Dedicated to Sose & Allen
(view original article) Being in Armenia, I could not help but to think of Sose and Allen. I only met the couple briefly two summers ago while gathering with friends for khorovadz (bbq) near the riverbanks of Amberd river located just outside of Yerevan. It was a week before their wedding day. Many conversations circled around their wedding preparation and how happy they were to have their closest friends with them in Armenia to celebrate their special day.
The moment only lives in my memory in segments: a moment here and a moment there. I remember the janky old 8-passenger van. It tumbled through the valley as we sang Armenian revolutionary songs (Հայ յեղափոխական երգեր) one after the other until we arrived, and thankfully in one piece! I remember the crisp cool water flowing through my hands as I was immediately tasked to chill the vodka that later led to many toasts of love and laughter. I remember the freely roaming cows, some got very, very close. It was peaceful to see cows in a natural setting. We made a toast to that. I remember playing card games with a kebab sandwich in one hand. I remember it was a good summer day by the river.
Although I never got a chance to know Sose, I know that she too loved to cook and eat and that’s enough to bond over. I imagine we would have discussed the subtle differences in the chikufteh (Armenian steak tartare) served at Terian Kebab vs Anteb and by now she would be the resident expert for finding the best spices in town such as Aleppo pepper, za’atar and cumin.
With these drifting thoughts of Sose and Allen and the day by the river in mind, I stumbled across Lena Tachdjian’s travel and nutrition blog, The Traveling Chamelian. I noticed her introductory blog post was dedicated to Sose and Allen. I enjoyed reading from Lena’s perspective as she too had only known the couple for a brief moment, and their interactions revolved mostly around food and nutrition. Since they’re on my mind, I thought it would be appropriate to share her blog post too.
