Uncle Garabed’s Notebook (July 23, 2016)

Having It Both Ways

The young always have the same problem—how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.

… Quentin Crisp

 

West African Proverb                                                 

The parasite has no roots.

 

A Good Non-Winner

A company that manufactured soap and perfume offered a prize for the best slogan submitted for the advertisement of its products. The judges easily agreed on the best slogan, but did not give it the prize. The slogan was: “If you don’t use our soap, for heaven’s sake use our perfume.”

 

Contempt Breeds Unfamiliarity

Ara Mandr-parayan: Mr. Partsrkloukhian, er—ah—that is—can—er—I will—will you.

Mr. Partsrkloukhian: Why, yes, my boy, you may have her.

Ara Mandr-parayan: What’s that? Have whom?

Mr. Partsrkloukhian: My daughter, of course. That’s what you mean—you want to marry her, don’t you?

Ara Mandr-parayan:Why, no—I just wanted to know if you would lend me five dollars.

Mr. Partsrkloukhian: Certainly not. Why, I hardly know you.

 

Responsitive

The late Anoush Krikorian was an eminent actor, musician, and raconteur. Once, when in the company of a group of seniors, who were given to indulging in a good deal of idle talk, he remained silent. One of the members of the group, noticing this, turned to him and said, “You’re not very talkative, are you?” Anoush replied, “No, not talkative; thinkative.”

 

What’s in a Name?

Merangoulian: Persian in derivation, identified as a descriptive term, meran is defined as prince, and goul as rose; therefore, rose prince.

CK Garabed

CK Garabed

Weekly Columnist
C.K. Garabed (a.k.a. Charles Kasbarian) has been active in the Armenian Church and Armenian community organizations all his life. As a writer and editor, he has been a keen observer of, and outspoken commentator on, political and social matters affecting Armenian Americans. He has been a regular contributor to the Armenian Reporter and the AGBU Literary Quarterly, “ARARAT.” For the last 30 years, Garabed has been a regular contributor to the Armenian Weekly. He produces a weekly column called “Uncle Garabed's Notebook,” in which he presents an assortment of tales, anecdotes, poems, riddles, and trivia; for the past 10 years, each column has contained a deconstruction of an Armenian surname. He believes his greatest accomplishment in life, and his contribution to the Armenian nation, has been the espousing of Aghavni, and the begetting of Antranig and Lucine.
CK Garabed

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1 Comment

  1. Many years ago, when I was but a mere child, I distinctly remember Mr. Anoush Krikorian about to perform in front of about a thousand people at a St. Illuminator’s Cathedral Hantes in the now infamous Audubon Ballroom in NYC. As you can imagine the hall was full of the sounds of people happy to see each other and trade stories. Anoush was upset that the crowd was noisy especially when he was going to perform. He assertively announced that if they did not stay quiet he would not perform and go home. Incredibly their was a resounding hush throughout the gigantic hall and Anoush began his series of humorous stories, recitations and serenade on his duduk. Shortly after his wife, degeen Satenig, daughter Sossi and son in law Johnny Kadian did their dance routine in full costume to the thunderous applause of all present. Who said no one can keep a large crowd of Armenians quiet? They obviously never met the legendary Anoush Krikorian! Oh, what wonderful years, what wonderful memories.

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