Hi everyone!   Welcome to Hoachland.   I’m the one who’s responsible for creating 
this site.    

This site contains some wonderful short stories (both fiction and non-fiction), 
commentaries, quotes, and even a parody on advice columns that all were written by my 
father, Joseph Vosbikian.   

In case you’re interested, he started writing commentaries for the Armenian Reporter 
around 1985.   Basically, they’re about Armenian politics, people, culture, and church.  
Once in a great while you will see his commentary printed in the op-ed section in one of 
the local newspapers here in Philadelphia.  

If you have an older browser or WebTV, you may have trouble with some of the graphics 
or effects.  But I have specifically created .txt files for all the writings so that everyone 
can read them (no matter what kind of computer you own).   

As you surf around, you will also notice that I have included pictures of Armenia,  and 
some of our home and family, and also it contains full length wavs from recordings from 
our family band known as, "The Vosbikian Band."   

If you ask me, my father is a wonderful humanitarian.  And if you ask anyone in his 
family or any of his friends, they would tell you that he would give the shirt off his back 
to help any of them.   So it makes sense that I would create this site for someone who 
would do anything for anyone.    

Besides being a humanitarian, my father is also good husband.  This June 4th, 2002, he’ll 
be married to my mother for 58 years.  And in today’s world, that’s something.    He’s 
also considered a good citizen of the United States.  As you will see in some of his 
articles, he will talk about his experiences serving in the military during WWII.  
 
Building this site brought back many wonderful memories for me growing up.  I have had  
the great fortune of growing up in a house full of music, family, and friends.   

I have one brother, and I have to say, he’s a genius.   Not only can he play any instrument 
well, but he has the ability to learn how to play any instrument in 20 minutes.   That’s an 
amazing gift.   So you can imagine how just about everyday our house was filled with 
music.   

I’m sure some of you who never heard Armenian music before probably stereotype it with 
primarily Armenian instruments.  But that’s not true.   Besides Armenian instruments like 
the oud (12 string guitar), and dumbeg (Armenian drum), you will notice that many of the 
songs will have a piano, clarinet, tambourine, and a sax.     (We even had someone 
playing the banjo at one time.)   

For those who feel that this site has not provided you with enough of the Armenian 
experience, I have provided some wonderful links to help acquaint you more with our 
culture.  


Please note that my father's commentaries are categorized by date, because that was his 
request.   And also note that he is merely expressing his opinion.   I’m sure after the 
September 11th, 2001 tragedy,  we can be more appreciative that freedom of speech is not 
only a privilege, but it is a right that is allowed for all citizens in our great Constitution of 
the United States.   


I do hope you enjoy your visit here.   


Rose Vosbikian