Dari dache a so (or something like that)

 Last night was Ara's birthday (I have to interject here, BTW, that I don't actually know if Sara's husband's name is Ara or Aras. I thought Aras at first--this is also the name of an important river in Armenia--but it doesn't sound like that when people talk to him. Plus, it doesn't help that Sara calls him Aro, as a pet name I think). *I have since confirmed his name is Ara.
Many friends and family came to the house to celebrate.
Sara told me that in Armenia, it is not the custom to invite people--you just know that they will show up. I have rarely seen so many plates of food on a table. So many, in fact, that they had to stack plates on top of each other.




Since it was a special occasion, they made barbeque. They had the meat marinating in a back room for a couple days (the back room is unheated, so it is like an extra refrigerator during the winter, and it is still cold enough that they can use it). 


Sara also made a cake completely from scratch and decorated it so beautifully that I would have insisted it was from a bakery. She has so many talents!! After the meal, I found that she is an excellent dancer. They turned up the Armenian music and we all danced. Armenian dance is similar to Indian dance somewhat in the arm and hand movements. We also joined hands in a circle and danced around Sara and her husband; it was reminiscent of a Bar Mitzvah!


During the meal, I discovered that another Armenian tradition is LOTS of toasting. The patriarch of the family--Ara's father--toasted at regular intervals. Each toast was to honor one of the people at the table. By the end of the meal, which took a couple hours, he had made a speech for all of us, including me. He welcomed me into their family and wished me future happiness, which here translates to finding a husband to give me children. Sara also wished this for me in a toast my first night.
Oh my, everyone is surprised and sad for me that I do not have a husband and children! I have told Sara--and it has become a favorite story that she likes to tell--that I do not need a husband because I have my MacBook; at night, I sleep on one side of the bed and my MacBook has the other. When she told this to her aunt, the aunt asked me--and Sara translated, "But can it give you children?" I replied, "Of course: iPhone, iPad, and iPod!" Now that is added to the story when Sara tells it. BTW, she has to tell the story often because my marital status is generally the second question people ask when they meet me. The first is where I am from. The third is how much do I love Armenia and will I stay here forever. Of course I respond that I love Armenia--it's true--but I am also honest about the fact that, no, I will not stay here forever!
Today I taught three classes, but that will be another post.