Reading habits:

As I have written before, Iranian culture is rather verbal than written, hence most Iranians find it rather boring to read. They mostly prefer to *hear* words & stories than to *read* them. So the reading time is very low in my country or at least that is what I've seen.
Reading time in my home, however, had always been an important part of a day schedule. Ever since I was very young, even at the age of 3, my dad & I used to lie on my parents bed while he read out books to me & later to my sister. Books in my little world, represented warm & cozy feeling.... One of my best memories are based on the time my dad was reading "One-Leg-ogre" or "DIVE-YE-LANGOO" as we call it, to me. It is a folklore story & is one of my favorites.
As time passed by & I grew up, books became essential part of my life. My mother thought me how to use the dictionary when I was 6 & first started to read books in higher levels. & from then on, I kept checking it for my answers to everything. I never asked questions but rather find them on my own. Maybe that's why I'm so obsessed with books! I carried them everywhere & being an intense reader, I was never satisfied with the amounts of books I was reading. I always wanted more, more & more. Having very diverse interests, the books I read were about different subjects... novels, science, math, history, geography, philosophy & a lot more. I remember easily when I first read Nietzsche; I was hardly older than 10 & I kept checking my dictionary & encyclopedia but it was an amazing experience. Later when I was 17 I read the same book again & honestly I was wondering how I could have read it at that time!!!!!!
Most my friends (well except for Katherine) are not much of a reader. & that's a shame. The few of them who do read, mostly stick to novels or text-books. They are mostly *too* busy to do a serious reading & that somehow disturbs me. I love them all dearly yet I do have the right to criticize them. That's really a shame that most of the books in most Iranian families are either text-books or superficial novels. But well, I am not the one to talk to, cos maybe they do the right thing sticking to one subject rather than having a taste of everything....

Family time:

How do we spend family time together? Does this mean what we do when we are at home & have nothing to do? We watch TV, read books, play cards & talk.
Perhaps I can explain it more by telling you how my family spends the evenings: my mother is retired now so she is home most of the afternoons. My dad comes home at 5 pm. & that's usually when every family member is home. We, unlike most other families, have dinner in early evening. & the dinner usually takes an hour since everybody talks about their day & stuff. Then I usually come to my room & others watch TV or read books depending on the situation. My dad likes to play cards a lot. So it is a family tradition of ours to play in the evenings. & most of the time my mom & I play against dad & my sister. Sometime dad plays with Fabiulla (my sister) or my mother. Spades is one of our favorites & I like to play hearts too. We play other games too like poker, 21 & some other games that I don’t know the English word for. Backgammon is game originated in ancient Iran & is very popular though I rather playing chess when it comes to play board games. In family gatherings we play bingo a lot.
Hmmm... This post has turned into a post about games more than spending family times together! My folks don’t like to go out very much. We rather stay home & chat away the evening than going to a restaurant, Movie Theater or something. When I was younger, we used to go to movies & watch kid-movies but nowadays we prefer to watch CDs at home. Instead of eating out, my parents prefer to order food & have it in the quite of the house where we can easily talk. Going to theaters though is different... once in while we would watch a good one in the main city theater hall.
Weekends which is considered family time too, is usually spent with my close relatives. We hardly stay home at weekends. If the weather would be nice, we would go out to my aunt's mansion in Alborz Mountains. & if it is not, the whole bunch of us, would gather in one of the houses. So on weekends either you are a guest or you entertain them.
What else? Oh, yeah, my parents *love* to shop together... even for smallest things they would go out together. My dad is known for his extraordinary shopping habits though; he might buy the most useless objects & find a *use* for it while my mom tends to buy the most useful ones & not really using them. Well, they are quite a pair!

Divorce in Iran!

Very interesting subject! Actually this bizarre friend of mine keep popping motivating questions & honestly never ever these subjects would have crossed my mind without his help*.
We live in a somehow traditional country where by default divorce is considered a taboo. Unfortunately for most Iranian woman, divorce is the last approach. Though I understand the benefit it has for keeping the family together, I feel that some ladies go under a lot of unnecessary sacrifices while they can save themselves the pain. But that is just my personal opinion....
The process of getting divorced in Iran is a long, painful procedure.... & it is meant to be to avoid the breakdown of the family. & I know that most of the laws are unfortunately for men & it leads to unhappy marriages. Living in a loving & happy family, I am far from talking about the results of an unhappy marriage on children... yet through watching others it is obvious that everybody involved in the marriage (including the poor children) is affected badly.
Interesting point is that getting divorce is the easiest part considering the post-split problems that may occur. Women suffer more from these post-split problems as I like to call them. Our culture is mostly based on man-dominance & though it is slowly changing still the stone-age rules shadows some aspects of our lives. (Ridiculous as it is, in stone-age Iran was mostly governed by women.... *sighs*) So a divorced lady has to be very cautious & self-conscious about her behavior in the society.... she must "behave" herself! A widow is not usually welcomed. She is sometimes treated like she has a disease & must be kept in quarantine....
Well, that's not the whole society notion. We have quite a few family friends who are divorced & we never did have a problem with them. & they do live the way they want to still even the most laid-back of them claims to have a lot of problems.
In my generation however, the attitude toward divorce is changing quickly & although it's sad to see all the numerous divorce files filling in these days, it is good that we have learned to accept the fact.
I personally think that it is due to the fact that the new generation is more self-centered than our parents. We like to consider our own benefit more than the whole society's. Hence we tend to walk out when there is something threatening our own happiness... the same fact can be mentioned about brain drain & immigration. Iranians are the most highly-educated immigrants in the world. That is tragic.... well, that's a totally different issue I might want to talk about later.
Meanwhile, two are my friends are getting divorced in USA.... they are both family friends & we are all the same age as each other. I had been there when they fell in love; when they decided to get married; when they said their vows but I can not be there for them now. & it is hard for us who remained here.... we thought that they would last forever. They lived our dream alive... being so in-love & so young & charming. Where all the love goes? The girls has been one of my best friends... when her soon-to-be-ex (how sad it sounds) called me last time he said: "I'm happy I took a chance & lived with one of the best girls I knew... but there was no way we could work things out. We grow up & it's time to live as adults we are not as the teenagers we used to be!"
Enough of me posting sad thing.... I shall keep my happy mood! It's Christmas time for heaven's sake! & my birthday is coming up so... yeah; I shall live it up a bit & maybe go out with my crew!
* Remember the friend who asked me about boyfriends? He is the one who asked for a post on Divorce! C. you're a socialist, aren't you? Go find the answers yourself hun!

Yalda:

Yalda came & went. I always wonder how little facts makes this night memorable. We listened to traditional music & read Hafez which is always the best part of it. & I got to eat a lot & I mean a lot of stuff! Mom says that Yalda is the ideal time for gluttons! I love Yalda night! This year for the first time I was the one who read & interpreted the Hafez poems. It is a custom that an elderly member of the family does this. My mother is usually the one who reads the poems & I usually read one or two for myself & sometimes for friends. This year however, it was my honor to do all the reading....
We had a pretty cool discussion about Ferdowsi too. Shahnameh reading is a fading Yalda custom, which we like to practice. I wish we could read something by Nezami Ganjavi who has great poems about famous lovers like KHOSRO-SHIRIN & SHIRIN & FARHAD. & to think of it, we didn’t read anything from Mollana either.... instead me & my sis played some parts of Arash the bow-man which is one of my favorite myths.
Just one regret for me though, I didn’t make a wish! Well, I can always save my Yalda wishes for my birthday so....
Ewwww.... its 1 am again! I must catch some Zzzz. Tomorrow will be a long day since I have so much to do! Good night....

Breathe by Faith Hill

I CAN FEEL YOU BREATHE...
sorry the song had got me bad!

Marriages in Iran

Or how do we get married? Well, that's a fairy good question. Marriages are being dealt with in tow systems in Iran: first would be the traditional way & the second, the usual (modern) way.
I am not going to talk about the traditional system since it is not that much practiced nowadays or at least in the part of society I am living in. in this way, usually the family is the one who choose the spouse for the child. However if you are interested in knowing the details I would be happy to help.
In the latter method, the person him/herself chooses. Most of the time, the boy & the girl know each other before hand & either had been boyfriend/girlfriend or intimate. & most of the time when they mutually decide they want to share their lives with each other, they inform their families. Family blessing still plays a very important factor in our society & although I know quite some people who eloped to get married, it is not considered a common practice.
Usually the boy's family visit the girl's in a session named KHASTEGARI. This session is borrowed from the traditional system & is aimed for the two families to get to know each other. People typically talk about the whole marriage concept, the place the newly wed would live in, the parties & ceremonies & usual stuff in this session. & it is mostly formalities since mostly the couple had talked about it all before.
The next step is engagement. There would a small party for close relatives at the bride's house & the groom's family brings gifts for the girl & announces the engagement. & the bride & groom change the engagement rings. Some people will have their religious blessing at this ceremony yet others wait till the wedding ceremony to say their vows.
Then it is time for going on a shopping spree for the wedding... buying bridal gown & accessories, the traditional mirror & candle-holders, the wedding rings & other jewelries. In this step it is a tradition that groom would buy the girl's things & the bride would pay for the groom's.
The wedding ceremony is usually held along with the religious vow exchange. & it is generally held at nights. The guest would forbid the couple late at night to their new home & the marriage life begins. The next day, the guests bring in the gifts for bride & groom in PA-TAKHTI, which is a ceremony held at the newly-wed home & then the couple leave for the honey-moon.
In large families, like mine, the post-marriage parties take about a year to be fulfilled, since it is a tradition to invite the newly-wed couples for the first time as PAGOSHA. & yeah, this is the way Iranians get married in a nut-shell.
Well, I must admit I don’t like this kind of approach either. If I am ever to get married, I would take my fiancé's hand & go to a trip & then I would go & live in my own place with him. I hate parties & ceremonies & the way they would be aggregated into galas sometime. & it would leave the bride & groom weary & tired all through the honey-moon.
Forget it... aha! Anyhow did you know that we use the same word for both month & moon in Persian? We call them both: MAH. So the word honey-moon in Persian has a double meaning, it means a month of sweetness too!

Life's not a bed of roses...

I didn’t even knew I could be so disappointed & nor did I ever think I would want to leave the city, the country I adore so much. Honestly I never comprehended a simple hurtful experience could cause so much hatred that would lead me to consider the option of immigrating.
I really don’t want to talk about the horrible. & I don’t intend to act on impulse & let my anger take the best of me. Yet there are some good reasons for all of us who had been involved to take our leaves & say goodbye to the land we love.
Immigration would be like saving oneself & let others drown but what else we really can do? If only I could make my family leave with me... but I cannot. & I know in time, this intense urge of running will subside & I will get back to live in the same old frames I had been living for the past 24 years. However, I know that something's changed & some other things would never change.
Still I will remain & fight. I will make a change & I will make my generation see the freedom, it is seeking. Let's join our forces to defeat the despair.... we can do it!

What's this Again?

Arabian Gulf? Check It Out Please! It's a Way to Show objection...

How do we get married!

Dear Lynne the movie you refer to is rather an old one.... It had been a very successful movie in it's time cos it refers to a social problem that is hardly talked about: girls who run away from home.
Well, it's not illegal for people to date but it's not legal either! I mean we have some kind of a cultural barrier in this special area. The Islamic hardliners do not agree with "dating" or "courtship". They tend to believe in stone-age rules & set-up marriages in which the engagement time is the time to know your supposedly future spouse.
However, hardly anyone I personally know had got married with a set-up marriage. Even my grandparents knew each other & sort of dated before they got married. My own parents had been BF/GF & all of their siblings had courtship time & dates!
Governmental forces still tend to pick up on young people from time to time but it is becoming less & less.... I mean we are going through changes & dating is widely practiced nowadays. Folks go to movies, restaurants, picnics & all... (except for clubs for we do not have them). & they talk on the phone. You can find hand in hand young couples everywhere....
I will write more about it.

Cheating

It's the one thing I am not good at! Cheating is a cheap way to gain victory & that's not my style. While most of my friends are specialized & have master degree in Cheating, I am proud that I had never cheated...; well, practically anyway I cheated once; However in my opinion that didn’t count... since it was a way to show the class objection to an obligatory test. (Everybody actually was cheating... I just wrote the whole answers & passed them on!)
There is no point in cheating in my opinion anyway. You either know the answer or you don't & there is no other option there.... I have heard a lot about learning by cheating; & for sure it works but to me it's only an excuse. You have to deserve what you gain & you have to do it the right way.
With all said & done; it seems that I would know nothing about cheating techniques which happens to be totally untrue! I have learned a lot from my sister & friends! So I don’t think my young students would have a chance to commit cheating in the final exam!
Yeah, BTW Thursday would be the last session of my class!
Ps: To Shahram: it was hilarious! I mean it! The "it's just me... don’t bother yourself" comment was one of the best I have heard over the years! Well, everyone my dear friend made a very (I mean VERY) silly mistake & there he goes: it's just me... don’t bother!

IT'S PERSIAN GULF

What's this with Arabian Gulf? there is no such a thing as Arabian Gulf! It's only one thing: Persian Gulf & it will Stay forever Persian Gulf....

Boyfriends:

Honestly it never did cross my mind that others wanted to know about how Iranians date. I mean, the point is that's a very personal & private matter in my opinion. & everybody has different idea about it.
I do understand that having a boyfriend had been kind of a taboo in my country for so long, like the s** matter & every other related subject, it had only been talked about in the safety within the closed doors. I'm not saying that I comprehend why or that my family practices that kind of thoughts. Being brought up in an open-minded family, the question about guys & how to treat them never actually bothered me much. They had been my friends, co-players, co-students &.... so really there had never been once in my personal life that I had to think of them as a taboo.
However, there are so many girls out there in my country who still have problem with boyfriend issues. What is natural friendship in my opinion happens to be a hidden taboo in someone else's. Therefore it is totally understandable that a question about dating issue would be brought up in a conversation with a foreigner. The fact is that I had been questioned whether I do believe in dating or not & also if I had dated anyone or not.
As I mentioned before that is a very personal issue; yet I will answer them later on for now I want to talk about the majority of people I do know. Most of my friends, both guys & gals, had been in relationships before. Some even dated around, trying to find their suitable match. & it is natural for them to have girlfriends & boyfriends as well as just-friends. At least it's like that in the part of the society I am personally involved with. I have met people who didn't believe in dating & going on an even a friendly date with a guy was a big hush-hush for them. But well everyone is entitled to their own opinion & there is no way I could say that it is wrong or right. & yeah keep in mind that I'm just talking about dating & not S**.
As for the S** part, again most of people I know don’t consider it as a taboo yet they believe in s** in marriage & staying virgin till then. However, I have acquaintances who believe in making love when they are in a happy serious relationship & they practice it. No harm done anyway in my humble opinion since usually this kind of relationships end up in a marriage over here. So basically it depends on the viewer choice of point of view.
Now back to the questions: I have no objection to dating & I would not keep my relationship hush-hush if I had one. That is stupid. Either you believe in having a relationship & dating or you're not; so if you don’t, just don’t do it! I hate feeling creepy about anything & relationships are just the same. What's the point of sneaking out & meeting low & always fear someone would catch you?
I had never dated though; I mean I have guy-friends but there is no feeling romance between any of them & me. It's not because I am afraid or things like that. It's just that I don’t like to date around, have fun with people I don’t know, go on blind dates or whatever. & to be honest I am not a person who catches the eyes at first. & I am sure that I have mentioned that I am a fat girl & I have very average looks. Not that I don’t like myself, but frankly I am not someone who people wants to look at twice. So that could be another reason.
On the other hand, going out with someone who is not the right one & there is nothing between the tow is pointless. Most of the time I start a friendship first if I want to really date someone & after a while I just figure that there is no spark between us & we are just good friends. I admit that I have had crushes but they never ended up to a relationship. & in some points I get asked out, which usually caught me off-guard since I can not see what they see in me to start a date to begin with.
On the S** part, I am a believer in staying virgin. & it has nothing to with it being a taboo. It's just that I feel having a sexual relationship brings commitment & it's not the way I want to live my life. I am a free spirit, not to be bound to any kind of obligations.
This is really complicated, & I am no ordinary girl so do not base your judgment about Iranian girls on my personal opinions. I just hope that the friend who asked me would have got his answer. & I made a public answer to subside the hesitation some people feel about this particular issue in Iran.
BTW, to the dear friend I mentioned: you can remember that I don’t believe in marriages & living happily ever after for sure. So don’t start with the whole thing again. This is totally different with dating. & in my world dating doesn’t lead to wedding rings!
Sorry if the post is rather personal but I should have been done. Anyway, do you remember the other friend I told you about who liked me? Well, he brought the subject up a while back & I just gave him my tow cents on the matter & we worked things out. I guess he handled it very well & he moved on easily cos he is already engaged with someone. It was fast! I wish him & the soon to be bride all the best.... it's cool to have a close married friend!

The neighbors

I guess I have talked about the neighborhood I do live in before. But I never got to talk about the neighbors I have.
My family had lived in the same apartment building for the past 30 years. Wow to think of it, it's even longer than I existed. There are 8 apartments in the building we live in. Three of them are half-empty & the owners only drop by when they come over to Tehran (tow lives aboard & one in a south-western city of KHORAM ABAD)
This fact leaves only 5 settled-in flats in the building, three of which (including ours) are occupied by the families who had been here over the last 30 years like us. & the other tow family neighbors are pretty new, one just moved in a year ago & the other 2 years back.
We live like a very big family.... I mean we have our privacy & all but in times of trouble we look out for each other. Living together for so long the new generation, as I may put it, has grown up together. I had babysat for my baby-sister as well as the twins who just live downstairs.... The twins & my sister are as old my sis & they are best friends actually. I, Elsie & Ethan are friends too. Elsie is the oldest among us, going on 26, then it's me being 24 & the youngest in the threesome is Ethan, 22. Through the years we learned all about our weaknesses & strength. We had fought, played, laughed & cried together... & we share a history that is hard to ignore. We had been there the first time each one of us fell in love, or when we had our hearts broken.
Elsie had to move out for a year to complete her study in pharmacology. She left this very summer & now she is back for a visit. While we were over at her place, Ethan said something that is carved in my memory; that somehow made me think of how precious this people are to me.
He said: "could you even imagine a day when we all grow up & return here only as guests?"
By the way; last time I used chalks & Black boards is going back to the time I was a third grader.... We Have White boards here... Too bad I am in love Chalks & Blackboards....

There is the cutest in our CLC class:

They come to class together & it just seems so nice... the way they try to share each other's passion for English & the way they try to make time in their hectic life just to be with each other in the classroom. I keep thinking about their lives & the way they keep their love alive. It's so tremendous that.... I can't even describe the feeling I get just watching them. May Lord be their savior.
Yeah... it's raining cats & dogs outside although we had a very warm & sunny day! It's unbelievable that I had to carry my coat everywhere today & it never rained or got cold & now that I am back inside... it simply pours! What more do I have to say?
I had to go to one of the campuses up in the north of Tehran today to have a talk with a professor. So I had to wake up soon & head out which meant that I only got five hours of sleep. & that means that I had slept only 3 hours a night on average over the past week.
Anyhow the professor was having a meeting somewhere else & I was told to rearrange my meeting for 12 o'clock which was fine by me.
Then I had to drive all the way to west of Tehran to check out some stupid pay-bills. By the time I was almost done, it was the time to drive back to the campus for the meeting so you guess.... magically I got there on time but the professor never showed up! So the meeting where rearranged for Wednesday! I got back home, parked the car, changed my clothes & head out for my class. My students had an oral midterm & they were just waiting on the edge. It took a whole tow hour!
Well, I am going to scan a piece of paper which would be my 7-year-old student dictation in near future & I am going to ask you to find out the true word he had to write! He can talk really well & he answers the questions correctly. But when it comes to dictation.... do you think he might have a problem or something?

What's this with students & a sub teacher?

My CLC teacher had taken a day off & so another teacher was to attend the class on that day. & a few friends decided to ditch the class & you know the rest.
The funny part is that... the sub teacher is the supervisor of the institute & she had been the examiner in some of our friends' oral exam. (She had also been my teacher about 5 years ago)
One of the students told us in the last session that when Miss S. (as I'm going to call the sub teacher) was taking an oral exam & had asked him "What's your name?" he had answered "Ra...Ha..." although his name is "Rasa". He was telling us that he had even forgotten his name!
He was one of the classmates who ditched the class... I called after him "I am going to tell her that you are running away!" he turned around "don’t worry she thinks my names is Raha!"
Do I need to say more?

What's this with students & a sub teacher?

My CLC teacher had taken a day off & so another teacher was to attend the class on that day. & a few friends decided to ditch the class & you know the rest.
The funny part is that... the sub teacher is the supervisor of the institute & she had been the examiner in some of our friends' oral exam. (She had also been my teacher about 5 years ago)
One of the students told us in the last session that when Miss S. (as I'm going to call the sub teacher) was taking an oral exam & had asked him "What's your name?" he had answered "Ra...Ha..." although his name is "Rasa". He was telling us that he had even forgotten his name!
He was one of the classmates who ditched the class... I called after him "I am going to tell her that you are running away!" he turned around "don’t worry she thinks my names is Raha!"
Do I need to say more?

My new conversion class!

So there you Shahram! If you ever got the hold of my blog's address, this is about you!
Alright I'm back in an English conversion class & its fun! I met a whole bunch of new group who happens to be very fun to be around & besides Ava is there with which is the best part! Cos it means that I get a whole tow hour to be with her.
I like our teacher... she is a pretty young lady & I like her method of teaching. I don’t know my classmates that well & it's quite soon to judge.
Well, there is this 21-year-old boy in our class who happens to be the youngest. & he really doesn't bother himself to talk accurately so everybody is either pulling his leg or counting his mistakes.
Last session he was talking & he used the correct form of the verb in his sentence for the first time since I know him! & it's something that is not going to happen in the next century! You can see that how important this was! Another classmate of mine joked with him "oh... you should have used HADN'T STUDIED not DIDN'T STYDY." She told him. "Really?!!! Ok! I hadn't studied...." was his reaction toward it!
'K Shahram if you really got to be reading this somehow, I'm just joking! You are the class's soul kiddie!

Who moved my cheese?

Have you read the book by John Spencer? Well, I have. & I expected it to have a miraculous effect on my life which it didn’t so far. However I found it rather true & quite interesting. The book is right: it can do nothing for people who don’t want to help themselves.
So here I am trying to help myself to overcome the changes in my life. There has been a change for sure & I know it; yet what I don’t know is how I can move with my cheese. I mean what's there to be found by me. So in a way I have to find out what my cheese is, which happens not to be the exact easiest thing I can handle.
I know what I don’t want to be & I know deep inside there is an image, a dream living in my heart. & while I'm trying to clarify the blur in my mind, I'm quitting the teaching job! I figured I can not handle a class of 7-13 year olds! I was going nuts! The paying was even less than enough to pay my communication expenses & to be honest I gathered one must be in love with teaching to stay in the business. Grandpa I hope if you get to read you don’t become upset with me. I think you are a very noble man who could have handled the job for all those years. Muhammad once said "teaching is the prophet's job." & I guess he is right.
Anyway I acknowledged the institute that I'm not going to teach next term. I will fulfill this semester & then I am off. I'm applying for a few job vacancies & I hope to find a more related job to my field of study.
Well, that's one change for sure. & I guess I might want to try my luck in getting a new degree in management or something.... So here I come! Let's change!

A typical day in my life:

I woke @ 6 by the sound of the door; it was my mom as always for the past 29 years! (I know I am only 24 but she has been working since 29 years ago!) She left the house for work & I sat up straight in the bed & thought about going out to balcony & shout goodbye, which obviously I didn’t.
Then I get back to sleep since I have no class today & that means I can do whatever I want to. & once again I woke up by father knocking on my door asking if I wanted to accompany him for breakfast before he left.... & of course I did accept. He had caught cold & so I guess he needs a bit pampering if you know what I mean. We tried to tempt my sis to join us but she said no... Well, she doesn’t like breakfasts!
All through the meal we talked about debates going on in America & also about AHOORA! This AHOORA guy is self-acclaimed oppose leader who want to "free" Iran by October 1st. that means we are living in "free" Iran right now! I'm gonna talk about him more, later on. But let's get on with my day.
I went back sleeping after dad left! You know me sleeping is my favorite time pass *grin*. Then I woke at last about 10:30 & decided to watch some movies. I had to use my pc since VCD player was being used by my sis. & I watched "Collateral" & Mr. Tom Cruise was great! It is really strange I usually enjoy the movies others don’t like! I was told that the movie is s*** (sorry for the language!) & I liked it!
Well, I don’t remember having anything for lunch though Fabi, my sister, made very delicious toast but I didn’t feel like it. It had been her birthday yesterday & she was on the phone the whole morning! We watched a soap opera together & then I went for a walk.
I usually wonder why people tend to call me when I am out of the house! Using my cell is not something I would like to do a lot while I am walking & I cannot avoid it by any means! Ten minutes after I set out my friend Pat (do you remember him from our gang?!!!) called me up to say he misses me & others & to ask whether I was free for the evening so we can hang out... which I accepted not-so-eagerly to be honest cos I'm sure if I would be around this weekend & I didn’t want to upset him. I really miss the way we used to hang out before. We used to spend our whole weeks together & now that I look back; I can see that we had pretty good time together. Let's hope I get time to hang out with him. Any way we'd been on phone for 15 minutes while I was walking & I pray he would not a heart attack when he gets to pay his cell bill. *rolling eyes*
Then I walk for another 10 minutes just listening to my CD man & feeling good! But no I had to be interrupted. Another family friend just called to say hi! & he sounded a bit low so I asked what was wrong. *wrong question* he talked for a good half an hour non-stop with me saying "hummm..." "Really?!!!!!!!!" "No of course I don’t think so..." "Yes I do believe that..." you see? I gathered he calls me up whenever he needs some extra attention!
So that's how I passed my evening. Coming back home, the family decided to watch a movie together so we watched "Mama's Guest" an Iranian comedy by DARUOSH MEHRJOOEE.
Now I am sitting at my desk writing this stuff & trying to figure the good point in my free-day. Well, I can't find any! I mean except for having breakfast with dad & talking with the guy I mentioned.
& yeah I need to pick up a subject for my conversion class on Sunday! Any helping hand out there? & don’t even think about politics. It got rejected the first moment I brought that up!

Iran & Iraq: resemblances & differences.

Growing up in a politically educated family, I can't help but react to the most important political event of the world. (Well, doesn’t this sound rather stupid? Why should presidential election in one country gains this much attention? It's America who must concentrate on their four upcoming years not the rest of the world you know?)
Senator John Kerry had commented in his presidential debate that Iran & North Korea were more dangerous than Iraq. Well, at least that's what I guessed from his words. I am not sure if that means that he plans on attacking Iran or not; however I decided to write a few words about it.
Once upon a time there was a region called Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was a place between tow main rivers in Middle East: Forat & Dejla. & once upon a time Iranian Emperors were ruling over Mesopotamia. But that's all history literally.
As long as I can remember -& that's not so long ago- Iran & Iraq had been enemies. Or I rather say Iranian government didn’t see eye to eye with Iraqis. Though most of Iranians I know would like to visit Iraq since some of our Imam's tombs are located there. We share many points with Iraq: we are Moslems to be specific most of us are sheea.
Still sharing the history & religion doesn’t exactly mean that we would act the same in similar situations for instance in being attacked. I know that we don’t have the most democratic government in the world & I also believe that there are a lot of people here who are classified as Dissenters, yet it is obvious that Iranians don’t want other countries to meddle in their business; since if they feel the need for a change, a revolution will cover it.
Iran is one of the countries in the Middle East which had never been a Colony. Foreignism has never been a desired practice in my country, though I must admit that our affairs had never been devoid of foreign hand.
I don’t know. May be I read too much into Senator Kerry's statements. Yet believe me attacking Iran is not the answer.By the way, I still think Senator Kerry will win the election.

Iran & Iraq: resemblances & differences.

Growing up in a politically educated family, I can't help but react to the most important political event of the world. (Well, doesn’t this sound rather stupid? Why should presidential election in one country gains this much attention? It's America who must concentrate on their four upcoming years not the rest of the world you know?)
Senator John Kerry had commented in his presidential debate that Iran & North Korea were more dangerous than Iraq. Well, at least that's what I guessed from his words. I am not sure if that means that he plans on attacking Iran or not; however I decided to write a few words about it.
Once upon a time there was a region called Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was a place between tow main rivers in Middle East: Forat & Dejla. & once upon a time Iranian Emperors were ruling over Mesopotamia. But that's all history literally.
As long as I can remember -& that's not so long ago- Iran & Iraq had been enemies. Or I rather say Iranian government didn’t see eye to eye with Iraqis. Though most of Iranians I know would like to visit Iraq since some of our Imam's tombs are located there. We share many points with Iraq: we are Moslems to be specific most of us are sheea.
Still sharing the history & religion doesn’t exactly mean that we would act the same in similar situations for instance in being attacked. I know that we don’t have the most democratic government in the world & I also believe that there are a lot of people here who are classified as Dissenters, yet it is obvious that Iranians don’t want other countries to meddle in their business; since if they feel the need for a change, a revolution will cover it.
Iran is one of the countries in the Middle East which had never been a Colony. Foreignism has never been a desired practice in my country, though I must admit that our affairs had never been devoid of foreign hand.
I don’t know. May be I read too much into Senator Kerry's statements. Yet believe me attacking Iran is not the answer.By the way, I still think Senator Kerry will win the election.

I'm trying to write a post about Iran & the Nuclear Agency. I just don’t understand why Iran's government doesn't cooperate. I really don’t think we want to be next Iraq. Bush & his teamed made up the story & attacked Iraq & look what's happening there everyday.
By the way, most Iranians like John Kerry to win the election! It is rather strange but over the past few weeks most small talks I have heard was either about the Agency or Bush-Kerry competition to win the election. Most people thinks Bush will win but they admit they like Kerry more. I really don’t see the reason behind; cos I remember clearly Kerry said that Iran has been more dangerous than Iraq or Afghanistan. But maybe it's because it is believed that he is not going to attack Iran while it's a generally accepted fact here that sooner or later Bush will confront Iran if he is elected. However, we are not the ones who has to decide about the election. Americans are to elect their president not us.

So many dreams to follow

When you are standing at the doorway of your life & you don’t know which way to go... when you are left alone & it seems there's nothing left to be done... when you feel you can't go on... just give yourself to the lord's hands & let him take care of you.
& you see that light & you find that still there are dreams to be fulfilled... there are roads to take & there is a destination to get to. Just give yourself to the power of His will & follow where the light leads you.... May He take your hand & guide your through that doorway to eternal happiness of being His beloved child.

Wow it's been a while...

Hi... hello? Any body out there remember me? ... Good! I shall be proud of myself!
Hey I'm back & it's the most beautiful season over here... yeah, it's fall! Life is going on really fine & hmmm I think I'm in love! Yes! It feels good to be in love though I still hadn't found that someone I'm in love with (!); yet it doesn't matter does it?You know I figured autumns gets me going a bit crazy.... It looks like that I feel this urge to walk through the neighborhood & smile @ everybody. Or I just want to smell the air & get drunk by the sweet faineance of falling leaves. & to be honest I often find myself dancing down the road while I go for a walk....
Well, I spend the last week of summer over the west side of Iran & I still think about the misty road we passed by. There is such a mystery in that road that almost gets you overwhelmed. While the car is going higher & higher to the peak of the mountain, you sit there very alert & expect something to jump out of mist & draw you to the myth world of Arash....
Had I ever told you about Arash? He is a mythic bowman... & Mr. Kassraie had that myth developed into a poem...: once upon a time Iran had been attacked by Tooran* & Tooranians had obliged a discreditable contract on Iran: the boarder line would be located with an arrow; a bowman had to throw an arrow... the furthest the arrow flew, the largest our country. So Arash the bowman went high on the Damavand Peak (the highest mountain in Iran) & he prayed hard & with the first rays of light stretched his bow... he put all his strength in the arrow & threw it.... the horsemen who was riding after the arrow found it the day after next in a walnut tree over the east part of Iran (in Sistan). Arash's body was never found. He had dedicated his life to the freedom of Iran. It is believed that Arash's soul help the lost travelers in the Alborz Chain Mountains.
*(Tooran is the mysterious & imaginary country in our mythological stories which had been our enemy & often defeated by us.)
I wish you could have read the poem in Persian.... it always make me really emotional. & there is verse about the time Arash heads toward the peak after looking back for the last time at the town where everybody is waiting for his success:
Which roar is falling down on the mountain?
Which song can ever make the sound of the footsteps heading dominantly toward the nonexistence?
I always cry over this part. No matter what others say this is the best part.... when I read it I can hear his footsteps clearly... I feel the morning breeze on my face & I know he is never to come back & I believe he lives eternally in the stones of Alborz.... I don’t remember what I was saying anymore. I keep thinking if I had the choice of saving my country by giving up my life would I have done it? Would I have throw the arrow & become immortal like Arash? Or would it look like a stupid act to me?It's autumn here & everything is so fine.... & I'm in love with that unknown knight who exist in my dreams & there is nothing going wrong....& yeah... I am back!

Yeah... & I'm here kicking & alive, safe & sound! What had happened? Nothing... my PC died! & I mean it! At first my monitor started blinking & went pale & paler till she passed out completely. Then when her doctor saved her life (!) & she got back home, my keyboard died out of a heart attack or something like that. What's more I just didn’t have time to go to a net-café & even check my mails! So it took me this long to update.... I'm still having problems at home so don’t you worry if I didn’t get to update real soon.
& my first paycheck went for the repairman bill! What a nice timing of my PC to go out of order huh?
'K! Must head back home to correct the papers.... the term will be over next Thursday....
Aha yes the newest idiom of my students: bear is a pet animal who sings tweet tweet! & there is more of them on the way....

Isn't it Nice

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He is a friend

What can I say? I know this guy... he has been my friend for the past couple of year. Gosh this is so hard but I need to get this out...
I know he is feeling more than just friends for me, although he never expresses his feelings. He is so obvious that almost everybody knows about his little crush. He always puts on the charm when I am around & being my close friend he knows what I like in a man &... well, you name it, he acts like the dream man & it's fake!
He is too concerned about my health that he checks on me every so on. & if he figures I don’t feel well... then he would not stop until I meet my doctor, always making sure I get the best place when we are going out.... I don’t know all these little stuffs.
He is a good friend, a very good friend indeed! He has always been there for me. He has been a shoulder to cry on, a charmer, & a joker when I needed to laugh! I know.... but the point is I don’t feel anything even near romance for him. I tried my best to start loving him back... but simply I couldn’t. I love him as a friend & I don’t want to lose him.
I'm trying hard to make him understand this. Yet he doesn’t get the signs. & even a little interest from my side would make him become firmer in his feelings (whatever it is). I don’t want to lead him on. He is much better than to be played with & God knows I care for him & I don’t know what I can do to stop him from getting hurt.
I know I promised to write about movies but I needed to write this. Maybe he would read this.... I'm just hopeless & every time he calls I'm afraid he might confess his feelings. & every time we want to go out I plan that someone be around & we would never be alone. Lord help me with this one....

Watching movies in Tehran...

Unlike other countries, going to a movie hall is not very popular between Iranians. Most people I know prefer to watch a DVD at home than to go to the movies. It's cheaper; & more comfortable. Still, this doesn’t mean that we don’t watch movies.
A movie hall is a cool place to hang out for a while. Most young couples find movie halls a good place for spending some time together, holding hands &.... but I must admit that I really don’t like to go to a movie hall with my gang; to be honest, we are so noisy & loud that we often get some hushes during the movie.
Movie theaters over here are not very cozy & facilitated. This could be a reason that folks don’t like to spend their time there. Most of the time, some thing is wrong or out of order. Another reason could be the fact that the price is a bit high. & of course folks choose to watch a movie at home when they can pay one-tenth of the price for a better movie....
Yet, when a good movie like MARMOOLAK (the lizard) is released, you must book your seats a weak ahead if you don’t want to miss it; alright at least if you want to watch it a good movie hall.
Farhang is one of the best movie halls over here in Tehran. It had been renovated & refurnished. The movie hall is very friendly & welcoming & another point that makes it popular is the fact that you can watch latest foreign (English & non-English) movies in their original languages (Which is a very important factor for me when I choose a movie). Farhang is located on SHARIATI Street, north of Tehran.
Another movie hall that I might choose is ESTEGHLAL, which is located in Vali-Asr Street. & as I think about it more, ASR JADID in TALEGHANI Street is another movie hall I would recommend.
Now, enough about movie halls remind me to write more on movies next time.

Vowels in Farsi

In Farsi we don’t have vowels. We have some symbols to indicate the sound of them but it is not usually written in a text. & only first-graders use those symbols; so most of my students thought that using A, E or I is not necessary.... it took me some time to teach them to write the letters properly. Last time they had diction I reminded them to "use the vowels". The result was good except one of my students who wrote the Farsi symbols instead of the letters!

My cute student

I was teaching "can" & "can't" to my students the other day. & there was a gorgeous 10-year old girl in the class; she looks like a model even now. Well, I asked her "can you walk?" & guess what she answered!
"Yes, I cat walk."
& ever since then, every time I look at her I see her in a cat suit modeling!

A friend of mine passed away...

I'm still in a shock.... she died in a car accident with her husband. & I think how fate can do this to the most perfect, in-love couple. How this could happen to people with so many dreams yet to be accomplished? I'll be alright in a while; my friends will be alright too. But their parents will never be the same again. I wish there could be something to be done. I wish this pain could subsided, that the wound of loss could be healed

My Stupid Mistake

OOpps! I knew what SALOON mean in English! but I was too tired to notice my mistake. In French & also In Farsi Saloon is a big Hall where you can fit many people @ once & there are seats &....
what I meant by saloon was this kind of a room. a hall, or a waiting room, you know the kind that leads to a coridor & all other parts of the bulding...
& thanks for correcting my mistake. It meant a lot to me.

The new method is working!

Well, I still have problem with my hyper student but the others are adapting themselves easily with my method.
I used to review all the last sessions in the beginning of the class so my student would get into the mood for a new English lesson & then I would teach the new material & repeat it.
But now that I started teaching alphabet & letters, I changed my timing schedules. I teach the oral part (like the concept of family or colors or...) after a short review of the related subjects; then I would teach letters (which happens to be my students' favorite part). & at last I ask questions student by student & check their handwritings & we discuss their problems. This usually takes more time than expected so I take my student to saloon & as soon as they're done, they can go home. Most of my students prefer to stay in the saloon & do their home work while I'm asking questions.
A very huge obstacle in teaching English to youngsters is the fact that most of them are forced to come to the classroom. I mean they can't figure why they are learning a foreign language & our reasons (like oversee travels or computers) don’t satisfy them.
Oh yeah; I must tell you.... I guess I have to teach for the next couple of months! Let's see if I can get adapted or what!

He Died.... God Rest His Soul... 

I think I will quit!

I really don’t know if the management should get involve in every _ I mean every!_ detail of every class or what?
For the past 2 weeks I had difficulties with one of my students... he is a bit hyper & I really can't control him. He is 7 years old & I thought he would do better in a lower level with less discipline in the classroom, since he is always standing in the middle of the class & he never pays attention to what I'm saying. So I had a talk with management & her mother was there to make a decision about him attending my class. & the result is he is staying. Well, I really don’t want to get into the details but my boss spend the whole time of last session in my class repeating the lesson for him! & well, unfortunately, she had never taught English & she kept meddling with teaching telling my students what to do. Then she told me that I was "say to much 'be quite' or 'why are you talking" in the classroom!
I really don’t like it when people who don’t have the actual knowledge tell me what to do. I asked to divide my class into tow classes so I could have more time with my students. It was rejected. So I asked them to find a sub teacher for the class.
I think I should have never tried for the teaching job! But anyway I learned something & that's the best of the experience; so there is nothing to regret.
I never thought I would give up so easily. I used to fight for the things I would start. If I had any doubt, I would not start something but this once.... Well, I'm going to spend the rest of my days as a teacher with a new method. I hope it would work....
The only thing I wish is my students would remember me as a nice teacher. That's all for now.
I have class tomorrow... pray for my nerve.

Whoever said teaching is easy?

I'm dead tired! You would not believe me1 I have a class of 7-12 years-old boys & they are driving me crazy! I spare a lot of energy in their class that when I get home, the only think I can do is to collapse on bed & sleep!
Some of them are really quick & despite their age they learn really fast. However there are not so fast students in my class & when I'm working with them, the other party (the quick students) get bored & you know the rest.... I've a student who does gymnastic practice in my classroom!
I'm not sure what I have gotten myself into... it seems that I'm not a good a teacher. I mean I do fine with my quick students but with the rest... well, it's not easy to be tolerant when you try to teach them "hello! Hello! How are you? I'm fine, thank you & you..." & they don’t get it! My class-agenda was to complete the 'Greeting' & the concept of boy & girl & teacher & student & I should have told them the rules of the class... by the end of session tow, I still had to teach the teacher/student concept! So I decided to add the class time & ask weaker students to come to make-up class.
I hope this would work.
Well... I really had to go to bed now. Wish me luck.

I've Got a JOB!!!!!!!!!!

& no, it is nothing like being a lobbyist or hygiene supervisor in a food factory. Actually this job does not relate to my field of study at all.... I happened to be a teacher now!
Isn't it funny? I studied 4 years to become a food engineer; had been a straight-A student all my life, & now I'm here: teaching kids of 8-11 English! Not that I mind using my not-so-good knowledge of English, but what about all the years I studied?
Basically, over here finding a job related to your field of study is out of the question. Ok no it's not, but you must know someone & then they must introduce you &.... Well, that's the same old story. I had some job offers in food industry but most of them were located over far west borders of Iran & it was really hard for me to pack up & leave my hometown.... Some times I do think that what would have happened if I had accepted one of the offers? I would probably go crazy in a fortnight.
Anyway, I got a job now.... I wish I could teach adults. You know they are more willing to study & the job would not be so crucial. With the kids, one must be very careful. They are quick to learn anything so one mistake & you ruin their chance of learning the correct word forever.
I know this sounds very harsh, yet I had never been interested in children. Kids scare me with their unexpected behavior. However I really don’t see why kids like me. I mean I hardly do anything to attract them, maybe I would wave a hand or smile, but that's it. Yet the kids find it easy to communicate with me. They tend to come & sit by my side or ask me astonishing questions. I guess that's a good point anyhow.
OMG, in the class I'm observing thee is this cute 9-years-old girl named ZAHRA; she is a sweetheart although I'm pretty sure she is a bit mischievous. Yesterday her teacher gave the class a 5 minute break & she wanted to go drink some water... in order to impress her teacher, she raised her hand & said "may I CHEATER". You must have seen my friend's face (her teacher) she was trying her best not to laugh. It was really funny!
Alright, now I just wanted to announce my new job....
By the way I'm not in good mood! Italy just lost the soccer tournament & they were like my favorite team *Cry*. It is not fair! They played really good! *ooohhhhh*
I hope tonight Germany lose too! They had been playing really bad!
Now I shall get back by my TV set... the match is on!

Soccer season

Don’t get me wrong; there is no match over here going on. I mean yeah, there is but not important ones.... But some where south Europe in the country of famous José Samarago, Portugal, an event is running by the name of Euro2004! What does it have to do with Iran? Easy; soccer (or the way we call it football) is the first & favorite sport in Iran... so you get it....
During the matches streets of Tehran is nearly empty. For crying out laud, I had not seen a single a car passing by for over an hour now! & everywhere you go there are talks about soccer teams & all. & Iranians being the interpreter & soccer professionals by birth (!) all have speculations; & well, if a coach wants his team to win, the only he's got to do is to take the first flight to Tehran & take taxi & hang around the town for a while & he'll learn more about his team than he could spending day & night with them!
I'm not joking the other day I was in a taxi & tow elderly men were having a conversion about Manchester Unt. & believe me even Sir Alex Ferguson (coach of Manchester Unt.) could not explain the reasons behind the team's relatively failure better!
I am a real soccer fan myself. Well, know to think about it I really did not have much of a choice! In my family gatherings, there are always tow main subjects: Politics & Football; & having a mad-about-soccer cousin was not of any help. Despite the fact that my father is a "rational" soccer watcher, both me & my sister have been this hyper watcher as my dad put it.... when we are watching an important match, even an earthquake or volcano eruption would be ignored by us.
So what on earth am I doing writing this stuff while Greek is literally kicking Portugal's butt which happen to be one of my fav teams on this championship? (Sorry for the language, sometimes it's so hard not swear when you are this frenzied; just don’t mind this text!)
Well, *rolling eyes* I gathered it is to unnerving for me to watch. I guess you all remember my little tiny sickness back in autumn.... I'm really getting all better you know. Yet my doctor thinks I must take great care & not to get stressed. "Any kind of tension could be lethal" he told me over the phone the other day, although in a joke. But he still asked me to do my best not to get "overjoyed" or "heated"! so as I was watching this match (that I expected Portugal to win hands down) & to my surprise, Greek had them all worked up... well! I decided to stop watching before I would have a nervous break-down in front of TV for all the good opportunities Portugal had missed!
So you see, here I am sitting by my monitor... & I can hear the match! For the TV is a bit loud! & it sucks! I guess I get back & watch the rest of the match.... So bye for now!
Ps: Portugal totally sucked! I'm so mad! Greek beat them 2-1 & their only goal was in spare time! *flying off the handle* for heavens sake, they're hosting the championship! I really don’t see why Louis Figue had to play this bad! (See this is what I'm talking about... we always get to discuss the details... *:D*) I hope the next match between Spain & Russia would be a good match....

It's sizzling over here!

You wouldn’t believe me! Yesterday the temperature was about 87 f` (36 `c). my it's going to be a long hot summer....
The band is about to go on a picnic but I happen to be out of town this weekend so I can not accompany them. Well, that's not too bad if you ask me. I'm going to the mansion I told you before... so thee is no point in complaining.
A friend of mine is coming back to Iran. She's been oversees over the past decade so it is kind of strange for us to meet. You know last time we met each other we were 14 now I'm 24. I don’t know if we can maintain the friendship we had before or not. I'm really scared. But I'll manage that....
The ridicules point is that there is the new airport opening here & all foreign flights must land there.... yet the first flight which actually landed there had encountered some problems & so airport usage is indefinitely delayed! However my friend had been told that she is going to land in this new airport! Then she has too take taxi to another airport (Mehrabad airport) to take another flight to Shiraz to see her relatives. She will be back to spend a few days with me at the end of June.
I'm wondering how anyone shall manage to get to the other airport for taking another flight. It takes about 3 hours to travel between the tow! I mean the new airport is far off the east-south of Tehran & the Mehrabad airport is located in the west-south. So I hope the new airport would not be open when my friend arrives. At least it would save her much time & energy.

I dont know what is up with Tehranians?

For heaven's sake, they are still panicking over earthquake. Since the earthquake of North, there had been all these rumors saying that there will a drastic one in Tehran & the fact that venues is going to pass across the sun has something to do with that!
Well, I know very little about astrology & much less about earthquakes but come on! If we think a bit rationally then there would be no need to panic! I mean yes, there is a great chance of an earthquake happening over here but the time is not predictable.
We should be prepared but not for a special amount of time! You would not believe me but actually some students spent some night out in the campus yard & refused to sleep in their dorms! Some of them had left the dorm & went back to their hometown! You see!
Ok. I had to do for now. But don’t you forget to check out the event of Venous cruising in front of sun on Tuesday. It wont happen in 120 years time!

Earthquake here in Tehran:

Oh my God! I just don’t know how I can explain what I feel now.... well, first of all, we are all kicking & alive & over here in Tehran there had not been a soul loss reported, although in some parts the electricity is cut off.
But it was a rather frightening experience; the earthquake was about 5.5 grades & it lasted for a good 2 minutes. Last great earthquake here was about 4 grades & it lasted only 30 seconds.... so I guess you can say that this time it seemed more intense....
It’s been told that a French source has announced a 6.2 degree for the earthquake. We don’t know yet if it is true or not.
We don’t know if there had been damages in other areas either, we know that only one person had passed away in GHAZVIN.
Why this earthquake was so frightening although the damage was not much? I guess the time of the occurrence was an important factor. For all other earthquakes, most people were asleep & didn’t feel anything. But for this one (5:10 pm) people got really frightened & they mostly ran out of their houses in the street. Another point in this matter is the fact that the Bam earthquake is still fresh in the memories of people. & the fact that earthquake has been one of the most frequent discussion topics, had its own effect. You see only few posts back, I wrote about earthquake training.....
Well, I should get going. If anything new happens, you will be informed.
Ps: last news: 5 killed; 20 injured.

A Year Had Passed

This is kind of strange.... it had been a year I started bloging! Wow! Look how much I have changed over the past year! I definitely grew up (which is not a good thing) & I made fabulous friends (which is why I keep posting still).
Well, when I started to blog I never knew what I wanted to write about. Mostly I had this intention to change the image of Iranians in some few people who would check my blog. I don’t know how much this goal is accomplished. It is really important for me to know how others think about my country. & I always hated it when I saw the injustice media forcing on this image.
Do you know that when BBC world shows the weather forecasts, on the map, all the countries around Iran are mentioned, but there is nothing about Iran or Tehran? & I’m sure you know that the Persian Gulf is plainly called gulf... like it doesn’t have any names! Have you heard of the world’s largest lake? The Caspian Sea? Do you know that Iranian had been the first nation who ever sail through this lake & we call it KHAZAR...?
I am Iranian & I am proud of the history behind me. I just want to find my place in this new world & this blog was all about that... finding more, learning more.... I hope if someone, who may have once read my blog, met an Iranian somewhere... understand that s/he is a human being. & I’m looking toward the day when this terrorist image of Iranians fades away & instead the image of a welcoming friendly nation would replace this one.
My second goal was to show you how we live in Tehran. Tehran... the city I love so much. I don’t even know why I love this city.... Most of the time it is crowded & polluted, yet the few nice days makes it the most beautiful place in the world for me. Right now I’m sitting by my window overlooking south & I can see the plain filled with buildings in front of me. You see, Tehran is surrounded by mountains from 3 sides.... The average height of my city is about 4000 m above the sea level & most of the streets have slight (or sometime sharp) slopes. There is no natural water source inside the city.... I mean, there is no huge river & of course no big lakes... only small springs there & then. So we have some vulnerable geographical position... we can easily be famished! & to make the situation worse there are more than 45 cracks in Tehran which makes it one the most expected area for earthquakes. (Tehran is located on the earthquake belt!)
But my city is so beautiful... not in artistic shape like other large cities or not in historical way like Isfehan or Shiraz; but in its own way. You know Tehran is like a person with casual but comfortable cloths. It spreads wherever it likes & the whole city has the mood of care-free-ness. You know she is always fashionably cheerful... like a kind lady. She is welcoming & forgiving. Anyone can find place to fit in her heart. It doesn’t mater for her who you are or where you are from, she can always take you in & give you what you want. Tehran is no goddess like Shiraz & she is not a b**** like some other cities. She is mother who takes care of you, the lover who nourish your emotions & for sure she is a playful friend. Then again Tehran is the boss behind her casualty, Iran’s life depend on her. It is ridiculous sometime... basically there is no oil in Tehran, no big industry, no mines, no water.... & still we get the best of everything! She is like the queen... she produce much but owns the best. & yes! This the city I was born & lived in. This is the city I adore.... This city!
Tehran is an example of tolerance. You can find people of any reign in Iran here. They all live together with their different idea & customs under one territory: Tehran.
Alright... don’t you feel sick of me talking about Tehran? I got to go now! But I’ll be back with more on my hometown!
BTW how did you find the pictures?

A...........year????????????

& You can find this People In Shahname... location: Ferdowsi's Tomb In Mashhad. 

Zayande Rood In Isfehan; well.... it is full of water now.... 

neyshaboor; a town in north-east of Iran 

another view of darband 

This is Darband in Tehran.... well? 

A...........year????????????

This is kind of strange.... it had been a year I started bloging! Wow! Look how much I have changed over the past year! I definitely grew up (which is not a good thing) & I made fabulous friends (which is why I keep posting still).
Well, when I started to blog I never knew what I wanted to write about. Mostly I had this intention to change the image of Iranians in some few people who would check my blog. I don’t know how much this goal is accomplished. It is really important for me to know how others think about my country. & I always hated it when I saw the injustice media forcing on this image.
Do you know that when BBC world shows the weather forecasts, on the map, all the countries around Iran are mentioned, but there is nothing about Iran or Tehran? & I’m sure you know that the Persian Gulf is plainly called gulf... like it doesn’t have any names! Have you heard of the world’s largest lake? The Caspian Sea? Do you know that Iranian had been the first nation who ever sail through this lake & we call it KHAZAR...?
I am Iranian & I am proud of the history behind me. I just want to find my place in this new world & this blog was all about that... finding more, learning more.... I hope if someone, who may have once read my blog, met an Iranian somewhere... understand that s/he is a human being. & I’m looking toward the day when this terrorist image of Iranians fades away & instead the image of a welcoming friendly nation would replace this one.
My second goal was to show you how we live in Tehran. Tehran... the city I love so much. I don’t even know why I love this city.... Most of the time it is crowded & polluted, yet the few nice days makes it the most beautiful place in the world for me. Right now I’m sitting by my window overlooking south & I can see the plain filled with buildings in front of me. You see, Tehran is surrounded by mountains from 3 sides.... The average height of my city is about 4000 m above the sea level & most of the streets have slight (or sometime sharp) slopes. There is no natural water source inside the city.... I mean, there is no huge river & of course no big lakes... only small springs there & then. So we have some vulnerable geographical position... we can easily be famished! & to make the situation worse there are more than 45 cracks in Tehran which makes it one the most expected area for earthquakes. (Tehran is located on the earthquake belt!)
But my city is so beautiful... not in artistic shape like other large cities or not in historical way like Isfehan or Shiraz; but in its own way. You know Tehran is like a person with casual but comfortable cloths. It spreads wherever it likes & the whole city has the mood of care-free-ness. You know she is always fashionably cheerful... like a kind lady. She is welcoming & forgiving. Anyone can find place to fit in her heart. It doesn’t mater for her who you are or where you are from, she can always take you in & give you what you want. Tehran is no goddess like Shiraz & she is not a b**** like some other cities. She is mother who takes care of you, the lover who nourish your emotions & for sure she is a playful friend. Then again Tehran is the boss behind her casualty, Iran’s life depend on her. It is ridiculous sometime... basically there is no oil in Tehran, no big industry, no mines, no water.... & still we get the best of everything! She is like the queen... she produce much but owns the best. & yes! This the city I was born & lived in. This is the city I adore.... This city!
Tehran is an example of tolerance. You can find people of any reign in Iran here. They all live together with their different idea & customs under one territory: Tehran.
Alright... don’t you feel sick of me talking about Tehran? I got to go now! But I’ll be back with more on my hometown!
BTW how did you find the pictures?

This IS part of Persepolise... if a person with avarage hight stand near it, s/he would reach the bottom of the lions foot! Shiraz; Takht Jamshid; Iran 

& this Again Nakhsh Rostam Tomb It is really amazing when You stand infront of them... you fel so small & lost... 

this Is Naskhsh Rostam how do You like it? 

Earthquake training…

Today in Tehran young children who attend kindergartens had a earthquake exercise! There is a Traffic Park in Tehran were this had taken place.
TV showed small kids who were standing in a corner of a shaking box & they were trained to avoid high buildings & each had been given a small bag which could be worn around the neck in which they had their name & address & photos of their parents.
This is what I call improvement. I didn’t get the earthquake training until I was like 8 years old & even then I just had learned oral lessons. It was not until I start being trained for first aid as red-cross volunteer that I actually practiced the rules. You know we were trained in school about first aid & I was like 14! But nowadays 4-year-olds know everything about earthquake.
It is really important in a city like Tehran where there is a high chance for earthquake that kids learn how to deal with it, even if it would seem like a game to them. My 4 year old cousin once told me that if the earth shakes I must run to the corner & don’t try to get downstairs by elevators…. Well, most grown-ups don’t know how to act….

I guess I did well In my Exam.......

Friday was a good day... I really did well in my exam & I dont know what will happene but I'm sure it wouls be satisfactory...
alright I've done a few changes how do you like it?

Hi....

Well I didn’t get through the Masc. exam…. My rank was 137 & only people who ranked below 133 could get through the first step. Then these people will choose the universities & at least 33 people would enroll in Masc. food engineering program.
Masc. exam is a competitive in which unfortunately our GAP & extracurricular activities are not considered. It is based on a four-choice test. The participants for food engineering were about 5000. So you see the chance of getting in is slim to none.
We have this opportunity to test ourselves in another non-governmental university (Azad). Actually I got my Bs in Research & science unit of this university & there is this chance for me to get through the masc. exam this time. Because I had been a straight a student & actually I got the fifth rank in our faculty so there would be some kind of facilities for me. Yet I really don’t know if I want to participate in it. It will cost a fortune!
Alright… let’s forget about it. Tonight I, my sister & Katherine went out to meet some other bloggers. It is sort of strange to meet the real person behind the virtual logger. You know when you read a blog you have this clear image in your head about the writer… then you meet them & bomb! The image is gone forever! I would never go to this kind of gatherings again. Well, I basically knew everybody there but we could not find the right subject to talk. Yet I really liked some girls there & there is this one guy we have really close virtual friendship & he was sort of ok.
Ok. Now I got to go & sleep….
Pray for me.
I need it.
btw why I can not open lynne's blog?

Well, isn’t that strange I had not written anything in a month! I had been busy studying. There is going to be an exam in tow weeks & I really got down studying a little more.
Spring time is always busy for me. Over here in Iran, the New Year begins with spring & so the first month is totally hectic. You know we have this custom of visiting relatives during the first tow weeks (holidays) of the New Year & most people arrange to go on a vacation during this fortnight so this DID-VA-BAZDID (which means visiting relatives) always draws out through the first month of spring. Being blessed by having a large family (!) there are still some people I have to visit! Sometimes it turns to a torture when you are obliged to visit some far-relatives, but most of the time it’s fun.
This spring the weather has been unusually unpredictable. It had been sunny one minute & then it would rain cats & dogs. You never know what to wear when you are going out. What’s more ridiculous is the fact that you may wear a sweatshirt & it would suit the weather when you head out but when you’re heading back you might find the sun burning up & ….
Still spring is the most probable time to go out & have a picnic. We tend to spend our weekends over the mountains at my aunts mansion & there is this little spring over there I usually hang around it. You know it is located between the rocks & there is a rock, with very flat surface which is called SHAHNESHIN (dais rock), almost hanging over the foundation of the spring & wow there is a tree with branches stretched out hovering on the rock… it is the perfect place to read books & dream dreams of fairies & elves.
However my favorite spot is located at the far end of the mansion. There is a large throne (ARIKEH) set in a Persian style under the cherry trees. You know the kind you may have seen in movies with a carpet & cushions all over it & there are 2 love seats placed on both sides. & the set is located on a higher level (kind of on a larger step…) so you can reach up & have a cherry if you want. & most of the time it is isolated due to the fact that it is far from the spring so if I would need solitude I will walk up there & I will lay down & relax. There I am Scheherazade the storyteller queen & I write poems & all. Well a good friend of mine always teases me about being romantic about this special place. It’s typical of him to tell everyone I will accept anybody’s proposal over there!
Those tow place are really cool to hang out during the day but when the night falls down I rather stay close to the main building so I’d go sit on this large swing overlooking the veranda where everybody else stays. It is really comforting to hear the music of them talking….
Now… I just wanted you to know how it is like for me to spend my weekends in Iran getting away from the city I love for a day. It is really soothing to escape the busy everyday life & take a short trip although the car drive takes nearly 3 hours yet it worth it.

I had spent a really merry holiday in Tehran!

It was the first time in 15 years that I spent the whole 2-weeks holiday in Tehran… usually we travel around the country in Eid Norooz holiday but this time we decided to stay in town & my dad went to South with my aunts.
Tehran is seldom quiet & rarely got clean weather but you should have seen it during the past fortnight. It was amazingly fresh & calm like the way it should be… no traffic; no sound pollution. Heaven should be like Tehran in holidays!
However the weather is somehow odd. It had been raining cats & dogs & it dropped to 0`C, then out of the blue the sun started shining & all. Well, we thought it had gone back to normal weather but it started to rain again! Don’t get me wrong I love rainy days yet weather changes are so fast, I can’t remember the last time it had been like this over here.
Alright must get back to study a bit. But I will write about 13-bedar soon.

New Year is here….

New Year or Norooz is here at last. Norooz means new day in Persian & it’s the first day of Farvardin. & Farvardin is the first month of spring over here. So one expects it to be sunny & warm but this year instead it was snowy & white. We believe that whatever the mood is in the beginning of the year it will last all through the year…. So I guess we’ll have a nice cool year!
I will write more on the subject of New Year customs & the fortnight of Norooz really soon. But right now you may go check the links below.
norooz & haftsin
good luck...

Chaharshanbe-Soori OR Festival of Fire:

Well Chaharshanbe-Soori means Wednesday party in Persian; but actually it is being held on last Tuesday-night of the year. This night, unlike Yalda, is not a family gathering... it’s more like an outdoor night with friends if you know what I mean.
Tonight is Chaharshanbe-Soori… & believe me it’s the coldest one I have seen over years. Actually the weather changes had been rather unexpected here. We had some really warm days & most people turned off the heat providers & put aside the winter clothes. Then suddenly it started to get cold again & the rain started on Saturday…. Well it was ok but Sunday it got colder & Monday morning I got up & the whole city was covered with snow! Hopefully it stopped snowing this very afternoon yet it is VERY cold outside for this time of the year (about -1`C; while the average for this time is around 12`C)
What we do on Chaharshanbe-Soori? Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you…. The festival begins almost after then sunset… teenagers & young boys & girls make large fires outdoors. We, as me & my sister along with our next-door pals, usually have small fire in the yard. Then everybody jumps over the fire & sings the Fire poem, wishing to for all the pain to burn with the fire & happiness warm us up like the fire. We usually perform dance moves while we are jumping…. It’s so much fun. Then we would have potatoes & sausages roast in the fire & all kind of snack foods….
This part is the main part of Chaharshanbe-Soori but over the years, another part had been developed that is not originally a custom of Chaharshanbe-Soori but it is so common that nowadays you can not avoid it. & that is the firework part as I may call it. There would be all kinds of firecrackers with loud sounds & also fireworks which are really beautiful. The sound of firecrackers however is not very pleasant yet most young people love to set them off! & if you are walking or riding in the street you must be prepared for some to set off right under your foot!
Chaharshanbe-Soori had been banded over the past 25 years & it is the first year that it is officially held by government. Still like pervious years the anti-riot police arrest some young men in the neighborhood…. I don’t know much but I guess this festival had become a mean to show our protest against limits & boundaries. You know we go hang out in the neighborhood with more freedom than usual & you can see people dancing by fires & the music blasting & all. Tehran turns to a club in this night. & that is not inside the frame we are supposed to live in.
I like the feeling of freedom in the air… (Although you have to watch for this police forces); still there is so much fun just cruising around. You see we get out & everybody is into a party mood. It almost never happens that you play dare-devil or truth or dare in the street. & more you never find this kind of unity in folks. It doesn’t matter where you are from, what you are wearing or what you do for living, the only thing that matters is you & the fact that you want to enjoy the night.
Personally I am not much into the whole going-out part… because first of all I hate loud noises & second some dare-devil games really bother me, you know the way some pathetic guys try to draw attention by taking really stupid dares…. But I have no chance of staying home, having an out-going sister along with my twin cousins. However this time I managed to stay in the doorway while they were playing tow doors away. :D
There was this large fire on the corner of the street & almost everybody in the block was there. & there was tow imaginary rival groups fighting with firecrackers & all…. I had been too tired (from Khoonetekooni) to join in but then this old friend of mine came over & almost dragged me in the battle-field! I stayed a few minutes & as soon as he let go of me I went back home. Then the police forces rushed in & folks went to the yard of the building. Beside that everything went fine.
I wanted to show you how we really celebrate the end of the winter. Sure there are more customs for Chaharshanbe-Soori like Ghashogh-zani (in which somebody mostly kids hidden under chador knock on every door & ask for sweets & Ajil & wishes happiness & fortune for the folks in the house) & Falgoosh (which means eavesdropping to find hints about your future or hear you future partner’s name), although they are not really practiced these days. Last time I’d seen ghashogh-zani was over 15 years ago. & as for Falgoosh I myself did it once when I was 14! Me & my cousin stood in a dark corner of our street & my cousin’s boyfriends passed by & shout his own name for my cousin! He said Aatish (my cousin’s nickname) you are going to be my spouse one day! How embarrassed we both were.
Alright! Gotta go catch some sleep now! It is like 3am over here!

Valley of Friends:

Tehran is a really noisy city. I mean it’s never quite even in the middle of the night you can still hear noises & it is much worst in the main streets…. Well, not that I don’t like it, I even find it appealing, but still there’s time that you need to go to a quite place…. I’m living up the main street of Tehran & my place is in the middle of tow highways & this very main street; so you say it, silence is a luxury to me.
Tehran is hilly & most streets have slight slopes… & I happen to live up on a hill. (You know a friend of mine who lives in Netherlands always says you live on a high mountain! But well, to me it is only a little hill.)
I’m sure you are wondering what these tow subjects have to do with each other. Well, in just 5 minutes walk from my house, down the Doostan (friends) valley is an old small park, where the only thing you can hear is the birds singing & the wind blowing. It is not like you are just 10 minutes away from a highway at all. & you know the whole area had maintained the style & texture over the years; the large houses & the way you can walk down the street & kids riding bicycles & happy couples who shares a nice afternoon tea together…. I just love the way it is here! Most of the neighborhood had basically lived over here for the past 20 or more years, so most faces are familiar & you always get a friendly nod passing someone. It’s like a really small town in this specific area…. Living here all my life, I had never paid attention to these little facts & subsequently I’m not surprised when I occasionally bump into ladies who are standing out doors talking to each other without scarves or Hijab of any kind (for a short time of course). Although to some of my friends it seems rather strange when I do the same thing.
So whenever I want to have a little time to myself, I just put on my favorite walking shoes & go down to this park. & I look at all these beautiful houses & I start making stories about them. Some of them had been wiped out & new multi-story buildings are growing fast. Well, I am not too happy about that. New-comers can change the overall mood of the area, but changes are inevitable….
Ah; I just wanted to tell you about this very nice place & I guess I babbled on once again. & hey it’s new year in a week!

just a minute...

I’m back just to drop a few lines…. First of the weather is amazing! I can’t stop myself from feeling like I live in heaven!
Second of all Tehran is a wild wild city & I’m in love with wild cities! & remind me to write about Friends Valley… in my neighborhood!
& last but the most important one go check this “new blog” …. I’m sure you will like it.

growing up

I meant to ask you something & I want you to answer me honestly. Do you think I have changed *a lot* in the past few months? I mean do you think that you don’t know me at all? Do you feel like I have been replaced by someone else?
I know I am changing, growing up or whatever you may call it & I know it’s not for best…. What I’m saying is lately it seems that all I do is wrong & that I don’t have time for my friends. & as time passes by I feel that my morals are transforming into something nobody but myself understands. I’m afraid of growing up, if it means all this changes. & I am not ready for this… anything that it might be.

House cleaning for spring:

We have this custom which we call khoonetekooni.... It means house shaking in word by word translation. But actually it is a tradition of cleaning the house completely before the New Year (Norooz) comes.
This is rather because we believe that you go through the year the way you started it.... it means if you have a clean house at the exact time of new year, you are supposed to have a clean one all through the year. Or you will be doing whatever you are doing at the moment of New Year. That's a generally accepted belief & who dares to say someone's belief is superstition?
Remind me to explain a bit more about Persian calendar.... It is really interesting & that’ll explain about the seasons & all!
What does really khoonetekooni means? What we do for house cleaning? Basically you wash & clean everything in the house. It usually takes the whole Esfand (last month of the year) for us to do the cleaning. Because my parents are both working & well, my dad doesn't like us to have maids in the house. (He has some strange ideas about social ranking & ... he believes that while we are healthy enough to do the cleaning & renovations, there is no need to have someone does it.)
During this month the walls will be washed & if they would need painting, they will be painted. All the windows would be totally sparkling & spotless. The extra dishes –which are not probably used all year round- would be rinsed & re-located in their cupboards & cabinets. The cabinets, dressers & closets are all cleaned. Even the attic would be unsoiled & reorganized. The carpets are swabbed & they sometimes they would even be rinsed.
I dare say the worst part of house cleaning is washing the curtains! You know they must be washed, rinsed, hang down to dry & then ironed! After that it takes a whole day to hang them back on the place! Mom always says we live in glass house... the saloon alone has got five usual windows & 3 French windows & need 25m of cloth for one set of curtains... you see? To my relief, we have bought a new set of curtains that will be delivered in the last week of the year so we don't have to go through the usual curtain-washings!
Most of the time, the decoration of the house is changed by rearranging of the furniture. I, myself, change my room decorations every year by using new set of sheets & matching curtains. I also move my bed, desk & bookcase around the room. So my room-cleaning is usually the longest & most time-consuming of them all, if we dont count the kitchen. The easiest one is terrace, I guess. The only thing to be done is to swab & wash the floor & set the chairs around the table.
I love this season... the mood of cleaning & waiting for the New Year. It always makes you want to do something, to change & renew your surrounding. Katherine always says the air smells like khoonetekooni! I think she is right. A few days ago, I was walking down the street & I suddenly felt that I should dance instead of walking. It's the weather & the mood of New Year. I will right more about this mood. & yeah; there is the Festival of Fire (Chahar-Shanbeh Soori) in tow weeks.... Life is wonderful!

Election

When you live in Iran politic is part of your daily life. How can one avoid traffic or politics living in Tehran? Today (Monday February 23, 2004) Majlis or parliament had its first public session & Mrs. Haghighatjoo MP announced that the election had not been fair & the members had been elected by order. She is the first Mp whose resignation was discussed and her words caused chaos and you know what happened.... surprisingly the TV showed it all!!!!!!!
Somehow she is right. Ava told me in a mosque the preacher told people to vote for Abadgaran the right wing conservatives with hard-line Islamic point of views & they have won the election hands down. I didn't vote & I know some friends had voted because of the masc. exam and they had not written any names. It's been said that 28% of people in Tehran had been participating in election & the number for Poldokhtar (a city in west of Iran) is 101%!!!!!!!! You see....
Right now no one knows what is going to happen when the conservatives gain complete control over here. They already have the judgment system and they have won the parliament & basically it is predictable that they are going to win the next presidential election because the majority of people are who support reformists are disappointed due to "law framework" president Khatami insist on. One thing is for sure if conservatives try to restrict this already limited freedom we have, it will lead to a serious action. But what it would be? No body really thinks about that. Alright... let's hope bright future!

Is there anywhere like home?

My family always travel a lot more than what others do over here. While most of people I know had not seen more than 2 or 3 cities in Iran, I had the chance to visit at least tow-third of the country. Still there are so many places left that I want to visit.... Being a vast country, Iran got lots of sight-seeing; natural & historical. It's got amazingly diverse cultures & varied traditions.
Most of the time, we travel by our own car. It's more convenient & you got to see more sight-seeing. Usually we set a city as a base & then go around checking other nearby cities.... It's like we take short trips not long travels. & sometime we take the opportunity of a tow day holiday or just a weekend to visit a nearby city.
Like this weekend we set off to the north part of Iran to seaside. This is a four-hour trip from Tehran to Motel-Ghoo (a tourist-city by seaside) & folks often go there in summer & finding a good place to stay will be really hard. It will be packed with tourists.... But as in the winters, Motel-Ghoo is rather isolated & only local residents & few people who have mansions there could be seen around.
Although we had been warned that the weather might be gloomy & it may rain, the sun was shining for most part of the day & only it snowed on mountains.... So we had very nice (and cold of course) weather. And the sea was so beautiful & wavy; there was no chance of swimming however not even in the pool. Yet me & my cousin went for a walk along the beach & I took off my shoes & stood in the waves.... The only sound was the sound of waves crashing the shore & the only other creatures were a seabird hovering over the water & my cousin who had been on the phone whispering words to his ladylove. It was so peaceful & quite... it seemed nothing would be able to destroy the magnificence & magic of the moment. It is unbelievable how people ruin the beauty of places. In the summer time you just see crowded seashore & cars & there is no privacy at all... even in private beaches your privacy is invaded by the noise & ignorant people.
Great time still the joy of being back home is greater.... Take from me, Tehran is the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life.