Currently

It seems like the only action on my blog was the change of the background picture every once in a while. So, I decided to update everyone on how I am doing. I am aware that most of it is going to sound like "white people" problems, so don't judge!

Just to let you know what I have been doing recently:

I am living alone in Ljubljana, in a pretty comfortable room with its own kitchen and bathroom. It's a dreamy place to study: no noise, no distractions, and of course - crappy internet connection.

Other than my studies (or the thoughts of them, which are more time-consuming) I am busy making plans. I think, if I were to mention my favourite hobby, it would probably be making plans and designing check-lists. Nothing keeps my heart beet vast than a well developed plan of what I am going to do in the future.

My whole life now revolves around paperwork, phone calls, applications, CVs, visas, reservations, booking, thinking which way is cheaper to travel, and food.

For my dissertation, I have decided man up and to do it the hard way - travel across the ocean towards a country I do not have any idea about nor speak the language to conduct an ethnographic research on Armenians and Armenian language. My travels towards that magical land starts in 12 days. Interestingly, I am not going there straight away. Nope. I am visiting every country nearby, then going there. Oh, have I not mentioned? I am going to South America.

My trip starts on December 12th when I hop on a plain for 13 hours and end up in Sao Paulo, Brazil! After about a month I am flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina for some fieldwork and networking. Also tourism, of course. Then (maybe) going to Peru for a week, then back to Buenos Aires. In February, I am finally making it to Montevideo, Uruguay for a month and a half. On April 1st, I am going back to Amsterdam, spending a couple of days in the Hague (hopefully my friend would allow me to crash at her place), then traveling to Brussels, then to Paris, then to Lyon for System of a Down Concert, then maybe to Zurich (always wanted to visit for a day of two), then finally back to Ljubljana for a month and a half to concentrate on my studies and finish up my thesis. Theeeeen, that's where my plans end for a while. But I am thinking.

So now, because of this overly exhausting (and probably the best plans I have come up with my whole life) I am sitting around in Ljubljana and stressing out. "What if's" and "How on earth's" are not leaving my head, and I have a stay-up-all-night-thinking insomnia.

I am stress-eating and stress-shopping. Lucky for me, a two-Euro nail polish is enough for a day, so the harms to my budget are not that bad.

I miss my family.

I am going to Milan in 5 days and I have no idea how I am getting there.

I have to present my thesis proposal in front of a big audience of professors, and I am mortified.

Concentrating is the hardest thing in the world. And when I have so much to do, I find it a lot easier to just not do anything.

Well, this what my life looks like now. And even though I am stressing and not sleeping nearly enough - I think I am the happiest I can be.

Conversations. Part 2

As I have mentioned previously, one of the super cool things about living abroad and traveling is the fact that you meet so many different people along the way. You learn from them, share experiences, and if you are very lucky, you will have some stories to tell afterwards. Just to be clear, I do not want to stereotype anybody, I am simply sharing my experience.

So, this post is about the conversations with people I have met, all the weird and funny things I have heard, and all the questions that I have kept asking myself ever since.

The Kurdish Guy and Urban Decay 

It was raining in Vienna on the last day. I was in the city centre, and naturally, I tried to find a dry place to hide for a little bit. I found myself in the beautify shop (shocking!) and started looking around, you know, since I was killing time...

In the corner there was a whole shelf of makeup from Urban Decay - this over-expensive pretty good brand mostly famous for its "Nude" eyeshadows. I was looking around, trying some on my hand when a handsome guy, mid twenties, approached me:

- Are you interested in anything particular?

- Nope, juuuuuust looking. (And hiding from the rain.)

- Well, let me know if you need anything. Where are you from by the way?

- Oh, I am from Armenia. A small country. Nobody really knows much about it.

- Are you KIDDING me? I am Kurdish. My family lived on almost the border with Armenia.

- Oh. Really?

- YEAH! I know all about you guys. The history, the Genocide... Come on!! 

Yeah, the Genocide topic popped up in the conversation initially about makeup. He continued.

- You know, I can say "Ես քեզ սիրում եմ" (translation from Armenian: I love you) and... "հավատում եմ" (translation: I believe). Oh my god, do you know Sirusho? (name of an Armenian singer)

I smiled and nodded yes.

- I am obsessed with Siruho! - he continued, -She is just so pretty! You know her song... what's it called? What's it called?...

- Em... I don't know... Քելե-քելե?

- Yes, that one. I love all of her songs. I don't understand anything, but who cares?

I noticed that the shop was nearly empty, and decided to talk a bit more with the guy. I introduced myself and said that I was glad meeting him.

- Oh, of course, honey. - he replied, - We should look after each other. Come on, we are basically brother nations, we have the same enemy. You know what's going in Turkey now, right? 

- Yes, I do. And I am sorry. 

Then I decided to tell him about a nice little chat I had with a Turkish guy in Budapest, where I was earlier that week. I went to a Turkish cafe and had a Shawarma with my new acquaintance from Taiwan - Marcus. Cool guy. When we entered, Marcus told me that he really wanted to visit Turkey. I told him that Istanbul is a beautiful city and he should definitely do that. Also, I told him that he could also visit Armenia, but if he wanted to take the bus, he should know he had to go through Georgia. Of course, he asked why. I had to tell him the whole story. When we went to order some food, the guy making shawarma asked me if I was Turkish as well (I get that a lot!), and I said I was from Armenia. The guy (who later told me he was studying political science and wanted to be a diplomat one day) followed us to our table, asking me a bunch of questions about politics. I wanted to share my experience with the Kurdish guy.

So I started:

- ... So, this Turkish guy turns to me and says "What do you Armenians want from us?! I want to understand and see what we (the Turkish government) can do about it." And I told him he should google the list. Then he turned to me and said "Well, if you want your territory back and we give it to you, then everybody will want their territory back as well. I want to help you, but if we give you land, then Greek people want land, Assyrian want land, Kurdish people want land...What do we have left then, I don't understand..." and I replied to him that maybe they shouldn't have conquered the lands in the first place. Right?

- Ah, don't even get me started!

And we ended up talking for another half hour about Turkey, Armenia and Kurdish people. Then we switched to make-up, travels and weather. Then the rain stopped, and I had to leave. 

Conversations. Part 1

One of the super cool things about living abroad and traveling is the fact that you meet so many different people along the way. You learn from them, share experiences, and if you are very lucky, you will have some stories to tell afterwards. Just to be clear, I do not want to stereotype anybody, I'm simply sharing my experience.

So, this post is about the conversations with people I have met, all the weird and funny things I have heard, and all the questions that I have kept asking myself ever since.

The Chechen driver and his brother's respect

I was on my way from Vienna to Ljubljana in a car full of strangers. I found them on the website of Bla-Bla Car - one of the fun and cheap ways to get around in Europe. One of the benefits - you get hours of conversations with a driver and most likely two other people in the car.

Sometimes the drivers are talkative, sometimes - not so much. This guy was originally from Chechnya - a republic in North Caucasus and a federal subject of Russia. Beautiful place. Don't believe me? Check out the picture.

Modern day Grozny, ladies and gentlemen!

There were 5 of us in the car, with the driver and his brother comfortably sitting in the front and talking on their native language, and three passengers (two Austrians and myself). Since I don't speak German that well, and they did not speak English - our communication did not lead anywhere in the beginning, other then him asking if I have any luggage to put in the trunk. I nodded yes. Then, of course, he asked me what other languages I spoke, and I mentioned Russian. That's where the fun started.

First, of course, he told me about the migration history of his family, which was fascinating. Then he went towards "Երկիրը երկիր չի" (inner joke for my Armenian friends. Sorry!) and ended somewhere "Եվրոպան էլ մի ապրելու տեղ չի, անջիգյար ժողովուրդ են". Made me smile. He reminded me of home. The driver and I talked for a while. Then, all of a sudden we heard an Armenian song from his CD. I didn't know the song, never heard if before. And I was kind of a song that usually makes your ears bleed. You know, the "մուղամ" song that everyone hates. You know what? At that time and place - I loved it. Almost sounded like music to my ears.

When we stopped to breathe some fresh air and use the bathroom. While everyone was minding their business, the brother of the driver said hi. I said hi back. He said "I noticed you were talking to my brother the whole way. When you were talking about Armenia, I wanted to say that there was an Armenian boy in my class. We made a lot of pranks together..." I smiled and asked why he didn't say that earlier. And he replied: "Well, you were talking to my older brother. I could't have intervened. It's a RESPECT thing."