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Happy Winter Solstice (Shabe Yalda Mobarak)
Tonight is Yalda (Winter Solstice.) I am back in first grade sitting around the Korsee* with my brothers and Madar joon: my great-grandmother picking sweets off the table. Mom is off to bring tea. I...
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Dare to Love
I tap on her tombstone and say the four customary prayers. The tap is supposed to call her, let her know I’m here. Here lies one of Iran’s well-known contemporary poetesses, Forough Farrokhzad(1934...
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We Are Superstars!
During my trip to Iran this past summer I visited a few cities: one of them was Shiraz, the city of Persian poets: Hafez and Sa’adi. I fell in love with the city’s delicate architecture. The...
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Can “A Separation” bring Unity?
As some of you know I am not a TV watcher, so I only found out the good news about A Separation winning the Oscar for best foreign film, through the congratulatory texts and emails sent by friends....
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Mr. Romney, I Object.
I’m on the phone with mom in Iran reporting about cooking Persian food for the first time since my divorce and how it feels like New Year. She likes it. She finds it sweet that her domestically...
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Flavors of Family
I had heard that the sense of smell has the strongest memory association, and yet there are certain foods that instantly bring back memories of specific family members for me. Last week for the first...
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Early Morning Whispers
It feels like early morning. I am still lying in bed with my eyes closed because I stayed up till one a.m. last night to watch some handsome Iranian actor. I pull the covers over my face and turn away...
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Noruz Celebrations
Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring is when Persians all around the world celebrate as their new year. We call it Noruz, which literally means new day. Here’s a taste of it in 500 words. I am...
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My OBGYN visit in Iran!
When I booked my OBGYN appointment in Iran I didn’t realize there were no patient privacy laws. Here’s how it went. http://www.thefrisky.com/2013-05-13/girl-talk-my-obgyn-visit-in-iran/ Thank...
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Catching the Evil Eye
Mom is here. Throughout our conversations I am beginning to see the origins of my beliefs, including superstitions. For instance, I believe in the evil eye and jinxing. When S moved to his new...
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Halva with Tea
It’s a small coffee shop, a Shingle-style shack with blue trim, listed by Yelp as one of Laguna Beach’s best. Cookies and biscotti lie in a basket in front of the order window. The barista, an upbeat...
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