stopping girls from getting into the university!

Have you ever had this feeling that you can't take it any more? Have you ever told yourself that if he asks me to do one more thing I'll quite? I had heard some news that there's going to be a quota for women at the nationa university entrance exam but I was thinking with myself that it is not going to really happen (Ok, I know, may be I think too optimistic!)
reading the below article I felt Oh! I can't take it any more!

http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2007/02/002098.php

"Bookseller of Kabul" by ShekarKhand

It is the title of a book that I started reading about two weeks ago. (in my uneventful life the books that I am reading are the only subjects that I feel like talking about.)

The book is by a Norwegian female reported who stayed in Afghanistan during the US-Afghanistan war and got to know a bookseller and his family in Kabul. She tells the story of the bookseller, his two wives and his extended family.

There were some facts in the book that was very strange to me. So strange that I am not sure I should believe it or not (the author claims that everything in the book has actually happened; she is only narrating the thought and feelings of people involved in the events.)

Math books at the time of Taliban sounded like the following: (I am quoting directly from the book):

1- Sadegh has one Kalashnikov and 10 bullets. He kills 3 atheists, each with one bullet. How many bullets is left for him?

2- Two brothers killed their sister following their mother's order. The newly-wed sister had slept with a guy (supposedly her secrete boy friend) while she was waiting for her husband, whom she has never met, to come back from Europe and take her with him.

I am still half way through the book, so I am not sure what is coming next.

"Nobel peace prize" by ShekarKhand

First and foremost : Happy B-Day Leili !

I think most of you have about Mohammad Yunus the winner of the Nobel peace prize.
if you haven't please check out his work!

I was very impressed with his work and his prove of the concept that poor people are bankable.

“This is possibly the first instance of a Nobel Peace prize going to a person who runs an organisation that makes profit”

Los Angles

I just felt that I should write more about Los Angeles. I lived a year in Los Angles and I felt like desribing it a little bit. No oposition to all your ideas about the US and L.A. at all. I just want to write about little things that I enjoyed in L.A.

You might have heard the traffic in L.A. It totally remind me of Tehran. Not only because of the traffic but because you notice people that do not want to exit but they take the right. Remeber in Tehran Freeways the right lane was usually the fastets! :)
However bearing L.A. traffic is much easier. I used to listen my favoriate Radio Station 95.5
Specially in the morning there is a funny talk show. Unlike Tehran I do not remember getting angry in L.A. Traffic! (Oh The last place I was working at before leaving Tehran was in Jomhori and there was a period that my sound system was stollen, I was training my voice (!) in the car all the time! but sometime it was hard to entertain yourself.)

Those of you who travelled/lived in L.A. might not get a chance to go to the downtown (it is not a popular place.) There is cathedral in downtown that has a modern Architecture. There is a wall in the cathedral/church that displays the pictures of missing/killed/raped children. You can light a candle for their memories...

My favorate part of the city is Brentwood (it is a city in west L.A.). There is a coffee shop on the intersection of Barrington and I think sunset. It is a chain but locating in the heart of Brentwood it has a character. and it opens till 12:00 every single night of the week! (may be in your towns it is the same but many places that I lived it is hard to find a live place @ 12:00am)

I used to ride bus in the west L.A. man you all kinds of people there. There was a russian rather old man that I used to see a lot and off course west L.A. is the heart of Iranina community you see a lot Persian speaking people too.

And ... one of the main attraction as you know ;) movie :D
there was a movie rental for 99c ( ;) ) that we used to rent movie. Hey! finally a no-chain! place with an Asian/American owner who had a very special way of organizing the store. Viva Los Angeles!

Seema story(1)

It seems so distant now. She was standing by the pool in her white gown. She looked back and for a moment just enjoyed the fine needlepoint lace of her gown. It was thoroughly her night. Among the guests there were more than fifty people that she loved by heart and it was wonderful to have all those dear ones around her. There was nothing that could ruin the night. She could see Saeed on another table not too far making remarks that raised a laugh from the group of his friends. No doubt that he was social but on that night anybody would laugh at his remarks to make him happy.

It seems so distant now. Saeed was holding her hand when they were dancing to his favorite song: “Do you remember the night we were passing the forests? Do you remember the night we were writing our memories on tree trunks?” She had heard a lot about a wedding night but she did not think that it could be as special as hers. Was it the best night of her life? It was hard for her to answer this question but sure it was one of the bests. Saeed was singing the song himself he had a soft voice. Does he still have it? She could not remember the last time that she heard him singing. She could not believe how things changed. Now the wedding night seems like a far away history, as if somebody else was acting it, as if it was a movie that she watched once!

Saeed just left home after a fight and Seema was thinking of not letting him in again. “I can not bear him now,” She was thinking, ”if he comes in I will kill myself. I do not have anywhere to go. He has his friends that he can stay with. He has to give me a break at least.”

to be cnt ...

P.S. about the web log : I like to be able to search the posts. is that possible?
and about L.A. sorry but I love L.A. however the good news is that not more than San Diego ;) :)