Category Archives: Cross-cultural understanding

Women’s Day In Armenia.

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Liz Barron

Garik our office accountant brought me this beautiful plant. Ashot and Davit spent their own money to bring me another one just as lovely. The lady in the flower-shop, busy with the annual rush that comes on Women’s Day every … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018, American holidays, Armenia, Cross-cultural understanding, family, Mother/daughter dynamic, Peace Corps, sexism, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Weddings, Women, young women | Leave a comment

Hard lessons through beautiful words

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Liz Barron

The poor always believe there is room enough for all of us; the very rich never seem to have heard of this. In us there is wisdom of how to share loaves and fishes however few; we do this everyday. I thought Gohar had been hasty. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Alice Walker, Armenia, Beauty, Blessings, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, family, Food, gratitude, identity, Language learning, life lessons, National Poetry Recitation Contest, Peace Corps, Poetry, Rich and Poor, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Village life | 2 Comments

Reasons to be Cheerful: Barekendan

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Liz Barron

Mariam is baking cakes for 70 children this weekend. The priest at Tatev Monastery asked her to do it to mark Barekendan, the festival of freedom and happiness that presages the start of Lent. Barekendan takes place on the 7th … Continue reading →

Posted in Apostolic church, Armenia, Barekendan, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, Easter, Food, friendship, Happiness, Legends, Lent, travel, Village life | Leave a comment

Walking-Talking Back to Happiness

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Liz Barron

“Ari, Gayoush, Ari” Arsen screamed into his walkie-talkie “Come, Gayane Come” “Kgam” she bellowed back, and came. It turns out the 4-year-old is much more receptive to her big brother’s commands when they are issued through one of the yellow, … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Capitalism, Caucasus Barometer, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, Data Analysis, Design, Dubai, Emigration, family, friendship, gelatin flowers, Happiness, life lessons, love, Play, resilience, Things that gladden the heart, travel, UAE, World Happiness Report | 1 Comment

The Ting About Dubai (or “Jamaica?” “No, she drank of her own accord.”)

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Liz Barron

We found what must surely be the only Jamaican bar in the Middle East. Ting Irie is in a Souk attached to the Manzil Hotel in downtown Dubai. Although the restaurant is the real ting, the Souk is not. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Capitalism, clothes, Cross-cultural understanding, drinking, eating out, fashion, Food, Jamaica, Marketing, Middle East, Mother/daughter dynamic, personal failings, shopping, Social niceties, travel, UAE, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

Teachable moments in Dubai

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Liz Barron

I once had a boyfriend who said I could suck the fun out of anything. Fair warning: I am about to give this treatment to Dubai, a place I, perhaps unexpectedly, now adore. Everything you have ever heard about Dubai … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Capitalism, Cross-cultural understanding, Design, drinking, Dubai, eating out, fashion, Food, Islam, joy, Learning, life lessons, Marketing, Middle East, National pride, shopping, Things that gladden the heart, travel, UAE, Vacation spots, Women | 3 Comments

Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy?

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Liz Barron

It is always a white Christmas in my part of Armenia. Last year there was a meter of snow on the ground for the Apostolic celebration of Christ’s birth on January 6, and the first flakes fell back in October. … Continue reading →

Posted in America, apricots, Armenia, Beauty, Borders, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, Food, Great weekends, History, identity, Islam, life lessons, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Nostalgia, Peace Corps, Politics, Religion, Soviet Union, Syunik Marz, travel, Village life | Leave a comment

When your face don’t fit

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Liz Barron

Last week I was mistaken for the Ambassador of Greece to the Republic of Armenia. I do not know Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary H.E. Mrs. Nafsika Nancy Eva Vraila, but clearly she is a woman of astounding beauty, with a keen … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Cross-cultural understanding, Diplomacy, fear, life lessons, Peace Corps, Prejudice, Race, resilience, Safety, sexual assault, Things that make a difference, travel, Village life | Leave a comment

Poetry Please

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Liz Barron

Gohar Ghazaryan’s  13-year-old students are preparing for 2018’s National Poetry Recitation Contest, reading and analyzing poems by AE Housman, Langston Hughes and Jack Prelutsky. Two of poems are copied below, so you can see just how accomplished these five students are. … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, BBC, BBC World Service, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, Language learning, Learning, National Poetry Recitation Contest, Peace Corps, Poetry, Syunik Marz, Teaching, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, Village life, Youth | Leave a comment

Where Worlds Collide

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Liz Barron

J’s beautiful face is surrounded by the hijab she uses to cover her hair. Her hijab is the only one I have seen in Armenia. J speaks Farsi, Kurdish, Arabic and of course English. She glowed as she talked about … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Christianity, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, International Human Rights Day, Islam, Language, Learning, life lessons, Literacy, Middle East, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Nature, Poetry, Religion, Rt, Syunik Marz, travel, Turkey Armenia relations, war, Wilfred Owen, Writing | 2 Comments