In the Georgian town of Akhalkalak, Serozh Hakobyan is one of those rare people who have apartments in two worlds. The one for this life is on Rustaveli St. The one for the next life is in the Akhalkalak cemetery.

He tells a visitor: “I am both in this world and in the other one.” And he takes every guest to show them his grave.

Full story

After more than a year of service with the 308 th Civil Affairs Brigade of the United States Army Reserve, Specialist John Merguerian recently completed a tour of duty in Baghdad.

Before his assignment was completed, the Armenian-American Merguerian (of Boston) took time to expand his civil service for personal reasons.

“I visited the El-Thufar Elementary School in downtown Baghdad,” Merguerian wrote to ArmeniaNow. “El-Thufar means ‘victory’. It is located next to the St. Gregory Armenian Church which still remains closed due to lack of security in downtown Baghdad.”

Full story

Last Bell.

It happens at the end of May each year, on the last day of school.

Students put on their finest, look their prettiest, behave their oldest and, to the degree possible, spend mom and dad’s money to eat out, hang out, act out – all to celebrate being let out of a school year. (Schools in Yerevan were charging students as much as $230 to participate in their Last Bell programs.)

Full story

For Mikayel Abrahamyan, 49, this month was another opportunity to test his will and to return to a healthy life style.

“It’s been almost a month that I’ve been trying to quit smoking,” says Abrahamyan who has been an inveterate smoker for 23 years. “It’s very hard. I want to smoke every hour but I’m trying everything to get myself distracted and do some work so that I get the main prize.”

Full story