In September I went to Yerevan for the wedding of a cousin. In the historic homeland I’ve never been, so this was my chance to finally learn how to live there. I had heard about the friendly and always cheerful Armenians, delicious food, sights and nature. But it turned out that Yerevan has a dark side.
Europe or not?
My friend is Armenian before the trip said to me: “Yerevan – a European city”. And I disagree with him strongly. Yerevan is a big village, where everyone knows you and everything about you. Moreover, the first two days I was in a deep state of shock: there really are incredibly beautiful, all those mountains around the UPS and downs in center, flowers and trees.
But it is a little lower look and here they are, the attributes of Moscow 20 years ago: the cigarette butts on the roads, empty packs, bottles, wrappers. In my head still do not understand how you can litter in such a beautiful city right at his feet.
Machine
Lead the Armenians as they want, the rules of the road apply as if not for them. Overtake, cut, do not miss. Only for three days, I have personally witnessed five accidents committed solely on the principle of “I’ll go this way, because that’s what you want.”
Taxi
Taxis are incredibly cheap – from one end of town to the other you quietly and without bargaining drive for 150 rubles. By the way, almost all taxis there is a basic salary of Armenians. And all because the work here is bad.
Work
Salaries in Yerevan tiny. The middle class in a month receives about 15 thousand rubles. And there it is considered to be decent earnings. The family barely make ends meet and save on everything. But it’s mostly women and men who need to contain a Horde of hungry mouths. But men who live alone, may not work years. Excuse masterpiece: “stores I even to lift a finger will not”. Really, do not stir. Sit at home and eat up the canned goods, and when they end, begin stupid to go to a friend’s house. Because come to someone’s house and eat there to dump in Yerevan is impossible.
Music
I had a strong feeling that in Yerevan this fall, there were only two types of music: “Despacito” (really, from every phone) and rabies – contemporary music, but with traditional Armenian motifs. After 10 minutes, starts wildly annoying, but nowhere to go.
Hangouts
Armenians are not fans of the clubs (although they are in the center of Yerevan). Their barbecue is not feed, give to gather a great company in the evening at someone’s home. And this is not a simple gathering with wine and talk for life. This is a large table, there’s much food (and there is definitely skewers, pita bread, traditional vegetable salad with pomegranate, feta), then tea with a sweet (cake, ice cream, Gata – your choice the house is still there always). And then dancing. Real Armenian folk dances. Optionally, and games for example truth or dare. Disagree all hours in two nights.
Girls
I flew to Yerevan and thought, “Now I will come and enter the land of incredibly beautiful girls.” Never in my life I was not mistaken. Handsome women, which I expected to see there. Moreover, they are made like a blueprint, long dark hair, dark skin, black eyes. I’m with my translucent skin and short blond hair was for the Armenian guys alien – they turned heads when they walked past me. Sometimes quite sibilant. Self-esteem rises with catastrophic speed.
Mentality
Frame from the movie “Earthquake”
The worst thing is that there are Armenians in Yerevan. Speak as the spirit: the word “sex” there is almost banned. I was talking to my sister about life, and the conversation came to Affairs of the bed. An hour from her mouth the word “sex” flew exactly 0 times. Accepted synonyms are “it”, “it is well” and “well, you know.” Condoms there is also “this.” About the sex toys I decided her not to tell – risk of heart attack was too great.
And now the most important thing: she really needs to be a virgin. Sister told me the story, from which the hair stand on end. Her classmate was Dating a guy and decided not to wait until the wedding. But it happened so: a couple broke up and the guy told me that they slept together the entire Institute. In the end, the girl jumped off the roof, but left a note: “Mom, I’m sorry I let you down”. So.
No, of course there are girls who don’t think about it and have sex with guys in their pleasure. “Then the numbers of these girls are passed between guys with the words “it can be fun”, but seriously they have no one will ever take,” he told me mate. The chances of a happy family life, such girls tend to zero. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Divorces there is also not welcome: how so, and what would say aunt Zina from next door? So nearly all women strive at all costs to keep the family together, even if her husband goes to the right and left (as it is customary), or hits her (but it’s rare in Armenia men treat the woman you love as sacred vessels).
But all these cons are nothing compared to the pluses: nature (imagine, close to mountains, trees, lake Sevan an hour away), food (khachapuri, pkhali, cheese, churchkhela and of course khorovats – the traditional Armenian barbecue) and most importantly – people. They are wonderful, and this is indeed the case. Kind, sympathetic, always ready to help. They know what honour and dignity. And they are, perhaps, the biggest difference from Muscovites.
