YOU GO, GIRL!!!!

Anoushig Dylan, yesterday, after completing her second soccer match, happily smiles for the camera!

THE REAL FIRST DAY OF SPRING IN BOSTON

Today, is opening day at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.

Today is the real First Day of Spring in Boston!!!!

A Good Object Lesson!

The Patriot's win on Sunday in the last minute of the Super Bowl would have been called by Marash Girl's father an "object lesson" for us kids. When all seems lost, all is not lost!  (Amazing Grace?) The Patriots’ championship parade is set for today. "In typical Boston fashion, players and other team officials will ride in duck boats, the World War II-era amphibious vehicles..." and, in typical Boston fashion, this will all take place while it's snowing!

Spring Is On Its Way!

                    Marash Girl's grandchildren are witness to the fact that Spring is on its way!
                                                         In Maryland, at least!

ENILA AT BAT - ORIOLES STADIUM. BALTIMORE, MD

Enila and Iffar proudly hold photo of Enila posing in front of  the Eddie Clarence Murray 
(Steady Eddie) statue at the Orioles Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland.           Photo by Marash Girl

ENILA POSES AT ORIOLES STADIUM IN FRONT OF EDDIE MURRAY STATUE.
EDDIE MURRAY (HOF 2003) FIRST BASEMAN FOR THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES, WELL KNOWN FOR HIS HITTING PROWESS, SIGNS PHOTO (IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015)
OF ENILA  POSING IN FRONT OF HIS (EDDIE MURRAY'S)  STATUE IN 2014.  Photo by Matt Rogers

Bramacharya and the Hockey Team

Marash Girl's "in house yoga instructor" will be teaching the concept of "bramacharya" next week to a class of pro hockey players. Bramacharya is commonly translated "celibacy", her daughter explained. [What a crime to womankind, should the team take that concept of celibacy to heart, or to body, as it were!]

Marash Girl begged her daughter not to translate the concept of "bramacharya" as celibacy. 

"Not only will the hockey players turn their backs on yoga," Marash Girl warned, "but think what would happen if the  hockey players [and all young men] did follow that rule . . .  As T.S. Elliot warns in his poem 'The Hollow Men', 

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang, but a whimper.

Marash Girl can't control what her daughter will teach the team, but God willing, they, the hockey players, will reproduce.

Note:  Marash Girl's daughter explained that bramacharya literally means "walking with God" and though it has been traditionally translated to mean celibacy, a more useful interpretation for all of us, dear reader, might be "all things in moderation".

Marash Cycling Team, Sao Paulo Brazil

Paolo Bilezikjian from Sao Paolo, Brazil, submitted this photo to the Bilezikjian family page on Facebook  a photo of his Marash Cyling Team Jersey.  He writes, "The jersey comes with Bilezikjian on the back!"  Note the Lion of Marash on the right, and the words Marash in Armenian on the upper left.  The colors of the jersey, for those of you that don't know, are the colors of the Armenian flag:  Garmir, Gabouyd, Narinchakouyn -- translation: Red, blue and orange (Marash Girl's favorite color).  Come on, family members -- don't you want to run and play in a jersey like this one?

Massachusetts Congratulates Victorious New England Patriots

The Boston Patriots greet their fans as they parade down Boston's major streets!

Confetti flew through the cold winter air over Boston's streets yesterday welcoming home  the 

victorious Boston Patriots!

Snow banks provide a resting place for the confetti that rained down on Boston's streets yesterday, welcoming home the victorious Boston Patriots.

Photos by Karoun Charkoudian who comments as follows:

First photo: Team going by in the duck tour vehicles. Teammates connecting with audience, and as excited as they were.  Cheerleading squad.  Photos 2 & 3:  Red white and blue confetti covered all of the snowbanks. General mood:  Everyone was so happy. Loud sound system and dancing.

MEMORIES OF MARASH: Roger Hagopian airs latest version of his documentary at ALMA, Watertown, Massachusetts; New England Patriots Win Super Bowl

New England Patriots Win Super Bowl In perhaps the most dramatic Super Bowl ending ever, the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday. . . Wall Street Journal Massachusetts native Roger Hagopian airs latest version of MEMORIES OF MARASH at ALMA (Armenian Museum of America, Watertown, Massachusetts.)  In perhaps the most dramatic version ever made so far of  "Memories of Marash",  filmmaker Roger Hagopian defeated the denialists on Super Bowl Sunday with his latest version of the tragic story of how the Marash Armenians, those who survived the genocide, were forced out of their ancestral homeland.  To see an earlier version of this film, go to Youtube and type in Memories of Marash: The Legacy of a Lost Armenian Community (2002). The latest version of MEMORIES OF MARASH is for sale on DVD; just email Roger Hagopian to order:  RogerHagop@aol.com

Cape Cod Marathon, Falmouth, Massachusetts, October 26, 2014

The weekend before Halloween (is there a reason?) has always been the time to head to Falmouth, Massachusetts, to run the Cape Cod Marathon on that Sunday (and if you can't run a full marathon, you can run the half marathon on Saturday.)  Nary a room is available in Falmouth and environs that weekend, as 1,200 runners from all parts of the United States, (as well as from all parts of the Cape, of course), converge on Falmouth to run the now famous Cape Cod Marathon.  This year's marathon featured lots of wind, but no rain, and beautiful views for the runners as they ran their 26.2 miles, the route lined with spectators cheering them on, handing out water, gel, high fives, and shouts of encouragement.  At one junction, (see photo below), a band greets the marathon runners with the music, "When the Saints Go Marching In" as the bystanders clap their hands in time to the music and the runners, and agree with the band, that these runners are indeed saints, running for all of us who could never even think of attempting such a feat!

26.2 or bust.  Lorig Charkoudian running strong!

Aline & Raffi greet their mother Lorig Charkoudian who has just crossed the finish line!

Her shirt says, "Run like a Mother"!

What was my time?  What? I came in second in my category?

"My best time ever!"  Despite the wind, 3 hours, 48 minutes and 10 seconds!
       
                                                                              Photos by Marash Girl

Maureen Dowd and Robert Redford Chat at Boston's JFK Library

Marash Girl dreamed that she stood in line at the JFK auditorium waiting to get Robert Redford's autograph, but by the time she got to the front of the line, neither she nor Robert Redford had paper to write on.  It was so disappointing!  But surprise of surprises, when she got home, there he was at her home, socializing with the family.  But that was only a dream . . . a dream that she had after attending the conversation between Maureen Dowd and Robert Redford at Boston's JFK Library.  Here's what happened.

Because Marash Boy had worked with Redford at Sundance many years ago,  because Marash Boy often reads Maureen Dowd's columns in the New York Times, because Marash Boy has always been interested (and sometimes involved) in politics, Marash Girl thought he might enjoy the conversation that was to take place between Maureen Dowd and Robert Redford at the J.F.K. Library.  Marash Boy, not accustomed to arriving early -- ever -- was not in a hurry, and when Marash Girl suggested that the lunchroom would close at 4:30, he agreed to leave the house at 4.  But when they arrived at 4:30, the parking lot was full, and the doors to the auditorium had opened to accommodate the crowds that were attending the event -- at 4:30 there were only 2 empty seats left, and those seats were in the last row at the back.  Marash Girl grabbed Marash Boy's jacket as he sat at a table nibbling on his salad while overlooking Boston Harbor; she ran back to the auditorium to protect the two seats that were left.  The only problem was that the two seats were too far back to see the stage or to snap a believable photo of the two stars (see photo below).  Visible, however, was the fact that not a person under 50 years old was in the room, and that included the presenters.

Maureen Dowd and Robert Redford: two redheads face off on stage!

At the heart of Robert Redford's message was T.S. Eliot's dictum in his "Four Quartets: "For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.”  Using the Sundance Festival as an example, Robert Redford said, "The Festival is not as much fun as at the beginning . . . It's the work that's fun . . . awards have never meant that much to me."

Robert Redford spent his formative years in a lower working class Mexican community in Los Angeles, California.  Growing up, his friends were all Mexican, but, he noted, "After World War II, we were no longer friends.  It was something about the 'American' thing," he said.   "This is a country that's all about winning . . . " he continued.  Growing up, Redford was always great in sports, the Red Sox his favorite team, and Ted Williams his hero. His film THE NATURAL was "a homage to the baseball that I loved," Redford commented.  "I don't know what's happened to sports now, with the money and violence . . . maybe it's television that did it . . ." 

Redford admitted that he draws, though he doesn't paint, that he writes poetry, though he can't recite . . . and that his favorite poet is William Butler Yeats.

"I never look back, but I keep trying . . . , " he said.  "Once I complete a film, I never view it again. . . I'm not comfortable seeing myself on film . . . I finish a film and move on!"  When concluding his films, he admitted, he likes to leave the audience with a question.  

He talked a lot about the fun times he had in his friendship with Paul Newman.

"Filmmaking in Hollywood," he said, "is a business which cannot afford to take chances. . . the fact which made it so important to support independent films . . .  and the reason I built Sundance."  After 6 years, though, he realized the Sundance films were going nowhere, which is why he started the Sundance Festival.  "It's the climb up that's really exciting . . . success itself is not as much fun."

On politics, Redford said of Obama, "I think he's a good man with a good mind who is over his head. . it took him too long to figure out 'how it works'", said Redford.  "There's sufficient debate about Isis and whether we should take immediate action . . . it all started in the prior administration -- Obama inherited a rotten deal with a lot of costs  . . . it makes me sad."  

Redford referred to the Republicans as the "Looney Tunes without the Merry Melodies".

WBUR ON TAP Opens with its First Event: Super Bowl Haiku

Bill Littlefield (left) and Charlie Pierce joshing yesterday evening at WBUR ON TAP.                       Photo by Marash Girl

A new free event series to be held monthly at Boston University's WBUR, WBUR On Tap invites the public to the studio to sip beer, nibble cheese and crackers, and meet and interact with the real people behind the radio voices. "Kicking" the series off  by  commemorating the 20th anniversary "Super Bowl Haiku,"  WBUR On Tap  opened with the "comedy team" of Bill Littlefield and Charlie Pierce who went at it yesterday evening, leaving the audience little time to breathe, they (the audience and Bill and Charlie) were laughing so hard. Opening with more haikus then you could shake a football at,  Bill and Charlie joshed about the Super Bowl both in Haiku and English prose! (They didn't have to call the Game the Superb Owl, they noted, as they weren't selling anything!)

A Man Before His Time: Theodore Roosevelt wanted to ban football . . .

Even way back at the beginning of the 20th Century, football was seen as a dangerous sport.  Despite his rough and tumble ways, President Theodore Roosevelt attempted to "change the rules" and nearly banned football "due to its undue violence resulting in many player injuries.  This CALAMITY Bank, shown on the cover of a Collectors' Showcase magazine (January/February 1983), "considered among the most desirable of old cast iron mechanicals typifies the popular rough and tumble sport."

Collector's Showcase Magazine, #51610,  available at OldCornerBooks.com

Half Marathon, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Marash Girl was wakened by shouts and cheers outside of her bedroom window.  No, not her bedroom window, but the balcony overlooking Vineyard Sound in Falmouth.  Wandering sleepily over to part the curtains, she saw the sun rising over Vineyard Sound, Martha's Vineyard in the distance,  and the American flag waving over the runners running the Cape Cod Half Marathon along Surf Drive.

Photographer chastises runner as she mugged at the camera:  "You do the running, I'll take care of the photos!" cautioned the photographer.

The race heats up!

Ignoring the message painted on the road, the runners never stopped until they passed the finish line!

One bystander, however, remained unmoved by the wind or the race!

"Sweaty is BEAUTIFUL!"  "YOU'RE KINDA A BIG DEAL!"

At the Finish Line:  The Falmouth Village Green

THE FINISH LINE!

No rest for the weary, however.  Runners were reminded that they could do it again on Sunday, this time for the whole 26.21875 miles!

Slacklining on Plum Island

Marash Girl had heard of putting yourself "on the line", and of "walking the line", but never of "walking" or "putting yourself on" the slackline.

Marash Girl first witnessed slacklining on Newtonville Avenue in Newtonville (Massachusetts) several weeks ago (see above).  It wasn't long after that that she found an unofficial slackline installed on the beach at Plum Island, challenging passersby to "put their balance on the line". . .

in this case, while holding a cigarette in one hand and chugalugging a beer with the other!