I don’t know about you, but whenever I travel, I seek out anything Armenian – churches, stores, restaurants, people.


I find myself flipping through hotel phone books, trying to find area residents whose names end in “ian” or “yan.”

Marian Amiraian

It turns out I’m not the only one who does this. I received a phone message from an Armenian woman, Marian Amiraian, who recently moved into my community in Boynton Beach, Florida.


As she was looking through the resident’s phone directory, she was excited to find 3 Armenian names – Kalajian, Dabbakian, and Baylarian. She figured out I was the Kalajian, but wanted to know who the other two were.


I told her Dabbakian is my mother who visits here for the winter season – a Snowbird as we Floridians say. Baylarian is really an Italian lady who was married to an Armenian man who had passed away.


I promised to pay a visit Marian as soon as I could. A lovely little lady, more my mother’s age, Marian lives a short distance from my house. She invited me to a casual, but tasty lunch. As we ate we chatted like old friends about our families, friends, and favorite Armenian recipes.


As a neighborly gesture, I brought a bowl of tabbouleh for us to share. This lead to a discussion about Armenian regional recipes which can vary greatly based on ingredients indigenous to a particular area.


We had a pleasant afternoon, and plan on seeing each other again. When my mother arrives for the season, I’m sure two of them will enjoy comparing and sharing their different Armenian backgrounds, too.


Thanks for calling, Marian!