Love, and other troubles! (Part 1)

I got my first comment here today! So it's a proof that someone just read what I'm writing here, yay! :)
As today is the 3rd anniversary of my engagement to my hubby, I thought I could write a little bit about our journey together. Maybe I divide the story into two or three parts, since there's been a lot going on in our life. But again, excuse any mistakes you see. I never check my posts before sending them online! It's after publishing them, that I notice mistakes...

A lovely Winter day, 2009
I honestly don't remember the very first time I found out that there's this guy who is trying to reach me. I had just become a member of a website for all Anzali citizens, and naturally most of us were young. I was 21, and let me tell you, I had never tried dating! It's not acceptable to be boyfriend and girlfriend or date before being officially introduced to both side's families or even asking a girl's hand in marriage in Iran. So I was really inexperienced back then, but Mostafa was pretty much a professional! He was one of those charming boys that you meet online, or anywhere else for that matter, and instantly he makes you feel you've known him for a decade! You share your secrets like celebrity news with this guy, and then, when you find the opportunity to rethink and reflect on what you did, you may even regret it, but he makes you feel that it was the most natural thing at the time!
He started sending messages and occasionally flirting, which I responded to politely. I wasn't the kind of girl to go head over heels for some guy or get too excited about talking to a cute boy. Mostafa says that he felt there was something different about me from the very beginning:"All the other girls, they were always trying to play cool and pretend that they don't care, but you were cool, and you really didn't care that I was trying to flirt with you. You knew what was coming your way, and you were calm about it, not even getting too flattered. You were real".
We started chatting outside the website, and became friends, social ones of course. He gave me his phone number, but I didn't call for a few more months, just wanting to make sure he wasn't a web psycho who would later spill my personal secrets everywhere or tell everyone that I was his friend.
Talking to him was easy. He was educated and knew how to treat a girl. He had an associate's degree in electronics, and he seemed like a very cool guy with modern beliefs, unlike his name, which is a very traditional religous name. Mostafa, or Mustafa in Arabic, means the chosen one! He lived up to his name! He was such a free spirit, that I totally trusted him after a few months, and when he asked to meet me, I accepted.
I had seen him before. He worked with his friend at his shop, and I had figured out which of the guys in that shop is Mostafa. He didn't have a clue who I was, though, so I texted him about what I was wearing and what I would say so he could recognize me. It rained that day, and my hair went crazy, but I had promised him. We couldn't talk freely, as it would've been inappropriate, so we agreed on a definite question that I would ask. I opened the door, asked the question, he answered, and then I left in a hurry! I'm pretty sure I was blushing :)) What can I say? I was a bit shy! He texted:"Why did you leave so soon? I wanted to talk to you!" Guess he was interested from the very first word. Lol!
His friendship, even though it was nothing romantic, was such a valuable thing to me. He told me about his life. He was 25 at the time. He was the youngest among six children, two brothers and three sisters, some of whom had children of their own when he was born. He had lost his father, and lived with his mother. The rest of his siblings were married. He had fallen in love with a girl before, but the relationship didn't work and the girl broke up with him because she was opting for a more luxurios life than what a simple boy from an ordinary family could give her. He had numerous girlfriends since then, but he wasn't serious about any of them. That was just what I needed, a guy with no serious intentions, because I wasn't serious about anything, too. I was heart-broken myself. I had a crush on a guy I had known for a long time, but he had just asked one of his students to marry him and despite the fact that I had never dared to tell him how I felt, I couldn't get over him. Mostafa was the guy I could talk to. I could tell him anything and be sure that he won't judge.
So our friendship began; two young people who had to mend their hearts and needed a friend who would hear their complaints. He was searching for a job, and I was studying full time. We texted every once in a while, and rarely talked on the phone. He was still experimenting with other girls, and when I asked him how his dates or relationships went after a while, they were mostly broken and gone! Once I asked him why he had broken up with a recent girlfriend, and he answered: "She took too long to answer my texts!" I said:"I take too long to answer you too, so don't you think you should stop texting me as well?" He was like:"No. You're difderent!"
Days passed, seasons changed. Over a year and a half after we got to know each other, everything had changed and we were different people. I was free of the guy on whom I had a crush. Getting over him was hard, since he broke up with his fiancee and after that he rejected me, too. But I didn't tell Mostafa about him. He had just found a job and was getting on track and was pretty happy, so I stopped bothering him with sad news of me being rejected by a guy who had never paid attention to me in the first place! Mostafa had changed towards me. I felt like I couldn't talk to him as easily as before, since he acted like he was jealous! I tried not to pay attention, but he started mentioning that he loved me! I didn't take it seriously, actually, knowing his flirting ways. The last thing on my mind was that he might be serious about falling for me! Then, on a warm June night on 2011, Mostafa clarified that through a text while I was trying to tell him that I was not a saint! He wrote:"Look! I loved V (the girlfriend who left him) very much. Now, I have the same feelings for you, except it's been multiplied! I love you so much more than her!"
I was rejecting him now! I loved him dearly, but as a friend. Or was he really just a friend? I didn't know, but I didn't want to lose his friendship. I wanted to love him, but what if we couldn't work it out and went our separate ways one day? We could not be friends then!
So I just ignored what he said, and I did one of the worst things I could do...
I started dating another guy a few days after that!!!
It wasn't a game or a strategy to me! I liked that guy, and I had not taken Mostafa so seriously. So when he texted a few days later, I had just been to my second date with the other guy and was also really pissed that Mostafa had not texted me in a few days!! Maybe it was a sign and I should have noticed that if I am angry about not being in touch with him, so I do care about him, but instead, I told him that I was seeing someone else...

Ok guys, it's half past two now, and I really need to get some sleep because I have a gym session in the morning. See you later... Comment me about what you've read so far. Love you all...

After a long, long, long time!

Hi there! So I was checking my older posts and I found so many mistakes in my writing and just wanted to clarify that it happens because I write these posts on my phone and most of the times I don't check the spelling for mistakes :D

So I told you a little about my life before, and then came the big boom in my life and took the next three months by storm! I had a foolish misunderstanding with my husband's friend's girlfriend, and it affected my life so much that I had to stop writing for a while and just clear my head! Those few months were like hell, but then I realized that if I wanted to live peacefully and happily, I have to let it go and forget about it, because I was going crazy about that matter and taking it out on my sweetheart. It didn't feel right anymore, to keep being upset, so I stopped and thought: "Is it really worth all the pain I'm causing my husband and myself?", and the answer was NO! 

So, moving on, I was out and about today, and I actually felt like getting new clothing. Now this is the most exciting part. Since you may know that Persian clothing isn't actually like the other parts of the world. We wear a king of coat that we call "manto", and we are required to cover our hair. I remember that when I was younger, all the mantos had dark colors, like black and brown, and were too long, with long sleeves and fully-buttoned fronts, but now we have access to a large variety of bright colors and patterns and we don't have to wear extra-long mantos. I'll include a few pics of my own favorite new trends in Iran.

I have chosen dark colors so far this year and gone for black and navy and a purple one, but I'm actually thinking of getting a red manto! I saw some red fabric and I loved the color and the pattern, and as my mother and my younger sister are both seamstresses, an art I never showed any interest in, I depend on them to make me my new manto. I am such an evil girl in this matter, he he heeee :)

I LOVE makeup, though! I watch so many Youtube and Instagram tutorials and I try to use them as much as possible. Youtuube made me add a few pieces to my makeup collection, like concealer, more brushes, highlighter, contour powder, bronzer, etc. My inspiration is Tanya Burr, the gorgeous Youtuber from England. I just love her! I even won a Superdrug giveaway in February and was supposed to receive lots of her products, but since I don't live in the UK they didn't give me my prize!I was so sad! Before Youtube I sipmly went for a foundation, blush, eye liner and lipstick, without any real coverage and extra drama. Now I know how to make my cheeks look better, how to correct the darkness under my eyes, and how to look more chic and effortless! I never put too much makeup on, though! Being chic in Iran means covering the face with layers and layers of products, dark lipstics and full lashes to so many people, but to me, it means making it look like I'm wearing the minimum amount while correcting anything that doesn't look perfect...

So, enough with cloths and makeup, and moving on to my dialouge with my possible viewers. I would like to ask you to send me your questions about my country, my culture, my lifestyle or anything else. If you searched Persian girls and you ended up here, it means you want to know about us, our life and our country, so I really ask you to ask me anything you want to know, and I will answer.

It is half past one now, and I'm feeling so sleepy. I look forward to seeing your questions or reading your opinions on what I should write about next, so don't hesitate to tell me. See you soon.
And here are some of my favorite trends of manto. I took some screenshots from my favorite designers like Anna Sani, Dandy Fashion Gallery, and Sweet Dolcee:

Valentine Unwrapped

So I've been absent for two weeks and, who am I kidding? I know nobody reads this, at least now! I've been busy with an urgent work project, and I just sent out the files today and feel free for the first time in 22 days. Lol...
Sweet husband has been here since last Wednesday, so there's another full-time occupation I've had. Oh God I love it when he is home. He just brightens up everything! The way he smiles, the way he looks at me, holds me and kisses me, and even the way he breathes when he is asleep is a blessing.
We met on 2009, two days after Valentine's day. It was a rainy day, and as it was inappropriate to meet an unknown boy in a public place ( and still is in our type of society, somehow!!) I just told him that I would ask him one question and leave. As you may know, Persain parents are mostly strict about this type of stuff. In the majority of the country, boys and girls are not allowed to be friends and specially be boyfriends and girlfriends! Families don't like it that way, and prefer to meet the guy and set an engagement date or let the engagement happen before they can allow the young couple to appear in public places, but that is changing quite fast right now. My generation had to keep everything under a wrap! We had to stay private, not even telling our parents because if they knew we were seeing someone, it would be hell unleashed!
Personally, I told my mother about us to make her let us see each other sonetimes, and as I was the most stubborn girl ever, I managed to keep our relationship going private and just as boyfriend and girlfriend for a few years before we got hitched. But I know people who have been together for more than seven years now, and have managed to keep it secret. Congrats, I can't imagine how they do it!! :/

He is the sweetest, most gentle man I've ever met, and I thank God for him every single day, even when we've had a little bit of disagreement on some stuff and aren't exactly in the most happy place, which happens so rarely. And by the way, all couples have disagreements, that's what makes us human, right, being different?
Anyway, he is asleep right now, and I've been planning to take a shower and wash my hair and tidy up the house a bit, and then take some time to paint my nails and stuff like that... But actually the sound of his breathing is so relaxing that I'm feeling an urge to fall asleep right here, right now!!! I just managed to get out of the bed and try to get up and do all the things I was planning to do. Good day to you all! :)

The Tale of a Girl

Today was such a beautiful day with wonderfully pleasant weather, so I decided to find an excuse for a long walk. Fortunately, I needed to buy a few things for my mom and then I added a few items for my own to the shopping list. The result was a 7 km walk from mom's house to the center of the town and I loved it. I went to visit my freind, too, and we walked a few blocks together, although she was out of breath bu the time we separated our ways. It was fun.
As you may know, Persian New Year, which we call Norooz (the new day), starts on March 20th and I aim to lose a few more pounds by then, So I try to walk as much as I can. I bought myself a really cute Victoria notebook, which I actually have no idea how I should use, but I just wanted it so I got it.

I've tried so many times to start writing about my life or discribe what it'jjs like here in Iran, but it's funny that when it comes to these things, I don't know how I should start!
I was born on October 20th, 1988, in Bandar Anzali. Anzali is literally my paradise. I know almost every corner, every alley, every street. I walk here for hours and hours without feeling tired. Anzali is one of the safest cities I've been to. One of the interesting things about Iran is that most of the shops are open until 9 p.m., so if I mentioned that, don't be surprised. Anzali is a small city, too, so most of the people know each other somehow. That's one of the other reasons for the safety we feel here. Also, it's a great city for women. Here we are not bounded to our houses. Most of the women here can go out as much as they want and have a good time. For us, girls are human beings, not property. This is true almost everywhere in Oran nowadays, but I can say that Anzali, and Guilan province in general, are great places for women in Iran.
My parents were really young when they got married, and they lived with my father's parents. It was kind of customary to live with the man's parents at that time. Grandma didn't get along well with my mom, and she made mom upset a lot. I suppose at least half of Persian mother-in-laws are like this in Iran. It's because of their emotional dependence on their sons. In old days, most of Persian men didn't show their emotions to their wives, so they became kind of dependent on the love and affection they received from their sons. But my grandma wasn't like this. She was a control freak. Mom was young and quiet, and she couldn't stand up for herself. So when they finally got the chance to move to another city when I was six, they took it in a heartbeat.
Arak wasn't exactly a free city for women, since it was really traditional and Islamic, and girls who are used to freedom can't take it there. I hated that city. I was a child who really liked the sea, and the green, and rain. Arak was set in a dry desert which was hot in the Summer and so cold in the Winter, and I hate cold. The memories of those eight-nine years still makes me dislike the cold and snow. Anzali is a himid place and it rarely snows here, but I guess I'm the only unhappy girl in Anzali when it does.
We came back to Anzali in 2002. My father found a job in the South a year later, and we were forced to stay in the North while he worked in Asalooyeh, which is a petro-chemical zone South of Iran. He still works there, and we see him once a month for seven to ten days when he comes to visit.
I always wanted to do the things my way. That's why I became what I am. I am an independent girl. I did many things my own way, not the society's way. But I guess the most outrageous thing I've evr done is the story of how I met my husband. However, that story should wait and be told slowly. I think everything I wrote tonight is enough.
It's really late now. I have a gym session tomorrow and I have to get some sleep. I'll come back soon enough.
In the meanwhile, tell me where you are from. How did you find this and what would you like to know about me and my life? I'll answer any questions you have.

See you later.

A Gleam of Light

Hello there!

I’ve always had trouble starting things. That could include anything; waking up (sometimes, of course), starting work, going to the gym, making lunch (which I’m experiencing today), and as of right now, starting a new blog post! I can talk all day about how I am just like any woman in any country and say nothing worth reading! But because today I want to make an introduction and start working on my papers ASAP, I try to keep this short and sweet. Probabely now you’re like “Oh God, does she wanna go on like this?!” But no, I’m gonna be good, I promise.

My name is Forough. Now that’s a pronunciation challenge for some international readers, but sorry, that’s what it is and I am proud of it. Forough means ‘a gleam of light’. I’m 27 years old, and I live in a small city north of Iran named Bandar Anzali (Anzali Port). I come from a small family and I have only one sister, Farnaz, who is one of the most important people in my life. I have a Master’s degree in English education, and I used to be an English teacher, but I left that job long ago due to so many reasons. Now I am a translator and I work for myself, which reminds me that I HAVE TO keep this short as I have to go start typing a paper I just finished. I am Muslim, but I don’t take religion so seriously. I believe the real key to be a better person is a kind heart, so I don’t consider my religion as a great part of my life. I just believe that God would answer sincere prayers, no matter what religion you practice, and even if you don’t practice any religion at all.

I met my husband, Mostafa, who is fortunately nothing like his religous name, in 2010. We became engaged in 2013, and got married on september 5th, 2014. So I’ve been married for a year and a half now. It was, and still is, a love marriage. He is the reason of my courage in literally everything. Because of him, I am a happy, lively woman who can live her life as it makes her happy. As he is the mate of my soul, and as we faced so many obstacles in the way of getting together, I will tell you our story later. For now, I think that’s enough. So I’ll see you soon with my first story, which I haven’t decided on yet.  But I can tell you what I want to write about. I wanna show you how my life as a Persian woman is. I want to show you my lifestyle, with everything that happens in it; my people’s life and traditions, my passions, memories, home, outfit choices, food receipes, my city, and my country. So I guess this is gonna take a long while. Hope that I can show you how beautiful my corner of the world can be. Thank you for reading.

See you soon.