web log for EAP II!!

Hello everyone!!

As all of you know, this is the last entry for this web log in EAP II. In this entry I just want to write about the process of my web log.

When Regina told us that 5% of our writing mark is based on works on web log and our entries, I was a little bit shocked, and I remembered all of my thoughts about web log. When I was in Iran, many times I thought about creating web log and write about some of my concerns, but I did not have enough time to concentrate and to open mine. However, whenever I had some free times, I was really motivated to go around and read different web logs with different methods of thinking.
At the beginning of blog, I had some difficulties for choosing name and the theme of my web blog. I thought that I should first decide on my general topic for my web log and then choose a name for that. In my country, besides writing about myself and my concerns I liked to focus on some social and political areas. But I found that topic too hard to write in English. After awhile, I found that writing about my experiences in Canada and introducing Iran is the best choice because of my readers from all around the world. Now the time was for choosing the name. Actually, it is really interesting that I chose my web log’s name with the help of Zalfa. While I was thinking about the name with the combination of living in Iran and living in Canada, she suggested that name to me, and I did like her suggestion.

After passing these processes, I had a hard time to find interesting subjects for my readers. I asked my family and my friend to help me find exciting topics.

Any way, this was a valuable chance for me to create my web log in English and also read others’. I would like to thank Regina and Zalfa for their idea and giving us this helpful opportunity!!!

Eating "Dumpling"

Since I came to Canada, I’ve had a lot of chances to try new things and get information about different countries and cultures. In last month, with eating “dumpling” I have become more aware of Chinese culture and their taste of food.

Eating Dumpling:
It was two weeks ago when my family and I went to Lethbridge to visit one of our friends for New Year. My friend had invited three Iranian families for dinner in Lethbridge for Nowruz celebration. She had planned to make four Iranian foods, so we tried to help her organize her plans. Their friend’s wife is Chinese, so I was really excited to see her and also her Chinese-Iranian kids. She made “dumpling” for other Iranian people. She said, “I want to compete with Iranian.”:D. At dinner time, she encouraged us to try “dumpling”; however, between all those Iranian foods with their familiar taste, I didn’t decide to try even one of those. As she understood that I had not eat her food, came and explain to me what is “dumpling. Therefore after her explanation, I had to eat and try. But my feeling after tasting it was totally different with before eating. It was delicious. I really liked that, and I tried some. Now I want to get its recipe to make it.

That was my good chance to eat “dumpling.”

"Persian Gulf was, is and will be Persian Gulf."

Iran with its rich historical and cultural precedent back to 4000 BC is my homeland country.
You may wonder why I have written about my country after seven entries. Actually after reading this blog, you will get some valuable information about my country.

One of the most important parts of my homeland country is Persian Gulf which is located in the southwest Asian region. It is an extension of the Gulf of Oman located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
Some people in Arabian areas called this “Arabian Gulf”; however on almost the world all maps (all around the world except Arabian region) printed before 1960 until now, and in modern international treaties, documents and maps, this is known by the name "Persian Gulf.” The United Nations on any occasions has requested its secretarial staff to use only "Persian Gulf" as the standard geographical designation for that body of water.
Now if you go to Google search under the name of Arabian Gulf, you will not find any specific information or maps about that that body of water. But if you search with the name of Persian Gulf, you will access to a lot of significant information.

For more information you can read Mahnoush, Mehrdad and Maryam’s web log.
In the following attachment you can see a lot of facts about Persian Gulf in the United Nation’s document. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/gegn23wp61.pdf

Sizdah Bedar (13th day of Nowruz)

Now the 12 first days of Nowruz (New Year), which are very important for Iranian people, have passed. So now the 13th day of the New Year, which is very tedious for school students, always marks the beginning of the return to ordinary daily life.

Spending the day outdoors on the 13th of New Year is one of the most significant traditions in Iranian culture. This day is always called “Sizdah Bedar.” Sizdah is number thirteen in Persian and Bedar means get rid of. As you may know, the number 13 is the symbol of bad luck in Iranian culture, so Sizdah Bedar means “getting rid of thirteen.”

It is custom on this day, for families to pack and go to the crowded parks or countryside. Iranian people believe that sprouts or “Sabzeh” which we put in our haft-seen table should collect all the sickness, pain and ill during first 12 days of New Year, so on 13th day of year we always throw away the Sabzeh and we want to be free of all those sicknesses. Another tradition in that day which is done by some people, is knotting of blades of grass by unmarried girls in the hope of finding a partner for her life. The knotting of the grass represents love of the man and a woman.

By the end of this day, the fourteen-day vacation will be over and people will become ready for doing normal life.

Haft-seen

Now the time is suitable for introducing Haft-seen.

Haft-seen:
In the first day of Nowruz, the special table with seven specific items will be provided in every Iranian houses.
You like to know more information about this Iranian custom, don’t you?
This especial table has seven items that all start with the Persian letter “Seen” or the English letter “S.” Each one of these things is the symbol of life.

The symbolic table consists of:
1. Sabzeh or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil represents rebirth.
2. Samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are transformed and given new life as a sweet, represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking.
3. Seeb means apple and represents health and beauty.
4. Senjed the sweet, dry fruit of the Lotus tree represents love.
5. Seer which is garlic in Persian represents medicine.
6. Somaq, sumac berries, represents the color of sunrise.
7. Serkeh or vinegar represents age and patience.

Other symbols that we usually put on the table are:
. A few coins as a wealth
. painted eggs as a fertility
. Orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth floating in space
. Goldfish as a symbol of being live or life
. A mirror which reflects images of table
. Candles for its brightness
. Holy book

Nowruz (Iranian New Year)

The word Nowrus is the combination of two Persian words, “now” means new, and the word “ruz” which means both day and time. Nowruz literally means “new day”, but it is usually translated as “new year.”
Iranian New Year celebration (Nowruz) always begins on the first day of spring in harmony with the rebirth of nature. First day of spring, which is 21st of March, is also the first day of Iranian solar calendar.
Nowruz ceremony, the oldest tradition of Iran, is the symbol of two ancient concepts: the End and the Rebirth, or Good and Evil.
You may be interested to know what we do before and during 13 days of Nowruz celebration. In text bellow, you will read shortly about before Nowruz.

Preparations for Nowruz
Preparation for welcoming the Nowrus starts early in March with cleaning the house and then sowing Sabzeh (lentil or wheat). Iranians begin to wash carpets, paint the house and make everywhere clean. People believe that they can keep Evil away from the kingdom of Good with cleanliness.

The sprouting of seeds and house cleaning are followed by Nowruz shopping. People buy new clothes, shoes and different kinds of sweets, fruits and nuts. They also prepare some presents for their families and friends.

We celebrate the evening of last Tuesday of the out-going year. On this day, family gets together and each members jumps over the fire and says, “Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly pallor.” Iranians believe by going over the fire they will get rid of all their illnesses and misfortunes.

Now this is the time for celebrate Nowruz.
I will focus on activities during Nowruz ceremony in next entry.

Funny poem!!

This story is not about Iran or Canada. Actually it’s related to English language. I wrote it because I remembered that as a funny story.

When I was in Iran, I attended English classes to improve my skills. There were no similarities between those classes and EAP, because rules, works, students and also teachers weren’t as serious as here. So we had a lot of fun in classes.

One day our lesson was about words which rhyme. It means that the words which have the same last sound like ‘blue’ and ‘flew’. After trying to find a rhyme for some words, our teacher asked us to write a short poem at rhyme. Although it was hard for me to do, it was a good practice.

This was my poem:

I’m so chubby, I love honey, so I’m funny, take it easy!
Mine is ugly, yours is pretty, but it’s silly, take it easy!
I’m too busy, but I’m lazy, so I’m crazy, take it easy!
I got fifty out of fifty, so I’m nifty, take it easy!

I wrote that with the helps of my sister and her friend!

If you have time, try it. You will have an enjoyable time!!