Dinner, Art, And Friendship

O.K. I am going to keep my promise and slowly start to tell you what I have been up to over the past few months! To start, I am going to look at my millions of photographs and share the interesting ones with you. These are pictures from dinner preparations at my artist friends Faranak and Kourosh's home in San Jose. I had the good fortune of being invited to their lovely home in September, along with a very small group. Kourosh was the chef and I want to show you what artistic dinner he served us!

First he prepared the plates with endive leaves, filled with seafood. He and Faranak had made a very delicious mashed potatoes, too. String beans were added to enhance the presentation color and taste. An art project was unfolding before our eager eyes in the kitchen! Grilled salmon was added last, and the plates were painted with a balsamic vinegar sauce. Watch Kourosh add the parsley garnish, too!

We sat around and enjoyed the delicious and beautiful food and the wonderful company, talking about politics and life, telling jokes, and chilling. It was really a wonderful evening. A big blessing in life is having good friends and finding opportunities to to build new friendships. The art and the delicious food are only an added bonus! And of course, knowing a man who can cook like this is not to be underestimated as a personal treasure! I am so lucky!

It's Time!

I am going to vote on Friday, June 12th, 2009. San Francisco Bay Area's polling place information is as follows:

Hilton Garden Inn Bay Bridge

1800 Powell St.

Emeryville, CA 94706

Tel. 510-658-9300

For more information about voting in the US, visit http://www.election88.org/. Make a difference and support the efforts of the millions of young Iranians who have been staying up on the streets, wishing a change.

Colors of My Rainbow

Downtown Oakland, today at 4:30 p.m. I'm so proud of this photograph! The reflection of buildings facing the one ahead made beautiful art on a balmy autumn afternoon. I thought I would share. Click on the photo to see the detail.

My colleagues and I went to a business meeting this afternoon. It was a refreshing change to be in a meeting where all the people in the room knew what they were talking about! Nobody was showing off and nobody was trying to protect a turf. There were no politics in operation. It was the most peaceful meeting I had attended in ages!

Naturally, when I am peaceful, my mind starts relaxing and my imagination takes over. I can't explain how this happens, but as I am actively listening or participating in the discussions, my mind is writing things, visiting people and places, and organizing itself! I was thinking about the range of emotions I have been experiencing recently, feelings of loss, longing, joy, worry, relief, love, and yes, anger. It seems every single color of the rainbow has had a place on my heart of late. There are people I miss and I think that is the darkest of the sad colors weighing on my heart these days. There are people I love and they represent the brightest colors of my mind. I have little worries which when added together, turn me into a ball of nerves sometimes. There are hopes I enjoy these days which give me so much to look forward to, to await. Anyhow, rainbows of bursting colors were my mind's agenda during the meeting this afternoon!

For three weeks in October, I will go to look after my friends' house and cat, Ray, in Albany. I am looking forward to changing my environment and to having a pet nearby. I miss my cat, Oskie (Asghar is his Iranian name). I'm not ready to adopt another pet yet, so I continue to enjoy my friends' pets! Ray-the-Cat and I will be hanging out together soon!

I have been working on an exciting project for a few weeks now. Just as soon as I have it ready, I'll tell you all about it! I am really excited about this interview. More later. I wish you all a very good day/night wherever on this planet you happen to be right now. Think good thoughts and let your minds be painted with the bright color of love.

San Francisco East Bay Weather

Oakland Hills, Last Friday of 2007, 4:00 p.m.

One of my readers asked me this week whether it snows in these parts. I said it almost never snows in the San Francisco Bay Area (and a good thing, too, because of all the steep hills in our area!). But this doesn't mean that it doesn't get cold here! These days we frequently wake up to frost-covered lawns and sidewalks. Take a look at Oakland Hills (coming from Berkeley) at about 4:00 p.m. today, on my way home. The fog has enveloped the hills, and it will rain sometime later this evening, as it did last night. Where I live, the temperature at this time is 6 degrees Celsius (Centigrade), with 89% humidity, and winds at 11 kilometers per hour. For your information, our temperature is about 4 degrees warmer than Tehran today, and at about the same level as London, UK. All I want to do is to sit by a warm fire and do nothing this evening! I will write my Friday post in a few hours, then. Stay warm and toasty wherever you are. I'll be back.

Artsy Afternoon

I went to San Francisco yesterday afternoon. I had taken someone to meet Arash Sobhani for an interview. We went with Jahanshah, who was taking pictures. This picture is not by him, though. It is by Shadi Yousefian. Arash is such a sweet and warm person, approachable and not pretentious at all. I am glad he pursues his professional career as an architect in addition to his musical activities. The Kiosk will be a part of a performance on Friday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m., at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. My very good friend, Hamed Nikpay, will also be performing that night, and I am really looking forward to attending, if I can manage my life!

While those guys did their interview, we went into Cafe Trieste in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood (601 Vallejo Street). (Photo by Jahanshah Javid)

Full of life and excitement, Cafe Trieste is said to have been "the first place for Espresso on the West Coast back in the 50's." A Piano player played beautiful music for us, full of emotion and dramatic presentation.

After running around like a crazy lunatic for days, fighting a scratchy throat and what feels like an emerging massive cold, it was relaxing to wind down and be engulfed in San Francisco's Sunday afternoon scene in the company of friends.

More Trick or Treaters at the Door!

So, O.K. Not ALL the Trick or Treaters were young children tonight! These ones were old enough to say that they loved our pumpkin! Everybody is looking for peace, it seems!

Trick or Treat!

It's Halloween. Every year on this night, children and adults alike get dressed in costumes. Whereas adults usually go to parties and parades, children go "Trick or Treating," which is very similar to the old Iranian custom of "ghashogh zani" on Charshanbeh Soori eve. Homeowners who are ready for their ghouls and goblins, leave welcoming signs on their porches, walk ways, or steps, inviting the youngesters to come to their doors. Once the kids arrive with their baskets, pouches, bags, or other containers, they are given candy.Our house was ready for our young visitors. My son, the Traveler, chose to carve the pumpkin in the shape of the international Peace symbol this year. I must say I was really touched to find it when I came home tonight.

Look at these sweet angels who came "Trick or Treating!" Those smiles are real, because they scored big at my house! Chocolate bars were the order of the day. Happy Halloween everyone!

A Trip To Remember

It was a very short trip, as I didn't get very far. Just to San Francisco Airport and back. I don't want to talk about what went wrong because it puts me in a really bad mood again and makes me want to do unloving things to my travel agent, United Airlines, and British Airways. So I give you my trip report as follows.

This is a picture of Daly City BART Station in San Francisco, where I had to unboard one train and wait to board another for the airport.

This is the closest I got to airplanes today. I saw a few of them outside the window of the train station on my way back. My suitcases, bulging with presents for my friends and their families, looking sad and suddenly very heavy. I felt very Iranian again, lugging several heavy suitcases around the airport today. This is the cab driver who took me home from the train station. He asked me in English if I was Iranian as we got to my house. I said I was. I asked him if he was an Iranian. He said "I am from Afghanistan. My name is Hafiz." I introduced myself and shook hands with him, telling him that I think our nations are so close to one another, they could be called the same, as they were in older times. He agreed. Mr. Hafiz said he had been to Iran before the revolution. He said he is a retired civil engineer who works past his retirement, six days a week, to support his family. He has a son and a daughter who have graduated from good California universities and his youngest son is getting ready to attend college this year. He said an education is the most valuable thing an individual can have in life, and this is what he has worked hard to give his children. I asked Mr. Hafiz for his phone number, so that I may call him later to chat, when I am in a better mood. I think he and I can have many interesting chats, but not today. End of trip and end of trip report.

With Hafez

View of San Francisco Bay from Oakland Hills, getting ready for rain.

I read today that there will be a nationwide celebration of Hafez in Iran on Mehr 20th. Hafez is every Iranian's poet. Everyone reads him and believes that Hafez has talked to him/her directly. Every Iranian lives with Hafez and heeds his advice. A poet whose poetry never ages, and for seven hundred years has provided lovers and those in need of advice a poetic way of expression. I live with Hafez. I have a small collection of twelve Hafez books, from a small, travel-sized one to beautiful calligraphy versions. In honor of the upcoming celebration, here's your Hafez invitation. Share your favorite Hafez poetry, or, if you feel like it, please open a Faal for us. I have already made my wish and I'm waiting to hear from you.

پیش ازاینت بیش ازاین اندیشه‌ی عشّاق بود مهرورزی تو با ما شهرهٔ آفاق بود یاد باد آن صحبت شبها که با نوشین‌لبان بحث سرّ عشق و ذکر حلقهٔ عشّاق بود پیش ازین کاین سقف سبز و طاق مینا برکشند منظر چشم مرا ابروی جانان طاق بود سایهٔ معشوق اگر افتاد بر عاشق چه شد ما به او محتاج بودیم او به ما مشتاق بود حسن مهرویان مجلس گرچه دل می‌برد و دین بحث ما در لطف طبع و خوبی اخلاق بود شعر حافظ در زمان آدم اندر باغ خلد دفتر نسرین و گل رازینت اوراق بود

Autumn's Surprise Arrival

Autumn is upon us in the San Francisco Bay Area. An Autumn child myself, I have always looked forward to the time of year in September (Shahrivar), when all of a sudden nighttime and early mornings turn cooler, promising the upcoming change of seasons. Quite indeliberately, I tune into the leaves on the trees, checking them for color and texture changes around this time of the year. No sight in nature is more beautiful to me than the way tree leaves change colors and turn into fiery reds, deep yellows, and bright oranges in the middle of evergreens. Foliage is the most profound change in nature for me. This year, however, Autumn has crept up behind me and has surprised me. I feel as though I'm not ready for it. I wish the cold, nippy air of Berkeley away, wishing for the warmer air to linger a bit longer. I think I was robbed of Summer this year, busy with all that comprises my complicated life these days. Well, enough moaning. It is here and it will stay in the Bay Area for about two months when we are delivered into this area's windy and cold Winter. In a few days, I will decorate my house with my Fall decorations, gearing up for the new season, for My Season. (Photo credit here.)

September Begins

Lafayette Reservoir near my house

I had dinner with a King (“without a throne, and a Haji Agha without a prayer”) last night. It was a delightful time, as is always with him, though I think His Majesty was coming down with a cold, and was a bit quiet! After he left, I did some chores, chatted some with my younger son, and all of a sudden I felt so tired. So for the first time after a very long time I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. It wasn’t a very good sleep, and I woke up at 3:30 a.m., wide awake and unable to go back to sleep. I waited for the sun to come up and I went for a walk. It felt really good. I have been having anxiety attacks reading news and analyses warning about an imminent attack on Iran. Of course reading the Iranian President’s statement: “I am an engineer, there won’t be a war,” or George Bush's statement: "If I didn't think we could succeed, I wouldn't have our troops there," have not been terribly reassuring, either! I am filled with fear and worry. I walked and thought about some really happy things happening around me these days…an amazing love story with a December wedding date; two fabulous young women who will be my house guests this weekend; Tameshk who will be in my town this week; the upcoming “Iranians on Internet” seminar in San Francisco; a gathering in honor of Dr. Zari Taheri; projects I will be tackling at work; my best friend Mandana on her way to North America from Tehran. I step into September with a mixed bag of feelings and thoughts. I hope it’s a good month for all.

Freedom of Expression at the Grand Lake

This past weekend I drove by the Grand Lake Theater again. As I waited behind the traffic light, I pulled out my camera to snap this picture (please forgive its poor quality). The Grand Lake Theater in Oakland is one of the best-known landmarks in the city. Not only is it famous for the impressive restoration job that was done to it, but also for the fact that it is owned by a liberal who uses one side of the theater marquee for posting political messages. This week's reads: "We applaud Secretary of State Bowen for exposing the total insecurity of computer voting!" If you go here, you can see tens of pictures showing the different political messages the Grand Lake has displayed since the 2000 presidential election. Regardless of what the messages say and whether I agree with (or even understand) all of them, my Iranian mind is continually engaged and provoked when I pass the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland.

Life's Celebrations

Jason is the one sitting in the back. From an article in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle.

Since I showed up to a job interview in Berkeley’s top administrative office in 1987, I have had a friend who is one of the most interesting and remarkable people I have ever known. Nancy is a a very sharp and experienced analyst, with the uncanny ability to step back (at least 10 steps) to look at the same situation we are all experiencing, seeing new things and making suggestions nobody else could see! She is open-minded and generous, and a perfect friend to have. She has been a teacher and a mentor to me for the duration of our friendship in matters professional and personal. Nancy’s son, Jason, who is an accomplished architect in San Francisco, was featured in San Francisco Chronicle yesterday. As one of my readers reminded me this morning, I am obviously getting older, but how come I remember Jason in high school and the next thing I know he is a dedicated professional, showing up in the paper and getting married this October? On the upside (!), I am delighted to observe yet again, that life does go on, and only if we pay attention, each day will bring us hundreds of reasons to be happy and celebrative; especially when we love others enough to see their accomplishments, their celebrations, and their victories as our very own.

My Iranian and American Marvels This Week

Heather Rastovac in 2005

This was a good week for me. Life returned to relative normalcy for me and my family, and I visited many wonderful new and old friends. Yesterday I met a fascinating young Iranian mother who is an educated engineer, and also a successful blogger. She and her wonderful baby, Arman, were one of my finds this week. Having lunch and interesting conversation with this articulate and thoughtful young woman on a sidewalk in Berkeley, it felt like I had known her forever. I continue to be in awe of this generation of young Iranians. I also had the good fortune of meeting a remarkable young American woman last weekend. Heather Rastovac is a resident of Seattle, Washington, and is an artist of Middle Eastern dances. She is also a human and women’s rights activist. I saw her as she was getting ready to leave on a long trip to Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Sicily, researching her work. Her blog introduces her this way: “She engages in extensive studies of Middle Eastern culture, languages, music, poetry, religion and women's issues. She is currently pursuing a degree in Cultural Anthropology and Persian language at the University of Washington, and plans to obtain a Master's Degree in Dance Ethnology. Heather has traveled extensively and has visited Morocco, Afghanistan, Turkey, and the Mediterranean for cultural studies.” She traveled to Afghanistan in 2006 with the human rights delegation, “Women Making Change” to focus on Afghan women’s issues. I share with you the image of Heather, performing a traditional Persian Dance. Aside from her charm and talent, I found Heather to be a beautiful human being. Her humanity makes me proud. I wish her a safe and fruitful journey this summer. I hope the weekend is full of joy and rest for you all. Be good to yourselves and to those around you. Empty your minds of bad thoughts and fill them with hope. Trust me, hope is a very good thing, necessary for overcoming the pains and evils of this world. The best thing about hope is that it’s free, much like all the good things in life. All it takes is you!

Downtown Berkeley At Lunchtime & God

It’s a cool day in Berkeley, with the typical morning fog gone, and the sun breaking out. Instead of eating lunch, I took a walk around the block to burn about ten of the 50,000 calories I took in this weekend, as my sisters and I took turns to cook and feed our mini-family reunion crowd. .......... Man be baghe erfan.... My older son is at the age when people adjust their childhood images and conceptions, bringing them in line with those they acquire as adults, particularly during their college years. In his humanities courses, he is learning to question religious teachings, so he asks me the kinds of questions an atheist might ask a practicing believer, like asking me to answer tough questions about creation. The problem with the scenario he poses, though, is that neither he is a real atheist, nor am I a real practicing religious individual; therefore our discussion sort of turns into an "agreement" shortly after we start! Take, for example, the discussion we had about God this weekend.The most profound thing I said (if I may say so myself!) about this in our conversation, was that "My brand of spirituality works for me!" And the most profound thing he said was "It is so hard not to believe in God, because then it's just you, all by yourself. When I believed in God, whenever I was in a bind or when I had a tough test, I used to ask God to help me and then I would feel better, but now I can't do that. I'm on my own." I laughed and said to him "No, you're not on your own, because even when you stop asking God to help you, he will still help you because I asked him in MY prayers to help you!"

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day in the US. This is the day those who died in wars are remembered. This is a picture of a memorial site in Lafayette, California, remembering all those who have died in Iraq war. As I pulled into the train station parking lot across the road to take this picture, I saw many people there looking at the memorial site quietly and reflectively. I cannot imagine how the parents of these young men and women must be feeling and what they must be thinking right now. I think giving one's life for one's country is probably the most honorable thing an individual can do. There is much debate and disagreement about the how's and why's of wars in the political arena worldwide. Regardless of those discussions, one cannot look at this memorial site and similar ones elsewhere, without being touched by the seriousness and significance of those soldiers' lives and deaths. I pray for their souls.

Berkeley Weather

Our weather has been very strange this week. Take a look at what it looked like around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday on Berkeley’s University Avenue, looking at the fog-covered Berkeley Hills-- a day as cold as a winter day! The other picture was taken this morning at around 11:00 a.m., returning from a meeting on Campus. This is Alumni House’s backyard, which is one of my most favorite, peaceful places on Campus. I often go to meetings at the Alumni House, and as I sit there somewhat bored with the meeting (don't tell anyone!), I look out the window at these trees and these benches and the occasional squirrels running around, and I feel better!

1:00 p.m. On A Beautiful Day

Today I had to run to San Francisco Airport to pick up a dear package, containing two works of art for which I have been waiting for months (I will say no more, because I want to tell you about it in a happy piece soon, containing pictures, words, sentiments, and all—so please no pushing and pulling for getting it out of me sooner than I’m ready!). Though I feel harried these days, with too many commitments and deadlines hanging over my head, I felt really happy and positive today, as it is such a beautiful and warm day in the Bay Area. So, if you want to know just how brazen (por-rou) I am, take a look at this picture. Please note:

• I am not a good photographer.
• I don’t have a good camera.
• I am not a good driver.
• I just had that car accident, and at the time of the accident I wasn’t even doing anything (you know, I wasn’t talking on the phone, talking to someone in the car, smoking, changing CD’s—I was not doing anything other than driving when I ran into that car in front of me).

So, I know you would appreciate my por-rougi when you see that this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. I took a picture with one hand, without focusing or looking at my subject, from inside a moving car, through the closed window. Not bad, ha? I did it to show you that it is a day to love living in the Bay Area. It is a good day to be me.

Green Today

The wind blows my hair, tossing and throwing it into my face. The light and bubbly air of a Northern California March day caresses me and bursts of spring dive in and out of my little car, enveloping me in a love of spring, thousands of years old for Iranians. Shadmehr’s music is drowning out the sounds of the freeway running under my feet. The sweet and benign sunshine of a winter’s end makes feeble attempts to penetrate my upturned face, but falls short. My eyes run through the beauty surrounding me all around; the gorgeous green hills, the pristine view of the Bay as I turn a bend and face what must be the most spectacular view of the world. How lucky can a person be, I wonder? I remember Sohrab’s poem, which I have read hundreds of times in my life, but for the first time in my life, I FEEL it, and it feels good, soft, embracing, and true. Man cheh sabzam emrooz va cheh andazeh tanam hoshyar ast……. (How green I feel today, And how alert my body feels…..)