Happy Birthday!

October 27th marks the birthday of my brother Faraz who just turned 13. You're now a teenager bro. I wish you the best of luck and a huge happy birthday.

October 27th also marks another birthday: the 2nd birthday of Barobax.net. Happy Birthday! It was on October 27th of 2003 that I launched this website and posted the very first posting.

During the past 2 years -together- we managed to record lots of memories through words and pictures. We came here to share our thoughts and to find out about eachother. Together, we have virtually and digitally cherished the value of friendship.

Although the site has seen more active days than it is seeing recently, overall it has had an upward activity trend with an estimated average of 70-90 visits per day. I haven't abandoned Barobax.net and I am not planning to do so any time soon. The reason the website is less active has mainly to do with three things: 1- I'm in 4th year and I have a lot of work to do, and 2-There are less gatherings and get-togethers than there used to be. A lot of barobax have moved out of Waterloo, And 3-I admit that I have become lazy. I remember myself carrying my camera "ALL-THE-TIME".

But on this fortunate day that marks the first day of Barobax.net's 3rd year of existence, I shall announce the following new year resolution: To keep the website active and up to date.

Obviously, this cannot be done without your comments and feedback. If you got pictures, send them in. I know that there's been occasions that we have both delayed the posting of pictures, but we'll try to prevent that. If you see a topic being discussed, tell everyone else what you think. If there's a poll, vote. And finally, if there are problems or just comments you would like to let me know of, email me.

Next week, I am swamped with exams and assignments. In fact, my own birthday is coming up and not only I have an exam on my birthday, but also one before, and one on the day after. Once I manage to pull out myself out of this pile, you guys will be invited to come over to Larchestan (i.e. Barobax Head Quarters) for birthday cake, coffee/tea and ghelyoon.

Best of luck to all of barobax, no matter where we are on this blue planet, and a huge Happy Birthday. chaXam be chaXetoon va kollokom ajmaeen.

October 27, 2005 - 5 Abaan-e 1384.

Embarrassed!

For the first time in my life, I was extremely embaressed for being an Iranian.

I was sitting in my CS class and the prof said you have a 2 minute break. So I opened up my laptop and started reading the news:
"UN's Annan expresses dismay over Iranian anti-Israel comments". Being aware of Ahmadi Nejad's comments, I clicked on the link and started reading the news. I was only 2 lines through the article and the bold heading of the news was still at the top of the screen that my group member suddenly walked up to my seat to discuss the group-work and saw the heading. I wouldn't be as embarassed if she wasn't Jewish. Knowing that she wasn't born in Canada, I'm even guessing she might even be from Isreal. So she looks at me and asks:

- What are you reading?

knowing that she's already seen the title, I explained to her. I have a feeling that she had already heard the news.

-- Oh, the news. about the comments Iranian president made about Israel and that it should be wiped off the map.

just before she says anything, my other group member who's also Jewish walked up to us.

- Well, such comments is not unexpected of them.

I tried the best I could do to come up with at least an answer that doesn't make us look as bad...even though nothing would do:

-- Well the previous president wasn't as extreme. I don't even know how this guy got elected!!

The two minute break ended and they all returned to their seats.

I felt blood circulating all over my face and I felt that I've turned red...I was so embaressed.

Soothing Sounds

There is an invisible wave of particles floating in the air. With a background music by a solo violin. One singer stands in the corner. She’s singing silence. How relaxing her voice is, her beautiful voice of silence. Isn’t it God’s voice I hear when all noises are withdrawn? How polluted our ears are, aren’t they? How infected our thoughts are, aren’t they? Darkness they say, is the absence of light. Reminds me of the “blanket of night”. Who? Indeed. It’s like a cycle of hands, handing a jewel to one another infinitely. Coma is your answer.

I climbed the lonely mountain at night. One light shone at the top of a wall. Chess it’s called. Invisible, intangible and valuable are those little bits of data. Data stored on neurons by the hands of time. Carved carefully by each second of time. Time it is, that mystifies our lives.

"SUBAN SEFADINI"

Like all other odd days of the week our dear friend Soby wakes up at 7:30 to go to the gym. He starts his wonderful day by taking a cold shower and then preparing his specialty: Persian steeped tea. After having his healthy sugarless tea he happily arrives at the gym thinking what a healthy guy he has become. He further salutes himself for being such an athlete and gives himself a pat on the back by looking at his biceps which by the way have remained unchanged since he was in 10th grade despite his intense workout efforts.

After this point Sob starts to experience a series of unfortunate events.

Unfortunate Event #1:

Soby starts his gym fiesta by running 6.5 minutes on the treadmill. Then he gets off and along his tiresome journey from one side of the gym to the other he runs into some weights being carelessly left on the floor by some irresponsible sportsman unlike himself. Sob, having an athletic spirit decides to provide the gym with community service and bends down and picks up the weights. But as soon as he does, some joints in his back go: "QUAKH"!!

6 hours later Sob is lying down on his bed:

POOOOYAAA!!! Komak!
- chete Sobhan?!
Be dadam beres ke kamaram be F rafte!

Farid comes to help and after a quick analysis we realize that the guy is seriously hurt and has to be taken to the Hospital. The emergency section of Grand River Hospital which in fact is the biggest and most advanced hospital in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo puts the LEAST amount of importance on the patients. So if you ever decide to go there as an Emergency patient, expect anything from 4 to 12 hours of waiting before the doctor sees you. Upon our arrival, I got off the car to assist Soby who is now completely incapable of standing or even sitting straight to get inside. As he starts walking –bended- like a 99 year old man the volunteer receptionist walked up to us and asked what was wrong. I told her that he can't sit and must lie down. So she brought a bed and we put Soby over the bed and he hugged his backpack in which he carried a couple of pure math assignments to keep him busy while he was there.

Unfortunate Event #2:

After 2-3 hours of waiting Soby gets hungry and decides to go get something to eat. He searches his pockets and all he finds is a $5 bill. Happy that he can easily afford a sandwich he asks for a wheelchair and starts wandering around. Having enjoyed his wheelchair drive he rolls to the vending machine to find out that it only takes coins. His panic is soon releaved after he further finds out that there is a change machine close by. So he rides there and sees that two Iranian ladies are standing there confused.

[in thick Persian accent]:

EKS CEEUZ ME!? EKS CEEUZ MEEE!
- Yes?
VEE PUT MAANY IN DER, BUT IT IS NOT VORKING!
- Khanoom shoma irani hastin?
Eee! Baleh agha.

After a quick analysis Soby realizes that the two ladies have inserted coins INTO the coin machine! So the tooney is stuck where the bills should be inserted. Sob who is now desperate for some food starts pulling his hair, in the meanwhile the ladies are trying to take the coin out using a knife. Their attempts fail after the coin drops down into the slot. Soby then tries his $5 bill. The machine makes several attempts to read the bill, it fails, Soby who's now starving to death doesn't give up and tries at least 50 more times and at his final attempt the machine takes the bill and in bold letters displays: "OUT OF SERVICE".

Unfortunate Event #3:

Soby doesn't find the time to scream because right then the nurse calls him: "SUBAAAN?!". Soby furiously turns his wheelchair around and starts going towards the nurse's room. The nurse weighs about 200 pounds, she's about 65 and has a very mean and aggressive look on her face.

Can you get off the wheelchair?
- I can try.
Then put the wheelchair away.
[Soby looks around and realizes how neat the room is]
- Now this is an improvement from outside.
EXCUSE ME?!
- I said this room is an improvement from what's outside.
SIR! I AM NOT in the mood to JOKE. TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF, PUT ON THE ROBE AND GET IN THE BED.
- But I need to go get my money from the machine, I'm hungry.
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!!

Unfortunate Event #4:

Just when Soby is about to leave the room, he looks up and sees Katelyn who is our TA from the BUS 111 class. Happy that he's seen a familiar face and he could maybe boost his grade by a mark or two by sucking up to the TA, Soby –again bended and cranky- starts taking baby steps towards the TA. He has this smile on his face, and a hand that is half up in an indication that he's trying to say hi to the TA. But just as the TA looks up to see Soby, the nurse screams: "SIR! THE DOOR IS THAT WAY". Soby who already knows the obvious location of the door ignores the nurse and looks back at the TA, the TA having seen him looks him in the eye and says: "BUH—YEEEEE"!
Soby who is now totally shocked turns around raising his hands up in the air and murmuring: "WHAT DA FAAAaahhh".

Unfortunate Event #5:

At this point Soby is approached by the two Iranian ladies. They have managed to get someone to fix the change machine and hand Soby change for his bill. Happy that he has succeeded in at least ONE event, Soby takes that change and goes towards the vending machine. Being so hungry that his stomach is about to shrink to the size of a peanut, Soby looks at the tasty sandwiches and chooses one. He inserts the coins into the machine and presses the button. The machine turns the items and brings down the sandwich to the opening of the door and stops. He puts his hand into the opening and sees that its empty! He takes a look from the top and realizes that the sandwich has stopped one position to the left. Getting irritated and aggressive he forces his hand into the machine in an attempt to pull out his sandwich, but its no use. The sandwich is really stuck in there.

Unfortunate Event #6:

Hungry, in pain, pissed off and disappointed Soby walks up to the nurse to figure out when the doctor is going to see him.

Wait while I look up your charts on the computer.
[Sob stares at the monitor while she is doing so]
SIR! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
GO! GO IN THAT CORNER AND STAY THERE!

Like a naughty child who is punished by every single person in the family, Soby walks to the corner and stands there while the nurse looks him up.

This goes on and after 8 hours of waiting in what they call the "Emerg", the doctor sees Soby and tells him that there's nothing wrong with him and all he needs is a Tylenol. With a Tylenol prescription in his hands, an empty stomach and a furious temper Soby calls a cab.

4:00 AM. 273 Larch Street. Home Sweet Home.

Ramezan

Like many other traditions in our culture, "Mah Ramezoon" brings up memories of our childhood. Please save the lengthly lecture of Ramezan is not part of our culture, because I think for most Iranians, despite their religeous background they have some memories of Ramezan in their family, relatives or friends where people got up early in the morning to eat "Sahari".

I too remember my aunt's house when I was 6 or 7 years old. How everyone got up so early and their noises woke me up too. They all gathered around the "Sofreh", sat together, laughed together while being half asleep and had Sahari. Then I remember my cousin who used to cheat occasionaly and drink a sip or two of water here and there. It reminds me of the olds days. It's funny going back. That feel of sitting in my aunt's house under "Kooler Aabi" and those silent afternoons of Tehran. Wow...Memories.

Today is the first day of Ramadan, so as Arabs say: "Ramadan Karim", to my Muslim friends :)

The Early Years :)

This is a picture of me when I was about a year old (my dad can correct me if I'm way off on that!). I have a history with that plant sitting beside me. In fact, I think it has left a very strong impression on my subconscious mind because even to this day I really like that particular type of plant.

I think my dad has kept this photo in his wallet for more than 20 years. When I was in the States, I took a picture of it with my camera so as you can see the quality isn't that great at all. Nevertheless, I looked too different then. Didn't I?