WILFRED W. GELDER

this is an update to my previous post. We went back to "Gelder Fine Arts" shop. He remembered us in first glance.
-Barabara these are the couple I told you (Barbara is a lovely girl who is managing the shop).
We took a picture with him, he said : Let me hold my brush, just like I'm painting. :)
The above picture is the painting we bought , shows a girl and her dog walking along the river.
The second photo is Nima and I behind him.

Home for Gelder's Painting

Nima and I were looking for a painting for a while. Finally we found it yesterday and it was quite a unique experience for both of us.
We were driving when my eyes caught the site of a small and narrow shop called, "Gelder Fine Art". At first glance I saw several paintings hanged on the shop's walls. We parked the car and walked in.
when we entered, an old man with a bent back was sitting behind the incomplete canvas alone. There were several paint stains all over his pants and coats.
He looked up and smiled.
-It's a nice sunny day isn't it
- Yeah very lovely (I replied, while looking around)
There were so many beautiful paints all over the shops.
-I think these are all his painting Hiva (Nima whispered in my ears)
- These are all my paintings
- Oh there are really beautiful
-Thanks (He answered with his low voice)
I've had this shop for 47 years
- Wow (Nima and I reacted)
- You know next week is my birthday, in March
- Nice, next week is my birthday too
- Really, mine is on March 25th (He seemed amazed)
I am gonna be 92 years old
- I am gonna be 29 (I was thinking God 92, 29 both in March such a coincident)
- 92, 29.. Really? are you going to be 29 years old? (He asked me with excitement)
I am lucky to come so far, I served in military for 8 years during world war II in South Africa, India and Italy.
and then he told us about how he met her wife there and fell in love at first sight.
- I saw her and I told to myself, God I can't live without her. We married in one month
We looked at all of his paintings one by one, while he was briefly explaining where usually he painted them. Most of his paintings were scenery in impressionist style.
- Most of these scenes are somewhere around Mississauga and beautiful Credit river (He said)
- That's interesting I did a lot of photography around credit river before winter (Nima said excitedly)
There was one paint that caught my eyes more than the others, beautiful summer day along the credit river with a girl and her dog walking near the river.
- If you like it take it down , bring it home hang it on the wall for few days and then if you find it what you were looking for come back and pay it.
He offered us a very fair price with huge discount!!
- At this age, all I want is to make sure my paintings are finding a good home. I don't have too many years left and usually after the painters death his paintings' value increases.
Nima and I were speechless. I couldn't think of any thing to tell him in response.
We love the painting , it's just so perfect in our cosy dinning room but more than that this experience make it so special to us. Each time looking at his small signature beneath the picture "Wilfred W. Gelder" remind me of a lovely old man in small cosy shop in streets ville.
We will go back to his shop in few days to pay for the painting and this time I will have my camera with me.

Uncle Nowruz Is On The Way

Spring is coming. Nowruz is on the way. I can hear the sound of uncle Nowruz's horses' hooves, rushing toward me. He is bringing blossoms to bare lands. That's how I always imagined him, an old man with white beard, wise eyes and kind smile. I can hear Hjji Firuz plays his tambourine...Hajji Firuze Sali Yeruze...
Back on those days that I was in my hometown, when greengage trees were blooming at grandpa's garden, yellow dandelions were coming out of ground, pale pink blossoms were covering peach trees, I knew spring was there. When our dogs were going crazy and giving each other romantic looks, I knew love is in the air...
We used to gather all by the "haftsin" table, while waiting for last seconds of old year to pass on...tic tac tic tac...Happy New Year.
All the family kissed and huged each other. My dad used to gave us our gifts and then all of us used to head to my grandpa's place where my aunts, uncles and cousin where gathered. These are part of the most precious memories that I have. When grandpa passed away the family union was never like before, but still lovely.
I missed being with my family for four Nowruz. I am not going to complain about that . That's life..I should go with the life train instead I am having my own Nowruz with Nima.
I am trying to make it just like what we have back home as much as possible. I don't want loose this lovely tradition. I will pass it to my kids one day...
Happy Spring everybody, wish you a year full of good news, heart warming incidents and sweet surprises...(The picture is from here.)

سال نو مبارک

Lab or Kitchen

Check out this website and tell me what you think the website is for by first glance!
Hmm..It must be an educational website, maybe relates to a publisher or something...or maybe it's a university's website..No it's closer to be a website of a publisher or a writer with those list of publications..

But you know what, it's a restaurant's website. Do you believe this??!!
The restaurant is called ElBulli. Just look at its long list of prizes including four times "best resturant of the world" recognition. It is located in spain and had one of the most famouse chef of the world: Ferran Adrià.

Now just let me list some of the amazing facts about the resturant (from wikipedia):
"The restaurant has a limited season from April to September; bookings are taken on a single day the previous October" did you get that on a single day!!!!

"It accommodates only 8,000 diners a season, and gets more than two million requests"

It has been described as "the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet" and does a great deal of work on molecular gastronomy." Molecular gastronomy is the application of science to culinary practices and cooking phenomena

Ferran Adrià is a controversial figure among other chefs. He is a scientist if you ask me. He actually invents the recipes by trying more than 3000 formula to end up to 300 acceptable recipes with great and new taste.

"he closes El Bulli for six months every year in order to travel abroad, in search of new inspiration and ideas with which to astonish his diners. Adrià, who has been called “the Salvador Dali of the kitchen,” has won global acclaim as one of the most creative and inventive culinary geniuses in the world."
Going to his restaurant could be once in a life time experience.