When I was 7 years old, I wrote a letter and mailed it to America to a cousin that I adored who was now living in a country that I only dreamt about. What I would give to enter the world of the 7-year old me writing this letter from Iran during the worst revolution [...]
persian
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you Don’t go back to sleep You must ask for what you really want Don’t go back to sleep Rumi, 13th century Persian poet In 2006, I read an article by Steve Pavlina on becoming an early riser. I was instantly enthralled. That happens to me a [...]
How beautiful to see that timeless poetry and literary classics preserve their relevance across generations. How awe-inspiring that they transcend all nationalities, religions, ethnicity and apply to our life today. How extraordinary that such wisdom usually comes to us from the sages who have suffered greatly in their life. How fortunate for us that such [...]
If you ever leave your home country for another, you will no doubt gain a world of experience and adventure but you will still have to make some sacrifices, no matter who you are and whence you come. Let giving up your traditions not be one of those sacrifices! Ah traditions! It may be the [...]
A picture. A few words in a book. A flashback. That is all it takes for our memories to be triggered from their dormant existence in the quiet corners of our mind. It can be nearly 30 years later and much may fade away in this life but some memories are pertinacious. No sooner had [...]
My first encounter with Trader Joe’s was through a beautiful care package sent years ago from Northern California by a dear friend. I do not remember any of the goodies she sent me except one: The Comodyne Oat Towels, the best make-up remover on planet earth! Soon after, I started my frequent business trips to [...]
March 20th 2010 – The first day of spring and the Iranian new year more commonly known as Nowrūz (spelled at least half a dozen different ways in its tangled translation to modern English). The dawn of a new day, new season, and new beginnings. In a traditional Persian style, one of my cousins married [...]
When I saw Azar Nafisi‘s “Reading Lolita in Tehran” on the shelves in my beloved Maui, Hawaii, I distinctly heard it beckon me. The time has come to read this book. I was in paradise, as anyone who has ever set foot in Hawaii knows well. The warm perfect breeze combined with Mother Nature’s pristine beauty [...]
Oh it is ever so to forget this book is fiction when it has been a true story a hundred times over for countless Iranian women who have left Iran in hopes of a better life. Either they find the suitable spouse with a green card in Iran or else they move in with family [...]
A memoir of growing up Iranian in America – that alone should give away the reason “Funny in Farsi” is one of my dear favorites. I love Firoozeh Dumas’s dry wit. I love her bold spirit. I love her courage to be self-deprecating and her defense of the Iranian culture conundrums. I admire how she [...]
