#Explore Armenia

[kanachtun]

Սիրեք, քանզի ... Արդ, մնում են այս երեքը' հավատ, հույս, սեր, և սրանցից մեծագույնը սերն է։💚Ա. Կորնթացիներին 13:4-13

[amatesura]

Orgov radio-optical telescope control room, Armenia (x) (x) Built between 1975 and 1985 and active between 1986 and 1990.

[metamorphesque]

I saw you mentioned being a theatre lover as well. What are the best plays you've seen? (I'm also into theater I hope to do it at uni)

At first, I told myself I’d mention only one play… but that one play led to another… and then it became three. So, here are three of my favorite plays. All of them were performed at the Drama Theater named after H. Ghaplanyan.

“Great Silence” («Մեծ լռություն») – written by P. Zeytuntsyan (one of Armenia's most influential modern dramatists), directed by A. Khandikyan.

This play explores the lives and tragic fates of the Armenian poets Daniel Varujan and Ruben Sevak, both of whom were victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. It’s a deeply moving and heartbreaking piece, and the phenomenal performances of the actors elevate it into an emotionally and intellectually profound experience for the audience. I particularly want to highlight Artashes Mkhitaryan, who portrays Daniel Varujan. His subtle expressions—a flicker of hope, quiet despair in his eyes or the strength he conveys in silence—serve as windows into Varujan’s internal struggle. Varujan’s words in the play are not merely lines; they are the voice of an Armenian poet whose heart bled for his homeland. The entire play is performed in Western Armenian, as both Daniel and Ruben were Western Armenian writers. Artashes’ mastery of the language and his delivery of Varujan’s poetry are especially moving. His recitations make each word feel deliberate, delivered with the weight it deserves. His ability to bring poetry to life on stage shows his deep understanding of the significance behind each letter, word and pause.

It brings me great joy to think that I will see this play again at the end of September.

2. “The Parisian Verdict” («Փարիզյան դատավճիռ») – written by P. Zeytuntsyan, directed by A. Khandikyan.

A truly heartbreaking piece! The play revolves around the trial of four ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia) members who participated in the Van Operation in 1981. During this incident, ASALA members occupied the Turkish consulate in Paris to draw attention to the Armenian cause and Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. The four demanded recognition of the genocide and the release of Armenian political prisoners. This operation thrust the issue of the Armenian Genocide into the international spotlight. (I promise to tell you more about ASALA in the near future.)

What makes this play even more special is that two of the Van Operation members actually live in Armenia. After each performance, they go on stage and stand alongside the actors. I’ve had the opportunity (and mustered the courage) to approach them, express my admiration for their sacrifice and exchange a few words. I can’t even begin to describe what it feels like to shake hands and speak with someone who has been your hero since childhood.

3. “Eternal Return” («Անվերջ Վերադարձ») – a theatrical fantasy based on Paruyr Sevak’s poetry, directed by A. Khandikyan.

Every phrase, every word in this play feels so relevant and relatable that it’s as if it were written yesterday. The story centers on the poet’s struggle against falsehood, time and the world. It’s one of those pieces you need to watch multiple times to fully grasp its depth. Perfectly written and perfectly performed—absolutely marvelous!

PS. Good luck with your acting classes!

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Today's sapphic book of the day is Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni!

Summary: "An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni.

When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.

Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy?

Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on Nar’s double life, though—the closing event banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave, determined to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life."

[wndaswife]

Hi if your requests are open :) I saw you write for Gerri Fields and THANK YOU BECAUSE THERE IS LITERALLY NO FICS OF HER(Favourite Lizzie character)

But I was wondering if I could request a fic! So basically R and Gerri are together but it’s just fluff and banter! Gerri Invites Reader over to the party her parents are throwing and Gerri is just trying to sneak away with R until Gerri’s family keep calling them back?

If you can’t do this request it’s no problem thank you for taking the time to read it anyways :) I love your fics and I hope you have an amazing Day/Night

baby steps | gerri fields & fem!reader

It’s the first official night you’re spending together as girlfriends, but neither you nor Gerri can find enough peace to get each other alone.

Word count: 2845

Tags: fluff, humour, suggestive language, cute little gays trying doing their cute little gay things, ft. gerri’s chaotic family

A/N: yeah i totally get that!! i really love gerri too so im really glad you enjoy reading my fics ab her as much as i love writing them <3 thanks for requesting this!!

“Did you bring your laptop?” 

You dug through your bag and carefully pulled your laptop out before setting it down on Gerri’s bed.

“The charger?” she asked.

You answered, “Yeah.”

Tonight was the first night you were spending with Gerri now that you were dating. You’d been best friends with each other since the first year of high school and there’d been likely hundreds of sleepovers before, but there was a bit of an unspoken excitement between the two of you tonight.

Over the past three weeks, you’d been getting to know the roommate you’d be moving in with in September, and last week you went to one of her parties a city away with Gerri. 

For your future roommate, it was a farewell party for her thrown a bit earlier in the summer because one of her best friends was going to be travelling to Armenia with not enough time to have a big party like they wanted once they came back — so they celebrated in July.

For you and Gerri, it was a chance to get out of the neighbourhood you’ve always known around the people you’ve always known, and the both of you were rather excited to get out for a while because you’d be staying there overnight due to how long the drive was, and neither of you, including your roommate, wanted you travelling that far so late into the night.

Maybe it was just how overwhelming the night was or how different things were there, but you ended up leaving the party to take a walk around the neighbourhood with Gerri. You walked around together talking about things you liked about home and all the memories you shared together from years ago — old crushes, old friends, each other.

Wrapped up in the warm feeling of nostalgia and sharing in each other’s sole company, it was Gerri who kissed you first, who took your hand and cupped your cheek and pulled you close. But it was you who then had her back against a nearby tree, hugging her around the waist and running your hands through her hair, taking your best friend as yours for the first time.

It didn’t seem like things were all too different now that you were together. It felt like that was a testament to how close the two of you have always been, and how long-developed the love for each other had been growing until one night it just had to give.

So although neither of you had outright said it, tonight was a bit of a milestone. 

Both of you were determined to be able to spend time alone together, to delve into the depths of your relationship that’d been waiting patiently for your exploration — waiting for years. Now you didn’t have to look at each other and feel the soft stirring deep within your chests at the sight of one another and attribute all of it to simply being close friends.

Now, you could feel what you’d always felt for one another and do it all as girlfriends.

“Toothbrush?”

You searched through the smaller bag that you put aside for your toiletries. 

“No, I forgot it,” you replied with a wince. “Shit.”

Gerri waved her hand dismissively. “Okay,” she said. “It’s fine, we have an extra and you can use the toothpaste I have.” 

“Orrr,” you drawled as you crept up to your girlfriend while she dug through the linen closet in the hallway for an extra toothbrush, “I could just use yours.”

She laughed and pushed you off of her with her hand on your shoulder when you wrapped your arms around her waist from behind. “That’s disgusting,” she said. 

“I read in an article that the healthiest relationships share stuff, you know — shampoo, clothes, toothbrushes.”

“Oh, yeah?” she asked and raised an eyebrow, closing the linen closet with a new toothbrush in her hand as you followed her back into her bedroom. “Where’d you read that? Bullshit-dot-org?”

You sat down on her bed with a dramatic huff and rubbed your palms against her soft sheets. 

“You’re not being very romantic right now,” you teased and watched as she set the toothbrush down on your bag. 

The corner of Gerri’s mouth twitched upwards and she repressed a tiny smirk as she walked over to you so you were looking up at her. “Not being romantic enough?” she asked. She slid her knee between your legs and with a hand on your shoulder, carefully pushed you back so she could lean over you. 

Leaning down further while your back was now flat on her bed, Gerri hooked her fingers around the collar of your shirt and tugged down so she could kiss your exposed collarbone, making you shudder. 

She was so gentle. 

Until last week, you’ve never known Gerri like this before, but you’d be lying if you said you’d never thought about how gentle her hands would be on your body or how her soft lips would feel like on yours. 

She was more adventurous than you imagined, often taking the initiative to slip herself on top of you and bury you in intimate, warm kisses. It always made you rather flustered because prior to the first time you were underneath her, you had no idea how much passion had been resting within her. 

You haven’t had sex together yet, but just thinking about it made you lightheaded. 

“What do you know about romance?” she taunted, and you could see from the corner of your eyes how she looked up at you from the crook of your neck with a grin. 

You stuttered and cleared your throat before finally being able to say, “I know… a little.”

“Tell me,” Gerri said, her fingers inching up your hip underneath your shirt, still preoccupied with pressing soft ghosting kisses up your neck. 

Your brain completely short circuited and you pathetically answered, “I can send you the article.”

Gerri’s laugh escaped her in a sharp exhale of breath against your neck and she raised her head to laugh. “You fucking idiot,” she said and lifted her hand that was under your shirt to slap your side. 

The weight she had on your chest made it hard for you to laugh and you had to turn onto your side and let out a wheeze-like laugh. 

A knock came at the bedroom door and Gerri straightened while you struggled between slowly-subsiding giggles to move onto your elbows. 

Gerri’s mom opened the door and peeked her head inside. “Are you both ready?” she asked. 

“Yep!” you answered and sat up properly. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I forgot my toothbrush and Gerri gave me one of the extra ones in the linen closet.”

“That’s fine, honey,” Kate replied with a friendly smile. She then entered her daughter’s bedroom and began tinkering around with the things on Gerri’s desk idly while she spoke.

“Should I be worried about the two of you?” she asked and side-eyed the both of you inconspicuously. 

Your girlfriend gave you an unknowing look before asking, “What?”

“I mean the two of you…” Kate pressed then leaned back against the desk. She pressed the sides of her index fingers together. “College students. Dating. Sleeping in the same room.”

Gerri’s face immediately turned red and she quickly walked over to her mom and pulled her from the desk before urging her out of the room. 

“Ger, I’m a very accepting woman and I love that you’re dating Y/N, but–”

She was cut off when she was pushed out of the bedroom. 

“Keep the door open!” Kate tried to squeeze in before Gerri shut the door in her face and promptly locked it. 

Over the next hour, guests began filling the house to celebrate Danny’s birthday while you and Gerri stayed up in her bedroom snacking on liquorice and caramel M&Ms.

When parties happened at Gerri’s for Kate, the crowd was mostly filled with laidback wine moms, but when parties were filled with mostly Danny’s coworkers and friends, parties were lively and a bit loud and full of overly-excited drunks — himself included.

But once the scent of barbecue from the backyard started travelling up to Gerri’s room, neither of you could hold back waiting until you could sneak out and get some food without being noticed.

Maybe you should’ve gone out earlier when there weren’t as many people, but you both easily lost track of time when Gerri started playing you a bunch of new songs she was trying to learn on her guitar; after each song, at least one of you would keep saying that you had time for her to play just one more before you went downstairs to get food.

As if trekking through dangerous terrain, Gerri went downstairs first while you followed behind slowly. She mapped out the backyard and spotted the table set up with food. 

In the driveway, a few cars shut their doors and Gerri pulled you out to the back with her so you could both quickly fill your plates before the next wave of guests filed into the backyard. 

Wordlessly, she gave you a plate and a fork and an empty cup so you could make quick work of bringing the food and drinks up to her bedroom. 

Chatter went on in the background and Gerri listened in on the conversation to keep herself aware of whether she or you were yet detected.

Once you finished filling your plates, Gerri put her hand on your upper back and urged you forward. She whispered in your ear beyond clenched teeth, “Hurry, hurry.”

“Oh! Ladies!” Kate called out to both of you and hurried over to grab Gerri’s hand.

“Mom…” she hissed quietly, trying to protest without making too much of a fuss lest she bring about more attention to the both of you. 

Though you weren’t pulled back with her, you didn’t want to leave Gerri outside alone so you stuck around too and followed behind your girlfriend while she was pulled back into the depths of the precarious backyard.

Ignoring her daughter’s complaints, Kate turned around and introduced her to the guests who just stepped into the backyard with dishes of food in their hands.

“Have you met my daughter Gerri?” she asked them and placed a hand on her back, urging her forward subtly. 

“Hi,” Gerri greeted, and you could hear her response grit out of her as if her throat had suddenly become the texture of a cheese grater. 

She chatted a little with Kate and Danny’s mutual friends, and from the corner of your eye you could see Danny approaching. 

You bit the inside of your cheek and looked over to Gerri, who also noticed her father approaching before quickly becoming impatient, evident in the way she began running her fingernail along the side of her paper plate anxiously.

“Oh, heavens,” Kate said and reached back to then wrap an arm around you and pull you forward. “We’re completely ignoring Y/N.”

A brief wordless exchange of desperation was shared between you and Gerri’s eyes when she caught sight of you being pulled in front of her. 

Kate rubbed her hand against your upper arm and introduced you: “This is Y/N — Gerri’s girlfriend.”

“Mom!” whined Gerri as she tugged at her mom’s sleeve to keep her quiet. Her face looked flushed and she avoided eye contact with you, and it seemed to you that she felt flustered and embarrassed and you thought it was really cute. 

You subtly bumped your knuckle against her hand and she smiled at you shyly.

“What?” Kate asked cluelessly, looking between the both of you. “Gerri, honey, we all support you here. Don’t be shy. It’s not nice to exclude your girlfriend from things.” 

“We’re so proud of the two of them,” Danny said and wrapped his arms around both you and Gerri, pulling the both of you into a side hug. “We always worried some heartbreaker would come in and swoop our sweet girl away from us, but we struck gold by having Y/N join our family. We’ve always considered her as one of our own.”

His words nearly nestled within you with great sentiment and warmth and you parted your lips to thank him graciously before he added, “You know, my best friend in high school was gay.”

Gerri groaned and pushed her dad away before taking your wrist and dragging you back inside, hot steam practically fuming out of her ears.

Danny shook his fists in the air happily. “I love the gays!” he then exclaimed to which several of his friends also cheered.

Daytime drinking was no joke.

When you finally got back into the house together and were passing the living room, three of Gerri’s much-younger cousins that just started playing Mario Kart on the Switch turned around and cheered together with bright smiles, “Hi, Gerri’s girlfriend!”

“Her name is Y/N,” Kate called across the kitchen as she was bringing in an empty pitcher of water to refill.

Gerri’s head snapped back around to scowl at her mother who she just couldn’t seem to get away from.

“Hi, Y/N!” her cousins corrected, still waving cheerfully.

You smiled back and waved, “Hello, Gerri’s cousins.”

They found that a little funny for whatever reason and their giggles made you laugh.

“Why can’t you guys just mind your own business and play your stupid game?” Gerri angrily snapped at them and pulled you upstairs by the wrist.

Peering over your girlfriend’s shoulder as she led you back upstairs, you exchanged one more wave with her cousins who were still smiling at you from the living room.

When the two of you finally got back to her bedroom, Gerri locked her door and told you that neither of you were to open it if someone knocked, and if needed she’d talk to whoever was outside only through the closed door. 

After that rule was sternly set, the both of you changed into more comfortable clothes as you weren’t planning on going back out any further than the kitchen for the rest of the night.

While sitting at her desk together eating with a show playing on her laptop, you mixed a bite of a caramel M&M with a bite of steak to prove to her that chocolate and meat did indeed mix together well.

You opened your mouth to show her but didn’t even get half a second into it before her hand landed right on your face and she pushed you back.

“You’re so gross,” she laughed and handed you her water bottle, still convinced that it tasted horrendous together. But you pushed forward after you swallowed and nuzzled your nose against her cheek. 

Feeling suddenly sentimental in the cool air of her bedroom doing nothing but spending time together like you always had as friends and now as girlfriends, you hugged her tight and spoke against her cheek, “You’re my best friend, Gerri.”

She set her water bottle down and turned her head so she could look at you. “You’re mine too,” she said and smiled happily.

Sometimes when it came suddenly without either of you really thinking about it, kissing each other often made you both feel a bit stunned afterwards for just a second or two like how it felt just then when she kissed you.

It was something to get used to — the fact that you could kiss each other now.

A part of you hoped neither of you would ever get used to it though, because you loved seeing Gerri look away from you afterwards while her cheeks were flushed a soft pink, and how much wider her smile got when you kissed her again while she was still feeling a bit shy.

When the two of you got tired, you laid in bed together with Gerri’s arms wrapped around your body hugging you securely from behind, her chin resting atop your head. She played with your fingers idly while you continued to watch your show together on her laptop.

Eventually, you could tell from the sound of her breathing that she was beginning to fall asleep and although she told you she could stay up for a little longer, you convinced her to sleep when you turned around and laid her head against your chest. She told you that she’d wake up later so you didn’t have to end the night off so early and that she was only taking a small nap.

You kept your fingers slowly massaging the back of her head so she didn’t have to try keeping herself awake, and so the next time Gerri woke up was early in the morning with the soft light from her desk still on and your warm arms still wrapped around her body while you slept.

Your first night spent together as lovers, albeit initially frenzied, ended up being nothing less than perfect. 

But what was your friendship with Gerri if not a bit chaotic from time to time?

That was how you liked it, anyway.

[flagellant]

if the garden of eden was real and really the origin of humanity then wouldn't it be in africa somewhere? or is christianity generally too racist to posit that idea and it's usually somewhere in europe

The answer is actually weirdly more complex, because in general unless you're looking at full on "golden tablets in the backyard"-levels of racism, it actually is more commonly believed for the Garden to have to have been somewhere around the area of the Middle East, since that's where the Bible is set within. So you get the Persian gulf bit or you get the Mesopotamian theory or you get the "Literally just Armenia" or what-have-you. It's all a lost cause--the Garden is never going to be found because there could never have been a Garden to begin with. Genesis is allegorical. God didn't create the Universe in seven days, Tehom and Firmament are not separated by land which bears all life in a flat disc and a sun, etc. To try and apply logic on a level of where it really could be, or that it should actually be somewhere in Africa, is like trying to determine the precise date of the Flood.

TLDR: Seeking the Garden has value as an exercise in mysticism and exploring the Bible/Christian esotericism and examining the world through a lens where the divine does not just exist in an immaterial otherworld and afterlife, but is a tangible presence which actively exerts itself upon our lives and reality and natural forces. With that said, I have literally never seen Biblical fundamentalism ever lead to literally anything good.

[mariacallous]

From Turkey to Armenia, Uzbekistan to Ukraine, manti are a popular comfort food found in Jewish and non-Jewish communities across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. As an ancient form of dumpling, some trace manti’s origins back to the 1300s during the Mongol Empire in Turkey, while others credit the dish as a gift of the Silk Road; notably, Uyghurs from Northwest China have been making a version of bread prepared in steam known as “mantau” for centuries. Regardless of their origin, manti traveled East toward Korea, West towards the Caucuses and everywhere in between. 

While their popularity spans continents, their shapes and styles differ by region. In Turkey they’re often formed into small pyramid-like pouches, sometimes baked and simmered, sometimes boiled, often topped with yogurt, and served in a tomato-based broth or sauce. On the other hand, the ancient Bukharian Jewish community in Central Asia are known for large intricately shaped manti, generously filled with meat and always steamed — never boiled. There’s also a dairy version of Bukharian manti that’s filled with cheese and served with yogurt. 

Like many celebratory old-world foods, these hand-formed dumplings take a bit of time and effort to prepare, making them ideal for calling a helping hand into the kitchen. Historically, this dish was even a communal activity. While making homemade dumpling dough can be deeply satisfying, you can simplify the manti-making process by using store-bought wonton wrappers – a tip I happily discovered in Gabrielle Hamilton’s “Prune” cookbook. Given the labor, whether it’s with store-bought or homemade wrappers, when I make manti I often double the recipe, freezing extras for future enjoyment. 

Let me preemptively warn you, this manti recipe may not look or taste like the manti you’re familiar with. After exploring different shapes, sizes and toppings, my preference is for smaller-sized manti shaped into pouches. I serve mine in a Turkic-inspired brothy tomato sauce topped with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of lemony sumac; the sweet and sour savoriness of the caramelized tomato complements the heartiness of the delicate beef-filled manti. I’ve provided directions for steaming or boiling your manti, depending on your preferred technique. If you find yourself hoping for a larger-sized manti, the dough can be filled and shaped according to your family’s custom. Whether you stick to the recipe as written or try something more traditional to you, the joy of manti lies not in their size or shape, but in their pillowy soft tenderness, and the inherent comfort they bring to every table.

Notes:

This recipe makes 48 dumplings. 

I use Diamond brand kosher salt for this recipe, if using Morton’s or sea salt use ⅓ less.

The tomato broth (Steps 4-7) can be made several days in advance and reheated as needed. 

You can freeze your shaped manti (homemade or with wonton wrappers) before cooking on a baking sheet. Once the manti are frozen, transfer them to a Ziploc bag or airtight container. They can be cooked from frozen the same way as they are from fresh.

[sovietpostcards]

How was your holiday?

Thank you for asking! Forgive me, but I'm going to answer in great detail. :'D

First I spent 10 days on the coast of Aegean Sea in Turkey and it was great! Turkey is beautiful and there's a lot to explore. I visited the site of the Halicarnassus Mausoleum (which is considered one of the Seven Wonders), the Bodrum Castle, the Museum of Underwater Archeology. Spent quite some time on the beach (lots of fresh orange juice consumed, two books finished) and swam until my lips turned blue. Went on foot to nearby bays/towns just because it's fun to walk. Dined by the sea.

We only had wifi in the hotel lobby (which was 4 flights of stairs down from our cottage), and it was ultimately a good thing to stay off the phone.

And then I spent about a week in Moscow where I saw family and friends, many of whom were visiting the city and it was great luck to coincide like that. I went to the Book Museum in the Russian State Library, Architecture Museum (awesome exhibition on Falсonnier!) and the Apothecary Garden and their greenhouses and rose exhibition. We also explored VDNKh (so many roses!), ate draniki in the Belarus Pavillion and had a dessert of walnut pastries and apricot juice in the Armenia Pavillion. I wanted to go to the 100 Years of Soviet Animation exhibition but unfortunately it was closed that day. I also saw Don't Be Afraid, I'm With You with a group of friends, it's a big musical based on songs of Secret, a Russian band I love very much, and it was absolutely magnificent.

[ayayumastan]

Diaboys (+Yui) Ideal Vacation destination •3•

•Yui grew up so sheltered, she barley saw anything in Japan X-X. So I think she should visit Mt. Fuji first, you know, get to know see the main attraction of her country. She definitely has dreams to travel the world tho.

•Shu does NOT travel. Too much effort. But if he did I think somewhere very secluded. I really like the Idea of him in Greenland, but it might bring back some traumatic memories… (the girls that get it, get it). So maybe and Icelandic Island, or somewhere in the Scottish highlands (can someone please draw Shu chilling with Nessie X-X).

•Reiji is fluid in German so I think he should visit the alps, but the Austrian ones. With all due respect I don’t think my man can handle north Germany X-X (as a German who’s das lives in north Germany, but grew up in the south. I know). I also have a headcanon, that Reiji is very good at skiing. Not sure if he can understand Austrian alp dialect (my grandmas from there so again. I know) but I believe in him

•Ayato would probably be somewhere warme. To do all the water sports and stuff. I really like the Idea of him in Mexico

•Kanato CAN’T go anywhere too warm or sunny. I think Switzerland, the mother of chocolate (let’s not talk about where chocolate is ACTUALLY from). Swiss chocolate just hits different

•Laito goes to Greece. It’s just right.

•Subaru is also not a travel man, but I like him in either the Netherlands or New Zealand. I can’t explain it just feels right

•Ruki would probably go somewhere in the Caucasus area, like turkey or Armenia (yes I know turkey isn’t actually Caucasus area, but I forgot the English word for it). Like I totally think he would explore the remains of Troy (if it really was troy) and go to archeological sights. I also like the idea of him in west Africa for the same reason.

•Yuma would go to a small village in Calabria (I hope that’s also what it’s called in English, but anyways it’s in south Italy). He would have his own little garden there and gets along great with the locals, despite not speaking a word of Italien.

•Kou has traveled the world, since yk he’s famous. So I think he’d go on a wellness retreat on a mountain in Nepal, or to live with yaks in Mongolia.

•Azusa would either go to the middle of the Saharan desert or to Siberia. No in between. I like him more in Siberia tho. Fun fact: my fathers from a little city in the very VERY west of Siberia, and I’d just think it’s cute if he went there :3 (I’ve literally never been there, even tho I’d really like to go. I just know my dad was born there)

•The Tsukinamis travel together. No other option. If it were up to Carla (which it mostly is) they take a tour around Europe. If it were up to Shin, they’d go somewhere tropical, and very much not Europe, like maybe Kongo or somewhere in South America.

•Kino goes to Korea. Again I can’t explain it, it just makes sense. I won’t specify which Korea… because he would just go to both

[kanachtun]

Ամրագրումների համար ⬇️ 📞 099855845 🔗 https://shorturl.at/bBF58 🌐 https://kanachtun.com/ 📌 Yenokavan, st. 1/31, Tavush region, Armenia

[zvaigzdelasas]

30 Oct 23

1 Nov 23

[princesssarisa]

Today in Cinderella Tales From Around The World, the tales come from the southern part of Central and Southeastern Europe, and a little of West Asia for good measure: Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Armenia.

*These Cinderellas are an eclectic mix of the ones we've seen before. Probably because these countries are bordered by Eastern Europe and Germany to the north, by Greece and Turkey to the south, and by the Adriatic Sea that leads to Italy to the West, their tales have aspects in common both with the Eastern and Central European variants and with the very different Mediterranean variants.

**Some Serbian variants share the motif from the Greek versions of the two older sisters killing and eating their mother, but Cinderella saving her bones, which provide her with magical help. The mostly-Mediterranean motif of Cinderella throwing gold coins behind her to distract the prince's servants makes a reappearance too.

**The motif of a cow that helps the heroine, and which is killed only to still provide help in death, often reappears too. Sometimes the cow does the girl's spinning for her, as is typical in Italian versions, while in other variants she magically provides her with food, as is more common in versions from more northern countries.

**Once again, it varies whether the heroine is abused by a stepfamily, or by her own mother and sisters, or just by her sisters, as well as whether she has just one (step)sister or two, and whether her father is present or not. Some also incorporate a "Kind and Unkind Girls" motif, where the heroine proves herself worthy of help by being kind to the magical figure, while her sister doesn't.

**In a few versions, the heroine's mother is turned into a cow, much like the Finnish versions where she becomes a sheep. Although here, the cow transformation isn't typically the future stepmother's doing, but caused by the heroine carelessly breaking a magical taboo.

**Often the heroine is forced to do a task similar to the Grimms' lentil-sorting – e.g. cleaning vast amounts of grain or picking up spilled grain from the floor – but not always.

*Still, there are some original touches too.

**In one Austrian version that follows the "heroine becomes a servant in the palace" storyline, the girl doesn't run away from an abusive family, but simply sets out to seek her fortune like a boy hero would, taking with her a magic sword her father gave her that protects her from harm and grants all her wishes.

*The one Armenian variant, The Brother Ram, is a cross between Cinderella and Brother and Sister. The heroine has a brother, who is transformed into a ram, which leads to the often-seen "Cinderella runs away from home to save her animal companion from being killed by her stepmother" plot line. Then after her marriage, the stepmother and stepsister throw her into the sea and the stepsister takes her place, but instead of drowning she's swallowed by a fish (much like in the Gaelic versions). From inside it, she heard that the stepmother is about to have her brother the ram killed, and she cries out until her husband hears her, kills the fish, and rescues her.

*In both the Georgian and Armenian versions, the heroine's magical helper is a devi.

Next we'll explore the Cinderella tales of the Middle East.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @adarkrainbow, @themousefromfantasyland

[valueadz]

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[thoughtlessarse]

An ongoing joint military exercise involving a comparatively small number of American and Armenian troops at a base in the Yerevan suburbs has caused a paroxysm of rage in the Kremlin. The 11-day joint exercise, dubbed Eagle Partner, will run through July 24 and is intended to boost the “interoperability between the US and Armenia during peacekeeping and stability operations,” according to a report distributed by the US European Command. It isn’t the number of troops involved that have Russian officials in a tizzy, its more about the timing and symbolism of the joint exercise. It is a tangible measure of the progress made by Armenia in its geopolitical pivot away from Russia towards the West following Yerevan’s loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. “You [US and Armenian troops] are at the forefront of an important and growing relationship and partnership, and our nations thank you for your personal commitment toward ensuring peace, security, and prosperity,” US Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien said in remarks made at Eagle Partner’s opening ceremony on July 15. In parallel with the exercise, Armenian media outlet Hetq reported that a resident adviser from the Pentagon will be attached to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense. The adviser’s duties and responsibilities haven’t been publicly disclosed. In addition, the US and Armenia are exploring cooperation on the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Armenia. Currently, Russia has a stranglehold on atomic power generation at the Metsamor facility, which has 12 years remaining in its life cycle. In the history of Soviet/Russian diplomacy, the level of vitriol contained in an official statement has often been in inverse proportion to Moscow’s ability to influence its preferred outcome. In the case of Armenia’s rapid embrace of the West, as embodied in Eagle Partner, the vitriol vented by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was up there. She painted the presence of American forces in the Caucasus in dire terms, saying the United States and NATO were intent on upsetting “the fragile balance” in the region and reigniting conflict.

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Suck it up, Russia, this one's on you. Had Russian peacekeepers done their job in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan would still be under Moscow's sway, but Moscow was too busy trying to take over Ukraine.