FAQ of Vahe AMIRBEKYAN (v. 1.0)
This FAQ contains questions I have been asked hundreds of times (this
somehow explains the tone of the title :) by various (curious) people I met
during the last 11 years (mostly when I lived in Poland). If - after reading of
all Q&As you still have some question I would be glad to hear from you and even, if the question is not
devoid of sense (sorry), to add it to the FAQ.
Main subjects:
Where are you from?
I am from Armenia - a very ancient country (suffice to say that the capital
of Armenia - Yerevan - was founded circa 2800 years ago), which regained its
independence in 1991 (before it was one of Soviet republics). Armenia has been
located near the cradles of ancient civilizations--the Mesopotamian, bordering
immediately to the south; the Egyptian in the southwest; and the Indus to the
east--and was affected by each, but most significantly by Mesopotamian. About
3.000.000 people, mainly Armenians, live in contemporary Armenia, whereas an
estimated 6.000.000 is scattered all over the World. The biggest Armenian
communities are in Russia (mainly in Moscow, St.Petersburg, and on the South),
the USA (mainly in California), France and Middle East countries (Lebanon,
Syria, Israel).What language is spoken in Armenia?
Armenians speak... Armenian,
which belongs to Indo-European (quite large:) family of languages (together with
nearly all European, Greek, Hindu, Persian languages)....what
alphabet used?
Armenians use their own unique alphabet (also widely known as Armenian
alphabet), which was created in AD 402 by monk Mesrop Mashtots. It consists of
36+3 letters. Click here to see
how Armenian letters look like. Armenian fonts in different formats as well as
various software (e.g. keyboard drivers, text formatters) can be found at Armenian Standards
Page.What is the state religion in Armenia?
The Armenians are the first people in the World to have adopted
Christianity as the official religion of the state. The official conversion of
the Armenian king by St. Gregory (Grigor) the Illuminator took place in
AD 301. The Armenian
Church is headed by Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians.Where
can I learn more about Armenia?
There's plenty of information available over the Net. For example, Armenia resource page,
Armenia-Diaspora, Cilicia.com, and A LOT of
others. Also see GROONG News, ASBAREZ News, Radio
Liberty: Armenia, AZG daily
to get the most recent news
about Armenia and Armenians around the World. My personal favorite is ArmeniaNow
weekely - so check it out. If you are looking for information
in Polish check out ONET,
ONET-wiem, Interia
to name a few.
What 'Vahe' means in Armenian?
(AFAIK) nothing.Is it the full name?
Yes.Are there any short forms of your name?
Not that widely used... The only one coming in my mind is 'Vahik', but
personally I don't like it and I've never been called like
that.Is there any international equivalent for your name?
Not any I am aware of.So you don't have any name-day (Pol.
imieniny)?
Not any I am aware of.But how your Polish friends call
you?
Mainly by my name (with the accent on 'a', originally it should be on 'e').
Some call me Vahowski :)) ...What does your surname mean?
"Amir" is a name (now obsolete in Armenia), "...bek..." means duke, 'local'
prince or something like that (of course, it doesn't necessarily mean I am a
descendant of prince; most probably my ancestor was titled "Bek" in the name of
some real prince), "...yan" (or "ian") is traditional ending of the most
Armenian surnames.
Where does your family live?
My parents live in Yerevan (Armenia). My (only) sister lives in
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania).
How did you end up in Poland?
Accidentally. Being a student at Yerevan (capital of Armenia) State
University in 1989 I was offered to participate in Armenia-Poland students'
exchange program. Despite of then total information starving (I knew little
about the country when I would spend several years of my life) I decided to take
the risk......and what after?
In Poland I completed my M.Sc. and Ph.D. Computer Science studies at University Of Science and
Technology (AGH) in Krakow. In 1997 I got permanent residence in Poland. From
January 1999 to February 2000 I worked in Motorola Polska Software
Center......and after?
...then I decided to take a risk again and moved to California (Bay Area) to
begin a new life and a new job... in TechOne,
Inc. as a Senior Consultant. I worked in Silicon Valley-based startups as
well as well-established companies (CISCO, Kaiser Permanente).
...and after?
...then (exactly 3 years after) I decided a change in my career would do me
good, and started working for eBay Inc. based
in San Jose.
What was your dissertation about?
The title was "Integration of Object Databases with CORBA Environment". See
here for
details.
Any hobbies?
Sure. I like sport (soccer, basketball, squash, tennis). I (still) am an Executive Member
in Armenian Cultural
Association (member since 1990). Plus - literature, movies and
music. I am a big fan of dogs, my favorite one has his own website. What languages do you speak?
Armenian (mother tongue), English, French (intermediate), Polish,
Russian
.......
Where can I get more information about you?
Please see my home page
(attention! some pages haven't been updated for quite a long time). You are
welcomed to submit your additional questions to avahe@yahoo.com.
Last updated: 2003 by Vahe Amirbekyan