Nadia Hakim, stranded at an airport, big surprise.
Well, well, well... Washington Dulles International... We meet again.
I recently turned 23. I forgot my birthday once the day actually came around. I was in the computer lab working on some of the page layouts for public diplomacy’s publication, and, once it turned midnight, a couple of friends looked up at me and excitedly wished me a happy birthday.
Twenty-three. What a ride.
I started waking up with aches and sore joints, though. It seems as though there is an elderly woman with osteoporosis and severe rheumatoid arthritis encased somewhere in this body. I realized it had been over a month since my last visit to the gym. I was not taking the time to stretch anymore and my IT bands enjoyed reminding me of my negligence. As a result, I decided to invest in a foam roller, make use of the multiple gyms on campus, and consider training for a sprint triathlon. I have become much less cranky in the past couple of weeks.
On a side note, I have been working as a research assistant for a professor and filmmaker at Newhouse and she organizes the school's annual Human Rights Film Festival. Taking care of the archives and looking into the documentaries made me realize all of the issues there are out there. I have always been interested in human rights, but this exposure and the diplomacy program have really peaked my curiosity.
I am also currently reading Slow Food Nation by Carlo Petrini. He discusses why food should be clean, fair, and good, while providing valuable insight on the legitimacy of gastronomy and the necessity of sustainability. I LOVE IT. I found this quote in the midst of the second section:
“Gastronomy is a science that analyzes happiness. Through food, which is a universal and immediate language, a component of identity, and an object of exchange, it reveals itself as one of the most powerful forms of peace diplomacy.”
How true is that? I imagine that if everyone tried Persian food, which is my favorite, most people would actually give Iranians and our culture a chance. There are traditions behind the pots of rice, pistachios and dried cranberries mixed in, with just the right amount of saffron staining the long white grains, along with the perfect stew that took hours to prepare, and a plate full of fresh herbs to complement every bite. It took mankind eons to figure out what nutrition is, how to grow food, how to prepare it, etc.
My mom is from the Philippines and this is how she really connected with my father's side of the family. She learned the traditional dishes and their history. My parents have been married for 25ish years, and my mother and grandma still cannot communicate because of the language barrier, but once they are in the kitchen, where they are both comfortable and fluent in Persian recipes, words don't matter.
No region’s methods are identical to another. Food is more than a necessity. It is a way of life. It is a form of cultural exchange. It is the perfect tool for diplomacy.
Culture and calories… it doesn’t get much better than that.
