Retracing roots - the Persian way
By Scott Peterson Christian Science Monitor May 16, 2000 TEHRAN, IRAN

Connect the dots if you will….

......Go West, young man, go West." Horace Greeley's 19th-century mantra echoes luringly in today's Iran: According to some estimates, 1 in 4 Iranians with a college degree works outside the country. Upwards of 1 million Iranians, for instance, have made their residence in the Los Angeles area, prompting the nickname "Tehran-geles," after the Iranian capital. In recent years, poor career prospects and a high rate of unemployment have speeded the flight that began with the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But that is not the only story. A number of educated Iranians are returning to their homeland - especially from America - some after being away for years.

The reason: identity.


….Some of these Iranians have American passports, others have green cards. Most have US degrees, and their thinking - and accents - are often a product of America's melting pot

….But here you are ... getting in touch with your culture. It's better than any PhD."

…."In your life, you need to find an equilibrium inside, and that is easier in Iran," he says. "In the US, many people hunger for this, but most don't find it. They are too busy. Everything in the West is about measurement, how big, and how much money. But this is not the man."

….Coming home to Iran does not work out for everyone, but getting back to the US is not always easy

….Spirit is where you find it, in your heart, wherever you are," says Karimi, philosophically. "I feel more American. No one can convince me otherwise. Going back to the US is something I want to do."

….I have thought about going back 100 times


…I really felt a thirst for my country, and I am still trying to satisfy that thirst.


http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0516/p12s1.html

Such memories, of course, would imply the unthinkable: that Iran was as beautiful, as fun, as energizing and romantic, as Oklahoma or Montana or New York.
when all conversation would stop and she would be asked to repeat our escape story. The problem, of course, was that they wanted our salvation story as a talisman, no more. No one ever asked what our house in Iran looked like, what fruits we grew in our yard, what books we read, what music we loved and what it felt like now not to understand any of the songs on the radio. No one asked if we missed our cousins or grandparents or best friends. No one asked what we did in summers or if we had any photos of the Caspian Sea. “Men treat women horribly there, don’t they?” the women would ask. Somehow it didn’t feel OK to tell them about my funny dad with his pockets full of sour cherries, or my grandpa who removed his false teeth when he told ghost stories.
In many of the classes I’ve taught, my quietest kids have been Middle Eastern. I’m always surprised by this, since the literature I choose should resonate most with them, since I’m an Iranian teacher, their ally, since the civilized world yearns for their voices now. Still, they bristle at headlines about the refugee crisis that I flash on the screen, hang their heads, and look relieved when the class is finished. Their silence makes me angry, but I understand why they don’t want to commit to any point of view. Who knows what their universe looks like outside my classroom, what sentiments they’re expected to display in order to be on the inside
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/04/dina-nayeri-ungrateful-refugee?CMP=share_btn_fb

The Ungrateful Refugee - Dina Nayeri

Trevor Noah
The Not So Great Britain

Intelligent Vs. Stupid

America the Mediocre
Americans think they’re No. 1.
They’re wrong in so many ways.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/15/america-the-mediocre/?fbclid=IwAR2-0SMFMW0BjMHLLS7Ndm2ThKYPjk1k3V-71IQS69_rqUE8ZIht9B4pnd8/

What could Da Vinci do then with very limited resources?

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW WITH ALL THESE RESOURCES?

https://t.me/MkNotes/578

ANY FOOL CAN CRITICIZE, CONDEMN AND COMPLAIN-
AND MOST FOOLS DO. --Benjamin Franklin

AND THOSE FOOLS MUSTN'T FEEL SMART WHEN THEY DO SO.
- - MkNotes

https://t.me/MkNotes/781

SMOKE NOT

Four hiked up...

BUT ON THE WAY DOWN:

One flew down.
Another rode his bike down.
The other two just kept their feet on the ground!!

Multi Billionaire Investor ‘Warren Buffett‘ who once was ‘The Richest Man In The World‘, shares his 5 major rules to living a successful life.

On Earning: “Never depend on a single income. Make Investments to create a second source.”

On Spending: “If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.”

On Savings: “Do not save what is left after spending, spend what is left after saving.”

On Taking Risks: ”Never test the depths of the river with both of your feet.”

On Expectations: “Honesty is a very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.”

Tochal, My Backyard Playground
Summer 2019