Our second month in a very new to us country – Armenia. We didn’t know back there so much about it. And now we have our only home here. And now our now 3 kids speak fluent Armenian.
Now we have 3 dogs, 6 cats/kittens, 2 bunnies, jackals in the backyard, a huge family in Dilijan and Yerevan. Now there is a real community around us, where I can ask for anything and everything and people will find the way to help even at night, and I can help them too.
Now I know that it’s ok to first have a huge screaming fight with someone and then to hug and discuss Azerbaijan, Pashinyan and the bad maspetaran.
Now I only eat home made Dolma and not every home made dolma is tasty too, you need to find a home and always go there for the Dolma. Now I can joke and say “Vai ahchik jan! Lav eli!”. Now my daughter dances Armenian dance and me and Jason can dance too.
Now I know I can’t allow 2 ladies to bring to my table for a holiday the same dish, especially if it’s GATA! (They will kill each other, the guests will kill each over too while comparing whose is better).
Now I come to my house and find food on the table brought by people who wanted to thank me for something. Now when I open the gates of my house I can receive home made vodka, honey, apples, fish from my neighbors, just because today they had it. Just because of that!
Now when my friend is marinading smth for the winter she will be doing it for me as well without me knowing about it. Now the people around me will be asking for 2 months every day how is your mom?
Because they knew her well and worried that she broke a hand very roughly this summer and had a metal thing put inside (well, they knew her well can mean – met once with me in the shop) Now I know the true soul of my Armenian family, which is not perfect but very opened.
Now my kids prefer to sleep over their Armenian family (nanny and her husband). Now my kids have mets kuirik (older sister) from Yerevan. Now I know that the Armenian food is not only horovats and kyabab, but lots of green stuf growing around my house (where to you step?!?
(Me standing on my land randomly somewhere) Are you kidding me?! It’s the tastiest thing, give me a bucket! 15 minutes later we have amazing tasty dinner. Now pomidorof zvadzeh is my favorite dish.
Now I can’t wait to seat at garage and wait for the batrdjan to be cooked on the grill by Armen, then Nune will take the skin off and I will eat the whole thing. Because they have like 120 more to go (for the winter dish).
Now instead of no I answer with the tongue sound (tcs) and a tiny head shake. But if I don’t agree a lot or angry I would move it more. Now when I’m surprised, upset, angry, happy, literally any feeling I can express by saying “VAH MaMA JAN! just change the intonation.
Now I don’t eat bbq in the restaurants never! Now my children can play outside without me and I know that for every woman there my kid becomes her, I’m as relaxed as it was my mom watching them. Even if they see my kid for the first time.
Now I feel safe on the streets. Now when I wake up I see the mountains and I can’t live without them. Now my 6 years old daughter comes from the local educational center and tell us a pretty poetry in Armenian and when I ask her to read it to my friend from Yerevan she says “wow!
It was our main prayer!” And I’m: “Right! Now I can hear the amen in the end..” Now I’m spoiled by the sunsets. Now if need to move a heave furniture I need to ask only one man and 15 mins later there will be 5 men telling to Jason “ it’s too heavy!
We will do without you, go rest, or наливай! (Pour). Now when at the big table people are screaming over each other and I’m screaming louder to tell my story or just an opinion. And yes, we don’t fight, it’s just talking.
Now when the garbage truck is arriving to pick it infromt of the gates, I or Jason run to make 3 cups of coffee for the guys. They do a short stop here, rest and go to collect others.
Now I come home to Dilijan from other countries or even from Yerevan and firstly drink water and say “yeah! It’s so much tastier here!” Now I wake up from Tavas’ night talking “Che Che che uzumem!!”
Now I can tryfood in the other regions and say “Tavush marz cooks it better” Now when we drive somewhere with kids we all sing Sirunik, Hey jan rapama, Zampik zampik and more.
Now my kids seat on my leg and say “ Ji ji paiteji meiderana kapetsi” Now I can buy food/clothes/building materials at the shop and not to pay, the lady will just write the amount to her “special notebook” and they won’t even call me to remind! Yes, sometimes I forget to pay, but “Vochinch Sveta jan! Tsavt tanem”
Tsavt tanem my Armenia 
Thank you for being my family’s home
By Svetlana Lasky taken from Армянская кухня: сегодня, завтра, вчера
