This is my town baby!!!

Huffington Post recently published an article naming Toronto as one of the coolest cities in the planet. Okay so I am a bit biased since I now live here, but I have to say I agree. There is not shortage of things to do, for every taste and every budget. There are film festivals, and I am not just talking about the big one TIFF in Sept, but small fringe ones. There are art shows, there is theatre, there is photography. If you are like me, a granola girl, then there is tons of farmer's markets, natural food markets etc. You like antique? We got that too. And every weekend it seem there is a celebration of some sort going on, last week was Indian Parade, this week is Salsa and Carribana... If you like to shop, we have tons of boutique-y place to shop right on the streets and for those that prefer malls we've got that too. We got wine country just an hour drive away... and I could just go on and on. Anyways I just thought I should give a shout out to my new hometown...in the following months as I get more settled in, I will be spending time exploring the many different neighbourhood in Toronto. It'll be so much fun. Years ago when I lived in London I used to take out the A-Z map, randomly flip to a page and then get on the tube and go explore. It never failed, I always found something new and interesting...I think that is the only way you can make a city your own. Finding like gems that are off the beaten path...so here I come Toronto ;0)

Fresh Start....

It's been an awful LONG time since I posted anything. Truth be told, after June 13th 2009, my online life was sort of hijacked, I suppose in a good way, well sorta. Twitter which I used for idle chit chat and some fun banter, became a tool to gather and disseminate news on Iran and the riots...Facebook, same deal...ditto on blog...

Now I don't know about you, but when you have a high stress job, you like to unwind with any extracurricular activities you do, be they online or in real life. So when you suddenly find yourself in a stress-"full" situation 24/7, well let's just say at some point you get burned out....

For me this manifested in a very, very physical way... I ended up with a colitis flare that knocked me out, quite literally. I was sick and at home for a month and probably should have been hospitalized, except well I was determined not to let this damn disease take me down with it...

My last entry in my facebook group for the Iran elections was January 13th, and that pretty much was the peak of my stress, work, health issue....so on doctor's order I needed to cut the stress the hell out of my life, or it was gonna kill me first....

The first step had already been initiated. In December I announced to my managers and CFO of my company that I wanted to relocate to Canada. 10 years ago I moved from Canada to southern california for a job and for what I assumed would be a short stint. One year later I joined a startup company and flash forward to 10 years later, I was still in the US...

It was high time I got back. Every fibre in my being knew this was the right thing to do... The nomadic life I'd lived all my life needed to come to an end. It all sounds so romantic and exciting packing your bag and moving to a new city and new country... but when you've been doing it all your life, you know it's not all that glamorous... You leave in your wake, family, friends, memories, familiarities, etc A quick glance at my facebook profile will tell you most of my 300+ friends live no where near me. And at some point missing out on all that is no longer an option... I need to get to some place I could call home and put down roots. I needed to be back somewhere I could belong...just like that "Cheers" song, where everybody knows my name...

The next few months, I had to deal with trying to get my health back into shape, I won't get into details, but the low point was having the doctor examining me, just shaking his head at how far things had advanced and me quietly crying because I was looking at the images of my ravaged insides and I knew the road back to health was going to be a mighty difficult one unless I started taking stock of my life and making some real changes....fast

Then there was the move, getting rid of stuff, clearing out what I had accumulated over 10 years and preparing for the trip back home.... And there were the get togethers with the many friends I had made in OC, I was going to miss each and everyone of them, but I think they all understood that this was the right choice for me.


And so it was that I found myself back in Canada, in Toronto, on May 15th 2010...hereafter this blog will journal my life in the city, one I hope to make my own... I give you " Marj and the City"

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We are the world

I read this somewhere that as human beings we are genetically programmed not to tolerate unfairness. In other words, regardless of laws that try to tell you what's right or wrong, or religion that tries to be your moral compass, we humans inherently, deep down at a cellular level always know when something is unfair, and we cannot tolerate it. Now we may try and shield ourselves from news that bothers us, turn off the TV, don't read the paper etc. Our way sticking our fingers in our ears and screaming lalalalalalalala, but the truth is, the minute we know, something starts to gnaw at our soul and well, it won't quiet down unless we do something. Maybe it's writing a letter or blog, maybe it's spread the news and making people aware, maybe it's going out in the streets and protesting and maybe is writing a song...




These past few weeks, multitudes have come up with their own way to bring the news of what is going on in Iran to the forefront. Many are not even iranians. I personally have felt the love from people from around the world, all offering their help in anyway they can. I have watched and become part of an online community on Twitter with the mission to keep Iran in the headlines and to spread the news far and wide. I have watched avatars go green one by one and I have seen those that have a voice that carries far, celebrities and such, stand up and speak in support of the Iranian people.



The world is going green and I for one am very thankful. Not just because of the support everyone is showing towards iranians, but because it re-affirms that we are all in this thing called life together, that we all feel each others pain and sorrow and we all will rejoice when we see one another succeed. We are one, we are the world. On Saturday July 25, people around the world have the opportunity to support the people of Iran in their struggle for democracy, freedom and basic human rights by attending rallies in dozens of cities around the world. Let us come together, United for Iran, Global Day of Action July 25


It is a good feeling to know no matter where we are in this wide world of ours we are not alone. That there are always people that will stand up and be there to support us when we have been wronged. Isn't humanity awesome. I thank you all...

Peace and love

Divided we fall

I sit here late at night with a very heavy heart. I have watched, heard and read about the events unfolding in Iran these past few weeks. Events that appear to be converging on this massive protest that is to happen today in Iran to commemorate the 1999 student uprising. And I wish I could say with certainty that I was hopeful for the future, that I could see peace and freedom reign in this land. Do I wish it? Absolutely. Do I see it happening soon? I don't think so. What I have seen and heard from those inside Iran and those outside, is not just a growing resentment towards a government that has been oppressive and unjust. What I see a lot is hate. Hate for the special forces, the security guards, the members of the ruling party... What is wrong with that you might say. These people have been wronged, they have been shot at, imprisoned, terrorized, hate is the least we should be feeling for these animals.

The problem with hate is it blinds you. It stops you from seeing that you are drawing a line and you are creating a divide that with every day that you let that hate fester in your soul, gets wider and wider. Hate never solved anything. And divisions never make a people or nation stronger.

There is always two sides to a story and not everyone should be painted by the same brush as the rogue elements. The evil Basijis, were the same people that didn't hesitate to lay their lives on the line to fight for Iran and their republic when Saddam attacked Iran. I had cousins at the time of draft age that went into hiding for a few years to avoid being sent into battle. While they were hiding, those young basiji kids were running across fields of land mines and getting blown to bits. They did it for their country. They did it for their faith. And their efforts saved Iran.

I am not defending the actions of those that caused the deaths of so many young people in the days since June 12th. That is a tragedy beyond measure. But hate is never going to honour their lives. Hate is not going to reach across to the other side and make them put their weapons down. It is not going to make them see that they are staring into the eyes of their brothers and sisters. All they will see is an enemy.


Today,
Iranians are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and non believers
Iranians are Kurds, Turks, Turkamens, Lurs, Ghashghais, Baluchi, Gilani, Mazandarani, ...
Iranians are white, brown, black, yellow, ...
Iranians are poets, writers, rebels, painters, philosophers, teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers...
Iranian are straight, gay, lesbian, transgender, ...
And Iranians are liberal, conservative, communist, basiji, reformist, monarchist...

Today,
Iran is a land as diverse as the threads that go into the making of an ornate and colourful persian carpet. And as long as we stay divided we will be nothing but bundles of coloured tread.

Tomorrow,
united we'll paint a picture like one you have never seen. My hope is of one day being able to see that canvas, proud and free...

Tribute to a people and a man

About a girl

So the world is reeling from footage it saw yesterday plastered on youtube, facebook, news sites etc about a young girl named Neda getting shot in Iran. She was standing with her music teacher, watching the protest and for reasons we will never know was targeted by a single bullet that pierced her heart. She collapses as people around her try to aid her. In less than two minutes, blood pours from her mouth and nose covering her face, except for one eye, that stares lifeless as her young life is extinguished. I was drawn to that eye, hugged by her perfectly groomed eyebrow. I wondered to myself, was she thinking anything? Did she know she was about to die? Did she love someone? Was she thinking of him? The crowd was screaming "don't be afraid, don't be afraid" and you can hear her teacher's cries. Was she afraid?

Many may watch the events happening in Iran and find themselves unable to relate. But let me tell you something. The geography may be different but youth is youth everywhere. In the past few weeks facebook had opened up in Iran after having been blocked. I saw many I knew in Iran rapidly joining and getting in on the craze. I got quiz requests. I got gifts of hugs and kisses. I got pictures from Iran's new years celebration. I read about the bands they liked, the food ( sushi!!) they love, their favorite sports team, or the latest movie seen on bootleg video or on banned satellites. And I saw the jubilation they shared online regarding the upcoming elections, how they turned their avatars green and how they encouraged everyone to "rock the vote". Does this sound familiar? No, they are not that different from you and me. But the geography is different. And that makes all the difference.

Because of where they live, they share what they should be able to share openly and in the public, on the pages of a virtual society. Because the one they live in won't let them live.

Neda has become a martyr in that cause, that is all about being free to live your dreams. Being free to be who you are. Being free to choose your destiny. Neda was not given a choice about dying . A bullet decided that. But Neda made a choice about living, that fateful day when she left her house to join the protesters. She chose freedom.

Rest in peace Neda

I leave you with this song, one that I have been listening to in the past days, when I can cry no more for the youth of Iran that are so bravely fighting for their rights, knowing each day that they may not be returning home that night. It is a hopeful song. About the ending of the winter of our discontent.