Thursday, December 20, 2012

Happy Yalda Night

It was 4:00 pm today when I noticed my dad Tangoed me which I missed. I know he wanted to read me my Fal E Hafez. On my way home, it was raining like crazy. I know we are going to celebrate Yalda this weekend with few friends but tonight is Yalda and I can not miss it. I wanted to do something special. I don't know why but the only thing came to my mind was a beautiful pine tree shining with colorful lights. I got my made-in-china tree and surprised Nima. :)
I will call dad tomorrow to ask him about my Fal E Hafez but tonight I am getting one for myself.
I take Hafez poems, close my eyes, slip my fingers through the book pages randomly, open the book and this is what Khaj E Hafez from Shiraz has to tell me:

غلام همـــــــــت دردی کشان يک رنگــــــــم

نه آن گروه که ازرق لباس و دل سيهند

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Growing the right connectom and prefrontal cortex :)


I am reading this book called "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonical. Kelly teaches willpower as a course in University of Standford. The book is explaining the science behind the willpower. It explains how strengthening our prefrontal cortex we can gain more willpower. And also she defines simple assignments to practice and muscular our prefrontal cortex. :)
When I was reading this book it reminds of Dr Sebastian Seung TED lecture "growing the right connectom". I wrote about this couple of post before. See when I said saying prays for 10 years was working like a magic for me because it gave me self confidence and of course willpower, to me this is the same practice that Kelly is suggesting in her book "meditation everyday". The meditation helps your brain to become stronger by growing a right set of neurons. This sounds very similar to me to what Sebastian said about our brain is capable of  growing a connectom based on our fears, experiences, etc.
we have flexible brain we can learn how to make it stronger in certain ways. I think being flexible was a key to our survival. My mom lost her dad when she was the Same age as me (2 years before I was born), she lost her sister in a car accident when I was 10, she lost her mother when I was 23 and her younger brother a following year. She told me once " Hiva I don't know how on earth I managed to survive these losses, I think I developed an iron mind." I know now that she certainly did.  This is how her brain coup with the pain.
Our brain is everything, our personality, identity, goals, memories, likes, dislikes are stored in  infinite layers that curled in each other. Curious just curious.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Old School Tourist

Last night I met a man in his 70. He was retired from 30 years of tunneling under GTA.  We sat on a table together and he told me about his trip to Iran in 1974.  Good years back then I was thinking to myself while he was trying to remember where he went from Tehran to Isfehan to Mashad. He told me things where simpler back then.

 "I got a tent and my wife and we went to Mexico, we arrived at the gas station and I asked the owner if I could set my tent there and he let us. See every nation are proud of their country if you show them your respect they will treat you right." He said. "When I was a kid my mom used to give me 5 cent to take the bus downtown , no one was worried that I was going miles away from home. Nowadays they put these whole safety things in your head" he continued.

He had an interesting vision of life, kind of a tough old school overview. He said "when you go on a trip it must be spontaneous. No plan nothing, you go and see what happened. That is more fun, when you don't plan then you will meet people which makes it interesting."

I like to meet with people who thinks different way and took totally different approach in their lives. It gives a better perspective. This man was very straight forward and to the point. I gave him my card but he didn't. Then my boss came to our table and teased him "Hiva did Mike gave you his card?"
"Nope" I smiled.  "There's no money for me here to give my card to her. I am the contractor you should know better. Ok ok here I give you one." And then he gave me one of his card. :):) Yes!!!