Archive - Feb 1, 2009 - Article

George Willoughby

My friendship with Mr. Willoughby started after the tasting of one of my creations which had proven to be especially scrumptious. This clearly was the cue he required to offer a gracious compliment. After the pleasantries he approached the delicate subject of asking me for a date. “Lady Solo, I was wondering the other day, to myself, whether, by any stroke of luck, you may be interested in an outing of sorts. I say, might I have the pleasure of your company on Sunday next? I should very much like to take you for a drive through the country to a delightful little tea room which my late wife and I used to frequent. It would be awfully good of you to join me.” Well, I was flattered, surprised and pleased at the same time>>>

Thirty Years On

Thirty years have now passed since the stern, bearded visage of Ayatollah Khomeini graced our television screens decrying the many "ills" of the West and its allies. It was a revolution few, if any, at the time had anticipated, one participants and observers alike still endeavor to properly understand. Khomeini's image, which has since become a kind of shorthand for the West's first encounter with the forces of radical Islam, continues to arouse fear and hostility. But 30 years on, that turbulent time in Iranian history continues to leave Western audiences perplexed, with little comprehension of the forces that incited crowds to chant "Death to America." >>>

The day after

Contemporary challenges to the ancient regime came from an understanding of the modern Western ways, and culminated into the Constitutional Revolution (1906), near abolition of monarchy (1925), Tudeh and National-Front movement (1952) and finally the 1979 revolution. After the collapse of IRI, the following forces will try to build cohesive national or regional systems, by recruiting the young masses of society around their ideas and ideals. As currently IRI does not allow free expression of thoughts and flourishing of ideas, upon its collapse; it will again be a mad rush to fill the power vacuum and reach the top.>>>

صیغه شدم

وقتی شبی با مردی آشنا شدم که به شدت برایم جذاب بود، تا صبح کلافه بودم و خوابم نمی برد. وقتی بار دوم در منزل همان دوست دوباره دیدمش و ازش بیشتر خوشم آمد، لابلای حرفها معلوم شد که در حال طلاق از همسرش است. شب خوبی بود، سرهامان گرم شده بود و کمی علف هم کشیدیم. در گوشه ای از اتاق صاحبخانه پیش هم نشسته بودیم. سرش را آورد دم گوشم و گفت: امشب چه خوشگل شدی. برای من تعریف یک مرد غریبه از زیباییم که ممکن است راست باشد و ممکن است دروغ، هرگز راضی کننده نیست. اگر کسی که دوستش بدارم به من بگوید امشب چه خوشگل شدی، چرا، اما نه یک غریبه که بار دومش بود مرا می دید. اما پیغام او جای دیگری در ذهن و در وسط بدنم ثبت شد. او مرا می خواهد.>>>

Iranian or Persian

When someone asks me about my background
To the curious mind, I don’t say a Persian kind
I am not Persian like a lovely cat or lamb
Neither Persian like summer cucumber or melon
My language is called Persian, rightly
I don’t get upset if it is called Farsi
Persian words do not march aimlessly for me
Instead they are needed to read kadkani and Rumi >>>