Home

It is so wonderful to feel you are going to have your own place to live, the place that you can call it my home!
I was born in a home, and grew in a home, and also raised my children in a home where I could call that my home.
Never, I had thought how it would feel to live in a place which is not yours. A place which you just live there without belonging feeling, and having roots. Living with no sense of relations toward the actual home. Now I am about to have my own place, and it is a very especial feeling, so very especial. It is like a new start for a new life, and you are the person how design everything.


I want to up date you about tomorrow class, Monday night. I will be absent of the class unfortunately to be in other class I talked about that to you before. I will email all my home work. Hope i have this chance to pass the vocabulary test net week.
Thanks.

Maryam,          

new flowers

Hello Dear Teacher

I was working on my homework before coming to the blogger to write to you. next Monday, as we talked I need to be in other class same time with your class unfortunately. I missed many of other dates for same purpose because of my circumstance regarding my daughter' arrival.
I think I can come earlier to give you my homework, I would be glad to take the vocabulary test a week after.
Thanks for all you do in our class.

Maryam   

Rainy Night

Day or night I do not care, I always like the rain. If I were biking, walking, hiking, or in the car driving home or to the wok I would enjoy the rain. It is so calming, and I feel the life gets easier and slower in the rainy days or nights. If you be on the bed and you listen to the rain, you feel so relax because something is cleaning the yard, and watering the lawn. Something kindly is washing the dust from the roof, the leaves, and the walls.
The rain is amassing because it washes the old memories from rocks, and makes new dreams on them. Tonight is rainy, and I am sure I will sleep better, and I will have a good day tomorrow.    

a quiet genocide

Hello Dear Professor
I read an article about cancer in Iran. That was so horrible because the article said the rate age of cancer is coming down in Iran. They believe the main reason for that is the radiation provided by government. They try to stop Iranian of contact to the rest of world. So they send waves that make cancer in people's body, especially in big cities. Cities like Tehran,the capital, surrounded by many equipment those make para zit over the city. Those para zit give people hard time to watch, for example, CNN,or even National Geography. Now there is a genocide going on there, just nobody can hear that.              

Tomorrow

I am very so excited! I can not believe my daughter will be here just less than twenty four hours. It is five years and four months and twenty days that I have been looking forward to see her, to huge her, to kiss her, and to give her the opportunity to grow. In this last minutes before our class I wanted to share with you my feeling, dear teacher.

 

Carter's Birthday

April 18 was Carter's Birthday, the baby, who I was his nanny since was born. We celebrated his birthday tonight. His mother, his grand mother, one of their old friends, his brothers, and I. We barbecued in the yard, and after dinner, we opened the gifts. he was excited to open them sooner, so he did not finished his dinner, and rushed to the table set with gifts! his older brother, Parker, had wrapped them earlier. He is just seven, and very lovely, clean and organized. He is getting the idea that he is responsible for his younger brothers, so he help this mom and her friend to set table too. I do not like he plays dad's role for them because he needs to take his childhood time, it is not fair, but it is what it is. It happens when one of parents disappeared, or be passive; The oldest one takes the role.   

It was so hot today!

Today was so hot. I was watering the grass in the early morning, and I felt that. I thought, it would be so warm, and it happened. It got really uncomfortable here in the Valley. But maybe not too bad in the higher area like Santa Monica. I saw the leaves just in one day and half from yesterday at noon to now were burnt out. I think if   it goes in this way we are going to have some fire here and there as well. This one is not fun at all, seeing the trees are burning, I mean.
When I went hiking once I saw many many burnt trees falling down between ashes from the last fires.
Somebody told me there are many people who like to burn the jangles and watch; It is their enjoyments!  

Prays in the past

Hello, I tried to find an easy pray from the book I have to translate, regarding last blog which I wrote about Navajo Indian's prays, but they were so hard to translate for me from Farsi to English.
My interest in those prays was not because I am a religious person, for I found them so smooth in reading, simple in words, and deep in meaning. We sometimes think people who lived hundred years ago were not intelligent as well as us, or they had no idea about humanity and life. We laugh at them with out thinking there were many positive thoughts in their culture which are capable to solve our problems now.
One of their idea was respect to nature, a big missing part of our life today.     

Hello

I have a book which my family sent to me from Iran. It is about prays that belong to thousand years ago. I believe 1000 BC, if I want to be more specific. I am telling that regarding my last blog that I wrote to you about Navajo Indian. I was surprise when I read the pray because it was so well directed of showing human being's interest toward growth.
In the book, Gaths, I see same concept of humanity and nature. I have no idea where are gone all that beauty of our life. I like to write at least one of its pray, but they are in Farsi. I need to ask for help from my boyfriend then I would write that to you, so you can see what I mean.

Maryam,

Navajo Indian

Hello Professor

It happened that I signed for a presentation in my speech class under Navajo Indian title. For this I needed to look for everywhere to find information about them, from past to present. I read about their history, food, costume, art, economy, and the area where they live now. In spite of all interesting and lovely subjects in those materials, their prays effected on me more. I found one, which I want to share with you, so deep in concept of human beings and their needs toward harmony with nature.

" In beauty may I walk.
All day along may I walk.
Through the returning seasons may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk".         

Opss

Hi again!

I clicked on a wrong bottom, so my massage came to you before I finish that. I am so tired; It is 1:27 am.
I can not make the class on Monday, April 30. I have other class same time for my Cooperative Education program . It will be at BSC building at 6:30 pm, I need to go. I do not miss one of the vocabulary test may I do a make-up test please?

Maryam

New Name

Hello Dear Professor
I hope you had a good vacation. I am so excited to see you, and be in your class tomorrow night. The new thing about me is my daughter got her ticket finally, and we can live together after a long separation again. Five years and four months, that was unbelievable, I had no idea it could be last so long.
Other news is I have changed my last name to Adveen, but I am not sure if administration has informed you in new list or not.

See you tomorrow evening,

Maryam Adveen
Momenabadi   

Last Name Changing

I know maybe you do not read the blogs in spring break which is good, we need some time just for ourselves, but I addicted to writing, even though you might be out of town!
I change my last name in March 22 legally at Van Nuys court. Interesting enough it became to be my birthday too. Now I am Maryam Adveen. I received new driver license, social security card, and my car insurance card just less than two weeks. I applied right away for those, but I thought it would take more time to get them in the mail box. I still need to inform Valley College and some more offices. It is possible only with one of those cards that I have now.
There was many reasons for changing my last name first I did not feel any connection with the former one, plus it was too long to fit in the forms. My sister change her name more than twenty years ago to Adveen because of same reason, and now it was my turn, so I did.       

Water Crises, part two

There are many water tables under the ground that are not touched, or even known all over the world. For example the largest one is in the desert in Libya, but the point about using those source of sweet water is expense and governments over there.
$ 400 billion money is working in water industry every year, and it means the third largest industry afterelecticity and oil in the world. Five litters of water use to make a bottled water. In many countries millions of hours spend to provide the water just for a house hole per year. Those wasted time could use to make the available water accessible, just along one year.
Interesting way which is cheap to clean the water from heavy metal is banana's peels. This method is not fine for house hold, but people can do it in the villages that their water is contaminated with pollution. Every day people die of water's problem, but it could stop if the circumstances change to the wisdom part of life.            

Water Crises

The water we drink today is the same water the dinosaurs drank millions of years ago. There is no new water.
Thousands year ago people believed water is one of the holy elements in our earth, but now we destroy it.
One billion people around the world have no access to clean water; It means one of six people. 80% of diseases in the developing countries are caused by contaminated water. In china, India, and Indonesia more people get sick of water than HIV. More than adults children die of disease caused by contaminated water for example just in Africa 10000 kids die every day.
Economically water crises effects on people economy. Women in Africa walk six kilometers to take the water to their home every day. At the same time we use water 100 to 175 gallons per day in the U.S when in the  developing countries the average is 2.64. Forty million hours are wasted in Africa from women and children gathering water for household.    

BLUE

In last class we wrote about "Blue". How do we feel when we hear that word? What kind of emotion does it create in our memory or our feelings? I wrote to describe blue for a blind young boy who asks to understand concept of color in general.
I know he is blind, and young, but my consideration is if my writing is clear to show that, and you as a reader
find it easy to get?

Blue

Sky is blue, I said. He shook his foot to clean the sands off, and told me" I have heard it all the time, sky is blue, sea is blue my eyes are blue, but I want to feel that, how is blue"? He sat next me with a big question that every body could see on his wrinkled forehead of his eyebrows. "I knew that face with those line on the forehead, he would not let me go before I answered him" I thought.
I said It was like swimming in the ocean, and.... He caught me, "Swimming is cold and wet!" I looked at him, in his blowing hair on the air which at the moment were orange of the sun set color. I closed my eyes and said to him "blue is going in a road that never ends, blue is a dream that you go after it when you are awake".
He said so, blue is inside me"          

Header

Hello Dear Professor

I found out how to do my last name on the second page, thank you though.
I wish a very good vacation with tons of laughter, relaxation, and health.

Maryam
 

The Story of Rainy Day

I love the rain. Most of the day I looked at the yard through the window from my chair in living room. The rain washed the glass whole day. Some drops came straight down, some twist and twist, resisting of falling. Some crashed with others trying bend their ways, some trying to open a way to get in others path, or trying stop them trying slow them, some tried being the first to fall down. Some drops in their ways into ground tickled the grass, dancing with dandelions, then going down very deep into the ground. There was dark not cold, a pure smell of life lead all drops down into the thirsty Oak tree's roots. The tree was waiting a long time, and now all drops giggling slide up to the highest leavs in top of tree to see the sky from the earth.    

Header For the Second Page Of Our Essay

Hello Dear professor

I came back home(my room) today evening from work. It was a nice day. I like the lady who I work for her off and on. we had good time, cleaning and chatting. I told you I found out about header. I mean how to write my name on the second pages on the top with the number, I did not. I tried and tried but it came to both pages what I did not want. My boy friend can help me but he is out of town. I have to ask him when he came back.
My daughter still is busy with getting ticket and visa. That is so frustrating after five years and three months she is going and come back between the US embassy and air line agency because the embassy told her to buy her ticket and take the ticket to them so she can have her visa and traveling documents. But air line agency wont sell the ticket who does not have the visa!!! Is not strange?
I miss her a lot.   

Starbucks Coffee

Hi
I am writing my essay for Monday now, and it is about Starbucks Coffee Company. That is the description way to write about something with as much as details we can. This is my weakness in writing. I want to go very quick to the main subject, and even go to persuade an idea, or feeling to othersdd. I have finished the outline, and other one, just I do not know if that is my rough draft or perwriting. I will find out on Monday!!
I remember any time I want to write what you told me once. You told me I have to write more. That is true since that time I write any sentence comes in my mind without thinking if it is right or wrong. Then I look over next day, and make some changes, or replace the words, or switch the sentences with each other. It gives me the chance to get better in spelling, and more familiar to write anyhow. I use my speech 113 book in order to write for your class too. That is other class I have taken to support my English improvement.
By the way I found out how to write my last name and the number of every pages in top of the papers when I want to print them out!!
I think, I need to go to bed. I wrote two more essays today, and I still have more to write. Tomorrow I will for half a day helping somebody to put away her Christmas decoration, and setting Easter bunny ones. I need some extra money. My part time job, and financial aid really are not enough to cover my basic needs unfortunately.

The best,

Maryam

    

Persian New Year

Hello Dear Teacher

I hope you feel better now. I did not get you were sick in the last class we had, I am sorry, but you looked good, and I think we did everything we had to. You are a wonderful teacher, and It is obvious that you like your job. I am sure all in the class like you, and respect you. You make the class for everybody joyful and effective. Your comfort with us has taken away the anxious which we had in the beginning. I talk about you to my friends, encouraging them to take your class for English 101.
In my country people are celebrating New Year now. We call that NOROOZ, and it means new day. This happens in the first day of spring, but not in a same hours or even day because our calendar has set with the earth's movement around the sun. This is the way it works; You know one year is 365, or 366, and this is the time our earth around the sun, but it is not exactly 366, or 365. It could be 365 days and three hours forty five minutes and ten seconds for example. So we celebrate exact time of the new circle which the earth starts that in the spring.
With this definition I can say to you the expression we say to each other, HAPPY SPRING!!! 

my Paradise is comming

Hello,
It is two days that I am so excited! My daughter will be here soon. I have not seen her for five years and three months. When I separated in the airport in Tehran, we had no this idea that the separation would last too long; Five years ago she was a teenager when she flew to Sweden, and now she is a lady. I look at her pictures, and get more confused if she is my little girl.
I could not take her here because the US Embassy gave visa only to me. I had to leave Iran, and I did not want left her behind, so I send her to stay with my sister for a while until I get my residency.This "while" has taken five years and three months!!
I am so happy she will be here soon.

Maryam  

What if honeybees leave our planet?

I love honey. Every morning I sweeten my peanut butter sandwich with honey. I know it is not the real real honey, but still it is honey. But more than honey I like my beautiful earth. I want to hand it to next generation better than what I have been given. This little ball, tiny tinny dust in universe, is very gorgeous when you look at it even from Mars. The only place that has honeybee after all. They are so kind to us with those soft furs on their legs.
We have been losing them since late 2006. It is time to pay them back, for all mistakes we have done to them.
"Colony Collapse Disorder" does not have any meaning to them. They do not understand why we like lawn more than wild flower, and they do not know why they are dying.
We have to do something now. A strip of seasonal flowers around our yards, or some water in a container with  a few pebbles for landing on while they are drinking, even a pot behind our windows, if we have no yard, can  make a big different for the bees who have been feeding us for thousands years.             

Uganda

Hello,
I watched the video on Sammy blog. (I found out how to see other people's blog!)
I also wrote to Sammy about the video. It is beyond sad. I had read about a boy soldier from Sierra Leone, a long way gone, I cried and sometimes I felt nauseous of what I was reading. It is beyond sad; The words can not cover all the life are gone.      
In Iran is not better than Uganda, except everybody talks about that, and there is no a day that you do not read or hear something about Iran in the news. But nothing happen, even when people inside Iran do demonstration nobody support them. I think it is because economic profit which is huge in Iran, so I say no matter you be rich or poor nobody care about you, this is you, you have to care about YOU.

    

Newspeak

Hello Dear Professor
Thank you. You are right, I found Newspeak's meaning. There is an explanation in the appendix which looks perfect. I did not read it yet, but I will do for sure. The book looks interesting and worthy of praise. I want to grasp whole concept of the book.
Have wonderful weekend.

Maryam

Vocabulary

Hello Dear Professor

Today I felt I forgot something when I was getting ready for my second class at college. That was my blog. I miss writing it is why I thought I did not write for a long time.
During the days I have many brain storms which come in my mind. I think about them, and review the sentences in my mind, but when I come home at night all are gone. I should take a note right away of my brain storm, even when I am driving!
I have read 1984 first pages for fifth time, but I do not know what does Newspeak mean? I could not find it in my dictionary.
Other word is expialidocious!!! I am kidding, it is in an old song that was made by Richard and Robert Sherman many years ago    
I wanted to get all credit for the vocabulary test, but I could not. I have written them on the flash cards to review every day. I hope I get a better grade on next test.

The best,

Maryam

to be or not to be

"If we really want to live, we'd better start at once to try;
 If we don't it does't matter, we'd better start to die".

                                      Wystan Hugh Auden
                                                             1907

I think it is sad that our world still is such a difficult place to live (really!) because if we do not try there is no other way but death. 

Have wonderful week,

Maryam

My Wish

Hello, Good Night, or better to say Good Morning

I am amazed how the time goes so fast. It is, I think, three days that I could not write for you. I get surprised any time I look at the clock, like now, it is 1: 18 am. Wow!!
This is my twenty four hours of a day: I spend four hours at preschool where I work five days per week, and six hours at Valley College as well except Fridays and week ends. Driving takes my time two hours a day, except Sundays which is less. Doing necessaries of human's life get two hours. Paper work and checking email and mails take at least one hour a day. I have half a day on Fridays, and in most of the time it goes for earning, and my appointments. I help a single mother every Saturday volunteering for many hours.  
I need to do my homework and projects related to my courses, but I can not do on time or in a way I like to do. I know I am doing well, and every thing is in progress in my new life here in the US, but I wish every day had more hours, not so much, just thirty hours instead of twenty four hours, and if it is hard for God may be God could just create us with less need to sleep.

Amen 

The books that I have read in English

Hello Dear Professor

I am at home thinking about what you said earlier in the class. Those are the books I read since I started to think seriously about coming back to school. I like to name them for you just in case if you believe I need to change my area of reading.
I am so thankful of your time to read and answer me.

1- Mr. Popper's Penguins
2- Stuart Little
3- Adventures of Amelia Bedelia
4- Black Beauty
5- Charlotte's web
6- a long way gone( I wrote right from the book's cover)
7-Zorba the Greek
8- Why the caged birds sings?

and tens of children books which I read at the preschool or for my baby, Carter.
But I believe I need to strength my vocabulary as you mention it.

The best,

Maryam  

The baby, part two

Their house was quite big, beautiful, with five bedrooms upstairs.
It was located on top of a hill surrounded by trees giving us a tremendous view of the valley. The house also had an office, a pool room, a play room, and a beauty salon where my boss worked as a hair stylist. There was an entrance to the house from the garage which was separated by one row of cabinet, and on each side was one expensive car. The kitchen had a great view of both the yard and the valley.The yard was a combination of the pool area, a pool, water slide, and whirlpool, and a large area of lawn.      

The Baby

Today is Saturday. It was sunny and pleasant. I spent my times with my love ones. Three little angels(when they are sleeping!!). Parker seven, Tanner five and half, and Carter four. First time when I met them all were in dipper, except the baby, Carter, who was not born at time.
Their mother was very busy with her brother's funeral and her husband's recovery from an operation on his brain because of an car accident.Plus she was pregnant on her last weeks.I did not know the baby, Carter, would be my rescuer when I got the job, as a nanny live-in, in their home.

to be continue ...

Maryam    

Squash & Zucchini's trip

"I visited my daughter bearing gifts: summer squash from my garden.
What should I do with them? She asked.
Whatever You would do with zucchini, I said.
All right, we will give them to our neighbor."

 Reader's Digest

It is two years that I have the membership of Reader's Digest. That is cheap, easy reading, and also has many real story, and of course tones of adds. I like the Life's Funny part and the Quotes most.
Just the title is my work!!

maryam

My daughter

My daughter has lived in Sweden since December 2006. We have worked a lot to get her here. The first step began with my Green Card process in immigration office, which ended after five years in the court in Down Town LA with approving my residency. That was a big win for me, but I could not really and deeply celebrate that because my daughter was not beside me.
It is almost four months she has been waiting for her traveling documents from the US Embassy( she has sent all requirement that the Embassy has asked), but they come every time with a question that many times has been talked about.
She is tired. I am embarrass. Nothing changes, and I feel a very big whole in my heart. It is not easy, specially when I carry that every day with me.


Thanks to correct my last writing. Next time I will write something funny. I promise.


Maryam

messy blog

Hello again
Dear Professor

       I tried many times to put my writing in a nice order, but when I checked preview the lines messed up I think I need to take my lap to the class and ask somebody to show me how to order the lines. I apologize for the mess in my writing.

Maryam

Hi

My sister offered me to read a book when I emigrated here in late 2006": Get Out of Your Mind & Into
Your life" by Steven C. Hayes, who is a professor of psychology. It was so hard to get along with all
differences and separation of family, court process and loneliness, anxiety and depression.

My sister who is a psychologist, and lives in Sweden found that so helpful to solve my problems which I am
sure would, but what she had forgotten was my poor English!

Now I have my Green Card and those nightmares are gone, but I am still in page three! Could you please help
me to finish the book?        

Whitney Houston

Good Afternoon Dear Professor

Today, I watched Whitney Houston' funeral about four hours! The memories, laughter, and  sorrow showed within the crowd a lot of strong emotion about her, feelings which pierced through my heart, too. I saw her many years ago in Body Guard, and her voice really touched me.

In my opinion her voice was from heaven. She was not the only one, but she was one the best singers of our time. Her voice sounded smooth, as smooth as water sliding down from  a leaf on a rainy day into the thirsty land, strong, as strong as thunder in a lonely desert, and kind, as kind as a lullaby.

"I have a dream"

Dear Professor, 
There was a time in my life that I did not want to write, even I liked to, and I need to write.
Now I enjoy writing because I feel more secure to express my idea here in the US than in my country, Iran. English is my second language,and I have a long way to learn that, but "I have a dream", and that strengths my passion to achieve the skill of writing.


The best      

Sleepy Head

Hello Dear

I am so tired, frankly I did not want to open my lap top at all. Then I thought maybe something is happening in the world right now, so if I sleep it would stop!
Seeing your email which is so kind encouraged me to write to you, something, anything...
Today I was walking toward the bookstore at the college when I saw a very handsome young man who was walking opposite in my way with a big smile at me.
I thought I'm still young and beautiful enough to be looked at!!
Before I do my big smile he shook his hand for somebody else!!
Now you know why I'm tired tonight.      

Two Weeks Free Parking

Hello Dear Professor
         Today in Child Development class I remembered that I should write in my Blog as a daily home work.
I forgot, and now I'm not sure if you meant we have to start right away from the first week or we are free of doing home work for two weeks, like parking lots on the campus "free parking for two weeks"!!!?


The best,

Maryam

Hooray!

I did!! actually, my boyfriend did. I mean he helped me, in some point he gets tired of me and I'm sure he likes to yell at me, but he is so polite, plus he knows if he does I would call my mom!!