Good Persian Experience

Finishing the whole story reminded me why I liked Kite Runner in the first place. It's done in masterful storytelling. At some point, it moved me to tears (okay, I'm exaggerating), but knowing me, this is one of the few novels that deeply and seriously moved me. For someone to say to you:

"for you, a thousand times over."

..would be enough to make me a softy. I also do have the potential to melt.

It's a story of true redemption without the added fuss. It's a mirror of the clear and unfortunate reality of Afghanistan. The situations maybe really morbid at times, but I knew that somewhere in this world it is happening.

After reading the entire book this morning, I craved for kabob or anything Persian. That's how much the book influenced me. I encouraged my cousin Den to drive us at some Persian "eatery" near our village.

This Persian Kabob place is not really legitimate in a sense. The place is not really a full blown restaurant, it's a house. The owner just has sustainable tables in his garage where people could dine..if they want to. Although, for the four times I've been there, my friends and I were the only ones eating. We hardly see people dine in. The Kabob place mostly caters to take outs and bulk orders to go, but in terms of the place, do not even hoist any grand expectations.



*Kewl! Den's war car!

But the place really wouldn't matter now would it? Just as long as the food remains authentic and the price is so reasonable, then it's enough to keep people like me coming back with an intense Persian craving on a budget. A kabob stick marinated in 2 days costs 30 bucks, for 120 pesos you could get a combo meal of 2 long kabob sticks, rice, soup, tomatoes and calamansi cooler.


**My tour guide. Fine, I put her up to it.


***Feeling toursists...we're imagining ourselves touring in Iran.

Upon arriving there via Den's "war car," we ordered 5 kabobs and some pita bread to go. At first, we didn't know if the restaurant was open. There weren't any signs. We just went inside only to be faced by tiles on the garage and some packs of cement. I guess they are in a middle of some renovation. The owner, the usual tall Persian guy, met us and greeted us warmly. Although he was smiling I knew he was very apologetic with the place and the disorganized setup. He said he was in a hurry to go to the airport. I quickly understood and told him that I should come back another time, but being courteous that he is, he insisted that I stay. He insisted to take my orders and told me to wait for a few minutes for the kabob.


**Yes Karla??


While we were waiting for him, my cousin and I were talking about the Middle Eastern people. Since she spent half of her adult life in Jeddah, and her family is based there, she is pretty much an expert. In fact, every year she goes to Saudi to join her family. We kept talking about the funny customs and the not-so comfortable customs of the Arabs. I noticed while we were talking, posters of Iran are pasted on the wall. I instantly felt that I'm in a chapter of Khaled Hosseini's novel. I'm still suffering from the Kite Runner residue.

He gave us the order just in time and my total bill was 220 bucks for the 5 long kabobs and 2 pita breads. I gave him 2 2oo bills. He smiled and told me he didn't have any change with him. I frantically asked Den to get some change in the car. He even insisted not to pay him the 20 bucks. He just told me to come back next time and pay him. He was that generous. Well, I guess he recognized me as his regular customer already.

I was trying to fumble for some coins in my purse since I'd be too guilty to leave his simple restaurant, taking so much of his time and paying him 20 bucks short. Luckily, I fished some coins and able to produce him with the additional 20. He extended my thanks and told me that he put some cheese on the side just in case we'd want to eat it with our kabob. He even mentioned a trivia that in their country, they never liked putting sauce in the kabobs. Kabobs should be eaten as is to really enjoy the flavor. It's only in the Philippines that the market insists to put a garlic cream sauce.

We left his store and felt really grateful that the gracious Persian accommodated us. We went to buy some coke and hot pandesal on the way home. I was itching to ask him if he has read The Kite Runner. I know it's a silly question just because he's Persian. He looks too busy to suggests that he reads, much more be interested to know the unfortunate circumstances of his race in fiction. I just made a silly assumption and reconciliation of the book with an actual Persian in front of me. In the book it has taught me two things, which I proved just now. Some Persians' customs are not so easy to understand and appreciate. Some of their characteristics are even condemnable like the character Assef in the book. Persians are often seen to be too opportunistic, discriminatory, closed-minded, brutal and extreme individuals. But there are some, like Hassan and Baba, who represent the best of their kind, who have golden hearts that transcend beyond the conformity of their race. They are kind. They are generous, courageous and respectable. They give high importance to their race, yet more importance to the needs of others. Lucky are those who got a chance to meet the best of their kind, meeting a potential Baba. And I think I just met one today.