Armeniankids.com was created back in September of 2001 in Ani's kitchen. Typical of their playdates for their children, Ani and Linda were talking about a wide range of subjects. They would talk about anything from old friends, to gardening, to clothing, to school, to their children. But on this particular day, the conversation took an interesting turn...
The topic of speaking Armenian came up, as it often did. "It's too bad I don't speak very much Armenian because I can't teach my kids much more than a few words. They'll need to know more than just choreg, vardig, and gatig." Ani said.
"Aren't there any books out there to help you teach them anything?" Linda asked.
"They're all written in Armenian, and I don't read or write Armenian." Ani replied.
"Well, let's write one!" Linda said excitedly. (no joke...this is how it happened)
"Are you serious????!!!??" Ani asked.
"Let's do it!" And so, the concept for "My First Book of Armenian Words" was created. From that day in September of 2001, it's been many late nights, lots of cups of tea, many computer crashes, lot's of yelling (at our kids, of course!), and tons of hours in front of the computer...but it's been worth it.
ABOUT ANI AND LINDA - THE AUTHORS
Ani Almasian Gigarjian has resided in Sherborn, Massachusetts since she was born. Married in 1997 to Bruce Gigarjian, she is now a stay at home Mom to two lovely daughters, Anoush and Aznive.
Though Ani's background is in business and accounting, her creative side and computer savvy has really been beneficial to the project and instrumental in the completion of this book.
Linda Kojoian Avedikian grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island. Since her marriage in 1995 to Craig Avedikian, she has resided in Massachusetts, settling most recently in Medfield. She is a stay at home Mom to her two wonderful sons, Shant and Nishan.
Linda brings her sales and marketing experience to this project. Her creativity and ingenuity has proven to be an asset throughout the entire process, from the inception of the book, to it's completion.
Ani and Linda have been friends since their days in the Providence AYF (Armenian Youth Federation). They both stood up in each other's weddings and have remained close friends over the years. Wherever they were living, whether in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, they always kept in touch. Ironically enough, they both now live within 5 minutes of each other.
A message from Ani and Linda......
"As we move forward with armeniankids.com, hopefully many more Armenian educational products will come to fruition. It really is important to keep our Armenian heritage alive.
We hope you all get as much out of our book as we have put into it. Thanks so much for your support!"
