the dog

Poor thing, it was looking for home. It jogged along with me for a while after I patted it, but yet he was sure he wanted to go home. He kept smelling the greens and trying to remember what the way home smelled like. I tried my best to help him, I hope he's home by now ...

سلطان قلبها

يه دل مي گه برم ، برم
يه دلم مي گه نرم، نرم
طاقت نداره دلم، دلم
بي تو چه كنم ؟

پيش عشق اي زيبا، زيبا
خيلي كوچيكه دنيا، دنيا
با ياد توام هر جا، هر جا
تركت نكنم

سلطان قلبم تو هستي، تو هستي
دروازه هاي دلم را شكستي
پيمان ياري به قلبم تو بستي
با من پيوستي

اكنون اگر از تو دورم به هر جا
بر يار ديگر نبندم دلم را
سرشارم از آرزو و تمنا
اي يار زيبا

ترانه : محمد علي شيرازي
آهنگ : انوشيروان روحاني

hunger

I was sitting at my desk thinking that I am hungry because I haven't had a proper breakfast. As I was lingering on what I want, the phone rang. The lady was asking for money to feed school kids. She said: "Our mission is to make sure no kid goes to school or to bed hungry. A dollar a day will feed a child".
I tried to convince myself to say no, but there was no way that I could let myself get away. Less than the price of a coffee for a kid who had no choice in being born into a poor family, that is of course even if they do have a family. And it was a non-profit organization anyway, so ...

Challenger

Can you believe it's been 20 years?!

Dick Scobee, Commander
Mike Smith, Pilot
Ron McNair, Payload Commander
Judith Resnik, Mission Specialist
Gregory Jarvis, Mission Specialist
Ellison Onizuka, Mission Specialist
Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist

delayed

It wasn't quite what I'd hoped for, but it's ok. I'll just have to be more patient about it. It'll be a delayed gratification - I learned this week that this is a psychological term, basically just telling you you should wait ... good thing I watch TV ...

tiny

Last week we were obsessed with small. The smallest planet yet, the smallest fish yet!

rise and shine

Back home it use to be that you got up at around sunrise (about 6:00am) and started your day. Banks and offices and schools opened 7:30am so if you needed to go somewhere and do something 6:00am worked fine.
But then I moved me to Canada, where banks and schools open at 9:00am if not later. So me would want to get up 7:30am-ish. And then it started to slip. The Sun comes out 8:00am so what the hell am I doing getting up before sunrise?! and it is cloudy anyway, so why bother?! It's not like there is real daylight!
I am still a little confused, I hate sleeping late and on the other hand I hate getting up when there is no Sun in the sky. Maybe I should get one of those lights that simulate daylight and it will make my body feel like day time ...

call me!

People, it's happening! It's happening! Well, at least I made the phone call, I've taken the first few steps. I have to see how it goes, but at least I am not the only person in the world who knows about it or better put, some people who should know, know about it now. And tomorrow morning I am going to get a call with more information! Can't wait! Can't wait!

لیموزین هامر

ثریا می گه: لیموزین هامر مال آدمهایی است که دو جور عقده دارند، عقده لیموزین، عقده هامر

شانسی

دیروز چه روز سختی بود! شاید یه ربطی به اون کلاغه داشت که صبح دیدم، خیلی بدجنس بود، از نگاهش فهمیدم

canadian elections

Jon Stuart had this to say about the election results in Canada: "But the real question on everybody's mind is can we still stitch their flags to our backpacks to get through Europe and I think, I think, the answer is this, you can but, eh, the flag should be smaller than it was ..."

spellbound

Why again am I jumping up and down in the house? Oh, ok, I have finally made a decision. Same way as I always do; I called Elham and we talked on the phone for hours and I made a decision! One really interesting thing about our conversations is that she reminds me of the things I once said to her, you can't do better than your own advice ... so it kind of works for me ...

me & politics!

I think that from now on I should not support anyone in the elections or maybe I should support a party I hope will loose. Honestly, I supported Dr. Moeen and then Hashemirafsanjani, you know how that turned out. And then I supported the Liberals in Canada, they toppled to a minority government last election. An early election was called, and the Conservatives are now defeating them ... sorry Paul!

P.S. at least I am living in the right part of the country. Canada, and specifically Quebec, voted for more Conservative MPs; British Columbia voted for fewer! They lost 5 seats - down to 17 from 22. The seats went to the NDP - which is celebrating big time tonight with a total of 29 seats in the house of parliaments. Liberals - taking one seat from an independent runner - ended up with one more seat than last time. It is an interesting point to me that all the metropolitans voted Liberal and the Conservatives got their support from smaller communities ....

want nobody

Farshid left a comment on the post joyride: " ... i wish it was this easy to say it, i wish you wouldnt have to consider 10 thousand things before saying it!!! ..." I thought to leave him a response of some sort, but then, this wasn't only his feeling and I am not going to make this post a personal reply to him ...

I agree that there are a few things at stake when you're moving your relationship to a more intimate stage, but come on people, what is this? Isn't it that love is the most precious gift we can offer? Isn't it that we live our lives dreaming over and over of that perfect feeling, that bond?

Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this

- Kelly Clarkson

We are all people, we understand one another. We know we all have emotions. So what are we running from? Who are we lying to? Are we going to pretend we don't feel anything for anyone? Are we going to miss out just because we might get hurt? It doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather take my chances than go through the pain of never knowing if it was meant to be ...

You're not supposed to want nobody
Not supposed to need nobody
(Nobody... Nobody cares)
You're not supposed to touch nobody
(Nobody cares)
Don't you dare go love nobody

- Burton Cummings

If you ask me, I say, each person has enough judgment to know when they should step forward, just push the fear, the what if, aside and let your mind and heart guide you. As a girl I have always appreciated a guy having the guts to express his feelings. And believe me, if you respect the other person they will respect you and you can work it out either way. Don't make it too complicated, it's not! Just be yourself and let it flow. Be grown ups about it ...

Conservative

Last week I was starting to convince myself that may be a Conservative minority government is not that bad. With the NDP looking over their shoulder, it might just be that ... honestly, it might just be that nothing will get done!
The thought seemed less and less attractive as I heard Harper sneak his way out of answering to whether he supports abortion. It's ok not to support it - it's at least an expressed opinion - but to avoid it by saying that my views are too complicated! I hate dishonesty and that is all he reminds me of.
To my horror, today, I learnt that the NDP was running anti-Liberal ads. Ads with people saying why they are changing their vote from Liberal to NDP. Layton has laid out the terms on which he'll support a minority Conservative government and, well, nothing that thrilling. It'll leave Harper the tools he needs for the American-style Canada he is dreaming of. Oh, and by the way, the photo above comes from his own party's website. What a smile, I wonder what he is grinning at?! The tampered painting I found here.

تب خال

من هر وقت یه دفعه نگران بشم لبم تب خال می زنه. مدت خیلی زیادی بود که این رو یادم رفته بود، لابد اینقدر که اینجا چیزی نیست که اون جوری نگرانم کنه. هفته پیش کارم به کار کنسولگری ایران افتاد، حالا لبم یه تب خال داره ... عجب! این هم یه جور زنده کردن خاطراته

joyride

She says:
Hello, you fool, I love you,
C'’mon join the joyride,
Join the joyride.

She'’s a flower, I can paint her,
She'’s a child of the sun,
....
She says:
Hello, you fool, I love you,
C'mon join the joyride,
Be a joyrider.

I take you on a skyride,
A felling like you'’re spellbound.
The sunshine is a lady
Who rocks you like a baby ...

- Joyride (Roxette)

viewpoint

Nice article! I remember a friend always called me an ally of the British, well, I sure like the work they do - not to be mistaken that I would ever support what they do!

نقطه

می خوام به اون نقطه دور فکر کنم،
اون نقطه که هنوز خیلی راه بهش مونده،
کاش همیشه اون نقطه تو ذهنم بود،
خیلی چیزا فرق می کرد احتمالا

سوسک خوش سلیقه

خواهرم می خواست بدومه اینجا شنبلیله و تلخون و گل پونه و نعناع تازه از کجا می تونه بخره. فکر کردم تصمیم گرفته کدبانو بشه، نگو تحقیقات گروههای دیگه نشون داده سوسکهایی که روشون کار می کنه احتمالا از این سبزیها خوششون می آد!؟

Chile

I've been thinking about this for the past two days ... it is a great step isn't it? Where are we?

live, love, sing, dance

The other side says, Sing like no one is listening ...

chance of showers

Guess what?! The rain stopped just short of making the record for the highest number of consecutive days ...

P.S. so we were told if it rains today we will tie the record, you know what?! It rained everywhere except YVR (Vancouver International airport) where they were recording to compare to 1953!! People, this is not fair. We went through 27 days of rain, just to miss the 28th one! You know how many running days I lost because of it. It rained 14 out of 15 days in January. Compare that to 5 last year. Ok, we'll start over from tomorrow only if it promises us those beautiful sunny spots and the gorgeous rainbows.

enviromental friendly me

I had decided that it was inappropriate for each person to sit in a car by themselves and drive through the city. That meant that I can't drive to UBC for my course either. Alternative: take public transportation.
I left my car at a transfer loop and decided to take the bus from there on. I was hating the environment as I got to UBC. Feeling sick and dizzy, I starting thinking that maybe I love me more and maybe I don't care that much in what conditions I hand the globe over to the next generation!
After class I realized I didn't have the option of driving back, so public transportation it was again ... I took a different route this time. It wasn't that bad and a friend was with me on the bus ... I guess can convince myself to take this much hardship for the sake of the place I live in ... well we'll see about that next week!

late night ...

There's this light feeling in you after you've had a good time among people who understand you. Among those who you don't have to make an effort to talk to, and those who like you just the way you are. The people with whom you share a mutual bond ...

But aside from that, there was this bitter feeling in me all day. I can't really come up with the reason, think, think ...
Well, I can come up with a few excuses. Whenever I start thinking that I'll be 30 in a few years it hurts a little. Of course I am not the only one, there are so many of my friends who will turn 30 the same year. And what's the big deal anyway? I have many friends who are already 30 and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. Nothing except that I can feel they don't have that youth glow although they try. But that's part of the package, I can't be upset ... maybe it's because everyone talks about it ...
The second thing is that I realized I still have a little bit of that struggle in me. Some things that I had thought I had resolved are still dangling ... but then again, what can you do? I am sure everyone has one or two things they have to re-resolve now and then .... better go to bed ...

love

They met when they were teenagers. He found her after 60 years and they got married when they were 79. They are so cute together. See now, that is what I'm talking about!

شمع جمع

گفت که تو شمع شدی قبله این جمع شدی

شمع نیم، جمع نیم، دود پراکنده شدم

مولانا

perplex

They tell me it's not my problem. They tell me I shouldn't care. They tell me I have already gone too far and it can't be helped anyway. God, I hope they're right ...

some days

You know how some days you feel taller! Well, my body is screaming out for my attention and ok I'll get to that, but this being tall is different, I'm sure you know what I mean ...

Library Tower, Los Angeles

!آخی

برادر خاتمی شاید در دوره ریاست جمهوریش بعضی کارها رو نکرد. ولی اینکه این دوتا دوست عزیز من رو عقد کرد و خیال ما رو از هر جهت راحت، دستش درد نکنه

مبارک باد

minority

Do you really think there will be a minority Conservative government? Haven't people heard Harper talk? Would they actually vote for him in spite that? It might be that they just want something else, but you don't shoot yourself in the arm just because you want a change!
I might as well start packing my bags. I mean, what's the point? Another Bush-like government. On the other hand, maybe them being a minority won't be as bad. And do you think it'll stand? Or will it tumble like the Liberals? Isn't it time someone started doing something instead of wasting time and money on winning over minority governments and having winter elections?
Interesting reviews about today's debate too. It didn't change anyone's opinion, people saw what they were looking for. Except Gilles Duceppe I guess, who made a fool out of himself! Ah! Well, our fellow Frenchmen ... and it seems the Conservatives are taking their place. So much for the Liberal campaign!

capitol punishment

I am truly against it. No matter how many reasons I hear people bringing that it should exist and that it makes the legal system strong I can't convince myself. I can think of two groups of reasons why I am against it:

• Faultiness of the decision due to human errors
• General critique

Faultiness of the system:

• The system is unfair, who gets to make such a decision? In other words, who gets to be God?
• It can never be determined whether it was a true crime or not - even in spite of a guilty plea.
• It can never be determined how much of the fault the person was actually responsible for and how much of what lead to the crime is the person to be punished for.

I don't mean to question the penal system, I just think taking a person's life is not an option, it's just too much to decide for.
General critique:

• Can't take what you didn't give.
• It's punishment with what you are punishing for - same, same.
• Uncivilized and barbaric.
• Not really getting back at the person for what they did - someone who killed 300 people will be punished the same as someone who killed one.
• What's wrong with life imprisonment? What good does it do to kill another person? I can't accept the debt on tax payers money argument on this. Worst case, we can think of them as a portion of the community who require special treatment. They deserve a share of society.

For crimes that are reversible to some extent, such as robbery, the punishment is straight forward. But in hate crimes, mental and physical abuses, or murders, we are dealing with a much more complicated situation. Assuming we can even determine to what extent the accused should be charged, we still have to develop a more flexible prosecution system ...

focus

Burnaby, BC, Canada, December 2005

me

Among the few things I have learnt about myself, and am constantly reminded of, is that I can't lie! I am just so bad at it that I can't even give it a try. What causes trouble is that I can't believe others might lie and I can't accept people's mistrust. I understand logically that someone may mislead you, but to actually think that someone might lie, it just doesn't come. See now, that is a problem!

slow groove

You know, some things are just worth the wait ...

ساربان

ای ساربان آهسته ران کارام جانم می رود

وان دل که با خود داشتم با دلستانم می رود

school-day

Yesterday was the first school day in the new year. I received an unexpected check - which of course is always a delight - and an unexpected present - which goes much further than money with me. We're going out tonight with a few old classmates I never thought I'd see again and tomorrow, well all I can say is that it's going to be good ... I can look forward to all school days this year if it's going to be like this!

strength

I just need to keep my head up and my mind focused. I can pull through, it's nothing I haven't conquered before; just a little more complicated ... I'll be fine, I'm sure ...

Los Angeles Public library

... and in case you can't read what it says above the tiny waterfall: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did. It never will.

unfinished

As an elementary school student I took the entrance exam for the National Organization for Exceptional Talents (NODET) - fancy name, may be a little too fancy. At that time to me it was a chance to be among the best. It took a few years for me to develop the thought that it was too soon to classify students based on their talents - even assuming the system was one hundred percent accurate in selection. Aside from what I would call the cultural sensitivity to ranking which I assume is at its highest among us Iranians, children of that age have usually not developed the understanding to cope with being exempted. Neither have their peers which are schooling in the public schooling system. Underdeveloped understanding and the inability to couch that even in the best case some may be more talented than others, creates an undesired constant clash.
Not in such an extreme, but following the ever present sensitivity to ranking, as I entered Sharif University the problems continued. Again from both sides. And the same reasons. I can understand my own stronger desire for education, even compared to my colleagues. But what still has me on my thinking bench is why this is such a sensitive issue.
Most of what is seen in such cases is a action-reaction system which resonates much further than first predicted. Each group blaming the other. Some approach it with the thought that those who study at NODET or Sharif or whatever organization you think of, are all, or in the more moderate case are within a certain category with identifiable behavior and deeds. It is to some extent acceptable that a group will develop similar behaviours, but how much can that be? I still think this is more influenced by our expectations than our observation. And what's more I thought it would end at least when I left Iran, but we don't forget do we? People change attitude the instant they hear where you've studied and ... for one thing, it's not fair!

alive

i wanna run with the reckless emotion
find out if love is the size of an ocean
even if i crash down and burn out at least i'm gonna know
what its like to feel alive

- Melissa O'neil