tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:30:24 +0000From the land of Arabian Nights, comes a story teller of a partially different kind.http://ihath.com/noreply@blogger.com (ihath)Blogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8929082028955990400Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:51:00 +00002010-03-08T09:51:32.829-08:00I will gladly show my stretch marks to anybody. They don’t look pretty, but they symbolize an honoured passage into a magical kingdom that can only be entered the hard way. As I write this I have a purple index finger. My finger looks like it has been tortured or perhaps suffocated by restricted blood circulation. However, I want to stick my finger in everybody’s face and say “Look! ... I voted http://ihath.com/2010/03/iraqi-elections-in-vancouver.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8696112741999524927Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:18:00 +00002010-02-25T09:20:04.696-08:00It started innocently enough. I started dance classes and had to learn to dance in 2 inch heel shoes. As a long time flat shoe wearer, I asked myself a question: How can I dance in these shoes, when I feel wobbly walking in them? I compromised on a life time of sensibility and ardent feminist conviction to service my dancing ability and went to the store to buy 2 inch heel shoes. “If I practice http://ihath.com/2010/02/orange-shoes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-566006018604401997Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:01:00 +00002010-02-20T10:01:21.610-08:00I really love driving my car With all the crazy crowds everywhere and parking restrictions, I have been using buses to get around town lately. It takes forever to get anywhere by bus. A trip that would take me 10 minutes takes an hour by bus. You have to walk to the bus station, then wait, the bus moves slowly and then you have walk some more to your destination. Although Vancouver bus riders http://ihath.com/2010/02/things-i-learned-from-2010-winter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-4704159546820458592Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:43:00 +00002010-01-29T06:59:09.783-08:00 ----------------- Recipe Cut up 2 cauliflower  heads into florettes and boil for about 15-20 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be cooked but still firm. Don't over cook. Strain  cauliflower from water.  On one plate place 1 cup of  flour. In a bowl mix 5 eggs with salt and scramble with a fork.  In a second plate place 1 cup of bread crumbs. Drench each florette first into flour, http://ihath.com/2010/01/ihath-makes-breaded-cauliflower.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-6729245281052239105Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:26:00 +00002010-01-25T10:31:24.496-08:00   O so long ago, garden gnomes lived in mystical gardens of profound magic and entertained themselves with random acts of mischief, but not this garden gnome. Frakash was bored with his fairy-tale existence. To him, memorizing magic spells only to recite them at absurd moments seemed like an entirely mind-numbing activity. Curiosity grew into an insatiable volcano in Frakash’s heart. One day, http://ihath.com/2010/01/adventures-of-frakash-and-adventure-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8848667530035906656Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:02:00 +00002010-01-22T11:02:56.746-08:00 Frakash came upon a meeting room and peeked in. In there, he saw a group of tired, yet well fed geekmeisters working vigorously on perfecting a dizzying array of designs. They had stacks of documents in front of them and were drawing shapes and lines on the board with enthusiasm. Frakash joined them and began to listen in. Sitting on one of the beautiful and soft chairs made him feel important.http://ihath.com/2010/01/adventures-of-frakash-page-9.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-4538294401367465925Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:43:00 +00002010-01-22T11:30:16.902-08:00 Frakash’s heart was banging against his chest the way the Beanstalk Giant knocked on doors. A swift freight overtook him and he couldn’t remember the tranquility spell from his book - Mastering the Art of Mischief of Every Kind. Down the hallway in a corner next to a window, he saw a few potted plants. Frakash decided that if he would stand among the plants and imagine that he was in the Heapshttp://ihath.com/2010/01/adventures-of-frakash-page-8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8347982258534497123Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:08:00 +00002010-01-22T11:28:24.596-08:00 Frakash came upon a large grey beast standing all alone in one corner. He figured this was the geekmeister’s dragon. The grey dragon was making a menacing humming sound. “Poor geekmeisters, they probably don’t know how to deal with him” thought Frakash to himself. “After all, geekmeisters don’t have time to take dragon charging training like garden gnomes do; I will thrash this beast into http://ihath.com/2010/01/adventures-of-frakash-page-7.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-4637983997548168349Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:55:00 +00002010-01-22T11:36:35.079-08:00 Frakash looked at the computer sitting on the desk delighted to get a chance to try this thing called programming. "How hard can it be?" thought Frakash to himself. He began to stare intently at the screen the same way he had seen Laila do while sitting on her sundeck. There were many words on the screen that Frakash couldn’t understand, but he maintained his intense gaze and squeezed his facehttp://ihath.com/2009/12/adventures-of-frakash-page-6.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3436825474885250542Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:05:00 +00002009-12-23T11:10:14.582-08:00 ------------------ 1 large egg plant 4 table spoons on tahini sauce juice of two lemons 1 clove of garlic 1 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil pinch of salt pinch of paprika ------ For decoration and garnish chopped parsley 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil sumac 5 olives orange pepper, sliced thin ------- Directions Roast the eggplant in the oven for 1 hour on 400 degrees. Take http://ihath.com/2009/12/ihath-makes-baba-ganoush.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-7424837638104523475Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:13:00 +00002010-01-22T11:25:29.251-08:00 Frakash followed the one whom the geekmeisters called James into the men’s washroom. Once in there he cornered him, using his gardener muscles and three magical spells, Frakash forced James to take off his t-shirt. Frakash was convinced that if he was dressed like a geekmeisters, he would look like a geekmeister and nobody would suspect that he was a garden gnome. Frakash tied James’ hands and http://ihath.com/2009/12/adventured-of-frakash-page-5.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-4456874508956823106Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:21:00 +00002009-12-11T12:38:58.777-08:00 Soak 2 cups of dried chickpeas in cold water over night. The next day, boil the chickpeas for about 1 hour or until they can be squished between two fingers. Drain the chickpeas of water. Freeze half to use to make humus two weeks later, because that is how ofter you should be eating humus ... at least! The other half throw into a food processor with: The juice of 3 lemons 4 table spoon of http://ihath.com/2009/12/ihath-makes-humus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-6208780841617024789Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:09:00 +00002009-12-05T11:09:47.293-08:00   In the computer biz, people will frequently describe software as being usable, or being user friendly. That is like presenting me with a dish and telling me that the food is edible. I am glad that the food is edible, but I expect so much more from food. I expect it to look good, smell appetizing, tickle my taste buds and I prefer to share it with good company. Good conversation and a few http://ihath.com/2009/12/edible-software.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3996107218051022048Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:37:00 +00002009-11-29T21:37:18.066-08:00 http://ihath.com/2009/11/winter-flamenco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3464258329102404406Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:42:00 +00002010-01-22T11:22:16.964-08:00 Frakash encountered the ever vigilant and always watchful office manager that the geekmeisters called Jenny. Despite her charming appearance, she could be monstrous to an uninvited guest at the office. In no time, the stowaway garden refugee found himself being unceremoniously kicked out of the office. Frakash was stricken with a thunder bolt of emotion. He never felt such anger in any of hishttp://ihath.com/2009/11/adventures-of-frakash-page-4_27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-5226044411865037076Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +00002010-01-22T11:19:12.636-08:00 That night Frakash sneaked himself into Laila’s backpack, the same backpack he saw her carry to work every day. His plan was simple, to slip himself into the office of the geekmeisters and later jump out of the backpack and try to mingle with the people pretending he was one of them. After all, he had spent one whole year observing the way Laila talked and behaved. With a bit of ingenuity and http://ihath.com/2009/11/adventures-of-frakash-page-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3689600146755548595Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:36:00 +00002010-01-22T11:32:05.101-08:00 One beautiful sunny day, Frakash was weeding and planting pink tulips in a garden that always needed oodles of work. It was the garden that Laila liked to call Laila’s garden, and Frakash called it the Heaps of Labor garden. Laila was the woman that lived in the house right next to the Heaps of Labor garden and Frakash would observe her when she sat on the sundeck, drinking a cup of coffee or http://ihath.com/2009/11/adventures-of-frakash-page-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8026453035139283139Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:44:00 +00002009-11-05T18:45:42.569-08:00 Acrylic on canvas 24x18 inches http://ihath.com/2009/11/way-it-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3428563193859738829Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:45:00 +00002010-01-22T11:13:05.163-08:00 Frakash was a garden gnome who thought that magic was boring. Other garden gnomes entertained themselves by turning hideous people into frogs or sending goblins at night under the beds of children who exceeded their weekly tantrum quotas. To Frakash such pursuits seemed entirely mind-numbing. Memorizing reams of magic spells to be recited at absurd moments was not Frakash’s idea of fun at all.http://ihath.com/2009/10/adventures-of-frakash-first-page.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-2739925161437156256Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:51:00 +00002009-10-24T22:13:03.952-07:00Here is a clip of me reading a short story at the Vancouver International Writers Festival. Open Mic event. I ran out of time and so had to cut the story short. But you can read the full text of the story below. The story of the Fish There once was a fish that swam happily in the sea and was as happy as ... well as happy as a fish swimming in the sea could be. One day when the happy fish http://ihath.com/2009/10/story-of-fish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3697924922982639036Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:22:00 +00002009-10-14T07:59:37.230-07:00Acrylic on canvas24x18 incheshttp://ihath.com/2009/10/way-we-used-to-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-2836623562217696485Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:23:00 +00002009-09-24T11:27:23.087-07:00Acrylic on Canvas16x20 incheshttp://ihath.com/2009/09/sticky-and-sweet-best-is-yet-to-come.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-8512121494615831629Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +00002009-09-17T13:20:15.756-07:00I am like a Christmas tree right now. All my emotions are blinking on and off like Christmas tree lights. I feel everything. I feel sad, angry, bitter, happy, relieved, free. Emotions come over me like waves and then go away only to be struck by the next one. One minute I am crying, next I feel happy and optimistic. “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger” goes the saying. I don’t want to get http://ihath.com/2009/09/merry-christmas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-1504295463764833724Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:37:00 +00002009-09-10T10:21:53.644-07:00Next time do the Iraqi thing and throw your shoe at the president. Given the state of the country it is clear that the Iraqi way is not always the best, but it is always more entertaining.I read in the news that Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at the then US President George Bush, is being released from prison this week. Perhaps Rep. Joe Wilson can hire him as a http://ihath.com/2009/09/advice-for-rep-joe-wilson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6012323.post-3135231163967064887Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:52:00 +00002009-09-04T15:03:14.084-07:00I feel that I am wading through sludge.Every day is a fun trip to the sludge entertainment park. I ride the sludge roller coaster, go to sludge splash down park to prepare myself for the heavy duty amusement to follow. Then I take a mat and head to sludge super slide, where I experience a gut-twisting gliding motion right before I drop into a big barrel of sludge. Thanks to modern technology, http://ihath.com/2009/09/sludge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ihath)1