The Acorn

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:43:25 -0800

I studied for my GRE a few hours today and I am waiting for a friend of mine to go for a walk around Davis's arboretum. I feel dizzy all day, but I am little better now. I really can not go to gym tonight. This light walk might help me. There are too much to say and in the main time, I don't feel to write. I need some hard rock music to boost me up. I am going to LA next week. That may change my mood. Not much to say.

A Social Numb?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:52:11 -0800

Sitting outside of American River College's Student service, I am waiting for Behnam to take his assessment test. A lady next to me slapped her child more than five times because she was picking cigarettes from the ground and chewing them. What could I do? Nothing. I did not want get into a conversation with her. I let it go. Shouldn't I?

There are some situation that we know are wrong. A few weeks ago, I was in Cal for McNair Symposium. I was standing next to my poster and I was ready to take audiences question. Imagine me on my formal business pants, shirt, and tie, standing in a hallway. One of Cal McNair managers came to me asked me why I don't smile. I did not answer him. I did not tell him that he just make a sexist comment and he would not make such a comment if I was a male standing there. But I did not say anything. Like ten minutes ago when that crazy lady slapped her baby in front of me?

When is the time for reaction? Why we don't bother ourselves to get to some certain conversations? Of course these are not comfortable and pleasant dialogues, but is this a good excuse? I don't want to turn to a social numb. Keeping myself involve with what goes around me has been always a concern. I don't want to turn to a numb.

Back to Business!

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:22:22 -0800

I need to start writing in my beloved Acorn again. I know. I promised that a lot here and that never happened. How about if I categorize my post into three main parts and force myself to write even one line everyday about it? Here is those three: my new job as Sac State Women's Resource Coordinator, my fucking GRE test, which is coming in less than two months, and my daily observation of what's going around me including Iran's current situation. You know it has been in crises since June's presidential election. Do not you?

1. We moved! for second time in less than a year, WRC ( which stands for Women's Resource Center) has moved and now has a new home in Student Union, 3rd floor and to be exact, inside students activities office. PRIDE and WRC are sharing a small space and basically we are not center any more. We are just an office, but I have to create all events and program for this coming semester from there. We would see how does it go. Nicole and I unpacked all day and I did some research on other campuses WRC's program. I came with few new ideas.

2. I am in Monique's conference room, supposed to go through my vocabulary today and start memorizing them! Well, I am blogging now, but that's what I am going to do next. GRE till 7 and then I would head the gym.

3. Appointing two women in his ministry doesn't make him a women's right advocate! I am talking about Iran's selected president Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad. Different bloggers have different opinions on that. Some look at it as a way to empower women and see it as a result of all women's right activist who finally put that in the government agenda, but some see that as another, and easier way to put women down. I would write my idea about it soon.

Back to GRE!

Free Hossein Derakhshan

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:28:36 -0800

We, the undersigned, view the circumstances surrounding the Iranian authorities' arrest of Hossein Derakhshan (hoder.com), one of the most prominent Iranian bloggers, as extremely worrying. Derakhshan's disappearance, detention at an unknown location, lack of access to his family and attorneys, and the authorities' failure to provide clear information about his potential charges is a source of concern for us.

The Iranian blogging community is one of the largest and most vibrant in the world. From ordinary citizens to the President, a diverse and large number of Iranians are engaged in blogging. These bloggers encompass a wide spectrum of views and perspectives, and they play a vital role in open discussions of social, cultural and political affairs.

Unfortunately, in recent years, numerous websites and blogs have been routinely blocked by the authorities, and some bloggers have been harassed or detained. Derakhshan's detention is but the latest episode in this ongoing saga and is being viewed as an attempt to silence and intimidate the blogging community as a whole.

Derakhshan's own position regarding a number of prisoners of conscience in Iran has been a source of contention among the blogging community and has caused many to distance themselves from him. This, however, doesn't change the fact that the freedom of expression is sacred for all not just the ones with whom we agree.

We therefore categorically condemn the circumstances sourrounding Derakhshan's arrest and detention and demand his immediate release.

Arash Abadpour
http://kamangir.net/

Niki Akhavan
http://benevis-dige.blogspot.com/

Hossein Bagher Zadeh
http://www.iranian.com/bagherzadeh

Sanam Dolatshahi
http://www.khorshidkhanoom.com/

Mehdi Jami
http://sibestaan.malakut.org/

Jahanshah Javid
http://www.iranian.com/

Abdee Kalantari
http://www.nilgoon.org

Sheema Kalbasi
http://www.zaneirani.blogspot.com/

Nazli Kamvari
http://sibiltala.blogspot.com/

Nazy Kaviani
http://nazykaviani.blogspot.com/

Peyvand Khorsandi
http://soulbean.wordpress.com/

Nikahang Kowsar
http://nikahang.blogspot.com/

Omid Memarian
http://omidmemarian.blogspot.com/

Pedram Moallemian
http://www.eyeranian.net/

Ali Moayedian
http://payvand.com/

Ebrahim Nabavi
http://www.doomdam.com/

Masoome Naseri
http://www.mimnoon.com/

Khodadad Rezakhani
http://www.vishistorica.com/

Leva Zand
http://balootak.com/

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:57:48 -0800

After all, life is not that bad....

Dinosaurs for Boys!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:36:45 -0800

I was watching The Late Show with David Leatherman few minutes ago. There was a lady guest who introduced some new toys for kids. There was a new $350 dinosaur with 40 sensor all over its body to react to touch. Dave asked the lady if she bought that toy for her kids. The toy lady answer him: "No. I have girl."

I didn't know till 10 minutes ago that dinosaurs are for boys!

Lovely DavisWiki

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:58:28 -0800

We will move to Davis by end of the August this year. I was in DavisWiki, searching for various places; from grocery stores to Thai food restaurants. I found a page called cheap food and then the categories from $.01 to $.99 and up.
It was so funny when the page suggests some bagel's shot which sell bagel for half a dollar and then Wiki says "Take some olives from the deli area too."

I like DavisWiki. It is really student friendly.

PS: I can not enter the link in Safari. I have to ask my webmaster.
You may find DavisWiki here: www.daviswiki.org

Pain

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:17:42 -0800

I have this horrible, horrible back ache from Monday morning- when i woke up. It got worse today. I sat all day in my bed and finish, almost finish, my research project for a class. "Changing Family in Iranian Urban Life" is/ was my research project. It was not that hard and it was only 8 pages, but doing that in ASA format was something else. I don't understand why scholars are not come with one single format: MLA, APA, ASA,,,just get one and don't kill students.

Nicole text me today that Thursday is Lex birthday. I am totally broke, but I have to get something for her. I have to go to mall, not only for her gift, but getting something for a conference I will attend this weekend in Berkeley. It's about women in Iran. Some bullshit again, but I will go and see some friends, may be get drunk or smoke. Who knows?

This pain is killing me. I have to come back to my article and finish it. If I finish this one, I only have a 200 pages book left to read and write a review about. Writing part is not that bad, reading is killing me.

I had a big bowel of salad for my lunch again and still hungry. Thanks to the dark coffee I had in the morning, I am still awake. If I finish this paper,...never mind.

New Piercings

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:32:22 -0800

There is something missing in me. I have this feeling for a long time. I don't mean this missing thing, but writing my feelings in English. I am getting angry in English, happy in English, crying in English, swear in English, chat in English and almost making love in English.

More than anytime in my life, I come to this point of looking at languages just like a bridge to get me from A to B. Who cares what kind of bridge is that? Fuck the way, destination is important.

I may write more and more in English, especially when I want to talk about my emotions. I can write in other stuff in Farsi and keep my bullshit in English. How about that?

Fuck the grammar and spelling. It is like when you fuck someone, and in the middle the lover says "Honey! by the way your pronunciation of fuck is not right." And the other reason that I have far more American friends, or better say, non-Iranian friends and I want to share them my writings too.

I know Nicole doesn't like my whole philosophy about spelling and grammar. For god sake, she is the English major one, but she has a big heart and I know she loves me more than those 1ooo years guys, sitting in the basement of Oxford University and make the grammar for our worlds! ( You know we dont have such guys! or we do?)

I m mad of my boss, behind my radio producing project, behind my studies and writing. Actually, I m behind of my life. Sounds that this fucking gas price does not affect the speed of my life.

I got three new piercings on my left ears. Thats all.

Oh.. Well

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:06:08 -0800

I have not even opened this page for many months. I want to start writing here again, more regularly. I miss here, and sometimes, I really need to explain some of my feeling in English, and by the way I need to find more friends in English world. I thought about uploading my school projects or paper here or at least an abstract of them, as some of them are really long, but I am not sure yet.
About a month ago, I decided to change The Acorn to my photoblog page, but it never happened, as I want to add a new page for my photos, and by the way, do my photos really need a page?
I have never been an artist in any direction; not in music, drawing, painting or capturing the moments.

It is Thursday, December 13, 2007 and nobody is in the office. Holiday is right in the corner and nobody wants to be here. My coworkers found their excuses to leave the office, but I have to wait till 4:30 to go directly to the school. I have to turn to final projects today and the big final for this stupid class is coming next Tuesday, then I will have eleven days off at work and January will be a whole new chapter in my life. I can not wait to tell you.

Be Back! Soon.

Ghor Ghor

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:53:41 -0800

My schools schedule is sucks! Like last two years. I am taking a Circuit Weights class at 6 am. It means I have to wake up 5 am two days a week.
What in the Earth you think I am taking dance class? I practice three hours last night. Salsa! And I miss my last Saturday class as I thought the class will start this week.

I cam to work today and wish I could quit my job; I do like my job, but sometime is getting very frustrating. I know it is just the first week of new schedule and it is my normal nags!

I have a lot to write about. I just don’t know where to start! Have you ever design a booth for a fair? That’s what I m searching for now as my cousin, who is a professional photographer will present his work on a local fair and I m in charge of design! I took the task voluntarily, but it is not that much fun as I thought!

I may decorate the booth with white and yellow satin and flower. My sister is an interior designer, but she is so expensive! If I finish the project, I will post some picture of it here.

My beloved dad will come back tonight. I am going to pick him up from airport after my stupid biology class tonight; can’t wait to see what will he bring!

Sunday is For Relaxing

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 09:12:50 -0800

1. Shower
2. Breakfast in Mom’s house
3. Grocery Shopping
4. Cleaning the house
5. Working on my conference project
6. Buying school’s book online
7. Making lunch for tomorrow
8. Costco ( before 5 pm)
9. Call some friends
10. Email vacation pictures to some friends
11. and…

Sweet Home!

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:26:32 -0800

I know I have to be more active, actually much more active, in my English blog. I can not even remember the last time I post something here. However I started bloging as a way to communicate with new generation of Iranians, but since I got the English version of my acorn, I promise to update both together; A premise which I could not keep.
Sometimes I have strange feelings about English in speaking and writing. It may sound odd to express my feeling with my second language only after being here, in the US, for three years, but I feel much more comfortable to come here and write in English in some situation especially when it comes to my personal life.
Anyway. I just came back from my vacation to my sweet and lovely home here in Sacramento, California. After staying a week in Deauvile, our hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, it is very relaxing to lying on my old coach and type while Vahid is snoring from bedroom. Life is so sweet these days and I am happy.
I know I have to come back work and school Monday again, but it was a short freshment that I really needed.
We had had plan for Miami since last year, but Vahid used all his vacation time last year in his knee surgery and we only took a three day short rout trip to Mendocino, which was good by the way.
Miami was hot and wild. There was something on the air! I was in Hawaii two years ago. In Hawaii everything is peaceful and nice, blue and calm, but Miami is completely in the other side. Hot and wild young boys and girls, who walk, laugh, eat and drink and enjoy their life. I tried to act young too! It was great to walk with bikini on the street and look over sunglass to those hot and handsome Cuban young men However South Beach is famous for its gay’s community and most of those handsome boys looked at Vahid instead of me!
We had chance to visit Florida’s Key too. They are awesome. Those entire small island which connected by bridge and Key West is their masterpiece.
Orlando was too girlish for me. I am not Disney kind of person. I don’t know most of their character and I just found it very blue and pink, boys speared. Girls speared. I don’t know what is wrong with white?

Shirin Ebadi

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:16:11 -0800

It was a cold day in Turkey; autumn had started weeks ago. My dad turned the radio on. I was eating my breakfast, Ekmek, a famous Turkish bread, and butter, praying he would turned the radio off. It was a talk show and I did not want to start my day with endless political arguments. The speaker was excited, happy, and congratulated others. For a second I couldn’t believe what I heard. I didn’t even know her nominee. The speaker repeated over again the quote from Norway’s governor speaker that Norway's Nobel Committee handed a platform to a courageous Iranian voice; Shirin Ebadi.
I wanted to be back in Tehran among my friends, the women who put all their passions for other women, and happy cry with them. In that moment, I hated myself because escape and didn’t continue fighting. I hated myself. She did it. Why couldn’t I be strong and stay?
I could not stop my tears. Mom and Dad stared at me quizzically. I got one of my beloved poet’s, Forough Farokhzad, book, put on my jacket and left the house. I had two opposite feeling in me. On the one side, I was so happy, not just because of the Nobel Prize, but because finally somebody was paying attentions to other problems not only political issues in Iran. I was happy for Ms. Ebadi and this respectful recognition. I was happy as a woman, as an Iranian Woman. On the other hand, I felt guilty, so guilty as I left the country and did not keep on fights there. I was sad, as I had preferred my family and education more than being in the scene.
Years after that cold morning in October 2003 in Turkey and my hours of walking and crying, I still remember my thoughts. I remember how I solaced myself; “she did it, you can do it. Not for the Nobel Prize, but you can make your country a better place to live for your women.” Still after all these years I daily remind my self of those thoughts.

Bad Bad Bad News

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:27:02 -0800

Iran-Emrooz,Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 04, 2007
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/12208/

50 of the women's rights movement activists were arrested in front of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

The security police forces attacked a peaceful gathering of women's rights activists that had taken place at 8:30 am in front of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in objection to the recent governmental oppressions and the summoning of some of these activists. The police forces who used violence to scatter the crowd, arrested at least 21 of the protesters.

According to the report published by Advar News, the list of the arrested is as follows:

Asieh Amini, Jila Bani Yaghoub, Mahboubeb Abbasgholizadeh, Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh, Sara Loghmani, Zara Amjadian, Mariam Hossein Khah, Jelveh Javaheri, Niloofar Golkar, Parastoo Dokoohaki, Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, Maryam Mirza, Saghar Laghayee, Khadijeh Moghaddam, Saghie Laghayee, Nahid Keshavarz, Mahnaz Mohammadi, Nasrin Afzali, Tal'at Taghinia, Fakhri Shadfar, Maryam Shadfar, Elnaz Ansari, Fatemeh Govarayee, Azadeh Forghani, Sommayeh Farid, Minoo Mortezayee, Sara Imanian.

Nooshin Amhadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Shahla Entesari and Susan Tahmasebi—five prominent members of the women's rights movement—who had to attend their court hearing left the court session in support of their fellow activists. They, too, got arrested upon their departure from the court.

The police officers hit Nahid Jafari's head to the police van and as a result of such violent actions, her teeth broke and the officers are currently refusing to take her to the emergency room.

Source: Azadeh Poorzand