Thursday, July 5, 2007
Day 4: Iranian-American Culture Day!
In step with discussions surrounding our Iranian-American identity, the theme of Day Four of Camp Ayandeh was also bicultural: along with American Independence Day, today was also Iranian-American Culture Day at Camp Ayandeh! During the morning, campers were divided into groups to rotate through six stations relating to Iranian-American culture. The subjects of the stations were chosen from campers' own suggestions:- Persian poetry - Yusef and Ali gave a historical perspective of Persian poetry, reciting and translating poems from Ferdowsi, Khayyam's Rubayat, and Sohrab Sepehri.
- Persian language - Amy and Shirin provided a history of the Persian language, from its ancient roots and language family, to elements of modern Persian in its various di
alects. Campers then created bookmarks, writing their own names in Persian! - Iranian geography & history - After giving an overview of Iranian geography, Kayvan and Farzad had campers list the cities their families are from, and then briefly described the geography, history, and ethnic groups for each.
- Iranian holidays - Nakkisa and Lily led the campers in a discussion about major Iranian cultural holidays and had them share stories about the ways their families celebrate festivals such as Norooz, Mehregan, and Shab-e Yalda.
- Religions in Iran - Mehrdad and Nooshin described the major religions present in Iran today, and historically. They then answered questions many of the campers asked, such as the difference between Shi'ia and Sunni Islam.
- Day in the Life of a Teenager in Iran - Campers were particularly interested to hear Sherry and Narges describe the art and literary scene in Tehran's cafes, and were somewhat relieved of their SAT prep stress when they heard details about the Konkoor!
Speaking of college prep, after lunch, campers spent the afternoon hearing from college students, recent college grads, and recent high school grads regarding preparation for college. Topics included SAT tips and and prep information, tips on mastering the application process, a discussion regarding choosing a major, ideas and suggestions for getting scholarships, and whether or not to take a gap year between high school and college. Campers took vigorous notes, and gave feedback that these discussions helped put things into perspective and gave them an idea of what they can or need to do, and when.
Not forgetting that today was also an important day for the Americans in all of us, the group began a hike thr
ough Hemlock, led by Hemlock Overlook staff member Brian. Brian shared the significance of this park in American history, as it is located along the famous Bull Run, land that was highly contested during the U.S. Civil War.
Unfortunately, rain brought our hike to a short close, but the excitement did not end there. Upon our return, each counselor group contributed to dinner by making their own Persian side dishes. To accompany our delicious kabob meal catered by Moby Dick, campers prepared maast-o-khiar (cucumber yogurt), salaad-e Shirazi (chopped salad of tomatoes, onions, and
cucumber), and doogh (yogurt drink). As the rain cleared, we then enjoyed our meal in a 4th of July picnic on a giant sofreh outside: Iranian-American style!
The first week in July seems to be particularly blessed for Camp Ayandeh, as we were treated to yet another birthday celebration! Nikta's 17th birthday was celebrated with cake and dancing, giving
campers another chance to practice their moves. Nikta kicked it off with her favorite song, "Joon-e Khodet!"
To close off the celebration, campers were invited to bring their sleeping bags to the common room for a viewing of the film, "Maxx!" This comedy, in Persian with English subtitles, describes the travails of a singer from Los Angeles who is mistakenly invited back to Iran in an effort to reverse the "Brain Drain" from the diaspora. As Maxx would say, this was an "un-be-liev-a-bel" end to an "ahsan" day! Elahi!
Not forgetting that today was also an important day for the Americans in all of us, the group began a hike thr
ough Hemlock, led by Hemlock Overlook staff member Brian. Brian shared the significance of this park in American history, as it is located along the famous Bull Run, land that was highly contested during the U.S. Civil War.Unfortunately, rain brought our hike to a short close, but the excitement did not end there. Upon our return, each counselor group contributed to dinner by making their own Persian side dishes. To accompany our delicious kabob meal catered by Moby Dick, campers prepared maast-o-khiar (cucumber yogurt), salaad-e Shirazi (chopped salad of tomatoes, onions, and
cucumber), and doogh (yogurt drink). As the rain cleared, we then enjoyed our meal in a 4th of July picnic on a giant sofreh outside: Iranian-American style!The first week in July seems to be particularly blessed for Camp Ayandeh, as we were treated to yet another birthday celebration! Nikta's 17th birthday was celebrated with cake and dancing, giving
campers another chance to practice their moves. Nikta kicked it off with her favorite song, "Joon-e Khodet!"To close off the celebration, campers were invited to bring their sleeping bags to the common room for a viewing of the film, "Maxx!" This comedy, in Persian with English subtitles, describes the travails of a singer from Los Angeles who is mistakenly invited back to Iran in an effort to reverse the "Brain Drain" from the diaspora. As Maxx would say, this was an "un-be-liev-a-bel" end to an "ahsan" day! Elahi!
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Hope you are enjoying your time at camp! I check your daily blog everyday, and your activity's are cool. Wish you all a good time.
-Mona Rad
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-Mona Rad
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