Pomegranate

I came across this video describing the wrong way to open a pomegranate. My grandmothers would be turning in their graves if they saw this. She destroys the poor fruit making it bleed, then puts it in the water to get the arils. I was horrified. What are you doing to our national fruit woman? You're killing it. After I posted it online, a friend posted this. Now this is the correct way to do this. Watch and enjoy. This guy needs to be given an award for this.

Iran - USA Game Shirt

Get the Iran-USA game shirt here. Iran national basketball team will play USA, September 1, 2010. Any predictions? This t-shirt may help.

Putting things in perspective

So today when the nurse was getting ready to put some iodine on my left arm to draw blood, she noticed some mosquito bites. Because of possible allergic reactions, she informed me that she'll have to draw blood from my right arm if I want to donate blood today. All of the sudden I became irritated and uneasy. Last time a nurse insisted on using a vain on my right arm, I ended up being in a lot of pain with no blood flowing into the tube while the nurse was constantly moving the needle looking for the vain. The result: a lot of pain and no gain at all. That stopped me from donating for over a year.

Suddenly, I came to my senses. So what if I experience discomfort? So what if the nurse tries my right arm and is unable to draw blood? This is nothing compared to what's happening back home. Nothing compared to the sacrifices my brothers and sisters are making these days. So I offered my right arm.

No, I did not feel like I was being heroic or anything. I also did not feel particularly ashamed of being irritated. I just put things in perspective...the best I can do these days.

Majid Varess is back!!!

So here's the story. I wake up late this morning at 4:45 AM (missing the first half of Iran-North Korea game) and switch to Tapesh. All of the sudden I hear this warm and familiar voice that I haven't heard in years. I'm thinking: it can't be him, but the guy is using the same metaphors and his reporting style has not changed a bit. Then the other reporter refers to him as Aghaye Varess!!! No way. Majid Varess has not reported a game in over 26-27 years. It made my Saturday morning. Finally after the game I see his face on the screen. He hasn't changed much. He actually looks good. I quickly snapped a picture with my phone.

It brought back a lot of sweet memories. Hope to see him more often on TV.

http://tehranbureau.com/

Very interesting online news source!

Here's a brief description of Tehran Bureau.

Iranian Americans have a player in the NBA finishing his first season

First ever NBA player from Iran.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123906169774395129.html

Rice! Rice! Rice! - That's all you hear these days in Iranian mehmoonis!!!

No, not Condoleezza Rice. Berenj!

It all started when the sharp rise in price of rice in Asia, especially in Thailand - world's largest exporter - was widely reported in the media couple of weeks ago. Soon after, Iranian stores in my town nearly doubled their prices and the rest, well, is history.

Basmati rice is a hard find these days. For those of you living in places with significant Iranian/Middle Eastern population, just drive to your nearest Costco or Sam's Club and you'll see. More than likely, the Basmati rice shelves are empty. These days the buzz at Iranian mehmoonis is all how everyone is hoarding rice. It has reached a crisis mode for those who have not bought an ample supply of rice, like it's the end of the world. A friend of ours was telling the story of how she bought 30 pounds, only to find out that her husband also bought 30 pounds on his way home the same day. This is madness and a classic example of how hoarding can potentially contribute to price increases even more. Fortunately, I don’t think this will happen.

All this hoarding business reminds me of the years following the revolution. Life was tough back then and hoarding or "ehtekar" was a term mainly reserved for businesses that stored away goods bought at subsidized prices for sale at outrageous black market prices.
Anyway, just like any other hot issue this will blow over soon too, when something new comes along and the sharp price increases gradually end. Or will it? Did you hear what happened in Myanmar (Burma) last weekend, another major rice exporter?

The saga continues…