Saba, Daydreaming

facebook parents

2010-12-14T23:23:00.003-08:00

kids here, kids there, kids everywhere... nothing wrong with it of course, it's just new to me ... probably should get used to my friends becoming parents, since I sure can't undo it! ;) if only I could find a way to be a cool aunt at least, it would make things much more fun. Looks like I can't communicate that well with kids after all...

you've got to love Stephen Colbert

2010-12-08T23:09:00.004-08:00

... in his latest satire on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy last night, he - while presumably defending the policy - said: "...when you're in combat, the number 1 thought in your head as the bullets are whizzing overhead is : I hope the guy who just saved my a** wasn't saving it for later..." ! I love this guy.

The hunt begins...HP7-part 1

2010-11-24T13:11:00.005-08:00

It's no news that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. I know all the books by heart and I mean it... I've read them over and over and have listened to the audio books multiple times and still can't get enough of it. It's a little obsessive, I know, but well that's me for you, an obsessive, magic-loving Harry Potter fan.

So you can imagine my excitement when the first part of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came out as a movie this last weekend. I absolutely loved it, and I think it was the right move to split the book into two movies since a lot of details would have been missed otherwise. The dark mood of the books is so excellently translated into the movie with the slightly unsaturated colors and the soundtrack. And although I'm not a big fan of Daniel Radcliffe's acting, I have to admit he's gotten better, but not as good as Emma Watson who played Hermione's role to perfection in my opinion. Most of the important stuff from the book were included in the movie and although I knew what was going to happen every minute, I still managed to get chocked up at some points... ahhh, J.K.Rolling, how I adore the magical universe you've created. There was also this AMAZING little short animation about "the tale of the three brothers" (you know what it is if you've read the books) which you'll love undoubtedly. It's no surprise that I absolutely recommend this movie, but of course you're either already a fan and will watch it, or you're not and there's no chance you'll enjoy the movie anyway!

of TV and other demons

2010-11-17T10:48:00.008-08:00

It's raining in Vancouver again (surprise, surprise!). The city is still beautiful, and very very wet of course... anyway, since there has been not much to do outside, I've watched a couple of the Harry Potter movies again, to get ready for the new one coming out this Friday!!yaaaaay! I've already got the ticket to see it this weekend.

I've also been watching 30-Rock and I think it's a very smart and funny series, which of course occasionally has some lame episodes. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin are just GREAT together and if you are looking for something to quickly cheer you up, watch this. Episodes are only about 20 minutes and you don't really need to closely follow the series to enjoy it.

Other than that, not much is going on except for work, and eating! For any of you who's in Vancouver, try the Irish Heather pub's Long Table Series, it's pretty cool and also surprisingly affordable. And although I think it needs a whole separate post on its own, YOU'VE GOT TO TRY VIJ'S. It's the best Indian food you've ever had and is of course nothing like anything you've ever had either! It's considered one of the best Indian Restaurants in the world and for good reason too. Try the Lamb Popsicle, or the Beef Short-rib and see for yourself.

"ehemmm

2010-11-10T17:26:00.001-08:00

...anybody out there?!" asked the self satisfied attention hungry blogger.

new addiction and more

2010-11-09T15:06:00.005-08:00

Cut The Rope ... I've spent hours playing this addictive little iphone/ipod game and definitely recommend it! I've finished all the existing levels and can't wait for more levels to be available. The little green frog is adorable and the hairy spiders are cute and annoying in their own strange way... It's also been brought to my attention that I kind of look like the little frog when I'm hungry... :D

On an irrelevant note, I went to watch Lila Downs live in Chan Center a couple of nights ago and absolutely LOVED it... I fell in love with her after watching Frida (she's got a bunch of songs in that movie) and after seeing her live, I love her even more now. Her voice is heavenly and her music penetrates the soul... listen to her and you shall not be disappointed. BTW, the concert was a joint performance with Concha Buika who has a unique voice and style. I don't love her, but if you have a chance to see her live you'll probably enjoy her music more.

The unbearable beauty of the fall

2010-11-06T15:40:00.003-07:00

This year, the fall in Vancouver is making me sad and nervous and nostalgic and happy, all at the same time. I feel like I've never seen a city so beautiful, as if it's not a part of this world. And then I wish I could be certain of staying here forever. And of course, it's not like I'm even going anywhere else anytime soon... I worry nonetheless! It's probably my fever and the unbearable beauty of the fall that's making me say all this...[excuse the photo quality, I took it with my phone].

The answer is 4 months...

2010-10-25T14:08:00.009-07:00

yep, looking back at my last post, seems like it took me over four months to come back and post something here, which is just not acceptable! I have been contemplating on putting a "closed until further notice" kind of sign on this blog, but I'm too attached to it to let go, not yet! At the same time, it is obvious with my heartbroken-ness issues at rest for now, and the PhD thesis in focus once more, the chances of me actually posting anything here is not getting any higher either... so I've decided to try and post about movies and TV again, and hopefully more regularly... we'll see if that keeps me (and you, dear reader) motivated. If not, I'll just call it quits and we'll be done!

So, during the past three weeks I have seen a bunch of movies in the VIFF, some of which I absolutely loved. Here they are:

1) Barney's version: AWESOME! I loved loved loved this movie. There is no way to describe the movie since the story sounds so simple: a politically incorrect man goes through a couple of decades of his life, dealing with his personal and social life issues, love, hate, marriage, friendship, and so on. It is based on a Canadian Novel by Mordecai Richler which apparently was loved by many Canadians over the years. I had absolutely no idea what the story was going to be about and was pleasantly surprised. The characters are easy to relate to, and it doesn't hurt either that the acting is absolutely amazing. There are crazy funny scenes and there are extremely emotional ones as well. And somehow it felt like it wasn't made for a certain type of audience, it wasn't too abstract, or too commercial, or too tragic... I think it was the sense of balance in the movie that made it so realistic and relatable. Anyway, see this movie when it comes out, you won't regret it.

2)Certified Copy: Kiarostami's latest movie definitely surpassed my expectations, mainly because I was getting ready to fall asleep midway through the film and I didn't... I can't say I followed exactly what was happening, but I definitely enjoyed it, and Juliette Binoche sure deserved the best actress prize in the Cannes film festival for her role. The movie basically spans over a few hours that a french art collector spends with an English author who has just written a book about the value of unoriginal art pieces (copies). I really enjoyed the dialogues, and also the film location which was somewhere around Tuscany, Italy. I recommend this movie if you can sit through two hours of dialogue (in 3 languages with English subtitles, of course) and not get bored.

3)Biutiful: This is Inarritu's latest movie and as much as I loved Javier Bardem in it, I can't say I was impressed. The film has a very dark mood to it, and tries to manipulate the viewer's emotions too much which sometimes doesn't work. The whole intertwined story lines is getting kind of repetitive in my opinion and this movie in particular was trying to cram too many stories in one package. Of course, you'll have to see this one just to see why Bardem got the best actor prize in the Cannes, but don't expect too much of it.

4) The illusionist: an animation from the director of "The Triplets of Belleville". It of course did not even come close to his previous film. I liked "the illusionist" mostly because it was happening in Edinburgh and the setting was beautiful and a little bit magical. The story however was slow and dragged on for a while longer than it should have. It felt more like a tribute to magicians, clowns, acrobats, and others from those lines of professions which are becoming obsolete. You probably want to rent it and watch it on a slow night.

5) Gold and Copper: a good Iranian movie by Homayoon Asadian, not excellent though, with some heart breaking moments. (no imdb link as far as I know)

6) One movie I don't recommend from the VIFF is: the neighbor, urghghgh, so unprofessional, and a lame story anyway. The only good thing it had going was the original score by Namjoo which I still have not found anywhere online.

I have also watched "the social network" and really really enjoyed it. The truthfulness of the story aside, everything else was perfect from acting to cinematography, editing, and the soundtrack. I couldn't help but admire the brilliance of the awkward hero. I think especially for people that have active facebook profiles (hmmmm, virtually everyone!) it is really interesting to see how it all started from a raw idea. Wait for the DVD but watch it for sure!

just to practice writing again!

2010-05-30T22:11:00.004-07:00

Man, I've been away from this blog for so long! I've almost forgotten how to write , it used to come so naturally to me, now it's a struggle and I'm sure it will sound forced in the end. But the hell with it! I'm not gonna give up on my blog yet, ... maybe a few more months will do it.

Anyway, where to start?! ...hmmm, oh yes, what about the series finale of LOST?!!! raise your hand if you're not sure how to feel about the finale... I've been swinging between love it/hate it/kinda like it for the past week. Right after watching the show I almost picked a fight with the Boyfriend (huh, bet you never thought you'd see the day!!!) just because he felt the finale was ridiculous! I'm a bit more melo now, and have to admit it wasn't the best ending. But honestly, what else could they do? the show was written into a corner with all the sci-fi/mythology twists and really, who can tell if a religious type of ending was worse than a time-travel or mythological based reveal of the island secrets?! ... so, in the end, I may not be as enthusiastic to recommend LOST for watching to anyone else, but it doesn't change the fact that I loved the series and its characters and will definitely miss it.

(BTW, the image is from last week's episode of the Simpsons... I thought it was funny!)

I have also seen Shrek 4D, and well, was kinda disappointed... not worth the extra 3 bucks to watch it in 3D... wait for the DVD.

What else?! hmmmm... I've been very bad in watching good movies... can't seem to motivate myself to sit through a movie that's worth the time... which kind of sucks, hope it's just a phase...I honestly don't want to be stuck watching movies like "clash of the Titans" for the rest of my life (and yes, I actually did watch that one, in the theater!...go figure).

so yeah, this was my half-ass attempt at revitalizing my blog... let's see how long it'll take me to come back this time.

the law of conservation of topper-ware

2010-03-27T14:11:00.002-07:00

...states that in an isolated society, the total number of topper-ware dishes remain constant in time, even if their individual locations at each time does not... something to ponder upon.

new addiction:

2010-03-15T18:24:00.003-07:00

...Baking.

and I'm not kidding.I feel completely weird about this one, but recently all I can think about are cookies, pies, and cakes. I think in a few months I'll be 10 pounds heavier, and of course still a student. However, if you could taste the "warm sticky toffee cake" I made today you would know the reason behind this obsession. I'm actually good at this baking thing it seems! :D

you know you've been somwehere too long

2010-03-12T10:53:00.002-08:00

...when the building janitor says to his friend (with you standing right there):"when she first came here, I thought she was someone's kid!... she was such a baby!".

shoot me... just shoot me now, please!

another year

2010-02-18T14:04:00.004-08:00

getting older... and more cynical... happiness is tainted with guilt when your friends are in trouble. It's my birthday, and I wish the world were just a bit more fair.

everyone is waiting for something big to happen

2010-02-10T18:24:00.002-08:00

... so am I. I hopelessly wish for a peaceful protest... Tehran is just waking up... it's the 22nd of Bahman.

My Part in the Winter Olympics

2010-02-10T16:05:00.006-08:00

... hmmm, I guess it's considered some sort of a participation if the Olympic Torch goes right by your department, AND your house! :D I am starting to feel excited about this whole thing finally... Vancouver will be very alive during the next two weeks.. or at least we hope so!

(pay attention to the location of the torch around 6:14 and 6:52 p.m.) :D ... this happens tomorrow night by the way! yay...

relationships are funny...

2010-02-02T12:27:00.005-08:00

As any reader of this blog knows, I've spent a good deal of my time, and my nerves, pondering on relationships, and I think I will continue to do so. It's just that when you're heart broken, sad, and angry it's much easier to write a post that can touch another person. On the other hand, when you're relatively happy and calm, as I have surprisingly been in the past few months, you don't get inspired as much!!! pretty sad and pathetic, but true... at least for me. So do I need a relationship that works, or do I need one that inspires me by being dysfunctional? I'm beginning to wonder if I really need the drama... I hope not.

Anyway, I've said all this so you understand why I need to write about movies again and here are some of the ones I watched recently:

Avatar: Well, need I say anything? I think the experience of watching it in "real D" was amazing... even if the story wasn't the greatest. I don't think there is any point in writing about it since everyone will probably eventually watch Avatar. Although I'm not sure how it would feel to watch it on TV. Loved the soundtrack by the way.

Nine: Well, if you ever watched 8 1/2 and thought it was not as interesting as everyone said it would be, then you should watch Nine and reconsider. It is basically 8 1/2 for dummies (like myself) and I don't mean it in a bad way. I think it conveyed the confusion of the uninspired director very well, the soundtrack was great, and of course Marion Cotillard was just a treat to look at. As a musical I thought Nine was great, and if you do like musicals you should definitely watch it sometime.

The Blin d Side: well, this was a typical well made Hollywood movie. Sweet story with some touching moments, a few jokes, and a happy ending. Of course it was based on a true story which made me really admire the main character, however I felt like something was missing from the movie. It might be just me though! anyway, watch it on DVD.

Paranormal activity: hmmm, it may come as a shock to some people, but I didn't understand what all the fuss was about? I didn't get scared even a little and I was watching it on a wide screen with a good sound system and lights off! Although, it might have been because everyone kept saying it was the scariest movie they've ever watched and how you couldn't sleep at night after watching it... high expectations, very little satisfaction!

9: loved it! great great animation and the little mechanical tricks were really fun too look at. definitely recommend it if you like dark animations.

Mary and Max: a very sad and somewhat depressing animations that you'll either love or hate. I enjoyed it very much... it's a bit more serious than you'd expect an animation to be, but it's worth watching. You'll certainly appreciate all the work it took to create the little hand-made figures and make the animation.

hmm, I watched a few more movies: District 9 (loved it), Bist (liked it a lot), 2012 (lame lame lame), Bandslam (funny and melo, not very well-made though). Ok... I think that would be enough for now. Will be back with more movies soon I hope!

just an excuse to update!

2009-11-06T12:32:00.005-08:00

Ok, so I'm sitting here in the library trying to get some work done. but it is a universally known fact that you can not get any work done until you update your blog! and you can not update your blog until you waste at least an hour tryng to come up with stuff to write about. and so after wasting enough time I thought I should just get it over with so I have no excuses left to not work. here it goes:

I used to be filled with ideas to write about, and in the past year I see myself getting less and less inspired. in writing, and in photography, and probably in life in general. is that a side-effect of staying too long in school and feeling unmotivated about anything and everything?! maybe. Or maybe it's because I used to whine about my love life a lot, and then just got tired of it...whatever it is, the only thing left for me to write about seems to be books and movies. and TV of course.

I have fallen in love with "the flight of the conchords"! It's so original, and so weird... this series follow two New Zealanders who are in a "digi-folk" band and like to get famous in New York City. Their characters are just unreal, stupid but cute at the same time and the songs are too funny if you listen to them in the context of the series. Their music (not necessarily the lyrics) is actually pretty good I think. Anyway, you definitely need a special sense of humor to find this series funny. Give it a try for one or two episodes, and find out for yourself.

I have also been watching "Law and Order: special victim unit" whenever I could catch it on TV and although I like it, I can't help but feel paranoid about everything after watching it. The whole series is about s e x u a l crimes, mainly involving women and children and it sometimes makes you sick to your stomach. of course the stories are fictional but it still hurts to watch! anyway, not for the faint of heart, but if you're into crime series it may be a good choice. it is a pretty old series as well, about 10 or 11 seasons, so lots of episodes to catch up on if you get into it.

hmmm, what else... I can't think of anything! I miss writing here... should try to update more often, with stuff other than movies and TV!

Coppola, Almadovar, and other tales from VIFF

2009-10-12T13:54:00.011-07:00

So here I am again, writing about Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). For me, VIFF is a big part of fall in Vancouver... I look forward to it every year and although I only manage to watch five or six movies, it still lightens up my October.

anyway, I have watched five movies so far, and have got two more to go. Here's what I thought about them:

Pandora's box: erhhhh... that's all I can say about it. I watch a Turkish movies every year and this year it didn't pay off at all! The film is about an old woman who gets Alzheimer and her dysfunctional family will have to face this among all their other issues. It mainly played with the viewers' sentiments and basically just made me cry without leaving any feeling behind.

Tetro: Francis Ford Coppola's latest movie was definitely a treat to watch. The story turned a bit Bollywood towards the end, but the images were absolutely amazing and except maybe for the last 15 minutes, I really enjoyed the movie. The whole movie is shot in black and white, except for flashbacks which are in color! cool, isn't it? anyway, I definitely recommend this movie, but beware of the length.

A prophet: OH MY GOD! Could this movie be any better?! I don't think so... the movie tells the story of a young French/Arab man (movie is French by the way) who goes to jail for six years and during this time goes up the ladders of prison mafia. I can't say how great the lead actor was! and the story was interesting on so many levels and nothing was done half-ass, and I can go on like this for hours. Apparently this was one of the main competitors for White Ribbon in this year's Cannes festival, although it didn't win in the end.anyway, watch it, watch it, watch it... you won't even notice it's 2.5 hours long!

My Tehran for sale : another errhhhh... why do Iranian directors insist on showing the "underground" life in Tehran when they are so limited by regulations that the end result is a mess of a movie that's got no taste of reality (or artistic value, for that matter) to it. The first half of the movie was so artificial and below average that I thought about leaving the theater, however it got better towards the end and in the end it was good if you missed Tehran and wanted to watch images of the city while listening to Namjou! not recommending it though.

Broken Embraces: last night I watched the latest movie from Pedro Almadovar, and although it wasn't a masterpiece like some of his older films, I liked the movie. It was light and funny and sometimes romantic. It had some "dark" elements but even they seemed comic somehow. Penelope Cruz was hot as usual, and some of the familiar faces from Almadovar's previous films were in it as well. This is a movie to watch as light entertainment or if you like to follow Almadovar's work, otherwise you won't miss much if you pass on it.

On a side note: I watched "Roman Holiday" again since it was on TV and enjoyed it as much as the first time. Honestly, how great is the last 5 minutes of this movie?!

a link

2009-09-14T12:58:00.005-07:00

this is a blog (in Farsi) that a friend of mine writes in a mainly minimal writing style. I find it funny, you may too.

the world according to Neil Gaiman

2009-09-14T10:26:00.002-07:00

"It is a small world. You do not have to live in it particularly long to learn that for yourself. There is a theory that, in the whole world, there are only five hundred real people (the cast, as it were; all the rest of the people in the world, the theory suggests, are extras) and what is more, they all know each other. And it's true, or true as far as it goes. In reality the world is made of thousands upon thousands of groups of about five hundred people, all of whom will spend their lives bumping into each other, trying to avoid each other, and discovering each other in the same unlikely teashop in Vancouver. There is an unavoidability to this process. It's not even coincidence. It's just the way the world works, with no regard for individuals or propriety." --from Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

it's so true!!

isn't it amazing?

2009-09-06T22:52:00.002-07:00

don't you think it's amazing how moms just bring the feeling of "home" with them wherever they go?

my mom has been here less than 6 hours and it already feels like our house is a warmer place.

Life is truly good now. :)

:D

2009-09-03T21:18:00.002-07:00

finally had my hair cut! :D feelin' much better and "light"headed...

what I feel these days:

2009-09-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ihatemyhair ...

how cool people spend their Saturdays:

2009-08-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

1) get up early and take the car for regular service
2) have awesome tea in a specialty tea store and read a while
3) buy a few pots and a big bag of potting mix and spend all afternoon re-potting plants
4) and finally, have a glass of wine, grill a frozen pizza, and watch Michael Jackson in concert on TV!!!!

I bet you all wish you were that cool, don't you?!

Of vampires and zombies

2009-08-24T12:51:00.004-07:00

having the great experience of watching six feet under previously from HBO, I was really excited about watching " True Blood", despite its vampire-falls-in-love-with-mortal-girl plot which inevitably reminds one of "twilight" (may all existing copies burn in a sudden and selective fire accident). Unfortunately I was disappointed!

Actually, the beginning of the series is pretty strong, The starting credits are just awesome with a song that goes really well with the images. And then you meet a few of the characters and it all seems very interesting. it's not until the third or fourth episode that you kind of realize that it's not really that well-made, and actings are not the best they could be and that some characters are constantly on your nerve. and in my case it took me six episodes to realize I don't want to watch this anymore. I might be tempted to follow the story though, just because I'm an addict like that and have to know what happens in the end. maybe I'll just read wikipedia! Anyway, it's a shame!

Here's the starting song by the way:

Title: Bad Things, By: Jace Everette

Also, I have been reading Pride and Prejudice, and zombies. So far, so good... it's funny, but not hilarious, yet!

Just a note:

2009-08-20T21:09:00.001-07:00

skype add-on on firefox creates a mess when using facebook.

Jane Austen, yet again

2009-08-18T16:09:00.002-07:00

Remember a few months ago when i was reading Jane Austen novels? For some reason, I just keep getting drawn to them again. Last week I started listening to the an audiobook of "Sense and Sensibility"... of course the whole thing was triggered by me turning on the TV one day to find the 1995 movie adaptation of the book showing on a channel. I realized I had forgotten the details of the story (surprising after so many times of reading it!!!) and would like a review. In order to avoid having to read a 5.0 kg book in bed (I have all of Austen novels in one giant binding), I decided to listen to the audiobook and it was such a great decision. I picked the version read by Nadia May, and absolutely loved it. She made me realize how to read the super long sentences in Austen's novels and make sense of what's going on in the dialogues.

I also think that after reading her novels time and time again, I am finally beginning to see the comedy in them, and find myself laughing quite often, which was not the case before! So yeah, another round of Austen novels in audio is probably on the way! :)

When hell freezes over

2009-08-17T15:32:00.004-07:00

...today, for the first time ever, I got to experience real customer service from Apple Canada's support staff. It took a long time alright, but after hanging up the phone everything I wanted was taken care of without me needing to do much other than giving them the serial number of my phone! It probably should be an everyday experience with customer support staff, but well, unfortunately for me that doesn't seem to be the case.

anyway, I just thought I should publicly announce my gratefulness!

ermmm, I thought I was smart

2009-08-15T14:10:00.005-07:00

My mind has been a bit unwell these past few weeks for a number of reasons. So I have been frequently forgetting stuff, misplacing things, and unable to focus on anything important. But the highlight of this constant confusion came last week when I went to a food place on campus to order a burger:

I ordered my food and paid, then the cashier lady gave me a piece of paper with the number three on it:

Of course, I'm looking at it from the other side of the counter, so what I see looks like this:

(if you're not Iranian, that's how number four is written in Farsi). So then I , using my brilliant mind, thought to myself: "this is very confusing!" and then actually asked the lady:" Is this a three or a four?!"!!!!! of course as I was saying it, it occurred to me how stupid my question was, but too late! ... the poor woman looked at me like she was looking at a retarded kid, and then very slowly said :"I think it's a three."... I was embarrassed beyond measures! and my friend almost peed himself laughing at me! [sigh]

Your romantic comedy correspondent reports

2009-08-04T14:12:00.008-07:00

One month and a few romantic comedies after my last post, here I am! If you're following the news on Iran you understand why it's hard to find the inspiration to blog these days, and if you aren't then you probably think i'm a lazy good-for-nothing blogger! either way, here's what I got to watch in the past few weeks.

The proposal: I lost my interest in Sandra Bullock movies a few years ago and the only reason i went to watch this movie was because it was a girls night out. Surprisingly though, it was an O.K. chick flick. at least it was funny! I liked the ending credits the best where there was a weird questioning session going on between the immigration officer and random characters. I wouldn't recommend watching it in the theaters, wait for the DVD.

A break from romantic comedies came with Harry Potter and the half-blood prince: At last, the movie I've been waiting for since 2007 came to theaters! As a big HP fan, I have long lost my faith in a good movie adoption, the movies so far have been average at best compared to the books. This book especially was one of my favorites in the series, since it revealed a lot of history on Voldemort and of course you had the terrible ending and all! So I went in the theater expecting an average movie as a separate entity from the book, and that's why I wasn't disappointed. If you compare it with previous movies, it is as good as the last one, and I also liked some of the locations like the cave where the locket was hidden. Anyway, don't have high expectations, but go watch it in the theater if you can, you'll want the whole package to enjoy the sound and the special effects.

I love you, man: do I really need to write anything about this? It was a romantic comedy that I think guys would enjoy a bit more than girls! It was funny, but not all the time. I didn't find any hysterical funny scene in it (unlike Hangover), but that might be just me! definitely wait for the DVD, or even download it!

and last but definitely not least (500) days of Summer: one of the sweetest, most honest romantic comedies I have seen in years. It was so simple and light, but true at the same time. Anyone who's ever been in a one-sided relationship will relate to this movie 100%. The soundtrack was AMAZING and the cinematic tricks were also smart and well-used. The movie tells the story of a guy who falls for a girl that doesn't believe in relationships, and as cheesy as it may seem to you in text, I guarantee you'll enjoy it whether you're a guy or a girl. I don't think Zooey Deschanel is the prettiest of girls in her photos, but on screen she's just adorable!

what I listen to these days:

2009-07-09T14:40:00.004-07:00

... KCRW radio. A couple of my friends from the States told me about it and surprisingly you can listen to it in Canada, for now at least! it's just an online radio, not one of those databases that learns your taste in music. But I like their songs, mostly! and anyway, they've got a "today's top tune" feature which is basically a song they'll let you download for free. Just thought you might wanna give it a try at some point, especially if there is a big musical whole in your life after last.fm went all commercial!

by the way, it's official: my ipod is dead. A memorial service to follow shortly. :(

happiness

2009-07-02T03:44:00.002-07:00

there's always a place to find happiness even when things are not going so great. So although things are looking ugly in Iran, I had a chance to celebrate a happy occasion: my best friend from high school got married today (hmmm, technically it was yesterday!). The whole ceremony was just beautiful and the partying was of course really serious since i'm sitting here blogging at 4:00 a.m.!!!

a few pointers for you bridesmaids though:

1) always bring an extra pair of shoes that don't make you wanna jump of a cliff just to get rid of the pain in your feet!

2) watch out for champagne over consumption!

3) do not lose the bride's purse at 3:30 a.m. and then call her to ask if she's in fact got it!

4) do not mention x-boyfriends in your speech!!! it's just awkward!

5) do not get too friendly with the groomsmen, they're all married already.

6)and last but not least: DO NOT, under any circumstance, think for a second that you can get a group of more than 4 Iranians to listen to you and follow a fixed plan!!

"Stuff I'm going to do..."

2009-06-07T15:11:00.006-07:00

This was a great weekend at the movies for me! I watched two movies, very different but equally entertaining: UP and the Hangover.

UP was the sweetest animation ever about an old man in pursuit of a childhood dream. It wasn't all funny moments, especially in the beginning I found it even a little sad. It kind of made you think about what you thought you were "going to do" when you grew up, and if you ever really got around to doing it. But anyway, I loved every moment of it and it didn't hurt that the whole thing was in 3-D. I definitely recommend watching UP in theaters if you can.

-by the way, the short pixar animation before the movie (Partly Cloudy) was absolutely the best! they just come up with the best ideas.

The Hangover of course was a totally different story! I laughed through the whole movie, and I'm not exaggerating. The movie had cheap jokes, I know, and was very sexist and sometimes even racist and homophobic, so if I wanted to consider it from a social perspective there was absolutely nothing you learned from it and it was actually kind of anti-educational!!! However, as just a movie it was HILARIOUS! I had zero expectations when i went into the theater, looking forward to have a few laughs to cheer myself up and it turned out that I had a lot more fun than what i thought. No need to watch this in the theater though, you can wait and enjoy it on DVD with your close friends, no family and please no children!!!

you know you're lacking real contact with people

2009-06-02T13:52:00.004-07:00

when you have to email the person in the office next to you to get an appointment for a 10 minute conversation! (and yes, you have tried walking in to ask him in person and it didn't work!)[sigh]

Books etc.

2009-05-29T11:13:00.003-07:00

"It is astonishing just how much of what we are can be tied to the beds we wake up in in the morning, and it is astonishing how fragile that can be." - Neil Gaiman

I'm listening to "Coraline" audio book by Neil Gaiman these days and it's kind of creepy! I'm liking it though. Probably I'll watch the movie too. So far, it sounds like exactly the kind of story Tim Burton would wanna make into a movie!

I'm also reading "the book of vice" on the side. It's pretty interesting actually, although sometimes I forget the point of the book! maybe I'll figure things out in the last chapter. It's a book on "naughty" behavior of people and possible reasons behind it. There are chapters on lying, s e x, consumption, gambling, etc. Anyway, it's the kind of book that you never think of buying for yourself but is actually a very interesting and smooth read.

update - Ok, I finished Coraline and it was the most scary kids story I have ever read! and I can't believe that Tim Burton had nothing to do with the movie! It looks like exactly his kind of stuff!

I take my victories where I can get them

2009-05-19T22:55:00.005-07:00

I appreciate all the little things that have changed, you can be sure of that.

It's amazing how things feel different just by looking at them from a different angel.

it's like they say: "context is decisive".

well, you can say that again!

No one knows everything

2009-04-24T13:24:00.003-07:00

Have you ever paused to think, for a second only, that what you think may not be the whole "truth". That you may - as impossible as it seems - be wrong?! that I am much more than you think, and you are too. Have you?

urgh!

2009-04-22T22:48:00.003-07:00

another favorite thing ruined: Last.fm now charges you if you're outside the UK, Germany, or the US! Oh Canada, why should you always be on the lame side?!

New addiction:

2009-04-21T21:51:00.004-07:00

... Following Adam Lambert on American Idol. Ashamed of it, but still very much interested in the outcome!

Wanting something so badly

2009-04-14T12:08:00.003-07:00

... and knowing you're not gonna have it. One of those feelings I absolutely hate, and am powerless against. I can not look at the big picture, can not be grand and "learn from it"... I can only be mad as hell, and wish for a miracle I know won't happen.

Rainy day woman

2009-04-01T17:08:00.011-07:00

It doesn't feel like spring in Vancouver right now: it's raining and I'm sick sitting at home writing these.

I went to see Joan Baez in concert last night and loved the whole vibe. She of course has grown really old and I felt her voice wasn't as strong either, but I still enjoyed the show. I was there with a couple of friends and we were literally the youngest people there. You would have mistaken the place with a senior house common room if it wasn't for the stage! It was funny when Joan Baez came on stage and said she was going to sing a song from her first album which came out in 1959!!! (I'll do the math for you: it was fifty years ago!!!!!) She performed some of my favorite songs including diamonds and rust, forever young, and the night they drove old Dixie down. And the last song was amazing grace when Baez was singing without playing any instruments and people were singing along with her. She also imitated Bob Dylan while singing one of his songs which was pretty funny. All on all, a great night with some great nostalgic music! :D

"I put a spell on you

2009-03-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

... cause you're mine." Muhahaha >:)

Also: Happy Spring.

Jane Austen Marathon

2009-03-09T12:45:00.005-07:00

While many chores are piling up waiting for me to attend to them, I have been spending my nights reading some of the Asten novels I had previously ignored: Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey. Reading Austen in English is exhausting for me. Having English as a second language and being used to more contemporary styles of writing, I have to read each sentence three times to understand the meaning (if I do understand, that is). While I personally don't find the writing amazing or anything, I find Jane Ausetn's morals very firm and clear. It seems as if she's got this image of a perfect person - how they should talk, think and act - and people who don't match this image are inevitably second-rate characters in her stories.

irrelevant note: it's snowing in Vancouver!

Lost in transportation

2009-02-25T14:24:00.004-08:00

So here I am again, after a LONG time. I've had so much going on with me that just thinking about blogging all of it was scary! So this post may turn out either extremely long or stupidly short!!!

1. I did the Landmark Forum three weeks ago. It was a very different experience than what I had expected. And I learnt a lot, but don't feel "transformed" yet. They have their own language for describing their mission and what you'll accomplish after the forum and I can't really explain what it was, expect that it could help you become extraordinary. I still feel very much ordinary of course! I do recommend you check out the centers near you (they're in many places) and attend an introduction session if you can.

2. I went to Japan last week! It happened without much planning beforehand but turned out to be one of the most amazing trips I've ever had. Nazly and I went to see Kyoto and Tokyo which were two completely different aspects of Japan. Kyoto was a peaceful place full of old temples and parks, while Tokyo was a metropolis like I'd never seen before (and I've been to New York city). We even stayed in a temple while in Kyoto which was an amazing experience.

Japan must be literally the most developed place in the world... including both technology, and the people. They had the perfect combination of old (and I mean OLD) traditions and history, and high-tech stuff. People were extremely polite, kind and helpful. We were amazed how many of them could understand the basic English words to understand us, even very old people. Strangers in the street would go out of their way to help you get to your destination. and everything was spotless and extra-clean. city streets were amazing, especially when you noticed the fact that there were no garbage cans in the street which meant you had to carry your garbage in your bag until you got home! every single person had a colorful cell phone with accessories hanging from it. I saw women as old as my grandmother texting in the subway! In general, I was shocked at how much more organized and efficient everything was compared to Canada (and the US, as far as I know). also, nothing felt fake, even the crazy Japanese fashion! Japan is like a different planet and Nazly and I concluded that: Japanese people are too good for this world! I know my respect for them has increased 100 times after seeing what they have accomplished in their country.

I can go on and on about how great Japan is, and still there would be more to say. So I just say this: save up your money and pick Japan for your next travel destination. you won't regret it.

Of course, we stayed in three different places in one week, and just moving our luggage without a cab was a major hassle. By the end of the trip I hated my suitcase, my camera case, my backpack, and even my fluffy jacket!

3. I turned 28 while in Japan! I didn't get a chance to feel sad or happy about it really. I wasn't sure when my actual birthday was because of the time difference so Nazly and I decided that it must have been somewhere around the time that a free park deer was eating our only map of Nara (a city near Kyoto)! no kidding! We were walking around admiring the beautiful animals and then decided we'd like some pictures of us with the deers. Of course we had no idea that they would find paper delicious, and this was how our map ended up as deer food. The coolest birthday memory ever, right?

Oh God, this is already too long, so I'll leave the Oscars out of it. there was nothing extraordinary about it anyway.

Told ya!

2009-01-12T00:33:00.000-08:00

yay! She won!

"it takes backbone to lead the life you want"

2009-01-11T01:47:00.005-08:00

I'm speechless. Revolutionary road is one of the best movies I've seen about life and it's mundane, boring, "hopeless emptiness". I had no idea I was in for such a treat when I got the ticket and now I just have to urge all of you to go watch it as soon as you can. The story doesn't sound so interesting when you read the movie synopsis but Sam Mendes has done a superb job (of course, owing to Richard Yates, the author of the original novel). The movie is about this young and supposedly perfect couple that live in the suburbs and lead a "normal" life. Until they realize how distant they've become from their dreams and everything suddenly falls apart.

All through the movie I found myself thinking about stupid compromises we make everyday in the name of "logic" and "sanity", but really it's all because we don't know what the hell we're supposed to get out of this life. Most of us don't have any real passion to pursue and so we stick to jobs we don't like and follow the rules we don't believe in until that magical moment we're supposed to suddenly find happiness. Well, I think we all know that happiness is not going to appear out of thin air, unless it's already within us. It's easy to blame everything on "responsibility", but as April Wheeler says in the movie: "it takes backbone to lead the life you want".

PS - Kate Winslet certainly deserves the Golden Globe for this movie.

Tomorrow in Downtown Vancouver

2009-01-09T14:34:00.003-08:00

There will be a rally against Gaza's bombing. It's in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. I'll try to make it, maybe some of you would have time to attend as well.

the world we live in

2009-01-05T17:52:00.001-08:00

... is a ridiculous place.

requim for a christmas

2009-01-03T13:20:00.003-08:00

two weeks ago I had so many plans for this Christmas break. so many things to buy, so many places to go and a lot of fun things to do with friends. However, here I am almost at the end of the break, and I have done absolutely none of those things! It started snowing like crazy the weekend before Christmas and except for a couple of dyas here and there it hasn't really stopped yet! Our car was buried in snow for two days and it was impossible to drive it anyway because of the street conditions! all on all, city of Vancouver just doesn't know how to deal with snow and that's a fact.

So what did I do in the past two weeks? I watched a few movies, including some Iranian ones. I watched "the death race" on DVD and I refuse to talk about it (do I even need to? it was awful.). I also watched "the day the earth stood still" which was ok. The story was weak in many places, sure, but there were some stuff in the movie that made me think about our way of life as a species on Earth and so it wasn't a total waste of time. Kiano Reeves was horrible though, I remember a time when i liked him as an actor and can't seem to remember why! I watched a few of the Harry Potter movies again as well and was reminded of how much better the books are compared to the movies.

as for the Iranian movies, I watched "ChaharShanbe Soori" and "Tofigh-e-ejbari". "ChaharShanbe Soori" was good, kind of sad as most of the Iranian movies are, but at least felt real. "tofigh-e-ejbari" on the other hand was a joke! TERRIFYINGLY BAD story with bad acting and it wasn't even funny. Don't ever watch it... ever!

so yeah, not much of a fun Christmas break in the end, really! I feel like I've gained weight from all the eating and not doing anything. I might go into hibernation for a while if the snow keeps falling like this.

ridiculous but beautiful weather

2008-12-21T16:47:00.003-08:00

Vancouver is just not ready for snow! you would think with one-week-in-advance notice they would at least put chains on bus tires! I had to walk up a hill in crazy snow because the freakin' bus couldn't make it... very disappointing. Other than frozen pipes bursting out on us causing hot water shutdown until tomorrow morning, the snow is just great! couldn't ask for a more pretty sight really... the city is covered in white after almost a whole day of snowfall. yeah it has interrupted the daily life in Vancouver, and yeah people had to cancel their parties and shopping plans and so on, but it is still cool to have snow. Makes me feel like a kid again, and I think it has the same effect on a lot of people. As they say - over and over again in every single mall you step in - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

it's snowing in Vancouver

2008-12-17T12:05:00.002-08:00

... and Vancouver has taken it very seriously this year, i might add, so it finally feels like I've come to Canada!... here's to real winters, and to friends getting married some eleven thousand miles away right at this moment! :)

Derakhshan's arrest

2008-12-11T12:13:00.004-08:00

Here's a link about him being arrested in Tehran. Freedom of speech for everyone, right?

related: http://freehoder.blogspot.com/

Artsy stuff :)

2008-12-11T10:41:00.007-08:00

Since I have nothing too exciting to post here, I thought I'd let you know about two of my friends' blogs.

Golrokh and Niyaz have both studied Cinema in Iran and are now continuing their studies abroad. they post some of their artwork (including sketches, animations, and paintings) on blogger and i personally like their stuff very much. I'm sure you'll find their work interesting as well. (I would write more about this, but art is so subjective and I'm afraid my take on what they do is completely different from what they have in mind, so I think it's better to let their work speak for itself.)

correction: I have no idea how I made this mistake, but Golrokh had actually studied graphic design in Iran!

new addiction: how i met your mother

2008-12-09T00:00:00.002-08:00

I've been watching it online for a while now and it's actually not bad! well, I guess you can say it's like a newer version of Friends, but it's still got some pretty decent jokes. The fact that one of the characters is Canadian is kind of cool too, although they usually make fun of her because of this anyway! I'm not saying it's like the greatest series ever or anything, but if you are looking for a funny series that's light and doesn't require any mental activity, then watch "How I met your mother"!

another round of bad movies + a good concert

2008-12-07T12:53:00.006-08:00

well, I know I said I wouldn't go watch Twilight, but then under the influence of some friends (you know who you are!!!) I ended up going anyway... and boy, was that a mistake! ... the first clue should have warned us even before entering the theater: everyone in the line was a girl, and under 15!!! we were literally the oldest people there... anyway, I thought the book was pretty average (even worse than average) in itself, but I could never imagine a movie made with such bad taste... The actors were AWFUL! and I mean REALLY AWFUL! Make-up was a joke, and soundtrack was a disaster... there was not one thing that worked in favor of the movie... and so I strongly discourage you from ever watching this movie... like EVER!

now that I got that off my chest, let's bash another movie: Australia! you would think Nicole Kidman + Hugh Jackman combination would save any movie, but nope! The movie was supposed to be an epic love story and it turned out to be a Hindi movie with Hollywood actors... All the magnificent-landscape-wanna-be scenes turned out fake and forced in my opinion, and almost all actors were performing below their usual standards. And why did it have to be so darn long?! anyway, do not waste your money on this movie, maybe watch it on DVD, but don't get your hopes too high.

The one positive event during this sad sad times for me was Kiosk's concert in Vancouver last week. I've always liked their work, and I absolutely love their new album : The Global Zoo. The lyrics are smart as usual, and I like the music a lot as well. They even have one song recorded with Namjoo! My favorite songs so far are "Pragmatism e eshghi" and of course "Yarom bia". You can buy their album on itunes, or buy the CD from CD Baby. The concert was much better than last year, and I definitely look forward to their future concerts!

It had been too long

2008-12-04T11:42:00.006-08:00

and I had almost forgotten the experience. It's funny how your memory sometimes can't do justice to reality.

I'll never give up "adas polo" for such a long period of time, ever again!!

Ok

2008-11-18T14:59:00.003-08:00

So since my last post apparently was too depressing and made some friends think I am on the verge of suicide, I am writing here to declare I'm totally fine. Writing depressing stuff is a venting action for me, so I don't jump off a cliff. But Thanks for all your kind comments and your concerns anyway :) I appreciate it a lot.

Now let's talk about Twilight. I just got the book this weekend and finished it last night. It wasn't that long anyway. The reason I read it so quickly wasn't because it was absolutely amazing or anything like that. I just wanted to get it over with so I can go see the movie this weekend if i'd feel like it. I'm not sure if I would though! I had the impression that I was going to be reading another book that would make me as amazed and entertained as Harry Potter books did. But it was far from it. The book was really more romantic than adventurous and that's why I think it will appeal to a younger audience, or at least a less cynical one. To me, the book was missing something, not quite sure what though. I read it anyway, but can't recommend it to anyone strongly, unless they are a fan of fantasy genre and don't mind vampires falling in love and acting all good and noble.

time goes by , but...

2008-11-13T23:13:00.004-08:00

The one thing that is worse than breaking up with someone is when you see evidence of them having a fling with someone else before/right after you broke up!!!

Of course there's always a chance that you're totally paranoid!!

Fall in Vancouver

2008-11-05T22:22:00.005-08:00

Vancouver becomes the most amazing place in the Fall, it's so colorful and pretty and cinematic, I can hardly contain my joy looking out the window!!! best thing to do these days is to just walk around while listening to a favorite song. hmmm.

2008-11-05T11:23:00.002-08:00

Good for you America! and hopefully some good will come out of it at the end.

Airport babblings

2008-10-11T07:01:00.005-07:00

So here I am sitting in Amsterdam Airport, travelling to Iran once again, and realizing I'm a true internet addict since I'm willing to pay 12 freakin' Euros for 90 minutes of wireless internet!

Amsterdam airport is nice and big and has lots of seating which makes it a heaven compared to Frankfurt airport. but I don't really feel like writing about the airport. let's talk movies, shall we? :D

I watched Gomorrah and 3 women as my last two movies in the film festival. Well, Gomorrah totally disappointed me! I probably didn't get the point of teh movie, but to me it was long, boring, and ...well, pointless! maybe if the movie wasn't so long and the show wasn't so late I would have enjoyed it more, but anyway not a favorite at all!

As for 3 women, I liked the story, although there were some serious logical goofs in it, and the acting wasn't exactly the best. The film is about a workoholic, successful woman who somehow loses her young daughter and her mother in one day. As she searches to find them she starts to learn more about them and herself. A lot of emphasis is placed on the value of history and ancient artifacts of Iran (especially Persian carpets), even if sometimes it seems forced. In the end I think we see that they are all bound together not just by blood, but by this history, the land, and the life itself. I recommend seeing this movie, do not expect too much from it, but it's worth watching once.

something to think about

2008-10-08T13:44:00.002-07:00

along the line of me becoming so spiritual and forgiving (!) (read previous post), I have been thinking about something that the yoga instructor in my class mentioned the other day:

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

She had learnt this from her teacher, I'm sure it's a very famous saying but don't know who said it in the first place. Anyway, the point is: pain does not have to bring suffering, if we chose to act upon it and bring something positive out of it ( i know, i know, a lot more easily said than done). Instead of hurting, we can try to deal with pain consciously, something I personally never do. I usually suffer for a long time, and then run away from pain, and try to let it go away without me noticing. It never does though, it'll just go hide somewhere and when you least expect it, will come back to torture you.

Hmmm, I have to think about this process more carefully, who knows, maybe one day I too will be able to stop suffering consciously.

I had an epiphany:

2008-10-07T12:21:00.001-07:00

hating people is so much harder than loving them! you have to keep reminding yourself that you hate their guts and it takes way too much energy. Not sure if it's worth it unless it comes naturally to you!

Movies, movies, movies

2008-10-01T00:32:00.007-07:00

VIFF is back once again and I'm enjoying it so far. I've watched only 3 movies so far, and here they are:

Waltz with Bashir: it was an Israeli animated documentary of the massacre in Sabra and Shatila and was absolutely amazing! It was strong and interesting and kind of reminded me of Persepolis in a remote way (Persepolis is still better in my opinion though). The main character of the movie actually is the director himself and the movie is his quest to remember what happened in the massacre, when he was a 19 year old soldier in the Israeli forces present in Lebanon. It's disturbing but not too exaggerated in my opinion. A must-see for you serious animation lovers.

three monkeys: This Turkish movie was unfortunately not as interesting to me as I had hoped. Three monkeys is a reference to a proverb that says: "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" and basically tells the story of a family that decides to close their eyes on the truth and stick together in a very messy situation. Don't get me wrong, it's not a sweet tale of family love, it's actually very dark and dramatic and kind of depressing with no background music and not a lot of dialogue. I could see why some people might actually like it, the cinematography was very good and acting was good too... but I didn't exactly love the plot. anyway, this is not a good choice if you get easily bored, I was ready to enjoy the movie but fell asleep during the first 15 minutes!!!

And last but definitely not least is the song of sparrows: Majid Majidi has once again created a story about real people with real connections that's moving but sweet at the same time. He tells the story of a guy who tries to be a part of the big cruel world of a big city, but realizes that his happiness lies in his own small community. The love between a father and his children is pictured beautifully. I had expected to see a very sad movie, but although there were some sad moments, the movie was filled with hope and optimism. I think Majidi would be a perfect nemesis to Von-Trier in that regard! :) everyone should watch this movie, it deserves all the good reviews it's got!

:(

2008-09-27T11:30:00.002-07:00

Paul Newman died yesterday.

weepy movie

2008-09-24T23:07:00.004-07:00

Do they have to make such sad sad chick flicks in Hollywood? I thought the whole point of the chick flicks were their happy endings! [sigh]
don't bother watching this movie unless you're looking for a reason to cry!!!

Water

2008-09-22T23:08:00.002-07:00

not necessarily a masterpeice, but Water was a good movie to watch to get into the festival mood I think!

It is about the lives of widows in India and how they're supposed to half-die with their husbands. I was shocked to see how women were treated, but then injustice and misery have no limit and for women it has been observed over and over again. Watch it when you get a chance.

I'm excited to see "Heaven on Earth", the new movie from the same director in VIFF.

introducing CBC radio 2

2008-09-22T14:23:00.003-07:00

I have recently started listening to them. so far their Jazz channel sounds ok to me. you can't skip any songs which sucks. but at least it's commercial-free. definitely not as good as last.fm but still a good online radio.

The truth is...

2008-09-20T23:14:00.003-07:00

... we ran out of time.
now you're looking for me... or anyone like me.

Title: Koop Island Blues, By: Koop Feat. Ane Brun

I really like this song! :)

a movie about idiocy

2008-09-19T10:16:00.004-07:00

I watched "Burn after reading" and absolutely loved it! Ok, so it wasn't like "No country for old men"... but so what?! It was funny and smart, and so hilariously pointless!

Everything that happened in this movie could have just as easily not happened, if people in the movie were actually capable of logical thinking. But since they're all perfect idiots, you end up with a movie that makes you laugh all along. So, if you like movies that have really well thought plots and are full of logic and facts, don't watch this movie!

as a conversation in the movie goes:

" - so what did we learn from this?
-Um... I don't know. "

why?

2008-09-15T21:51:00.006-07:00

when you break my heart so terribly, why should I still be your friend?

Richard Wright Passed away.

2008-09-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

It's a sad mid September day.

VIFF schedule is out...

2008-09-07T13:22:00.006-07:00

life is good again, and although I probably won't watch more than 4 or 5 movies, I can't help feeling excited about it.

view schedule here

Who would have thought

2008-09-03T14:32:00.004-07:00

...when we first started school some ten years ago, that we'd be here now? Who would have thought that those innocent, inexperienced and sometimes weird kids would end up being us? some of us never even became close friends until after graduation... but there was the intertwined web of human relationships that connected us all in unexpected ways. Over the years, people I knew in separate worlds ended up being best friends, partners, husbands and wives. Friends collided and overlapped with family. Some got distant and some got inseparable. Some got into rough patches, some glided on smoothly on their way. some found happiness in their own special way, some are still searching. I've seen my friends grow up and through them, I watched myself grow older. But I'm sure of one thing: they may not be innocent or inexperienced anymore, but most of them are still the same weird kids inside. I know I am.

من دیگه کم آوردم

2008-08-28T20:12:00.007-07:00

لطفا گیج زدن های خانم طاهره رحیمی را بخونید و حال کنید! آخه آدم چی میتونه بگه به زنی که همجنسای خودش رو اینقدر دست کم می گیره و ازدواج نکردنشون رو باعث ایجاد شرایط اضطراری می دونه؟

"...حتی اگر تمام عالم را به زن بدهند باز هم زن نمی تواند بپذیرد که شوهرش همسر دیگری اختیار کند چرا که این خلاف فطرت زن است. من معتقدم رضایت زن چه باشد و چه نباشد نه عقلی است و نه شرعی. ماده 23 که شرط رضایت زن را برداشته قانون بهتری است چرا که اگر قرار بر اجرای ازدواج مجدد باشد با مشت و لگد و زور هم که شده زن را مجبور به دادن رضایت می کنند پس رضایت زن معنا و مفهوم ندارد. ..." !!!!!!!!

گلرخ نفیسی این تصویر را به طاهره رحیمی تقدیم کرده: "...که بعد از خوندن مصاحبه ش تصویرش برای همیشه توی ذهنم ثبت شد تصویر آدمیزاد بیچاره ای که زنده بودن را هرگز تجربه نکرده.."

something totally irrelavant

2008-08-21T12:40:00.003-07:00

I am in the middle of making this presentation for a meeting tomorrow, and suddenly I get carried away by my daydreams as usual. remembering great moments spent with friends, I realize something obvious: love makes you drunk. and I don't mean the romantic kind. I mean the love your family and friends give you, and how it makes you feel light headed if you receive it intensely in a period of only a few weeks long.

How simple moments become colorful and simple conversations turn hysterically funny and simple plans sound exciting. It makes me wonder: do I miss the routine life I used to have back home, or do I miss the drunkenness that comes from overdosing on love and friendship?

I'd love to contemplate some more and come up with a theory, but the slides are waiting ... maybe later.

Hamoun in Vancouver

2008-07-30T15:24:00.002-07:00

In memory of Khosrow Shakibai, Hamoun is screening in Pacific Cinemateque in downtown Vancouver on Tuesday, August 12. Show starts at 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30. You can get your ticket at the door as far as I know. I will update you once I know more. You can also check out Cafe Radio's show for this week for more information.

Pink Martini, one of my all time favorites

2008-07-28T23:44:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to write about Pink Martini for a long time. I heard them for the first time two years ago through a friend. I instantly fell in love with them... their work has this 1940's feel to it, but at the same time is fresh and young. Their melodies feel familiar, although the lyrics are original most of the time. Pink Martini is based in Portland, Oregan, but the founders of the band met at Harvard! The lead singer, "China Forbes" has this heavenly voice (you have to see her live to understand what I am saying!) that you just can't help but love.

Pink Martini's music is very international. they have songs in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic! I saw the band's performance live last month during Vancouver's international Jazz festival and all I can say is don't miss them if they every come around to your town!

Unfortunately, some ongoing technical difficulties (!) have resulted in me not being able to upload music for this post. I waited a few days, but decided to post this without a sample song. It was pretty hard for me to pick a favorite song anyway. You can go on you tube and listen to whatever is available from Pink Martini and pick your own favorite. (do not miss out on songs from their latest album)

My Batman Marathon

2008-07-26T22:07:00.005-07:00

I can not believe I had missed on such a great movie! (great movies I have to say now)

I spent the last 6 hours of my day watching Batman begins and the Dark Knight basically back to back. I watched the first one on DVD, hoping to understand what all these hard core fans were talking about. How could a Batman movie be this good?! and I was surprised (in a good way) and loved the movie so much that decided to devote a Saturday afternoon and go see the sequel. What I loved about both movies is how no one character steals the scene. There are maybe 10 different characters that are all important to the dynamics of the story, and they are all so well developed, and well acted too.

I absolutely loved Batman begins because of the background it gives on Batman and how he became who he is. The fact that Batman is a human like everyone else that learns to be a hero is something that separates him from other superheros like Superman or Spiderman. He's more like James Bond, with better morals!

And Christian Bale was awesome. Let's face it, you can only act so much when you have a mask on your face, and I think in all the un-masked scenes he was pretty good. The Dark Knight had more of the masked Batman in it, so I can't really say much about Christian Bale's acting, but I thought Aron Eckhart did a great job in the movie.

I recommend both movies strongly. There's a reason they've got such high ratings on imdb.

The not-so-imaginary future of Earth, if we keep on living like this!

2008-07-17T10:32:00.004-07:00

...or, the adventures of the cutest (and the only) robot on Earth! This would somehow summarize the story of the movie I watched last night: Wall.E.

Wall.E is so cute, you'll find yourself aw-ing all through the movie! It is amazing that the only words he says is his own and Eve's (the white super-robot) name, and yet you can feel all sorts of emotions in these words, depending on the situation! Apart from all the funny and romantic and cute moments that happen in the film, what interested me the most was how the movie showed the future of Earth, all covered in garbage (and clearly as a result of crazy consumption' you could see the remains of huge supermarkets and gas stations, etc), and also the future of Earth people, who were living with the most advanced technologies imaginable and yet their lives were so empty. I am not trying to read too much into this film, but I honestly think it's a great thing if kids' cartoons occasionally have a message as well!!

All in all, I had a great time watching Wall.E and so recommend it to everyone. I haven't met a single person that hasn't liked it.

Another awesome thing about last night was the short Pixar animation that preceded Wall.E: Presto. It was one of the funniest short animations I had seen. You can see a sneak preview here. The whole film is a comical fight between a magician and his bunny who wants a carrot, but can not get it.

hmmmm, oh, ok, I also watched Shortbus a few days ago. Not at all what I had expected. Except for crazy s e x scenes, I couldn't understand what all the excitement was about!

my most unfavorite chocolate flavor:

2008-07-16T16:22:00.002-07:00

mix of chocolate and mint! urgh!

days go by

2008-07-13T23:38:00.002-07:00

... and nothing really changes. nothing progresses. nothing happens.

It's all nice and sunny in Vancouver. Hope all is well with you.

whiningly yours,

S.

a note to listeners (!)

2008-07-01T13:58:00.002-07:00

ok, I've read up a lot on this whole autostart thing in FireFox and apparently for some reason FF doesn't recognize autostart=false and I couldn't find a quick answer anywhere. however, Mozilla now offers an add-on called "Stop Autoplay" that you can install and forever live autoplay-free. I hope you either use IE or install this add-on and never have to open this page again to music being autoplayed!

I thought that you were wise

2008-07-01T13:30:00.004-07:00

... but you were otherwise.

Title: Otherwise, By: Morcheeba

Yet another return

2008-06-16T14:09:00.002-07:00

It gets kind of exhausting starting over again every time you go home and come back. Less motivation every time, at least for me. Not that I didn't miss Vancouver with its supply of Oxygen(!), cold breeze, and beautiful daily sceneries. It's just that I think I miss Tehran more.

Well, not exactly Tehran , but I miss life in Tehran. I miss my parents, and brother and sister and grandparents, and uncles and aunts and cousins and the few friends that are still there. I miss being spoiled for nothing, and being appreciated simply because I'm part of a family. I can not believe I am thinking all this now, while two years ago I was doing just fine. It's probably the PhD taking its toll.

All this said, I had a blast in Tehran. I spent most of my time with my family but ended up taking two trips to Taleghan and also Rasht/Masooleh area. I felt the real summer heat for a while before coming back and wearing the exact same coat I was wearing all winter and carrying an umbrella everywhere.

movie report:

1. Dayere Zangi: definitely watch it. a great work for a first-time feature film director. very funny and smart.

2. Kung fu Panda: that chubby panda is the cutest and the movie is pretty funny. my favorite quote: "There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness".

3. Sex and the city: please don't watch this movie, even if you liked the series! It was soooo long, had no solid storyline, and messed up all the good memories I had from the show. I'm very disappointed!

random point: Madonna's tickets are sold out and I, being on vacation, totally missed it. Now I either have to pay $300 for a ticket or sit home and feel sory for myself. I always wanted to see her live.

vacation

2008-05-03T10:05:00.002-07:00

I haven't been writing much lately so I guess it really doesn't matter if I say this, but I am going back home for a few weeks, don't wait up! :D

mental note to self

2008-04-25T15:15:00.002-07:00

"when you finally graduate and get a job with e real income, remember to take your student friends (if you still have student friends, of course) out and buy them dinner! it's a very nice gesture!" :)

women and s e x uality

2008-04-18T17:14:00.002-07:00

there has been this discussion going on in Iranian blogs on women's point of view in s e x and their stories. It has become a heated debate! I personally think it's about time women write about this stuff. This post has quite a few links that you can check out and see what you think.

The day that just wasn't mine!

2008-04-15T20:09:00.002-07:00

So today was just one of those days... I woke up, and thought to myself: "hmmm, I should bike to school today!"... happy with my super-athletic self (!) I started preparing for the 15 minute journey!!! I made my lunch, took a change of clothes, got my gloves, helmet, bike lights, and my phone's hands-free. I went to the bike room, got the bike out, and went out the door, guess what?! I left my keys inside the bike room... and I'm outside, no-one's home, and there is no freakin' way I can get in!... after waiting around for some time hoping that someone comes out of the building, finally this guy let me in. anyway, that 15 minute trip stretched to one hour just like that!... then I had to go to the library at some point to get some articles copied. I had only 4 dollars, and no copy card. Turns out you need $1 deposit to get a copy card and then each page costs you 12c!!! (it's outrageous!)... and there is no other way to recharge your card except for $1 and $2 coins! Long story short, I could not copy even one article fully (they had to be soooo long!) and had to walk back all across the campus empty-handed!!! and last but not least, I left school in a hurry and when I got home, guess what happened? I HAD LEFT MY KEYS IN THE OFFICE!!!! life can be so freakin' ironic sometimes!!!

Give it up for Bob!

2008-04-08T21:21:00.003-07:00

Bob Dylan wins this year's Special Pulitzer prize! :)

Just a link

2008-04-07T11:18:00.005-07:00

so this post is about a month late, and you might have already known about this, but I just found out, thanks to pooya. Apparently, radio Zamaneh had this online festival for international women's day: "the forbidden voice of woman" (my translation, of course!)... it's got some good and some not-very-good music from Iranian women working as musicians worldwide. Take a look if you haven't already.

funny blog

2008-04-02T11:56:00.005-07:00

I found this really funny blog yesterday: stuff white people like. I have read a number of their posts and some of them are hilarious! The writers (Christian Lander, and Myles Valentin) criticize - in a satirical way - the interests of what they call "white people", which mostly are just the ones that think too highly of themselves or consider themselves educated and above-average (including myself! while reading the posts I realized half the stuff they mention is true about me, and I don't think I'm considered white!). Some of the interests for example include: Asian girls (my favorite!), San Francisco, non-profit organizations, Recycling, ... .

This blog is actually very popular. I think they are pretty new (since their archive doesn't go before January 2008) but have already had over 20 million hits!!! and Target has in fact recently bought them to use their blog for promotional purposes! anyway, thought you might enjoy their posts as well! :)

Mostly Martha

2008-03-28T18:29:00.004-07:00

I never got to see no reservation when it was in theaters, but yesterday I watched the original German movie that it was based on: Mostly Martha. The movie is about this angry chef who suddenly is responsible for raising her niece and during the process gets to know herself better.

I really liked it, and since I like Martina Gedeck better than Catherine Zeta-Jones, I bet I wouldn't like the Hollywood version as much. It's got some sad moments, but in general is a happy movie and has one of those happy endings that you know is only possible in fairy tales. But still, worth watching, especially if you're into food!

Norouz and the inevitable urge to post something

2008-03-25T19:16:00.004-07:00

well, i thought about writing something about how great Norouz is and about coming of the spring and blooming of the flowers and so on... but it's kind of too late now, and so I just say Happy New Year!

Now to continue on with the usual(!) stuff in this blog: I have seen a lot of movies during the past few weeks, and here's a quick rundown of the ones I remember.

The Jane Austen Book Club: an absolute favorite... instantly went up right beside "Love Actually"... watched it twice already and will watch it again anytime! A super melo romantic comedy that's also smart for a change. And no, you don't have to have read the Austen books to enjoy this movie, although you may like it better if you have.

The accused: I can't believe I had not watched this before. Jodie Foster is absolutely amazing! deserved the Oscar for sure. The movie is about this girl who gets gang raped and then tries to get justice on her side. I thought it was well-made and so definitely recommend it!

Bitter moon: hmmmm, here's one movie I didn't like as much as I had expected! And I have to blame the lead actress (Emmanuelle Seigner) since she was just so not believable! Peter Coyote on the other hand was too good to believe! The movie tells the story of a couple whose relationship changes drastically from passionately loving each other to a completely hateful state. I thought the story was interesting, but didn't exactly love it. so all on all, it wasn't a masterpiece in my opinion but i know many people disagree! also beware that you probably don't want to watch this with kids in the room :)

Superbad: :D one of the funniest movies I have watched in a while... I know, I know, it looks like there are a million movies made about high school kids and they're all lame... but you gotta watch this one! I think it's one of the best among movies that are made about North American high school life style! do not even trust the trailer, because it made me not wanna watch the movie... i was actually forced to watch it but am so glad it happened! a great choice for when you feel like laughing at a not-so-deep comedy.

hmmm, can't remember anything else that was significant! have to go cool dinner now. So, later...

snapping out

2008-03-16T20:53:00.002-07:00

It happened one rainy afternoon in a downtown coffee shop, while talking to a friend. She had just started complaining again when it suddenly hit her: she was complaining, AGAIN!

There is a time to snap out of everything: love, hate, excitement, boredom... and apparently even emptiness!

Not that she's suddenly all happiness and energy. She's definitely not jumping up and down. But maybe she'll pick up her camera after ages and takes a few photos, maybe she'll start writing more often...maybe she'll even start planning a trip.

Everyone has the right to feel down every once in a while, right? sometimes it just takes a long time to feel better.

seasonal depression and more

2008-03-05T21:43:00.004-08:00

Well, it's pretty obvious that I can not think of anything to write anymore! It's mainly because I'm feeling like Sh** most of the time, and when I don't, I'm usually outside doing something else! I don't know if it's the fact that I'm going to miss yet another "eid" with my family, or is it the PhD stuff not going too well, or what? all I know is that I can not think of anything fun to write about!!! I even watched a couple of good movies, but still nothing!

emptiness prevails... at least for now.

"- What have we always said is the most important thing?

2008-02-21T23:44:00.003-08:00

- Breakfast?

- family."

(dialog between Michael Bluth and his son from Arrested Development, pilot episode)

... it's so true!

super whats?!

2008-02-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

why is the US election system so damn complicated?!

27, and counting!

2008-02-18T18:39:00.002-08:00

well, i was supposed to nag some more about getting older and stuff... but I don't feel that bad after all! :) good friends can make even aging enjoyable... also, I found out that my BD was on the same day as the " Sepandarmazgan " or "Esfandgan" celebration... a day to celebrate love and women!! so that's something to be happy about, right?

anyway, no complaining from me this year, I'll save it for my 30th (if this blog still exists, and you all just better skip that one post!)

Not ready to make nice

2008-02-15T22:37:00.005-08:00

I have been meaning to watch "shut up and sing" for a while now and tonight I finally got the time to do it. It was as good as I expected it to be, a very strong movie with a pretty good soundtrack!

For those of you who don't know, the movie is about the controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks because of an anti-Bush comment made by Natalie Maines, the band's lead singer. In 2003,when the band was extremely popular and successful(and the US was starting the war on Iraq), Natalie Maines said (this is not an exact quote) that they were ashamed that bush was from Texas. It is amazing to see how their "devoted" fans suddenly turned their backs on them, and radio stations stopped playing their songs in the years after that. They were being insulted (being called bimbos, just because they're attractive women who accidentally have an opinion too!), and even threatened publicly. But what's more important is how these women dealt with the situation, remained as a united band, and created a best selling album inspired by their experience.

I'm not exactly a country music fan, and I also do not agree with all the Dixie Chicks girls do and say, but I believe the lyrics for most of their songs on the album "taking the long way" is really amazing and honest. I also found it very interesting that all three of them are married with kids, two of them having twins(!).

Anyway, if you haven't had enough of Bush-bashing movies yet, this one's for you! (although it's really not so much about Bush, but more about media's power over public)and here's their most famous song from the album. This song cleary shows the frustration and anger that Natalie Maines feels for being crucified just for stating her opinion.

Title: Not Ready to Make Nice, By: Dixie Chicks

"...And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round..."