Non freezing office space

MBA ladies have moved to another building and now it's only me tampering with the air conditioning gage which controls half a dozen rooms in this floor.
Life's small pleasures...:)

8-8-8

Image: Infinite Eight, David Friedman, Kabbalah Art

Eight-Eight-Eight,

and so it is, five years.
Half a decade of smiles and tears, of ups and downs
on this repeated 8 day.
In my anniversaries i usually look back
to what i did, to the paths i took, to what happened.
This year, in this 8-8-8, i'm gonna look forward
to what i can accomplish in the year that is in front of me
i am determined to make it something i'll be proud of in the next 8-8.

Küçelere Su Serpmişem

I watered the dusty alley
so when my darling passes through
No dust is rising.

So when she'll come
there's no hard feelings between us.
I fired the tea kettle
I put sugar cubes in the tea
but my sweetheart has gone away.
So lonely i am
Oh her memory, how sweet and how dear.

In the mountains runs the deer,
in the meadow, sings the nightingale
Why did you get upset with me?
Don't, please don't go, my deer,
Let me bear all your aches
If i can't look into your eyes again,
no sight will be left in my eyes.

Who falls for love is a man,
and who doesn't is a coward...
This is my raw translation of a Turkish/Azeri folk love song. I don't know any Turkish, but when someone sent me the Farsi translation of the song, i was touched so deeply that i couldn't let go of it. You can listen to a version of it here. If you have seen the English or Farsi translation of the song or other nice performances of it, please let me know.

Paolo Conte - Veini via con Me

Away away, come away with me
Enter this dark love
And don't get lost, for God's sake
Away away
For God's sake don't miss
The variety show
Of someone in love with you...

Please vote for my friend!

This is a singing contest, as far as i understood. Please view the clip and give my friend 5 stars. She is a very sweet girl!

Living in a single shot

Morrow Plots/Observatory, University of Illinois, Larry Kanfer

Sitting behind my desk, in my office, the calendar on the wall shows this image. I can't get my eyes off it. I have been to that observatory. I have sneaked in between those corn bushes before. I have seen many dark blue clouds ready to burst. But somehow the combination of all these elements all together in one shot has a mesmerizing power over me. I picture myself right in front of the very first row of corns, looking at that view. I can feel the moist dirt under my toes, and the humid wind on my face.

The absolute best Thai Soup in SF and elsewhere!

If you go to San Francisco,
make sure to wear some flowers in your hair,
and also make sure you taste the Thai coconut shrimp soup with the glorious his majesty Alahazrat!

The soup was lightly sweet, and yet lemony, with button mushrooms and shrimps and onion slices floating in it. It did had a coconut taste to it. I don't much regret i didn't make a picture of it, cause no pic could resemble the heavenly taste of that yammy soup! They serve it in china bowls with cute china spoons.

I also got to visit Scharffen Berger chocolate factory in Berkeley with dear Fly-on-the-wall. The tour was fun. We got to taste the roasted cocoa bean nibbles, and cocoa butter. If you like dark chocolate, I do recommend their 70%. Try their raspberry brandy truffle too, meltyyyy and yummm:)

Auld Lang Syne

One of the sweet moments of the Sex and the City movie, was listening to this song by Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis. "Auld Lang Syne" is a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. "Auld Lang Syne" in Scots means "old long since". It's a poem about love and friendship. Read more about it , plus the English translation, here.

From Berkeley

Blogging brought to me not only the joy of writing and being read, but also the friendship of some very good people. I spent an evening in the company of my blogger friends in Berkeley. Good friends, good food, good drinks, good laughs and good gelato:)

----------------------
P.S.1.The title is a tribute to my beloved From Berkeley.
P.S.2. Naia serves its gelato in very cute lotus shaped cups. I ordered hazelnut (Ala's good recommendation) and Scharffen Berger chocolate which as i was told is a signature of Berkley. Both tasted yammm.
P.S.3. If you are going to San Francisco, Be sure to remember where the fabulous Mr. Bayramali has parked or you'll end up looking for the car for an hour;)))

Like Father, Like Son

This past memorial weekend i went to Chicago to a concert of the legendary Iranian singer Mohammadreza Shajarian. He had his son in the ensemble as a percussionist as well as a co-singer. Aside from the beautiful performance, what touched me was the absolute similarity between the voices of the father and the son. It was so similar that the first time they switched turns, and it happened while i was not looking at the stage, i didn't realize it's the son that has started singing and not the father. My amateur ears had not heard two human beings sound this identical ever before. I was thinking to myself, how is the father feeling about this... having another individual sitting next to you, producing exactly the same sounds as if it's you yourself singing. It should be quite some feeling, outliving your voice in somebody else.

The story of the Pan Flute

It all started with this: The Lonely Sheppard by Gheorghe Zamfir and James Last, from the soundtrack of the film Kill Bill. I remembered how much i like this instrument which i figured out is called Pan Flute. The first time i heard this instrument played live was my 2nd christmas here when i went to San Antonio to visit an old highschool buddy. There in the River walk passage i saw a small band playing Latin American tunes and the sound that intrigued me the most was of the Pan flute.
Here's the old methodological story of how the pan flute was originated according to Ovid's Metamorphosis. Pan was the Greek god of shepherds, with legs and horns of a goat. Once in a pasture, he sees Syrinx, a beautiful nymph(human) known for her chastity. He chases her and she runs to the river's edge and asks the river nymphs to help her hide from Pan. An thus she is transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when the Pan's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan could not find out which one of the reeds is indeed Syrinx, so he cuts seven of them and makes the first set of pan pipes, which were thence forth known as Syrinx. Claude Debussy wrote "Syrinx (La Flute De Pan)" based on Pan's sadness over losing his love.

Jeni's Ice Cream

It's not a big secret that i am a big fan of Italian style gelato. I have written here before about Pacciugo Gelato shop. Now i'm delighted to introduce to you my new found place that is as good! Jeni's Ice Cream is a locally owned and operated ice cream business in Columbus, Ohio. They have freshly made icecream and gelato made from real fresh fruit, that's a big deal: real fresh fruit! I had a hard time picking 4 flavors out of their about 30 selection on the menu, but at last i ended up with (1)Roasted Pestachio & Country Honey which even had the toasty salty taste of the good nut and a hint of honey, (2)Strawberry Rose Petal which was rosy and exquisite;) , (3)Dark Cocoa Gelato which was as you were tasting a very good dark chocolate truffle except for it was light and chilled, and ... i can't believe my last choice myself: (4)Cherry Lambic! I generally dislike the taste of american red cherries, but one spoon of this icecream made me reconcile with cherries:) If I get to go back to this place, i wanna try the Pear Riesling flavor too.

And we're baking

Having bought brown sugar the week before specifically to use in a particular recipe,
Having had to deal with the ordeal of a torn sugar packet and sugary kitchen floor,
And then...
Finding yourself beating the good old white sugar into the dough!
Any better definition of "absentmindedness"?

El camino del Rey

Amazing video. It gave me a feeling like i am stepping on this walkway myself.

"Originally built in 1901, this walkway now serves as an approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro."

P.S. Fly has gathered more info about this passage. Check it out!

Dreamy

Dreaming...
Of so many little insignificant unnecessary things i can't sort them out in my head
Of a white sand beach, and deep blue sea
Of a flower garden, with vivid colors surrounding you from everywhere
Of a sunny warm day where you can wear light clothes and get worried about getting sunburned!
Of a fast car and an empty road and this music i have on the previous post playing loud
Of a new pair of comfortable shoes and a lane next to a lake
Of a glass full of carrot juice and vanilla icecream
Of cool feeling 400 thread egyption cotton sheets, down comforters and a super duper mattress
Of this, and of that
All these unsorted dreams send me off to bed... dreamy
(Or greedy... )

127- Perfect Esfahan Blues

I so much enjoyed this clip, i couldn't let go of it unless i posted it here. Besides the interesting music and lyrics, the video reminds me of all those road trips i had in my days in Iran. The music is composed by a rock band in Tehran, called 127.

P.S. The credit of introducing this clip of course goes to the grand Mr. Bayramali.
P.S.2. This update is dedicated to the dear old friend who asked for it!

Kronos Quartet

Tonight, Kronos Quartet came to U of I. The performance was "different" and i liked it. I knew that they have a modern/minimalistic approach to music, but i was pleasantly surprised to see the theatrical edge they had incorporated in their performance. In one piece for example, the four were playing some music and when they turned their note pages in front of them (which was a pronounced theatrical act), the music would change drastically to another totally different genre! Or in another piece they were using the non-instrumental components they had set on the 4 corners of the stage to create a new twist, that included an old iron stove, pipes and metal pieces David Harrington was hammering, something like a chain saw the young guy was using, some pots and pans and something like a vacuume cleaner at the back! The set design and the light effects added a real "different" taste to the performance . In the second half of the program they performed some pieces inspired by middle eastern traditional music, Iran, Iraq, India and Balkans. That was good too.

Jeer's Picture Chronicle of New York

New York's photo chronicle

My first photo of New York, in route to the hotel from La Guardia airport.

From the observation deck at the top of the Rockefler Center (Top of the Rock). You see the Empire State building on the back.

From the observation deck at the top of the Rockefler Center (Top of the Rock). You see the view of the Cental Park.

The crystal star they put on top of the New York's Christmas tree each year. The tree is set in the plaza of the Rockefeller Center.

In front of the United Nations, Visitors Center.

Iran's gift to the United Nations. The portrait of the secratary generals of the UN woven in silk carpets.

UN, "Do unto others what you would have them do onto you."

Iran's section in the Metropolitan meuseum. It's not recognized by the name"Iran" there, it is "Near Eastern" section.

The writting on the wall towards the left reads:

"By the grce of Ahura Mazda, I built this palace... And i built it secure and beautiful and adequate."

Darius I 522-486 B.C.

Cup with a frieze of gazelles, Gold. Northwestern Iran, Caspian region, Early 1st millenium B.C.
Look how beautifully the gazelles' head is tilted out of the cup.

This staute used to be inside (?) World Trade Center towers. They have temporarily put it here and after they reconstruct the towers, it is going to be placed in front of the new buildings as is.

View of the city from top of the rocks in the Central Park. Manhattan is standing on top of big rocks. They need to explode these rocks whenever they want to make foundations for a building.

Times Square, past midnight. This is where the magic of New York overwhelms you. I stood there in the cold windy night, amazed for quite a while.

Chocolate is better in color, or in the robe! M&M store in Times square.
I didn't get a chance to see the statue of liberty. It was too cold and rainy and i was short of time.

Trees on the walls of the Trump building in Manhattan.

The first woman wearing a chador-meshki!!!;)

Do you know what "Amazon" mean? Amazons were the female warriors in ancient Greek army.


NYC is expensive! We paid 15 bucks for this tiny piece of cake.

I have to admit, in Manhattan you can find cheap food too. I had a very tasty lamb gyro with saffron rice and for $3:50. It was halal meat!

Beautiful Hyacinth flower, in my good friend's Haftsin. Also in Manhattan:)

Norooz Pirooz

It's New Year's Eve, and i'm on a trip to New York. Sitting at the 44th floor of a big hotel in the big city, I am looking to the wet skyscrapers wrapped in a layers of cloud, and the street lights sparkling down low . Spring hasn't touched this city yet, but my heart is pounding with each minute that we get closer to the Newest days of the new year. Tonight at 1:47 past midnight, I'll have my heart open to the graceful Spring. May it touch my life and yours with its colorful warmth. Happy New day to you my friend from close and far.


As a New Year treat, i give you the photo i took a few hours ago in the New York's Metropolitan museum. It is lion shape vessel made of gold, belonging to Darius the king. The top part of the drinking jar is made up of 160 feet of extremely fine gold strings, wrapped around the jar. It was a glamorous piece of Art.

and we're packing...

"If in my whole life,
I spend only a moment with you,
That one moment is all my life,
The rest has proven vain."
Does earworm include poetry too? This Saadi's verse is repeatedly recited in my head since afternoon.

I have to pack to go on a field trip very early tomorrow morning, that's the very reason i am sitting here blogging instead of filling up that purple suitcase:(
Anybody has a magic wand handy?