2004

Updates:

Dec 30

       After hours of consulting, Ottawa's quasi-alpha-males have hatched after-Feast plans. We reserved the 50-seat party room at the Denny's on Clyde and Baseline (417 Exit Maitland South) from 10:15pm - 2:00am! All ages over 15 are welcome to join us for fun and games (charades, poker, cards, etc).

Dec 27

       Pictures from my cousin Nikita's 2nd Birthday Party, which was held at the Persian restaurant, are now up for your enjoyment.

Dec 24

       If you are like me and have absolutely nothing to do tonight then come on down to my place. A few of us are getting together for a 6 movie marathon after dinner.  Sorry for the short notice, but this was just planned. At the stroke of midnight we will dress up as elves and go door to door handing out Bahá'í magazines.

Dec 18

       The playoffs are over and the final results show that Hero is victorious. It emerged as the winner once "voting irregularities" and inconsistent patterns of voting were accounted for.  The devotional starts at 7:30 pm on December 18 at my house.  If you're not sure how to get there just send me an email.

Dec 15

       Pictures from our wicked Day of Tobogganing are up.  I'm sure we'll be going again this winter so if you want to come next time look out for notices.

Dec 12

       First there was 16 movies, and now there is only 2.  Vote in the finals and help determine the second Movie Devotional Playoffs Champion, which will be watched December 18th. You can make a difference!

Dec 10

       The weather is beautiful, the temperature is perfect and the snow is amazing. This calls for a day of tobogganing. Join me Sunday Dec 12th in the afternoon for some winter fun. Email me for time and details. Long live the Canadian weather! Lets hope it doesn't get any colder than this.

Dec 7

       The girly movies have unfortunately been eliminated. Four movies remain to battle it out in Round 3 of the playoffs.

Dec 5

       On Saturday November 13th a bunch of friends gathered at my house to celebrate me passing the quarter century mark. My 25th birthday included a delicious kabab dinner, karaoke and fun games. Pictures can be seen here.

Dec 2

       Blowouts and unexpected winners were just some of the features of the first round of the Movie Devotional Playoffs 2.  Eight movies remain to battle it out. Cast your vote and help determine the winner. Round 2

Nov 26

       The holiday movie season will soon be upon us and that means its time to have another movie devotional.  The previous and wildly interactive format is back. Sixteen movies, based on new release and having upcoming sequels, face off for a chance to be watched at the devotional.  As before, each round will last five days, so stop by and vote again. Movie Devotional Playoffs 2!

Nov 21

       I'm sure most of you have been to places where they serve nice elegant desserts like the one pictured below. I'm also sure some of you have been bored at those places and come up with funny things to do with the desserts.

(click on picture above)

Nov 12

       The last set of pictures for the Halloween party are up.  They number over 230 so please be patient and allow the page to download completely.  Big thanks to Pejman, Phil, Juana, Shahrooz, Bagha, and Arash for letting me use the pictures that were taken with their cameras.

Nov 9

       After braving the bitter cold, a line-up of more than 200 people and over an hour of inane computer nerd banter we were finally able to acquire Halo 2 in the wee hours of the morning.  Thanks to Arash for swapping pre-orders with us.  Let the carnage begin.

Nov 6

       A party can't be a party unless everyone participates in the spirit of it. That was especially true this Halloween.  Thanks to everyone who got dressed up. I've posted pictures of all the costumes that I was able to capture. My apologies if you were missed.

Nov 2

       With over 400 pictures taken at the amazing Halloween Party it will take me a bit of time to amass them all and put them on display. I've posted about 50 setup pictures just so everyone can remember how phat the decorations were.  Expect the rest within a few days.

Oct 31

       After weeks of planning and hard work the much anticipated Halloween Party has come to an end.  I'd like to thank everyone for attending and getting dressed up.  I hope you all had as much fun as I did.  A special thanks goes out to Andrew, Homa, Shahin, Rama, Anisa, Laleh, Arash, Sahba, Sarah and Shameem; without their efforts the party could not have been the success that it was.

Oct 22

       For all those planning on coming to the Halloween Party on the 30th you're in for a treat. Rumor has it that a Brent Spiner, the actor who played Data on Star Trek, will be stopping by to sign autographs.  Here is a picture from one of his galleries.

Oct 14

       At the Halloween Party there will be a dance.  If you would like, please suggest three suitable songs for us to consider playing.  You might want to mention the artist name as well just to help clarify.  I will try to include as many songs as possible.

Oct 9

       One day a long time ago a devotional was held.  A morning devotional with delicious breakfast.  I was a very nice devotional filled with youth camaraderie.  Here are the pictures to document that day.

Oct 3

Sept 28

       Please join me in celebrating the one month anniversary of Andrew and Homa's wedding with a picture set containing over 140 photos taken that day.  Once again congratulations, and I wish you both the best.

Sept 19

       Finally after weeks of toiling my family has finished the renovations on our house.  New additions include hardwood floors, new carpets, and hand-made tables.  The next big project will probably be adding a third story.

Sept 13

       Finally I have taken a big huge step into the 21st century with the purchase of a cellular phone.  All that's left now is to replace my VCR and my cassette player.

Sept 8

       I would like to bid farewell to my good friend Jialu who is headed to BC to work with the Canadian Navy.  I hope you have lots of fun on your trip and get back to Ottawa ASAP.  To pass the time I've created a compilation honouring our fine navy for you to enjoy.

Aug 25

       Well I'm back from my vacation in Ohio and let me tell you after riding in the front of the 420 foot tall, 120+ mph Top Thrill Dragster, my face finally knows what its like to be a windshield...  bugs feel like rocks.

Aug 17

       At long last the 2nd instalment of the wildly successful West End Morning Youth Devotionals has been planned by the Zamanis.

Date: Thursday August 19th
Time: 9 AM, breakfast will be provided
Location: Andrew Haydon Park (by the children's playground)
Please RSVP ASAP so the organizers know how many people to expect.

Aug 9

       Last month a group of us went camping.  Here is an on-the-spot freestyle rap performed by Funk Master Vafa and DJ Dan Jones.  Just keep in mind that it was spontaneous and therefore is not very good.  Thanks to Dan for putting it together.

Aug 4

       Pictures are up from the Movie Devotional that was held on July 24th at my place.  They can be seen here.

July 27

       For those of you who don't know my good friend Phil Nguyen let me tell you he is quite the martial artist.  Word of his prowess has spread to Hollywood and in similar fashion to Bruce Lee he has just starred in his first feature film.  Don't miss this one, its forecast to be one of the summer's blockbusters.  Happy Birthday Phil.

July 24

       After several weeks and hundreds of votes, the excitement of the movie devotional playoffs has come to an end.  Based on the final results Rush Hour 2 won by a slim margin.  Now all that's left is to watch the movie.  The devotional starts at 8:00 pm at my house on July 24.  If you're not sure how to get there just send me an email.

       Being the hardcore movie goer that I am and wanting to make it fair to all those who voted; I'll be watching X-Men 2, the runner up, at 5:00 pm.  After which I will go out for a quick dinner and then head to the devotional.  Anyone who wants to join me is more than welcome, just let me know in advance.

July 19

       Having little to do in our town, out of the blue, me and Delta decided to surprise Delara on her birthday and take her out for a day of fun in the Kanata Centrum. 

July 17

       First there was 16, now only 2 movies remain.  Who will be crowned champion and have the honour of being watched by us all at the movie devotional on July 24th?  Only you can decide when you vote at the Finals of the Movie Devotional Playoffs.

July 14

       Seems as though the fame of the Baha'i youth in Ottawa continues to skyrocket.  First it was Marty and now just recently another one of us has been featured.  In case you didn't pick up the July edition of Men's Health I was able to scan it, it and put it on display for all to see.  Happy Birthday Andrew.

July 12

       Round 3 of the Movie Devotional Playoffs are now up.  I've never seen it come down to the wire like it did at the end of round 2.

July 10

       Recently, 6 brave explorers decided to face the elements and each other in a fun-fulled weekend of camping.   Their adventures can mis-adventures can be seen here.

July 7

       Shocking upsets, blowouts, and close neck and neck battles were just some of the highlights of the first round of the Movie Devotional Playoffs.  Now that the field has been reduced the choices can only get tougher and tougher.  Its time for Round 2!

July 2

       On Saturday July 24th there will be a movie devotional at my place.  But unlike previous ones where the movie was predetermined, this time you can choose.  Similar to the NHL and NBA playoff formats, 16 movies based on popularity, new release and having sequels coming up, will battle it out for chance to be crowned devotional champion.  Each round will last five days, so be sure to come back and vote again.  Movie Devotional Playoffs!

June 30

       Pictures are up from Andrew and Homa's engagement and they can be seen here.

June 25

       Working at the Canada Revenue Agency I am exposed to a lot of interesting things.  If its not people mispronouncing my name its something else.  Here is a list of some famous tax returns that I have handled over the last few months:

June 17

       After months of fine tuning, and painstaking editing Funk Master Vafa's next rap has been released.  Hopefully you guys can get enjoyment and some mild inspiration listening to it.  I proudly present to you the teaching themed ATLiens 2004.

June 5

      Finally, after some much needed webspace. I am able to put up the pictures from the Young Adult Forum that took place way back in May.  Better late then never.

June 2

       Don't forget to register for the much anticipated Ontario Youth Forum.  If you, like many others are thinking its cool to wait till the last minute to sign up, think again.  If enough people have not registered by June 6^th it will be cancelled.  This Forum promises to:

1. enkindle our hearts and souls with the burning desire to serve our fellow human beings;
2. help us to understand the condition of today’s world;
3. clarify the role the Bahá’í communities and the 5 Year Plan play in spiritually reviving our society.

So lets all get off our duffs and sign up for this wonderful event!

May 19

       Congratulations goes out to Homa and Andrew who just yesterday announced their engagement.  I can feel myself  getting teary-eyed already just thinking about that wonderful day that lies ahead for both of them. 

May 5

       It was bound to happen, and we all knew it would.  The Toronto Maples Leafs have been eliminated from the playoffs once again.  The following post is in honor of all the leafs fans that have sprung out of nowhere who know absolutely nothing about the maple leafs and hockey in general but like to trash talk, enjoy.

April 23

       Yesterday Nika, Arash, Andisheh and I went to the 50 Cent concert held at the Corel Centre. The concert was phat to say the least and since we weren't beat up by any thugs we decided to look for an after-party.  Not finding one we headed to the hotel lobby in hopes of meeting someone famous.  We were lucky enough to run into 50 Cent's right hand man, and member of G-Unit, Lloyd Banks.  We told him what the real meaning of 'G' was here in Ottawa and we are currently in talks with him to start a new group with us called E-Unit.
Note:  Special thanks goes out to Arash for unselfishly taking the picture.

April 10

       Due to the wildly popular look-alikes I posted, I have spend the last few months compiling pictures and painstakingly searching on the net for a suitable follow-up.  I present that to you all now on the Look-Alikes Series II.

April 5

       Seems as though there is one Braithwaite brother who is able to make the pages of a local newspaper.  Thanks to the keen eye of Elham we have discovered that Gordon was recently featured as as Sunshine Boy.

March 31

           I'm sure those of you that have foreign names have long suffered people pronouncing them incorrectly.  I am not immune to this either.  While working as tech support I was required to introduce myself to every call that I received by saying "Thank you for calling Electronic Services Vafa speaking, how can I help you?"  The following are 100% true documented misinterpretations of my name.

Generic Misinterpretations:

Strange Misinterpretations:

       Funny thing is that I wouldn't care to correct them, so sometimes they would keep calling me by the wrong name throughout the call.  One lady called me Lasso 4 times.  It was hard to keep from laughing out loud.

March 25

       Pictures are up from Naw Ruz in the photo album.  The night included the city wide celebration, an after party/Persian Party at Carleton U, and an after after party at Marty's house.

March 19

       Well you've all heard about "Arising to Serve the Cause".  Well tonight we will be watching a movie with a mildly similar theme.  The only difference is that it will be zombies arising from the grave to wreak havoc.  Join us for the 10:30 pm show at Coliseum to see Dawn of the Dead.

Attending so far...Vafa, Marty, Rama, Delara, Delta, Kamyar, Payam, Kamran, Shahin and you?

March 17

      Pictures are up for the wildly successful Youth Fundraiser that was held on March 12th.

March 10

       The second set of pictures from the city wide Ayyam-i-Ha celebration are finally up and can be seen here.

March 7

      Pictures are up from the city wide Ayyam-i-Ha celebration.  Since there was over 100 taken, thanks to Natalia,  I will be posting them in two parts.  The next set will be up shortly.

March 3

       If you would like to purchase tickets please contact Delara at 599-5229 or by email at delarazamani@hotmail.com

March 1

       Pictures are up from the Ayyam-i-Ha celebration that was held in the west end last Friday, February 27th.  They can be seen in the photo album.

Feb 25

       Martin Braithwaite's popularity continues to rise.  Not only did he appear in the Ottawa Citizen and Time Magazine, but to honour his 23rd birthday, another well known magazine has featured him on their cover.  Has his fame reached its limit?  I think not.  Happy Birthday buddy : )

Feb 19

       My apologies for the lack of updates this month.  I have been very busy with work.  There are many exciting things that will soon be posted, please bear with me.  In the mean time, of minor interest, I have upgraded the polls on the site and added a better look alike picture for my dad.

Feb 8

       Just a note for anybody calling my house, if my dad picks up the phone please do not call him Mokhtard.  We had a little mishap and the caller ended up being quite embarrassed.

       Thank you.

Jan 28

       Pictures are up from the Morning Youth Devotional that was held last Saturday, they can be found as usual in the Photo Album.

Jan 23

       After several months of attempting to find an suitable theme, good actors to portray us, thousands of dollars in production, and enough webspace to host it, I would like to finally present to you the music video for Cluster Love.  (14 MB file)

Jan 18

       A delicious mouth-watering breakfast, uplifting heart-warming devotions and plummeting at high speeds down a snowy hill on a sled.  Where can you partake in all these wonderful activities at the same time you might ask?  At the first ever West End Morning Youth Devotional!

Date: Saturday January 24
Time: 9:00 am
Location: Delta/Delara's house

Jan 13

       Tonight Martin was coming over to my place for a visit.  I guess he decided to be sneaky and just walked into my house without ringing the doorbell or knocking.  His plan was to surprise me, unfortunately for him I had to step out unexpectedly for a while.  So here is Marty walking up my stairs calling my name and not getting any response.  Meanwhile my entire family is getting weirded out by this black man that just barged into our house and is walking upstairs.  After a brief exchange with my brother he wound up sitting in my room in the dark eating a shawarma for half an hour.  All my sister could hear from her room was the scrunching of his shawarma wrapper.

Jan 8

       Just the other day one of the most incredible Shelem defeats in history took place.  Me and Elham were able to score three consecutive 200 games against Martin.  For those of you not familiar with Shelem, three 200 games is like Canada losing to Iran in ice hockey by 20 goals.  He is still mentally recovering from the incident.

Jan 3

       Being the great Star Trek fan that I am, I wanted to share my love for the show with the rest of you.  What better way to do that then to incorporate some of my friends into the show.  Please enjoy this latest instalment in the Fun section.

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