Female - Armenia

11.08.05 Yesterday was the first day of being in Antakya, listening to lecturers. It was very interesting to speak about history, trying to understand some things. I think lot of us had stereotypical thinking about lot of questions. So it was a really chance to break the ice between young people. I was a little bit surprised that we had so common feelings, common expectations.   12.08.05 Yesterday was a very full day. We saw lots of new things. Murat Belge’s lecture was very interesting. I know a lot of things about Turkish writers. It also was very interesting to listen to Sevan Nisanyan about Armenians and Turkish. I was very happy to have a chance to go to walking, shopping. 13.08.05 It was a very long day. We had lecture of nationalism. I heard a lot of Turkish songs. The children were singing yesterday in the reception. I was listening to guitar. It was really great. I learned interesting things about both Armenian and Turkish armies, military services, and so on… 15.08.05 I can say it was a nice day without lessons. We had rest, walked. It was very sensitive for me to be in Musa Ler, to take part in patarag. It was nice to dance Kochari in the night with our Turkish friends. We also ate oranges from the tree. There was something special in all of it. We also were in the sea. It was a very dirty beach but it was a sea. All the time salty water was in my eyes but I was enjoying it. It’s impossible to write all the feelings I had during this weekend. But now I really feel that I have found a lot of friends, close friends… 16.08.05 I’m very sad. We are going to leave tomorrow. So I don’t know what to say. There are so many feelings so many thoughts. But in general, I’m very glad that I had a chance to meet Turkish young people, to live with them, to joke with them. We found many similar words, similar dishes, and similar jokes. As Tigran wrote in his article: “we all smile in the same way!” Now I know a lot about Turkey, about history. I saw Musa Dağ, it was a miracle for me. I still cannot believe it. I liked künefe very much, although we ate it almost every day! We were joking about nationalities. Most of all I liked Volkan’s version of famous song: “I’m not Turkish, not yet Armenian”! Mali wrote some funny things on the wall. “To be an Armenian? Why not? Be Armenian, be happy!” Now I know a lot of Turkish words and some Kurdish words.