Built to Last

Armenians love to kef (party). Yet somehow, after all these years, my wife, Becky, and I have been guests at few engagement parties, Armenian or otherwise. We upped the number recently when we were among 100 guests of Varoujan and Anna, celebrating the betrothal of their son, Daron, to Becky’s niece, Sona. If the kef we attended in Chicago is anything like what we anticipate for the wedding, we’re in for quite a time. The celebration began with the customary blessing of gifts, the beautiful ring Daron presented to Sona and the macho watch she gave him. (An Armenian priest once told me Armenians like blessing everything.) Then came official and off-the-cuff welcomes, followed by an extravagant meal. To everyone’s surprise, next up was an Armenian dance performance in full costume by a local troupe with which Daron has had a long-term relationship. After some coaxing from the audience, Daron joined in with wonderful footwork. Tons of pastries followed. Before returning home, the six of us met privately for a get-to-know-you dinner at Paréa Greek taverna. Becky and I ate there at the beginning of our trip and liked it so much we returned. Conversation at the gala was difficult over the music, so having quiet time at the estiatório (Greek for ‘eating place’) was in order. Admittedly, dining out is somewhat passé by today’s standard of interaction by device, but who cares. We spoke excitedly of wedding plans, nostalgically about Sona’s late parents, whom we miss each day, dearly of mutual friends and perfunctorily about work. It turns out our server was to be married in a matter of days. We saluted her and wished her the very best. Even the restaurateur, when we told him we’re Armenian, comped us with a dish of meat stuffing for dolmades (dolma in Armenian) covered with lemon-egg avgolemono sauce. Nostimo. Delicious. At the taverna, we realized the number of years of our respective relationships totaled nearly a hundred. Sounds crazy, correlating time together so numerically. But Varoujan, Anna, Becky and I are among those Armenians who married for the long run. Our marriages have endured through good times and bad. We wish Sona and Daron the same and place our bets on them. Thinking of them, I created a painting to celebrate longevity. After our sightseeing in downtown Chicago, Becky announced that she liked the ornate, 40-story Jewelers’ Building on Wacker Drive best. It resembles an old-fashioned wedding cake, with four corner towers and one central tower. Our host from the Chicago Architectural Center on our 90-minute Chicago River boat tour informed us that the building once housed valet parking via elevator. Effective but not efficient. We had learned at the engagement party that one guest is a jeweler in Chicago, perhaps familiar with the building. I chose to incorporate the structure into my painting entitled Built to Last. As constructors of relationships, I’ve placed each of us in construction helmets. I know, they mess up our hair, but the laughs are worth it. Sona, settle into Chicago, then go with Daron on the river tour. It’s well worth your time, and you’ll get the lay of the land downtown. Be sure to check out 35 East Wacker Drive. Who knows, a jeweler might present you with another little something in an ornate box. Relish – pun intended – a Cheezborger at the original Billie Goat. Have a sundae at Ghirardelli’s. Consider having a funky wedding photo taken at Cloud Gate, the stainless steel egg sculpture (a.k.a. ‘The Bean’). Regardless of whether you’re R or D, check out the Obama Museum as soon as you can land a ticket, allegedly not until spring. The building and grounds are spectacular. Most importantly, have yourselves a good life in the Windy City. Fair winds are predicted. If you take the shuttle train between terminals at O’Hare, try to discover why the fully automated vehicle has windshield wipers.

Built to Last

This story is FREE for you...

Robert Megerdichian

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This story is FREE for you...

Robert Megerdichian

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related Articles

To the Rescue

Train Ride

Calamity Me

Trip to the Museum