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.”

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After a three-year recess for repairs, the State Gallery of Armenia has reopened, renewed by some $450,000 makeover sponsored by the Lincy Foundation.

Government officials and art and culture personalities greeted the refurbished gallery in opening ceremonies on May 18.

Gallery director Paravon Mirzoyan said the 83-year old gallery follows only Moscow and St. Petersburg in terms of value among galleries of the former Soviet Union.

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I caught myself knocking on wood the other day.

I don’t mean I was drunk outside somebody’s flat beating on the door to be let (back) inside.

I mean this:

An acquaintance asked me something to the effect of: “How are things?”

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A Yerevan medical clinic is looking for “The Most Armenian Nose”. And then doctors will change it.

As a publicity campaign for its services, Surb Nerses Mets medical center’s plastic and reconstructive surgery department will reward the applicant with the “most Armenian” nose with a free cosmetic surgery.

The contest was announced a week ago, and so far some 200 noses have joined the competition.


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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.)

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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.”

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Five tennis players of Armenian heritage representing different countries of the world are participating at one of the four most prestigious tournaments in the world of tennis Grand Slam Roland Garros taking place in Paris, France from May 24 to June 6. After two rounds of the seven-round competition only two remained.

Eighth seed Argentinean David Nalbandian beat Colombian Alejandro Falla 5-7, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round and will face Stefan Koubek from Austria. In the first round Nalbandian beat rising French star Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-5, 7 7-6 1.

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In cooperation with Caucasus Media Institute (www.caucasusmedia.org), ArmeniaNow will publish stories developed from a recent seminar on the environment and ecology. Visit us next week to learn how Mother Nature and Armenia are getting along.