Zabans and devil pacts
zabân (زَبان) – language, tongue (Persian)
It's almost a week since my last entry. Many things happened. I am happy I wasn't appointed for a new post. I'd have much more money but the job itself is hell and is directly related to the part we're going to have the state inspection about within this year. I have already met the risk of being guilt for others' sins. No, thank you! And my former chief who tried to lure me there to cover her ass in the new department is welcome to shut fricking up. Her gaslighting skills are too weak now. I was her disciple for two and half years. Old me would have been gullible, and new me won't.
The embassy of Iran organised a formal event dedicated to promoting the Persian culture. In real life I hide now my ability to speak Persian. I faced very often the insolence of our employees asking me to help for free 'because where else can we find a specialist'? Excuse me (not), why should I bother about your problems? When I asked to raise my salary for Persian classes you gave a multihour lecture how underqualified I am. Ok, I leave. If I can't have benefits why should I sweat and help?
Speaking back about the event. I visited it briefly and looked around. To my surprise the organisers wrote 'پارسی' instead of 'فارسی' and they had 'روز زبان و فرهنگ پارسی' (i.e. the day of Persian language and culture). The first version, 'pârsi' is quite rare nowadays referring to the times of Ancient Iran (I can be very wrong here but so I was told). The arabicised 'fârsi' is the current norm, and this word is related to specifically Muslim Iranian period of history. Sure thing I expected 'fârsi' from the embassy of IRI. De plus I was accustomed to distinguish between Iranian and Persian as the culture is Iranian but the language is Persian, coming from the region of Pârs.
Visitors were offered the chance to practice 'a lesson of Iranian calligraphy' limited to copying one phrase on pieces of paper: 'Iran and mycountry are friends forever'. No examples of Nast'aliq script, just one phrase on a board and markers. I sure know there is a professional calligrapher in this city. Why didn't they invite him like always did? Whatever.
I bought a nice lamp simulating northern lights. Now I listen to detective novels looking at aurora borealis delivered to my ceiling. Btw I totally liked 8-bit soundtrack from Level devil.