Celebrity Sighting: Yevgeny Plyushchenko Opens Figure Skating School In Armenia

Olympic Champion of Figure Skating legendar Yevgeny Plyushchenko will open a figure skating school in Armenia named after him and will closely contribute to development of figure skating in the country.

In 2009 a Figure Skating School named after Olympic Champion Yevgeny Plyushchenko will be opened at the Sport and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchyan. Here Armenian children will be able to train with the help of Russian specialists, which means that Armenian figure skaters will participate in international competitions more frequently.

While on a visit to the Armenian capital Yerevan Yevgeny Plyushchenko said that he is not simply interested in opening a figure skating school after his name, but also is interested to closely help to develop this beautiful type of sports in Armenia.

Shareholder of “Bamo” Company Hovik Muradyan assures that the second skating-rink will be created within the coming two years. On New Year’s Eve, on December 27 and 28 world known figure skater Yevgeny Plyushchenko and famous Hungarian composer Edwin Marton will perform the luxurious “Stradivarius’ golden ice” for Armenian spectators.

Plushenko took a break from competitive skating following the 2006 Olympic season. He has said the off season has helped him rest and recover from past knee injuries he has battled.

After seeing the poor results of Russian skaters in the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships (which was the worst since 1960), Plushenko was worried about Russia losing its status as a dominant force in figure skating, and was also concerned that Russia might even lose spots for its skaters in the 2010 Winter Olympics. He announced in April 2007 that he has decided to return to competitive skating for the 2007-2008 season, to keep Russia at a competitive level with other countries until the next generation of Russian skaters can take over. Plushenko has since delayed his return indefinitely.

Plushenko has also stated that he plans to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

In 2008 Plushenko, together with violinist Edvin Marton, accompanied Dima Bilan on stage as part of the winning Eurovision Song Contest performance "Believe" in Belgrade, Serbia.

Plushenko skated on stage as part of the performance.

Reported by Armradio.am

New York Times Article on the Foreign Service

Hiring Window Is Open at the Foreign Service

By EILENE ZIMMERMAN
Published: December 20, 2008

A RARE bright spot has appeared in a job landscape dominated by layoffs: the Foreign Service.

For the last several years, hiring in the United States Foreign Service was minimal because of a lack of Congressional funding. In addition, war has created an urgent need for diplomatic personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as officers have moved to these countries their previous jobs have remained unfilled.

So, in the last several months — with a new president on the horizon and new funding from Congress — both the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, are ramping back up.

A supplemental war funding bill, which became law in June, has provided money for Foreign Service hiring. And President-elect Barack Obama “has talked explicitly about the need to increase the Foreign Service and we hope he will make that a priority,” said John Naland, president of the American Foreign Service Association, the professional association and labor union representing career diplomats.

Full Article

Information on careers and internships at the State Department

Sarah's Birthday

Cheesecake courtesy of Armenian artisan cheesemaker Cheezler.

A new bag from Mom and Dad.

Tivo!

Song and Dance Diplomacy

This is what I've been working on lately... bringing a group of 90 Turkish citizens to Armenia for a concert! (see the oddly designed poster poster and our press announcement below)

Yerevan, Armenia- The Istanbul-based Sayat Nova Choir and Kardeş Türküler musical ensemble will perform at the Aram Khachaturyan Concert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia at 7:00 pm on Friday, December 12. The concert is part of a cultural exchange between Armenia and Turkey organized by Eurasia Partnership Foundation and made possible by funding from USAID. The groups will also perform in Vanadzor at Charles Aznavour Culture Palace on December 13.

In Yerevan Sayat Nova and Kardeş Türküler will perform together Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Arabic, Gypsy and Laz songs including the well-known Ov Hayots Ashkharh, Krunk, Bingyol, Ya Hawa, Kamancha, Medet, Cilicia, Ella Ella, Demme and others.

Kardeş Türküler came into being in 1993, as a concert project by the Boğaziçi University Folklore Club which aimed to interpret folksongs of peoples living in Turkey in their original languages. First they preformed Turkish, Kurdish, Azerbaijani and Armenian songs. Later, the Kardeş Türküler project broadened its repertoire to include songs from other cultures such as Laz, Georgian, Circassian, Roma, Macedonian and Alevi. The last album of Kardeş Türküler, "Bahar" (Spring), was released in 2005. More information on Kardeş Türküler can be found on their website: http://www.kardesturkuler.com/en/

The Sayat Nova Choir came into existence on April 24, 1971 under the roof of the Holy Yerits Mangants Church. Apart from performing as a choir, to the group also studies and interprets Armenian folk music. The Sayat Nova Choir formed its own orchestra in 1992 and now has over 60 permanent members. Since 2004, the choir is conducted by Melikcan Zaman, a former chorister of the Sayat Nova Children’s and Juvenile Choir. More information on Sayat Nova can be found on: http://www.sayatnova.org/

“This is a unique concert by a unique group. What started as a students’ volunteer exercise in the national and ethnic music of Turkey became one of the leading bands in traditional ethnic music and dance not only in Turkey but also outside its borders. The concert will give its Armenian audience a chance to experience traditional music from the many ethnic minorities that live in Turkey and will enrich Armenia’s knowledge of Turkey today. We believe cultural dialogue between a variety of nationalities which live in these two countries will complement the dialogue going on between the two countries on the official and non-official levels.,” says Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan, Eurasia Partnership Foundation Country Director in Armenia.

The Aram Khachaturyan Music Hall is located at 46 Mashtots Avenue. Concert tickets are available free of charge from the Box Office of the Aram Khachaturyan Music Hall, as well as from concert manager Arman Padaryan, by phone at (091) 43-24-80. In Vanadzor invitation tickets are available from organizers by phone at (0322) 2-04-88.

Georgian Wine Trip

In October we went up to Georgia in search of Georgian wines from the country's eastern wine region, Kakheti. While eventually we found more grapes than wine, the views along the way were impressive. Unfortunately, the photos north across the Teliani Valley and Alazani River toward the Greater Caucasus Range didn't come out that well, but some of the better photos are below.

********************************************************

Tbilisi, Georgia

Armenian Church in Tbilisi

**********************************************

Sighnaghi, Georgia

****************************************************

Bodbe Monastery




*********************************************************

Ikalto Academy

Ikalto's wine storage, but no wine

*******************************************************

Tsinandali Estate outside of Telavi, Georgia

Tsinandali Wine Cellar (the original)

The Tsinandali Collection

******************************************************

Teliani Valley Winery in Telavi, Georgia

******************************************************

Above the Alazani River

The Grapes

The Neighbors

**************************************************

Random Castle (unfurnished)

Boots on the Ground in Red Square

A three day business trip took me to Moscow in early October. Neither Sarah nor I have spent much time in Moscow, despite all our other travels in the region. Below are photos taken around the center of Moscow over two nights - one rainy, one not.


On Red Square (L to R: GUM Department Store, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Kremlin Bell Tower, Lenin's Tomb [outside the Kremlin wall])

Saint Basil's Cathedral

Kremlin Bell Tower

GUM Department Store

Looking back across Red Square toward the State Historical Museum.

Changing of the Guard at Russia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Russian State Library, though the facade still says "Lenin State Library of the USSR," with Samsung advertisment in the background. Looking for a specific book? Try here.

My hotel - the Leningradskaya Hilton, one of the Seven Sisters wedding cake skyscrapers commissioned by Stalin.


Soviet realist mural in Komsomolskaya Metro Station.

Triathlon 2.0

Not satsified with last month's first go-a-round at two-thirds of a triathlon, Sarah was back out at Lake Sevan this Saturday for Triathlon 2.0, competing alongside Zach - who missed the first triathlon due to the recent hostilities in Georgia. Brian was on-hand to call the play-by-play below.

Storm clouds, stiff winds and choppy seas greeted the contestants on arrival, but it was nothing a little coffee couldn't fortify against.

Sarah was all smiles as she got ready to face the whitecaps in borrowed wetsuit.

At water's edge.

In the water - Sarah (bottom center, left) and Zach (top center, right).

After the swim.

Onto the bike.

A windy 40 kilometers later.

And she's off for a 10k jog.

Water stop at 5k.

Sarah and Zach at the finish, ready to do it all again.

Sarah's times: 1000 meter (est.) swim: 00:25:22 / 40 kilometer bike: 01:52:35 / 10 kilometer run: 01:11:00. Total time without transitions: 03:28:57. Total elapsed time: 03:39:12.

Number of king-sized snickers bars that Brian ate during the race: 1.