A joyful week in Athens with our three-month old baby
On New Year’s Eve 2019, my wife Jessica and I gathered for a small party in Zamalek, the affluent Cairo neighborhood where we and many other expats live. Our hosts were another Canadian couple Sarah and Marko, and they were quick to hand us glasses of imported wine and tell us to help ourselves to sushi or anything else from the generous spread. I would … Continue reading A joyful week in Athens with our three-month old baby
That time I went to the movies the same day the WHO declared a pandemic (and three other memorable cinematic experiences of 2020)
Every year I make a semi-serious New Year’s resolution to watch more movies. There are few things I enjoy more than watching films on the big screen, and even in our era of streaming dominance, I happily leave my house several times a month for public screenings. The stay-at-home lifestyle of 2020 was good for my overall movie consumption but terrible for my in-person attendance. … Continue reading That time I went to the movies the same day the WHO declared a pandemic (and three other memorable cinematic experiences of 2020)
My Favourite Songs of 2017
When I was 11, I would wake up Saturday mornings and immediately fire up the family desktop to publish my Top 10 songs of the week list on Corel Quattro Pro. My Dad being an announcer at the local Christian radio station, my chart was inevitably filled with Christian music artists, although I liked to think I was including the most interesting artists of this … Continue reading My Favourite Songs of 2017
Celebrating Armenian Christmas at Etchmiadzin
Last weekend, on January 6th, it was Armenian Christmas. You might be asking yourself, why do Armenians celebrate on on this day? According to the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, until the fourth century, all Christian churches celebrated Christmas on January 6th. Then the Roman church decided to move the date to December 25th to override a major pagan feast. The Armenian Church, however, … Continue reading Celebrating Armenian Christmas at Etchmiadzin
Beautiful Armenian Churches, a Friendly Guide Dog, and Puppies!
After our previous day of adventure in Dilijan, Jessica and I had a wonderful sleep and then were treated to a massive breakfast in the hotel restaurant (sausage omelette, friend potatoes, bread, cheese, cold cuts, cookies, pancakes, apples, persimmons, Armenian coffee, and rosehip juice). We asked the hotel reception if they could arrange a taxi to take us to the nearby churches of Haghartsin and … Continue reading Beautiful Armenian Churches, a Friendly Guide Dog, and Puppies!
Why Santa Never Visited My House
Santa Claus won’t be visiting our house this year. Or next year. Or any year after that. This is the opening of a column my dad wrote in 1991 in the Pembroke Observer, the local paper of the small city where we lived until I was 10. My father was a stay-at-home dad, which was rare at that time, and he wrote about his adventures … Continue reading Why Santa Never Visited My House
Visiting ‘Old’ Dilijan in Winter
This past Saturday, Jessica and I wanted to travel to the town Dilijan, about 100km from Yerevan. Dilijan is a small town surrounded by mountains and is popular in summer with both Armenians and foreigners. It is also home to many artist studios and galleries. The first step of our journey was confirming where we could catch the marshrutka (minibus) to Dilijan, as intercity marshrutkas … Continue reading Visiting ‘Old’ Dilijan in Winter
Family Advent Celebrations
Tomorrow is the first day of Advent. For the uninitiated, Advent is celebrated in Western churches to mark the coming of Christ, and it begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. In churches I have attended, the first Sunday of Advent involved lighting the advent wreath (which has four candles for each of the Sundays of Advent and one in the middle for Christmas itself) … Continue reading Family Advent Celebrations
Ashtarak and Kasagh Gorge Churches
After two weeks in Yerevan, Jessica and I decided this past Sunday to get out of the city and do a bit of exploring. Choosing which churches to visit in Armenia can be a daunting task, but this time we settled on going to the town of Ashtarak, about 25km from Yerevan, as well as the surrounding churches along the Kasagh Gorge. We travelled to … Continue reading Ashtarak and Kasagh Gorge Churches
Going Up Into The Mountains (and Having Much More Fun Coming Down)
One of great things about living in Geneva is that it is so easy to take a train up into the mountains. For me the hardest part is just deciding which mountain to visit. This time, we made the right decision. A few weeks ago Jessica and I woke up nice and early on Saturday morning to catch a 7:30 train to Montreux. Jessica was not … Continue reading Going Up Into The Mountains (and Having Much More Fun Coming Down)
Paul Anderson 