Ray

Following my movie marathon this week, I watched Ray tonight. Maybe it was me, but I felt a great similarity between the story of Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. How they were burdened by a sad memory from their childhood, got famous all of a sudden and started a "life on the road" and how their family life was affected by their fame.

And this thing with drugs... I mean are all of the great artists addicted or what? Makes me wonder if dope is actually helping them!

Jamie Fox was more than great and the musical performances made you tap your feet all through the movie...

It's amazing how music can touch people like this... bless you, all musicians out there, you're saving our souls!

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Walk the line

A must see! was awesome... Go watch it NOW! Loved the music...been downloading stuff since I got back!

The movie is covering a few years of Johnny Cash's life when he met June Carter and finally married her. Both actors were amazing! The prison concert scene was one of my favorites. The movie paid its dues to Bob Dyaln too, playing one of his songs in the background in one of the scenes and also "it ain't me babe" song that Johnny and June performed on stage. But the quote of the movie was probably this: "the world has changed...Dylan's gone electric..."!!

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First Snow of the year!

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The first snow of the year is here in Vancouver and it feels just lovely... Christmas is in the air... I absolutely love this time of the year, reminds me of the all the excitement before "eid" in Iran...

On a side note which is totally in a different mood: have you guys (outside Iran) watched the Prison Break TV series! Oh my God! I watched the last three episodes of this season and thought it was pretty good... next season starts in January I think! Don't miss it...

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Immigration... starting anew?

I have chosen to leave my homeland behind and start a new life in another country, two continents away from mine... I am a student; therefore, on paper at least, I'm not considered an immigrant. Does it make a difference though? I am facing the same challenges, if not more, as immigrants everyday. I am adopting to new rules everyday, just like others.

Based on my experience in the past two years, I've found that, in a very broad sense, immigrants can be divided into two groups: one group that is open to the options and opportunities that their new life offers them and one group that still hang on to their past and the life they , supposedly, left behind.

I used the word "chosen" in the first sentence for a reason... no one MADE me come here and study, I HAD THE OPTION. I made a compromise, all the good memories and familiar things in return for something better - in my opinion. If I try to hang on to every little thing that is a representative of the old days, how can I cease the new opportunities? I would end up grieving for things that, most probably, wouldn't make me happy, even if I had them.

I came to a new country that had an-already-working-system and I started enjoying it right away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the ultimate utopia. All I'm saying is that this system would work perfectly without me... it is true that I am adding value to the existing system, but someone else could do the same if I had chosen not to come here. The price I pay - being lonely, homesick, and known as an "immigrant" for many many years to come - is reasonable for what I get in return. I could have stayed where I was and could have tried to make it a better place to live and work in. I preferred to start in a system that was already set up by others for me. I think it's rather absurd to expect the system/society to let me act according to ALL of my old values and habits. Don't you think that, perhaps, those values/habits were somewhat responsible for the way my country has turned out to be today?

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North Country

During the past few days I've been watching movie after movie after ballet after movie, it's just crazy! I've gone totally out of control!

I think I should try to write about something else for a change, but it's just impossible when all I can think about are the great movies I've watched recently. I guess I can turn movie posts into discussions... for example the last movie I watched, North Country, was not just a well-made movie... for me, it was a proof of how everything we take for granted today, has been fought for.

The movie is based on the story of Lois Jenson, the woman who filed the first class-action law suit for sexual harassment against Eveleth mines in Minnesota. She was among the first female miners and, along with other women in the mine, was subject to harsh treatments from her male coworkers. What I found amazing about this case, was the fact that it only happened 15 years ago and the actual verdict was issued several years later. Today, everyone (at least in the Western world) is super cautious about anything that might be interpreted as sexual harassment. This proves that if people stand up for their rights and unite against a wrong deed, they may actually live to see the huge difference they made to the world; something that we, as Iranians or female Iranians at least, need to understand. If we have all these discriminations against women in Iran, it's because, usually, we don't believe that we have the power to change things. I'm not saying that the justice system in Iran is exactly going to help women to get their rights easily, but there must be a way and once we find it, the results will certainly be astonishing.

If you're a woman you should watch North Country and if you are a man...you need to watch it even more!

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This morning, I woke up, had breakfast and headed to the movie theatre to watch the new Harry Potter movie at noon! and boy, did I enjoy it!

It was everything I expected... of course a lot of the side stories from the book were not included, which made total sense... the movie was already above two hours, although I didn't even notice the time!

The special effects were amazing and they just felt very natural, since you'd expect weird things in a magical world anyway. I just can't stop thinking about the movie... Oh yeah, and the greatest news was Lord Voldemort's actor... I agree 100% with Ralph Fiennes, great choice!

Anyway, go watch it... you'll join the gang.

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Carmina Burana

"Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magic images"

This was the actual subtitle that Carl Orff chose for his cantata in 1937! A piece that is most commonly referred to by "Carmina Burana" today.

I went to see Carmina Burana's ballet, directed by John Alleyne, this evening and was stunned! The wave of passion coming from the stage just knocked me over! The music was performed by Vancouver's Chamber Choir and was absolutely perfect!

The name comes after a monastery from which the poems were originally found. The lyrics were the work of medieval poets, monks and minstrels and, surprisingly, were mostly secular... Carl Orff arranged his cantata based on these lyrics and, needless to say, achieved a huge success.

Apart from the great music, dancers showed a great deal of emotion too... you could literally feel the lust and desire...a truly unforgettable performance!

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Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it's Cinderelly...

I know this is going to sound stupid, but I watched Disney's Cinderella twice in the past week. It was the first Disney animation I watched (and can you believe they actually made it in 1950!) when I was a kid and watching it again brought me a world of memories. Of course, I had watched the translated version which was equally great, if not better than the English version! I had watched it so many times that I ended up memorizing almost every single dialogue... It was a blast watching it again... loved the mice dialogues and songs!

On the contrary, couldn't get myself to finish watching Team America: the world police... was it really lame or is it just me? I absolutely loved South Park episodes and the movie, but couldn't find this movie funny at all! Maybe I'll finish watching it later and then make a final comment about it!

If you're wondering what happened to my thesis, the answer is: "not much"! Apparently one of my committee members is not going to be able to finish reading it in time, so I might have to actually wait to defend in February! How ridiculous is it to write your thesis in October and defend next February?

* Update: I finished watching Team America, still think it could have been way better. I have to admit that I liked the "Pearl Harbor sucks" song though!

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Live and let die (?)

Tonight I watched Mar adentro (the sea inside) and cried. Yeah! I'm one of those people who cry when seeing sad movies... sounds childish, I know!

The movie was the true story of Ramon Sampedro, a Spanish man who fought 29 years for his right to "die with dignity"...you can imagine what kind of a movie it was I guess. I have to mention that it was very well made with strong acting and great cinematography.

It kind of makes you wonder if life is a "right or an obligation" - as Ramon asks in the movie. What would I wanna do if I ever end up on a bed and know I'll never be able to get up again and live a normal life? I'm not sure if I'll be strong enough to go on living, nor will I be brave enough to end my life! It's going to be hell on earth, I assume. I can only hope that day never comes...

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There's something wrong when...

... you go out with the class you're TAing to a pub crawl, end up in a club and dance the night away.

There's something more wrong when they tell you the day after that you're their "favorite" TA... did you have too many Tequila shots and can't remember what happened?

But the funny thing is when they ask you to go out drinking with them again the week after!...hmmmm, yeah, don't think it's gonna happen!

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Sharif Alumni... nostalgy?

Just got back from the second bi-annual reunion of Sharif University of Technology Association, (Western Canada's chapter)... it was at this nice Italian restaurant in Downtown Vancouver and was relatively well attended!

I remembered the first re-union, more than two years ago, when I had just arrived in Vancouver and seeing all these people, talking about the school I had just left, didn't make any sense... now I know that you actually CAN miss Sharif - as unlikely that it seemed at times - especially when you're surrounded by people that were all there, at some point in time. They keep referring to places you know - or people, if they are not 40 years older than you! - and it just makes you feel nostalgic! I felt so nostalgic that I even nominated myself for the board of directors - and of course, didn't get elected! Honestly, can you believe that? I thought it was just a matter of nominating yourself, then you're automatically in! :)

Anyway, just wanted to say hi to all of my Sharif-pals here, especially class of 77 and especially the industrial engineering people! HI!

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Almost there!

Do you know the feeling after a difficult exam, or after handing in your term assignment, or...handing in your thesis??? that's exactly how I feel now!

today I submitted my draft to my supervisory committee... now all I have to do is to sit around for them to give me their comments and then hopefully defend sometime before Christmas! I never imagined I'd live to see this day!!! feels great!

Of course I still have to submit papers for publications and stuff like that, but I'm almost there...Yippie!

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