By Reza Ganjavi
THANKSGIVING
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Being a non-meat-eater it's not the most pleasant thing to see pictures of all these dead turkeys and pigs... but life goes on (not the turkeys').
Always loved Thanksgiving, especially having grown up in a very grateful culture where gratefulness is embedded in us since early years via education, or religion, or morphic resonance of many generations.
Thank God I had a wonderful organic vegetarian meal including an amazing pumpkin soup. There are many vegetarian restaurants in both Hague and Amsterdam and several are fully organic!
GREEN EYES
Met photographer on the train from Amsterdam to Hague -- it was a timeless 50-minute ride in her green eye. Amazing how a beautiful face can make you feel like descending upon a field of green decorated with blue sky and flowers of many colors.
SAW CASE OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN THE NETHERLANDS
Witnessed a police brutality case in Hague -- a big policeman was arresting a loser half his size and in the process beat the stuffing out of the guy -- it was terrible to see. I reported what I saw.
TAKE CARE OF THIS PLANET
Meeting with an astrophysicist friend – they’re studying other areas in the cosmos to see where’s most suitable for life – so if we screw up this planet we go to another planet. How strange of an idea really. She’s a whiz kid and super bright and a straight A-student. She repeated a couple of times: it makes much more sense to care for this planet!! YES!!
SMARTPHONE VALUE PROPOSITION
Good talk with a friend from Lithuania – we see eye to eye on a number of things like: value proposition for smartphones is weak – most people burn out on most apps – and the use of smartphone becomes merely a few functions – wonderful no doubt – but worth $900 for my favorite smartphone?
ALCOHOL
Talking with friends, why has alcohol become so important? One said: because it's quick relaxation. I can think of much healthier and better ways to relax -- music, stretching, art, walks, sports, etc., etc. -- but he said but it's quick -- but it makes you tired -- at the level they drink in Russia, Scandinavia, Baltics, etc., it's damaging to the brain, etc. -- it often acts to reverse stimulation of caffeine, etc. -- caffeine is also worshiped -- a friend here said I need coffee to wake up -- WHY?? Is waking up really such a burden? Some people may need it as a drug but mostly it's learned behavior at a cost... usually, stress... and alcohol reverses it -- uppers and downers (LOL) have become so important... anyway... point was, it's good to at least question the ways of tradition...
CYBER RIGHTS
A combination of an ignorance epidemic and a lack of intelligence leaves no chance for some people to be respectful of others' rights in cyberspace. But it's refreshing to see that a discourse on the subject -- and teachings them about applicable laws -- brings a refreshing change to their behavior!
COMMENTS
Maryam Nourzad: You are too advanced for this civilization Reza jon, you know, they have to believe it which they have not been that fortunate to come to yet! The benefits of not eating meat to us human beings are way higher the benefit of letting the other living to live! Happy giving thanks to life Reza june!
Amin Kamyar: Are you kidding Maryam Khanoom, can you imagine life without chelokabab, joojeh kabab, kababe brag, koobideh, soltani, shish kabab, not to mention ghormeh Sabzi and fesenjoon. Don't be pretentious!
Reza Ganjavi: Amin Kamyar, you're funny Yes I have lived that life for a long time (no meat) but some of the Persian dishes you mentioned can be made without dead animals and are even yummier.
Amin Kamyar: You can eat whatever you want Reza, I just don't want tofu in my ghormeh sabzi!