Wow, I can’t believe I’m up this late working on editing my journals from 10 years ago so parts of them can be included in my book. And to think I have to go to Stepanagert tomorrow afternoon.
Though a little bit graphic and personal, since it’s going to be in the book (probably edited down a bit) I want to share with you part of the entry from my wedding night that looking back at it now, my wife was kind of a saint in a way to put up with me and my dreams of being Armenian. Not to say my desires were wrong, but they really were not easy for her since she was use to having things in their place, you will see what I mean.
October 8, 1994
We woke early as instructed the night before for a madakh at the Church. At 9:00 when we finally headed out and arrived to one of the Manoogian houses to pick up a Ram. We went to the Church and took a walk around a khachcar three times. They cut the ear on the Ram and placed a cross of blood on our forehead.
We loaded the Ram back into the car and went back to the house. I was given a sharp knife to cut the Ram’s throat and bleed it so we could walk in the blood.
Our guests from Yerevan arrived. We greeted them and we all packed-up and went back to the Church. Are party arrived and soon after Torkom Srpazan arrived. Prior to our wedding, which was in fact a blessing of our wedding we had in the states before coming to Armenia, though for me since I wanted to get married in Armenia to begin with, this was my wedding day.
Our ceremony was attended by a group of school children from Dilijan, who while conducing the ceremony, Srpazan educated the children in what he was doing and why.
When we were told to drink wine which was suppose to be bitter, I have to tell you that this was the most bitter wine I have ever drank and Srpazan tilted the sliver cup high to make sure I got a good gulp of it while he smiled.
Our wedding was completed and we all drove back to Dilijan and to the hall. On the way, my cousin who was driving us was going 160 kilometers an hour in a soviet made Fiat. I turned to my bride and told her that we came this far and I sure hope this is not the end. We very quickly arrived to the hall where we danced our way to the head table.
I called over my cousin Levon to bring me a vodka bottle filled with water, as I am not a drinker and if I don’t drink something, it’s not going to make my relatives happy. The food was plentiful and the toasts were many. I out drank my relatives, who in order to keep up with me got completely smashed.
After dancing and drinking and toast after toast, the time had come to take my new bride to our nest waiting us in Yerevan.
On the way out, one of my relatives in an army uniform came up to me and asked that we take a picture together. Garo was a professional solider in Artsakh and when he learned that his cousin from America was getting married in Dilijan, he arranged to come.
We arrived in Yerevan at about 9:30 only after Robert was pulled over by the police for not stopping at a check-stop that they tried to stop him at. He had been drinking and did not want to be stopped. The police questioned him and I’m sure he gave them a bribe. We arrived at Varsenig’s and were greeted and offered to be fed. We asked to be taken to Nora’s so we could get some “rest”. Marta kept saying to them to let us get some sleep, as we look “tired”. We were taken to Nora’s apartment which we were told had all the conveniences of home. We climbed the 4 floors with our bags and arrived to a pitch black some what nice looking apartment. Soon the lights came on.
This was a very cute small apartment with a single bed in the living room, a bath near the entrance and kitchen behind the bath and I can’t forget the balcony at the other end of the apartment. Nora covered the windows so the “Wolves” could not see in from the neighboring building. Nora received a call from her friend living directly below. She invited her up to meet us. In the meantime we started to heat water for a bath. Nora’s friend arrived and talked with us. She told us if we needed anything we could call her on the phone or tap on the heater pipes and she would come up right away.
After too long they both left after Nora gave us the keys to the house and showed us how to lock the door. She also reminded us not to leave the water running because if it runs over the apartment below will be flooded.
Lena says this place is like a five star hotel. We take a bath with the hot water from the bucket and water from the bathtub, which looked questionable. We each used less then a bucket to bathe.
As for the first time to be special, I lit a candle and turned out the lights. We got undressed and got in a very narrow bed that was made for half a person or in our case was perfect for a newly married couple. We laid down my green army tee-shirt to make love on so we would not mess the sheets.
What an experience, Lena was definitely in pain. I can’t say that it felt all that good to me as the lubricated condoms could have used much more lube as I was having a very difficult time to penetrate my bride. I felt really bad for Lena, but she wanted to get it over with. We tried everything and she was convinced that it was not going to go in. Finally, something broke and I pulled out. We must have done something right because there was blood on me, her and on the tee-shirt. Lena told me that she saw flashes of light.
I got up to turn on the lights and there was no power. We went to the bath using the candle to light and used one of the dushes we brought from the states and the balance of the warm water left from our bath to clean up. We then rested a bit and did it again. Lena’s friend Sandy had told her once that the first 6 times is the hardest 6 times. We did it a third time and then fell asleep.
October 9, 1994
We woke and decided that the 5 star hotel was not what we were told it was. We dressed and decided to relocate somewhere else where at least they have running water so we can wash.
I called Khachig to find out what was in the plan today. He told me that my parents have plans. I called Nersses’s and found out that they are going to the Vernisage and will meet us in front of the Norivest building at 12:00.
I called Anna to find out what was going on. I told her that we have no running water right now to wash with. She told me that they have not had running water in this building for 3 years. We gathered our belongings and headed out to Varsig’s house. We got lost on the way. All the buildings look the same and we were taken to Nora’s a night. We got so turned around that we could not find our way back to Nora’s (we didn’t want to). We got a Taxi to take us to Anna’s. We are now here hoping that the lights will come on so we can take a bath. No power, no bath.
Though a little bit graphic and personal, since it’s going to be in the book (probably edited down a bit) I want to share with you part of the entry from my wedding night that looking back at it now, my wife was kind of a saint in a way to put up with me and my dreams of being Armenian. Not to say my desires were wrong, but they really were not easy for her since she was use to having things in their place, you will see what I mean.
October 8, 1994
We woke early as instructed the night before for a madakh at the Church. At 9:00 when we finally headed out and arrived to one of the Manoogian houses to pick up a Ram. We went to the Church and took a walk around a khachcar three times. They cut the ear on the Ram and placed a cross of blood on our forehead.
We loaded the Ram back into the car and went back to the house. I was given a sharp knife to cut the Ram’s throat and bleed it so we could walk in the blood.
Our guests from Yerevan arrived. We greeted them and we all packed-up and went back to the Church. Are party arrived and soon after Torkom Srpazan arrived. Prior to our wedding, which was in fact a blessing of our wedding we had in the states before coming to Armenia, though for me since I wanted to get married in Armenia to begin with, this was my wedding day.
Our ceremony was attended by a group of school children from Dilijan, who while conducing the ceremony, Srpazan educated the children in what he was doing and why.
When we were told to drink wine which was suppose to be bitter, I have to tell you that this was the most bitter wine I have ever drank and Srpazan tilted the sliver cup high to make sure I got a good gulp of it while he smiled.
Our wedding was completed and we all drove back to Dilijan and to the hall. On the way, my cousin who was driving us was going 160 kilometers an hour in a soviet made Fiat. I turned to my bride and told her that we came this far and I sure hope this is not the end. We very quickly arrived to the hall where we danced our way to the head table.
I called over my cousin Levon to bring me a vodka bottle filled with water, as I am not a drinker and if I don’t drink something, it’s not going to make my relatives happy. The food was plentiful and the toasts were many. I out drank my relatives, who in order to keep up with me got completely smashed.
After dancing and drinking and toast after toast, the time had come to take my new bride to our nest waiting us in Yerevan.
On the way out, one of my relatives in an army uniform came up to me and asked that we take a picture together. Garo was a professional solider in Artsakh and when he learned that his cousin from America was getting married in Dilijan, he arranged to come.
We arrived in Yerevan at about 9:30 only after Robert was pulled over by the police for not stopping at a check-stop that they tried to stop him at. He had been drinking and did not want to be stopped. The police questioned him and I’m sure he gave them a bribe. We arrived at Varsenig’s and were greeted and offered to be fed. We asked to be taken to Nora’s so we could get some “rest”. Marta kept saying to them to let us get some sleep, as we look “tired”. We were taken to Nora’s apartment which we were told had all the conveniences of home. We climbed the 4 floors with our bags and arrived to a pitch black some what nice looking apartment. Soon the lights came on.
This was a very cute small apartment with a single bed in the living room, a bath near the entrance and kitchen behind the bath and I can’t forget the balcony at the other end of the apartment. Nora covered the windows so the “Wolves” could not see in from the neighboring building. Nora received a call from her friend living directly below. She invited her up to meet us. In the meantime we started to heat water for a bath. Nora’s friend arrived and talked with us. She told us if we needed anything we could call her on the phone or tap on the heater pipes and she would come up right away.
After too long they both left after Nora gave us the keys to the house and showed us how to lock the door. She also reminded us not to leave the water running because if it runs over the apartment below will be flooded.
Lena says this place is like a five star hotel. We take a bath with the hot water from the bucket and water from the bathtub, which looked questionable. We each used less then a bucket to bathe.
As for the first time to be special, I lit a candle and turned out the lights. We got undressed and got in a very narrow bed that was made for half a person or in our case was perfect for a newly married couple. We laid down my green army tee-shirt to make love on so we would not mess the sheets.
What an experience, Lena was definitely in pain. I can’t say that it felt all that good to me as the lubricated condoms could have used much more lube as I was having a very difficult time to penetrate my bride. I felt really bad for Lena, but she wanted to get it over with. We tried everything and she was convinced that it was not going to go in. Finally, something broke and I pulled out. We must have done something right because there was blood on me, her and on the tee-shirt. Lena told me that she saw flashes of light.
I got up to turn on the lights and there was no power. We went to the bath using the candle to light and used one of the dushes we brought from the states and the balance of the warm water left from our bath to clean up. We then rested a bit and did it again. Lena’s friend Sandy had told her once that the first 6 times is the hardest 6 times. We did it a third time and then fell asleep.
October 9, 1994
We woke and decided that the 5 star hotel was not what we were told it was. We dressed and decided to relocate somewhere else where at least they have running water so we can wash.
I called Khachig to find out what was in the plan today. He told me that my parents have plans. I called Nersses’s and found out that they are going to the Vernisage and will meet us in front of the Norivest building at 12:00.
I called Anna to find out what was going on. I told her that we have no running water right now to wash with. She told me that they have not had running water in this building for 3 years. We gathered our belongings and headed out to Varsig’s house. We got lost on the way. All the buildings look the same and we were taken to Nora’s a night. We got so turned around that we could not find our way back to Nora’s (we didn’t want to). We got a Taxi to take us to Anna’s. We are now here hoping that the lights will come on so we can take a bath. No power, no bath.
No comments:
Post a Comment