Have you heard

I passed the New York State bar exam!

So the question remains: What now? I received an email describing yet another glamorous unpaid internship, this time in South Africa. Sounds promising, plus I haven’t been to Africa in a few years.
It occurred to me that I have become the model nonprofit organization. All my work is on charitable causes, and in the last few years, I have consistently qualified for tax-exempt status. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible contribution should contact me directly…

Back in Brooklyn: Lazy days and indulging my jet lag

Mostly just reading and riding my bike around in the rain. It has become habit that I fall asleep by 8pm, wake up for an hour sometime in the night, and then sleep through until morning. Since I can’t really afford to go out right now, it’s working out pretty well. The only bad part - I am waking up at 6am. It’s sort of amusing in the short term, but I have no idea what to do with myself so early in the morning. I’m sure the hell not going jogging in the cold. I don’t watch television, got no job. I can’t even make a smoothie because it will wake up my roommates.  If nothing happens on the job front soon, Ill be temping by thanksgiving.  

Exit Armenia/ 36 hour birthday

For my last night and birthday dinner, Lauren brought me to an excellent traditional Armenian restaurant, complete with live Armenian music. Unfortunately dinner coincided with my final Armenian stomachache, so we went home early. By 7am, we had our sad goodbye, and I flew out of Yerevan. By 11am I, was kicking around the Moscow airport trying to figure out how to celebrate my birthday on the $6 worth of rubles that I had remaining from last time. Realizing that I didn’t even have enough for a slice of airport pizza, it was starting to turn into a very dark birthday. And then in the distance… I had to rub my eyes to see clearly, but I believed to be seeing a sign that my ancestors were, in fact, looking over me and reaching across the eons to welcome me into my 29th year of existence…an Irish Pub. I walked in and made the international sign for ‘do you take credit cards?’, frantically swiping my fist back and forth on the bar. Of course. Before it was all over, I was drinking Guinness, singing happy birthday to myself, and dancing an Irish gig with a Russian bartender of questionable gender.
Regarding the flight, I only wish to mention how really far it was to come home. After boarding in Moscow, I slept and slept for as long as I possibly could. When I finally woke up, we had barely passed Ireland. At least for that day, I was real happy to be living on the east coast.

Back in New York, I missed the time zone and showed up an hour early to see the Quintron show. My friends humored me during that hour of jet lag hell. As the show began it became clear that the room was infested with foodstamp using, FIMA check drinkin’, good for nothing, deep down dirty southerners. All in all a perfect welcome home. I think even the New Yorkers were dancing.

Started a New Armenian Punk Rock Band

check out the album cover...

Trans-caucus adventures, pt.2

Walking past a travel agency we decided to peek in – walked out with $80 tickets to Baku, Azerbaijan, leaving the next night on Azeri airlines, visas available at the airport.

We had dinner in Tbilisi at one of the best restaurants, with almost certainly the best dining room view that I’ve ever seen. We sat before a floor to ceiling window, in a restaurant at the top of a sheer cliff overlooking the river, with a castle/fortress and the old town directly across the river, drinking Georgian wine eating fish and watching the sun go down…


Later on at an internet café, Lauren was scared of some kids playing with a butterfly knife out front, so I went over and asked to borrow it, and I went on to show off all the tricks that Chris I learned (and scars) when we were around 13. Lauren was less nervous about the whole situation, but I think she's probably even more frightened of me.

The next day was rainy so we visited the world famous Tbilisi hot baths, and hung out the rest of the day in the cafes.

Took a taxi down the lil-gwShrubb highway to the airport that afternoon and prepared for the next leg.

Now I’m not usually scared to fly, but I was a little nervous seeing an old Soviet propeller plane on the runway with the proud Azeri flag on the side. Obviously, everything went fine. Landed near the coast of the Caspian sea and started the next leg of our adventure.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a nasty war in the early 90’s ending in a cease fire (but no peace) and the Armenian occupation of Karabakh. Anyone with a Karabakh stamp on their visa will not be let into the country. Lauren has 9 Armenian visas in her passport and has been to Karabakh (but has no stamp), while I have just one. Sure enough, they harassed me about my Armenian exit stamp and let her right through. By this time a certain pattern was already emerging – Lauren would handle all the communications and I would handle all the bags. She worked her magic and we rolled on.

Ill leave details of the hotel/taxi collusion aside but just note Lauren’s attack on their national pride. As I heard her say in Russian repeatedly throughout our stay – we just came from Georgia and everyone was so nice, but here…



I ate the best spiced mystery meat wrap thing for dinner and we started early the next day. I posted below from Baku so to skip ahead – Azerbaijan sucks. I’m glad we went. We both wanted to know if it was a place to live and work, and I know that it isn’t. The old center here is very interesting as compared to the old center of the Muslim cities where I have traveled. Rather than the lively, crowded, stanky, bustling quarters that I’ve seen, this was sanitized by the Soviets. No indigenous markets – only new carpet shops and quiet streets. The highlight, as I mentioned, was drinking tea playing dominos in a 14th century café. Lauren beat me, which I attribute to being distracted by teaching her, and her Dad being a physicist…

The other highlight was the overnight train ride back from Baku to Tbilisi. Old Soviet train with 4 beds to each cabin (we took the top bunks). With clean sheets and pillow cases, everything was smooth sailing except the almost 3 hour boarder crossing.



Back in Tbilisi we had enough time for a quick meal, which brought us within our last 25 cents of Georgian currency. Caught a ride back with a woman, who is friend of Laurens who living in Yerevan working on a documentary in Georgia and doing it all with a baby in tow. All very inspiring…

Trans-caucus adventures: pt. 1

Thursday morning Lauren and I went to the marshutka (ghetto mini bus) in Yerevan bright an early, then sat in the parking lot for 2hours waiting to leave for Tbilisi, Georgia.

During our two hour lunch – barbeque and vodka shots, complementary of the other passengers - the only really interesting story I heard was that according to Armenians an Armenian, Mashtots created both the Armenian and Georgian alphabets. However, if you ask Georgians, they don’t know who created their alphabet. As an independent observer, I’d say they have a pretty similar style – perhaps just fashion of the times.

The other highlight was that one of the Armenians spoke a real good German, so I had someone to talk to during lunch. He had spent a lot of time in Vienna, so I was amused to meet an Armenian speaking with a such goofy Viennese accent…

Arriving in Georgia got screwed by a taxi driver, but managed to find a good hotel. The subway mural was a wall full of raised fists and the city is beautiful at night.

The next morning Lauren and I spent at the Azeri embassy trying to convince the visa guy that we really were just going for a vacation despite the elections. Lauren explained something to the effect of me being a revolutionary and her a documentary filmmaker, so we thought it would make a nice vacation. He told us to try another weekend. Incidentally, I read that 20 Georgian activist/revolutionaries were detained at the boarder.

So we went to have a day. Lauren shopped for shoes, I pouted a bit until we finally got on our tour.

We then walked through one of the most architecturally unique old cities that I’ve ever seen. Lots of wooden balconies hanging over the street, and churches from the 12th century…

I couldn’t find the Zoroastrian fire worshippers temple, but felt strong pagan vibes. Lauren found an old synagogue, which was still in use. And I stumbled past my dream job – Center for the Protection of Constitutional Rights of Georgia.

from Azerbaijan

Election day in Azerbaijan. After spending a couple of beautiful days in Georgia we flew into Baku. The highlights here have definitely been playing dominos while drinking tea in a 14th century cafe, and watching Lauren fight in Russian with every single cab driver, telephone operator, and hotel employee. Taking an old Soviet train back to Tbilisi tonight. More details to follow from Yerevan...

from Armenia: lecturing with a gangster lean

Today, I gave a 75 minute lecture to a Brusov University political science class on “Treaty Law and Interpretation.” As for my political agenda, I was shamelessly hyping the new constitutional amendments that are up for referendum and explaining progressive treaties as basic common sense. In any event, people in the class asked good questions, I shook my finger around in the air, and we all had a real nice time. It is good to be lecturing again. I’m giving the same lecture to another class next week after returning from a short Trip… Tomorrow, Lauren and I leave for Georgia, and if all goes well, Azerbaijan. Incidentally, the Azeri elections are this weekend and some are predicting a coup. I mentioned it to my boss who replied, “aw, that sounds great, I’d bring my kids. We need a little more revolution in our lives.” You’d better arm yourselves…