Nightingale

I am so busy these days.Iam working on a documentary on violence against women.I have traveled to Brussels and Stockholm to interview some psychologists,women activists and university professors.I have also met Nahid Persson Sarvestani.An Iranian film maker who has made some interesting documentaries about women in Iran,Including ”Prostitution behind veil “and” Four wives one man“.The latter is about polygamy.Besides the interview  Nahid cooked a delicious Ghorme sabzi for us and we really enjoyed it.I mean the camera man and I.I have also received some good books from Professor Mehrdad Darvishpour.He teaches sociology in Stockholm university and has written some books on women in Persian,Swedish and English.As we arrived at his house for the interview,he had completely forgotten about our appointment.Although embarrassed, he gave us a very good interview.I also met a writer in Brussels:Abolfazl Ordookhani.He is really something.You need to read his books and stories to know him better.I also interview Ahmad Kamal Dalili an Afghan delegation in the European Parliament.Anyway it was a fruitful trip and I really like to write more about it.I hope I can find some time and do this.

Tonight I watched a beautiful documentary whose name is:GUYS AND DOLLS.I really enjoyed it and it had me think about it a lot.This documentary tells us the story of some lonely men who have chosen to take dolls as their partners.They have bought these women dolls and they even have sex with them.Most of them are happy about their relationship.They take their  dolls on trips and they take good care of them.But the question is what makes a man choose a doll to be his partner?

Some men are not good looking.Besides they do not have self-confidence to start and develop a relationship with a woman.Some men were in a relationship but it did not work out between the two of them and they experienced a terrible relationship.Some men just don’t get what they expect from their partners so they prefer to be with a robber partner rather than a human one.

I think all men and women should once again sit and ask this question:Is my partner going to be the next person with the doll?Think about a world in which half of its people are dolls.It is so boring.It will be very depressing.Let us save our world by being good partners .It is also a good idea to be matchmakers.Look around yourselves.There are a lot of lonely people.Be their partner or help them find a partner.Dolls are good for dolls.Human needs human.

What is accent?

Here is the denotative meaning of accent according to Longman Dictionary: Accent is a way someone pronounces the words of a language, showing which country or which part of the country they come from(dialect).but there is more than this definition for accent.Accent has three parts:1-Pronunciation2-Intonation 3-Liaisons( definition of these terms will follow in their specific section)

As I want to talk  about American accent so I will explain the rules you need for learning only this accent.

Pronunciation: the way that a word is pronounced.This was obvious.It did not need any definition.But you have seen a lot of symbols between the two slashes in front of a word in dictionaries.You probably have no idea what they say.These are pronunciation signals.They help you read the words.From this part on,I teach you these signals one by one followed by examples and exercises to boost your learning.

There are two key words here:1-Vowels 2- Consonants

Vowels ne of the human speech sounds that you make by letting your breath flow out without closing any part of your mouth or throat.Letters a-e-i-o-u make vowel sounds in English.Do not make a mistake:These are letters.they make vowels.for example :Beat/bit/   letters e and a in Beat make the vowel sound /i/.So from now on letters are written outside of the slashes and sound inside the slashes.(/ /)

Consonants :a speech sound made by partly or completely stopping the flow of air through your mouth.So Sounds like:/b/ as in Beat/bit/ and /t/ as in tell/tel/ are consonants.

Giving definitions of these terms is useful but I want to make it more practical for you guys.So in the next lessons I will teach you Vowels.In each lesson I will try to teach one or two vowels following examples and drills.

Having taught English for almost eight years,I still feel like teaching again.There is this passion towards teaching English inside me. I think I can never quench my thirst for teaching English.So instead of writing nonsense I have decided to share some of my knowledge with those who are interested in learning English.Of course I have to admit that I am not professional at all and still consider myself a student.So let us share our findings here.A few years ago I used to teach in an institute near Vanak Square in Tehran.There was a park nearby in which I used to study every morning before going to class.For about a year,I kept working on my accent.What  accent?My American English accent.After a year I designed a course and called it AAT , the abbreviation for American Accent Training.I started teaching it since then and received very good feedback from my students and colleagues.What was the course and what did I teach?Keep on reading and I will tell you all about it.

You write and write but nobody reads. You write a new post and put all your talents in it but nobody reads it. It is 2:00 am in the morning and you finish a post. You publish it and then keep your fingers crossed and wish someone, somewhere would read your post and make a comment about it. You even wish some one said: “That was an awful piece of shit writing. Please never write again”. But it never happens. Just imagine those millions of posts that have never been read. What happens to their writers? How do they feel? Some of them write for a while and then they cease writing as they never get feed backs. Some get really depressed. Some take an oath of revenge. They take an oath not to read anybody’s posts. What are the reasons people never read your posts? You are not famous? You are not popular? you are a bad writer? You do not advertise for your posts? People don’t have time? There are loads of better writings than yours? Nobody recommends your writings? People are jealous?
Maybe some people read your posts but they never comment. Some people may shadow you and your posts. A lover may follow you all the time but dares not to say a word. What if one day a very famous writer writes a comment on one of your posts and recommends it to other people? Keep up the good work. Never give up. Maybe one day you write something like “The last Leaf” and save a girl’s life and someone may praise you by
“the gift of the magi“. You might be a  famous writer and  your work may be remembered forever like the “old man and the sea“.
Personally I don’t care if you don’t read my writings. I write for myself. I write to quench my thirst for writing. For me, Writing a post is like making a mirror. I can see my real “self” in my writings. I know myself better when I write.

I have found 53 common words ending in “ship”. I have chosen my favorite word from among them. Mine is friendship. I think it is the only ship that can carry me through the ocean of difficulties and take me to the best moments of my life. Thank God it has almost always been a safe ship. What kind of ship are you looking for?
relationship, trusteeship, partisanship, workmanship, librarianship, discipleship, guardianship, entrepreneurship, dealership, gunship, steamship, studentship, ladyship, comradeship, editorship, membership, leadership, championship, partnership, ownership, friendship, worship, sponsorship, lordship, scholarship, citizenship, fellowship, airship, companionship, hardship, kinship, apprenticeship, dictatorship, township, chairmanship, censorship, readership, companionship, courtship, flagship, premiership, kingship, warship, receivership, spaceship, stewardship, authorship, interrelationship, directorship, professorship, battleship, governorship, headship, craftsmanship

A bride hit a groom with a broom

and she kicked him awfully outta the room

After spending a night in the gloom

the  groom returned home with a bloom

he had just learned a lesson the hard way

not to be hasty and hurt his wife’s womb

Airport announcement: “Attention pleases Passengers of flight No 715 to Tehran; this is the last announcement for boarding. The gate will be closed in five minutes”.

I was a little late due to being stingy. I just didn’t want to pay for taxi so I went to the airport by underground and it took longer than I expected. As I heard the announcement, I ran along the conveyor. I was the last passenger who entered the plane. My seat number: 38 E.A middle seat. I was walking along the aisle and looking for my seat. I had a sight of a beautiful girl sitting almost in the row my seat was supposed to be. As I was approaching her, I wished I would sit next to her so that I could enjoy her company for the whole three- hour flight to Istanbul. I just kept my finger crossed and went on walking through the aisle. I went closer and closer and was still hopeful. I just stopped next to her and took a look at the row number. Guess what!

An hour and a half had passed since the plane had taken off. She just turned back and looked at me. Then she turned forth and started giggling. I was so furious. The fat guy next to me was asleep and snoring right beside my ear. He had placed his head on my shoulder. The black old lady on my right was nagging about the food. Gosh! I was really lucky! Anyway, two hours later I was in Istanbul and having a cup of coffee.

My next flight was from Istanbul to Tehran. I waited for two hours in Istanbul and then got on the plane to Tehran. This time I was sitting next to a quiet guy. He was looking through the window. He turned to me and asked: “Has Tehran changed a lot?”

I replied: “That depends. When was the last time you were in Tehran?”

He said: “almost 15 years ago”. I asked: “Where were you during this time?” He replied: “Around the world, mostly in Europe. I used to work for the UN”. I said: “Tehran has changed a lot. People too. I have been away for a year. I work for the BBC”. He said: “That’s good. Is it ok you are coming back to Iran? Does the government let you? Is it going to be a problem?” Suddenly I had a butterfly in my stomach. I said: “I have no idea. I hope there is not”. He said: “I am not sure too. I might also be arrested. I was involved in some political issues. Let’s keep our fingers crossed”. I just sighed and turned my face away to hide my worried face.

After three and a half hours of flight the pilot gave a notice for landing. As the plane was going down my heart beat faster. Finally it landed. I got out of the plane and went through the passport control area. There were like twenty people waiting in the queue in front of me. I started my prayers: “Oh Dear God, Almighty God, Please help me. Let me go home. Make these officers blind so that I can pass easily…”. The guy with whom I was talking on the plane was in the next row. It was his turn to go to the counter. Before going he just turned back and waved at me. Then he proceeded to the counter. I did not wave back because I thought if he gets arrested, the officers would think I am with him and they would arrest me too. So I just ignored him. The officer got his passport, took a look at him and after a few minutes returned his passport. The guy was happy. He waved again and went way. This time I waved back. I got a little hopeful.

Time for me to go to the counter. As I stood up in front of the officer, he said: “Passport please”. I gave him my passport. He looked at my passport and looked back at me. He just typed my name in the computer. Then there was this beep. Oh my God! What was that?! He said: “Mr Beigi please wait here for a minute and I will be back”. He went to the two other officers and talked to them for a while. Then they all came to me. As they were approaching me, I was shaking and perspiring. The first officer said:” I am sorry sir but you have to go to the airport police office to answer a few questions. These officers will accompany you”.

They took me to an office in a different lounge. I sat on a chair for a few minutes and then a guy with long beard came to the room. He said: “Hello Mr Beigi.Mehdi Beigi? Am I right?” I said: “Yes sir.” He said: “Welcome back how are your colleagues in BBC Persian TV? Did you have a good time there?” I was sure that he knew everything about me so decided not to lie. I replied: “My colleagues are all fine”. He took a look at my passport and asked: “Don’t you want to ask why you are here?” I said: “Is this because of working for the BBC?” He laughed and said: “It is also because of being a spy, acting against national security, working for an anti-regime media and lots of other allegations”.

I was really hopeless. How could I prove that I was not a spy. To them working for the BBC Persian TV meant spying. According to their definition of a spy I was one. I remembered Bahram’s begging me not to go to Iran. I said: “I am not a spy and I did not act against the national security. I like my country and I like my Iranian identity. I have made some social, cultural none-political reports. I was also a presenter in a youth program called “Emrooziha” which was a social, fun program for young people. I did not do anything wrong”. He said: “Yeah I know you were a presenter in Emrooziha.I also know that you had some bad relationship with your co-presenter. You know the girl Mehrnaz”. I said: “sir you are wrong. I did not have any relationship with her. She was just my colleague. We never went beyond a professional relationship”. He walked to me and slapped me in the face. It was a heavy one and I saw my nose bleeding. He said:” Don’t lie to me. You are a bastard. All of you are bastards.  You work for the intelligence service in the UK. You are a spy. We know that you have come here to send them information about Iranian government. Tell me who are your colleagues in Iran? When and where are you going to meet them? Tell me the truth or I will kill you here”. As I was holding my nose I said: “You are making a mistake about me. I have no colleagues here. I am not going to see anyone here. I just want to go home. I want to see my parents. I am not a spy.” He said:” Ok. So you don’t want to talk. I know how to make you talk”. He called the officers and told them to put handcuffs on me. They also covered my eyes with a black cloth. Then they took me to another place by car. After a few minutes we were in a building in which I heard people’s cry. It was as if they were being beaten. The two officers took me to a room and sat me on a chair. they took the cloth off my eyes. As I opened my eyes there was a big guy standing there with a bottle in his hand. I saw him laughing. He said: “So you are the pretty boy working for the BBC Persian. Do you like some coke?” And then he started to beat me harshly. I was just crying and begging him not to hit me. He was like an animal. He was not listening to me. He was kind of deaf. I was bleeding so badly. I was nearly fainted. Then he held the bottle in front of my face. I knew what he wanted to do. He started taking off my pants. I was not able to resist. He took off my shorts and at the moment he wanted to stick the bottle in to my ass, I opened my eyes.

It was 8:00 O’clock and I had missed my flight. I was overslept. I just thanked God that it was just a nightmare. I decided not to go to Iran for the time being to see what future has for me. Oh boy I have really missed Iran, my parents, my friends, my… my old Me. But I know I will come back to my country one day even if I have to stick the bottle in to my ass myself.

I finally decided to come back to Iran. I had really missed my country; my city; my family and my friends. I had really missed its warm climate; its beautiful high mountains and Its hospitable people. I had missed its delicious ethnic food. I had missed walking in Valiasr Street especially my favorite walking distance: Tajrish square to Valiasr crossroad ending in Daneshjoo Park. I had missed my old job; teaching English. I had missed all my students and my colleagues. I had missed driving in Niayesh highway going all the way to Ashrafi Esfahani highway where my Apartment was located. I had missed all my travels in Iran. I had missed Persian language. Iranian movies, music, Iranian look. I had missed my old Me.

I called a travel agency in North London and bought a first class ticket. I bought a first class ticket because I was a special passenger. I was a BBC employee. I bought a two-leg flight ticket from London to Istanbul and form Istanbul to Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport but not a return one; Just a single trip ticket. I was going home and was not sure whether I could come back or not.

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Pestival is an insect festival which was held at South bank Center. South bank center is the largest art center in the UK and it is located right next to London Eye. There was a three-day insect festival over the weekend. It included music, films, workshops, installations, talks etc all about insects. I went there to make a report on the event. The filming and the report didn’t go well at all because of the camera man who was really unprofessional. Aside from that I learnt a lot of interesting things about insects while I was doing a research about them. Many people consider insects bothersome. Almost all of us have had a bad experience with an insect such as a mosquito bite, a bee sting etc. To a great extent women have this cockroach phobia. So some of us have a negative idea about insects and some may ask:” why does the nature bother to make all these insects?” I would like to share some interesting facts about  insects so that it may change the way we look at insects.

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