Bullying by haircut: Outrageous lawlessness by head teacher at one of Yerevan schools

I am speechless. A truly outrageous incident has happened today at one of 4th grade classes in a Yerevan school named after Daniel Varuzhan. Head teacher has forcibly cut children’s hair because apparently she didn’t like their haircut. She later ‘explained’ it by an expression of “motherly joke” from her side. This incident has got reported and gained publicity thanks to journalist parents. It’s currently being investigated by educational authorities.

How many similar or more outrageous incidents go unreported, one may wonder?!

Pictures and reporting by Gagik Shamshyan. Original source: news.armeniatv.com



Այսօր՝ սեպտեմբերի 26-ին, Երևանի Դանիել Վարուժանի անվան թիվ 89 դպրոցի մի խումբ ծնողներ բողոքում էին դպրոցում տեղի ունեցած միջադեպի փաստով:

Ինչպես news.armeniatv.com-ին հայտնում է ֆոտոլրագրող Գագիկ Շամշյանը, նշված դպրոցի 4-րդի «Գ» դասարանի դասղեկ Գայանե Թանգյանը ստիպողաբար դասարանի՝ թվով 9-ը տղա երեխաների մազերը կտրել է:

Ծնող Ալլա Մկրտչյանը մեզ հետ զրույցում բարկացած պատմում էր. «Ես իմ երեխային առավոտյան մաքուր ուղարկել եմ դասի, իսկ դասղեկը բռնել, տղայիս մազերը կտրել-այլանդակել է. ու տենց մի քանի երեխաների: Ինձ էլ ասում է, թե՝ ում ուզում ես բողոքի, լավ եմ արել, դա իմ օրենքնա»:

Դասղեկ Թանգյանը, ով չցանկացավ նկարահանվել, իր արարքը պատճառաբանում էր, թե մայրաբար կատակ է արել: Երևանի քաղաքապետարանի հանրակրթության վարչության պետ Գայանե Սողոմոնյանը մեզ հետ զրույցում, դատապարտելով կատարվածը, ասաց, որ կատարվածի մասին ինքն արդեն տեղյակ է, և մեղավորները ենթարկվելու են խիստ պատասխանատվության:

Իսկ մի քանի ծնողներ էլ ասացին, որ Գայանե Սողոմոնյանի զանգից հետո Թանգյանը ոտուձեռ էր ընկել ու խնդրում, որպեսզի աղմուկ չբարձրացնեն, թե չէ հանրակրթության վարչությունը իրն «օդ կհանի»:

*Thanks to @kornelij for the info.

Picture of the Day: marching priests (Armenia Independence Day)

This is by far THE Picture of the Day for me. This is unlike anything you may ever seen. Hilarious is an understatement here. This picture shows so many things on so many levels... If only we had Armenian Almodovar, this would become a masterpiece...

*source of picture: PanARMENIAN Photo / Tigran Mehrabyan

#Fail: Armenia Junior Eurovision selection show promotes Dolphinarium

Tonight I decided to watch the Armenia selection show for Junior Eurovision, but I turned it off instantly as soon as they started promoting Dolphinarium.

I boycott today's #Armenia Junior #Eurovision selection show as they promote Delphinarium #fail

This is what Public TV in Armenia promotes among younger audiences. A major #fail.

To Shut Down the Dolphinarium: Armenian Environmentalists Ready to Go to International Courts

[...] The government ministry is being accused of inaction with reference to the newly constructed Nemo Dolphinarium in Yerevan’s Komitas Park, which environmentalists have been demanding be shut down.

[...]...Armenia does not have the necessary conditions or suitable climate for dolphins to live.

“We also presented arguments by different experts and environmentalists in Armenia testifying the fact that Armenia does not have the means to keep dolphins” [...]

“We wanted [them] to conduct monitoring, to check the conditions, the dolphins’ health — but they refuse.[...] Only on the telephone, a woman answered our questions and said that the pool is not [full] of ocean water, they only make additions, the dolphins’ health is rarely checked because experts [have to] come in from other countries” [...]

*source of picture and selected extracts above - Epress.am

Inside the Europe's largest shopping centre - Stratford Westfield, Olympic city, East End, London

Opened 13 September 2011

Yerevan Diaries: night people, sex and rock... and losers

Instead of editorial

One of the reasons why I like Yerevan at night is because all those սուտի նամուսով Armenian men and women, boys and girls are at home, sitting in front of their computers or TVs and judging others’ life OR back to sleep after yet another sex-less day. Because they are afraid of night. Night has different rules (or no rules). Rules for those who enjoy living.

Because in reality they [“սուտի նամուսով”] would love to do what others - who they judge - do with their lives, but they are afraid or fail at doing so. In fact, what they NORMALLY do would be considered much-much worse according to the same books or dogmas they use to judge others. They quite enjoy it. Then, they return to their ‘perfect’ lives, back home, and continue living... not their lives, but others’. Continue living lies.

And, yes, they are very bad at sex. They have close to “0” sex skills. And they are jealous of those, who are good at it. They want to kill ‘em.

There are two very different Yerevan: day-time and night-time. I suppose, it's obvious which one I prefer.

That’s why I absolutely loved my night outs in Yerevan. And I loved the rock concert at Liberty sq (Opera) as part of Summer Music Festival.

“Take me downtown
Take me underground” -

crowd was singing along with the Danish rock group.

That was quite a change from usual rabiz or cheap pop happenings going on there (latest example). The atmosphere was electric, free, good weird.

For a moment, I felt like Yerevan turned into one of the European capitals. I was in an alternative reality in Yerevan. The reality I prefer and will choose for instead. The rest is for losers.

Paris: poster - Aznavour

Paris: "Здесь говорят по русски"

Funnily enough, the name of this restaurant is 'Greek Tavern' or something like that :)

Paris: Histoire de Paris

Paris: Presse

Yerevan Diaries: arty buildings

I wish we have more buildings like these in Yerevan. Cheerful. Arty. Alive.

Yerevan Diaries: the use of AM letter "Չ"

*Lovers' park

Yerevan Diaries: a signpost

Yerevan Diaries: Banned book

My reputation follows me. Even presents I receive in Yerevan are pretty much X-rated. Not complaining :) It's Unzipped, after all.

This book has been reportedly banned from Armenian book stores for using not 'normative' language, that proved to be too shocking for book store owners.

Here it is. Unzipped.



Haven't read it yet, but will do upon my return to London.

Yerevan Diaries: no poster Opera

Have to admit. I missed the view of Opera area surrounded by posters & ads of performances and so on. They were good and bad, tasteful and tasteless. But they were part of the 'deal', and fitted the area perfectly. Without them, the only 'filling' for Opera area (& Liberty sq) is provided by cafes. And it looks empty to me.

Yerevan Diaries: Swan Lake

Glad to see Swan Lake area in downtown Yerevan looking nicer and taken care of, much better than 2 years ago. Bonus: the addition of new art works.

Yerevan Diaries: ...when hall = հոլ :)

Still can't stop laughing whenever I see these examples of using Armenian translit to refer to English words re venue names. Some of them are hilarious.

Here is just one of such examples :)

Yerevan Diaries: PanArmenian games closing ceremony - #Fail

I am so glad that due to personal circumstances could not make it to Liberty sq for a closing ceremony of PanArmenian games (open air event/concert). Instead, watching it on TV. That was the better/safer option, considering what was on the menu.

Throughout the ceremony, it was full with pathetic, pseudo-patriotic speeches. They sounded so fake, with artificial smiles and 'special expressions' on the face of those on stage, that the only appropriate tag to describe the happening was #FunnySad.

[Btw, I didn't know that PanArmenian games is also a beauty pageant with prizes for "Miss Beauty".]

And finally... When you see Armenchik - 'king of rabiz' - chosen as a headlining act for PanArmenian games closing ceremony, no more comments needed, indeed.

This was one of the most boring, pathetic and tasteless ceremonies I have ever seen in Yerevan.

Verdict: #Fail

Yerevan Diaries: newspapers; Google maps

Morning papers
In past, whenever I was in Yerevan, always started my morning with a pile of morning papers. Newspapers of broad range of affiliations or 'independent' ones were part of my daily routine. No longer. Have no desire whatsoever to purchase them. For now, my quick glancing at online outlets seem sufficient enough. Still, downloaded digital versions of The Guardian and The Independent.

Google maps - Yerevan
In past, I was looking at Google maps - Yerevan as something with more of a sentimental value, not for practical purposes. Yesterday, for the first time, I used it to find a particular street in downtown Yerevan. And it worked. And I loved it. From now on, its practical value seem more important to me.

Serj Tankian in Yerevan: Dorians, the audience, messages, and the most bizarre 'weapon of mass destruction'

Yerevan Diaries

Bottle cap as a 'weapon of mass destruction'

The weirdest thing happened before the concert started. Security or stewards demanded bottle caps to be separated from plastic bottles and thrown away before one can enter the concert area. I & friends could not get it: why bottle caps? Someone suggested that they could be thrown at others during the concert, but plastic bottles could be used for the similar purposes too, if one had such a desire. Whose 'genius' idea this was, I wonder?

Dorians - more than an opening act

Absolutely loved Dorians. Always liked them via their YouTube clips, but now that I managed to enjoy their performance live, I am 'officially' their fan. Top class rock performance, in line with best young rock groups elsewhere.

Serj Tankian

Despite criticism re not powerful enough sound and choice of music, Serj Tankian was good too. I expected higher energetics, but he didn't disappoint me. And I loved the stage design, very tasteful, and organic with the outside environment. And symphonic orchestra from the Yerevan Opera House was pretty good too.

Messages & the audience

The audience was very mixed. Not in a good way mixed. Quite a few young people didn't REALLY know why they were there. They probably came in for a free concert and/or to say 'we were at Tankian's concert'. They were minority, perhaps, but a sizeable minority. This group typically had no clue what Tankian was singing about, and was funny to observe how they followed others' to start clapping etc. :)

There were some powerful messages from Serj Tankian about ridiculousness of borders - between people, countries and nations. He made it loud and very clear that "all walls are f*cking empty". But it seemed to me, that for a sizeable proportion of people present at the concert, the only message they got from Tankian was one with the G-word.

Calls for universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, expectedly, followed by huge applause. But immediately after, Serj Tankian mentioned that we should pay attention to problems within Armenia too, without specifying them. Much weaker applause followed.

(just one of those problems) Environmentalists managed to make their point known during the concert by waving a huge poster "Mining is killing".

And the least applause of the night goes to... Armenia president Serj Sargsyan

People were shouting Serj (meaning Serj Tankian), accompanied by the huge applause for his performance. Then he mentioned that there is another Serj present at the concert - Serj Sargsyan, the president of Armenia, that is. No shouting of his name, and only very weak, hardly noticeable applause followed. This was yet another message of last night, but this time from the audience...

Yerevan diaries: London - Tehran... via Yerevan

Now I know why it became so difficult to impossible to book BMI direct flights from London to Yerevan.

I've heard it before as a speculation that this flight became unofficially a transit route to connect London with Tehran.

However, I can confirm that there is nothing 'unofficial' there. Indeed, London -Yerevan BMI flight turned into "London -Tehran via Yerevan", as featured at the Heathrow airport, and most passengers were Iranian or heading to Tehran. I am actually amazed with the numbers of Iranian passengers to and from London taking into account the relationships between these two countries.

Anyway, here I am, in Yerevan... via London - Tehran :)