Happy Victory day

Last Monday I was told we were going to have the day off. It’s an Armenian holiday I was told, but no one ever told me which holiday it was. Monday morning my counterpart called me and told me to be at the park by 11 am to meet all the teachers. So I got Sophie ready for a walk thinking my school was going to have a small picnic. When I stepped outside my door I noticed that a lot of people were heading in the same direction so I decided to follow them. Turns out they were going to the park too, and that they all knew a shortcut that no one had ever told me about… good to know.
When I got to the park I immediately ran into a group of my students who told me where our teachers were. There were a couple hundred people standing by a monument. I walked over just in time for the Mayors speech. What he said I have no idea because I was trying to make sure that Sophie didn’t scare any small children. Soon dancing began and I was trying my best to get a view when an official looking man grabbed my arm and gently lead me to the front of the crowd to watch the performance.
After a few songs and dances we were told to move to the main stage for the concert. I still really had no idea what Victory day was but I figured it must have something to do with Russia since most of the songs were in Russian and the monument we were standing near was also in Russian.
The rest of the day was filled with Armenian folk dancing and music. It was a great way to spend my day off in my community and to make some new little friends!
I never really understood what the day was until I went home and googled it! Thank God for Google where it states the following: Victory Day[1] or 9 May marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and all post-Soviet states)




a beautiful armenian folk dance... makes me want to learn how!!!


This little boy sat in front of me the whole time. While he kept staring at me he never seemed to notice Sophie on my lap until an hour into the show. At which point he yells "pop that english girl has a dog on her lap" The popik must of though he was making up stories cause he shooed him away. The boy moved closer to me and called his cousins over. They began to talk about me and Sophie. My counterpart interrupted them and asked how he knew I was an English Girl. He said because I was speaking English and I didn't look like one of them. I told them I am not English I am American and they came over to pet Sophie. All of sudden the pop yells out, Get away from the dog it will bite you" I answer in Armenian that she doesn't bite. He looks at me for a long time and then asks the son who I am. He tells him that I am an English girl....



My co-workers daughters are both in this little dance number. When the oldest one saw me she yelled out Maam Miss Alyssa is here and began to jump up and down! You can say I have developed a soft spot for her!! She is in the first grade at our school and she always runs up to hug me every morning! Maybe she can teach me to dance!




This little girl was as cute as could be so I turned around and she smiled at me so I snapped a picture of her!



Me and my counterpart and Sophie! She watches Sophie whenever I leave town and she thinks Sophie is adorable but she is afraid to touch her.

These little boys were awesome!