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This photo was taken right around the time I changed my name. Look how cute I was!

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The Shah of Iran is the ruler, like an emporer or president or king. He and his wife were scheduled to visit America, and the government invited Iranians living in America to go to D.C. to welcome them. At the time there were many people who were protesting the Shah, but to my father, an all expense paid trip outweighed the danger. When we arrived at the White House to play welcoming party, there were masked demonstrators carrying signs across the street from where we stood. All of a sudden, a riot broke out and my family and I were running as fast as we could from the lawn and back to our hotel. This was the first time I was truely frightened for my life. Of course I didn't completely understand why the protestors did what they did, but I was certain that there was a much better way to express their opinions.

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When we first moved to America, it wasn't too hard to make friends. I quickly found a few playmates and we often had sleepovers, though not at my house of course. Sometimes, when we had to bring in cookies for class, their mothers would help out my mother and bring a tray of sugar cookies for me. This was very kind, since the only dessert my mother could make was Baklava. After the Iranian revolution however, most Americans suddenly saw us as terrorists and kidnappers instead of the kind neighbors they had known. I always wanted to answer people who asked what we thought of the hostage situation with "have you noticed how all recent serial killers have been American? I won't hold it against you." We began telling people we were Dutch or Russian because of this lack of acceptance we faced. When I met my husband, I realized just how unfair this situation was. All he had to do was mention his very French name for people to be intrigued and assume that he was a well read and very intelligent foreigner.

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I'm a Rich Man, I Just Don't Have a Lot of Money

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I'm a Rich Man, I Just Don't Have a Lot of Money

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My father Kazem grew up in Iran with not a lot of money. His family was able to get by, but the only way he could get to college was through a scholarship. He came to America for college, and later returned to start a family. He had been working for an oil company that paid averagely, but sent him pensions even when he was old. These pensions, which would be worth a lot in Iran, could pay for only a few restaurant outings in California. Instead of blowing this money on fancy food for himself, he decided to do good with it. He visited Iran and used his wealth, which meant nothing to him, to help pay for surgeries, eyeglass, and even building homes. Because of his selflessness, I've always admired him and looked up to him. We all truely are rich, even if we don't have much money.

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Muslim Women and Catholic Frenchman Seal the Deal, Much to the Groom's Mother's Dismay. 

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Muslim Women and Catholic Frenchman Seal the Deal, Much to the Groom's Mother's Dismay. 

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Firoozeh and Francois met in college at UC Berkely, and it was love at first sight. Francois' mother however, did not approve. Before she ever even met the bride-to-be, she declared that Firoozeh "would never be allowed to set foot in her house." Despite their misgivings, the Groom's family did eventually decide to attend the wedding. The bride's family, however, was all for the marriage. They contributed copious amounts of ideas to the planning and insisted that all of Firoozeh's cousins, aunts, and even secound uncles be invited. The ceremony itself was beautiful, and a perfect mix of both unique cultures. The lovers were married in a Catolic Church, and had a persian "adq" ceremony. They are happy in their new life together, and their only wish is to make up with Francois' mother.

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My family moved from Abadan, Iran to Whittier, California, where we lived for two years. After these two years of adjusting to the new culture, we packed up and returned to the middle east. Two years later, we headed back to California, this time to Newport Beach, a town 45 minutes south of our old home. Through all of the moving around, we were able to stay close with not only our immediate family, but all our aunts, uncles, and cousins too. Because of this inablitiy to be separated, my family has stayed close to this day.

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Back to Basics - Education                          

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Back to Basics - Education                          

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In my book, I wrote a humorous section about when I first began to earn money so I could pay for college. I tried babysitting, house sitting, and pet sitting, but the best method I found was applying for scholarships. Through these, I was able to pay for my wonderful education at University of California, Berkeley. This was a huge milestone in my life and without it I might not have ended up writing my best selling books!

http://www.berkeley.edu/

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Farsi (the modern Persian language that is the official language of Iran) Firoozeh (f ee uh r - oo - z ai)
Dumas (d OO m ih s)