a taste of military

One sunny October afternoon PanARMENIAN Media staff took a day off (the news editorial works 7-days/week) and went on a team retreat to a... military polygon. Being a pacifist and all that stuff, I had announced that I won't be taking a gun, and would just stand there and watch other people shooting (I had even missed a preliminary training on how to load the gun, how do hold it, what/where are the targets, etc)

The only required thing was not to wear skirts (please:). I gladly put on my black patent boots and jeans, someone arranged a special rambo-style make-up so we arrived there, at the Nubarashen military polygon (in a Yerevan suburb) fully prepared.

initial preparations

the required make-up :D

beware!  I can shoot!

We got the full cartridge and signed in a special list. There were some military servants standing nearby, enjoying this scene with the mostly female group that was laughing, making fun of each other and holding a real kalashnikov for the first time in their lives. Then they were cheering us and giving advices on how to hold it so it wouldn't hurt the shoulder and to open the mouth not to hurt the ears. 

Turned out I was the 2nd one in the list and as I usually do in these kind of situations, i did the opposite of getting into panic. Meaning, I got concentrated and really up to doing it. I just love new experiences in life.

 I took the gun, asked the instructor to make sure it won't hurt my shoulder and barely seeing the target I started to push the trigger.. one, two... three.. not even close :) then I got the round. puf, puf! 

can you see the target? me neither :D

To me the target was to overcome myself, not to hit a physical object. Yeah, it was deafening, my untrained shoulders felt the kickback and i smelled the gunpowder to the extent of getting used to it.

Overall, this was a remarkable experience and I got a souvenir in the form of a cartridge case to remind me of my first gun experience in life.

the souvenir

P.S. Foreseeing questions like how did we organize this kind of a team retreat, I must say that the idea belonged to our editor-in-chief Marina, who wrote an official letter to the Minister of Defense and got the approval. All the security measures have been taken in the polygon and special preparations were done in order to host us that day.

our team

A photo to be proud of. Me, my colleagues and the Prime Minister

So here's the famous "Running Prime Minister" photo which was captured by our newest staff addition - Tigran. The photo became viral and in just 2 days was shared more than 500 times on Facebook, printed in newspapers and spread quickly by word-of-mouth.

Today, PanARMENIAN Photo staff had the chance to visit Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan for this shot and a quick chat.

Nanik, me, Tigran, PM Tigran Sargsyan, Vahan and Sedrak @ PanARMENIAN Photo

New beginning (part 2)

The beginning of this post is here.

Coming true

in Manana youth center (2004),
where i used to teach kids web design

On one of the sunny August days i got the offer. My friend, who was affiliated with one of the private universities, asked me if i would like to teach :) and if my boss would like that idea too?

As someone who's equally interested in my development and realizes that this is another approaching milestone for me, he would surely agree.

So i started preparing. "Internet marketing" is not a subject i would normally consider myself a professional in. But since it is in my area of interest and was aligned with my further plans in life, having my quick-learning skills, I could definitely do it. There are not so many things that i'm this much sure in.

Seems like my long time wishes is coming true.

in EIU (my new workplace),
during some AIESEC event in 2008

I got enough time for preparation. I knew i should write a course syllabus, define the detailed plan of the classes, assignments, projects, testing methods & stuff like that.
For the start, i downloaded a dozen of internet marketing classes syllabuses and explored them. I already had a picture how my syllabus will look like (using the best examples from each) and i found out that i definitely need a course website to set up. Then found couple of online courses that i studied.. And even found Harvard Extension Program's internet marketing distant course's materials (just from the last year!). I mean ALL materials. Video lectures, assignments, study materials in PDF and doc… my heaven :)

So i'll have 2 groups: 4th year and 2nd year of Master's. 2 class hours in each group per week.
I have to develop a very interactive course, including many interesting in-class activities and assignments. Taking into account that the students' marketing knowledge, as well as English-language skills may be limited, i'll have to make sure to find appropriate materials in russian or translate some stuff myself.
Quite a challenge already. It could also be so i would have to first teach what's the internet, then what's marketing.. and so on :)

But while i was picturing myself during the classes, i identified another challenge: my look. i have some concerns regarding my look. *they say* i'm looking younger than my age, even much younger. I have a fear that it will create a faulty impression that i'm not serious enough or professional enough. I'll make sure to put some blush and lipstick before entering the class :)

The first class

my new workplace

I ran my first class in the 4th year group last Tuesday. I've been preparing for quite a while. I've already created the course website, the syllabus is ready to be finalized, i have collected and prepared all the info for the first class. Including my self-presentation, the syllabus presentation, the material on what is internet and what's internet marketing in general :) some ice-breaking acivities are also being prepared. I made a student form so that everyone can fill and i can learn more about them. I will share my impressions from the first lesson soon.

My co-workers and friends are already making fun of me. Maybe they can't imagine me being a professor, dealing with students. Can i really picture myself there? :D should i wear glasses? Dress like a nerd? Be very strict and demanding? Shout on misbehaviouring students? Use punishments? Hit with a pen on a wooden table several times to silence those who speak during the class? :D
In fact, during the first class I asked the students what works for them as a punishment, and what should i do to silence them. I'll share their answers soon :)

My little social experiment
While being very excited about my new "role" and job... i updated my status on FB. I wrote "I got a new job", keeping in mind that people know about my close ties with the current job, they will somehow assume that i got an additional one and didn't quit PanARMENIAN. I couldn't, however, imagine the huge response I got from many friends. Some of them still ask me about where do i work now, since they are convinced that i changed my job, instead of getting an additional one :) 

The experiment identified people who were interested in me, happy hearing good news for me or cared about my workplace :)

...

In a separate post I'll describe my first impressions on today's students and teaching in general.

New beginning (part 1)

Fall 2010
Here it comes. My beloved autumn. The 26th one I witness. It has always had a special meaning for me. It's when I get most productive, enthusiastic and innovative. It's the start of something new. New area of learning. For many years it had always been celebrated by the beginning of studies which i had managed to miss during the summer...

For a few years after my graduation, I'd already missed the excitement prior to September 1. I felt the lack of celebrating the start of something new. This year it's again the beginning of studies for me. No, I'm not studying again :)
But let me share something with you.

Historical remark, i.e. my teaching experience

my first encounter with a computer. Netherlands, 1994

When it first somehow turned out that i have to start teaching, I was merely 17 years old. Just entered the university, uncertain about so many things. But luckily, i had to teach kids younger than me and things i was very confident in: computer skills. At first. Then i got offered to teach another subject: HTML. I was just started to explore the book my mother bought me from Vernissage. A soft-cover tutorial in Russian, with big red titles, describing all the magic of creating web sites. The job was tough... I had to learn first, and learn deeply, in order to be able to teach it to kids... and they may ask questions.... luckily, it was then i discovered that I can actually learn things pretty quickly. Those kids had no chance to catch up with me :)

It continued for about 7 years... when i'm now looking back, i can't imagine having a 7 years experience of teaching.. can i say that i really did master some key points of teaching art? I mean 7 years, beh!

During that period i even had an out-of-class student. She was a neighbor of ours, just married, looking for a job, but lacking any computer skills. It was a different experience, but probably also somehow notable.

Then I joined AIESEC. The title of trainer somehow again stuck on me, as i was destined to teach computer skills, effective PC/internet usage stuff to people who needed it. I loved the process. I realized that sharing knowledge is something i truly get satisfied from. I love the feeling to be the source of knowledge for someone. It adds value to my knowledge too. So in AIESEC i've been doing some trainings and presentations...

and so about the public speaking. Those who know me, can state that i'm quite a shy personality, not very talkative especially in front of more than 3-4 people. That is how I am... It took me quite a while to overcome the fear of getting on stage and voice trembling. I'm still in the process of learning it, through experiences, thanks to feedbacks. i'm constantly improving my public speaking and presentation skills because i knew it would someday become useful ...

The thought…

Some years ago i started seriously considering offering to teach in my university (SEUA). I was thinking to approach our dean and tell him that i'd be glad to teach some IT-related subject i'm confident about in my faculty. Not that i was feeling the urge to give something back to my alma mater.

Probably the main reason is that I was just feeling bad for today's students who do not have enough young and enthusiastic professors to learn from. I remember that during my studies, most of the useful skills and knowledge were gained from those few young graduates that were teaching us couple of hours a week. They were like vivid examples of successful entrepreneurs and scientists that could inspire us and teach using the language that we used. They knew much more of contemporary technology than their older, wiser colleagues with higher degrees, who were, however, stuck in the soviet-style mindset and methodic, refusing to adopt newer technologies and teaching methods in the classroom.

my diploma work, printed, ready for the defense :)

However, maybe deservingly, these old guys are still much more respected and considered to be more important by the university management, and they not only do not encourage or promote young professors, they put obstacles on their way.

If i actually approached my dean and my offer to teach got accepted, i would still have the feeling that i "own" the university for giving me the opportunity to teach. They would probably treat me like i'm too young "to know many things" and i won't get the deserved respect for the time i would take from my fulltime job and free time and devote to teaching, practically for no or very small monetary compensation. They would feel that they can exploit me, and load with lots of stuff i shouldn’t do. Maybe i'm very wrong with my assumptions but somehow i feel that it will be more or less like that.

My mom (a university professor, PhD) one advised me not to apply for postgraduate studies unless i'm planning to devote my life to teaching. No, she exactly said like this: "Do you really want to devote your time to teaching in a university? Hardly, there's no reason to study PhD for you". What she didn't know is that i actually love teaching (genes, huh), but she was assuming that she didn't want me to encounter the difficulties that the teachers and professors face today. They are way underpaid and have so few opportunities and it's not one of the most rewarding jobs.

I have my own motives for this.

1. The satisfaction from knowing that you were the source of someone's knowledge and the feeling to be helpful for several people.

2. Developing the public speaking skills, ability to handle a large audience.

3. Getting to know subject much more deeper, really mastering it.

4. Kind of recognition of the knowledge you have. You won't teach it, if you wouldn't know it good enough, true?

5. Learning 'back' from the students.

click here to read the part 2.

PanARMENIAN Media - an enviable employer and my 2nd home

Continuing the trend, I also want to share how "PanARMENIAN" got into my life. It wasn't ever expected and now seems to me as a pure mystery :) Not going into the details and making the long story short, it goes as follows:

The man whom I didn't know then, but who was later meant to become one of my best friends and the-best-boss-ever© just invited me over for a talk and asked me to work there (I was recommended to him by some people, as a web developer, however). I clearly stated that I won't go for a programming again, but I also told that I'm not sure what I see myself in. He talked and talked for a while; told some things about me that shocked me to death and made very suspicious. How could someone know me so well before we even got the chance to meet personally? I started to guess about his affiliation with some secret services or hours he spent exploring and analyzing the information I have left online by that time. The other guess was that he was somehow coming from future (around this time, probably), when he has worked with me for months and knew me abbastanza bene. This option seems the most likely one to me now :D
Then he didn't mention a position, I couldn't understand why he needed me there so much... There were a lot of small factors that were keeping me from accepting the offer immediately, mostly connected with my habits and expectations of conditions based on my previous workplaces. And I couldn't get our conversation out of my head. It seemed too fancy and unrealistic. I couldn't believe that he really meant what he told me.

Moreover, something I was waiting for so long finally seemed to come true. I was accepted for a 1-year internship where all the expenses, including the travel, were covered. Still can't believe it, but I REFUSED the irresistible offer of my dreams to go to Italy and work in one of sub-companies of the Benetton Group.

I haven't regretted for it ever since.

At a meeting/presentation for the staff, telling about our developments and plans

In reality, this man has an extraordinary ability of seeing people through and attracting like-minded people, getting them together. The growth and continuing success of our company is substantially stipulated by the team that was formed and is being lead by a truly great leader.

Here, in PanARMENIAN Media, I got the chance to try out a completely new profession (or some of them) and for the first time in my life, I developed ownership feelings towards a company I was just an employee of. Ok, not just another employee, but part of the officer's team ;)

Do you know how it feels when your every waking hour is filled with thoughts connected with work?
When you treat your job as if it was your own business and can beat anybody that would try to make any harm or offend it?
Sense company failures as if they were your personal, or get extremely excited and happy for the achievements as if that were personally yours?
When your job is your hobby and vice versa...
When you have so much fun at work and enjoy your colleagues so much that you don't mind spending your evening hours in the office too :)
When you actually create your work yourself...

I wish you would feel as satisfied with your job, as I am with mine :)

On April 2, 2010, PanARMENIAN.Net turned 10 years old. It was the first online news website in Armenia and it's the best one currently. Believe me :)

For more than a year we've been developing this completely new engine and months of sleepless nights of certain people resulted to this completely new PanARMENIAN.Net that was launched on its 10th anniversary. It's still in beta and will be continuously developed to strive for our mission to become the pan-Armenian common information field. We acknowledge that there are still some flaws and it's not perfect yet ('beta' is a good excuse ;), however we try to make it so.

We work with firm goals, by fair means and are honest to both ourselves and our stakeholders. I would also describe hour working style as detail-oriented and very upright. We don't go for short-term benefits and trade quick results for long-time greater achievements.
It's founded on very professional bases and with a great sense of liability for our country's deserved positive image and civil responsibility. However it's also very cool in terms of being creative and witty, when proper and needed.
Truly amazing individuals form the key staff; people who are multi-talented, completing each other and devoted to the idea. Moreover, PanARMENIAN has got a big army of supporters and friends that we are proud of.

No matter the pageviews, visits, pageranks and other rankings, I reckon that we don't have competitors, but have colleagues together with whom we are working towards developing the media industry in Armenia and presenting the proper image of our country for the world community.

And here's the team that makes it all happen:

You can admire our faces while browsing this and this sections of PanARMENIAN.Net on the right side of the page ;)

Well, I'm not superstitious and don't really believe in evil eye, but, da bene esse I'm sticking my favorite eye amulet to this post ;)

Disclaimer: Despite my position in the company and considering the fact that this is my personal blog, opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the official position of the company or the editorial. 

Just felt like writing

I'm frozen. It's the end of January and the winter has just arrived. I took my usual longest way to home from work in order to have a walk, but when i got home, i didn't feel my feet and fingers. Hate feeling cold!
I guess I have to limit my walks, despite the fact i badly need that time for organizing own thoughts, listening to music and checking the streets for "updates" in terms of stores and other news. Oh yea, i hate missing any important update in the city (well, and in general too).

The job

Since the holidays finished, I've been working like never before. I'm being quite productive, organized and even actually efficient. If before I was mainly just generating ideas and developing some of them up to a written project, these days I'm actually implementing the ideas and creating something measurable and complete.

I developed a workaholism of a certain level and didn't even notice how my job took over my entire life at the moment. My brain's CPU is 100% busy with job-related tasks, even if I'm taking a walk, having a shower or going to bed. I'm constantly making charts, organizing information into tables, creating task lists, reading stuff needed for specific projects. Although my super accessible netbook and the lovely MindManager are making my work more efficient and easy, i'm actually afraid that i will feel lost when i won't have them around. I also started to rely on an online task manager TeuxDeux, my daily planner (portable hard copy) and also a weekly planner that hangs out on my desk in the office. It may seem that i have to spend quite a while in synchronization between them, but actually I use all of them for different planning and so far it has made me considerably more productive.
So what, that I work on Saturdays and holidays and evenings and (shame on me) even Sundays (from home though)? To the people who wonder why I do this - I just wish them someday to have the amount of satisfaction, recognition and appreciation in the workplace that I do. I am never forced but driven by an intrinsic motivation.

via Design Crush

Btw, a small and interesting e-book on motivating creative people for your reading.
I hope this energy boost won't decrease in the near future, however I will put some emphasis on my social life too.

The habits

I also advanced in terms of self-management, getting rid of some bad habits and working on improving my health. I mostly used to have a plain coffee in the mornings and then having some buns at the lunch time. I did realize that it's unhealthy but didn't have an idea on what I can manage to prepare for myself as a breakfast when I'm in a constant rush in the morning (that's the reason for not having a breakfast at all). [oh yeah, I am a long sentences' fan]
Also, I almost didn't eat any dairy product which was bad for my teeth and bones.
In the recent weeks I started to actually eat curds mixed with mashed apple. This mix is both easy, light and tasty. Thanks to my cousin for the tip!
After that I am having my coffee in the office and I'm actually being early in the office! что не может не радовать..(и не только шефа :)

The music

I'm very busy and I do a bunch of critical stuff. I can't allow myself to feel down or negative in any way. I didn't choose it intentionally, but I feel that the only TV channel I actually feel like watching/listening is the MTV Dance. I'm jumping, dancing, singing like a teenager. I completely overwrote my music playlist and no pixel of melancholy can be seen there. It really helps to keep my mood up high.

The death
A relative passed away last week. He didn't live only 2 weeks till his 50th anniversary. It was a lung cancer. The ironic thing was that the wife of that man who died, has been smoking extensively the following days, because she had to calm her nerves and nothing could be done about it. She had lost her son just the previous year. Nobody can even begin to imagine how she actually feels now. Cigarettes help to calm the nerves, but they often become the reason people suffer.
I can't help myself from being anxious, realizing that my dad won't even consider quitting or limiting his smoking.
I also discovered something rather shocking for me. It's that the relatives sometimes prefer to hide from the cancer patient the real reason of their illness. The man died without knowing what he was dying from. And I was being convinced that it's a right thing to do. I won't go into details now, but I strongly believe that it's very, very wrong. Not for everyone, however...

photo via Titania Aelita

Armenian Winter Resort Tsakhkadzor aka Armenian Alps

I spent the weekend in the city of Tsakhkadzor (alternatively spelled as Tsaghkadzor) situated about 50km north from Yerevan.

The main attraction in Tsakhkadzor is the ropeway on the Teghenis mountain.
During Soviet times, the lifts and other sporting facilities were built to prepare Soviet athletes for the 1988 Winter Olympics. The town was further developed into a ski resort and later fully modernized with the old lifts being replaced. It has started to be rapidly developed during the presidency of Robert Kocharyan who is an avid skier.

Ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan skiing.  © PanARMENIAN Photo / Davit Hakobyan

Currently it's the most popular winter holiday location in Armenia, which also attracts hundreds of ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world.

ALL of the guesthouses and hotels (despite of their prices being comparable to those of Alpine resorts) are fully booked for the new year holidays and first weeks of January even since October.

Tsakhkadzor is especially popular among Yerevan citizens this year due to the fact that there has been no snow in Yerevan so far and Tsakhkadzor is covered with a beautiful layer of white pleasure. Moreover, the weather these weeks is just perfect - sunny and warm.

Photographers of our photo agency PanARMENIAN Photo captured the beauty of the ski resort in the most favorable weather conditions. I have not heard of Ararat mountain being seen from the Teghenis mount before (probably because it has mostly been cloudy and foggy in this ski season). This time both Sevan lake and Ararat were perfectly visible from the 2nd lift of the ropeway on Teghenis.

So those magical images are by my favorite photographers ;) Vahan Stepanyan, Davit Hakobyan and Sedrak Mkrtchyan © PanARMENIAN Photo!

The last photos are by me (of course you can notice the difference between Canon Mark II and my poor BenQ). Even though those scenes weren't captured by our photographers, I thought they are worth posting :)

This is Ararat seen from Tsakhkadzor! © PanARMENIAN Photo / Davit Hakobyan

about my job and PanARMENIAN Photo :)

I am now here to tell you about the project I am currently working on :)

As some of you may know, I work at the company that has established the first Armenian online information agency - PanARMENIAN.Net. The company itself is called PanARMENIAN Media and includes several other divisions such as our newly established PanARMENIAN Photo agency.

You may also know that I am currently the head of PR and Marketing of the company.

So a little advertisement may go here below.. :)))

Since my job takes a lot of time (and it's supposed to be so :))) i'm having no time and energy to write for my dearest blog, but since I'm currently setting up a blogging schedule for myself, I hope to fix this gap!

The recent months we were working hard on the establishment of the Photo agency, obtaining the latest photo reporting equipment, setting up the agency's work flow and trying to position ourselves in the market.

So it's a news and event photography agency and our photographers are attending almost every event taking place in the country. We are also working towards realization of photo projects.

By the way, our photographers are more than photo reporters and you may notice some humor and creativity in the photographs, not so common in traditional photojournalism.

The highlights of the day in photos can be found in our Flickr photostream and Livejournal community. 

Today we finally launched PanARMENIAN Photo website that contains images from the recent events in the country and also an extensive photobank.

ok, enough :) less text, more photos :) enjoy the links.

new year, new life :)

I haven't published anything here for a while!

I just had to take my time and think about the recent major changes happened to me.
2 days before the new year, my life has completely changed. The change was unexpected, moreover, it was very unpleasant and not in time at all!
So I had to recover and analyze for myself.

There was something that was occupying most of my time, my thoughts and it was all that my expectations, hopes and my growth were connected with. My friends, my leisure, my plans were connected with it too. I quit my all other assignments to concentrate myself to that one thing that I set as a priority. It was my current job and i lost it.

Actually, I have been fired, .mm .. no, how could they fire me, if i quit myself before :D

I was in the company since its creation and even before (I worked on one of the projects that this current company inherited from my previous company on the base of which my current company was created). I was the oldest employee, and was involved in everything, and was helping also other departments. But I was also a competitor :)
The thing is that since December, the management staff has changed, including my department's director. The new guy came and treated us as we were doing nothing and getting blown salaries, didn't do anything right, didn't have any discipline etc... (a common case i guess).
Then he started to get rid of people he thought he won't need. And so my turn has come.


Dec. 29 was a very bad day for me. I was destroyed and deserted not from the fact that the company didn't need me anymore, but from the way they presented it to me. Completely inacceptable and incorrect. 
They just welcomed me saying that they have to say good-bye to me since I haven't done anything for my job, moreover, they don't see any willing to work from my side and I don't bring any profit to the company.
They started to press me, blaming for things that i was hearing for the first time, that were so unfair and unreasonable... so cruel and shocking, i couldn't believe my ears.
They made me a "generous" offer to stay either as an assistant to my boss (write texts etc... it was funny since i have never been an "assistant" in my life and my first ever serious job was a "Web developer/programmer") and i should get half of my current salary, or the next choice was - staying on my current position, doing the same job + bringing projects and clients to my company (that turned out to be a main responsibility of "projects manager", funny huh) and get that same half. They told me that expected me to happily accept it since it's such a nice offer!
They told me that sometimes it's good to start from the beginning. It could be true, but not in this case and not with my experience and skills.
 
There's one person guilty for it and it's not me :) Taking out all the uncensored expressions that are associated with him in my mind (so far he beat everybody else and occupied the first line in my worst-top list), I'll just say he isn't worth being mentioned in my positive blog :)


I know i'll find my way. I'm so much open to everything. I'm free and i can do whatever I want. I can go abroad for a job or an internship or study... I don't have hungry kids awaiting me at home and i have no obligation. I can erase and start from the beginning. I can take a course, do more of my hobbies.. learn finally the Portuguese which classes' schedule were not compatible with my previous job. I'll finally take the driving classes and get my license.

And so, i'm open to job offers :D

My ex-colleagues - Mariam, Masha, Ruzanna and me. at the corporate new year party.

ուղղակի գրել էի ուզում... սա ստացվեց

Սիրում եմ գրելը: Ծանր ու հոգնացուցիչ օրվանից հետո, երբ երեկոյան համակարգչիս ջերմությունը զգում եմ ծնկներիս, ու ինձ էլ ի վիճակի եմ զգում ինչ-որ բան գրելու (կարևոր չի ինչ), արդեն ինձ սկսում եմ լավ ու բավարարված զգալ:
Այսօրը նշանավորվեց նրանով, որ ցուրտ էր: Առաջին անգամ այս սեզոնում սառցակալեցի ու մինչև վերջ դեռևս չեմ հալել: Հետո դեկտեմբերի 13-ն էր ու ես ճիշտ ժամանակին հիշեցի Jovanotti-ի "Per Te" երգը` իր ջերմ խոսքերով, որոնց մեջ է նաև "E' per te, il 13 dicembre" (Քո համար է դեկտեմբերի 13-ը...) ցավոք, այս օրը իմը չէր կարծես...

Հետո տեսա Լուսինը, որ այսօր առանձնահատուկ մեծ ու մոտիկ էր... երկար ժամանակ է արդեն ինչ այն հանդիսանում է իմ ու իմ աշխարհով սփռված մոտիկների շփման միջոցը :) Լուսնին նայելով մենք իրար հաղորդագրություններ ենք «թողնում» :) ու կարդում դրանք դարձյալ նրան նայելով..

Էլ ինչ օր էր....
*օր, երբ ես կոպտեցի փողոցում ինձ զզվացնող մի հիմար կերպարի
*երբ սկսեցի կարոտել մարդկանց, ում հավանաբար այլևս երբեք էլ չեմ հանդիպի` Ստամբուլից, Պետերբուրգից.. հիշեցի Պետերբուրգյան կիթառային երեկոները, երբ ДДТ, Браво, Наутилус, Сплин էինք երգում խմբովի ու ի դեպ, ռուսները էնպես լավ էին կարողանում նվագել ու երգել դրանք.. բոլորովին առանց ակցենտի ու հենց օրիգինալի նման x-)
*մի պահ ինձ զգացի փետրվար ամսին, Ռոտերդամում, միայնակ, կարոտած, արցունքներով Հախվերդյան լսելիս... ու ահագին երջանիկ զգացի որ աչքերս բացեցի ու տեսա հրապարակը - «Տանն եմ՛»:
*Կարոտեցի էլի մի քանի ընկերների... սկսեցի մտածել տեսնես իրենք ինձ երբ են հիշել վերջին անգամ... :Ճ ամեն դեպքում մտքով իրենց լիքը ջերմություն ուղարկեցի.. ոնց չլինի պետք կգա :))
*մտածեցի թե ինչ կարող եմ անել որ աշխատավայրում վիճակս բարելավվի... մտածածս գրելու հետ էր կապված, դրա համար ինքնըստինքյան իրականանալի էր ու դրական :)
-սկսեցի պատրաստվել ուրբաթ օրվա սեմինարի իմ թրեյնինգին (անձնային աճի հետ կապված, ավելի շուտ, վերնագիրը` «Ժամանակակից աշխարհը և առկա հնարավորությունները»): Ահագին լավ մտքեր ունեմ ու կանխազգում եմ որ շատ լավ կանցնի:
*փորձեցի պատկերացնել որ հաջորդ տարվանից կարող է շաբաթ օրերը այլևս աշխատանքի չլինեմ !!! Այդպիսի երջանկություն չեմ հիշում վերջին մի քանի տարիների ընթացքում.. շաբաթական միայն մեկ օր «հանգստանալով», այսքան ժամանակում հավաքված իմ հոգնածությունը մեկ էլ կարող է անցնել! պատկերացնում եմ աշխատունակությունս ինչքանով կբարձրանա:
*քանի որ աշխատավայրում, աշխատակիցների մոտիվացիան բարձրացնելու փոխարեն նորանոր սահմանափակումներ, վատ փոփոխություններ են իրականացնում, ստիպված ինքնամոտիվացիայի նոր միջոցներ եմ փորձում գտնել... նորից հարցնում եմ ինքս ինձ, թե ինչն է ինձ պահում, ծանրութեթև եմ անում տարբերակները..
*մտածեցի նրա մասին որ մոտիկ ընկերուհիս ձմռանը էստեղ չի լինելու, ու մտածեցի տեսնես երբ գա ու հանդիպենք, ես ինչպիսի՞ն կլինեմ: Ինչքանով փոխված կլինեմ, գործս ոնց կլինի.. բզիկս...:D
*հիշեցի որ իմ ամենահուսալի հակադեպրեսանտը լավ երաժշտությունն է: Դրական, ու տրամադրությանը համապատասխան, բայց վաղուցվանից չլսված երգերը հոգսերս մոռացնում են: Պետերբուրգից հետո իմ հակառուսական տրամադրությունները մեղմվեցին ու ռուսական երաժշտության հետ արդեն ուրիշ ասոցիացիաներ են... ДДТ լսելով հիշեցի մի քանի տարի առաջվա Արփիին, ու լավ հիշողություններ արթնացան :)
*Եվրոնյուսով տեսա որ Հռոմում Տիբրոսը (Tevere-ն) բարձրացել ու հեղեղում ա քաղաքը.. տխուր էր... մյուս կողմից զգացի որ վերջերս շուտ-շուտ հեռուստացույցով երևացող Վենեցիան ու Հռոմը տեսնելով` տանջագին մելանխոլիայի մեջ այլևս չեմ ընկնում: Երևի որովհետև զգում եմ, որ շուտով գնալու եմ.. ԶԳՈՒՄ ԵՄ!
*Հետո զգացի, որ վերջերս շարժվում եմ "what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger" կարգախոսով.. ցավոք վերջերս ավելի շատացել են ինձ կոտրել փորձող բաները, չնայած որ ես չեմ մտածում հանձնվել, ուղղակի մտածում եմ.. էտքան ուժեղ դառնամ, բա հետո՞:
*Լսելով Մորիսեթի "Thank U"-ն, սկսեցի կազմել իմ ցուցակը` all the things I'm thankful to - 2008 edition :) էնտեղ են RSS-ը` Google reader-ի հետ, բոլոր բզիկներս անխտիր, բլոգս, իմ մոտիկ ընկերները, ինչպես նաև ոչ մոտիկ մարդիկ, ում հետ առնչվեցի ու շատ բաներ սովորեցի... ուժեղացա :) ընկերությունը որտեղ աշխատում եմ ու աշխատակազմը, իմ սիրելի ֆոտոխցիկը ու laptop-ը! ...կարծես թե մնացածը հենց իմ միջից էր: Լավ, դեռ շուտ է տարին փակելու մասին խոսել.. ինձ այդ թեմայով գրելու բազում տողեր են սպասում :)))
*այսօր նորից մտածեցի որ իմ ներկայիս կարևորագույն թերությունը` lack of self presentation skills-ն է: Չափից դուրս համեստությունը ու քչախոս լինելը հանգեցնում են նրան, որ երբ իմ ունակություններից մեկի մասին խոսք է գնում, ինձ նայում են կարծես գլուխ եմ գովում կամ թիթիզանում եմ.. ահավոր է:

Financial crisis reaches Armenia and my company :/

...and so the financial crisis reached us too. Lycos-Europe where lots of my friends have been working is being closed down. Other companies also do staff reduction, cut down budgets, decrease salaries... I've also heard that banks do not provide loans till January.

In my company, a decision has been made by the shareholders from Russia - not to sponsor the whole staff's salary for November. We were informed of it on Saturday with an announcement on the doors. It said that the company can finance the 50% of the salaries from self-financing (cutting down operational costs) which will be given on 5th, and the rest will be decided with the new executive director. It hasn't been a secret that my company doesn't bring any profit to its shareholders and something like this was expected. The point is that the guilt for this lies entirely on the management of all levels and not on the main staff who suffers from delayed salary the most. Many have loans and debts to pay. I'm also very frustrated since i won't get my salary before the trip which is quite bad. 

But well, there's no need to panic, as there are things a lot worse, like becoming unemployed (i'm sorry for my friends in Lycos :( ). And as my father suggests - i should take a hammer and nails and pin myself on my workplace :D

For Russian speakers: some fun on financial crisis.

About discrimination, blonde or not girls in IT, and other gender issues

I've never been a feminist. Never even thought about taking any of men's traditional functions upon myself :)) Nevertheless, I've always dreamt of becoming a strong woman and have been always trying to strive for excellence - be smart, manage both career and family, bring a positive change into the society.
One of the most annoying things since my teenage years was when my guy-mates were telling me "you're a girl, you cannot do that", "there are no any outstanding women in IT industry", "Women are made for raising children and not for career", "woman's brain is blablabla", "women programmers are a myth" and stuff like that. Being well determined and serious about getting into the IT, and specifically, the programming sphere, it was irritating me much and I was always disputing with them. I was trying to convince that they are mistaken, and I was really getting offended. Now I understand how silly it was then... and how thankful I am to that guys :)
They actually made me to become one, they were convincing me that i couldn't, and made me prove them wrong. ...and i now think, maybe I had a motivation to do it to spite them :)
I wouldn't be the way I am now *, if it wasn't them and if i didn't have other people believe in me. These people weren't trying to convince me anything, they just believed and didn't put obstacles in my way, they they simply knew I could. and I knew it too :)

* I never mean that I'm a super professional now, but I've had certain achievements :) Probably my most valuable achievement is that now I'm sufficiently confident in myself - own skills and strength. I consider it to be very important :) And concerning my profession in IT sphere, I dare to claim, I've exceeded my own expectations.
A bit into my experience: I've worked in a web development field and was doing well in PHP & MySQL programming, but code-writing annoyed me in a while and my further deepening in programming was pointless, so i quickly started exploring new fields e.g. management, e-marketing, social media, SEO, etc... and now i hold a managerial position in my company, leading a team of programmers and designers (some guys didn't have anything else to do, but to express an opinion that i wasn't just competitive as a developer, which is, of course, not true :)
And by the way, i'm self-taught (never took any IT or programming classes, except the ones in the university, that had nothing to do with web development).


Of course I still sometimes face discrimination towards myself and encounter injustice just because of my gender, but I try to enjoy the challenge and I just become stronger ;)
I encounter it at work (where some of my colleagues weren't taking me enough seriously at first) or when my salary didn't increase by the same amount as my male colleague's, that was hired at the same time as me and did the same job. I encounter it in personal life too - some guys have confessed that they'd prefer less smart girls, so that they'd feel themselves superior. (no comments)

Here's when one of my favorite self-created quotes was born:

"Trust me, sometimes I'd also prefer to be one of those stupid and careless blondes..."

Well, you know, i also laugh at blonde jokes... and i have had times when i was feeling myself blonde (when it was taking me long to get into some simple things), but I explode, when people treat me like a blonde, being confused by my non-geek look, especially at work :) (our IT admin had hard times recently... :-D)

I started writing this post after reading Amata Alieva's posting in the Forgotten Diaries blog where she was describing the discrimination she faced in her country.

So the points of my post are: you shouldn't treat anybody by stereotypes (be it a girl in IT or "Legally Blonde"); changing mind in doing something just because somebody said you can't - is stupid; obstacles and challenges just add you a good experience and make you stronger and wiser.

Coffee & cigarettes... in the office

I've made an interesting observation about offices... more specifically - about how people socialize on workplaces...
I realized that people who smoke often or at least drink coffee (for example a morning one), socialize more and get to know more people from the office, in the same way, people know more about them.

They are more successful and productive. Though i cannot prove it with any research, but i think it's not needed )

I know better the people whom i chat with in the corridors or staircase, while they smoke or drink coffee, meanwhile I know almost nothing about ones that never spend time in corridors.

In my company there are about 80 employees and in the morning, right when we arrive at work (around 10.00-10.30), the morning coffee trapeze starts :) it's always almost the same company, same people.. we share our personal and work updates, we discuss what's going on in the office etc... it's always very informative and nice (our company has its souls of fun :))).. this way we know more what every department is working on, since there's not so much interaction between our departments.
Sometimes people who didn't smoke or drink coffee, were starting to take some drinks and were joining us, so we were knowing them better also and even changing our opinions about them.

I'm not a smoker (in fact, I'm an active anti-smoking campaigner), but luckily i drink coffee :D Even if i didn't drink coffee, I'd think about smth else to drink, since i wouldn't miss the chance to get to know my co-workers).

Often it's also useful, like when you urgently need a cellphone recharger, or if smb has giveaway tickets to some events... there's always a lot of things to share :)

Sometimes we notice our CEO's not-so-approving looks, and wonder why wouldn't directors and managers approve their employees' socializing. Well, maybe they think that we lose a lot of time on 'useless' chats, but I'm ready to prove, if needed, that this way we are more productive. We work better with colleagues whom we know even a bit out-of-work.

If I was a boss (when I become one ;) I would never discourage people to socialize, instead, I would join them during the breaks :) and of course I would organize more "legal" corporate parties.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's coffee break in the office :)

a Monday in November

8 cups of different teas, 2 cups of coffees, some warm water to drink. This is my today's liquid consumption statistics :D 2 days ago I got flu and today was my first day with a free nose but with hard coughing.

My day was successful also because of Sinead's voice today - loud and in a good quality, at my favorite and the most coziest department of our office with the most creative people - our Designers! ...  I just love watching the creative flow there - it's when they draw, brainstorm, joke and fool around :)

If you will be reading this, I must confess my workdays would be too boring without you, guys. I enjoy your company very much :)

So here are they:

(cookies by me :)

a photo for my new badge

i like it that i look older here and my boss won't ask me again whether i'm 18 yet !

about Web 2.0 and internet promotion

For the last few weeks i was working on a document for my job concerning the internet promotion methods. It was meant to be a proposal for our partner company. It took me this long because i was doing a detailed research of the topic. I couldn't concentrate on this at work (yes, at work i cannot do any writing!) and was writing it in the evenings, on a laptop, in bed :) The copy-paste method didn't work for me :( I am very much detail-oriented and was choosing every word and thinking of each section of it.

Today i 'released' the official beta version of the proposal :D the process of working on it reminded me about old university times... our course works, thesis etc.. the only thing is that i didn't have a professor :D though i did have a mentor ;)

I did some impressive research on new trends of Web 2.0, new methods of promotion, and what a company can really get out of internet.

The points of the proposal weren't any new, i didn't invent them and i'm not the first on to write about it, but in Armenian reality this field is quite unexplored ... i hardly can think of an Armenian company that is doing a smart marketing on the net.

The biggest problem for me was the language. I had to write it in Russian since my company's official communication is mostly in Russian :( Despite the fact that i totally dislike this language and try to avoid it as much as i can, i forced myself to do it :)

Today i presented it to my management and got some really good feedbacks ;)))) (okay they were shocked.. in a good way :D)
Interesting thing is that this was my own idea to write a detailed proposal for that company, since they themselves didn't know what they wanted... Proactiveness is always rewarding !

I discovered for myself that i'm really not bad in this - both writing proposals and mainly in these 'new media', SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SMO (Social Media Optimization), SMM (Social Media Marketing) topics, though yet theoretically. :D

If you are interested, i will post some interesting information that i found.

Talking about the differences of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, here are some nice graphical illustrations:

 

  

 

Here's a nice PPT i stumbled upon while browsing information.

Russian version:

Чо за фигня — социальные медиа

English (original) version:

What The F**K is Social Media?

As it said - "In 2008, if you're not on a social networking website, you're not on the Internet!"

....this is why you can find me on about every popular and not-so networks :P

hobby can become a job ;) and it's not bad at all!