Turkey and Van at the World Travel Market in London

There was a prominent display of Van and promotion of tourism to the region as part of the Turkey pavilion at the World Travel Market in London.

British run travel agency was promoting travel to eastern Turkey, as well as Armenia and Georgia. In their brochure, along others, they write about Armenian cultural heritage in the region, monasteries, Aghtamar and Lake Van, Mt Ararat etc.

I also picked up an official “Tourism Guide of Van” produced by the governorship of Van, in association with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Turkey. They repeated the word “heritage” quite a few times in their brochure, with the indication of various cultural influences, pictures of churches and khachkars ('cross-stone') but in contrast with the previous brochure, they failed to mention a single word about Armenian heritage there.

Read also: Charming Karabakh at the World Travel Market in London

Charming Karabakh at the World Travel Market in London

Despite reports that Azerbaijan would protest and try preventing Karabakh’s representation at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, Karabakh did have its small separate pavilion right next to Armenia at this prestigious annual world forum. Moreover, I have to tell you, despite its very modest size, Karabakh’s representation was cosy, very warm, nicely designed and much more interesting than Armenia or Azerbaijan for that matter. The only thing I did not like in their design were those little crosses inside the letters, although they were not too pushy and I noticed them only while looking at pictures.

Karabakh’s corner at the WTM was a kind of place where you’d like to get in for a cup of tea or coffee, or a glass of wine or so, have a friendly chat. It really felt very warm, welcoming and comfortable. Charming - that was my first reaction as I saw it.

Armenian pavilion was unremarkable, with a tiring design (looks better in photo than in reality). There were ethnic and church related pictures all around, but ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to show what modern Armenia looks like. People (members of the delegation) were friendly, helpful and cheerful. That’s a plus.

Weirdly enough, looking at the main information stands at the WTM that show companies/countries represented there, you could hardly, if at all, find any indication of Armenia or Karabakh representation.

Azerbaijan’s pavilion was unremarkable as well, and kind of tasteless. Putting on the top of it this weird map of Azerbaijan with the empty space to indicate Armenia, and with the inscription “territory occupied by Armenia” was inappropriate and totally out of place.

The coolest design among South Caucasus countries was that of Georgia. You could feel modernity there, and you could actually see it from afar.

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In tomorrow’s post - Turkey and Van at the World Travel Market in London. Stay tuned.

Yerevan diaries: Cascade - Cafesjian Centre for the Arts

After 2 years delay, with construction works still going on as per these pictures I took a month ago, Cafesjian Centre for the Arts (Yerevan MoMA) will have its Grand Opening on 8 Nov (fireworks display 7 Nov). Cascade has always been a favourite place for Yerevantsi and tourists alike. Soon to be opened Yerevan MoMA will make the place even more definite must see not only in Armenia, but in the whole South Caucasus too.

Yerevan diaries: NPAK - "Body investments" (by Karen Ohanyan)

Yerevan diaries: NPAK - "Soviet party" (by Edgar Amroyan)

Yerevan diaries: Public TV vs Radio

News on Public Radio in Armenia much better than on TV.

TV news - pretty boring, and mainly repeat of the official information.

Yerevan diaries: cinema... Silence, please, and no mobile phones

There should definitely be a "Keep silence"; "Turn off mobile phones" signs in Yerevan cinemas, and this policy should be enforced by the administration. Yes, I know, it's easy said than implemented in Armenian circumstances, but I believe we can do it. I know, we like being social, we are emotional etc etc etc, but, come on, take a break, enjoy the experience and do not disturb others' experience.

 

The other day, someone next to me did actually answered her calls twice during Alla Pugacheva concert. And today, in the cinema, people were chatting and occasionally answering phone calls during the film, as if this is how it should be...

Yerevan diaries: Theatre poster... a kind of ‘anti-performance’

Not sure about performance part, but read the Armenian text on this poster. Amusing :)

Yerevan diaries: RosGosStrakh Armenia

For those who know Russian :)

 

*Northern Avenue, downtown Yerevan.

Yerevan diaries: Antic bookstore

Stalin, 4 volumes – 7 500 AMD

Yerevan diaries: Opposition rally/march (Fri 18 Sep)

As was announced during the rally, we still have 19 political prisoners in Armenia. The mere existence of political prisoners is not only wrong per se, but also very damaging to Armenia's and its president's reputation. Come on, Serj, you know what is the only right thing to do in this regard: all remaining 19 political prisoners must be let free. We need at least some kind of closure for this shameful chapter of our recent history, and this could be that "some kind of" one.

As to the rally, it was unremarkable. Basically, Armenian opposition does not have a clear strategy of ways forward, as of now. Number-wise, as I've been told by people who were present at recent rallies, there was either similar number or slightly less. It's always interesting to listen to the opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan speeches, whether one agrees with his points or not. But come on, Levon, it was way too long a speech; you have to keep it shorter, 20-30 mins maximum. I completely lost my concentration towards the second half of your hour-long (or even more) speech.

Yerevan diaries: Marching 'toys' :)

Fairy tale themed event organised for children. Spotted around Opera today.

Yerevan diaries: Dashnak's 'protest'

Seat-in and 'hunger strike' no one in Yerevan takes seriously. Apologies to true believers in Dashnak's ideology, but this is the least cynical way I could come up to sum up the mood in Yerevan to describe this action.

*in photo - nationalist ARF Dashnaktsutyun against Armenia-Turkey protocols.

Yerevan diaries: Seatbelts... and more

I knew, I heard and I read it before, but you have to see it to believe it. The sight of Armenian drivers wearing seatbelts was the most striking change in Yerevan. Who knew that it would be possible to see this day coming? Even though I noticed few drivers not using it, but overwhelming majority does so. Despite stories that some taxi drivers (or those in old cars not having seatbelts) instead of wearing actual seatbelts imitate them, despite the fact that still some in Armenia do not comprehend its safety message in full, my first impressions were that for now at least this policy imposed by Armenian government works. I have to commend for that prime minister Tigran Sargsyan. When praise is due, praise is due.

And to cheer you up even more, this hilarious cartoon with an important 'safety message', via Armenian Comedy.

Yerevan diaries: Vivacell vs. Beeline

As you might have expected, my first choice of mobile phone provider in Yerevan would have been a Vivacell. I respect Ralph Yirikian, and posted few times about his charitable activities.

That’s what I did at first. I got my sim card from Vivacell. However, as I will be using my phone not only for calls/sms but also for Internet, the quality of the latter is obviously one of the important factors to determine my choice. Unfortunately, after few hours trying to get Internet mobile access via Vivacell, I gave up. It was too slow, I was effectively unable to use gmail or facebook. So... I went to Beeline, as I remembered from my past experiences that I was reasonably (for Armenian standards) satisfied with their mobile Internet. And yes, Beeline’s was much better this time too. Far from perfect, of course, but at least I now have a relatively OK-ish mobile Internet.

Sorry, Vivacell...

Yerevan diaries: Flight menu, ‘public health’ paper, mysterious Armenian in-flight-travel-non-magazines

I liked seeing three-language (English-Georgian-Armenian) menu on a BMI flight to London. This might not be something new, and may be available on other foreign flights too, but for me it was the first time to be able to read an on-flight menu in Armenian on a foreign aircraft flying to Yerevan. I have to admit, that although translation was done OK, if I were to read only Armenian version of the menu, I would have been confused as to quite a few important ingredients on offer as we do not normally use those Armenian equivalents in our every-day conversation. So this was a learning experience too :)
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They distributed a ‘public health’ paper on board. I knew that it was related to swine flu, but almost no one including flight attendants could provide any clarifications as to what that paper was about, they just mentioned that this is for “public health”, and asked people to sign. It was very poorly constructed one-page document, which did not even ask if anyone has any symptoms or so. They simply ask for contact numbers so that Department of Health in Armenia will contact passengers in case they determine a case. No wonder, many did not fill it in, and upon arrival no one asked me to hand the paper in. Only accidentally someone noticed a paper I was holding, when passing a passport control, and was surprised that no one upstairs collected it. So much about ‘strict’ swine flu prevention measures at Yerevan airport.
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Although I’ve heard from others, including friends, that (contrary to my experiences) Armenian magazines are available on BMI flights, I could not see any this time too. No sign of In-flight or other magazines telling passengers about Armenia, travel guides etc. If they were there, they were very well hidden indeed...

“No Service for US Citizens”

This is a protest action by the owner of this central Yerevan kiosk. “No Service for US Citizens” says the notice on the kiosk.

Tert.am quotes him as saying that this is to protest US embassy’s routine rejections of visas to Armenian citizens. This action is not directed against US citizens per se, he continues, but rather the US embassy officer who can simply say: «... You will leave and won’t come back». That's all. “A presumption of guilt” here without any justifications or explanations provided. And there is nothing you can do about it...

A very familiar story for many Armenian citizens who dealt with the US embassy in Yerevan.

Armenia urged to lift travel restrictions on people with HIV in time for the Vienna World AIDS Conference in 2010

Thirty countries deport HIV+ migrant workers, sixty six countries discriminate HIV+ travellers, including 19 in the WHO Europe region [including Armenia].

“Exclusionary policies like these are a shame for Europe”, says Karl Lemmen from the German AIDS Federation. “European States and institutions should do everything possible to remove HIV related travel restrictions within its territory to guarantee that human rights prevail and `European values` exist.

For details - see Unzipped: Gay Armenia

Armenia should abandon its unjust and unwise travel ban on people with HIV

Prominent HIV/AIDS campaigners and international health advocates of Armenian origin Jirair Ratevosian and Dr. Amy Hagopian co-authored this editorial on Armenia's discriminatory HIV-related travel restrictions. It calls on the government of Armenia to consider the widespread consensus among medical and public health professionals regarding the lack of evidence to support HIV-related travel restrictions and to reverse the policy.

The editorial was published first by The Armenian Weekly and subsequently reprinted in Asbarez on Friday, September 5, 2008.

Unzipped and Unzipped: Gay Armenia joins this call.

About the authors:

Jirair Ratevosian, MPH, is the U.S. field coordinator for the Health Action AIDS Campaign of Physicians for Human Rights.

Amy Hagopian, Ph.D. teaches at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle, Wash., and chairs the International Health Advocacy Committee of the American Public Health Association.

For details - see Unzipped: Gay Armenia