Превратности судьбы
radio_active_fm напомнил...

Однажды Вардан Григорян (который президент Корпорации Карнеги и который сам родом из Ирана) рассказывал, как танцевал с супругой шаха на каком-то светском мероприятии в Штатах, естественно, уже после изгнания шаха из Ирана.

Он сказал королеве что-то вроде: «В конце-концов, довелось ли мне — когда-то простому армянскому мальчику из Тавриза — танцевать с самой королевой, если бы не революция». Возможно я перевираю что-то в деталях, лет 5 назад это говорилось, но смысл был примерно таков.

^{P.S. r_o_a может поправить, если что, он там тоже был.
P.P.S. r_o_a поправил, я таки переврал, и в оригинальной версии история намного колоритнее :)}

Another memorable woman I met was Her Majesty Farah Diba, the ex-empress of Iran. The occasion was a great birthday bash given by John Kluge for his then-wife, Patricia Kluge. I had neve met Mr. Kluge, and my collegues at the Library were eager for me to make his acquaintance. My wife and I went to the event at the Waldorf-Astoria. To my great surpsise, I was seated at Table 1. I told the manager of the event that there must be some mistake. Not at all, she answered. Her Majesty Farah Dib has specifically asked that you sit next to her. It was an unbelievable evening. We had a wonderful talk. Then she said, "Let us dance." I was petrified. Me dancing with the former queen of Iran? I was nervous. She made me feel at ease. Then I said, "Your Majesty, if my grandmother were alive, she would be shocked beyond belief. I am sure she would tell me, 'Hey, you, little Vartan. Who do you think you are, dancing with the queen?" She responded, "If my grandmother was alive, she would have said the same thing!"..." (VG, pp.300-301)

Vartan Gregorian, "The Road to Home: my Life and Times," Simon & Schuster, New York, 2003, pp.354