think inc

The Dounut Kingdom

2009-11-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

I go to a Yoga Studio that sits atop a donut shop.

This is not just any no name donut shop. No. We’re taking about Winchell’s. Winchell’s was like the Dunkin’ Donuts of the West coast back in the 80’s. It’s one of the many remnant or ruins of my childhood.

The first time I arrived at the studio, I was running late and didn’t notice the bright Yellow and Brown triangle logo. But I was captured by the scent of sugar, butter and dough all in some warm luxurious breeze that wrapped its tempting arms around me. Taunting me, “why in such a hurry? Slow down. Come and have a treat.”

I wanted to see where this delicious air was coming from and then I saw it…it was like a old flame from some distant past I couldn’t get rid of. I haven’t had a donut in like 10 years. Well, no actually- that’s a lie. I haven’t had a Winchell’s chocolate brownie with small milk for about 20 years.

I would have it everyday for breakfast when I was in elementary. My Mom would drive by the one near our apartment to get a cup of coffee and I’d get my breakfast: a brownie and small milk. I had my first brownie at Winchell’s. I can still remember the joy of biting into that square treat and discovering the goodness of its dense cake-y-ness. Its smooth frosting interrupted by my tiny teeth marks. It was like I discovered gold. Chocolate-Gold! And then washing it down with a splash or gush of cold milk…God I LOVED their chocolate brownies with small milk! …

Those were some good times.

Then I hit 4^th grade and changed schools. There was no Winchell’s on the way to this new school. It sucked. In protest I stopped having breakfast. I don’t think my mom noticed it though. So I suffered through hunger headaches during Math class, which is probably why I can’t do math well.

But as I stood there, becoming increasingly late to the yoga class, my eyes drooped and I slowly succumbed to the blanket of sugar and dough rushing through the vents.

Oh the temptation to go in and have a donut, just a plain thing, nothing fancy or glazed. Just a bite, a taste, a donut hole.

When I got older they discontinued their brownies. I was so upset. I felt abandoned, jilted. How could this happen? “Why?” I asked the fat and greasy teenager behind the counter, “Why did they discontinue the one thing I loved!?” But he only shrugged his shoulders and moved away from me as fast as he could. I was so dissappointed, no other brownie tasted the same. They were either too thick, too chunky with nuts, or the frosting was horrible. I had no other choice but to try something else.

It was like dating. Starting a new relationship. I didn’t know if I was ready. But I put my taste buds out there and yes, I found love again in Winchell’s plain doughnut. Sometimes, if I felt a bit kinky, I would go for the chocolate with sprinkles. But it was still Plain ole dough nut underneath…

Oh Winchell’s the things we went through, the things you make me do!

I closed my eyes and envisioned what that sweet scent would actually taste like; I could smell the sugar coating. It was melting into the roundness becoming one with the dough… It was getting to me, hard.

I took a peek inside the shop and to my sadness, it seemed like a lonely place. Not like the bright brilliance that welcomed me in the mornings of my youth. When I was six, the shops were blitzed with florescent lights, colorful campaigns of donut extravaganzas, cushioned chairs and clean tables that were practically asking you to sit, have a seat, enjoy the peacefulness of the dough and the nut.

Now it was just a drab of a place with a hint of desperation like an elderly person that would sit on the porch waiting for a visitor, a family member or the mail that never came. It was watching the world pass by it, no longer apart of it. No longer apart of mine. Winchell’s was now being replaced by a younger, hipper and dumber version of itself: Yum-Yum’s.

It’s amazing how THIS particular one stayed alive. Right beneath the Yoga studio I was having second thoughts about…this location might be the very last Winchell’s in all of CA. And it’s waiting for something. Waiting for a customer to feed to comfort. Waiting for me, so that it could die. Disappearing into the black abyss of corporate memory and community renovations, Leaving no trace or memory to anyone but me.

Oh Winchell, the times we had, the fat I gained.

But I knew standing there under its vents enveloped in its sugary air, there was no way I was going to go inside.

Not now.

Not after my power Yoga class. Not ever

Well, there is no way I was about to go in before or after my power yoga class.

Ever.

Network it Up & Mix it Right: an A-Bomb Enterprise Event

2009-11-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

Through the world of Song

2009-11-07T01:27:00.000-08:00

The spirit of Song has always surrounded Tarpinian. From early on he heard the sirens call to sing traditional Armenian Folksongs.

One unique way:

It begins with a single note. A note that does not allude to soft harmonies, instead it begins a
series of buzzing that is the sound of war. In the late 80’s Tarpinian witnessed the destruction of
Lebanon, a country he called home, that left his loved ones and fellow Armenians dispersed
around the world. Disturbed by the distance Tarpinian set the course to connect them the only
way he knew how: through music.

Tarpinian emigrated to Paris where he recorded his first album, HARTAR. The record struck a
deep chord throughout the Diaspora. The combination of Western instrumentation and
arrangements, while keeping the original melodies of these beloved folk songs reflected the
Armenian peoples situation at the time. The Diaspora was living among the western countries
longing for their homes. It was both nostalgic and bittersweet.

And yet the response was remarkable. Communities from all over the world were drawn to the
album and the new interpretations of these almost forgotten songs. He traveled all over the
world performing for the Armenian Diaspora, bringing them a little bit of home and the familiar.
But for Tarpinian, this was the beginning of a new path. Tarpinian decided to dedicate his life to
the craft and art of song.

A NEW JOURNEY:

On this new journey, Tarpinian was introduced to highly accomplished pianist and composer
Patrice Peyrieras. Peyrieras, has worked with internationally known performers and
entertainers such as Diana Ross, Michel Legrand, Barbara, Gerard Depardieu, & Charles
Aznavour to only name a few.

Together they collaborated on several albums, consisting of full orchestration and original
composition and arrangements by both Tarpinian and Peyrieras. It was here that Tarpinian
matured musically and defined what is known to be his signature style: pure voice.
Since HARTAR, Tarpinian has produced 6 albums of his solo work‐‐ a culmination of traditional
Armenian songs‐‐ to date and self funded. Truly a labor of love.

Recently this year, Tarpinian was invited to perform a concert in Los Angeles, one of the largest
Armenian Diaspora communities. Tarpinian was asked to sing along with a line up of young
talented Armenian musicians. The event inspired the veteran of song to incorporate a youth
element into his next project, NORTAR also the title of his next album.

In this new ensemble Tarpinian includes two young vocalists: his daughter Vaughnig and his
protégé Vasken.

“They show me by working seriously on the songs and the language that the journey continues in every corner of the world, keeping Armenian culture and art, warm like a homemade fire. Wings, manage to sing calmly, preparing the bouquet to offer you these songs,” says Tarpinian.

In addition to the two voices, Tarpianin has expanded his troupe of musicians by two guitars and
an up right bass, to accompany Patrice Peyrieras on piano.

“Inspiration comes from coordinated words. Harmonized words with velvet voices.
It is a painting of two guitars, one piano, one double bass, two choirs and one voice.”

***

NORTAR

2009-11-07T01:08:00.000-08:00

Born in Beirut in 1951, Tarpinian has spent an entire lifetime performing in various plays or music productions, consistently refining his artistic skills. His diligence and devotion to music has shined through all over the Armenian communities in Europe, but has been especially embraced by the Diaspora in France and in Lebanon. At the height of his artistic endeavors in the lat 80’s, political turmoil struck his home, family and friends in Lebanon. Deeply affected by the war torn country Tarpinian emigrated back to Paris where he recorded his first album, HARTAR.

Many people in the Diaspora took to the record immediately, feeling the sentiments expressed in these old Armenian Standard.
Tarpinian, transformed these beloved songs, rearranging the instrumentation to reflect a western sensibility while keeping the authenticity of the original melody. Moreover, his crisp and clear voice also attributed to the success of the album and has since been considered one of the beloved voices of our generation.

One of the Most Beloved Voices of Our Generation...

2009-11-07T00:32:00.001-08:00

Vicken Tarpinian will perform in
LA for two nights!

Since HARTAR, and his other and his other albums YERAZ, PAREV and GAROD, Tarpinian is Releasing all of his songs and music, including his notable album ONE PIANO, ONE VOICE, as a collection in a box set available to everyone! In addition to this box set he will be releasing a NEW album NORTAR with his new ensemble of musicians.

To herald the span of his work, Tarpinian is traveling all the way to LA, with his troupe which includes: Patrice Peyrieras (Piano), Vanigue Tarpinian & Vasken Avedissian (Vocals), Jacky Tricoire & Gerald Niobey and Marc Michel Le Bevillon (Brass) will play for 2 nights only. The celebration will commence:

Friday Oct. 23rd & Saturday Oct. 24th @ 8pm

at the Zipper Concert Hall

Tarpinian will also be singing from his new Album NORTAR

Vicken Tarpinian will be performing his entire repertoire of his musical styles, including songs from HARTAR all the way to GENATS and even some new songs.

Join us for a night of great music, a gifted voice and a lot of fun!

***

AAMSC: 23rd Annual Banquet to benefit a Mobile Diagnostic and Therapeutic Unit for Artsakh

2009-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, CA- Over 300 proud members and supporters of the Armenian American Medical Society of California (AAMSC) gathered on May 3, 2009 for the organization’s annual banquet. The event, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, represented a united effort to raise funds for a much needed medical project in Artsakh.

For the past year the President of the AAMSC, Varoosh Alaverdian, has communicated with the president of Artsakh to discuss how the AAMSC can support the medical needs facing our compatriots there. The organization has decided to use the proceeds of this year’s banquet to purchase a Mobile Diagnostic and Therapeutic Unit.

“Some villagers in remote areas of Artsakh have a very hard time coming to a health clinic in Stepanakert during the winter time. We came to the conclusion that what Artsakh really needs is a mobile unit that physicians and nurses can use to reach mountainous areas. They can make diagnostics and treat the sick on site rather than traveling all the way to Stepanakert for treatment,” said Alaverdian.

Those attending the event were mostly physicians and members of AAMSC. Everyone enjoyed a lovely program with their dinner and were entertained by a dance ensemble. Notable guests such as Larry Zarian, former mayor of Glendale, Mesrob Shaboyan, Deputy Consul General and other special guests were also on hand to show their support. Frank V. Zerunyan, J.D., served as the master of ceremonies for the evening.

In addition to raising funds for the AAMSC project in Artsakh, the annual banquet serves as an opportunity to honor professionals who have made great contributions in the field of medicinal science. At this year’s banquet Professor Hagop Akiskal was awarded with the AAMSC’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The prestigious award was granted for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of Psychiatry. The honoree was introduced by Boghos Yerevanian, M.D., with remarks given by Haroutune Armenian, M.D., Dr.PH.

“Apart from his enormous contribution to the field of psychiatry, Hagop Akiskal is an extraordinary human being. He is able to challenge the status quo with original and groundbreaking ideas. At a time, when psychiatry was in disarray, he rejected the fragmentation of the field and set the tone of cooperation and collaboration for everyone in the field. Pulling all the research together, these studies became the most cited papers in modern psychiatric literature. An ultimate synthesizer,” said Dr. Armenian.

Prof. Akiskal’s main contribution has been primarily in mood disorders specifically chronic depression and early detection of Schizophrenia in young children that are treatable illness.

His mood clinics have had worldwide appeal because of their philosophy of conducting clinical training and research while delivering high quality care. His research on artistic creativity with Knarig Akiskal led to the development of a new instrument, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS), now translated into 25 languages, thereby contributing to the worldwide renaissance of the temperament field.

He is presently Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the International Mood Center at the University of California at San Diego, where he is also on the faculty of International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine.

There were also items for auction donated by AAMSC members to help boost monetary support such as, The Falcone Piano donated by Hollywood Piano Company. Also held for auction was a Gran Patron Burdeos Anejo Tequila donated by Zareh & Melina Issakhanian.

***

AAMSC Mission: Every person has the right to an adequate and affordable medical care, and the Armenian community is no exception. For years, Armenian-Americans have excelled within the healthcare industry. The Armenian American Medical Society of California (AAMSC) is a bridge to unite those people in need of care with the healing hands who can best treat them

The Big Bad Armo Show!!

2009-05-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

From the imagination of writer, performer and director, Lory Tatoulian comes 45 different characters played by 9 actors that portray a slew of every Armenian imaginable in the

BIG BAD ARMO SHOW!!!

The Big Bad Armo Show is a riotous romp through the Diaspora’s top vacation--and immigration--hot spots--Pasadena, Glendale, Paris, Fresno, Tehran, and Beirut…

Meet some of your favorite people who live off of the 134 Freeway!

Watch the sly moves of Gary the Shoorch Bar King!

Buy a foreclosed Glendale "Dream Home" from the Dirty Dandeegeen!

Move to the pulsing beat of Broadway (and Brand) show tunes!

Forget cruising down Glenoaks Blvd, looking for something to do, come to, come to The Big Bad Armo Show instead, for loads of laughs, cleverly written sketches staring a cast of talented young Armenians. Charismatic actors such as: Vikki Kalfayan, Anais Thomassian, Armen Kerasimian, Ludwig Manukian, Alex Kalognomos, Helen Kalognomos, Raffi Rupchian, James Martin, Lory Tatoulian

Written and Directed by Lory Tatoulian

***

Partial Proceeds from the shows will go towards the Children’s Music Fund.

The Children’s Music Fund’s mission is to provide musical instruments and music therapy to children with chronic and life-altering illnesses. According to The American Cancer Society, music therapy can result in a decreased need for pain medication and increases quality of life in cancer patients. Visit www.ChildrensMusicFund.org for details.

WHEN: May 1, 2, & 3
TIME: 8 PM Show Time
WHERE: Showpro, 3229 Casitas Ave. Los Angeles CA 90039
Tickets are: $25 / http://www.itsmyseat.com/BBAS.html

* For Mature Audiences * In English* Cabaret style seating* Free Parking*

AAMSC: Honors Prof. Hagop Aksikal with a Lifetime Achievement Award

2009-05-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

HAGOP SOUREN AKISKAL TO RECIEVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM
American Armenian Medical Society of California
AT THE 23RD ANNUAL FUNDRAISING BANQUET

****

Prof. Akiskal rose to prominence with his unified theory of depression (Science, 1973). He established chronic depressions as treatable mood disorders, providing hope to millions of sufferers. His mood clinics have had worldwide appeal because of their philosophy of conducting clinical training and research while delivering high quality care.

His research on artistic creativity with Kareen Akiskal led to the development of a new instrument, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS), now translated into 25 languages, thereby contributing to the worldwide renaissance of the temperament field.

Prof. Akiskal is the author of more than 500 scientific papers. He is on the Philadelphia Institute of Scientific Information’s top-10 most cited researchers in psychiatry and psychology. He is also listed in the Best Doctors in America, American’s Top Psychiatrists, 100 Armenian Psychiatrists, and Marquis Who’s Who in the World. Since 1996, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Affective Disorders (Amsterdam) and Editor of Psychopathology (Heidelberg). Of Prof. Akiskal’s more than 20 books, the latest is Bipolar Psychopharmacotherapy: Caring for the Patient (2006).

He is presently Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the International Mood Center at the University of California at San Diego, where he is also on the faculty of International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine. Previous posts include senior science advisor at the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethesda, 1990-94), and the World Health Organization (Geneva, 1997). He currently serves on the International Advisory Board of the Yerevan Medical School.

Widely regarded among the foremost authorities in the world in the field of bipolar disorders today, Prof. Akiskal has been awarded many National and International awards such as: the Jean Delay Prize, the highest distinction of the World Psychiatric Association, Harvard University’s Ig-Nobel Prize for the chemistry of romantic love, as well as the German Anna-Monika, the French Jules Baillarger, the Italian Arateus, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD) pioneer clinical scientist, and American Psychiatric Association’s George Tarjan prizes. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and honorary member of the royal College of Psychiatrists (London) and 15 other US National and International Societies. He has been awarded Doctor Honoris causa from the Universities of Lisbon and Thessaloniki. He has been elected into the French National Academy of Medicine and the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. He has received the Gold Medal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry and the Aristotle Gold Medal from the Brain and Behavior Society. He is also a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Armenian Medical Association (Yerevan), and in 2003, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor “for exceptional national humanitarian service.”

This year he will be awarded AAMSC’s Lifetime Achievement Award, at the AAMSC 23rd Annual Banquet, not only for his contributions in the field of Psychiatry, but also for his efforts to provide relief to Armenia after the devastating earthquake in 1988.

This year’s 23rd Annual Banquet will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Sunday, May 3rd, 2009. With MC Frank Zerunyan: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Zerunyan to the Division of Medical Quality in 2006. With special entertainment provided by Comedian Sam Tripoli.

The AAMSC has decided to focus its fundraising efforts to provide a mobile diagnostic and therapeutic unit as well as updated educational materials for local physicians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The mobile diagnostic unit will enable people who live mostly in rural and mountainous regions of Nagorno-Karabakhto receive medical treatments. It will act as a lifeline between people who are hard pressed for transportation to medical facilities in the city and available physicians to treat their medical needs.

****MORE***

People who don’t have the means and are in need of treatment cannot make it to the polyclinic in the city and, as a result, preventative illnesses go untreated which will decrease the general health of the community.

Contributions from this event and its attendees will significantly increase AAMSC’s outreach in the Nagorno-Karabakh regions, ensuring healthcare for all and firmly maintaining their medical mission.

****MORE***

Previous winners of AAMSC Lifetime Achievement awards
2002 - Aram V. Chobanian, M.D.: Dean and Provost Boston University School of Medicine

2003 - Vartkes Najarian, M.D.: Founder of Medical Outreach

2004 - Raymond V. Damadian, M.D.: Inventor of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

2005- John Autian, M.S., Ph.D.: He was the Senior Science Advisor to a Joint U.S. and Saudi Arabian project establishing the first environmental toxicology laboratory in the Kingdom.

2006 - John P. Bilezikian, M.D.: Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, and is Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Director of the Metabolic Bone Diseases Program at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
& Rita Balian: president and CEO of the Armenian American Cultural Association, Inc. (AACA),

2008 - Andranik Ovassapian, M.D.: Renowned Respiratory Physiologist

When: Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
Time: 5:00pm
Where: Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Blvd,
Beverly Hills, CA
***
AAMSC Mission: Every person has the right to an adequate and affordable medical care, and the Armenian community is no exception. For years, Armenian-Americans have excelled within the healthcare industry. The Armenian American Medical Society of California (AAMSC) is a bridge to unite those people in need of care with the healing hands who can best treat them.

Literally, a literary Evening: with Aris Janigian

2009-05-14T17:09:00.001-07:00

Glendale, CA- Abril Bookstore. I was asked to introduce the novel Riverbig, written by Aris Janigian and say a few words about the author. The Following is the speech I wrote and recited to those who attended the event.

***

I would like to thank everyone who is here tonight. Of all the things you could be doing on your Thursday evening, to come here and support literary events such as this one is greatly appreciated.

I’m not going to stand here and give you a 20 min. spiel on who wonderful the book is, because I’d rather you discover that for your selves. I’ll just say a few words so we can jump right into the book and be immersed.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Aris Janigian.

Aris Janigian co-edited two issues of ARARAT; he was a contributing writer to West, the LA Times Sunday Magazine: won the Anahid Literary Award from Columbia University: and wrote an op-ed article for the Warsaw Gazetta was instrumental in getting Poland to adopt a genocide resolution.

I was first introduced to Aris Janigian’s writing when I was asked to write a book review for his title Bloodvine. The story revolves around what happens between two brothers and the piece of land. The narrator goes back into his father’s past to piece together the series of events that leads to the great chasm between these brothers and everyone who had a hand in creating it.

What is fascinating about this story are the characters that surround Andy, short for Andranick. Andy is a ﬁrst-generation Armenian- American. His character teeters between the world of the odars, the non-Armenian, and that of his people. Though he is invested in his community and church, compared to the rest of his family he is progressive in his thinking.

Riverbig, the sequel to Bloodvine, is the continuation of that story. Where Bloodvine focused on Andy’s Armenian world, here in Riverbig the narrative perspective rests its gaze on the odar/other world. We see another setting that Andy inhibits as he tries to make an honest living in an otherwise corrupt surroundings.

Throughout the novel, we find Andy constantly running up against walls with every venture he pursues. And with every endeavor he overcomes his obstacles and does so with a relentless work ethic that’s been instilled in him by his culture.

When he has a moment to pause from his day-to-day life and reflect we get a glimpse of the troubling thoughts he carries within him. These deep physiological issues surface and swell up from time to time and we find Andy struggling to reconcile them as he tries to move forward and make a better life for his family.

Underneath the gritty exterior of this farmer, we find Andy conflicted with troubling issues that haunt and follow him throughout the story:
* There are the unresolved issues with his family, his brother who betrayed him.
* The element or sense of belonging in this odar/other world. How to fit in?
* And also the burden of carrying cultures anguish at the injustices they’ve suffered through.

Within this internal tension, Aris Janigian, raises not only questions but also the complexity of the Diasporas psyche. In our community we face the same challenges not only learning how to balance between these two sets of worlds we occupy, but also working through the problems they present. And in this way the novel, Riverbig, takes on another dimension making Andy a study of the American-Armenian mind, A study of the Armenian Identity.

How can we as, a community, as a people, move forward and exists with the rest of the world when we have so much holding us back? What becomes of us when the culture we inherit becomes a burden rather than just a part of who we are?

These are the bold and daring questions that surface quietly in Riverbig. And these are the types of questions that need to be addressed as individuals, as a community and as a culture. This is why authors like Aris Janigian’s are so vital because they expose and explore trends in our community and culture that we may not even be aware of. It takes a brave voice to bring these issues to light in the hopes of progressing strongly into the future.

2009-05-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Armenian American Medical Society: HEALTH FAIR

2009-05-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Glendale, CA – at the Saint Mary’s Church the AAMSC annual Health Fair was held on Saturday February 28th. The Armenian Nurses Association along with the Armenian Dental Association helped to facilitate this event.

Primary Preventive Health Care

The annual Health Fair, now in it’s 18th running, was met with the same dedication from members and supporters as previous years. Booths, providing a wide range of medical services from internal medicine to pediatrics, were set up and managed by seasoned and young physicians alike. These volunteers gave up a few hours of their Saturday to help members of the Armenian community.

In fact these Health Fairs are targeted to members of the community that can’t afford health insurance or fall short of being eligible for government aid. At least this event provides services, brings specialists, and connects attendants to resources that are available within their local community year round. But most importantly, the Fair is primarily a preventive care service. These medical services are available because of the effort put forth by the AAMSC. Evaluations can run from simple eye and ear exams to more sophisticated tests such as cholesterol and EKG readings, Pap smear and Mammograms.

“It’s amazing what they do here,” said Evelyn Baghdasarian, who started coming to this event first as a medical student volunteering at her uncle’s optometry booth in 2004. After finishing her residency, she focused her volunteering efforts on pediatrics. The pediatrics booth is a recent addition to the Health Fair, most patients that stop by the booth have questions about shots, vitamins, and about weight management. Dr. Abajian’s group, California Health First Physicians, sponsored the booth.

According to Baghdasarian, last year at a mammogram screening, they detected one person with early stages of cancer. “That’s a life saved. Even if it’s one patient at a time, that one person, who didn’t have insurance, didn’t know what to do, just came here and they took care of her. It just makes you want to be apart of something like that.”

Also present at the Health fair was Advisory Board Member, Mirelle Hamparian, who was volunteering at the optometry booth. “As any health professional we have this need to help people,” said Hamparian, who commented how thorough the services at the Health Fair were from: diabetes screenings, cholesterol checks, and blood pressure readings.

“I just saw a lady with a cholesterol level of 485! I said to her if you don’t take care of this right now, you won’t be around in a couple of years. At the very least, with whatever small resources they have they can focus their efforts and take care of major issues before it becomes worse,” shared Hamparian

The Health Fair has become such an integral part of the community that some physicians see the same patients every year because of the extent and quality of services the fair provides.

A Collaborative Effort

Dr. Tashdjian attributes the success of this year’s Health Fair to communication between the physicians and the patience. The combination of communication and collaboration is key in any health care related event. “Though the attendants can not receive a completely comprehensive care, at least there is good communication among the people who are present.”

During the event, there was a pause to award groups and individuals plaques of appreciation to: AAMSC Lady’s Axillary, the Armenian American Nurses Association, the Los Angeles County Office of Women's Health and John Krikorian, in recognition of their dedication to the success of AAMSC’s Health Fair and in appreciation of their collaborative efforts to benefit the community at large.

However, one such individual who deserves a special mention is Zarmine Naccashian, who is regarded by many to be the backbone of AAMSC’s annual Health Fair. While chairing the Health Fair Committee for the last 8 years, the event has grown to add new services and equipment available for a more thorough testing; which is made possible through her years of working in the medical field. Along with establishing these contacts she is able to bring together doctors, pharmacists and equipment donated from local hospitals. Since then, the Health Fair has been a collaboration between the AAMSC and other health related organizations.

“Something like this and of this magnitude cannot be done alone. It has to be multi-disciplinary to have extensive services available and to cover a wide range of needs or else it’s a narrowly focused venture,” said Naccashian.

For the Future

Even though the Health fair has been running like a well-oiled machine, improvements and expansions for future events are on the horizon.When asked about these improvements, Dr. Alvarian said, “[I] think there is needs to be some constructive changes in the future.”

Alvarian was concerned that an open hall, like the one at the St. Mary’s Church, offered little privacy for proper examinations to be conducted. “In the coming years, we may need to organize the event in a school hall with class rooms for each specialty.” Which would also mean moving towards building each booth into self-sufficient stations that are established and coordinated by the volunteers themselves.

While moving forward with these changes, the main objective still remains the same, which is connecting people who really need thee services to take advantage of the resources that are available in their community year round.

“I don’t think they realize the value of an event like this that is major resource center to connect these people to services they can get year round. You have to be proactive and make use of what’s available in your community. The Health Fair is only once a year, but those clinics are there year round and you’re entitled to these services. A healthy community starts from our own backyards and grow from there,” said Naccashian.

Shelby

2009-03-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

After a long day of being flooded with work, Shelby’s head popped out of the waters like a mountaintop. The sea of work was being drained away, since it was already 6pm and it was time to go home. Emerging from the sea foams of forms she discovered that her hand and turned into a wooden block.

She could not be concerned with this right now, because she had to be on her way to her daughter’s piano recital. Swamped by post-its knee deep that leeched onto her DKNY pant suit, filled with passwords she could never remember, short cuts to programs, and “MUST DO” memos, could not stop her from seeing her little girl play the piano.

Shelby sloshed through the quicksands of her managers, Mr. Brash, unending demands that kept pulling her back into the abysmal dark Congo that was work. But she was determined to make it past the corporate boogie-traps, get to her car and make to the recital on time. Because no amount of guilt or deadlines that keep getting stacked up on one another could compare to the possible disappointment she would see in her daughters big blue eyes if mommy missed yet another performance because of work.

She couldn’t bare hearing: “It’s ok, Mommy, work is important too…”

Not this time.

She was prepared to face the tidal wave of setbacks and machines suddenly jamming up and people generally messing up and needed her help because they’re a bunch of incompetent buffoons, ahead of her. Right when she turned off her PC, and brushed off the post it notes off her suit, Janet came by her workspace.

“You think you have a minute to help me with this? It’ll only take a sec…”

Shelby picked up her wooden- block hand and bashed Janet’s head in. “No” Shelby whispered and crossed over Janet’s collapsed body, making sure she didn’t step into any spilt blood and ruin her shoes. She soon turned the corner and would be entering what she called the “cubie-trap.” It was a danger zone. If she could make it through this part unscathed, she would home free. Shelby walked the path slowly and steadily. Slithering through silently tiring to go unnoticed, when she heard the beeps, clicks and chirps of the fax machine.

“Why wont this thing work,” she head Frank shout and bang the side of the machine. Frank couldn’t work the fax machine if his family was taken hostage by the Russian mafia and all he had to do was Fax them a piece of paper…His family would get it, execution style. Frank was just that dumb. And by some sort of black magic every time he worked the fax Shelby would always be there and he would call her his “guardian angel” in that insufferable tone of his. Frank turned around and immediately, Shelby stood frozen in her tracks.

Though her stance was a little awkward, she knew how to hold it because of that one yoga class she took once but couldn’t continue the session because of work…Besides being dumb, Frank didn’t have depth perception and so when things stood absolutely still he would mistake them as being apart of his environ. After a few moments of vigorous head scratching, Frank stepped away from the fax machine and went to look for someone who could help him.

Once he was completely out of sight, Shelby let out a sigh of relief and continued on her way through. She hastened her pace a bit, her heels clicking softly on the office carpet. She was able to pass Shelia who watched you-tube all day, that never did any work, and thus it was dumped on Shelby’s desk to do and finish, successfully. There was one more trap she had to pass before she was in the clear and that was Mike the Sexual harassment monkey. He would swing from cubicle to cubicle making inappropriate jokes with all the female employees.

Mike thought that a woman who chose to work was a Feminist and Feminists were women who wanted to be treated like men rather than with respect. Shelby had thought about filing a complaint but she was always too busy to do so. That Balding Bastard. What was worse was Mike had an in with MR. Brash. They were golfing buddies. Every Sunday they were at the local country club.

“Hey there, where do you think you’re going pretty lady?”

Shelby cringed when she heard the voice. It was the Monkey. She slowly turned around and found him standing too close to her, as usual. She could smell his breath: coffee and tacos. He was eyeing her. Shelby felt it. He was also playing with his belt buckle. That was the last straw. Shelby wound up her arm, like she did when she played softball in college, let her wooden block hand loose and straight into the fuckers monkey brains. Mike gasped for air, grabbed his smashed coconuts and fell face forward to the ground.

Shelby let out a sigh of relief and didn’t realize how good it felt to do that. She decided she should sign up with a local team. But after her daughter’s recital, of course. She was finally in the clear and saw the exit doors to the office head of her. She pushed the tall glass doors and was about to reach the elevators when the receptionist, Becky, stopped her.

“Oh, Um, Mr. Brash, wants you fill out these reports before you leave tonight,” Becky said pulling out a stack of papers piled at least a mile high.

Shelby considered smacking Becky upside the head like Janet. Not because of the late notice with the reports, but because one time she over heard Becky make fun of an outfit Shelby was particularly fond of and thought it made her look smart and stylish in. But on second thought, taking into consideration the destruction Shelby had just left behind she decided to lower her hand-mallet and told Becky that it would have to wait. She was already late to a very important engagement.

Shelby walked towards the elevators again and just her luck one was already open waiting for her.

“But, what should I tell Mr. Brash?” Becky called out behind her.

Shelby stepped in and as the doors were closing said:

“Tell him to kiss my – “

VENARC: September 2008 – Jan 2009

2008-12-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

As VENARC’s primary Website Content Writer, I was asked to re-write the text on their new site. The type of writing they were looking for needed to reflect the VENARC approach to new projects/clients and their values. They needed the writing to be both marketable to new clients and well as knowledgeable to those who might be familiar with the technical aspects of the services they provide.

Therefore the writing and tone needed to be tailored to fit in between these very firm and defined lines to accommodate a larger spectrum of potential customers.

"Venarc has helped its clients around the world manage and profit from every major wave of change in information technology (IT) for years. While many people talk about successful partnerships, Venarc believes it is best achieved through developing a thorough understanding of the real world needs and problems a business is facing. With this unique understanding, Venarc goes beyond simple fixes to truly innovative, effective solutions."

Arpa Foundation for Film, Music & Art (AFFMA): August of 2008-Present

2008-12-18T10:53:00.001-08:00

As a Content Manager for AFFMA my primary responsibility was to revitalize the website and turn it into a useful tool for the non-profit organization. Their objective was to have the site become a way to communicate news, events, promote their annual Film Festival, as well as create a potential revenue stream. They also needed someone to administer, organize or create content as needed.

Duties Include:
• Reorganized information on the site to bring it up to date by creating content, posted news, press releases, pictures, and upcoming events
• Restructured the site to reflect the current events AFFMA was promoting, transforming the site into an informational and marketing too.
• Gathered, organized and edited information according to the needs and specification of each global navigation tabs.
• Opened up advertising opportunities for members and supporters of AFFMA
• Worked on innovative ways to enhance the site to match the needs and maturity of the organization.

Friends of AFFMA

2008-12-18T10:52:00.001-08:00

The Many Stories of Isabel Allende

2008-11-20T00:36:00.000-08:00

On an early Thursday morning, the phone rings and on the other end is Isabel Allende, talking like she had been up for hours. Allende quickly fell into a conversation, wasting absolutely no time, about her recent title, The Sum of Our Days.

“Its sort of a sequel to another book I wrote 13 years ago, Paula.” Paula was first written as a letter to Allende’s daughter.

“My daughter fell in a coma, and everybody- all the doctors -- said she would wake up, that she would recover.”

Doctors informed Allende of the chance her daughter might have memory loss.

So I started writing a letter to her to remind her for who she was and where she came from... it was the story of her family in Chile and her life,” explained Allende.

As soon as she learned that her daughter suffered severe brain damage and would not recover, Allende decided to change the course of the book.

“The second part of Paula, is no longer a letter, it’s real life. And the book was about my crazy family.”

A decade later is where her recent title, The Sum of Our Days, begins.

“There’s a lot that’s happened to my tribe,” says Allende.

Her tribe consists of: her American husband, Willie, her children, her grandchildren, and a neighborhood of people (not necessarily blood-related) who have become a kin to this clan and apart of Allende have extended family.

“We have chosen to be together in this emotional compound that we live in.”

The candid stories open the doors to four households, all three minutes away from one another in the same neighborhood. Everybody has keys to everyone’s house. Every closet is open for someone to rummage through for a dress or for a piece of jewelry

“If I make beans, it will be for four houses and not just for Willie and I. That idea of the extended family of the village is what the book is about.”

There are stories about her husband’s biological children who have struggled with substance abuse.

“One of them, the daughter died. And the other has spent more then 12 years in prison, just for petty stuff, for drugs, I mean nothing serious. The other one was lost for years and years. Now the two boys, are doing so much better, it’s like a miracle.”

She also shares the story about how her daughter-in-law discovering she was lesbian after marrying and having children with Allende’s son.

"When she left my son, she fell in love with my step-son’s girlfriend, the family was broken.”

Allende also reveals how the pressures and the melodrama that surrounds her family and life had almost ended a 20-year marriage. But Allende assures, that things did get better and everybody even the kids, who are teenagers now, are doing great.

“So the book has this thinking of optimism, and hope,” comments Allende.

Although Allende’s tribe has faced numerous trials and tribulations, she has had the strength and support of 5 women who call themselves the “Sisters of Perpetual disorder.” This group of 6 women, (Allende included) are all in their sixties and have been together for more than 15 years.

“In a way, each one has 5 witnesses, and it is en extraordinary process to have a circle of women friends follow your life. My life is always connected to these five women.”

No matter how awful her tour schedule is, Allende always finds a way to be connected to her family and friends and the book, in part, is how important these ties are to people.
When asked what she hopes people will take from this memoir, Allende replied:

“I had nothing in mind. But I am getting hundreds of letters from all over and it seems like there’s nostalgia for family. Especially for people who live in big cities. It seems that the nuclear family, with the lack of friends, lack of community, is a terrible loss. When they read the book they remember how their childhood was and the stories of their grandparents, and they reconnect.”

Lisa See's, Peony in Love

2008-11-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Lisa See’s childhood was split between spending time in Chinatown and in Pasadena. Even though her family moved around a lot when she was kid, china town was always home base for the half Chinese, redhead and freckled author.

“My father’s side of the family had a store in Chinatown and I would spend a lot of vacation time with them there,” See said.

In 1981, their store, F. Susie One Company moved to Pasadena, and has been in business for about 120 years. But growing up in Los Angeles amidst a variety of cultures did not deterred See from understanding her Chinese heritage through her novels. After writing a series of mysteries set in contemporary China with her mother, notable Los Angeles author, Carolyn See, it was only natural that her story subjects shift to explore the culture she was raised in.

“For me a lot of what I’m writing about, when I’m writing, is to figure out what are all these things I’ve been doing all my life that I don’t really understand why and if it’s really pertinent to my life or not,” See said.

Following the highly acclaimed novel, Snowflower and the Secret Fan, the authors latest title, Peony in Love, is set in mid-17th century China when an epidemic of “love-sickness” swept over the country causing young maidens to “waste away” as well as a burst of creative energy from the female population, particularly in the form of writing. There were more women writers, who were being published, than the rest of the world put together at that time. Over a thousand of them are still in print today in China.

Peony in Love follows one such manuscript known as the he Three Wives Commentary, a literary critique on China’s most provocative opera The Peony Pavilion. The words and the story of the opera was thought to be so powerful that China had banned it from having it performed ever again. Even in 2000 when the Lincoln Center was planning on showcasing the full 55 scene, uncut and an uncensored performance, the Chinese government refused to let any of the sets or costumes out of the country.

The opera is considered to be China’s greatest love story, equivalent to Romeo and Juliet. The opera tells the story of a wealthy 16-year-old girl who dreams about a young man in her garden. Shortly after she awakens, she is diagnosed with “love-sickness” and dies. As a ghost she roams the earth and finally meets the young man in her dreams and through true love she is brought back to life.

“This opera, was the first piece of literature in the history of China, in which the main character was not only a woman but a young woman who chose her own destiny,” See explained, “part of choosing her own destiny had to do with the fact that she chose the person to fall in love with, that she chose the person she would marry.”

Peony in Love closely follows the development of the Three Wives Commentary. Three separate wives who were either engaged or married to the same man at different times wrote the literary critique.

“Sometimes it just really struck me how they really did have this really clear understanding of not only about love, but other emotions, and how [their] view of love in particular, changes when your a young girl: from the wife who was engaged to the second wife that was married but had no children, to the last wife who had a son. How their perception changes as women and what they had to say is till pertinent today,” See explains.

Lisa See’s, Peony in Love, is in the perspective of the first wife. Who, like the character in the opera, comes back as a ghost and follow her journey as she tries to navigate the world in this new medium while making sure the book gets published.

“I feel like I’ve been going back to find these lost women’s projects and their voices and bring them out and learn from them and experience from them. Finally hear these women for who they were and what they did. I think they’re extraordinary.”

Sultans of Sci-Fi

2008-10-28T11:32:00.001-07:00

A Meeting of the Minds

2008-10-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Sharing an evening with author Ray Bradbury, film animation legend Ray Harryhausen or science fiction godfather Forrest J Ackerman would be a special occasion.

Meeting all three at once - well, that's an extravaganza.

On Monday, these legends of sci-fi are getting together at the Mystery & Imagination Bookstore in Glendale for a public discussion of their lives, careers and current projects and to talk to their fans.

But the three have already been good friends for decades, making for an extra-special occurrence, explained bookstore owner Christine Bell. A very long time ago in Los Angeles, these icons of storytelling were just a group of friends full of ideas. "Now, each one has an iconic immortality," said Bell.

"It's hard to believe how long we've known each other," said Ackerman, 91, a writer and editor who started the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland and fostered many fan-zines and literary careers.

In 1938, Bradbury was a recent high-school graduate when he met Harryhausen, the prolific novelist and playwright recalled in an article for London's The Independent. Harryhausen soon showed Bradbury his private collection of dinosaurs which he had created for amateur movies made with stop-motion photography, a technique Harryhausen would perfect in later films such as "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" (1958) and "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963).

On Saturday, Harryhausen received the Art Directors Guild's Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award during a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

"I'm so grateful these pictures have lasted. I think they're more appreciated today than when we first released them," said Harryhausen, who at 87 is still working, most recently helping to colorize some of his early films.

Back in the '30s, Harryhausen and Bradbury found common ground with their love of films like "The Lost World" and "King Kong." But it was Ackerman who is credited with jump-starting Bradbury's celebrated writing career.

"In 1939, the world's first science fiction convention was held in New York. Ray was very enthusiastic about attending it. I volunteered the $50 it would take to get him there on the Greyhound. It really changed his life. It charged him up to be a writer," said Ackerman.

The three joined a science fiction club that met every Thursday at Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles and started an amateur magazine for it. It was in that magazine that Bradbury had his very first published story, "Hollerbochen's Dilemma."

"We were looked upon by the outside world as a little peculiar, talking about space platforms and dinosaurs - stuff the average person wasn't thinking about," recalled Harryhausen.

Before starting the club, Harryhausen and Ackerman had met during a 10-cent revival screening of "King Kong" in Hawthorne. An avid collector of movie memorabilia, Ackerman had loaned some original "King Kong" promotional material to the theater, and the young Harryhausen had asked the owners of the theater if he could take one of the posters home.

"I treasured these things. I wasn't about to let him just have it. But we became acquainted immediately, and he too started coming to the science fiction club, and I believe he drew at least one cover for the club magazine," said Ackerman.

The event begins at 7 p.m. Monday at the Mystery & Imagination Bookstore, 238 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For more information, call (818) 545-0206.

Clouds and Fire

2008-10-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

In the heart of North Hills, tucked away in a blue and red building are the offices of Cloud and Fire Ministries, a faith-based non-profit organization. Located in a Hispanic and gang heavy community, Cloud and Fire offer at risk kids an alternative place to hang out bedsides the streets. Founder, Melody Rossi, and the staff at Cloud and Fire, are dedicated to taking care of these kids. By doing so, they are able to create a safe and positive place where kids are given the chance to thrive.

What started as a weekly tutoring session, in six years has developed into a center where kids can get the attention they need on all levels: from homework to dealing with emotional issues. “Club” as the kids have dubbed it, has become more like an extended family.

“It’s all about family here,” says Kelly Gerhart, one of the staff members. Kelly works on researching grants and foundations, “who would want to invest in the daily lives of these kids.”

The tutoring programs offered by the organization are a minor part of the work they do. They
connect with the kids. Some of these kids have parents who work hard and long hours and are unable to meet their needs. Some of these kids may have siblings or relatives in gangs. The staff at Cloud and Fire work to help these kids by providing them with a range of services. Among their many tutorial programs are their job placement programs, youth worship services, and annual camping trips. But what is unique to Cloud and Fire Ministries, is their anger management program which is funded by the Latino Coalition.

Melody Rossi and Carol Walker, a teacher and volunteer, head the program and have developed a curriculum to meet the needs of the kids in juvenile camps. The organization works closely with one particular Camp Mendenhall.

“The [reform] program [at these facilities] was not through enough," says Kelly.

Through the Cloud and Fire program, Melody and Carol work with these kids one on one to figure out what triggers their anger. To identify these causes, sometimes the youth have to process their past. (The anger management program at Cloud and Fire serve about 100 kids a year)

“It’s really about getting t the core of the person.” Kelly says, "and it’s really about providing an emotional support system for these kids as well.

One person who has been directly affected by this support system, is Emma Barajas. Emma was introduced to Cloud and Fire Ministries through a friend of hers in high school.

“It felt different,” Emma says about the environment and the people who are apart of Cloud and Fire, “a genuine acceptance,” she continues, “in high school you’re always looking for that, you’re always looking to be accepted and cared for.

Emma recounts a time when Melody and the staff at Cloud and Fire were there for her. It was her sophomore year in high school when her mother fell ill.

“We were told by doctors that was dieing and I was devastated. I missed, weeks of school taking care of my mom. I talked to my teachers but there was nothing they could do. I was still failing my classes. And I was not a bad student.”

She thought about taking classes at a continuation school, or work out a way that she could finish her degree and be home to take care of her mother. On one of her visits back from the hospital, Emma stopped by the “Club” and talked to Melody about her plans. But Melody encouraged her to stay in school and with the support of the people there she managed to get through some of the most difficult times of her youth.

Now, Emma is a staff member working as the Youth Coordinator, running the tutoring sessions and organizing activities. She is there to ensure the next generation of kids that attend “Club” get the same kind of genuine support that she received.

As for future plans for the organization, Cloud and Fire plan to expand their programs and move into a larger facility that can accommodate all the kids that participate in their programs. Cloud and Fire Ministries have plans to incorporate a continuation school for kids who come out of Juvenile camp. Also, by partner with Habitat for Humanity, San Fernando, these kids can acquire job skills as they help to rebuild their community in North Hills.

For more information about Cloud and Fire, you can visit their website: www.cloudandfire.org.

Bart Simpsons Helps out PALS

2008-10-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Nancy Cartwright, voice of the loveable mischief Bart Simpson and honorary mayor of North Valley is opening her home for a night of fun: Dancing, Dining, Magic, Fortune Telling, auction, raffles and plenty of poker (Actually, Texas Hold’em), and much more, all to help raise funds for the Devonshire PALS new youth center.

Cartwright’s connection to PALS started immediately after attending her first Chamber of Commerce meeting where she was introduced to the president of PALS. “I was at a point in my career where I wanted to help and use my celebrity status in that way,” Cartwright says, “I get a thrill out of helping people.” In just a short period of time, Cartwright was asked to be on the Board of Directors of PALS and has dedicated much of her time and effort into seeing one particular project through. For the last three years, PALS has been trying to raise enough money to start construction on a new permanent facility.

Currently, PALS serves 200 at-risk kids a week from a temporary facility at the Park Parthenia, Community Family Center in Northridge. PALS is short for Police Activity League Supporters, and hosts a number of activities from tutoring to boxing and helps kids who are considered at-risk. “Kids who are in need of that personal validation that they are unable to get from home,” Carwright explains. That is why is it important for them to know that their community is here for them. “These are good kids, that could be swayed to join gangs and that is why these programs are helpful, working one on one with these kids gives them a sense that they’re worth something.”

In fact the organization’s mission statement states, “PALS promotes trust and understanding between young people and police officers by bringing youth under the supervision and constructive influence of dedicated law enforcement professionals. The program is based on the conviction that young people—if they are reached early enough—can develop strong, positive attitudes toward police officers and the law.”(www.Devonshire-PALS.org)

This is why it is vital for PALS to have a permanent place to not only call home but to adequately accommodate all the kids who walk through their doors. Plans for the new facility include: 5,000 square-foot PALS New Youth Center, Education Room for Studies & Homework, Computer Lab, Library, Community Room/ Mini-Gymnasium for Sports Programs & Activities and Outdoor Sport Courts.

“This grass roots effort is extraordinary!” exclaims Cartwright. Though Cartwright and her crew have been successful with their fundraising efforts, they were still far away from their target goal of 2.5 million. But then came their big break. The Mayor of Los Angeles not only acknowledged Nancy Cartwright’s and everyone’s efforts with a ceremony but also awarded them with a grant of a million dollars towards their goal. This gave PALS the gusto they needed to get things really rolling. Now all they need is to raise $150,000 more to break ground and begin construction for a permanent facility where PALS can call home and expand their programs.

That is why Nancy Cartwright has graciously opened her home to help catapult these fundraising efforts by hosting a Monte Carlo Night! Saturday, September 29th, you can join the festivities and have a night of fun and poker with Nancy and some of her high profile guests. The semi-formal affair also includes a Texas Hold’em Tournament. Attendees will be playing with Poker pros and for prizes. For more information, you can visit the PALS website, Devonshire-PALS.org or Nancycartwright.com.

Aquarium: the Dance of the Jellyfish

2008-09-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Community Kid Makes it Big

2008-08-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Don Burroughs, a Northridge native seems to have it all: wife, kids and a successful career in stage acting. Burroughs, is one of the cast members of the hit musical, Mama Mia!! Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, the story is a funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a tiny Greek island. With more productions playing simultaneously around the world than any other musical, MAMMA MIA! is now THE WORLD’S # 1 SHOW, now playing in at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (taken from MM! Press release).

However, Burroughs has had an extensive stage career before he landed the role in the musical. While attending Notre Dame high school Burroughs was involved in the high school plays and drama performances that helped him on his path to a successful acting career. After receiving his BFA from University of Southern California, worked his way to New York where he performed in numerous productions, from musicals to Shakespeare, to touring all over the country and performing in a wide range of venues.

So, how did this community kid, make it big?

Well, as it turns out while in New York, his wife, Carol, auditioned and was cast as the lead. While in Vegas, Burroughs auditioned for one of the roles in the musical but was not immediately cast. Shortly, one of the cast members decided to leave the production, which in turn, gave Burroughs his big break.

When asked about living in Las Vegas, Burrough replied, “it’s not as daunting is it may seem.” The Disneyland-for-adults aspect of Vegas and its sparkling glamour does eventually fade. In fact, the community that surrounds the Sin City is fairly “suburban, nice and comfortable,” describes Burroughs. But with all the lights and comfort Vegas has to offer, Northridge is always home to the actor.

Burroughs has strong attachments to the North Valley Community, not only because of his family, but also because of the CSUN Teenage Drama Program that is held every summer. Though his family wasn’t heavily into theatre, Burroughs claims he inherited his artistic sensibility from his mother, who had worked for many years in the CSUN theatre department.
It was the Teenage Drama Program at CSUN that triggered the passion within him. “I enjoyed it, saw I had some talent in acting and decided to pursue it,” says Burroughs, who enrolled in the program at the age of 12 and went back every year. “The classes,” Burrough reflects, “was a very professional class. Almost like a college class. The kids were not only taught acting but the works of a whole production. They really taught you that it’s all about the story and not the person playing the role.”

“I came straight from a little league,” Burrough says remembering his first audition into the program. “I auditioned in my uniform. I sang, Pennylane, from the Beattles…My family was unaware of how great things were going. They figured I was at least busy doing something, staying out of trouble…But they were shocked when the show opened and the spotlight was on my face,” Burroughs says when asked about his first production.

What drew Don Burroughs to the stage was the sense of belonging and family the theatre provides. And that’s something that the cast and company of Mama Mia! has as well. The people on all levels of production are positive and great people. There’s a sense of community.
“If you’re passionate about something, then that’s what’s going to be valuable,” says Don Burroughs a few minutes before our interview was over.

Inspiring words, from one of our own.

There Once Was an Armenian in Africa…

2008-08-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

It was a warm Friday afternoon when I met Raymond Kupelian at his local haunt, Marie Calendar’s. The back bar was dim, covered in dark wood and green vinyl.

“It reminds me of an old English pub,” said Kupelian. That’s why he likes coming here.

Once we settled in, there was no need to look at my list of questions I had prepared for the interview. We began talking with such ease covering a wide range of topics, from his childhood in Lebanon to Hollywood’s portrayal of Africa in recent movies. I was spellbound as he spoke of the series of events that lead him to this extensive literary career.

The beginning of his literary life trace back to his parents. “Mom was a storyteller. She read Turkish coffee cups for fun and could write a whole book just reading one cup. While dad would easily forget to bring home bread, but never,” Kupelian said wagging his finger, “never failed to purchase the Armenian daily paper, Aztag.”

Kupelian didn’t learn to read in Armenian until he was ten. While going to school in Lebanon he was able to read in French and Arabic before learning one word of his native tongue. The only Armenian he knew was from Sunday school songs. “I longed for it,” Kupleian said soulfully. It was only after being admitted into St. Gregory Armenian Catholic School that he began to learn Armenian. “The Armenian Language became my first love!” he exclaimed, “Soon my twin brother and I were fighting over who was going to read Aztag first.”

Though it was the love for the Armenian language that pulled him into writing, what resonates most from his stories are the genuine acts of compassion seen from his characters. Theses traits are imbedded in his characters because he, himself is compassionate and has also been on the receiving end of these kind gestures.

There was a moment, while talking about his childhood when his voice became wrought with emotion. A memory that touched him deeply then and still does today. It was about Sami Garo, a barbershop owner who also rented Armenian books from his shop in Hajen Tagh.

Using his Easter pocket money, young Kupelian would spend it all renting Sami Garo’s titles. Once, after reading a 400 page romantic novel in four days, young Kupelain went back to the shop with a heavy heart. When he arrived at the barber shop, Sami Garo saw Kupelian from his mirror and stopped shaving the hairy Armenian customer.

“He asked if I didn’t like the story he chose for me. I said, voch, Baron Garo, I found it so exciting I read it before the due date! He came closer, and gave me an affectionate slap and handed me another book. ‘No charge,’ he said.”

To Kupelian the kindness of Sami Garo, the barber, left such a deep impression upon him that even remembering the story left him with tears brimming from his eyes. “He was a god,” Kupelian said, as he rubbed his eyes, “Mashdotz in person.”

However, Kupelian claimed the first catalyst towards his literary career happened when he was seventeen. “I hurt my back. It was a work related accident, a serious one! I would go to work, and as soon as I came home I would lay down a read for hours. I had no social life—reading became my savior.” The second catalyst was his move to Africa.

So, why Africa?

“Everyone always asks me that question,” Kupelian laughed lightly as he leaned back against the vinyl booth.

He discovered Africa through geography and his stamp collection but what sparked the intrigue with the Dark Continent was Tarzan. Apparently, it was the adventures of Tarzan and his movies that motivated Kupelian’s group of friends to sell all their possessions and move away to Africa. As he relayed the story, his “bold” group of friends didn’t even make it through one night on the streets and came back home, earning the nickname Africaxi. It was only Kupelian that actually made the trip into the Bush ten years after his friends first attempt.

“It was a ticket out of poverty and out of the Armenian ghetto,” Kupelian said about his decision to move to Liberia. On the eve of his departure close friends and family gathered at his household for a farewell dinner. “Our great friend, Kacharentz, the writer, and a fine poet made a toast. ‘Parov yeratas.’ he said, ‘go with peace and introduce the African landscape into Armenian Literature. I know you can!’” The toast, in Kupelian’s eyes, was essentially his destiny handed to him.

In fact among the Diaspora authors, Kupelian is the first to not only introduce Africa into Armenian literature, but also introduce genre of adventure into the cultures literary landscape.
“It took me some time to creatively feel the African landscape under my feet,” Kupelian said, compared to other great writers who have written about Africa, like Hemingway or Conrad, who’ve spent only a year in the jungle and wrote masterpieces. “The African in the fullest sense of his humanity, is absent from their work. They used them as décor and figurants.”

His first night in Africa, Kupelian recalls how the natives made a bonfire and danced to the sound of the tom-tom late into the night. “They lived in a compound called a yard. If one of them got sick, his neighbor would feed him and take care of him. They shared the little they had.” Kupelian quickly realized that what the outsider sees of Africa is only a façade created by the thickness of the jungle. To reach the true African nature, one must go into the Bush. “I wanted to reach out and touch that truth behind the façade.”

In living with the people and on the continents soil, Kupelain was able to deeply feel their humanity first before he went in search for the right Armenian words to convey it.

But his struggles didn’t begin there.

“My first year in Liberia was disastrous,” he recalls. Being the first Armenian decent in his profession as an expert in car repair, Kupelian complained about his Lebanese boss who was always broke and delayed pay to his employees. While on the subject of his early trials, Kupelian went on to relay another small story. With his pocket money gone and nothing to buy his meager diet of bananas and peanuts with, Kupelian decided to starve. A young native school girl, from whom he bought his food from sensed that he was hungry, gave him a bunch of bananas and some roasted peanuts. “She succeeded in keeping me alive!” he said, “What a beautiful soul…I felt their suffering as an extension of my own, as the one I endured as a little refugee child.”

“African’s feel close to the plight of those who have endured similar experiences,” speculating that is the reason why he never felt like an outsider during the twenty years he was there. Both cultures have lived under colonial rule for long periods of time and have been branded with inhuman sufferings

Yet, these kernels of human-to-human connection resonate in his first translated anthology of short stories titled, African Symphony. When Kupelian was ready to write about his African experience, he focused the energy of his writing into the social issues troubling the people who lived in newly liberated third world countries. Rather than spending large amounts of time and words into describing and detailing the lush surroundings. By doing so, there is no jungle dividing the natives from the educated class. They are all on the same level. What you have then, and what Kupelian achieves is exposing the humanity in each individual.

“One of the most difficult stories I wrote was ‘A Black Girls White Love.’” The story, in short, was about a young black woman’s vow to give her father a dark-colored grandchild, even if it meant entering a love-less marriage with a man, as long as he was the same skin color as she. She was determined to bare this grandchild to end her father’s secret grief over having light colored grandchildren. But as fate would have it, the young woman was unable to conceive a child. Her father, who had suffered multiple strokes was hanging on to dear life only to hear that his youngest daughter was with child. The Daughter in return, lied to her father about a false pregnancy so that he may finally rest in peace.

The lie was out of love for her father. How times have we lied to our own parents to keep the shadows of disappointment away from their eyes? It’s these types of issues that also erase any color line. These are not specifically black issues, nor are they white/ Armenian issues. They are problems that riddle all of humanity.

What is also very interesting about this collection of short stories is the raw sexual content that is laced with a sensual sensibility. But for being an Armenian text, it came as a surprise.

“There are some puritans who didn’t like my candidness in describing or portraying the African sexually permissive life style,” said Kupelian, “…I came to realize that our timidity in not using a bolder ‘manly’ language we are pushing young readers into other pastures. Armenians are a passionate people. You will not find that in our literature.”

The sexuality described in Kupelian’s prose, in the English translation, is neither abrasive nor vulgar. However, it sometimes lacks heaving emotion that passionate words sometimes create. One wonders if it’s been lost within the cracks of the translation.

The project of translating African Symphony took twenty years in the making was spearheaded by Dr. Ara Sarafian, who at the time was coordinating everything through La Verne University. However the project was stalled after Dr. Sarafian passed away. The final translation was done by Ishkhan Jinbashian and the title is now available. Currently, Kupelian is working on several projects simultaneously; the first is the English translations of his novels, Decadence, and, The Passport. As well as a satirical book, a children’s book and an anthology of essays titled, In Quest of the Truth. Kupelian is seriously considering publishing and releasing these new works on-line.

As our interview came to an end, Kupelian left me with these words:

“I love life, I love my Culture, and I love Humanity.”

Forgotten Bread Breaks New Literary Ground...

2008-08-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

A GATHERING OF THE LITERATTI

Armenians from the greater Los Angeles community gathered at Taglyan Hall on Sunday, Nov. 18 to celebrate the highly anticipated title, Forgotten Bread, edited by David Kherdian.

Kherdian spearheaded this project to compile writing pieces from ﬁrst-generation Armenian- Americans. The anthology includes introductions by second-generation Armenian-American writers, a touching gesture and homage to those who have paved the literary way.

The ﬁrst annual Armenian American Writer’s Dinner was organized by Hamazkayin. The evening included dinner, music, a silent auction, a video presentation, which featured some information on the authors in the anthology, as well as a panel discussion with guest speakers Roger Kupelian, Eric Nazarian, and Aram Saroyan.

Over the course of the evening, guests were able to mingle with some of the Armenian-American culture’s literary minds and were able to converse with writers such as Mark Arax and Aris Janigian.

Although the production of the book is what prompted this event, its purpose went beyond the book.

“We need to tell our story to the world and not to bunch of congressmen,” said Mark Arax, the emcee of the evening, “Our central preoccupation in our culture is genocide and genocide recognition. And I think that has been the detriment to our culture and in the arts.”

Mr. Arax went on to say that the repeated eﬀort to get the genocide resolution adopted makes the genocide even more sacred to our people and our culture; seeking recognition holds Armenians together as a global community.

“What are we going to do when we get the Genocide recognized? What we are going to do? That negation is what holds us together; it’s the one thing we agree on.”

The purpose of Forgotten Bread is to prevent Armenian culture from crumbling under the weight of genocide recognition. “Armenian history doesn’t begin with the Genocide and doesn’t end there,” said Eric Nazarian, “We should try and transcend that. The Genocide envelopes our consciousness, but it does not deﬁne us.” The ﬁlmmaker goes on to clarify that the ﬁght for genocide recognition is a sacred war for an Armenian.

The speakers also discussed the development of an Armenian identity in America. “There is so much going on in our own diaspora and in our own community that needs to be paid attention to,” Nazarian stated. The book provides an insight into the Armenians who had to bear the hardship in reconciling their Armenianness with their new, American, identity.

Hrag Varjabedian, who wrote one of the introductions in the book, said:

“Suddenly you get these stories that are being generated, but how do you transmit them throughout the generations? This book somehow becomes that bridge. We ﬁnd out how each individual author had to tackle the issue of identity and how to convey them to the next generation.”

What results, he said, is an outpouring of artistic endeavors that stem from trying to resolve these deep-seated cultural issues, starting with a proliﬁc literary history.

“We need to start getting people to underwrite some of our artists, our ﬁlmmakers, so our story gets out there. Which is much more important. It aﬃrms our culture in much more ways then any resolution,” said Mr. Arax, who during his introductory speech encouraged the parents who were attending the dinner to send their children into the arts.

Proceeds from the beneﬁt dinner are to go directly to three scholar- ship funds for Armenian-American graduates in the ﬁeld of journalism, ﬁction and ﬁlm.