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Geraint Thomas wins Tour De France as Alexander Kristoff takes final stage

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Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff won the prestigious final stage of the 2018 Tour de France but the day belonged to Britain’s Geraint Thomas, who was crowned the overall winner in Paris.

Welsh rider Geraint Thomas of Britain’s Team Sky was crowned the winner of the 2018 Tour de France with Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Emirates) winning the 21st stage sprint on the Champs Elysees in Paris. For Team Sky, it’s the sixth Tour victory in seven years.

Dutchman Tom Dumoulin finished second for Team Sunweb while Giro d’Italia winner Chris Froome (Britain/Team Sky) finished third.

Thomas had already been designated as the winner of this year’s Tour, becoming the third Briton to do so after Bradley Wiggins and Froome. Thomas, 32, was able to enjoy the procession into Paris with tradition dictating that the Yellow Jersey not be attacked on the final stage.

“It’s insane. It’s the stuff of dreams,” he said ahead of the stage start. “As a kid I dreamt of being in this race. Through the years the results have slowly built. To be in this position now is just incredible. I think it’ll take a while to sink in. It’s just bonkers. I’m going to try to enjoy today, and certainly tonight!”

For the rest of the field, there was still the issue of a prestigious final stage to win – and the contest was more open than ever with the winners of the last nine Champs-Elysees sprints (Mark Cavendish (four), Marcel Kittel and André Greipel (two each), and Dylan Groenewegen) all having dropped out.

David Gaudu, Silvan Dillier, Taylor Phinney, Nils Politt, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Michael Schar formed a breakaway group with 46 kilometers (28.6 miles) left and remained 15-40 seconds ahead of the peloton until the final two laps of the Champs-Elysees when a counterattack led by Julian Alaphilippe of Quick-Step Floors began to reel them in.

As the bell rang for the final circuit, Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) positioned himself towards the front of the peloton which successfully caught up with the breakaway group to set up a group sprint finish, with Yves Lampaert sprinting ahead alone. But the Belgian had gone to early and was caught before the line by Kristoff.

mf/pfd (AFP/dpa)

Professor Jessica Peake Lecture “The Promise Institute One Year On” VIDEO

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By Wally Sarkeesian,

La Crescenta, California: Sunday, July 15, 2018, the Educational Committee of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley hosted a lecture on the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the School of Law at UCLA, presented by Jessica Peake, entitled: “The Promise Institute One Year On: What have we done and where are we heading?” The lecture begin at 1:00 p.m., at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall (6250 Honolulu Ave, La Crescenta, CA 91214).

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at the UCLA School of Law was established in April 2017 with a founding gift of $20 million. Dr. Eric Esrailian, a faculty member at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and producer of the film The Promise – a feature film about the Armenian genocide released on April 21, 2017 – spearheaded the donation effort on behalf of the team at Survival Pictures.

Ms. Peake presented information about the mission of the Institute, its current activities, and its projected programming for the near future. Ms. Peake reflected on possible collaborative involvement by the Armenian community with the Institute.

Jessica Peake is the Director of the International and Comparative Law Program (ICLP), and Assistant Director of the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the School of Law at UCLA. Since arriving at UCLA in January 2014, Jessica has developed relationships with several human rights organizations creating internship, externship and pro bono opportunities for students. She has also assisted in the expansion of UCLA Law’s Foreign Legal Study and Exchange Program. Jessica has an LL.B from the University of Sheffield, UK, and two LLMs: one, from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, and the second from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently finishing her doctoral thesis on international criminal procedure at the University of Pennsylvania.

The “Golden Apricot” 15th Jubilee International Film Festival. the prestigious awarding ceremony

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French-Armenian talented director Arnaud Khayadjanian

French-Armenian talented director Arnaud Khayadjanian

Yesterday, the prestigious ceremony of awarding “Golden”, “Silver” apricots as well as a number of other awards took place in Yerevan, at The “Golden Apricot” 15th Jubilee International Film Festival.

The Ministry of Diaspora highly appreciates the significance and role of the Golden Apricot festival in Armenia’s cultural life, considering it not only as a festival of cinema, but also festival art and culture. It was for that reason that I told the organizers of the film festival a month ago that it would be a great honor for the Ministry of Diaspora to have at least a modest investment of contribution.

And here’s the first, but not the last time, at the jubilee film festival, the Ministry of Diaspora handed a special prize to young Armenian film directors. The first prize winner was French-Armenian talented director Arnaud Khayadjanian for the film “We are Our Mountains.”

I also gave a short speech in which I particularly thanked the organizers, sponsors, and congratulated all of us on the 15th anniversary of Golden Apricot.

SAVE THE DATE – COME ON A MY HOUSE!
 WILLIAM SAROYAN HOUSE-MUSEUM GRAND OPENING

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In 2016, Renaissance Cultural and Intellectual Foundation, founded by Arthur Janibekyan, purchased William Saroyan’s house and saved it from foreclosure.
Since then Saroyan House Project was initiated and William Saroyan House-Museum establishment process began. Saroyan was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, New York Drama Critics’ Circle award, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film adaptation of his novel The Human Comedy.
The house at 2729 W Griffith Way, Fresno CA where Saroyan spent the last 17 years of his life, will serve as his permanent address.

After hard work, this year on 31st of August, the 110th Birth Anniversary of writer, The William Saroyan House-Museum will open its doors to the visitors. The museum is full of interactive, innovative solutions, thus making it unique in the region.  Due to the newest technological solutions, William Saroyan will be “revived” and his hologram will greet the visitors. Here, you can find the biggest digital archive of William Saroyan, including exclusive pictures, his graphics etc. In addition, according to William Saroyan’s will, a research corner will be created. This would give opportunity to students, scholars and other interested individuals to benefit from the vast heritage which William Saroyan left.

Armenian producer aims to be the first from Kuwait to win Grammy

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Armenian producer and sound engineer of Syrian descent, Jacob Momjian seeks to be the first artist from Kuwait to win a Grammy award.

Momjian made his return to Kuwait in the hopes of shaking up the music scene and raising the bar of the recording industry, Arab Times says.

He was born in Kuwait, where he also went to school. He moved out of Kuwait in 2013 to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Sound Engineering in the UK and received a Masters in Audio Post Production. Momjian worked in the UK for a bit and then returned to Kuwait in December.

“I’m fresh in the scene here, I have my own studio now and I’m excited about my prospects. I have met some great people in the industry already, I’m starting to get my name out and working on myself as an artist, producer and sound engineer,” the artist says.

“I want to be a well-known and respected artist and producer. My big dream is the Grammys. I want to be the first person from Kuwait to get the award. I believe in myself and that’s my target. If I don’t set up a goal for myself, I won’t get there.”

Momjian says he wants to help create a good scene in Kuwait and raise the bar for recording and producing in terms of quality with proper production techniques.

Related links:

Arab Times. Grammy goals in salt & pepper

Ancient Armenian water celebration comes to Watertown

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WATERTOWN — When celebrating Vartavar, there is no such thing as a no-splash zone.

Everyone gets wet.

That’s the point of this ancient and joyous Armenian custom: to get drenched and, in turn, drench as many people as possible.

On Sunday morning, families, kids, and clergy filed out of the cross-shaped sanctuary at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown and changed out of their Sunday best to wage a water fight of epic proportions and make their hometown live up to its name. In a nearby parking lot there were rows of buckets, hoses, and water blasters, three kiddie pools, and 2,000 water balloons.

“It’s a festival of life,” said Natasha Aljalian, the pastor’s wife. “The symbol of water has always been something that’s important to Armenians. It’s always been a sign of fertility, of life, of celebration.”

The ancient festival of Vartavar, or the Festival of Roses, eventually became celebrated on the feast of the transfiguration of Christ. It’s still remembered for the pagan feast it replaced, which marked the harvest and the bathing of the goddess Asdghig.

The celebration used to be gentler, said church deacon Herman Purutyan. People used to sprinkle each other with a bit of rose water. The modern-day festivities in Armenia, however, are no-holds-barred — a nationwide water fight. Fire trucks hose people down in the street. Water is thrown out of windows onto unsuspecting passersby — and into open car windows if drivers aren’t careful.

In Watertown Sunday, Arpi Tavil-Shatelyan of Somerville came armed with only a water bottle.

“It gives me memories of being in the Republic Square in Yerevan [the capital of Armenia] and just getting drenched,” Tavil-Shatelyan, 27, said. “Running around with my cousins where my grandparents live in their village and just maliciously coming up to my aunts and drenching them head to toe. There are only good memories associated with Vartavar.”

Samuel Chakmakjian, 23, of Arlington, wondered why it took so long for one of the local Armenian churches to embrace a Vartavar celebration. Watertown has one of the largest populations of Armenians in the nation.

“For me, it’s wonderful to have this kind of cultural expression in the open in Watertown,” Chakmakjian said. “We’ve been here for quite a while, and we’re sometimes a little bit too cautious about how we express our own traditions in public.”

Church leadership at St. James would like to see this mini-Vartavar grow into an annual tradition that acknowledges the fun and remembers the feast day.

By early afternoon, even adults and neighbors jumped into the fray, grabbing hoses, water blasters, and water balloons before chasing anyone that looked dry. Kids squealed as they rode the water slide and tried to avoid streams of cold water. Elders sat in the shade out of the range of hoses, smiling at the antics, while an ice cream truck gave out free Popsicles.

With a mischievous smile, Thatcher Simmons, 8, of Belmont, filled up the biggest bucket he could find.

“I need to fill her up,” Simmons said. “So I can soak everyone.”

Water gun in hand, Kevork Atinizian, 18, waited out his brother, Antranig, 15, who was hiding inside the church trying not to get wet. On this day, being dry was not an option. It was a day to remember the joy of living, of surprising others, and the innocence of childhood pranks.

“I grew up going to an Armenian camp, and we did this every summer,” said Alexis Demirjian, 40, of Belmont, moments before her 10-year-old daughter Meline, poured water on her and her 2-year-old son, Aram.

“My husband asked me, ‘Why did you wear a bathing suit,’ ” she said laughing. “Because I knew this was going to happen.”

The Rev. Arakel Aljalian remembers coming home after sundown last year on the day before Vartavar. He’d just finished performing a baptism. His kids were hidden behind the fence, waiting with water guns and water balloons.

On Sunday, the pastor didn’t even remove his vestments as he began soaking congregants. He’d told his wife to make sure to save him a hose.

“We figured it was summer, it was hot, and it’s something we all usually do in our own homes,” said Natasha Aljalian. “No Armenian is surprised if they’re hit with water today, and nobody will get upset because it’s just really about celebrating life and being happy.”

President Sarkissian meets with participants of Pan-Armenian Youth Gathering

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In the evening of July 7, in Tsakhkadzor President Sarkissian met with the participants of the Pan-Armenian Youth Gathering. The meeting started with the prayer offered by the His Holiness, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Presidential press service reported.

The gathering, whose motto is “To Fatherland, to Holy Etchmiadzin”, is organized by the Catholicos of All Armenians in the framework of the program which declared 2018 the Year of Youth and is uniting 400 young people from Armenia, Artsakh and over twenty countries from all over the world.

Conversations with the participants of the gathering mainly pertained to national identity, Church and Christianity, and patriotism.

Speaking of the Armenian identity, President Sarkissian noted that the history of our people provides multiple episodes which fill us with pride, and the recent events in Armenia are one of them.

“There are but few nations and states in the world which have been able to carry out revolutionary changes without clashes and bloodshed; few are the nations which have been this much tolerant and reasonable. We have many reasons to be proud Armenians, and the recent events added another particle to our pride,” President Sarkissian added.

Speaking of the role of Christianity and the Church, the President of Armenia noted that every person is free to choose faith, but he also reminded that the Armenian Apostolic Church is not just church. “For seven hundred years, we have been living as proud Armenians because of the Armenian Apostolic Church; it was preserving and defending our statehood for centuries, passing from generation to generation our national heritage.”

Armen Sarkissian responded also to various questions of the participants of the gathering. The President of Armenia urged young Armenians from Spyurk to come to Armenia, dedicate themselves to the country and empower our Fatherland by preserving the national heritage.

 

Vardavar festival in Armenia

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If you are a foreigner and you are planning to visit Armenia in summer then be ready for the situation when you walk along the street and a group of children or teenagers run to you and pour pails of water over you. This is the festival of Vardavar.

Yes, it may sound weird if you don’t know the meaning of this tradition.

So, where does it come from? Why do Armenians call it Vardavar and how they celebrate? All the answers are below.

Goddess Astghik

Vardavar’s history dates back to the pagan times. Armenians believed in many gods before adopting Christianity. Astghik was the goddess of water, beauty, love, and fertility. The celebrations of the religious observance of Astghik people named “Vartavar”. In Armenian vart (vard) means “rose” and var means “rise”. Astghik was pouring roses over the people spreading the love.

Though Armenians adopted Christianity they kept the tradition associating it with Jesus Christ. They celebrate it now as a holiday devoted to the event of Jesus Christ’s transfiguration when he appeared to his disciples on the Mount Tabor.

Noah

Some specialists relate the Vardavar to the Flood and Noah’s descent from the Ark. According to the tradition, when Noah finds his refuge on Mount Ararat during the Flood, he orders his sons to pour water over each other for the memory of the Flood.

In ancient times people were gathering the wheat-ears in the fields and took them to the church for a blessing to keep the fields away from damages.

The most important traditions of Vardavar was the ceremony of making doves fly. They were flying in the sky and admiring people.

Nur (pomegranate) Qanon Ensemble “They as tall as their instruments”

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Nur (pomegranate) Qanon Ensemble

The youngest performers at the Folklife Festival are about as tall as their instruments are long. The Nur Qanon Ensemble takes its name from nur (pomegranate), a popular food in Armenia and a symbol of unity—think many seeds within one fruit. Qanon (pronounced kuh-NAHN, meaning “the law” in Arabic) is their instrument, a diatonic stringed zither used at least since the tenth century around the Middle East and Central Asia.

In its long history, the qanon was primarily a male instrument. During the Soviet years in Armenia, one famous woman musician established the school where these young performers now study. Eteri Hovhannisyan (age twenty), Mery Musinyan (twelve), and Kristine Yengoyan (ten) formed the trio specifically for the Festival, taking the stage in matching red dresses with a pomegranate emblem. In the midst of fluttering fingers, the girls glance back expectantly at each other, as if in on a secret.

You can be in on the secret too: the ensemble plays every day on the Hyurasenyak stage. Be sure to catch them this week!

Elisa Hough is the editor for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and she is in awe of these musical dynamos.