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people dig the earth then ride the made waves in gentron austin - 9th Street

fixing the beach wagon 

falcon crew

"village" motel

cotton fieldsss

big stuff pulling big stuff

bigger stuff pulling bigger stuff in the gulf

port aransas beach 

Texas Oil

punk rock show in a billiard hall 

this aisle starts and ends with the same thing

tejas

the lady and her dog peewee

some of those model citizens that love the cars below

mid-August Model Citizens club Sunday picnic

for the love of whataburger one reads the bible

another way to feed

juanes connection

the headshop

dzmeruk 

keeping cool with big red in the Impala

gift of clean toes

typical road monsters - austin

early morning downtown ride - austin

early morning eastside - austin

court house pay phones - tried and true

12 for 3,000

Labor day in Armenia, like in other places in the world. I left my first class of the day to be greeted with what I presume to be just one of the official events to take place on workers celebration day - ze parade.  This parade complete with big flags, children-sized flags, horns, aging adults plus their younger counterparts, and of course a large picture of a bronze workers' statue, passed down a main center street just as the garbage crew was in full swing. Some people just don't get to celebrate on these official days.

The sight of us waiting for the bus was slightly blocked by the city garbage truck.  An older lady and I stood just behind it where we were safe from oncoming traffic in order to get a better look at the marching festivity. The two men that were working the garbage eating machine began yelling at her to give space as she might get dirty or hurt standing in front of the compactor.  They yelled back and forth at each other in the loving Armenian way with her glancing to me with widened surprised eyes a couple of times, waiting for me to agree with her enthusiastically that the men didn't have to be so harsh about the request.  I just shrugged as my interpretation of the exchange was probably not as accurate as i maybe thought/think myself to be.

Which brings me to a sadness, for which i hope to scream about on stage one day.  Another one of my acquaintances professed to working 14 hour work days for which they earn around $4.  On their only day off they have decide to invest in English and Russian courses to get out of the hell hole they are currently in. To boot, they are from Syria and learning the caveats of the 'eastern' version of their mother tongue (Eastern Armenian)- aka, learning a new language.  12 for 3,000 = 14 hours/ 2,000 dram.

and they recorded everything i said

What would you do if you lost 115 bucks one day while living under a bridge?  Heck, i freaked out when i accidentally sent a housemate off with $50 of the rent.  Within 20 minutes, the house was literally ready for a health department inspection,  and then i realized it might be safe and sound in someone else's wallet.  Did that dust on the piano really need to be removed in order to find the missing cash? yes.

So, not only did 2013 greet S.Vet and pet with a bit of stardom (her with the write up  on her by one of local papers), it also brought loss of this money - maybe 4 months worth of work.  tragic, as people on the streets often don't have insurance policies (nor do a lot of people living in houses).   She said she's off to tell the police. Hopefully, she'll be treated with the same respect as a tourist who files a report when they leave their chinchería on a train or in a taxi -  "phone the president! the French person has lost their 500 euro sunglasses!"  in any case, i'd flick off the world too, all the while hoping that an exchange like this repeats itself.  me:  "What did they write about you, S. Vet?" her:  "They recorded EVERYTHING i said!" amazing.

Speaking of presidents, a lot of people have been pissed since the presidential elections resulted in the re-election of S.Sargsyan. When leaving school and passing a set of police officers readying themselves for any escalation concerning the protesters on inauguration day in front of the national assembly of armenia, i heard one pleading earnestly with mother nature, "don't rain, don't rain."  You have to wonder whether he was making such a request for the protesters or himself.
i had a similar mantra, a bit more colorful, in my mind one evening during a 20 minute walk home from a friend's house on a busy street. unfortunately, i could not escape cat calls that came at me every 5 meters or so. the rain would've provided the scene of scattering screaming ex-bystanders. i forced myself to not throw evil disapproving glares - eyes straight, leslie. just get home.

my heart completely broke when i passed a guy who was dressed almost exactly as myself; boots, jeans, buttoned up shirt, and a blazer. the only difference was that my hair touched my shoulders. i wished for a second to be in his shoes instead of mine because apparently, my shoes (boots) were holding a sign reading, "all i want is negative attention from a**holes, please give it."  and it is a sad day when you wish to be something you're not

leading

Now that i think about it, i'm not so in love with the phrase 'the blind leading the blind.' It implies that the blind have a problem with leading, when it's merely 'difference' in leading techniques, which is the reason i won't be quick to teach a student about this adage, despite its indelible niche in the mind. This phrase popped in my head as i let out a snicker [or 'snigger' as the Brits say - another uncomfortable word to mutter], when walking out of the supermarket with a new friend. My bodily reaction came after noticing that the women at the checkout counter were watching [ditum en, like a film] our leave.

I had been giving some tips about dairy products, and noticed a clerk noticing us, the explanation. The neighborhood store staff, may at least know me as the nonArmenian who does the typical 'no bag please' in a funny accent, and in general not so talkative of a person. What type of advice is this person giving the other?  What mistakes are being passed on, only to be repeated and contorted to an unidentifiable something  8 persons later. - worst. game. of. Telephone. ever. -  nah, it's not too bad, but could entertainingly be. *group snicker*

Let it be known that I have been corrected by a Hayastantsi [person born in Armenia] friend in the past when my 'advice/tips' to a traveler did not coincide with what had been formulated in their indigenous head. immigrant vs. native experience. beautiful stuff.

eager to see what the presidential election        results will do for the economy/foreign affairs. just sayin'.

an invitation

Several Memorial Days ago in Texas i was reminded of how negligence runs rampant in even the sweetest of us. Carl Jung knew a thing about this, mentioning 'indolence' as something of which to be careful.  hence, another passive blog entry.

It was this celebratory day that I had invited a friend from work to join my family to attend a ceremony at the nearest military base. I thought it would be a good opportunity for this person to see a side of American culture that people outside, and inside for that matter, catch only on television.

The fearful and negative reaction of the others who would be coming was shocking, insulting, and just plain heartbreaking.  My co-worker happened to be from Guatemala, under 18 years of age, and without proper documents. I was accused of putting him in danger by taking him to a place full of American soldiers and probably police that would throw him into a jail cell. Please, reader, sit with this for as long as you can. 

The connection to my current home half a world away:  That stinging pain, the reaction to witnessed deep racism, came back in an instant. It was happiness and love that pushed me to think to invite a friend of mine to come and experience Love with a close adopted family outside of Yerevan, and like in a pavlovian dog, the feelings from that particular memorial day made me think twice. 

It IS the case that most conversations end quickly and awkwardly when i talk about the topic of my independent research. I study a migrant community that lives in a place that an incredible percentage of natives dream to leave. This group of immigrants, as in most countries around the world, are resented for unrepresentative reasons - reasons that the media here chooses to run with in order to entertain the masses. Shame on you Yerevan Magazine for your sarcastic article in your monthly print journal's May 2012 (#5(6)) issue.   tourist does not equal resident immigrant

A shameful and unfortunately unsurprising amount of locals are made uncomfortable when they realize i am embarking on a topic they choose to ignore unless it is convenient to point their fingers at 'the other' to blame for their problems. unsurprising because of my experiences with Hispanic migrants in the US, so similar.

please don't talk about something that makes me feel bad. mind your business girl. 

British, Japanese, Argentinian, Russian, i wouldn't feel a bit of hesitation, but even the most 'open minded' of locals will raise an eyebrow at connection with an Iranian. amot.  and like in America, these migrants from Iran can taste this negativity in all they do; taking a taxi, buying from the store, looking for work, using the bank, renting a home, and the list continues.

a person told me that 'life for an immigrant should be hard."   - - why? - -

reading this will offend people on both sides of the ethnic fence. and for this i apologize.

Shared borders bring so much connection between groups while at the same time offer fodder for scapegoating and disdain. Mexico : America :: Iran : Armenia

This family, my Armenian family, over the course of one year has just recently witnessed the abuse of a loved one, who was visually different. The father would walk this person to and from the house to guard them against public mocking.  this experience sadly, prepares me (selfishly so) for such a conversation - an invitation. 

be not afraid.

viva!

хозяин hozain owner

According to a friend, in Armenian when you say someone is 'blue' this is referring to their sexual orientation. So, this friend started nervously laughing when i asked the dentists in front of my window, in my suffering Armenian, if i could get a picture of them because, "They were all blue."  They graciously gave a second to pose.

For most of the population, winter coats are still on hold, compliments the mild autumn, meaning i have full access to the cuteness that is Old Lady Wardrobe. In time between meetings, happenings, and the like i take notes from grand masters of effortless style.

In just a little over a month, year three will begin. Signs apart from those calendarian let me know this is so. One of them is a fattening cat child that now receives offerings from several homes. This plus the frequent nurturing of her dependence on garbage bin food, has now earned her the name 'fat cat,' and has me chasing her away from her sister's food plate. 

ownership. Truth be told, those feelings of property i thought i had shed when it comes to the independence of a cat, those i boasted by saying things like,"They can stay or they can go, it's their decision," have been severely challenged on several occasions. I was sarcastically ordered  by the corner market man that i should take her home if she indeed was mine. The ladies in the neighboring abode told me their name for "my" cat when i informed them of her "given" name ... worthless, a serious slap in the face of m-e-a-n-i-n-g-less (animasta). ha! you can take your leash and shove it. 

Dogs and cats are let loose on the street when a person can no longer house them. A lot of bigger dogs get neglected because they are just intimidating. There is a good portion that end up being graced with a scrap giving family. Thus, this cat that i brought home 2 years ago is now just part of a different neighborhood's property. 

This happens in The States, but for me takes on this different meaning here. In The States, the community rests assured that an organization or state will pick up the majority of strays to have them adopted out, and sure maybe a lot are killed, but there is an effort to save. So, off-the-street adoption by a set of households is less common. mentality: If someone else is feeding, why should I? responsibility thrown out the window.  For this cat example I have, the exact opposite happened.  'fat cat' ensues - pardon the less PC name. 

For others to know that she has had her baby making organs removed is either not relevant on a monetary level (150 USD!) or insulting as the cat had no choice... My argument for a less neglected population of happy cats is dismissed by the idea that they have always fended for themselves. Here, this is the majority of truth. every bin has it's family of feeding cats.  Thus, I have questioned whether or not moving the cats with me is the best choice considering the cultural context.  However, i'm sure my western values will set in at the last minute and both she and her sister will be packed under a plane headed to a new community an ocean away.

public transportation, trash, old ladies, and cats/animals - the content of this blog, do not be mistaken. 

and you don't stop

soundrtack to be opened in the next tab and looped as you read : SURE SHOT

Across the alleyway named Gulbekhyan Street there is a preschool.  To cross over to the school's side you'll step through some white lines. The children who sometimes come to the house to watch movies spray painted a mini football (soccer) field, i suppose in preparation for the Olympics.  When I asked them what the name of the field was they said naturally, "Gulbekhyan Big Field." good name. The next day that name was spray painted on the stone wall that borders the field. rock 'n' roll.

In the evenings and on weekends the preschool is host to those prone to shake a hip or tap a foot, future dancing with the stars contenders - body movers. The room that is used for lessons is close enough to the walk way that all passing by can catch glimpses through the leaves that barely do their job as curtains.  When there are younger students summoning the late mickael jackson you can catch small packs of boys or girls peering over the same-sized stone wall on toes that thematically balance their bodies like ballerinas.

It's an impressive sound system that moves the classes. You'll hear traditional Armenian, loads of Latin, Pop, and interestingly enough the other night, Hip Hop. There were three men practicing some break moves with caps and sneakers apropos of the dance, which makes one wonder if it's just the genre of music to which they prefer to dance. If not, what percentage of their lifestyles have also taken on an activist flare?

I was playing badminton with a friend when the birdie was hit over the wall separating the field and the school. The 2nd time this happened, we had caught the HipHoppers just as they were leaving and locking up the gate. phew!   "I lost the...," and I showed them my racket. "Can you see?" (it was night already, only the street lights guiding the game)  "Sure," I yelped as I ran to the bushes that were literally holding up the game.

As I walked back out the gate I tried to look them in the eyes without being too creepy. I suppose i thought i could catch the HipHop twinkle that certain friends back home could definitely manage to do. All that came to mind was, "Well, they could definitely do some damage within the system," which was a reference to the normal type of vibe i received passing their persons. Of course, I was just so excited about an impending serious HipHop invasion that  i thought something spectacular would be witnessed. All that was caught, and maybe it was enough, was one of the guys doing a quick fling of his right foot to the side before walking away with his posse.

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