An Escape To La Jolla

Left L.A for La Jolla with my friend for an early birthday celebration. She wanted to try out Shiku Sushi that I raved about so much. We had no idea what traffic was going to be like. It took us about three hours. L.A is so unpredictable. But I just wanted to go somewhere for half a day. The potential of an escalated war between the U.S and Iran has been difficult to cope with.

We stopped at Shiku to grab lunch. My friend wanted to try everything on the menu because everything looked so good. But you know what they say, Your eyes are bigger than your stomach. We had my favorite—Agedashi Tofu which I wrote about the last time I was there, and Tofu Geisha, and Hippie Gangsta minus sundried tomato because they were out, but they replaced it with zucchini tempura.

We walked around a bit, and went inside the Valencia hotel. The staff there is so nice. The beautiful fresh flowers above decorate their lobby.

This fountain was so pretty that I had to take a shot.

There are a bunch of shops in this passage, but most were closed by the time we got there. La Dolce Vida restaurant looked interesting. We saw one or two coffee shops that were open till midnight which surprised us. We thought people in La Jolla go to bed early. Also, the area has so much variety from Japanese food, to Italian, to sea food, to Indian.

We wanted to go walking by the water, but it was starting to get dark. We found Coast Walk Trail and climbed for a bit.

The entire area is so lovely, and the water looks so clean.

There is a restaurant called Eddie Vic with an entrance from Prospect Street (I think). As you can see it has great views. We were debating as to what kind of food it served. It turned out that we were both wrong. It's a seafood and steak place, not Italian, and not Chinese 😄 After hanging around the area, we walked down and checked out the boutique hotels, quaint eateries and a small market. Then we climbed up, and headed back because it was getting late. We got back to L.A around midnight. It was a relaxing getaway. That's what I like about L.A. It offers so many places nearby and makes you feel like you're on a mini getaway. 

The Human Side of War

I'm tired and haven't been able to sleep much ever since Israel hit Iran on June 13, and assassinated their negotiator. I'm eventually going to post about as to why. I've been following it day and night, and have a good idea about what is going on. But this post is about the human side of war. It's about the civilians. It's about grandparents, fathers, mothers, children and extended families on both sides.

I'm not close to any of my family in Iran. In fact, I have not seen or talked to them in many years. But still, I'm concerned about them. So, I ask my brother, cousin, and extended family if they have any news. Is everyone okay? 

I also know people here who have friends, and relatives in Iran, as well as in Israel. Someone told me today that her family packed to leave the city of Tehran to a safer place. She said that her grandmother refused to leave because her pillow didn't fit in her suitcase, and she needed to have her pillow. They were all in a rush as they heard sounds of explosion from the surrounding areas. Even so, they made sure to find room for the pillow. Now, this may sound ridiculous to an outsider, but when you're in a situation like that, you're not thinking clearly. 

Another young Iranian told me that earlier they were talking to their friend in Israel. The friend was calling from a bomb shelter, scared. 

Someone else was texting back and forth with an ex Israeli boyfriend who used to be in the Israeli military, but was excused because of health reasons. She asked him about his family. He told her that they were okay, but he was concerned about his friends who were serving in the army. 

And this is just a small group of people that I know. On social media, I saw images of children buried under piles of rubble. Medics and journalists killed. Buildings destroyed. When something like this happens, tensions are high and you have to be careful about what you say or do. These wars are the result of decisions made by ruthless, morally corrupt goblins, and not by normal human beings. 

I see so many people on social media who cheer when the opposition loses their home or dies. But I'm here to say, don't cheer. Take heart. Both sides have families and people they love. War and devastation is tragic, and there is nothing there to cheer about. 

 

Chaharshanbe Suri

The last Wednesday before Persian New Year, Iranians celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri, the festival of fire. Suri has two different meanings in Farsi, scarlet, and festive. Chaharshanbe means Wednesday, but because of the time difference, that day may fall on a Tuesday. Those who live in Los Angeles celebrate this holiday on a Tuesday. Other countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turki, and Iraq also celebrate the festival of fire because parts of those countries were once part of the Persian Empire.

The festival of fire is based on Zoroastrianism religion which has three mottos: “Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds." Persians aka Iranians were Zoroastrians until the Arabs invaded Persia in 7^th century and made life difficult for the Persians unless they changed their religion to Islam. Islamic leaders everywhere tried hard to put a stop to the celebration of Chaharshanbe Suri because they believe it is a blasphemous celebration, and label those who participate in it, “Fire Worshipers.” But Iranians refused to give up this holiday. They considered it part of their heritage that predated Islam.

A bit of Trivia: The above photo depicts Farvahar Ahura Mazda, a Zoroastrian god and symbol. Ahura Mazda is the God of the sky in Zoroastrianism religion. Ahura means Lord and Mazda means wisdom. The Japanese car, Mazda, is named after the Persian God Farvahar Ahura Mazda. Etsy sells necklaces and bracelets like this.

So, what happens during this night? People make a bonfire for a purification ritual. The fire sometimes goes much higher than the one you see in the above video which is of my nieces and their friend when they were younger. People jump over the fire and literally say, “My yellowness goes to you, and your redness comes to me,” meaning any sickness that I have, I pass it on to the fire in exchange for heat, warmth, and good health.

Families also burn a handful of rue seeds in a small pan over the stove and when the seeds start to make popping noises like popcorn, and cause smoke, they turn off the stove and walk around the house with pan in hand to spread the smoke, for good health and to ward off evil. Sometimes they swirl the smoke over someone’s head. Unfortunately, this ritual is not good for the lungs, and is banned in some countries such as in Australia.

It’s tradition to eat dried fruits and raw nuts on this night. This special mix of nuts is best purchased at a Persian markets. In Farsi, they are called Ajil-e Moshkel Gosha which means Problem Solving Nuts. It is said that if you have problems, and eat these nuts, your problem will be solved. Obviously, there is a lot of superstition attached to most of these rituals, but people still do it for the fun of it.

On this evening, there is also Ghashogh Zani, spoon banging, which is similar to the Halloween tradition when kids go trick-or-treating. Except Spoon banging can be done at any age. Men or women, boys or girls cover themselves with Chador, a loose cloth thrown over hair and body. They go from house to house, and bang their spoon to get candy, nuts, or food. When I lived in Iran, someone did that to my mom. My mom, gave the person food, but they kept ringing the doorbell. My mom got angry and started to get into a fight with the intruder, not realizing that the person under the chador was her friend pulling a prank on her. They had a good laugh about it.

There are other rituals tied to this celebration, but today, many skip a lot of it, and focus more on the bonfire ritual.

Tehran, Darband, and Tabriz

Since the first day of spring, March 19, is the start of Persian New Year, this month’s posts will be about Iran. There are many beautiful cities, islands, beaches, mountains, hiking trails and villages to visit. This post will touch on a few highlights. I have not been to Iran since I was 12. Well, I went back as a tourist for two weeks when I was 14. So, when my brother went to Iran, he sent me some pictures. Before the Islamic Revolution of 1978-1979, Iran was called the France of the east, and the capital, Tehran, was referred to as the Paris of the middle east.

This area is called the Azadi (freedom) square, and the white monument is called the Azadi Tower. It is an important symbol in Iran where many gatherings and celebrations take place. When Iran was a monarchy until 1979, this tower was named Shahyad after the Shahs (kings) of Iran representing 2500 years of the Persian empire.

Street vendor selling cooked fava beans and beets. Cooked fava beans taste good with cumin as a snack or mixed with other ingredients in various dishes like this one.

This dish is sholeh zard, saffron rice pudding. I haven’t yet met an American friend who doesn’t like it. Of course, it must be done right, and not all Iranians know how to do it with a perfect balance of ingredients. You may wonder why it is in such a huge pot. It’s Nazri – free food you give away to family, friends and the needy on religious holidays. People also give away free food on the anniversary of the date when relatives or friends passed away.

 High-end condos with views in Tehran 

  

A café serving eggs with Barbari (a type of Persian bread) on a bench on a sidewalk.

A baker making fresh bread. Just as in Europe, the food in Iran is amazingly good, and takes a lot of work to prepare. You often see people walking on the street with fresh baked bread hand wrapped in brown paper. None of that frozen stuff…

Darband, near Shemran, is a village in northern Tehran which is now part of Tehran. It is a popular place with the locals and tourists. I have been there when I was younger and remember sitting on the ground behind tables covered with Persian carpet and servers bringing us tea. There are mountainous areas, beautiful views, and hiking trails. Among the places to eat, Darband restaurant is well-known. If you’re into Hookah, you’ll find Hookah places around. Check out the video below about Darband towards the end of this blog.

This scene is funny. It’s a domestic airline, and as Iranians wait, they shoot the breeze.

Tabriz is a Turkish city in Iran where the residents speak mostly Turkish or Farsi with a thick accent. It’s a clean modern city in the Iranian part of Azerbaijan. Included here is an aerial view of Tabriz, a video of university grounds, and a restaurant where my brother had dinner.

There are plenty of restaurants throughout Iran where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. The food in the center is a popular dish called Abgoosht – lamb and chickpea stew with onions, turmeric and tomato paste cooked slowly in a special pot, allowing all the flavors to set in. There are two parts to this dish. One part is like soup and you soak in pieces of Sangak (a type of Persian bread you see in the photo) before you eat it. The second part of this dish is mashed, has a burrito like texture, and eaten with the same Persian bread. It’s yum. My mom used to make a vegetarian version for me since I don’t eat meat.

Young Tabrizi girl weaving Persian carpet.

There is so much more to see in Iran. Perhaps at some other point in time, I will do another post like this.

 

My phone is tapped

Every time I talk to someone in the U.S or Iran, I can hear the double connection, the clicking and the annoying spying. Are they really that stupid? If they’re going to tap my phone, they should do it discreetly. I don’t need to be reminded of some idiot listening to my conversation. I mean if they want to hear me tell my friend that I threw up yesterday because I had a stomach flu, that’s their business, but they could at least spare me the terrible connection. Are they being blatantly obvious on purpose? I have no clue what goes through their feeble minds. 

I guess I should be thankful that I am not able to hear them breathe. After 9/11, I complained to AT&T about my phone being tapped. The conversations went something like this:

 

Me: My phone is tapped.

AT&T operator: Why do you think that?

Me: Because I can hear the person breathing when I get on the phone.

AT&T: Do you have a cordless?

ME: Yes, I like to keep up with this century.

AT&T: Try changing the battery. It’s probably because the battery is low.

Wowwww!!! You know, the phone tapping doesn’t bother me as much as the fact that they truly believe people are stupid. But really, who is the stupid person in the above conversation?