Caucasus is Euro?
Yerevan’s taxi drivers know everything more and better. They know all: started from the half tone gossip in the last table in the teahouse ended from the first ladies’ underclothes. They know government functionary’s secret concord with the opposition representative and policeman’s latent jobs. And of course they know all the good and bad places in Yerevan. Maybe they know me and probably they know you too.
So, what I was talking about… Yesterday I was harrying to an important meeting and dropped myself to the first come taxi. After the several times looking outside of the window, than to clock, to my papers, once more to clock… looked at a taxi driver: handsome man with the grey hair and white moustache. He looked as if he is cut from the national uniforms catalogue. He looked at me through the mirror and asked if I knew who was singing.
What a surprise. There is also a music playing”. I was concentrating for a while then I answered. “Gohar Gasparyan?” “No, Zeynab Xanlarova”-he said and smiled.
Generally I like experiments on unknown people but this time I understood his smile was showing quite the opposite. Anyway I “went on the play” asking him what was the song about. “Who knows, I don’t understand her but it’s not important. Melody is ours. Are you against of this melody and Azerbaijan?” (Here I want to stop and describe what I was feeling. “Am I looking like an intolerant person?)
Then he explained saying that he has been driving this taxi for 25 years, almost all that time listening to Zeynab Xanlarova’s songs. The type recorder was broken and the cassette stayed inside. “May be your generation will not understand but for us this melody has another mention and it is Caucasus oneness feeling inherited from the Soviet Union”-he says. “I don’t know what this song is about but I’m sure it is something close to my heart”. Today’s Caucasus - I can’t rely on such ours. Your Caucasus is Euro, isn’t it? He said and smiled.
I got off without saying anything. But I know, that several days ago when I decided to write something for “CaucasusNow” I didn’t imagine that somewhere is a taxi driver in Yerevan who thinks that mine and his Caucasus are different. Now I know for sure that I want to recognize “every Caucasus” and I am going to start it from here.
So welcome to my Caucasus city-Yerevan and as every of my foreign friends I also advise you: as soon as you are in Yerevan take a taxi and ask the diver everything you are interested in. As I said they are the most informed people in Yerevan.
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...10 Responses to “Caucasus is Euro?”
Thanks for the interesting article.
I believe the core Caucasus will always stay the same - the food, the style/way of feeling for people, etc. It does present itself in different shapes, one - listening to Zeynab Xanlarova, the other - in the middle of the night going to Caucausus restaurant after partying all night and having a “Tomato-fried egg” the same “Pamidorov dzvacex”. Hwo hasn’t done it?
Or maybe I just sound the older generation grumpy old woman, who thinks everything stays the same……
Good luck!
Interesing…. we really have a thing to think about:) different Caucasus… Am sure we are different from Europeans, but we should notice that we (armenians) think in different ways too, the Driver and the Student, the Child and the Parent… we really do… but its because of differences in ages… nothing more i think…. the Youth is not “European” ,its just because of time… but even the Driver, who used to listen to Zeynab Xanlarova is “CLEAR” Caucasus, just he doesnt realize it at all… and maybe if the tape was not broken, there would sound armenian music as well:)))… so even if a little different, but CAUCASUS at all!!
Very interesting article, Blansh, apres :))))
As to Caucasus…
a) Euro doesn’t want, nor does it need the Caucasus. It needs oil and gas, but the moment it strikes a better deal with Russia, or finds more gas resouces in the North See, they’ll stop speaking about Caucasus altogether.
b) We are so Asian, that nothing can turn us into Euro.
c) Asia - is so much cooler, so much more interesting, that I don’t really understand this urge of going Euro. I understand, that everybody is charmed by the picture of material wealth, that the EU is projecting these days, however, I’m pretty sure, that with the growing importance of the Russia-China-India-Japan economic axis, everybody will start dreaming of Asia, like they are dreaming of Euro these days.
Yeah… Very Attractive story…!
Zeyneb Xanlarov was and stiil being a popular Azerbaijani singer , so driver knows whom to listen..:)
As they say taste is different.
I think the Caucasus is strong region being centre of view of big countries. For most Asia countries we are Europe, but for Europe countries we ar Asia.
Just a reply to the person that thinks we are Asia.
So Russia-Japajn-China-India.you’re saying…….u really think we got more in common with chinese or japanese than with Europe? Is that why we read European books, wear European clothes,watch European movies ans so on ………What is your perception of Europe in the first place???? Europe is not one country,it’s 50 countries that are as different from each other as they are from us…..They share common values of democracy, equality and mainly Christian heritage….Is that what you’re against? Or oyu prefer eastern despotism?
are you sure guys that the Caucasus is the same? It is not definitely same. people here have not been able to understand each other. on the contrary people dislike each other and i have encountered that myself. If not this, why have not we been able to resolve those damn conflicts? dont blame politicians, but rather each and every of us need to look inside our hearts and admit what we really think of other fellow inhabitants of the Caucasus!!! and if we see dislike there, we need to change it. I hope young generation of the Caucasus manages not to repeat mistakes of their parents!!!
I am sure Caucasians (Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Dagestanis, Lezgis, Armenians and etc.) share many things. Their culture, food, music and all.
What is so good about Europe anyway? They are not smarter than Caucasians, they just work harder for their country whatever it is.
Caucasus is a part of Europe. White skinned Europeans are called Caucasians.
The Caucasian race is defined by the Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English as “white-skinned; of European origin” or “relating to the region of the Caucasus in SE Europe”.[
This is a reply to Medea:)…Actually, I do think that the conflicts are mostly imposed by the politicians and we can never argue the opposite…this all is sth also provoked by the wrong media coverage..otherwise I do know that on a tete-a-tete level we are all so lovable…I have lived with most nations in Caucasus during the trainings and I can assure you that most of them are also among my best friends…..
and now to People who think we are either Asians or Europeans….We are both and none of them at the same time…People, We are Caucasians on the crossoroads of Asia and Europe…it is up to us wich way we will choose, this is the best part of living on the crossroad;))…I favor the Eropean Mentality + the Asian Simplicity….but I agree with Arshak, we look more Europeans than Asians…
We look European, have various cultural atributes of Asians as well as Europeans, yet in the end as Tiniko put it, we are from the Caucasus, for me a “kavkazets” living in North America that distinction is vital. With many friends of both Asian and European descend I once more realize that we are different. Having many muslim friends of Arab or Afghani origin I share many cultural atributes, and moral values with them, yet no offence to them but they will never be able to understand the pride, multiculturalism, honour and tradition that is associated with our region. To sum up, I look at it as we have the opportunity to inherent the best from both world and utilize that to help us achieve success without forgeting the morals, values and cultural traits that brought us there.