Nik & Nik

Tsunami, 160000 dead

2005-01-09T03:52:00.000+05:30

What I described as the most appalling news in my last post, looks like a wish now... Imagine wishing that only 60000 people were dead..What a wish.

The death toll rose up to more than 160 thousands as I hear on the news these days.

Don't know what to say..May be that is destiny.

160000 people dead! ... Just try to count to that number..:((

Earthquake and me

2004-12-30T06:24:00.000+05:30

Last year,
Dec. 26th,
India,
BBC,
major earthquake in Iran,
me in India, killed 30 000.
major relief effort from outside and fellow countrymen
historical mobilization of people in Iran specially in Tehran.

This year,
Dec. 26th,
Iran,
BBC,
major earthquake and Tsunami in Indian ocean,
me in Iran,
killed 60 000.
the biggest relief operation from outside and local people.

may be happy not to be there when it happened,
but certainly missed to share in relief effort.

Merry Christmas

2004-12-26T04:33:00.000+05:30

Today was Christmas, the time of happy memories for millions of people. I remember last year on this day I was sitting and drinking with a man who is not there any more, a man who didnt look a bit like someone who might not be there the year after.

I remember sitting beside a small fully decorated Christmas tree and bargaining with his wife to let us drink a bit more. LOL. I remember his comments on the brand of the drink and all.

He is not there any more and his loss is a major blow. He is not there but I would like to tell him merry christmas and wish him peace in heaven. May God bless him and give patience to his kids to bear the loss.

Merry Christmas and happy new year

Denver's "Fill up my Senses"

2004-12-26T04:12:00.000+05:30

I was hopping around the channels with the remote control tonight when I accidentally got a movie on John Denver. It was right on the part where his lovely song Annie's Song was playing,

The song took me back to years ago when I was doing my undergraduate..when things seems much simpler.. when every little thing could excite you in life. The song took me to some body called Hadi Ebrahimi who loved playing his guitar and was a wonderful singer.. Annie's song was his specialty.. I remember the time I pushed him to play it for me so that I could record it and he played so beautifully like he was feeling into the song.

Now when the song plays again it brings me a mixture of feelings, may be some nostalgia, may be some vacuume, some thing lost, some thing gone in vain, something not fulfilled.

That friend of mine is not around any more I hear he lives in another city happily with his wife (and may be kids) but he is a part of my feelings for this song among other things.

Lucky those who can sing this for some one, or have some one to sing them this.
The song reads,

You fill up my senses like a night in the forest
Like a mountain in spring-time
like a walk in the rain
like a storm in the desert
like a sleepy blue ocean...

Unbearable lightness of emptiness

2004-12-13T18:21:00.000+05:30

Sometimes life is too light to keep your body down on earth. Too wieghless like you constantly feel that your heart wants to ascend and get out of your body then you resort to breathig deep managing your inside so that you can keep your inner stuff inside for some more time. i guess i am breathing deep.

Butterfly Effect

2004-12-06T06:42:00.000+05:30

I desprately feel like posting something in my mother tongue Persian/Farsi. But I dont know how this shit woks. I guess, I dont have the fonts or something. Keeps changing everything into stupid question marks. May be I should just put the question marks after all.

Things are very confused inside and outside of me. The whole politics shit looks like useles waste of time. Nothing keeps me entertained now they rather make me puke my brain out. The world seems too complicated to deal with. And life is sliping away from my hands like a restless alive fish and so it has been for a while.

My life is looking like a movie. I even thought of writing the drama. A cool movie can come out yet the end isnot clear.

Shit, this movie, Butterfly Effect, is all in my head all the time. Could be wonderful.. just a small Butterfly Effect.

My mind works too fast and I can't pace it any more. It has been a while this speed hasnot been to my benefit.

Oh God, how do I post this beautiful poem and that somebody just wrote to me in Farsi.

The Unbearable Darkness of Being

2004-11-07T23:52:00.000+05:30

Here is an article forwarded to me by Sherry, an ardent social right activist, from Florida. It first appeared on Alternet.org. Read for yourself.
Nik

The Unbearable Darkness of Being

By Lakshmi Chaudhry, AlterNet. Posted November 3, 2004.

It’s Wednesday morning, the day after a long night spent watching the election returns. I fight to stay asleep, to postpone the inevitable moment when I'll get up – and know. As I lay in bed, I remember something a friend said last night: “It’s not our country anymore."

As I struggle to get through the day, dragging around the weight beginning to settle on my heart, her words stay with me. They echo in the back of my head when I hear Kerry's concession speech; watch the CNN blowhards natter on about "unity"; read the inevitable lefty post-mortems that crowd my e-mail inbox.

They talk about everything except the obvious: It hurts! All this ink spilt on the sell-out Democratic Party, the incompetent media, and the future of a divided nation and not a word about the emotional reality of loss. Do you think it's because they're mostly men? Natch.

All the blame-mongering in the world can't erase the pain or, more importantly, the fear. My mind can handle the body blow of defeat, but it's the slow, seeping chill of dread that is harder to fend off.

This wasn't just another conservative victory. Lord knows, progressives have had plenty of practice losing elections in recent decades. And it isn't about partisanship. I'm not shedding any tears over Tom Daschle.

No, it's not about losing an election, but the fear of losing faith. Liberals have always believed that if we did everything right – got the truth out; got the people out – we would prevail. In the past, I could tell myself it was the wrong candidate, wrong strategy, wrong party – some reason why people didn't show up at the polls or vote for the "right" guy. Not any more.

On Tuesday, the largest turnout in recent history couldn't save us from defeat. Democracy won and so did George Bush. And all the Monday morning quarterbacking doesn't change the sad fact that the truth did not set us free. Nearly 52 percent of all Americans preferred to simply ignore reality to keep their faith in God and the man who is only too happy to play messiah.

This is now their White House, their Senate, their House of Representatives, and very likely their Supreme Court. It's their country.

Or at least that's the message I get from all the talk of "unity" and "healing" in the media. Now that the Democrats lost the political equivalent of the Super Bowl, I just need to shut up and put up. Anything less would just be typical liberal whining and bitterness. That I am afraid of what will happen to my country in the next four years is dismissed as just sore loser behavior. That I care about what will happen to my right to choose as a woman; the healthcare I can afford; the air I breathe; the soldiers I've spoken to – all this is just partisan obstinacy?

James Carville says that if liberals like me want to win, we need to learn how to talk to white guys in pickup trucks who think my gay friends are a sin against nature. But what could I possibly say to someone for whom a ban on abortion is the single most important issue in their life? There's no point in trying to "speak my values," if the folks I'm talking to think those values are simply wrong.

John Edwards was right in a way. There are two Americas: one that values tolerance, justice, and equality; the other that believes in Divine Will. But now that the Democrats lost the election – and control over every branch of government – I get to live in their America. And Carville wants me to talk to these guys? Or is he really saying that I need to be more like them? After all, it's not like I have any values that might be worth holding on to. Why not just put my silly liberal preoccupations with choice or sexual freedom aside so we can all come together as one nation – one nation under God, Guns, and (hating) Gays.

In the aftermath of the election, it feels like I've not just ceded my country, but also my self. I've become just one among the sea of anonymous losers whose concerns and issues are simply not relevant any more. In the space of a single night, I've become invisible.

It's hard – right now, at least – to fight that sense of irrelevance, the loss of purpose. I was exhausted and in tears the night we dropped the first bombs over Iraq. But I was back at work the next morning, determined to do my best. The fight was still ahead of me.

What stories should I assign for tomorrow, I ask myself now, trying to prod my slow-moving brain. Does it matter? Did any of my work over the past three years – through 9/11, the war, the election – matter? I'd planned to get pregnant next year. Maybe I'll just stay home with the baby – lose myself in motherhood as some women do when defeated in other parts of their lives.

The weariness will pass. It must. And the faith will return. I hope. But for now, I mourn.

Earlier on Tuesday night, I ran out to buy a pack of cigarettes from the local grocery store. "Who's winning?" asked the young African American woman at the checkout counter. When I told her it was Bush, she said, "I can't cry on the job. Guess I'll have to wait till later." It's later, now.

US Presidential Election

2004-11-06T18:39:00.000+05:30

US election is over and to many people's sadness George Bush won again. So.. It is the beloved democracy game right? the one who gets the majority gets it..you agree right?..so no complaint. no right to complain... BUT...how can you not?

One thing is clear to me that many people out there in USA or all over the world who wanted Kerry to win were not really 'Kerry crazy' , rather they were 'Bush mad'. This definitely includes me.

Don't know what to say more about it coz I can't make up my mind which point is more important. Kindda feels like if I discuss one point the other one is missed.

should I talk about how dangerous it is for a nation like America to go so Anti-Secular?

should I talk about how people's faith is being abused? (human came to the idea that religion is a personal matter so that it could be protected from such abuses and now we have to start over as it seems)

Should I analyze how manipulation of religion into political administration can lead to disaster?

should I point out the similarities of Bush approach towards civil rights and that of theocracies like Iran?

should I refer to some of my friends who find Bush administration ideology as a copy of monarchial church rule in a few centuries ago with a modern facade?

should I laugh on how USA is going back in time in its political ideology?(or rather grieve on it)

may be we should discuss what is missing in school curriculums in USA?

By the way have you ever thought why Canada is so keen of drawing a line between being Canadian and being American? do you know they hate to refer to USA as America? what is this being American?

or maybe we should reflect on why a man who is the president of the United States (Bush) should be saying that he is too proud not to be intellectual? (why would a person even think of saying such stupid thing)

maybe we can talk about reasons why in more urbanized spots Bush isnot popular (look at states that Kerry has won)

or somebody please tell me why there is statistically significance correlation between the level of education and Kerry support(or I shall say 'Anti-Bushism')

why New York which was the prime target of 9/11 attack isnot so keen on taking a revenge(you might actually ask why 9/11 didnot happen to a city in Texas in the first place!!?)

why people in NY who have actually suffered the loss of innocent loved ones in 9/11 are against war and Bush?

what is the difference between small suburb lifestyle and that of a major urban area..is the difference sociologically significant? how about politically? how? why?

Do you know why all the ethnic or religious minorities hate Bush ( well Iranian American minority was a bit of a difference..they in vainly think Bush will 'free' Iran and give it to them to rule (please read: 'to eat' !!) or they think war is like a computer game; clean, entertaining, classy, modern, and exciting)

let's see how many of Bush voters know where middle east is?

let's see how many of these have a friend (too much?) ok an online chat friend from a Muslim country?

let's see if they know what systematic human right abuse mean?

lets see what they say if you show them the photo's of Abu Gharib prison in Iraq?

let's see how a given Bush voter takes it when he sees some body like me from Iran is actually asking these questions?

let's imagine his thoughts when he reads thiss?!! ...ouch...but sorry buddy, this is my blog and I write what I like.

Come on people what remark can be as naive as to say any one who is not with us is against us?(US!!)

what happened to all the human heritage of philosophy? weren't we talking about civilized man? weren't humans supposed to be multidimensional? Weren't different values supposed to be cherished? weren't we supposed to have freedom of expression?

well, from here where I stand (which is quite an abstract, theoretical spot), it certainly looks like a major step back in human development and the fact that America is the single super power in the world makes the damage deep.. Yeah you right USA is now too big to make mistake to important to go down.

To me it feels like this is the beginning of a new era when we start to go back in history and civilization.. This is the America going down (not that I like it or am excited about it) it is just deplorable to see human actually can't learn from history.

There is now two 'Americas'. America who is embarrassed to have a president like Bush (or anything close to it) and America where somebody like Bush can/will/should rule.

A Trip to Sri Lanka

2004-10-23T19:42:00.000+05:30

I took another trip to Sri Lanka some time ago. This time, I just stayed in Colombo the capital. Colombo is a kind of city where you can feel the atmosphere of a middle class culture. I mean all the trends in clothes, concerts, hang out places and all.

I can say Colombo or rather I should say Sri Lanka is a place with a huge obsession of the girls to be slim and sexy ( like the thing you see in Tehran these days) the normal dress code of a female there, is a very tight long skirt and a blouse which is almost what every girl is wearing. Compared to Kochin in India or I can say south India Sri Lankan young generation seems to be much more trendy and fashionable. And of course there is an aroma of romance every where you look. There are young couples sitting and talking and chatting.

Sri Lanka is a country with only 19 million people with a few percent Muslim and Christian, some Hindu and a majority of Buddhist. Muslim community is very distinct as it is in the whole Indian subcontinent. They look different and apparently do not comfort to the modern way of life that the new generation is picking up. They are mostly in small businesses and clothes shops. More or less the same strong community attachment like Muslims in India is seen in Sri Lanka too.

Sri Lanka basically is living on tourism and agriculture; mostly tea. I remember when I was in Iran we knew that there is a place which produces the best tea with the name of Ceylon and I always thought it was somewhere in India but guess what, the land we would call Ceylon is the same land which is now being called Sri Lanka. Actually Ceylon is what British used to call the place during the colonization. And I tell you by experience that in Sri Lanka you get real high quality tea. Even what people use in their homes which they say is not the best quality (coz the best one is usually exported) really stands out with taste and texture. I loved it.

In Colombo there is a cool uptown place called Seaface Road. This a very modern looking open area which faces Colombo's finest commercial buildings. Here you can see lots of couples hanging out, have a snack (well...that snack is a bit creepy to me.) and mostly sitting and enjoy the sea and of course make future romantic plans. I am going to post some pics form there but you know what I didn't dare to go too close to the couples and take a pic I felt they wouldn't like it.

After all Sri Lanka isn't a typical western culture even if it looks like one. I mean it is only 1 hour flight from here Cochin in Kerala which has a real conservative culture so let's face it if you open your eyes you see that the culture is not as western as it might look.

Besides, I can understand this coz it is pretty much like the culture in Iran and Tehran now where things happen in a more or less western facade but you cannot or donot choose to make an explicit show of it. All these made me understand that it is not ok to act like a senseless tourist and photograph anything that I like.

Ok here are some of the pics.
I will write about Sri Lanka more.

2004-10-23T18:54:00.000+05:30

an unknown tourist looking guy !!

2004-10-23T18:52:00.000+05:30

comercial buildings in colombo

2004-10-23T18:48:00.000+05:30

downtown Colombo

2004-10-23T18:44:00.000+05:30

a popular snack at the seaface

2004-10-23T18:43:00.000+05:30

a muslim couple and some more hiding under the umbrella

2004-10-23T18:41:00.000+05:30

local nuns getting some fresh air

2004-10-23T18:40:00.000+05:30

fun walk

2004-10-23T18:38:00.000+05:30

a fitness freak at the beach..lol

2004-10-23T18:37:00.000+05:30

Some local teens having some spontaneous party at the beach!

2004-10-23T18:34:00.000+05:30

Lover's dip

2004-10-23T18:32:00.000+05:30

Sunset in Colombo

Watch TV !!

2004-10-22T20:46:00.000+05:30

Hey, Hooray, the good news... Finally got the TV repaired !! now if there is no power cut, if the cable doesn't decide to go on holiday, if lightening doesn't strike the hell out of every electrical or electronic machines in the house, if we don't get a loose connection and spark in the house and if it is not too loud for people around and there is a program other than cricket, I can watch some TV!!

Aint that a big good news?
NO? you must be joking.

2004-08-27T18:29:00.000+05:30

Bibliomania - Free Online Literature and Study Guides

chomsky's website

2004-08-19T01:23:00.000+05:30

chomsky.info %3A The Official Noam Chomsky Website

the eyeranian

2004-08-06T02:09:00.000+05:30

the eyeranian
I like this man's blog although have never known him

Fahrenheit 9/11: the same mistakes

2004-08-06T01:06:00.000+05:30

Fahrenheit 9/11 was the movie I really wanted to see. With all that sensation and the prestigious "Con" award I was almost convinced that it was something to watch. And it was something to watch but not to the extend I expected. Well like when a friend says, for people who don't like Americanism and the principles at work there, it is a good movie and may be that is why they gave such a big award to this movie in France.

I think the way Americanism is going on, the gap of misunderstanding will be getting deeper and deeper. World needs a new awakening like a see- through shattering of ideologies. I say these words to clarify that I am by no means in Bush campus or even anyone who is close to that. His approach is what I call illiterate with too much of ignorance.

Michael Moor claims to have revealed the real face of Bush and his administration. I have to agree that the movie gets close to a kindda Critical Discourse analysis of the source and pattern of miscoceptions in America and it starts to dig into the pattern of ideological manipulation. Yet I think the movie and the director are dragged into it rather than meaning to do it. Like the director has no choice to go to that level. Those instances are the exact points at which the movie has something to say.

In my own analogy Michael Moor is not really a person who can be called intellectual. He doesn't want to have that deep revelation he simply cannot afford it coz he is not into it what he tries to do at times looks like a simple disparaging Bush personality and all the surrounding. Looks like he doesn't care to cure the problem but to accuse a person for all matters.. But I agree he is audacious, articulate and loud against the hegemonic dominance which is widespread these days. This is by itself a big advantage for a time like this in which people don't even have enough time to analyze things.

Yet again, interesting point is that this movie incorporates the same elements and common patterns that it itself is criticizing.. 'injecting fear to public, waiting for the digestion of the blow, harvesting the feed back of people (which is people begging the government to protect them and become all ears) then feeding the desired data on to them, and finally doing what was planned to be done long time before in a very democratic way. Ok it makes sense I mean it makes sense at the conceptual level coz you never know how much of this is being actually practiced.. But what the movie does is using the same media manipulation to convince people that this man is bad. Michael Moor is not really looking at the problem with an eye of an observer above the community he is very much involved and into it. He is simply not tall enough to see above things.

So what we have is a movie which is shouting that hey guys these republicans are bad because of this and that because they told lies because they manipulated the whole nation because they depicted the reality upside down and yet how does he do it? By using the same old fashion manipulation patterns by cutting and putting the points one next to another, by posing himself as a know all person by injecting fear to people and by pressing the same points.

So should anti Bush people inside and outside of US feed their minds on this movie? I say no, why? coz it is simply not insightful, intellectual, or helpful enough.

When the rules of a game are not the righteous ones, better not to play it than try to win the game.

Soccer in India

2004-07-31T01:46:00.000+05:30

One big problem for Iranians in India specially the ones who are into football (soccer) is that they have little chance to watch football on TV. In India people love cricket and there is always some big cricket game going on TV But football?! Don't even try to get.

That is a case of me and the important Asian Cup. Iran is supposed to have played against Korea at the quarter final today and here I am trying to get some news about the results from internet.

Following up sports on line really sucks.:(

2004-07-16T18:57:00.000+05:30

This is 'Sonny' my dog.. He is a cute intelligent dog...at the same time he is real wicket.!!! better watch out.. :))

post some pics

2004-07-16T18:50:00.000+05:30

Have decided to liven this weblog up a bit..time to cheer up this place a bit...Gonna post some pictures I take around here in Cochin..here comes the first..

Worm in Mind

2004-07-16T18:00:00.000+05:30

... .
I don't know But I don't feel like writing as much as I used to. As far as I am concerned I have a lot to write about.

I waned to write something on how suicide bombing ideology works out then I found myself telling myself hey this can be a real good long article keep it and work on it later..(which was too much of a stupid excuse for myself)

Then I waned to write something on Ziba Kazemi's death I actually wrote something but then copy pasted in and emailed it to Stephaen Hashemi himself.

And I also waned and still want to write about this messy looking guy's (Michael Moore)sensational movie on George W. Bush Fahrenheit 9/11 but I haven't... Looks like a lot of topics to write bout.

But.. There is something in there... something like..eeh.. Yeah a worm, as my friend, Yazdan, puts it .. a worm which goes about in your mind..

I don't know may be I pull myself together and write...Writing here is like shouting in vacuum..like shouting from moon for the people on earth...

yet, it is still cool. you know why coz, it is still shouting... at least I get the worms pinned down somewhere on the page instead of letting them move about in my head.

Back in Cochin

2004-06-30T01:24:00.000+05:30

Ok.. here I am back again in cochin, Kerala. Things are almost the same..still too much rain and dampness and all the other things...

The horrible violence is still going on at full swing in Iraq. So called Muslim hardliner groups are cutting the heads and proudly publishing the appalling pictures and videos on websites. The coverage of these news events is pretty much different in English news agencies from that of inside Iran. People in Iran dont get to see the detrimental effect of these events on the whole middle east. On the other hand these savage killers are putting a full fledged show of Islamic slogans and signs in their killing scenes of helpless violence. And of course it is feeding the English news agencies too well particularly CCN gets to feast on it.

Dont know what is to come up next . Will write about the terrible misunderstanding that is deepening the gabs later...

Tehran

2004-06-16T19:12:00.000+05:30

It's been a while since I am back in my hometown, Tehran for a visit. Tehran seems to be the same crowded, lively, polished, city in which everybody is running for life.
Yesterday I was at Enghelab square the downtown area and center of bookshops and (these days) software. It was interesting to see so many books and movies translated and sold so widely around the town. If you take into account that this is supposedly the capital of a Moslem country (which people do not usually take notice here) you might be surprised to see the latest novels, books, and movies from Hollywood available in the market.

Let's say for an Indian Moslem, it is absolutely weird to see pictures of Jesus Christ and jewelry in form of Christian cross sign are sold noticeably in here. But for a person inside Iran religion is not so noticeable in their outlook of the life. It is a fact that although almost all Moslems of the world specially in Arab countries and Indian subcontinent are becoming more radical in their differences with others and the religious lines are becoming more clear, in Iran people are going less publicly religious and the signs of religion are considered to be inappropriate to show. This is partly a reactionary consequence of authoritarian approach of the system to implement the religion into people no matter how. However, I'd say that most people are basically religious as a social culture and yet they are taking a pride in not showing off to the public.

Tehran is a very lively city. People are becoming less and less political. Many do not even follow the news any more. People have their own entertainment, fun and gatherings although there is no discos or hangout places in public as in most other countries. Life and the engagements of life here is much more time & energy consuming than a full time job for them. Younger people have to work hard to provide for their family. But here In Tehran providing for the family doesn’t mean just the basics. Here life means a big portion of socializing, outings, parties and of course keeping a high social status and to catch up with this last one is a preoccupation much bigger than politics or terrorist attacks here and there.

This time I realized that people are very unaware of the politics of the world and the religious clashes. Pretty much like any typical young north American who is very unlikely to be interested in politics or analytical discussion of who is right and who is wrong. People here for example never come to know that many many people around the world even in close countries like India think that women in Iran wear Bukah ( if you tell that to these fashionable girls in Tehran they will ask you what is Burkah and then say 'oh my God do any women in the world have to wear that!!!) the same goes with the supposition that all men in Iran have beard like Ben Laden.

I remember in Sri Lanka when we were shopping from a Moslem shop the young man there, knowing that I am from Iran, was looking at me like I am an alien because I didn’t have that mustacheless long beard of Moslems there.
…………………………..hmmm

I found this topic stupid so I stop.

Earthquake

2004-06-01T14:47:00.000+05:30

The journey to come back home took more than three days. 30 hours in the train to get to Mumbai then came the struggle to find a cheaper hotel and all. By 11 AM on Friday may 28 I was at the Mumbai international airport among a variety of many Iranians who were heading home. It felt like Iran already seeing all these people speaking in Farsi and all the looks and games of Iranians.
Took the plane on time and had a very good talk with a very neat and polite Parsi Indian on the plane.

Four hours later:
Me at the baggage claim and the confusing struggle to get things together in small area of baggage claim in Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, and all the family waiting for me to appear in the waiting lounge, but

THE EARTH DECIDED TO MOVE

People screamed and instinctively rushed to the gate to get themselves out of the building and the fear of dreadful disaster was eminent. Then came the rumors of the earthquake coming at this particular hour or that particular hour which has kept everybody on the edge. For many it is the first time to see how fragile the whole life is and that how helpless we all are and how little we can do about it.

Four days later the news on TV confirms the aftermath of the earthquake and that for example 28 small earthquakes have hit only for yesterday.Many remember that this was the pattern of earthquake in Bam which killed more than 28000 people a few
month ago in Iran.

If only the hit was a bit longer than 5 seconds, Tehran would have been the biggest disasterous zone with millions of people dead..

There was a knock on the door of our souls but may be our time has not yet come. May God determine what suits us best.

shorts!!!

2004-05-25T20:16:00.000+05:30

The way humans get accustomed to things around them is nothing but funny. Take as an example the case of myself. I have been living in damp, hot and, tropical area of Kerala in India for the past several months and have not been wearing much!! I mean , compared to Tehran where we almost dress up for everything all the time. Here we go around in shorts of the most informal kind, sometimes with a very thin T-shirt. This has become almost a day to day code of dressing (actually I can’t remember the last time I dressed up here). All business shirts and pants and even jeans are kept almost untouched.

Now that I am going back to Tehran for a visit, I am struggling to remember how it feels if you go out in shorts ( or slippers!!) in Tehran. I tried to imagine myself in loose cotton shorts with a dog- eared T-shirt and a pair of sponge slippers and I saw not much wrong in it. However, I could remember that it would not be ok to do that in Tehran ( Baba what would people think!! As we always say)

Anyway the point is that I had to recollect to come to the feeling of that community, yes even me having lived in that community for a life time had to stop and think .

Now I can imagine why these foreigners or even second generation Iranians who have been brought up outside Iran have so much of confusion when they are entering Iran. It is a mere confusion. They are told a list of ‘Do’s and ‘Not do’s (for the case of women wearing scarves and all covering dresses) but since they can’t feel the culture there, the outcome is usually funny and exaggerated most of the times.

Any way mode of life in here cannot afford to be too polished (one factor is the weather) as it is in Iran or better said Tehran and here what you wear doesn’t matter that much. When you are recognized as a foreigner you can almost do anything and wear anything but locals have conservative way of dressing generally. (This is excluding big cities and fashionable rich areas in India)

Iraq sinking

2004-05-22T19:22:00.000+05:30

Iraqis sinking and with it the hope of peace and democracy in middle east...

A few years ago we only had problems in Israel and now even in the heart of Europe horror roars...

And more bad news are yet to come...sadly.

Rain in Kerala

2004-05-19T18:29:00.000+05:30

It is still raining here and I mean 'rain'. It is not just water falling but it is a real downpour as if there are holes in the oceans behind the clouds and the heavy water is anxious to break free and come down. Without looking at the time you never guess what the time is; early morning, afternoon, early night or what.

I had never seen such a thing before but this may not be that strange for many people who live in tropical areas. For me it is quite a sight. More than two times we were flooded in the house coz the gutters couldn’t manage the volume of the downfall.

Yeah, for people who have lived in these areas for centuries water, mud, giant lightening and thunder and darkness is as normal as it is for some others to see sun and dry land every day.

yet, they are saying that this is not still what it is called monsoon season, imagine what that can be.

politics, misunderstanding

2004-05-18T13:20:00.000+05:30

Decided not to talk about politics and the shit that goes with it. The situation seems to be way out of control, not only for Iraq but for many other countries and communities. And I can't even think what ’might’ be a solution.

As far as politics is concerned this is a dark horrible world with no bright future (which might be the case in many ways) but for many people there are still many things to be happy about and many places in which people do not kill each other or humiliate each other.
‘Like these backside neighbor kids who were playing a happy silly game an hour ago. To them this is cool to be alive... to be a kid.

I have to avoid thinking about politics. The depth of misunderstanding is so much that I sometimes can't open my mouth to say something. what's more, what is the use of just saying things when we can't do anything about it, sometimes you can not avoid misunderstanding even when you talk to close friends.

"It is the time for a new prophet" somebody told sadly.

Nick Berg

2004-05-15T22:28:00.001+05:30

The other day while I was surfing the Iranian web logs and sites I came across with a link to this horrible killing of Nick Berg. The fact is that I could have already searched and look for the link to that video already but I just didn’t want to see that.

ANDI SAW IT...

It made me feel hollow inside, made me sick of being alive at a time like this. I couldn’t believe what was happening, that some humans are doing this to another human. My head span and tears got into my eyes. Worse than seeing the scenes was seeing these deviated devil-haunted people shouting the name of God while doing it . Calling God in Arabic. I am embarrassed to see all this is done with the name of Islam and Muslims.

Just a few minutes ago I read a heart touching article of an Iranian journalist who a few months ago had to leave the country after he was under serious and dangerous pressure. His name is Ibrahim Nabavi. Oh God How much I wished it was in English so that I could share it with you here. And oh God how close his views are to that of mine and my many others and how articulate he is in addressing God and scolding him for so many atrocities and violence right at the time when we like to boost that human beings have passed the phase of being savage and we are now modern and civilized. From heart of the so called civilized world USA to the heart of poverty and backwardedness; be it Iraq or Africa we humans are doing the most uncivilized animalish acts. Here in Asia these people do it in the name of God and serving him and there American army people have been doing it in the name of nationalism, superiority and dominance.

And just guess what the world is coming to....
Just guess how these people who behead an innocent human on TV just because he comes from the enemy county and those people who make Muslim men hang around naked and do all those shameful horrible things against prisoners, are supposed to work their differences out and live peacefully so that we can live without terror.

Just think if the world today is more caring and more loving that before?

Just thing if the roots of prolonged hatred on both sides are being more established or we are replacing it with love and caring...

May be after all this is a real bad time to be alive...

Surrender

2004-05-15T04:08:00.000+05:30

Yesterday night I was watching a kindda documentary on Sathyan Baba, a sacred man in India. He is beleived to be a God incarnated to human the fact that I donot deny or accept.He is associated to great Sai Baba the great Indan sage/God who lived about a hundred years back.

He was walking gracefully in long red dress and the followers and beleivers; dark,fair,indian, or european were sitting on the floor on his way in a hope of being lucky enough to being looked at by him. He would occasionaly stop and look at a particular direction and smile or miracilously collect ashes or soil from the air and give it to some chosen ones.

There were some who could access his feet and feasted their soul with touching his feet while they were almost lying on the floor completely. There were this look in the eyes of some of these people, the look of begging the Almighty to be kind to them and entitle them with a 'Drashan' or a touch.

The small miracle which he was doing was watched by begging eyes all over and I found myself envying these simple people. They were so faithful in their belief and were surrendering themselves all over. Coz they are so sure and all they wanted was Him like they know the goal and trying to do the trip to the goal.

yeah...

Sometimes it is such a wonderful thing to have something or someone to surrender to. Something that you are sure is good. Something that is beyond you or above you.

Indian Election

2004-05-14T05:38:00.000+05:30

May 14, 2004

Indian Election

Today, Indian election results came out and to many observers' surprise Indian National Congress won the election over the Pro-Hindu-Nationalistic BJP party.

Since I came down to India, I have been trying to understand more about the country and real ways of peoples’ lives and ideologies. My perception of India has definitely not come from extensive traveling or seeing places as it is common among visitors. In my experience you will not grasp the culture of a place unless you stay in there for some time. The first weeks or even months of your understanding is nothing but a blurred collection of people’s unrealistic reactions to you as a foreigner and it is through the course of time that you start to compare and contrast and understand the ideologies and manners of a place. Yet I do agree that traveling into places of the same culture works like a solvent for an observer to figure out things much faster. Anyhow, I have not had that privilege due to some reasons and partly due to professional commitments.

On the other hand I have had the privilege to work as a teacher for some local people and that means access to abundance of first hand reactions and ideas. I had a chance to teach some nurses who were trying to make a move in their lives and move to USA to make a better future. I have been dealing with these typical south Indian young women for a at least 4 hours a day and thru the discussions and brainstorming sessions which were a part of teaching plan I got in touch with heaps of cultural awareness. Those trainees of mine may have benefited from my instructions and teaching (or may be not !!) but I have certainly benefited by taking a look in their writings, ideas, their ideals, their fears, their desires and the obstacles.

I have also been working as a professional with people and thru this I could make a wild guess how people look at things and how this is different from my own country Iran.

Yet nothing seemed to add up pretty well until I got myself entangled with reading books about Indian history and their great leaders. This was a real breakthrough for the whole picture to add up. Afterwards I could see the culture more clearly.

The books that I read about British domination and contemporary history of India came under two distinct categories; the ones written by British writers and the ones written by Indian. My background In discourse analysis and linguistics made it so easy for me to see how Britishers were trying to manipulate the then-simple minded people of India or even all these Asiatic region (as Nehru always calls it) and project the idea that not only there was no occupation or exploitations of any kind but also all they came down to do here (and fought so many wars for !!) was to give sense of modernity and freedom to these people. Isn’t this a claim still made by some even nowadays? ( see how old fashion we still are in the year 2004)

Any way, the discourse of those books were really simple in manipulation techniques compared to what is being done by press and TV channels these days. In fact there were more than few times that the justifications of things took such a funny pattern that I couldn’t help laughing in my merely secluded spot in heart of a rural woody area in India.( I think you know laughing alone is a real genuine thing to happen). The other side of writers come from India, analyzing the course of events and among these Jawaharlal Nehru's book THE DISCOVERY OF INDIA stands much more than a neck higher than others.

I really would like to extend my honor of getting to know the bright Ideas of the great leader and thinker in India whose ideas and analytic views of issues are so utterly inspiring and whose writing style enchants the souls. In this book which is written a few years before the independence of India during his last prison term in Ahmednegar he gives a full sentimental analysis of what constitutes India, its origins, history, dreams, drawbacks, and all.

Jawaherlal Nehru was by far ahead of his time and if he could implement even half of his ideas into people's head and the county, India would have long time ago started shining ( not leaving it to BJP party to claim it!!) I am sure he has been to some extend successful in doing this coz I am not in a position to have a comprehensive view of what India has been before. Nehru has been a major resource for Indian intellectuals since the beginning and Gandhi has been the link between those ideas and people at large.

Gandhi has been a sample of being an ethical muse for Indian who does not bend or change what he believes due to the pressures or disappointments. He lived a life of discipline and always insisted on his ways of staying ethical and being simple and surrendering to Almighty. He was the one who got the respect of all even the most ardent rivals and that comes only coming in tough with truth and having a determined mind to defend it no matter what.

You might be thinking that I am a bit carried away in talking about this and that but, I am making a point by all this. Gandhi Nehru heritage for India as it is called here comes from the decedents of Nehru nourished by Gandhi’s ideology and the Indian National Congress which is the main melting pot of all people who more or less share this vast deep view of these two leaders. Congress has been a major element in political arena of India ever since its formation. What I have been repeatedly saying to my friends here is that even being exposed to a tough of dreams of Nehru as a member of a family can be enough to make you a suitable political figure in India ( And at the same time I agree this might be a little too sentimental coz people change and there are always other intentions in an area of politics which I acknowledge) Yet I should clarify that I don’t approve of dynasty ruling in a political system and this position of mine about Gandhi comes from the rule of the game: what is good is good no matter how it is defended or attacked.

Today’s election is a big come back of congress to the office and the leader today is Sonia Gandhi. She isn’t an Indian born politician but people didn’t care about this fact as long as she can bring a bit of the virtues that Gandhi and Nehru preached. I hope she turns out to be a fruitful figure in Indian politics.

I believe that the structure of the government and the secular democratic principles of the system in India is already wonderful and the degree of stability and progress in a country with more than one billion people, widespread poverty, and specially with such a diversity in religions and languages is an achievement for India in the first place.

I will write more about India later.

So called Introduction

2004-05-14T05:32:00.000+05:30

NIK&NIK

!!!Supposedly introduction
Today I came up with a very simple name and got myself registered
for giving this interesting thing a shot. I cant help saying that it was suspiciously easy to do. Actually I am not sure if I can get this text uploaded or anything but the mere fact that I am writing this gives me thrill.
The name Nik&Nik may sound odd or too unrevealing but I couldn't come up with anything better may be coz I don't want to be revealing (LOL). Yet if any of you reading this have any idea of a better name please be kind enough to let me know
This is real funny I don't even know whether any one is going to read this or even worse whether this thing is gonna be uploaded correctly and at the same time I am asking you, my imaginary readers to help me with the name. Guess I am real in a rush to write some stuff and am excited about it. Hope I can keep up with it
This blogging is really amazing I have recently been spending a lot of time reading my fellow countrymen's webblogs and such huge amount of thoughts, ideas, and inspirations I came across with that made me start something.
I came across with so many fellow men with interesting though processes and mentalities, so many of them I can identify with, I can feel the nostalgia behind what they say, the dreams the project between the lines, the pains they share, of the lost hopes, lost opportunities, lost quality moments and all
I have been having some hard time recently to talk about issues with people around or rather I have become more of a quieter these days and yet by experience I know that we need to put our thoughts and feeling forward so that they are pushed out of mind so that you can move on with your mind progress
Thus, I found this opportunity to make use of this thing . And you know when it comes to think of it,f it doesn't really matter if only a close circle of friend will be reading this (or even I am making too much of overestimation about them) but as long as this makes me feel better I can do it. After all there have been so many thing I have started and left aside. I know you might thing this is too bad but I am telling you it is not as bad as all that you learn and move on. Or I don't know may be I am justifying myself
One last thing is that I actually intended to write this in Persian I myself don't feel like reading English Blogs written by Iranians but there came a big problem or I shall say two: first is that I don't bloody know how to type in Persian and if I want to do that I have to start as a stupid beginner to learn typing in Farsi and second is that in India where I am for now the key boards are not defined for Persian fonts so even if I can convince myself to sit down and try to learn Farsi typing I don't have the tools at least not for now and to be honest to you I am a little happy about it coz I have lost touch with that kind of commitments for learning.
All in all I am writing in English at least for now and will write about anything that I like, after all this is goning to be MY retreat
That's it for now I am going to check out how this thing works. Hope I can get it done
.Please don't worry this is not gonna be as stupid as this