What-i-learned-at-military-service The expiration date on my visa card winks at me, reminding me that less than four months remain if I don’t change my situation. Just imagining returning and going back to life before migration unsettles me. The reason I haven’t written posts like this for a w... Read All

Even numbers are divisible by two integers, and odd numbers are divisible by two in a meaningless way. If you halve an even number, you get two whole concepts. Halve an odd number, and you get two incomplete concepts. Like any other incomplete thing: it exists, but you wish it didn’t. Like the nu... Read All

Some things you realize all of a sudden. Like the arrival of autumn, the end of winter, letting go, falling in love, aging, missed opportunities, realizing you’re no longer a teenager, realizing you can’t wear Converse shoes anymore. Like finishing high school and realizing you’re no longer a high s... Read All

When I left Iran in May, I didn’t bring my hard drive. I didn’t want to give myself the slightest opportunity to dwell on the past. I wanted every new moment to connect to the present, not regret or nostalgia. It was a good idea. Eight new months were recorded in my mind, not eight months of reviewi... Read All

Amazon currently produces three types of e-readers, and in my opinion, the best and most reasonable one is the Paperwhite. Unlike the basic version, it has a built-in front light, so you can use it at night without turning on a lamp, and it doesn’t have the sky-high, unreasonable price of the Oasis.... Read All

Elaheh wrote in a post that observing herself in her photos made her question the concept of the “self.” Reading it prompted me to gather and summarize thoughts I’d been meaning to write about the “self” for a while. The “self” in a religious sense is condensed into the concept of the “soul,” whi... Read All

For over 12 years, spend your days learning programming. Sit at your Stone Age computer during all the times others are enjoying age-appropriate leisure, and spend all the nights others are asleep wrestling with code you barely understand. Spend the days when others share romantic memories reading h... Read All

Dual-Belief Jealousy You think you’re enlightened, that you approach everything with logic, and that archaic, outdated thoughts have no place in your mind. You believe people have the right to do whatever they want, to have any experience they wish. But then, someone touches your lover, even just a... Read All

It’s been 8 months and 8 days since I started my migration. On my trip back to Iran, I convinced Sasan to come along with me and experience new things. A few days before his return flight, he asked me, “What should I take with me?” So, what should you take? What are the most important things in... Read All

Another year has passed, and it’s time to weigh things up, what I did over these 365 days. How much progress I made on the path I had mapped out. How much I stood still. What experiences I gained, what my failures were, and how I can learn from them. This time last year, I wrote: 2018 for me i... Read All

With the holidays and leave over, yesterday I packed up my heavy suitcase (I mean it) to head back to Ankara. Back? Or go? It felt strange not feeling any sadness when leaving Tabriz. Even stranger was the “home sweet home” feeling when arriving in Ankara. For now, I’ll just leave this here to remem... Read All

More than 7 months have passed since I started my migration, and I finally managed to arrange a short trip to Tabriz. Although the main motivation was to visit someone else, I still had plenty of reasons to give myself a break and spend some time in my hometown. Since all flights to Iran depart f... Read All