March 2003: The incumbent president of Armenia is re-elected in a critically flawed election. Thousands fill the icy streets of Yerevan to shout their protests and vows of overthrow. But soon they retire to the passivity of pre-election status quo, sputtering into silence after a few relatively harmless weeks.

November 2003: Thousands march in the capital of Georgia, Armenia's northern neighbor, to protest blatantly rigged parliamentary elections. By the end of the month, Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze has quit following a bloodless democratic coup; in early January, a dynamic young U.S.-educated lawyer is overwhelmingly elected the country's new president, creating an opportunity for real change.

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On January 17, after a year and a half of being "dark", the doors of Yerevan's House of Opera and Ballet after Spendiaryan reopened.

With curiosity and nostalgia hundreds of people were examining the renovated building, evaluating, admiring the columns with new marble slabs, criticizing that the floor is not varnished and were looking with surprise at the sparkling white chandelier, which before was so dusty that it seemed to be gray.

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A rewarding (or disappointing) thing about living abroad is what the experience teaches you.

For example, being an "otar" in Armenia has taught me that I:

This week I learned that I am a homosexual polygamist.

If I've told you more than you wanted to know, turn the page. Otherwise, let me explain .

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A new initiative by an Armenian diocese is making answers to spiritual questions as easy as a click of a mouse.

Want to know the Church's position on gender equality? Looking for forgiveness for extramarital indiscretion? Need absolution for un-confessed sin? Log on to www.araratian-tem.am.

For the past month, the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church has been helping answer spiritual needs through its Armenian Virtual Priest feature found at its website.

By sending email (press@araratian-tem.am), the faithful or merely the confused can "speak" to a priest in a form of e-counseling that is a first in the local Armenian Church.

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The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has spread across the political field to the arts.
This week Azeri television and newspapers reported that Armenian singer Varduhi Vardanyan has stolen a song from their favorite pop star Briliant Dadasheva.

Seeing the Armenian singer perform on an Armenian TV channel, the Azerbaijani singer applied to the head of Azerbaijani copyright agency Kyamran Imanov who agreed to help her seek justice in this case of "Armenian plagiarism".

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A valued cello that became subject of a diplomatic squabble has been returned to Armenia after 18 years abroad.

On January 12, the Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs of Armenia officially received the cello from the Ukraine, where it has been a hostage of paperwork. Ukrainian officials have maintained that instrument was brought to the city of Lvov without proper documents and therefore could not leave their country.

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Thirteen volumes of the Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia are carefully leaned against each other in the bookcase of Hovhannes Aivazyan's workroom. Next to the older ones are volumes published within the past decade.

They are evidence of a man who has a special regard for the collection of facts and figures.

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Five tennis players of Armenian heritage entered the Australian Open, the ATP's first Grand Slam of the new season, in Melbourne.

Two remain in singles competition: Andre Agassi (USA, seeded 4) defeated Tomas Enqvist (Sweden) 6-0, 6-3, 6-3 to advance to Round of 16. David Nalbandian (Argentina, 8) will get his chance to advance tomorrow when he meets Wayne Ferreira.

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