غذاي خانگي

امشب شام غذاي خونگي داشتيم. شنيتسل مرغ با خيار شور. عليرضا همه خيارشورهاي مرا هم خورد. وقتي به مامان گفتم مامان سيگارش را روشن كرد. وقتي مامان زياد سيگار مي كشد خيلي بد اخلاق مي شود. داشتم كارتون نگاه مي كردم كه سرم داد كشيد بروم توي محوطه بازي كنم.همش تقصير عليرضا ست . مي دانم حالا مامان دارد هي سيگار مي كشد و با خاله منير حرف مي زند. خاله منير را دوست ندارم. بابا هم خاله منير را دوست ندارد. عليرضا ولي خيلي دوستش دارد. بس كه خاله منير براي عليرضا از كانادا سوغاتي مي آورد. عليرضا هميشه در اتاقش را مي بندد و نمي گذارد من با پلي استيشنش بازي كنم. مي گويد من خرابش مي كنم. من پاي تلفن به به خاله منير گفتم كه برايم باربي بياورد ولي خاله منير فقط برايم شكلات آورد. مامان مي گويد وقتي رفتيم كانادا من يك عالمه باربي خواهم داشت. عليرضا خيلي دوست دارد زودتر برويم كانادا. عليرضا خيلي بد است. خيلي مرا اذيت مي كند. بابا را هم خيلي اذيت مي كند. هي در اتاقش را محكم مي كوبد به هم بعد بابا عصباني مي شود مي رود توي اتاق كتكش مي زند. مامان هي جيغ مي زند و به بابا فحش مي دهد. بعد بابا مي آيد توي محوطه بعد مي رودتوي ماشين مي نشيند سرش را مي گذارد روي فرمون و گريه مي كند. خانه بازي من گوشه محوطه بغل جاي پارك ماشين بابا زير شمشمادها ست. بابا نمي داند من هميشه وقتي توي ماشين گريه مي كند مي بينمش. من بابا را خيلي دوست دارم. بابا هيچ وقت مرا كتك نمي زند. عليرضااين چيزها را نمي فهمد. مي گويد من خودم را براي بابا لوس مي كنم. بهش مي گويم خب تو هم اينقدر نگو مي خواهي بروي كانادا اون وقت بابا باهات مهربون ميشه. عليرضا لج كرده است. مي گويد مدرسه نمي روم. بابا مي ايستد وسط خانه دستهايش را به كمرش مي زند و سر مامان داد مي زند. مامان عليرضا را بغل مي كند و مي گويد پسرم خوب مي كند. اينجا با چه آينده اي برود مدرسه؟ بابا به خاله منيرفحش مي دهد. مامان مي گويد بابا نبايد اين حرفها را جلوي روي من بزند. مامان اين روزها همش سيگار مي كشد و گريه مي كند. ديگر برايمان غذا نمي پزد. همش مي رود كلاس زبان. مامان خيلي خوشگل است. من وقتي جلوي آينه به خودم نگاه مي كنم آرزو مي كنم وقتي بزرگ شدم شبيه مامان بشوم. مامان مي گويد من اصلا به او نرفته ام و عين عمه مريم هستم. عمه مريم بد اخلاق است. چاق و زشت است. عمه مريم خيلي با مامان بد است. هميشه به من ميگويد مامان يك روز بالاخره توي جهنم خواهد سوخت. عمه مريم مي گويد هر كسي كه چادر سرش نكند و نماز نخواند خدا دوستش ندارد. مامان هيچ وقت خانه عمه مريم اينها نمي آيد. من و بابا و عليرضا هميشه تنهايي مي رويم. خانه آنها خيلي از خانه ما دور است. عليرضا ميگويد ما غرب غرب تهرانيم و آنها شرق شرق تهران. هميشه بايد كلي توي ماشين بشينيم و ترافيك را تماشا كنيم. من كه هر وقت مي رسيم خوابم برده است. ما هميشه توي اتاق خانم جان مي نشينيم. بابا مي گويد كه خانم جان مادربزرگ من است. خانم جان هميشه روي زمين خوابيده و هميشه بوي بدي مي دهد. عمه مريم هميشه اولش مهربان است. برايمان شيريني خانگي نخودچي مي آورد . و بابا را بغل مي كند. بابا برايم گفته كه وقتي بچه بوده توي همين خيابان عمه مريم اينها زندگي مي كرده اند. من عمه مريم را دوست ندارم. مي روم بغل بابا و دستم را دور كمرش سفت مي كنم و فورا چشمهايم را مي بندم و خودم را به خواب مي زنم. بابا به عمه مي گويد من هميشه توي ماشين خوابم مي برد.ولي من خوابم نمي برد. از بوي اتاق خانم جان بدم مي آيد. ولي خيلي دوست دارم بغل بابا بخوابم. بابا هي به عمه مريم مي گويد كه شرمنده است. تا عليرضا مي رود اتاق پسر عمه، عمه مريم فوري مي زند زير گريه . بعد مامان را نفرين مي كند. بابا جلوي عمه مريم خيلي از مامان تعريف مي كند. دروغكي مي گويد كه مامان سرش درد مي كرده وگرنه مي آمده. عمه مريم هميشه مي گويد ما بايد خانم جان را ببريم خانه خودمان. بعضي وقتها آنقدر به بابا فحش مي دهد و نفرين مي كند كه من الكي از خواب بيدار مي شوم. آن وقت ديگر نفرين نمي كند . مرا بغل مي كند و بهم مي گويد اين لباسي كه تنم كرده ام را هيچ دختر خوبي تنش نمي كند. مامان مي گويد وقتي برويم كانادا برايم كلي لباس صورتي با عكس باربي مي خرد. من نميدانم كانادا چه شكلي است. عكسش را خاله منير نشانم داده است . توي عكس خاله منير خودش تكي ايستاده بود و پشت سرش آب از بالا مي ريخت پايين. عليرضا مي گويد كانادا بزرگترين آبشار روي زمين را دارد. من تا حالا آبشار نديده ام ولي فكر نكنم هيچ از كانادا خوشم بيايد.بابا امروز كه از سركار آمد خانه خيلي خوشحال بود. مامان لباس خوشگل پوشيده بود و مي خنديد و بابا بغلش كرد. مامان هيچ وقت نمي گذارد بابا بغلش كند ولي امروز گذاشت.. هر 4 تايمان كنار هم نشستيم و شنيتسل مرغ خانگي خورديم. عليرضا همه خيارشورهاي مرا خورد. حالا من نشسته ام توي خانه بازي ام بغل شمشادهاي محوطه و بابا دارد توي ماشين گريه مي كند.بابا نمي داند من نگاهش مي كنم. بابا مي گويد وقتي برويم كانادا بدبخت مي شويم. من نمي دانم بدبختي چطوري است.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a simple, yet complicated and important concept when it comes to protecting our environment.

Topics that come up these days in every paper and article include Energy, Forests, Agriculture, Water, Wildlife, Air Pollution and Natural Resources. They all share the same concern: are we destroying our environment and therefore reducing our chances of survival on the earth?

More importantly, the question we need to ask is "is our life-style sustainable on earth?"

That means:
- For how much longer we can consume so much energy before we are out?
- For how much longer we can destroy forests to create agricultural land to feed our population?
- For how much longer we can put our waste into the air and water before we endanger the life of all species?
- For how much longer we can dig into the natural resources such as oil, coal, metals, wood and even wildlife before they are all gone?
- For how much longer is this life-style sustainable?

I suppose you could say the question is not whether or not our life-style is sustainable, but for how much longer. It worries all of us: another decade, 2 more decades or best case scenario 5 more decades?

Everything has a "life cycle". We get our raw material (e.g. metals, wood) from natural resources. But what do we do when we are done with them? Do we put them back into the cycle (Re-cycling) or we bury them in a landfill where it might table many centuries before they can be used again?

What do we do with our waste? Do we just assume that atmosphere and oceans are infinite spaces to store waste? We very well know that is not the case.

How about energy? are we more dependable on semi-infinite resources such as solar, or very finite resources such as oil, nuclear (uranium) and coal?

It is all about our life-style and how much longer we'd like to survive. We need a paradigm shift.

Every time we go to the supermarket, we are about to turn on heater/air-conditioning, we are at a car dealership or the gas pump, or we are about to dump a garbage bag down the chute, we need to ask ourselves:

- Is my life-style (my habits of consumption) sustainable?

If you do, you may find yourself riding a bike to work, separating the recycling material and turning off the air-conditioning.

It's all about little steps that you and I can take to live a more sustainable life-style.

I can hear you all saying "what about the big corporations?" Well, let's leave that to government policy-makers to figure out (that's why we elect them and give them our tax dollars).

For now, it's important that we believe markets can be consumer-driven.


P.s.I'd be more than happy to discuss any questions or topics related to the environment. Just leave me your comments.

Pregnancy in late 30s and early 40s

It's time to stir up some controversy!

A few days ago this article showed up in the Globe and Mail: 40 is the new 35 when it comes high-risk pregnancy

The article is mainly tackling the scientific studies that looked at risks of amnio for pregnancies that are considered high-risk. Nothing really shocked me about the facts, since my colleagues (successful, educated women) got married in their 30s and by the time they were ready to have kids, they were past the 35 years of age. How did their kids turn out? Very normal.

I am 28, still tempted to go back to school for a change or enhancement of my career. but how do I know that I won't have children well into my 30s? Well, there is no sign of a soulmate (i.e. husband).

Many of us have asked ourselves whether or not women can have it all: education, career, loving husband and a child or two. More and more I look around and the answer I find is YES, THEY CAN. So, what if they have children later in life?

However, some people think it is unnatural and inconvenient that women are putting career/education first. Just read these comments.

What is exactly the problem, according to the critics?
- Optimal age of reproduction (physiologically speaking) is 20-30
- Later pregnancies might lead to an unsatisfactory sex-life
- Parents are not as energetic as they would be 10 years younger
- why do women think career is more important than having a family?

Well, to start, the first 2 facts have never been really proven!

About fact #3, I'd have to say an older parent may not be as energetic, but might be a lot happier, since it probably was a sure decision to have a family and parents are well professionally (and financially) established.

On fact #4, well I am biased. If men believe that their confidence depends on their career advancement, why do they think women are any different? Also, looking at divorce statistics (50%) don't we all believe that single mother should be able to provide, just in case?

More and more men are choosing to get married in their late 30s. Does that mean for the sole purpose of procreation they need to marry women at least 10 years younger?

It is true that many people don't have a choice when it comes to the timing of their pregnancy, because they hadn't found a partner or simply couldn't get pregnant earlier. But please, give today's woman a little more credit (i.e. choice if you like).

Women have every right to a well-established career if they desire. They have a right to financial stability (by themselves) if they deem necessary and they have a right to have children when they are ready.

Many ask "is a late pregnancy worth the risks because the woman chose her career first?" I am not fully qualified to answer this question. I'd like to ask moms (who had kids well in their 30s and 40s) to answer that for us.