A pink taxi

A pink taxi

July 17, 2010

Rewind July 1998

La Caille, Salt Lake City, Utah
My eldest son opened the door with a large smile when I came home. It wasn't the promise of the afternoon bike ride or the thought of himself in the cold lake this morning trying to get up on water skis. There was a glow in his eyes. He had been transported in time.

He led me to the kitchen where the flat screen TV hangs and there I saw another soccer match. In post FIFA time, but certainly pre-2010. A twelve year old match: the final of Brazil-France.

Funny watching soccer players of that decade, in their retro gear and hairstyles on a flat screen! My son was excited to recognize all the players, the ones who have either become soccer trainers or soccer commentators. I told him how I had seen the game 12 years ago, but in Utah. The comments were in English. Now, I was hearing the comments of the day in French. Has anyone heard comments made by the winning team's compatriots? The pride, the tenderness (player's given nicknames) and the partiality!

It's true that we obsess over the French team and that we should kill the mother "tuez la mere" of that victory. But today, I have an excuse. It is our wedding anniversary and it has also been a dozen years.

In 1998, my husband also had a retro hairstyle: at least it was short. He was clean shaven and he wore a tuxedo. We married in the peacock inhabited gardens of LaCaille, in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a simple happy celebration. He made a short speech and I a lengthy one. I had descended with my father on the tune of "Papa don't preach" by Madonna which was played from a boom box held by my brother (we were very amateur). Later, a professional DJ that I found on a local radio station I called, played "Go West" by Pet Shop Boys. It was 18 July 1998.

5 comments:

  1. 1998 was a mythical year! Happy anniversary!You have a beautiful family mashallah!

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  2. Re: july 18th posting from amora:

    I loved this post so much, especially because I wasn't responsible for editing and posting it, so I discovered it on the blog...like everybody else!

    We all enjoyed that lovely wedding, although dean is sad to have missed it, charming, intimate and tasteful in a Martha Steward american way, yet warm with the blood of iranians, afghans and arabs (in that order because of amount of people from each of those regions). We danced and cried and laughed and cried some more. My eldest sister and closest ally and friend, was getting married to the love of her life who I already loved as my own brother.

    So much time has passed since, and much has changed, our jeddo passing away, some marriages broken, new unions formed, and so many kids in the mix, of which three of your own! Enough to make us cry all over again...

    We wish you a lifetime of happiness together and much more! 12 years ago you were newly weds, then you were new parents and now you are settling into comfortable parenthood, with all the fun wiser and more mature kids can bring. May life only bring you roses inshallah!

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  3. like 1998 every year has been a grand year! khodaya shooker!

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  4. It was a sizzling July day in the mountains of Utah,where the Patriarch of the family resided.His house was bursting to its seems with generations of family members and friends.
    The venue restaurant was the nicest,with gardens,creeks and birds of all types.It is the happiest though the most difficult moment when a father gives away his daughter,to start a new life.It is an amazing feeling to gain a handsome,kind and loving son,the 7th boy of a large strongly knit family.
    The dry party( strictly adhering to Mormon traditions,and the bride's determination) made some of the invitees resort to tricks of the days of prohibition!Some family members played havoc with the name cards that caused protocol problems amongst the Afghan-Iranian invitees.
    When the time came for speeches,the hyped bride took over the micro and went on with a delightful speech.It was my first speech ever,fighting to control my emotions,by giving the false promise of having a big party for everyone in Beirut,the birth place of our bride.May be that can be fulfilled by having the wedding of one of the three children there.
    One wish on this 12 th Anniversary:May you have happier,better and healthier marriage life than ours.You certainly are on the right road to achieve that......

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  5. happy anniversary Yasmine and Kabir!! all best, and have a great summer

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