Aloha Armenia!
- Veronica Rocha
- Aug 8, 2017
- 3 min read
Have you landed in a completely foreign land and felt perfectly at home? I had this experience arriving at the airport in Yerevan, Armenia and being greeted with a beautiful bouquet of fragrant red roses by my host Nune Sakanyan, Head of International Investment at the Municipality of Yerevan. (I was in Armenia the summer of 2017 to collaborate with Nune on the advancement of international clean energy policies and initiatives.) Given the great sense of belonging I didn’t know how to answer..."When you live in paradise (Hawaii, the state of ALOHA and colorful rainbows), how does going anywhere else feel?", asked by Astghine Pasoyan, international economic development expert and and new found friend. She was introduced to me by Nune during a meeting at a beautiful Yerevan café on the topic of clean energy implementation in Armenia.
It took me a few seconds to answer Astghine’s question. “I love traveling outside of Hawaii and exploring new places as no one is comparable to the other”.
In Hawaii we use “ALOHA” to describe many emotions, including hello, kindness and unity. While Armenians do not use ALOHA in their every day vocabulary you can feel it’s meaning transpire deeply into your heart.
Since I stepped foot in Armenia I felt endless and genuine ALOHA. On top of the warm welcome at the airport, I was invited to Nune’s home where her mother prepared an amazing Armenian meal, taught me how to make a few dishes and even gave me Georgian suneli (a blend of spices including coriander, dill, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, blue fenugreek, parsley, safflower or saffron, black pepper, celery, thyme, hyssop, mint, and hot pepper) so I could take a piece of traditional Euro-Asian cuisine home.
Not only did I enjoy a delectable meal hosted by Nune’s family, but also her sister and friend took us to Noravank and Tatev Monasteries. Noravank means “New Monastery” in Armenian. The most beautiful Noravank complex was constructed in the 13th century on the ledge of narrow winding gorge of the river Arpa. The temple is distinguished by strict decorative ornamentation. On the way to Tatev Monastery we enjoyed traditional Armenian food (pork and chicken barbeque, cheese, salads and lavash) and meandered through picturesque views and historic landscapes such as the caves near Areni were evidence showed that Armenians were the first in the world to make wine and wear shoes. I am eternally grateful for the immense kindness given to me by Nune's family during my stay in Armenia!
Albeit a beautiful country with exceptional people, I also caught a glimpse of Armenia's turbulent past. Even then, I also witnessed the undeterred passion to exist as the united people of Armenia. I strongly felt this walking through The Armenian Genocide museum's Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, dedicated to the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished in the first genocide of the 20th century, at the hands of the Turkish government. What most caught my attention was the Memorial Sanctuary consisting of 12 omni-present basalt slabs in the shape of traditional khatchkars (stone slabs with carved crosses) creating a circular wall and suggesting figures in mourning and the 44 meter high, arrow shaped stele of granite pointing towards the sky "symbolizing the survival and spiritual rebirth of the Armenian people. Partly split vertically by a deep crevice, this tower symbolizes the tragic and violent dispersion of the Armenian people, and at the same time, expresses the unity of the Armenian people (Armenian Genocide Museum)."
Armenia's passion and valor was further shown by the women I met and their stories to instill positive future progress and change through their work. Toward the end of my visit I was invited to participate in a founding meeting for a Women in Energy group in Armenia. The conversations were being led by women leaders, including Nune and Astghine. I could clearly see that these women are driven by the desire to ensure Armenia's energy prosperity and inclusion of women's voice. After all they reflected, “it is the women that pay the electricity bill and tell their husbands which washing machine to buy”!
At the conclusion of my visit to Armenia, it was clear to me that ALOHA is synonymous to Armenian hospitality, kindness and unity. This is reflected in their warm embraces and tasty dishes, determination to remain as a united nation and the passion of courageous women to drive positive change.
I have made unforgettable friends in Armenia and I am sure I will return to visit them. For now, I bid Armenia my warmest ALOHA until we meet again!
