Then and Now.

After only spending a week in Yerevan and a couple nights in Stepanakert, my
emotions and understand of my homeland have changed completely from my first visit
to Armenia. The first time I came to Armenia and Artsakh was in 2006 with my family. I
was 13 years old, and had the time of my life, sightseeing, taking pictures and just
experiencing a whole new environment and lifestyle. This time around, yes, Iʼm still
taking those usual pictures and revisiting the basic sightseeing spots, but Iʼm really
gaining a totally different experience out of it. This time around, Iʼm trying to understand
exactly why Iʼm at a particular monument or why this church is different from all the
other churches found throughout Armenia. Last week, we visited Sartarabad, we took
pictures and confidently discussed the victories of our people. We all thought we knew
the stories, until one of our group members, Unger Khachig, took it into his own hands
to acquire more information for the group, by speaking to one of the female workers at
Sartarabad. They spoke for a long period of time, and in the end we found out that this
women was no ordinary employee, but rather a widowed wife who had been working
there since the martyr of her husband in the Kharabagh war. Thatʼs one story none of us
would have known if it wasnʼt for Khachigʼs interest on learning more and speaking with
the “deghatsis.”

Sightseeing isnʼt just taking pictures next to the church or monument, or reading
the small description on a nearby plaque, explaining the significance of the church or
monument. To gain the full sightseeing experience, one needs to take the time to
understand and respect that piece of history preserved for us today. Four years ago, I
did not take this approach, but today thanks to Unger Khachig, I have now acquired the
real secrets of good sightseeing in Armenia.

In 2006, I was lucky enough to come to Artsakh as well. We stayed in Shushi,
such a beautiful city but sadly destroyed by war. At the time I understood that Artsakh
had just survived a war and thatʼs why it was destroyed. But being only 13, I can say my
understanding of the real situations in Armenia and Artsakh were blurry and quite
unclear. Four years ago, living in the Sushi Hotel, I did not quite understanding the real
lives of my brothers and sisters in Artsakh; believing life here was decent, with water
and food available at all ours of the day. Obviously, I was wrong in many ways. I began
to understand the real Artsakh during our first few days in Stepanakert. After our first
dinner, fellow group members, Stephan, Khachig, Levon, and myself were sitting
outside with our host mom while she was washing the dishes. She explained to us that
the neighborhood where her house is, the same house that we are staying in for the
next 2 weeks, only has access to water from 7pm to 9pm, thatʼs only 2 hours for an
entire household days of work to be done, washing dishes, laundry, shower and the list
continues. Itʼs a very difficult lifestyle but somehow they manage on a daily basis. Life is
difficult here in Stepanagert, and even harder in the smaller towns of Artsakh, yet they
donʼt complain. Life in America is heavenly compared to this but as Americans we still
find ways to complain, we complain if our water is too cold or too hot, whereas in places
such as Artsakh, around the world, that donʼt even have access to clean water, or even
water in general. Regardless of their sad conditions, they truly are the happiest people
Iʼve ever met.

First time I came was in 2006 as a young 13 year old tourist boy, who had no
actual understanding of the struggles of the day. Now Iʼm here again, as an 18 year old
young adult, who now has a greater understanding of the struggle. My emotions and
understanding have changed so much in 1 week, i know it will further grow and change
in the remaining 5 weeks of my stay.

From Artsakh,
Raffi Senekeremian