St. Sahag. St. Mesrob Armenian Saturday School

By: Talin Orfali

An Armenian Saturday School that is so dear to me,
Seeing my friends every week was so exciting for me,
Learning the alphabet, history, ,music, culture and so much more,
For Learning about Armenia in a school that I absolutely adore,

1956 is when the school was started and founded,
with all the great people I was surrounded,
So many educational, beautiful years has gone like a fly,
Many people will tell you how fast time flew by,

Armenian writing and reading was taught to us,
the education & knowledge we received was a plus,
Heading to visit our beautiful Armenia is our motherland,
After our grade 8 graduating class that the school planned,

Principals, Staff, Parents, Teachers and Volunteers,
Thank you for allowing us to grow with our peers,
With all the friends and bonds we have made,
I can surely promise you with all my heart, those times will never fade,

I am ever so grateful and happy I attended,
I was so sad after graduating that it all ended,
I will always love and cherish all the school memories,
May this beautiful Armenian Saturday school go on for centuries.

Windows 10 is Great. I love it

Since last July, 2015 every person with a PC has a chance to upgrade their systems from Windows XP, 7, Vista, 8, 8.1 to the newest version to the Full version of Windows 10 for free for a year. In July 2016, the chance to download it free will be expired and those who did not download Windows 10 are out of luck and must pay. Price is unknown.

I am really liking the feature where you can search your whole computer with asking Cortana anything on the internet too. I also like the pin to task bar where my frequently used apps and software devices can be quickly accessed instead of putting them on the desktop when busy with other software. I also like the start up menu where you can search that way too.

I like that snipping tool feature, where you can take articles, pictures or whatever else and do like a screen shot like how you can on your smartphone. I also like the Microsoft Edge internet. It is so much better than the Internet Explorer. That was a disaster of an Internet Browser. Edge has certainly improved.

I like the files and how you can organize your photos and everything a lot better and when you click on a photo to copy and paste, you can copy and paste without looking for a photo to open up in your social media status updates or whatever else. I also like the check mark option they put on the pictures and files where you do not have to hold the CTRL button to select many pictures or files at once.

Have you downloaded Windows 10 yet?

Do you like it?

Do you think they need to improve on a few things or is that good like it is?

Will you download it? If you do not, you miss out and will have to pay after July, 2016.

Armenian Genocide Awareness Month of April

April is approaching in a couple of days and it is about The Armenian Genocide Awareness month.

in 1915 a horrific crime against humanity occurred in Armenia, where the Turkish government just came into people’s homes and kicked people out to eventually kill them. 1.5 Million Armenians were massacred at the hands of Turkish Soldiers who were commanded to do the deed of Turkish Government.

They also began to steal a huge chunk of our lands but could not succeed to steal it all. 101 years have passed by and the wound still hurts. even though we were not born around those times but as Armenians and any other races and heritage was affected by Genocide and mass killings of people certainly feel the pain it has caused.

Raising awareness, educating and spreading the word, is very important. We must prevent from history repeating itself and not go backwards but must go forward without violence and killing

Let’s put wars and Genocide in the past a create a better world without all this hate. enough is enough

Deep Wounds of Genocide

Deep Wounds of Genocide April 24, 1915 – 2016

In Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide

By: Talin Orfali

101 Years After, We Still Hurt,
Many People displaced from their homes,
Men, Women, Children were taken to the desert,
The Innocent Were forced to walk the many miles,
seeing murdered bodies by the piles,

heads, flesh, arms, legs broken up in pieces,
Bodies and innocent humans were left hung,
survivors looking to their loved ones seeing the crying faces,

Deep wounds of Genocide That will never heal,
The blood of our ancestors/family that we all feel,
Lands, Landmarks, Churches, Mount Ararat that they stole,
hearing the sad voices of people’s soul,

Terrible inhumane criminal acts,
Turkish Government that still denies/lies about the facts,
The Armenian Genocide wounds are so deep,
That the Turks tried so hard to sweep,
However, they could not succeed,

1.5 Million Armenian’s Massacred by Turkish Soldiers,
These are the wounds that will forever be on our Shoulders.

“Recognize, Awareness, Education, Knowledge, Prevent”

talinorfali.wordpress.com

The Quincy Market Story – In Boston, Massachusetts

In August of 2013, I had embarked on a journey on my own to Boston, Massachusetts. It was my first time there to mainly go see my great friends whom I consider family to me from meeting online from an Armenian Music Radio Station, and we had such memorable and cherished times together. My lovely sisters took me to Quincy Market where there is the popular iconic restaurant called “Cheers” from the TV Show back in the day. I really wanted to go there as I had watched the show. After we finished dining there, we were walking around doing some shopping.

After some time walking, We encountered someone very interesting. this American guy with some sort of accent who was trying to sell us something and I was not interested, and he kept insisting and I said I have no time. So, he continued on to ask me, where I was from. I said, I am from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Then, he caught me off guard and surprised me with such a ridiculous answer saying, Is Toronto, Ontario, Canada beside Florida? Then he said, where is Canada? I said, It is north of USA, we are a very big country. Then I said, Sorry we have to go bye. I just dropped my jaw and I was caught in probably one of the most weirdest situations in my lifetime.

I was really shocked that he did not know Where and what Canada is. I remained silent for a bit, and then my sisters/girlfriends I was with were absolutely shocked themselves and they couldn’t believe what they heard. So, we began laughing about it and all of a sudden we started to talk about that and said, wow that is serious stuff if someone doesn’t know about Canada and where it is on the geographical map of the world’s atlas. I am sure if I bring this up with them again now, they will remember what happened.

Then it reminded me of when Jay Leno had his tonight show and he was asking people in the streets of Los Angeles, California questions about who the President of the United States is, Where Canada is located and this and that on his Jay Walking segment, also questions on who the secretary of state is, who the vice president is. I said, this guy I met in Boston would be a great candidate and the laughing stock of the world. He really made that afternoon quite interesting, to say the least. I will never forget that. I mean, who could ever forget?

I am not making fun of him or anything, but something that is so basic and someone should know and he did not. I do not know the type of education or whatever he did in his life that he did not know, just really puzzles me.

Heaven forbid, he tells someone directions or something about the world. He is just in his own little world and doesn’t know diddly squat about geography and countries. At first, I really thought he was joking and pushing me around with that, but he really did not know where Toronto, Ontario, Canada was. It really horrifies me when people don’t know these basic things.

Have you encountered a strange situation?

Have people asked the most bizarre questions to you?

What is your story?

Happy Easter to all who Celebrate

I want to wish you and yours who celebrate a very Happy Easter and best wishes for you and your loved ones to those near and far. A new topic to come tomorrow.

Good Friday Greetings

wishing everyone a happy Easter weekend to those who celebrate. Remember the true meaning of Easter is Jesus died on the cross so we can all be saved. Easter is not about the chocolates and bunny rabbits.

Today he was crucified, died and was buried on the third day he rose to the heavens. Christine has died, Christian has risen and He will come again.

have a great weekend with your loved ones

Life’s Cycle – Live Like No Tomorrow

Life… We are born, we become toddlers, we become kids, we go to school, we become teenagers, we dream of things to do in life, we set goals and we try our best to achieve each one, we find a job, find our soul mate, get married or not. people have kids, become grandparents, great grandparents some people don’t get a chance to live through all that unfortunately and in the beginning, middle or the end of one cycle of life, it gets cut short by disease, infections, accidents, and other unfortunate reasons.

No matter how healthy we are, how we try to get healthy and take charge of our bodies, sometimes no matter how hard we try, something can go wrong. Don’t go to extremes of losing weight and trying to be so thin to satisfy others. Be comfortable with you and be yourself. Good and true people will accept you for who you are, not your body image.

Is life really worth to live? of course it is. How you leave your mark on this earth is so important. Life is too short. Enjoy and embrace each moment and don’t waste time on worthless and useless things. Do what is necessary, be kind to each other, live with love and no regrets. You live and learn. No matter how long you have on earth make the most of it because tomorrow is not promised.

Thoughts and Prayers to Brussels Belgium

It is with a heavy heart to send my thoughts and prayers to the people of  Brussels Belgium over the terrorist attacks and bombings that killed and injured many.

My condolences to their family and friends.

Compliments – Do you Take it or Reject it?

There are moments in life, when people accomplish something, dress up, do something good, or whatever else in life. There are people who compliment others in saying something sweet like, congratulations, best wishes, you look beautiful, you look great, and other nice gestures someone spreads to other people. Now, there are people who do take compliments and others just do not accept it or don’t want to accept it.

After a compliment, people think the response is to get a thank you back or compliment back or whatever the case maybe, but some people take it into offense and tend to always have the last word and hurt the person who complimented them. In our heads, we are thinking are the compliments for the sake of complimenting? Does the person really mean it? Is there an ulterior motive to the compliment? Do they want something more out of it?

Some people’s low self-esteem and self-confidence tend to get in the way of accepting a person’s compliment where people sell themselves short all the time thinking they are not good enough, they are not beautiful or whatever else, where they are good enough, beautiful and everything else. Some people need to stop sell themselves short and really analyze themselves and say Hey, I am me and I am capable of doing great things in life, I will boost my self-esteem by feeling good things about myself. Others validation is not required.

When you get complimented, take it, accept it and be thankful. Someone took the time out to give you a boost and to compliment you. Don’t hound them and make them feel bad about doing so. It is only wrong when people compliment and don’t mean it where you find out later it was a lie, but you can definitely feel a compliment being genuine and true by the way they say it to you. There is a big difference between fake and real compliments. You need to analyze it for yourself in whatever situation it was said in.

Have you complimented someone and got rudeness back to you?

Have you simply stopped complimenting others because you are afraid of the outcome?

What were your reactions when someone complimented you?

Armenia In Poetry

So much to do, So much to see
Armenia is where I want to be
Listening to zurna, duduk in the streets
while walking to a nice restaurant to find some good eats.

I visited Sourp Etchmiadzin to pray
just before I get old and my hair starts turning gray
I went to Mesrob Mastotz to say thank you
while enjoying myself while looking at the view.

I visited and swam in the hot summer in beautiful Sevan Lake.
I didn’t care how cold it was because I began to bake.
I returned to Yerevan to enjoy it alot more.
on the way I stopped in an ice cream store.

I visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial and began to cry a lot
so I put flowers by the eternal flame that I bought.
I looked at Mother Armenia and told her I love her and that shes in my heart
and I told her that my love for Armenia and My Love for being Armenian will never grow apart.

So I looked at Mount Ararat that belongs to Armenia and Said you will come back to us
because there was nothing else to fuss.
I go back to the hotel Armenia to check out to turn in my key.
All I gotta say is please return our lands Turkey

BY
TALIN ORFALI

Welcome Spring! Bye Winter!

Well, Another season has come and gone and would like to welcome spring officially. I like this time of year where the daylight increases. Cannot believe it is Palm Sunday already and Easter is a week away. So much to do in the next few weeks and I have so much planned for this summer. Its going to be fabulous. I am going to keep this short and sweet today. Have a happy palm Sunday everyone who celebrates.

Get Well Soon to Former Mayor of Toronto – Rob Ford

Toronto’s Former Mayor Rob Ford has been rushed to hospital in Grave condition. Family at his bedside. Not a good sign at all. Lets pray for a miracle and so that he can fight with all his strength to overcome cancer and to recover.

 

😦 My heart breaks. Stress Creates cancer, and the media and people’s disgusting comments got him where he is now. The media makes things so much more bigger than they are and make a federal case out of things leading people to believe all the bad things. When you are a good-hearted and great person, people will do anything and everything to ruin a good person’s reputation and that causes so much stress on a person, people don’t believe. Rob Ford did great things for the City of Toronto and our people. He worked his butt off, as well as coaching a football team, being a role model to many and being so inspiring.

 

Some people are always whining about Bullying and everything, but people are such hypocrites and bully anyways and people did Bully Rob Ford and that takes a toll on a person both physically, emotionally and mentally and that plays a huge role in someone’s overall health. Society is terrible and I hope people realize with what they did and said about him and right to his face which led Rob Ford to his cancer bed.

 

I am absolutely disgusted by some people. That is why this world is full of stress. Because of cruel, disrespectful and thoughtless individuals.

 

Get well soon Rob Ford. You will always be Mayor to Me.

The Key Component to Genocide Prevention

The Armenian Genocide

101 Years
1915-2016

On April 24, 1915 the Turkish Government and the Ottoman empire committed a terrible criminal act against humanity, tried to wipe out a whole race and culture. They killed 1.5 Million Armenians, stole our precious landmarks, churches, lands, Mount Ararat, pulled the rug right under us. The blood, flesh, bones, decapitation, tears, fears, displacing people from their homes, families, with Armenians changing their Armenian names to something Turkish so that they will not be targeted and where they will feel protected from harms way. The Turkish Government still denies and lies about ever committing Genocide against the Armenians and also still fails to recognize.

We will prevail, Justice is timeless.

This is why it is imperative to spread Genocide awareness as much as we can so that history will never repeat itself again.

In 2015, we commemorated the centennial. 100 years have gone by and this year in 2016 is the 101st. After 100 years, we will still continue to spread Genocide prevention.

Recognize, Acknowledge, Awareness, Educate, Prevent.

Those are the key components to Genocide prevention.

Not just for the Armenians, but all those in the world who have had to unfortunately, deal with Genocide in other cultures, races.

We received a lot of Global recognition last year which was incredible with all the coverage, letting people know about us, being put on the map, and addressing this very important subject.

Let us utilize the same energy we had during the Armenian Genocide 100th Centennial in 2015 and bring that same drive into 2016, to be big in numbers once again during peace demonstrations, marches, vigils, and so much more.

We are almost a month away from the 101st Armenian Genocide commemoration.

Candy Crush Soda Saga – Good for the Mind

In the last little while, I have been playing levels of Candy Crush Soda Saga. The other Candy Crush which came up after the original one. I like the Soda a lot better. I play it for many reasons, one of them being is that it is good for the mind. It is mind exercise. You have to think of strategies to beat each level and achieve the goals each level gives you with bringing the bears above the string candy, eating the honey and saving the bears, as well as eating the chocolate, finding the bears, spreading the jam. Each level has their goals.

The game is like life. You have to work hard at each level of life and some levels are easy. Depending on how you do the work. Work hard to achieve your goals now and have an easy life later. I am at level 663 right now. It is so hard to pass some levels. You have to repeat it until you get it right. I have no issues with that. LOL although some of them can be stressful, frustrating and it can play with your emotions. Some people think it is just a game, and some people go in it for the long haul. If at first you do not succeed, try again. Never be discouraged and do not quit or give up.

I on the other hand, I am in for it for the long haul and I will go to the end of the levels. Hopefully,  I can get there  soon. I am not on it all the time, but when I can I will play a few games here and there. That is the only game I play on Facebook. I don’t have any other time otherwise. I find it to be too time-consuming as I have other priorities of life outside of the online world and of course;  my online life with communicating with friends, family and my writings per day.

Anyway, if you are one of those Candy Crush Soda Saga players, I am sure you can relate to how you feel about the game and everything. Everyone has different perspectives and ideas about the game and that is perfectly fine. Enjoy playing 🙂