It is so difficult to put to words the emotions we lived and the page we opened at Nork Marash orphanage. We arrived on time, but the welcome was very cold, as if the employees got disturbed by our visit.
We were allowed to visit the kids by 5 students to the most. All we wanted to do there was to make those kids somehow happy. We had learnt about the pain of living as an orphan through Saroyan’s short stories and decided to pay a visit to our Armenian kids who are less-fortunate than us.But what to do? What to feel? We trained ourselves not to go emotional around the kids, as we did not want them to feel anything negative or “pity” towards them.
We planned the games. The chair game, bowling, question- answer about Santa and what did they expect from him, and drawings about Christmas to be exchanged by my tenth graders and them. We did not realize this last point, though, as the hall they welcomed us in did not have tables.
My students were very organized and serious, on task from A- Z. They showed in having beautifully wrapped gifts, bought Saroyan’s book that we gave as a present to Mrs. Karapetyan, the director of the orphange, played with the kids, bonded with them and carried out everything so smoothly. But we all left a bit broken, gloomy and dismayed.
Published by dzovigkassabian
I am a psychologist and a teacher of EFL from Lebanon. Born in 1974, in a big family of five kids, bombs and shelters were the highlights of our childhood years. In 1991, I graduated from Yegishe Manougian College,the humanity section, then took off to work in my father's printing press. In 1997 I earned my BA in psychology from Haigazian University, being on the Dean's List periodically. In 2005 I earned my MA in General Psychology, Clinical Psychology as the main field of study, with a minor in School Counseling. My Thesis Findings addressed a psycho-social issue, research on the assimilation patters of the Armenians in Lebanon and the weight of the Armenian State in that process. Thus, in 2006, I was invited to UCLA, to participate in the fifth Annual Colloquium in Armenian Studies, to present the findings of my MA thesis among the PhD candidates from all over the world. My research based article is titled "The Assimilation of Armenians in Lebanon as a Function of Involvement with the Armenian State."
Along formal education, I aslo had formal musical education at Parsegh Ganatchian Musical school, played the Piano with a professional pianist invited from Armenia.
My teaching experiences involve teaching English as foreign language in prominent Lebanese high schools, where I taught English in Middle and High schools as well as worked as a Psychology instructor and school counselor. I consider my job gratifying and motivating as it is a very humanitarian and a giving job.
I am a mother of two beautiful girls. My elder, Natalie, studies English and Communications at AUA, whereas my little sweetheart, Mariam Luce' is a 4 year old at KG! I am blessed to have a big loving family, great parents, siblings and most importantly a husband who is one in a million!
I can write many chapters about me, but as they say, time is money, and I have to go now to grab something to eat!
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