճառ մը գտնել կամ անձնագիրը «սխալմամբ» կորսնցնել որպէսզի Ամերիկա չի վերադարնար: Բաժնուիլը հայրենիքէն աւելի դժուար է երբ գիտէս որ ամբողջ 7 շաբաթը այցելած ես տուն-թանգարաններ , եկեղեցիներ, Ճավախք, Արագած լեռ, ու շան ուրիշ վայրեր, բայց երբեք չի կրցար մօտենալ Արարատ լերան ու քեզ կարծես յաջողութիւն կը մաղթէ երբ հասնիս օդակայան:

Unconditional Love

6 weeks ago I guess you could say I had no idea what I was in for. I remember arriving at LAX and meeting Adrienne who automatically said to me “by the end of these six weeks we’re all going to be BFFs!!!” she was partly wrong though, because after this experience I truly believe we’ve become family.

Home is Where the Heart is

Many think of their home as the house they live in or even the city where they grew up. When I hear the word home, I think of a place that makes me the happiest, a place where I feel as though I belong, a place that I have made countless memories, a place where I take the good with the bad and still smile. For me, home is even a place you don’t want to leave, a place that holds a purpose for your existence, and a place that holds a special spot in your heart.

Thoughts of an Armenian Atheist

And then I am soon reminded by the many crosses that our country bears that we are apparently a very dedicated Christian people. The sadness I feel then slowly turns into anger. Personally, it baffles me at how submissive people seem to act when it comes to religion. Despite pain, suffering, death, war, famine, disease, and genocide; people still have an undying love for God and their religion. How can people suffer through so much hardship and still bear to turn the other cheek.

Our Home away from Home

Vrej Haroutunian came to pick me up from the Zvartnots airport a day too soon. Vache Tomassian waited at the airport for four hours until he saw my face. My poor leaders. It was a troublesome journey getting to Armenia and it seemed like all these obstacles in the way didnt want me seeing Armenia for the very first time. But I got my way and had the most amazing summer ever.

Not Goodbye, But See you Later

It has been over a week that I’ve been “home”. A week of seeing friends and family that I hadn’t seen for six weeks, but the people and buildings I was missing the most were the people I lived with for six weeks and my homes that I had in Armenia. Instead of turning the radio on and listening to the new popular songs in Los Angeles I have a CD of songs that we would always sing in Armenia whether it be “Made in Armenia” by Grisho (our Gyumri theme song) or “Kharapaghtsi”.

The Modest Approach: Traditional Feminity in Armenia

Preparing a visit to Armenian cities like Gyumri and Shushi oftentimes requires a reevaluation of the standards of female modesty set in the United States. Our leaders were careful to instruct and remind the women, who comprised the majority of the group, not to smoke in public, not to drink profusely in public, never to walk without male supervision, and in general not to be revealing in either clothing or behavior. While this task might seem conservative, sexist, or daunting at first, many of the rewards prove to be well worth the temporary adjustment of our social mores.

« Previous Page — Next Page »