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.