On Tuesday night, I jumped over fire. Mr. Food Musings and I had gathered at the Persian Center in Berkeley, along with a few of our friends and a crowd of Iranian-Americans, to celebrate Charshanbeh Soori in anticipation of Persian New Year on March 21st. Persian New Year coincides with the spring equinox, and the Tuesday night prior, people gather in the streets -- here, on a side street in Berkeley -- to feast on a thick bean and noodle soup called Ash-e Resht-e and kebabs served with grilled tomatoes and Thai basil. Then they light a series of fires, and everyone lines up to jump over them. It's a way of wiping the slate clean for a new year, leaving all your old problems behind and welcoming health and happiness into the year ahead.
After the kind of year we had, you'd think Mr. FM and I would have arrived dressed in firemen's costumes, but the truth is, as we munched our kebabs in the twilight, using a corner of the sidewalk for a table and chairs, we were feeling a bit nervous. Jump over a towering flame? Us? Mr. FM looked at me warily. "I'm not sure I should do it," he said. I knew what he meant. His balance is still beyond terrible, and if he were to falter and fall in the fire? Well, that wouldn't be a good way to start the year. F. reassured us that the fires were tiny, and so we got in line with everyone else and inched our way forward. As I often do when I face down my fears, I focused on the weakest people around: the children. They love this part of the night best, often lining up to jump over and over again. I figure, if they can do it, I can do it. (Or more accurately, if the grown-ups allow them to do it, I will have to do it or lose face.)
Our plan was for me to stand next to Mr. FM, my hand on his back, and help him over the small fires. (They only burn about 3-4 inches off the ground.) Then I would duck into line, hop the fire, and we'd continue on to the next one. Forget about reciting "Sorkhee-eh tow az man, zardee-eh man az tow," as we went -- we'd be doing well not to go splat in the mini-infernos.
But as Mr. FM's time approached, he turned to me and said, "I think I can do it." And then he hopped over the three small fires. They were pretty wobbly hops, and my heart sort of leapt in my throat each time he leapt over the flame in front of him. I kept my arms half out-stretched to catch him if he tottered backwards, but he didn't need me. It was over before we knew it, and actually quite fun.
Then we went back to F's apartment and drank lots of wine.
(Well, how did you expect the night to end?)
NoRuz mobarak!
Dude, that was SO cool... I was so psyched that I had to high-five him when it was all over!
(I love this post, btw... as if that's any surprise)
Posted by: Fatemeh | March 15, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Super! What a great way to kiss off the past lousy year & look ahead to the new happy one!
Posted by: Mom | March 15, 2007 at 12:35 PM
I am so BUMMED, still, at the idiot who rammed my car whilst I was on my way (in my fire-jumping shoes I might add - I had specially chosen shoes suitable for jumping that day), thereby stopping me from attending.
And all I had to eat for dinner after that was toast. Hmmph, sulk.
Posted by: sam | March 15, 2007 at 01:11 PM
ps - does that mean my year is going to remain as lousy as it started, cos I didn't jump the fire.? Man, that sucks all the more.
Posted by: sam | March 15, 2007 at 01:12 PM
Fatemeh -- thank you so much for inviting us, we are both really glad we did it!
Mom -- Amen!
Sam -- I vote for you lining up a few candles on the kitchen floor. Who says you have to do it in a crowd? BTW I love that you wore special fire-jumping shoes; Stephanie was worried her downtrodden heels might make her slip and fall, but luckily she too made it over the dangerous inferno with inches to spare.
Posted by: Catherine | March 15, 2007 at 03:34 PM
what a leap forward (har har), but seriously, congrats-it sounds like a fun evening!
Posted by: little sister | March 16, 2007 at 07:44 AM
It was really wonderful -- you two are on the road to having a well-deserved, fabulous year.
The food was awesome, the trek to the car with C was awesome -- he'll never offer to ride with us again -- and the wine all night was awesome. Cat, I've been meaning to email you how much I enjoyed talking TV with you and Mr. Food Musings. I love fellow sci-finatics.
Posted by: Stephanie | March 16, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Well I don't know about C but I don't even want to ride with you! Yes, obsessive TV chatter is good for the soul, innit? We have added Farscape to our queue; I'm a little worried -- season 1 is 11 discs -- not episodes, discs! -- but we're going for it. And Sunday's Battlestar? You were right...zzzz... Obviously I need to start reading TWoP immediately.
Posted by: Catherine | March 16, 2007 at 11:13 AM
11 disk, yes, but don't be scared -- there are only two eps per disk because that's the way they did TV DVDs way back in the day.
Posted by: Stephanie | March 16, 2007 at 12:46 PM
definately a good omen - great post!
Posted by: alison | March 18, 2007 at 09:57 AM
Wow. I wish I had known about it. Must put on my calendar for next year.
Posted by: Amy Sherman | March 19, 2007 at 11:40 AM