No doldrums

Published: Saturday July 28, 2007

Those of us who plan community activities know better than to schedule a routine meeting or lecture for the summer months. No, community life does not take a vacation. On the contrary, it livens up and becomes so active that there's no time for the mundane. There's so much going on that's extraordinary and wonderful.

*Of course, there are church and community picnics. How many of us arrange to be at not only our own community picnic, but also those of nearby communities? Some good khorovadz, sarma, lively music, sweaty line dancing, and companionship are worth the extra commute.

What's the farthest you've traveled for an Armenian community picnic?

In California, the picnic concept has evolved into the art walk. As we report in this week's Arts & Culture Section, the picnic was on the streets of Little Armenia, accompanied by artwork showcased in neighborhood stores and eateries. But the essential music and line dancing was definitely there!

*It's not summer without summer camp. Summer is the season for first-time campers - some showing how much they miss mom, some hiding it, all learning, making friends, and growing up. Summer is the season for soccer and softball and hoops and canoeing and always, pinky-to-pinky, dancing. Summer is the season for missing the kids and for relishing a tiny bit of peace and quiet at home in their absence.

What's your favorite summer camp story?

* Summer is also internship season. It's when the next generation of active Armenians congregates in Washington, in New York City, and in Yerevan to get started off on successful careers through hands-on work experience, but also to bond with fellow Armenians. Rare is the former intern who, years later, does not count fellow former interns among his or her best friends.

Have you kept in touch with your fellow internship alumni?

The major internship programs report having more applicants this year than they could accommodate. Meanwhile, a new kind of work-life immersion experience has emerged through Birthright Armenia: an opportunity to spend an extended period of time in Armenia doing good work and bonding not only with fellow volunteers but also with host families. Participants say it's an amazing experience.

*Summer is a time for family vacations as well. In the old days, East Coast Armenian families would find each other in the Catskills. Nowadays, it's hard for an Armenian-American to walk down a thoroughfare in Yerevan on a summer evening and not run into old friends.

Do you have a favorite vacation story from Armenia?

*And finally, summer is time to catch up on our reading. Did you stand in line for the final Harry Potter book? Did you pick up Antonia Arslan's Skylark Farm, "now a major motion picture"? What has been your favorite book of the summer so far?

Write to us at letters@reporter.am, let us know, and we'll let you know what others are reading.

Use plenty of sunscreen and enjoy every minute of the summer!