3/15/2008

Tajrish On My Mind

Preparing for Nowrooz, Tehran, March 15, 2008. Photo by Hadi Tabrizi, IRNA.

With some small deviations, I am keeping to my promise of taking it easy this weekend. I went for a long solitary walk earlier this afternoon, but I was caught in an isolated rain and hail storm, the type that happens around this time of the year. Moosh-e-abkeshieh had to return home quickly, completely soaked!
I walked through the trail that must be one of the most beautiful places I have ever walked, looking at fruit tree branches covered in gorgeous multi-colored blossoms, the new season green of the grass, the brimming creek running in twists and turns, and the flowerbeds covered in sweet daisies and California's famous mustard flowers. As I walked, though, I was thinking about somewhere else. I was thinking about Tajrish Bazaar, with its hustle and bustle of this time of the year. I was thinking of stacks of gorgeous miniature radishes and fresh basil and mint, its huge pots of wheat germ soup, samanoo, the rows after rows of goldfish in tiny jars, and the fish markets where an assortment of fish from Caspian to Persian Gulf are presented beautifully. I was thinking of all those crowds of people who make Tajrish even more crowded at this time of the year, each carrying an armload of Nowrooz necessities and niceties. I was thinking how much I miss Tehran and how I wished I had a short videoclip of all that activity to watch and to join in the contagious joy of the season. Emamzadeh Saleh must be so busy at this time, with all the people making their year-end visits, whispering their wishes and hopes in that quaint little building. I walked and walked and it was as though my body was not walking on this patch of earth, but on the crooked backstreets of Tajrish, smelling the scents of Nowrooz and drowning in the noise and air of my beloved city, Tehran.
Coming back to reality, I issued my three house residents an ultimatum about their very last chance to clean their respective rooms and bathrooms, this being the last weekend before Nowrooz. I managed to get a commitment for tomorrow, which is pretty good, considering how little they think of sweeping, dusting, cleaning, and tidying up! Their girl friend (the space in between the words is intentional to signify her just being a friend) volunteered to oversee their progress, which is a great relief to me, as supervising lazy young men doing something they hate to do would not be consistent with my efforts to "take it easy," and will no doubt bring my colitis attack right back!
Though my soaked plate of lentils, sabzeh, is showing potential, it doesn't seem enough to assure me that I will have it ready by Wednesday night. This happens to me every single year! I will have to wait until the last day and if I still have a sparse (kachal) sabzeh, I will have to run to my friend, Monir Zand for help! She runs a deli and Middle East market in Albany, and is usually doing good business this time of the year. I hope your Nowrooz preparations are coming along nicely. With or without a successful sabzeh, I am going to have my home ready for Nowrooz by the end of this weekend. I love a home that understands the seasons, occasions, and traditions and observes them. I try to run just such a house now in preparation for Nowrooz. I love my house, I love my house residents, I love my life. I love all those who will come through it to celebrate with me shortly. I really do. Have a good weekend everybody.

13 comments:

jeerjeerak said...

Tajrish is on my mind too, Nazy joonam. Do you remember that place that sold Ammeh-Leila Samanoo? We used to go to that small store there and get our brand name Samanoo fresh out of the pot:) Also the white fish, the "nobar" green garlic, flowers in pots, the gold fish, ... Then a few blocks down to Shirin pastry shop to buy the petite eid cookies.
There's no place like home and i miss it tonight.

Nazy said...

Salam Jeerjeerak Jan!

I have certainly missed you my friend. I'll tell you something, but I hope it doesn't make you sad. I tried 20 times to post a short videoclip of my friend Rojan's singing a sweet Lori ballad as my "visual aid" for this post. It didn't work and the clip wouldn't upload.

I gave up on the clip and went to look for photos. I had some really nice ones from Tehran flower market, but decided to surf the Iranian news agencies, lest I might find something better. I was doing really well, looking at photo after photo on IRNA, until I saw this one. For some bizarre reason, all of a sudden I started crying at the sight of that man holding something in his hand which can only mean something to Iranians. There are a million words and sentences in that picture alone about who that guy is, what he is doing, who is waiting for him at home, and what his plans for the coming days are. This made me cry, because I can read that story, all those millions of words, just by looking at that picture. I read it and it made me so nostalgic and homesick just now. Well, they were not really tears of sadness, but of longing.

Yes, yes, I remember Ammeh Leila's Samanoo right around the corner! Hee Hee. Of course, it would be your brand name! Thanks for sharing your sweet memory with me Leila Jan. Have a good evening and a happy Sunday!

(parti-bazi kardam! I replied to your comment out of order! I was replying to some older comments when yours arrived and I couldn't resist it!)

مسعود said...

سلام نازی خانم
من همین الان از دوستم خواهش کردم یک گزارش کوتاه از بازار شب عید در اهواز تهیه کند تا برایت ارسال کنم
دیگر آنکه آن مطلب فروغ را دوباره ایمیل کردم،اگر رسیده و قابل استفاده بود ،اعلام وگرنه بازهم از نو.ما هم خودمان را در اندیشه مان میهمان آن خانه می دانیم و چشم بازدید داریم
بپا! نچای!این شب عیدی

Nazy said...

Salam Masoud Jan:

How very kind of you my friend! I have such good memories of Ahvaz Bazaar!

Yes, the clippings about Forough have reached me and I plan on using them. Thank you very much.

You are always welcome in all my homes, virtual or real, Masoud Jan. Ya'allah! Befarmaeed!

I used to say "Bademjoon-e bam afat nadareh," but recently I have been so under the weather, I don't think that statement applies to me anymore! So, basheh, I'll take better care of myself.

I hope you are keeping well in your preparations for Nowrooz. Have a brilliant day in lovely Ahvaz.

abc said...

واااي نازي جونم
من بايد حتما يه جوري اين فيلم رو از تجريش واسه شما تهيه كنم...
NO WAY
نمي دونين چقده سرم اين اواخر شلوغه
تو كلم پر فكر و برنامه و هزار تا كار انجام نشده است...
ولي سعيمو مي كنم نازي جونم
I promise
Love
Halat

Anonymous said...

نرم نرمک می‌رسد اینک بهار

Living near a church is a good sign which signifies that the majority of our neighbours are Armenians :-)
So, For me in 365 days I can enjoy 4 new years (!) and get happy new year for atleast 3 of them!
(X-mass, Jewish new year, Norouz, and ofcourse my birthday!)
Well this is a great gift for me as I've enough time to change my negative points to positive ones!

Farideh said...

To Nazy, Jirjirak and all Iranians!
I went to Tajrish today and "jay-e hamey-e shoma ra khali kardam!" I will write more about Tajrish in my blog: fromtehraniwrite.blogspot.com NORUZ MOBARAK!!!!

Shadi said...

Nazi Jaan
this picture brings out so many memories for me. My university was very close to Tajrish so Tajrish,EId or not, is always in my heart. There was a "Jigaraki" in "Mediun e Asli" where we always went with my friends, all the fresh fruit and vegatables and as Jeerjeerak said "Amme Leila" with her Samanoo and what I loved the best "Torshi and Shoor" God! I miss it...
your posts are always so full of life and love and color that many times leave me speechless and make me think.
Have a love filled weekend and week to come

Nazy said...

Halat Joonam:

Eidet Mobarak! Don't worry, Farshad came to the rescue! He sent me loads of gorgeous pictures which I enjoyed and shared with thousands of others on Iranian.com.

Have a fabulous year my beautiful friend.

Nazy said...

Sweet and thoughtful Shobeir:

You live near a church?! That's fabulous! I have lived near a church and I love hearing the bells and seeing people attend services. It gives me a peaceful feeling. When I lived in Meidan-e-Cheezar, I heard Azan from the nearby mosque all the time, and that was sweet, too.

Eidet mobarak Shobeir Jan. Have a good year my special friend.

Nazy said...

Salam Farideh Jan:

I came by and visited and though I didn't see anything on Tajrish, I enjoyed reading your other posts. You are on fire, girl! Good for you. Happy new year azize delam.

Nazy said...

Salam Golabi Jan:

Yes, yes, I remember that jigaraki! And I have been to it many times. Hee Hee, Tajrish is a happening place all year round!

Thanks so much for coming and for leaving such sweet comments Golab Jan. You are really wonderful. Eidet mobarak.

Unknown said...

Naz jan, I found out about your blog through Fariba Haghighi. I read a couple of articles during my lunch time at office this afternoon. I did not know that you are an amazing writer, the way you picture every thing is very special, when I was reading about Tajrish even I could imagine "halo havaie Nowrouz" during this time of year. I have bookmarked your weblog so I can come back more often. Maybe some time in future we meet an I can read a "Fale Hafez" for you, remember that day in your office when I was reading a fal for you?! time flies so fast, it seems to me it was just yesterday ... Best of Luck!