Traveler to U.S

One of my best friends is coming to U.S in a few weeks with a student visa.I don't know if I have this from my feminist side, but every time I see a girl coming from Iran I admire her action a lot more than when I see a guy doing this!! This time the society has nothing to do with it; families are the ones I'm blaming: It is hard for some girls to convince their parents that they like to study abroad and this is while families let go of their sons a lot easier...I myself had some problems; my family didn't like the idea that I leave the country SINGLE! I did it eventually but took me a few years to succeed! This girl too, has had a lot difficulties getting here and I admire her efforts and I hope there'll be a day that the small societies, the families respect their sons and daughters choices and decisions as a grown adult.

Got me another car :)

Alright I bought a car; not a race car as I wished since they're expensive; the one I could afford was too little for me! Instead I got another Accord (same as my old one) but 5 years newer than the one I had. This one is a 2001 and has half of my old car mileage, it has 59K and I got a very good deal on it: I just paid $700 more than what my insurance gave me for the crashed car! So, you know what to do if you wanna upgrade your car: have it crashed or stolen!! and if you look hard enough you can find an upgrade not just a replacement :)

First Female DJ of Iran

I admire DJ Maryam and Ilove this song of hers; I share it with you; Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgW6HQqn4rM&feature=related

Car Loss

I was just in a car accident a few days ago and believe me for the first time I really saw death in front of my eyes: it happened on a bridge and I thought I was going down the bridge, so when the car stopped I was so happy to be alive that I got out of it right away, walked around; pulled the car out of the highway, called 911, and insurance, I forgot all about the pain I had in my back and later on, in the emergency room I had to pay for all these moving around's big time! but still I don't give a damn about the pain or the car, still so happy to be alive.I can't die yet thinkin' of what my mom would do without me ; she's not strong enough to tolerate that...
I'm ashamed to confess though that just the day before I was thinkin' of death and how easy it is. Once in a while I think about it and every time I think I'm really ready; and this time that it's gonna happen I'm thinkin' OMG flying down the bridge was not my ideal way of dying, this is way much scarier than any roller coaster I've ever been on!!!!!
Any hook; now, anytime I get depreseed I don't think of death anymore, thinkin' that I might see it in front of my eyes tomorrow! and STILL I owe a lot of prayers and stuff! So I'm enjoying it right now: going a lil wild with the car I wanna buy (lookin' at sports cars first, so I can fly with them on the road!! crazy huh?!)

Courage

I loved this quote and thought of sharing it since it's been in my thoughts for a while...

"He [/she] who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

Muhammad Ali

Are you sure or doubtful?!

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

Bertrand Russell

Back with friends...

Today Ramadan ended and I could go back lunching with my friends. I really missed that; I have not seen a bunch of my friends just because I could not eat! So I get it: eating is very important in our relations with others!I wish we did not need this excuse to see eachother though. For me just missing someone is a good enough reason/excuse to wanna be with a friend.
Anyway I need to start to put time limits on my lunches and since official "lunch hour" here is one hour,I'll try to keep it one hour only! Hard to do sometimes but has to be doable :)

Niyaz: The Hunt

I've recently fallen in love with this singer(Azam Ali), her voice and the song "The hunt" in particular; I had heard this song before (in Ahooye Vahshi Album), but for some reason I like her much better; here is the song (from Nyaz Album) and a live performance; Enjoy :)

Enstein realized that before me!!!

I have been working in a college math lab over 5 years now, tutoring math and physics.I have had many cases that I thought if I were that person I would've never ever touched any major that had any math in it, simpply because I thought that person was too slow to learn math. No matter how many times I would explain something he wouldn't get it,but HE STAYED IN THE MATHLAB FROM MORNING TO NIGHT if he could and even if he spent 10 hours on one problem he wouldn't give up. Sometimes it took days till he learnt just one single problem! Over time I saw the boy passing more math clsses with the same technique and he was eventually successfuland could graduate. This was a great lesson for me: I realized that sometimes being smart might not be a factor,sticking to it and putting effort on it is even more important.Looks like Einstein had done the same thing and had realized that long befor me(!) :

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Albert Einstein

A good quote

I read this quote and loved it, I though of sharing:

"Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect"
Mark Twain

This quote is very deep; it's agood reminder that hey! you're a human and can think! I gotta think and act before I get carried away by the crowd; the crowd might be stupid!!!

Ramadan Mubarak

The holy month of ramadan has started.This is the month when most muslims all around the world fast from sunrise to senset. This year I won't be working in a food place where smell of fresh bread and sweets make you suffer, but I'm in my office trying to read papers,browsing the internet, yawn and watch the clock to see how much has passed!!!! working in the bakery had this good thing that time passed very quickly and I wouldn't realize how I spent 10 hours there...
Well Happy Ramadan & Good luck to you with fasting :)

I'm back!!

It's been a while since I've scrapped down something here. So I'm even ashamed to say that I have a blog! The main reason is that I was in Iran for a month or so and didn't wanna be spending my time online too much, while I was in vacation; specially that the kind of intenet I had access to, was dial-up and after connecting our DSL line at home, I don't have patience for dial-up connections anymore!!
Well, not much new with me, other than being busy,busy,busyyyyy...:2 projects and 3 advisors + couple classes , a second job + housewifing (!) ; you can imagine right? But whatever the workload I wanna try to do it during the week and try to have fun in the weekend. I like how most people in here shut down their work starting Friday evening till next Monday and enjoy it to the fullest.This past Monday was labor day and we had 3 days off in a row;I could not beleive that some of my professors, secretaries,and students didn't even show up for work on Friday and start their fun & vacation a day earlier...Well let's just say that I hope I can follow their path and take these mini vacations among my busy dasys...Hope you all will be able to do the same :)

What a life...

life has its own tricks, surprises and shocks sometimes. this morning I got another bad news; This is the second bad news in this week: we found out that my husband's grandfather had passed away on friday, the same day our friend had the accident and died.I'm worried how a person can have capacity to tolerate such shocks.I'm worried about my husband so much since he loved both of these people very much.Thanks to our dear friends who had read the news and had called and comforted him he's much better, but still....
I pray that God gives us the tolerance to bear the pain of losing loved ones; Amen.

We just lost a dear friend this past Friday. I already miss hime and hat it that we'll never see him again; so many plans that we had that one day we'll do together.We still will do it in the memory of him and he'll be there with us...
I wish this accident news was just a joke, I wish death was reversible, I wish Jesus was here to make him alive.All I can do is pray for him to rest in peace and for his family to have patience & strength in this difficult time...

All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—

Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change

Emily Dickinson

A nice poem

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Frank Outlaw

Thanks Dr. Laura!

I have been reading/listening to Dr. laura's books recently on the subject of relationships. There was a book called "Proper care and feeding of Husbands" ; I strongly recommend this book to ladies who are in a relationship; The book is available in both Audio and regular format and it's easy and soft reading, and you can find it in the public library of your area. This book opens women's eyes to what they can do to ruin/save their relationships and I was pleased to hear of "women power" and how women can manage their relationship. The "how" of it though, was explained in that book. Since I have read it I feel strong relief, relaxation, happiness and love in my life; the things that were there, but sometimes I failed to see them or I would ruin them with my self centeredness... so here I am to say: Thanks Dr. Laura!

Starting meditation

Today, finally I went to my first formal information meeting about meditation.It's been more than a year since I have decided to join them and finally I did it!!Hopefully I'll be able to be calm in this hyperactive society as she(my instructor) puts it, and get rid of unwanted and uninvited thoughts. I'll be able to master my mind and she says that at the end you will be more human!! A nice human with a big mind power?! I'm not sure exactly how it works , but I let you know as I go on with it.
It's interesting how here in America everyone has to work a lot of hours and get frustrated with time limits and then find ways to calm down , have a balanced life and work more effectively! This won't be very essential in Iran(Where I'm originally from) since the society is not hyper active and so the people won't normally have a hyperactive mind...
Here are 2 main links my instructor has given me to checkout, so check it out if you're curious and wanna know more:

www.srcm.org
www.sahajmarg.org

Fair Fights

I'm here at work, supposed to be working I guess, but I'm a little board so I thought I write something here!! something I was reading last night and I share the results with you:
Finally I got my answers about fighting or not fighting, I mean, in a relationship... I was reading a book from the Gottmans couple (10 lessons to transform your marriage) and there was this note about couples who like to avoid fights and rather time take care of it ; as a result the couple's emotions might grow distant from each other and in some cases they have ended up cheating on their partner just because they found someone whom they wre comfortable to share what they could not share with their own partner! Awful, isn't it? So It's ok to argue as long as it's not out of control: we'll need to remain calm and respectful and as soon as it starts getting out of hand ( gets out of hand when you're too angry to think straight, or starting name calling, throwing things, raise of past hurts, etc.) a break is a must , but it's also important to return to it at some point wheather directly or indirectly...

!!

همه ميخواهند بشريت را عوض كنند هيچ كس در اين فكر نيست كه خود را عوض كند. تولستوي

A note/poem

Dance, as though no one is watching,
Love, as though you've never been hurt before,
Sing, as though no one can hear you,
Work, as though you don't need the money,
Live, as though heaven is on earth.

~Rumi~

True Partnership

This is a useful note for those who are in a relationship, deep friendships or even just living with a roomate.....

[True partners are those who] have balanced their needs and wants and [have] given just a little more weight to the other’s happiness, and that is doing your share and some more.
In a true partnership, the kind worth striving for, and frankly, worth discovering over, both people try to give as much or even a little more than they get. “Deserves” is not the point. “Fair” is not the point. “Owes” is not the point.
The point is to make the other person as happy as we can, because their happiness adds to ours. The point is , in the right hands, everything that you give, you get.

(By: Ann Bloom)

My brother's blog

This is my brother'e blog.I have inspired him to have one, so I ask you to read it please for encouragement:
http://mahfel-babak6.blogspot.com/

A lovely note [ in farsi]

اگر تمام جهان تو را دوست داشته باشد، این عشق تو را خوشحال نمی کند.چیزی که موجب خوشحالیت است، همان سهیم کردن دیگران در تمام عشق و محبتی است که درون خودت داری.این عشق دگرگونی ایجاد می کند

American Muslims in Politics

I was waiching a Pbs documentary on muslim americans and native american woman who was also a muslim had a grat point in her speech that had answered my question of why people of my background and middleeast don't like to be a polititian here in America, here is a piece of her talks:

"Before September 11th, the American Muslim community showed little appetite for large-scale political participation. A large number of Muslims were relatively recent immigrants to the United States, focused on settling down, raising their children and earning a living. Many came from dictatorships – countries where the democratic process was either completely unknown, or largely irrelevant, so they didn't trust the system.
September 11th accelerated the community’s learning curve dramatically. Now, Muslims are realizing they must stand up for their rights, as minorities before them have done, and voice their concerns about issues involving civil liberties, immigration law, and the Patriot Act. 9/11 galvanized Muslim Americans and forced them to become active participants in the political system, through advocacy and by running for office. "

if you like to read more about muslim Americans & their issues please click on:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/crossroads/about/show_muslim_americans.html

Do you feel like you need a vacation?

Do you ever feel like you really need a vacation? I really feel I need thatIt's been 2 years that I have been working non stop; no vacation: last 2 Summers fulltime at work and a couple of classes and during school year I had the senior design which is very time consuming and then studying for GRE while registered with classes and working at the same time plus my permanat parttime job which is housework ofcourse! ; after graduation I jumped right into the master's program without a break. Today I had 2 final exams so I really feel exhausted and really need a break. What I'm imagining is an island very quiet with ocean waves and seabird's voices only and for some reason I like to be there alone at least for a day; just to walking by the shore, thinking and relaxing and reading... no strings attached and no worries for anything...just picturing it makes me calm. How long has it been since you've had a relaxing vacation? sth specially for YOU and one that YOU hve enjoyed to the fullest?I know mine's been a while....

Sa'di

These days are close to Sheikh Sa'di's Birthday, The great persian Poet (from Shiraz, Iran)whom we have got a lot of "life lessons" . Here is a part of one of his poems which I like very much:

بنى آدم اعضاء يك پیکرند، که در آفرينش ز يك گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار، دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
تو که از محنت دیگران بیغمی، نشاید که نامت نهند ادمی

Of one Essence is the human race,
Thusly has Creation put the Base;
One Limb impacted is sufficient,
For all Others to feel the Mace.

Until one is committed...

Until one is committed ,
There is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back, Always ineffectiveness;
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
There is one elementary truth,
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas And splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
Then Providence moves too;
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred;
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one's favor
all manner Of unforeseen incidents
And meetings And material assistance,
Which no man could have dreamed
Would have come his way;
I have learned a deep respect
For one of Goethe's couplets:
'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it;
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. "

by:W.H. Murray

Happy Prohet Muhammad's Birthday!

This morning I heard in the news that today is Prophet Muhammad (Peace be uopn him) birthday. This reminded me of good old times when I was a better moslim! Now I'm not even sure if I can call myself a muslim...
A couple year ago, I got into an argument with one of my coworkers who was an African-American moslim. She said most of moslim countries don't beleive Iranians are moslims! since the people don't practice religion as much as other moslims do. I opposed this idea right away. Now I'm thinking if they have concluded that from what they've seen from Iranians who are in America, they're probably right! When there is a moslim holiday, most Iranin-Americans do not even know about it or even if they know they don't care about it. But American, African, and Pakistani Moslims celebrate it. Most of them even take the day off Fridays to attend the JamA'at prayers. I was so surprised of this when I came and I was wondering: what kinds of moslims are we? Can we still call ourselves moslims or is it better to say that we just beleive in God and no riligion in particular.
At the end I say my today's prayer the one I like a lot:
Ehdena'serAt'al mostaghim (==[God] Keep us in straight line...) This is my feavorite line from Quran and I hope I translated it right!

NiAyesh

[Note: This post is in farsi language or I should say finglish!]

khodaya, dar barabare har anche ensan mandan ra be tabahi mikeshanad, mara ba nadashtan o nakhastan rooein tan kon.

khodaya,be man tofigh e talash dar shekast, sabr dar na omidi, raftan e bi hamrah, jahad e bi selah, kar e bi padash,fadakari dar sokoot,din e bi donya mazhab e bi avam, khedmat e bi nan, iman e bi ria, khoobi e bi nemood, gostakhi e bi khami, mana'ate bi ghoroor, eshghe bi havas, tanhaeei dar anboohe jameeiat, doost dashtan bi anke doostat bedarand, roozi kon.

khodaya, bar erade, osyan, heyrat, letafat, rooh, shahamat va tanhaeeiam biafzayy.

khodaya, be man taghvaye setiz biamooz ta dar anboohe masuliat nalaghzam, va az taghvaye parhiz, masoonam dar ta dar konje ozlat napoosam.

khodaya, be man zistani ata kon ke dar lahzeye marg, bar bi samari e donya va lahzeei ke baraye zistan gozashte ast hasrat nakhoram, va mordani ata kon ke bar bihoodegiash soogvar nabasham.

khodaya, chegoone zistan ra to be man biamooz,
chegoone mordan ra khod khaham danest.
Dr.Ali Shariati

Goal

There was once a time that I was thinking of my goals... at that time I was still in highschool and very eager to LEARN everything. Then the time came that I had to go to a university a little far from home... That's the time I started growing up;I started applying my learned life values into action, by values I mean caring & loving people, sacrificing and of course sprituality and love of God. That was the time that I sat down and thought about life deeply, thousands of questions, thousands of why's... I'd wish so much that God could speak to me. He did, but through signs and in different words from different people's mouths and from different readings. that was the time of my "spritual revolution" and the result was setting a new goal in life: To become as close as possible to "PERFECT HUMAN" and I realized if I achieve that, that'll be the time that I'd die happy. Then the big question arises: Defining the perfacet human. I tried to search for roll models in family, friends, and society and had some success, but it wasn't enough. I read some of Dr. Shari'ati's books and those have helped a great deal, but I still haven't got all my answers.
I thought taking philosophy courses will help me "see" better, but it was not what I needed. At this moment I'm reading a book on Buddhism which is very close to what I need, but you my dear "reader" I could defenitely use your suggestions and opinions. Who would you define as a perfect human.

To Socialize or not to??

So many things in my mind that I don't know which to think: News & Media 's bias; Liberals and conservatives and the issue of abortion, and the most important the top, but "twisted" movie 300... and my personal issue: I am I too social?!
At work, I was called to be a "social bee" for my people & social skills, i guess because I was friendly and could make friends easily; as a result I am almost always in a big circle of friends. At this moment my number of friends seem to have gone way up! so many that I'm scared I won't be able to take care of each one of them as I'd love to and this makes me sad. I have ended up turning down lunches and delaying return of phone calls and this hurts me. So, is it really necessary to think of numbers: HOW MANY is one person's capacity? I guess it all depends on how busy we really are and what limitations we have...

My New Friend

Hey; this is the link to Zizi's blog, the one who inspired me to have a weblog. Enjoy: http://homeeverydaylife.blogspot.com/

Yey.. My New Weblog!

Hello
Alright, this wasn't hard at all! I just did a little research and found out how easy it was to create a blog. It's good to know that there is a place where I can share my thoughts with whomever; I guess I can get rid of my good old dairy notebook now; na I'll keep it!
Ok...Any thoughts for now? Not much; I just feel stronger than before in regards to emotional feelings and controlling them and that makes me real proud :)