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Arménie : le best of

Thomas — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:03:05 +0000

Un billet best of, avec des liens vers les meilleurs moments de ce blog depuis mars 2006

Pas ou peu de photos, vous les retrouverez dans la catégorie qui va bien.

Ne me méprenez pas, j’ai globalement ADORE mes 18 mois passés dans le Caucase, c’est juste que le français moyen aime bien râler

Mars 2006 : Hello World
Avril 2006 : Le pourquoi du comment 1
Mai 2006 : Le pourquoi du comment 2
Juin 2006, je ne voulais plus repartir

Août 2006, de retour de Suisse, j’étais motivé comme jamais.

Octobre 2006, premiers doutes, grosse décision.

Janvier 2007, vacances à paris, retour difficile et triste nouvelle

Février 2007, pas grand chose à dire

Mars 2007, A nous de vous faire préférer le train

Avril 2007 : Interrogations
Mai 2007 : Tbilissi

Juin 2007 : Decision to take
Juillet 2007 : L’Iran
Aout 2007 : Retour en France
Musique : Bambir, pères et fils

Nubarashen : the kids

Thomas — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:46:19 +0000

KASA is involved in Nubarashen orphanage #11 since 10 years. Yes, this orphanage dedicated to mentally decifient kids is very close to the dump site.

At first the NGO brought material helps such as clothes, then started psychological projects in order to help the children, then worked with the orphanage’s staff in order to bring them proper training and framework.

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A therapy-by-game project took place in 2007, with the renovation of one of the room, and some workshops twice a week, with mental health specialists and volunteers.
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I’m just typing this message on my personal behalf. I wanted to share with you some pictures from the last workshop session by Lilith Abrahamyan, psychatrist, one of this project supervisor, with these mentally ill but happy kids. I thought that they desserved a bit more than just being part of an internal evaluation report.
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If you want more information about the project, and take part to psychological actions and trainings in Yerevan, contact espaces@cooperation.net, and if you feel like supporting KASA psychological projects by donating, contact kasa@cooperation.net
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Nubarashen : Smoking garbage

Thomas — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 22:16:54 +0000

Just before going to Iran (the pictures are coming, I swear it :)), We went with Anahide to Nubarashen dump site, in the framework of her ecological researches for KASA NGO.

Unusual destination for a taxi driver

The Nubarashen “landfill”, the dump site of Yerevan, is a huge smoking pile of burning waste. Dioxin and other polluting substances pollute the air of the capital, with associated risk for the population’s health.

Her impressions are on her blog here.
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Here are some pictures I shot. Very interesting visit, as landfills are somewhere I’m not used to go (who is?). Didn’t expect something so wide and smoking. Really. Maybe we should visit landfills at least once during our lifetime. And if you’re interest to come and take part to activities about ecological issues in Yereva, the Eco Club is opening in september. check www.espaces.am for news

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Smoking Ararat

Bye Bye Armenia

Thomas — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:03:47 +0000

Here am I, back in Paris.

View from my parents’ appartment

Just came back 1 day ago in Paris.
I am getting sick (more than 10°C from Yerevan), still a bit jetlagged, but happy.
Tons of things to check and see, people to meet and drink with, projects to work on. Paris didn’t changed, really.
I’ll also need to find as soon as possible a job and an appartment.
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And I really didn’t expect so much people for my farewell party @ Shamrock then Caruzo. It was soooo nice to spend my last hours in the country with you. The french connection I’ll of course meet again here in Paris, and the “so called” locals, I’ll miss all of you for sure.Thanks for everything for these 17 incredible monthes, really. It was a vital load of fresh air, really.

Coming soon on this blog : pictures from Iran, Nubarashen dump site and orphanage.

Break in the Rush #2

Thomas — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:58:09 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts these days.
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Bye bye Armenia

I came back safely from Iran. Tons of photos and thoughts to blog about it. Please be patient
You’ll find a report from my swiss friend who traveled with me here with some of my pictures.
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I’m leaving Armenia on sunday night, so see you all in Yerevan one last time sunday evening at Shamrock Irish pub, Saryan street.

That’s all for the moment

D-28

Thomas — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:05:36 +0000

So here am I.
I booked my flight ticket back to France (for good) on august 6th, 5h30. Nothing more to add for the moment, I’ll blog about my impressions about my last month in Caucasus in general later on july.

Briefly, I can’t say I’m happy to leave Armenia (there are people here I really love) but I’m conviced the main thing I need for now is change.
So here am I.

People in Yerevan, get ready for a huge farewell party beginning of august

On the road again :-)

Thomas — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:30:56 +0000

Cruising under Caucasian skies
Tumanyan street/Yerevan/June 07/www.followtheway.info

I’ll be pretty much on the road the next few days/weeks.

Tbilisi/Georgia from tomorrow until sunday evening (by train). I’ll try to get out of the city
A whole tour in Iran from july 15th to july 30th. Let’s hope everything will remain calm until then.

Don’t expect too much blogging in the upcoming days, but lots of pictures later on

Now playing

Thomas — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:29:28 +0000

Just bought 1 week ago, the new Bambir (here and there) demo. 12 tracks of burning 70s rock n roll. A bit rough mixed (it is a demo, keep it in mind). Brilliant songs.

From "The Wild", as a raging overture, to the chilling "Lullaby for Pauper", not a single second to waste. And certainly not "Painted Minds"’ furious finish, revisiting Aram Khatchaturyan’s classic under the heavy influence of extravaganza youth.

The problem is, for addicts like me, that something is missing. Something sweating and noisy. And, "The New Generation" which is scary on stage just sound too much clean on CD.

But anyway. A great moment. For less thah 5 euros. I’m taking orders for the french/european people interested

And what could be better than (yet) another concert to celebrate the demo release? Live from Down Yerevan, for the 1st armenian edition of the french event "La fête de la musique". The Moscow cinema square was packed. Onnik blogged some other pictures.

Keep on rockin in a free world
Bambir / Fête de la musique / Yerevan / June 07 / www.followtheway.info

Armenia : 1 / Poland : 0

Thomas — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:07:45 +0000

One of the biggest news these last few days is that “our” armenian football team beated Poland, 1.0, for Euro 2008 qualifiers.

The second victory in 2 games, after winning Kazakhstan 2.1, 1 week ago.

It was a crazy night, people celebrating in the streets. I heard it was the 1st home victory for at least two years.

Nareg @ Life in Armenia and Harmick @ Blogrel wrote about it.

I was in the stadium, with my camera. So here are some pictures.

And some more are available on my Flickr page.

Rain

Thomas — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:08:23 +0000

Let it rain a day, a week, a year, Let it rain a thousand years a day

Yerevan is becoming hotter everyday … May/june is OK, but July/august is pretty much suffocating

45°C and more are not a joke, but I should be fare away during this period (more about it soon).

The funny things about this weather are these short and so violent rains (a view from my appartment on Tumanyan street). 15 minutes, 3 centimeters of water, and gone

Let it rain a day, a week, a year
let it rain a thousand years a day
that the divine answer to all the shed tears
that the cyclic flood well known by those who know
One drop for every broken dream
and one for every conceived plan
Our seeds sown larger, our roots will go deeper
our trees will grow higher and now we wait the rain
Samael/Passage/Rain