Yerevan Road Trip!

YEREVAN ROAD TRIP!

Asbarez
erevan-road-trip/
Aug 5, 2009

This weekend was a well needed one. Kevork and I arrived in Yerevan on
Friday while the rest arrived Saturday; we got an extra night of fun.

The Pan-Armenia games’ opening was the main reason for us taking this
road trip and it was well worth it.

The night started off with all the athletes lined up in front of the
stage and about 25,000 viewers held back by barriers. The usual things
happened, speakers spoke and people cheered, but what surprised me
was when international pop sensation Andy came on stage and gave a
5 minute speech BUT DID NOT SING.

As the first performer came on stage, the police officers removed
the barriers and the crowd wildly ran to the stage. I stood still
watching this in shock, until I finally realized that a performer was
coming on stage. We finally decided to go by the stage and dance a
little, all the teams from different countries were in little circles
doing their own dances, and we obviously joined the western America
team. When the festivities were over with, we went to an after party
with all of the teams at a place called "Aftershock". Just picture a
small places packed to the door with diasporan Armenian just dancing
with the music of Bob Sinclair and Pitbull.

The next morning we had one of the strangest breakfasts of our lives,
we ate Armenian-Chinese food. The restaurant itself was set up like
any other Chinese restaurant, and the food was amazing. While eating a
group of Chinese people walk in, our group simultaneously stops talking
and just stares as these 4 Chinese men walk through the restaurant
and take their seats. We anxiously wanted to ask where they were from
and what they were doing here, but everyone was too embarrassed. Since
we’re on the subject of food, lets speak of our dinner experience.

We had finally found a Lebanese restaurant that actually served
chikufte, manti, and jajekh. Everyone was pleased with that restaurant,
we will definitely return to that establishment. At this point it
is about 8:30 P.M. and we are getting ready to go home (Gyumri). The
van arrives at 10 and everyone plans on sleeping in the car for the
2 hour trip.

We get settled in our seats and rest our heads when the driver plays
a song and turns the volume up to the fullest! Our first reaction is
to wake up and start clapping and dancing. No one was really mad, we
just had big smiles on our faces as the driver was dancing and driving
at the same time. There is not much else I could write about this
weekend but there are many more stories to be told when we get back to
America. Just approach any of us and ask us what happened that weekend.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://www.asbarez.com/2009/08/05/y

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS