3/24/2008

Nostalgic About A Cat

A Ghorabieh Bakeshop in Tabriz. This is probably one of my most favorite Iranian confections! I remember Haj Jalil Tavazo offering me Ghorabieh in his shop one time, telling me in his sweet Azari accent: "een shirini kheili ghashangeh!" Too bad it can't endure time and travel very well!

Heeh! I saw this videoclip of Makhmal the Cat, eating the samanoo on her family's haft seen table! So cute! It reminded me so much of our cat, Asghar (Oscar, Oskie), today. I remember the day when he was still a kitten and had jumped from the fourth floor into the third floor apartment's balcony, and kept begging us to go get him, which of course we couldn't, because the neighbor was away for the weekend. I remember that in my desperation and with my children's growing anguish, I called the Tehran Fire Department, asking them whether they did animal rescue, as might be expected in these parts of the world. I explained that we might need a tall ladder to get the rescuer to the third floor balcony. Well, you might already know their answer to that question! They laughed at me and hung up! Later, I called again and tried to appeal to the dispatcher's heart. After I talked to him and begged him to help me, he and I reached an "understanding," whereby he said he or one of his colleagues might come to see about the cat after their shift was over that night, but that wasn't going to happen for a few more hours yet. So, while my kids and I waited for the firefighter, we had an idea. We had one of those plastic picnic baskets with a lid, which we sent down to third floor balcony through a rope, leaving a piece of meat inside the basket for good measure. Once the basket landed, Asghar jumped inside and got busy eating his little treat, we pulled the rope, closing the lid and started pulling him up! Mission accomplished, I called the dispatcher and thanked him, telling him that the cat was already rescued! Asghar went on to do many more naughty things in the coming years, the stories of which I might tell at another time.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

vay che gorbeh banamaki dari nazy joun..
axesho bezar pls


Marzieh

jeerjeerak said...

hehe! very funny story.
I'm not a big fan of pets, now on a visit to Anheuser Busch factory, there was a big dalmation that among all those people that were wooing him and petting him, was following me all around and wouldn't even take a look at his devoted fans! My students posted a picture of him and me in the facebook.

Anonymous said...

Nazy jon,

What a great name for a cat and what a funny story :)

A friend of mine always says "Dogs have owners, cats have servants" but our little Persian cat brings so much daily laughter and silliness into our lives that we're quite happy to be her servants.

مسعود said...

سلام نازی خانم
رحیم زاده صفوی در یادداشتهایی که در باره اقامت احمد شاه در پاریس دارد می نویسد که مطبوعات فرانسه وقتی خبری راجع به احمد شاه می نوشتند عبارت"شا دو پرس" را بکار می بردند.شا یعنی همان شاه،اما شا در زبان فرانسوی معنای گربه می دهد و آنها با نوشتن این عبارت با یک تیر دو نشان می زدند:هم شاه ایران را مراد می کردند و هم گربه ایران را
اینهم از پست امروز گربه ملوس ایرانی!
شاد باشی

Farideh said...

Hihihi.... very funny.... tell us more.... and thanks for adding me to your links. Wish I could do the same but I am very much "kheng" in this department. Could you (or somebody please!) tell me where I can learn?

Anonymous said...

Very funny story! You have firefighters' abilities as well. You could be a hero in this country :)

Nazy said...

Salam Marzieh Jan:

He is a very funny cat! I will have to scan his photos to share--soon I hope! Have a good Sunday azizam.

Nazy said...

Salam Jeer Jan:

The dalmation story is funny! Dogs are a lot kinder and more attentive to humans. Cats only pay attention if they want something! I really like that independence because it makes co-existing with them easier.

I didn't choose to own a cat, you know. My children adopted him as a kitty with their father's permission (we were already divorced by this time), and he gave them the permission. He was not a pet-lover, of course, something I knew already and the chidren had yet to learn! He kicked the kitty out after a month, and I had to take him in amidst my children's please and sobs! He stayed for five years before I had to leave Iran, leaving him with a cat lover.

Pets grow on us, that's all I can say from my own experience. Have a fabulous Sunday, Jeerjeerak Jan!

Nazy said...

Salam Hyacinth Jan:

Yes, I know what you mean about cats! If the mood hits them, they could be so entertaining, even doing tricks better than dogs any day! The problem is that they don't feel the need to entertain us on most days! A life shared with animals can be really rewarding, I have found.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend my friend. Please come again.

Nazy said...

Masoud Jan:

Thanks so much for sharing that story with me! That's funny! Everytime you come, I learn something new! Thank you my friend.

Nazy said...

Farideh Jan:

You are not kheng! When you logon to Blogger, at the top you will see a menu bar. Choose "customize" from there and you can do all kinds of nifty things in your blogs.

I actually bought a book to show me how to do this (Blogging for Dummies!), because I couldn't even begin to verbalize my questions to my friends, I was so inexperienced! But I figured it out after a few tries.

It is my pleasure to have your very interesting blog among my friends'! I added you on your first day of blogging! I hope my readers come to visit you, as you write so well and about such interesting subjects.

Be happy Farideh Joonam.

Nazy said...

Salam Ahmad Jan:

Forget the hero business! Anybody who does anything out of the "mainstream" in Iran is a hero!

My children have asked several times whether we can adopt another pet in our home. My answer is "NO!" Though they have become adults, they are not the most reliable individuals with whom to share responsibilities around the house. I will be stuck with all the maintenance and care of the pet, once it appears on the scene! I have so much to do already, I just can't take it on.

I figure, when they have moved out and I am able to leave the bigger house in the suburbs, I will get into a quaint two-bedroom in Berkeley and adopt a pet then to keep me company! It will be a few years yet! I hope you're enjoying your Sunday Ahmad Jan.