Khatchkars - "Stone Cross"

Khatchkars - "Stone Cross"
Khatchars are everywhere in Armenia; in and around churches, on streets and roads, and out in the countryside. There are tens of thousands all over. Some characteristics of khatchars are that they are seldom symmetrical left to right or top to bottom. This symbolizes the assymetry of the world. The carved background patterns (similar to celtic knots) on many khatchkars have no beggining or end - symbolizing the eterenity of the universe. And, finally, a common practice was to break a small piece of the carving with a chisel. This symbolizes the idea that nothing on earth is perfect. Khatchkars date from at least the middle ages if not earlier. .

Saturday, September 1, 2012

BECOMING UNSTUCK FROM ARMENIA – AUGUST 31

There is a wonderful verb in Spanish – despegar. It means to become unstuck. It is the verb that is used to describe an airplane taking off, or becoming “unstuck” from the planet. I began the process of becoming unstuck from Armenia today. It really started before my plane ride. I looked around Anahit’s apartment as I was waiting for the taxi to arrive to take me to the airport. I saw the pictures her father painted, I saw the guitar that I’ve been playing and I saw my luggage waiting to be carried down the five flights of stairs. I’ve been in Armenia for a month and it seems as though a lifetime of things and events have happened. And all seem as distant memories now.

   
Me, Nazeli and Arvad
Last night at Mer Gyug (Our Village Restaurant) , Nazeli and Arvad, both musicians in the band, and I talked about our children. We shared something in common; Nazeli has a son in Quebec who is studying nanotechnology, Arvad has a son in the Army and Kristina and I have Todd, Natalie and Quentin in Texas. We are very grateful to have children close to us and we miss the ones that are not. In another country, speaking in another language, we find that we really aren’t so different. I know that my abilities in the Armenian language, while they still have a long way to go, are developed enough that I could have this talk with them and that we could share each other’s longing for distant family.

Gohar V, Anie, Annette, Kyra, Larissa and Gohar P
   And virtually every day, someone would provide a kindness to us. And old lady in the street, Frieda, who realized that we were looking for the difficult-to-find Sergei Parajanoff museum, insisted on walking us partway there and then getting someone to walk us the rest of the way. Zorik and Larissa, the parents of the family whose house we worked on, took us into their orchard every day and with great pride loaded us down with peaches and hazelnuts.
Larissa, Anie and Hovakim
Gohar P. Gohar V., Rouzanne, and the rest of the staff at the Fuller Center invited me to wonderful lunches at their office – and toasted my farewell with a bottle of wine. Toran, Nune, Lara, Lusine and Rouzanne volunteered to guides for us on our non-work days. 

Nune at Zvardnots
 Strangers invited us to their houses for barbeque. Artur and Alla invited me to a daylong picnic in the forest by Ashotsk. Hasmik and Andranik made a wonderful dinner for me and sent me home with walnut jam for Kristina. The list goes on and on. Yes, there were the occasional people who were cranky or rude – but such a small number.    And there were special moments. Anahit and I playing the old 50’s song “Carol” or “Norwegian Wood” on piano and guitar. The farewell feast at the Fuller Center House project where “Johnnie” not only beat all the guys arm wrestling but also demonstrated his strength by picking two of us up – one in each arm. The band at Mer Guyg singing and playing “Seghan E Arad” night after night because they knew I like it so much. Oh, and Avedis and I playing duduk in the deep pit (Khor Virap) where St. Gregory Lusovarich was held prisoner in the early 4th Century. Team Shat Lav – a group never to be forgotten.


Team Shat Lav
   So I’m unsticking from all that today. We are currently somewhere in the North Atlantic near Greenland heading to Los Angeles. I am so looking forward to seeing Kristina and Sarah, Jake and Kyle, Leslie and all our friends. It will be good to be home again. And I will miss my second home…