Truth nothing but the truth, sad and happy moments…

Praying for Time
These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers

This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses

The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all God's children
Crept out the back door

And it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time

These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year

This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here

So you scream from behind your door
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That he can't come back
'Cause he has no children to come back for

It's hard to love there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time

1. About a year ago right a few weeks after my arrival in Tehran. Once I got on a taxi heading to Takht-e Tavous street. I got on a taxi that was no one in it except me and the driver! After being there for a few minutes a young girl who seemed to be in early 20s got on the taxi. After just 2 mintues, the girl started to talk. It went like this.

Girl: Can I get 45000 tomans?! I desperately need that some.

Driver: I don’t have such a money Ms.

Me: No, Ma’am. I don’t carry such an amount of money! (This is the truth because I used to put just a few hundreds tomans in my wallet, as a habit in Canada I was thinking I could get things with my bank and credit card!)

Girl: I would offer myself or anything you wish to have!!

Driver: No, Ma’am I am not the type you think!

Me: My month was open big time and looking at her with a surprise expression on my face, could not say a word!!

Girl: She continued, believe me I am not who you think I am! I am doing this because I go to school (university per say) (grabbing her bag and taking her university card out of it) and I live with 4 roommates. Our rent is due and I owe them 45000 tomans. So, that is why I offering myself.
We all remain silent for a few mintues then the driver said, ma’am I can’t do anything for you. Would you like to stay on the taxi?

Girl: No, thanks I will get off here.

Me: I was so frustrated and sad that for next 2 days I could not think properly!!
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2. A classic night with Louis Tjeknavorian
Last year during christmas time I went the the concert that I am describing below:

Perhaps, I could call this night one of the most memorable nights since my arrival in Tehran. This was called symphony of nations. It was held in Vahdat concert hall under Rodaki foundation by Hafez street. We first passed though an detector which are usually put in airport area. I suppose the reason is after what happened to Russia they are trying to be more be careful. The men and women entrance are separated! Inside the Vahtat hall, you would still see some paints that are there from the time before the revolution. However, they are very rare. I think there are only 3 of them. Inside the hall what struck me was the way the chairs were set up. There was no space between where to get in and where to get out. I mean suppose a person sitting right in the middle of hall wished to leave for washroom. He of course could pass from either side. That meant he should stepped on the foot of every singles individual on his way, because there was no space between two consecutive rows.
Without any doubt Mr. Tjeknavorian conducted 28 members of his orchestra with so much enthusiasm and joy that even the non-classical music lovers would homage to his honor. The occasion was 65. anniversary birthday of Tjeknavorian as well as 100. anniversary of Aram Khachetourian ( this year has been named Aram Khachehtourian year by UNESCO, as he described it).
The night we attended was Wallace night. The opening was Aram Khachehtourian from suite Masakard. Then he continue his work by Mozart and a solo piano player whose name was “Gotlip Omid Valish”. He said almost every member of this orchestra are Iranian! He claimed that if not both parents at least one of the parents are Iranian!
After intermission, he came back with works of Srauss. I think you know what is Strauss famous for I mean type of music!? Polka and Wallace.
He encouraged the audience to move themselves while they are sitting in a classical concert! He was telling the audience to put their hands together and follow the beats of the songs whenever he orders so! It was a teaching as well as entertainment night! It seemed he was there to make peace with people who are not in love with classical music. He would give a historical background for every suite or Allegro he had played.

Something to write about...

I would like to introduce this group whose name is Ojala, you can read about them here. This is an interesting group since they sing in both Spanish and Persian. Listen to this track here.
Listen to rest of tracks here.

woman on top!

1. In half an hour Iran is going to be playing her first round of 2006 world cup qualification game against Qatar. Iranian have always problems when playing Arab nations. So, hopfully they do well this time around.

2. I watched this movie called woman on the top. It was interesting and delighting. Somewhat funny.
Do not tell me this is an old movie. It just happened that I watched it last night. :-)
This movie is about young couple. The gorgeous Penélope Cruz plays Isabella, a young Brazilian girl who also happens to be an awesome cook. The equally attractive Murilo Benicio plays Toninho, her cocky husband who runs the restaurant where she is the chef (and, consequently, her life). Besides her beauty and her culinary skills, Isabella has also been blessed with another positive trait: her motion sickness requires her to be in control in situations involving motion (she leads while dancing; she always drives; and when she has sex, she has to be on top)!! Personally, that sounds like a relationship made in heaven.

However, Toninho isn't happy with Isabella being in control and, looking to broaden his experiences, decides to get on top of his neighbour without bothering to lock the door. A distraught (guess why) Isabella then flees to San Francisco and moves in with her childhood friend, Monica Jones (Harold Perinneau Jr.), a transvestite with an attitude.
Her beauty and cooking skills soon land her a job on a TV cooking show and she begins her rise to stardom, with the aid of her producer and new admirer, Cliff (Mark Feurstein). As Toninho flies to San Francisco and does his best to win her back, Isabella learns that her new situation with Cliff isn't really that different from her previous life.
It is very easy to be gushing about Cruz who essentially carries the film. Besides her look, her charm and her childlike demeanor are what make the film work: she is seductive, yet innocentThe other actors do a decent supporting job. The cinematography is excellent, and the wafting aroma trick that Isabella uses to win the hearts of men is amusing.
Woman on Top is simple film with a simple motion sickness twist:-)

Techno-philosophical conclusion: who doesn’t want to be on the top!
Social conclusion: life is the same wherever you are.
My conclusion: things happens because they meant to happen!! So, try hard but may be life is short!!!!!

Taxi Anyone?

Every time I get on a taxi something tend to be heard or happen. Today, I was going from Tajrish square to Mirdamad and therefore, I got on a taxi heading there, right beside my at the back of the taxi there was this girl who also got on the taxi at the same palce where I got in. She made three phone calls. This is what I heard.

First call:

Girl: Hi, mom. I bought what I wanted. I am heading home.

Mom (I suppose): on the other side said something…

Girl: I will be home soon, I just got on the taxi in Tajrish.

Mom: ….
Girl: ok, bye.

Second phone call:

Girl: hi Ahmad

Ahmad (supposedly):….

Girl: … You know that I love you, I will call you when I get home.

Ahmad:….

Girl: No, I will call you, bye

Third phone call:

Girl: Hi Navid

Navid(per say):…

Girl: no, Navid, No… you know that I love you!

Navid:…

Girl: ok, ok. I know...Find a Doctor, we will go there together! (her face expression was showing like why, why, or expressing a little worrying wrinkles, but not very nervous, though)!!

3. I haven’t seen a single person talking about election!! People only make fun! Radio in the morning plays Ey Iran almost every half an hour with voice of Mr. Banan and women as his choir!

4. Stay tune for more to come in near future :-)

Happy Valentine's Day :-)

1. Today is the day of lovers another strangers! For those who are interested to know a little about Valentine's day history.
This is fairly an appropriate site.
So, Happy Valentine's day to all Lovers and happy valentine's day to those singles who love life!

2. I wish to prove 3=2:

Therom: 3=2
proof:
suppose:
a + b = c
This can also be written as:
3a-2a+3b-2b = 3c-2c
after reorganizing:
3a+3b-3c = 2a+2b-2c
factor the corresponding numbers:
3(a+b-c) = 2 (a+b-c)
remove the same term left and right:
3=2

So, I suppose we could say: anything is possible!!:)

Azarbayejan Ashighs, Enemy vs. friends, more on making love!!

You know it is 25. anniversary of Iran revolution and therefore, there are a lot going on in respect of art and culture. Last night, I got these free tickets, which would give us permission to attend Azabayejan Ashighs group (photo shown down) from Tabriz in Bahman cultural centre. Bahman Cultural centre (This is the only link I found) is located in old slaughter house (koshtar gah) it is south of down town area close to rail road station. We arrived around 8:05 pm. The program was supposed to be started by 8:00; however, there was about 20 minutes delay. On the tickets there were sit numbers. Though, we were told that sits are taken based on first come first serve! So, the sitting process became a funny at the same time fighting practice like the game we used to play called musical chair! After being sited, the singers starting to appear on the stage. This was a marten procedure! A group would sing. Right after another group would after. And this keeps going and going until the end of the program. Recently, any concerts or recitals I have attended they have been for 2 to 3 straight hours, no intermission what so ever!! (Last time the Broadway theater I attended “mourning for Siavash (Sooge Siavash)” was 3 hours of consecutive performance no intermission and last night concert was also no different)! Reason for not having any intermissions: I am told because organizers want to finish the concerts before 11:00 pm!! Apparently there is a curfew!
So, The program was quite interesting except for the sound system. We had this speaker beside us, which started to function a few minutes after we arrived and we almost lost our hearing to its high sound energy! The entire program was performed in Turkish language. This was a drawback since I couldn’t understand a single word except those parts which someone beside me translated them for me!
Couple of observations: The crowd was most Azari speakers. There were lots of kids running around. I noticed every family on average had 4 kids! Many of the women in the concert hall had full veil (Chadoor). What I noticed was the fact when a jigs’ music was performed, they would clap to the joy and get their kids to dance!!
So, I enjoyed seeing the cultural changes!

2. Since, last time I wrote about advantages of making love and so many people welcome them. I would like to write more about advantages of making love specially for those whom having a little extra pounds:

Intercourse can burn around 200 calories, not bad for a few minutes’ work and far more entertaining than 30-minutes chum on a treadmill at the gym!

3. This is an interesting story of seeing when west meets east!
Enemy vs. Friends.


4. I like west becasue as soon as a new technology comes to life, a new researchers are getting emerged for the same reason. An example is Marc Smith.

Traveling to Europe…

I went for couple of days for a business trip to Europe. This was my first trip to outside of Iran after arriving in Tehran on September 2002. My flight was from Tehran to Istanbul then to Zurich. First thing in Switzerland was the cleanness and organization. I could not describe how clean were the stairs, elevators, and escalators in Zurich airport. It seemed that people had been walked by their hands rather than their feet on the surface of Zurich airport! But joking aside, Mehrabad Airport in Tehran is about 50 years behind any international airport I have even seen. There is no entertaining facilitate what so ever in Mehrabad airport. Even Istanbul airport was amazingly bigger, brighter and more sophisticated than Mehrabad! Besides the schedule meeting with companies I was there to visit, I had a few tasty meals with Shiraz wine which I had missed truthfully! In Istanbul airport, I got a chance to buy a European Times magazine the special issue about “How your love life keeps you healthy”. Quite amazing; this entire issue kept me entertained and informed about things that I wasn’t aware! I wish to share some of them here:

Studies are showing that arousal and active sex life may lead to longer life, better heart health, an improved ability to ward off pain, a more robust immune system and even protection against certain cancers, not to mention lower rates of depression!
Did you know that we have hormones for cuddling, feel-good and lust!! All these hormones getting dissipated in blood with making love!

So, having read the above things what else do you need to know to start making love? Putdown anything you have in your hands, call or find your partner and do him/her a favor and make love to him/her! Of course it is good for you and your partner!

2. Junior Engineer has got a birthday. Happy belated birthday to you. hopfully you find a great job as you wish.