A journey full of ups and downs and by saying this, I obviously mean the mountainous area of this country. However, geography is only a small part of what you will learn from this article – no one will give you a better insight into the specifics of the given culture, than the person coming from it. You will see through the fog covering the summit of Mount Ararat in order to find out, what Armenia and its inhabitants have to offer. What’s more you will listen to Astghik talk about her country and reflect on her life in Poland.
Astghik is the only Armenian student at our university and she admits that at first it was a big challenge for her. I don’t know whether you agree with that, but for me Toruń seems to radiate peace. While walking in the park on a Sunday afternoon you can see kiddos riding scooters, elderly couples headed home for dinner or people playing with their dogs. Astghik noticed this fact as well and learnt to appreciate it. How did she end up at our university?
Toruń radiates peace, students in the middle of the exam session radiate stress and thus the ecosystem of our city functions in harmony. Speaking of the which, it is worth mentioning one of his members. Pigeon – the well-known inhabitant of the old town has many different faces. It will be an eternal enemy for the owners of balconies. An absolute nightmare for the owners of the restaurants. And for the Nicolaus Copernicus located in the middle of a square, it will play a role of an annoying creature pecking his nose all day long. Once again, it turns out that the foreigners like to shock us with their perspective so now let’s listen together to the impression that the pigeons made on Astghik.
The thing I value the most in talking to foreigners is their spontaneity. Pigeons seen from a coffeehouse window or accidental spilling of a drink give room to discuss new topics and exchange opinions. Otherwise how would I find out that there is a lack of napkins in the Polish restaurants?
Imagine that it is 10.00 am. Some of you are peacefully sleeping, some are listening to Przedpołudnik and some are frying eggs for breakfast. And then, suddenly you hear someone knocking at your door. You open it, and there is a man with a hammer and a set of tools. He enters your room and starts attacking your beloved bed. He doesn’t speak your language and you don’t speak his, so you are basically standing there thinking, what on earth is happening. And that is, when the truth comes out.
If there is one question that deserves to be asked while speaking to a foreigner, it is definitely the one about the differences between this person’s country and yours. Not only will you get to know the facts about the foreign country first-hand, listen about the experience and childhood, completely distinct from yours, but you will also change the perspective on your own country.
When you basically spend your whole life in Poland, except for the short foreign trips, it turns out that things which seem natural to us, may not seem so natural for others. However, before we find it extremely surprising, that foreigners do not know about the facts that are obvious for us, we should ask ourselves whether we have any idea about the Mount Ararat’s history or if we can tell what’s the Armenian currency. Don’t worry, Astghik is about to explain everything.
The highest peak of Mount Ararat reaches 5137 meters above sea level and even though it is no longer within the borders of Armenia, it is still the pride of its inhabitants. Apparently the best viewpoint of the mountain is the Khor Virap monastery. However, you need to be extremely lucky to see its top due to the clouds and fog covering it. Astghik also makes a point about Lake Sevan saying that it is definitely worth visiting. And I’m sitting here thinking that if someone had told me earlier that this lake is one of the high-altitude lakes, the view from it is unearthly and the water temperature reaches up to 18-22 degrees. I would need like 5 seconds to book the plane tickets.
Leaving home and moving to a foreign country is very difficult itself. However, it is worth bearing in mind, that during the pandemic the matter becomes even harder. Making new friends in the era of distance learning is almost impossible, which makes the whole acclimatisation process last longer. In addition, if we move from a warm country to a country as cold as Poland, the weather can also be harsh. Or so it may seem. I wish you had seen Astghik with her frostbitten nose, photographing Toruń tenement houses and laughing to the camera. Poland wouldn’t seem so cold anymore.
[pics: Astghik Asatryan]
[graphics: Tobiasz Troczyński]