This week, the kids and I accompanied hubby on a business trip to the country of Armenia. This is the first time I have been to this region of the world (bordering countries are Turkey and Iran), and I have the distinct feeling of being on a movie set.
The first thing I noticed is the physical beauty of the people. My daughter reminded me that the Kardashians are of Armenian descent. Cher and Andre Agassi also claim an Armenian heritage. After strolling down the streets of Yerevan, I can see where they get their good looks! Captain Kangaroo was also Armenian, so, you know, you can’t win ‘em all! But in general, the women look like Cher and the Kardashian sisters. It’s a bit intimidating actually. I’ve never felt quite as inferior as I do in this land of long, luscious, dark hair and shapely figures like those I normally only see in magazines.
The second thing I noticed is the inner beauty of the people. From the moment we stepped off the airplane we have been shown nothing but kindness. Unlike other countries I’ve visited, the people here seem very connected to one another. Men, women, girls, and boys all walk down the streets with their arms intertwined, laughing and talking. Of course, they could just be holding onto one another for dear life as the ice on the sidewalk is several inches thick. They don’t use salt, so slipping and sliding is a way of life. Even in the sporadic places where they’ve cleared the walkway with giant ice picks, the bricks underneath are extremely slick. This is a hazard I hadn’t considered when I brought along my fourteen-year-old daughter who is still recuperating from knee surgery.
On our first evening, we slid to dinner, stopping at a kid-friendly restaurant. We were seated in the middle of a birthday party! The birthday boy was probably eight years old, and was as handsome a boy as you’ve ever seen! Suddenly, the Middle Eastern style of music became very loud and all the children gathered on the dance floor. My two little blonde haired, blue-eyed Americans joined in the dancing even though they had no clue what anyone was saying.
Every now and then on our travels I am overcome with not only the privilege of having dropped into a little slice of someone else’s life, but also with the clear understanding that we are all intricately the same. My tears streamed as I watched the sheer joy of the children dancing. We laughed with them as they played something very similar to our Simon Says game. I could not believe my good fortune at having stumbled onto this amazing little soiree.
One mother indicated that she would like a picture of our daughter together with her son. Remarkably, in this parallel world of Kardashian-esque beauty, we are the exotic ones. My four-year-old boy is getting tired of people stroking his rosy cheeks, touching his blonde hair, and kissing the top of his head. On the upside, on Valentine’s Day a group of high school girls were so taken with my children that they gave them heart shaped “I love you” balloons!
Valentine’s Day in Yerevan is like a step back in time. Couples stroll arm in arm, or snuggle on park benches. It seemed every girl was carrying flowers and Teddy Bears. The open air ice skating rink was busy with lovers skating together, or posing for pictures in front of the heart shaped ice sculpture. As I stood on the sidelines, absorbing the moment, I felt again as though I were on a movie set. I didn’t think it could be more perfect, but then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and found myself face to face with Zorro! He had a red heart on the back of his cape, and was accompanied by a beautiful angel wearing large, white wings. They handed me a piece of Valentine chocolate, and graciously posed for a photo.
I wanted to linger, but my Valentine and our children were waiting for me to bring dinner back to the hotel. I carefully made my way down the slippery sidewalk, wrenching my ankle along the way. I think that Armenia must have the highest number of broken hips per capita.
We will be here for a few more days, and I am hoping against hope that the clouds will clear so we can catch a glimpse of the legendary Mt. Ararat. To actually see the mountain where Noah’s ark came to rest would complete this feeling of being on a movie set. Secretly, I’m praying that I will see even more Armenian beauty in the form of an accompanying rainbow!
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