Ajabanzaban.org - Persian English Word Magnets

عجبا زبان - كلمه بازى مغناطيسى

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Paradoxical Commandments
فرمانهای متناقض

by Rezwan on 06/14 at 01:19 AM
Permalink »

َAt last! A translation of Kent Keith’s “Paradoxical Commandments” in Persian! Translated with the help of Dr. Razani and Ms. Javadpour.

آدمیزاد غیر منطقی، دلیل گریز و خود محورند - به هر حال دوستشان بدار

Very nice Modern Marvels episode on renewable energy

by zareh on 05/04 at 03:38 AM
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Happy Nowruz!
عید شما مبارک!

by Rezwan on 03/17 at 03:22 AM
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Our warmest wishes to you for a wonderful, successful, healthy and happy Nowruz. Please note that due to staffing complications (we’re all going to be in Iran!) our shipping department will not be able to ship out any new orders until April 3. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you need your magnets immediately, you could try Persianmirror.com or irandokht.com. Sadly, I can’t get those urls for you, as, being in Iran, I get a screen that says I don’t have access to those sites.

Hope next year has lots of positive changes in store!

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fusion
در پى هم جوشى هسته اى

Garden of Eden - روضه رضوان •
by Rezwan on 12/21 at 09:04 PM
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We believe that Iran absolutely, positively needs nuclear power, and we’re not ashamed to make a stand for it. Of course, the kind of nuclear power Iran needs, like the rest of the world, is aneutronic fusion.

Using Forums in Persian
زبان فارسى در محل گردهمايى اين وب سايت

Help •
by Rezwan on 12/21 at 04:46 PM
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Those of you who are comfortable typing Persian may be frustrated with the forums because the default theme ("Developer") is set from left to right. Don’t panic! All you need to do is switch from the default theme to the Persian right to left theme ("Developer-pe-rtl"). When you change the theme, you change the direction, but all the data remains the same. And you can easily switch back. Effectively, you can interface with the forum in two different modes. Here’s how it works:

درود بر شما كه ماشين نويسى فارسيتان خوبه. شايد به نظرتان رسيده كه ماشين نويسى به فارسى در forum هاى ما - محل گردهمايى چند تا مشكل دارد.
ما اين مشكلها را تغريباً حل كرديم. يك تم تازه ساختيم مخصوص فارسى به نام - Developer-pe-rtl - در پايين هر صفحه فورم ها، يك drop down box هست. با اين قوطى مى شود تم را عوض كرد.

Setting up Your Computer for Persian
حاظر كردن كامپيوتر خود براى نوشتن فارسى

Help •
by Rezwan on 12/21 at 12:13 AM
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This website is compatible with Persian script.

you can write comments in Persian,
post on the Forums in Persian,
even search in Persian.

How? Here are some tips for viewing Persian script properly on your browser, setting up your computer for Persian input in PC and Mac, and typing in Persian.

Mission, Goals, Principles, Motivation, Vision
رسالت، هدف، اصول، اشتياق، بينش

Mission •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 04:25 PM
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We love language! This website is dedicated to the exploration of Persian and English and language in general. Being bilingual is cool. It all started with these double sided magnets which have really helped us in our enjoyment of language. For one thing, designing magnets required us to break down the language into parts and particles of speech. This is really handy for deconstructing language and gaining a quick and intuitive grasp of it. The magnets are part of a larger mission, with a sweeping vision. Read on for the details of our secret agenda.

Gardeners of Eden
باغبانان بهشت

Garden of Eden - روضه رضوان •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 01:22 PM
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The time has come to roll up our sleeves and restore Iran to Paradise. If you take a look around Iran these days, much of it is badly desertified. You may attribute this to climate change, but new theories emerging relate this to land use. The great thing about the new theories are that they offer a viable solution to the problem that shimmers with possibility and validates the nomadic lifestyle. At the very least, it bears investigating.

You have my word
قول دادن

Words •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 12:06 PM
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In English, to make a promise is to “give someone your word” that you will do something. With the Persian word magnets, you can give someone your word literally!

All this history, what is it good for?
اين همه تاريخ به چه درد مى خوره؟

History •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 11:49 AM
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In which we ask, what is history good for? And come up with several useful suggestions. We’re open to more, of course! Chip in : )

How to Beshkan
دستور بشكن

Dance •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 01:04 AM
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In this instructional video, the mysteries of Beshkan will be revealed! First, are you right handed or left handed? The video shows a left-handed beshkan (actually, right handed, taken in the mirror.). The frames below that show the right hand Beshkan. Now, let’s go to video:

Beshkan aka “Crazy Iranian Hand Jive”
بشكن

Dance •
by Rezwan on 12/20 at 12:07 AM
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What is Beshkan?

“Beshkan” is traditional Persian two handed finger snapping. We don’t know how traditional it is, or when it originated, but we do have some live footage to show you that you, too, can make this freaky sound. No double jointedness required. Ordinary hands will suffice.

The Arrows of Arash
تيران آرش

Mythology •
by Rezwan on 12/19 at 09:52 PM
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Arash(e) kamAngir is my current favorite mythological hero. The guy was an archer. In a Buddhist way, he became the arrow, and he is flying still.

Coining the Phrase “Simorq’anize”

Getting Simorqanized •
by Rezwan on 12/18 at 09:38 PM
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What the heck? ”Simorq-anize?" You can’t make up words like that!

Let’s get Simorqanized!
سيمرغالنظم شويم

Getting Simorqanized •
by Rezwan on 12/18 at 08:28 PM
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Persian (a.k.a. Iranian) mythology is filled with fantastical bird stories. These stories are elaborate metaphors that have transcendental, universal implications and are relevant to our post-modern world. Here is a look at the mythic bird, Simorq.

Getting More Out of Persian

Mission •
by Rezwan on 12/18 at 04:57 PM
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I think it was Rumi (and correct me here!) who said:

گاو در بغداد آيد يك زمان
او رود از اين كران تا آن كران
از همه عيش و خوشيها و مزه
او نبيند جز دو پوست خربزه

Which means, of course: A cow came to Baghdad for a time. It went from one (riparian?) coast to the other. From all the luxuries, delights and tastes to be had, it saw naught but two melon rinds.

Word Stitching
كلمه دوزى

Magnets • Examples •
by Rezwan on 12/18 at 05:10 AM
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Here are some examples of ways you can use the magnets. A snapshot of some on the board showing a “crossword puzzle” effect.

Creativity
نو آورى، خلاقيت، آفرينندگى، ابتكار

Synthesis • Creativity •
by Rezwan on 12/17 at 10:56 PM
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In which we discuss the importance of creativity in language. This includes taking a creative approach to language, and leveraging language to increase your own creativity, to help you make connections you may not otherwise.

Four Saturday Soiree
چار شنبه سورى

Rituals •
by Rezwan on 12/17 at 06:57 PM
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What is this man doing?

dodging a flame thrower;
dancing in Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Swan Lake”;
taking off with his rocket propelled back pack
sacrificing himself by throwing his body on the fire to put it out and save all those people behind him;
leaping over fire in an ancient pre-new years purification rite.

You’ve got the power a.k.a. extiAr dArid
اختيار داريد

t'Arof a.k.a. Pleasantries - تعارف •
by Rezwan on 12/17 at 04:09 PM
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My favorite Persian t’Arof, right up there with “step on my eyeballs” and “I am your sacrifice” is this one. “extiAr dArid.” (Others write it as ekhtiaar, ekhtyar, ekhtyaar. Sound it out: ecch, like yeccch, ti like tea, Ar, like are. eccch-tea-are, d-are-eed. extiAr dArid. See our transliteration section). What does it mean, and why is it the coolest t’Arof ever?

Persian a.k.a. Farsi
فارسى يا پرشن

General •
by Rezwan on 12/17 at 01:39 PM
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The Raging Controversy

For some time now, the Persian Language Police in America have insisted that people refer to the Persian language as “Farsi” - even while they are speaking English. These same Language Police do not, however, insist on the reverse: that people refer to the English language as English even if they are speaking Persian. Instead, they let those Persian speakers call the English language “Ingilisi” to their heart’s content.

Alphabet Card
كارت الفبا

Magnets • Accessories •
by Rezwan on 12/16 at 01:39 AM
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Everything you need to know to start bonding with the Persian alphabet! The alphabet cards are included in the magnet kits, but if you want extras to hand out to people and spread the Joy of Persian Letters, these are the best. It’s amazing how much information we crammed onto a compact 8” x 6” card. The complex mysteries of the beautiful Persian alphabet clarified just for you!

Donate
اهدا كنيد

Magnets •
by Rezwan on 12/16 at 01:02 AM
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As we approach the end of the milAdi ( ميلادى ) / fiscal year, it’s time to ask for your generous donation to ajaban zabAn. We know you get many requests for charitable contributions, so we want to take a moment to tell you just how important your gift is to sustaining ajaban zabAn’s work on behalf of the Persian language in foreign lands. Your donations aren’t tax deductible, but they certainly are welcome! Donate now:
{embed=buttons/donate}

Your contributions will help us to:

Getting Updates with Atom or RSS

Help •
by Rezwan on 12/15 at 03:53 PM
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Tired of visiting web sites to find nothing new? Want to receive regular updates of all new stories, articles and reviews straight to your desktop? If so then RSS or Atom are for you. But what are they? And how do you use them?

Alphabet
الفبا

Alphabet • Letters •
by Rezwan on 12/15 at 02:56 PM
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Are you familiar with the Persian alphabet? No? Then you will be happy to know that ajabanzabAn.com has a handy alphabet guide packed with tips to give you a quick overview of the many features and quirks of the Persian alphabet. Aside from that, this website has a few more indepth articles on the alphabet that you can read through. Let’s start with the alphabet as it is usually shown. A list of the letters in detatched form:

Buddha, Benz and Being: a Meditation on Vowels
بت، بنز و بودن: تفكر سر مصوّت

Alphabet • Letters •
by Rezwan on 12/15 at 01:51 AM
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Here is an excellent meditation to help you get in touch with Persian vowel sounds and their appearance in writing. Just say this mantra over and over in Persian: Wind was. The willow was. The Buddha on the Benz was. (Yeah, Persian word order is a bit different). How to say it in Persian? Let’s explore:

Vowels
مصوّت

Alphabet • Letters •
by Rezwan on 12/15 at 01:12 AM
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Good news and bad news about Persian vowels, zir-o-zebar, and a Buddha with a benz. All in one convenient post!

Transliteration Simplified
حرف نويسى، حرف نگارى - ساده

Alphabet • Letters •
by Rezwan on 12/14 at 06:21 PM
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“Transliteration" refers to writing the words of one language in the alphabet of another. This website uses a simplified form of transliteration. If you are looking for the approved Library of Congress phonetic system of transliteration, don’t look here. We can’t be bothered to find the keystroke combination to type up the special characters needed for phonetic representation of Persian sounds.

We figure none of our users will be able to either. So we use a simple system that, if you follow it, will give you consistent ability to read and figure out Persian words written in English. Bonus value: It’s very easy for text-messaging.

This post assumes you are already familiar with Persian words and sounds and is more of an overview of our system. Links for more detail are provided. Here, then, is our system:

Sohrab Lives
زنده باد سهراب

Mythology •
by Rezwan on 12/14 at 02:29 PM
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The Persepolis picture I use on the Standard Persian-English magnet kit has inspired me.

It’s a picture of my nephew taken just a couple years ago at Persepolis. At first I thought it’s nice because it shows the glorious past, the two guards at Persepolis, and then Sepehr - a boy mimicking the guards, taking on their pose in front of them. This shows a historical continuity, shows that we are carrying on tradition.

But that’s not it. That’s not what specifically resonates with me about the picture. Carrying on tradition is fun up to a point, but what really makes my heart beat, what’s more thrilling to me is....

Wake up Iran, there are new kids in town.

Word Order - SOV
ترتيب واژه ها

Grammar • Word Order •
by Rezwan on 12/13 at 08:06 PM
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Persian is read from right to left, English from left to right. If an English speaker flips over a sentence made from Persian magnets and reads it from left to right they will be reading the sentence backwards. Not to panic! They will still get the idea of what the sentence is about.

In fact, reading the sentence correctly from right to left may be more confusing to them than reading it backwards. This is because Persian word order is different from English in two key ways.

Read Persian from right to left
زبان فارسى از راست به چپ خوانده مى شود

Alphabet • Script •
by Rezwan on 12/12 at 09:41 PM
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To help you visualize, the line below is “Read Persian from Right to Left” written from right to left:

tfeL ot thgiR morF naisreP daeR «

Portmanteau words
كلمه هاى ادغام شده

Words •
by Rezwan on 12/12 at 06:03 PM
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Words that are made by merging two other words, for example, “motel” is “motor” + “hotel”.

واژه ى «رزمايش» از ادغام واژه هاى «رزم» و «آزمايش» به وجود آمده است.

Assimilation Anxiety
نگرانى يا دلواپسى از جذب شدن يا همگونى ساخته شدن

Identity •
by Rezwan on 12/12 at 05:57 PM
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This site was founded by an Iranian+American who suffers, as many Iranian+Americans do, from Assimilation Anxiety. Luckily, the cure is easy!

Semi-Cursive Script
خط فارسى

Alphabet • Script •
by Rezwan on 12/11 at 10:07 PM
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You may notice a discrepancy between the letters in the alphabet and the letters in Persian words. That’s because the letters in the alphabet are always shown in detached form, while the letters within words are in different forms depending on where they are in the word. This is what happens when you have a semi-cursive script.

Dictionary
فرهنگ، واژه نامه

Words •
by Rezwan on 12/11 at 06:58 PM
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If you want to learn a language, one of your most important tools is the dictionary. And don’t just stop at one. Each publication is different.

Many people don’t know much about how to use a dictionary, beyond looking up a word and finding what that particular dictionary says it means. But “A good dictionary is a record of a group of educated people’s adventures in tracing words’ histories and uses.”

The ajabanzabAn online dictionary is under construction. We will be using “wiki” technology so that we can all help to build it. While we’re working on that, here are some tips on other dictionaries out there for your use.

Welcome
خوش آمديد

Members •
by Rezwan on 12/11 at 05:19 PM
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A seed written, grows when read.

Welcome to ajaban zabAn, home of the Persian-English word magnets! Language withers in isolation, but grows with use in a community. Therefore, ajaban zabAn is building a bilingual bridge to connect English & Persian language speakers in a creative, playful community where we can all be self-expressed in whatever language we please!

Our tools are: The Persian-English Word Magnets; This Website (especially our forums); and YOU!

به وب سايات عجباً زبان خوش آمديد! قدم رو تخم چشم!
دانه اى نوشته، رشد گردد چو خوانده

Magnet Store Catalog
فهرست و فروشگاه كلمه بازى مغناطيسى

Magnets •
by Rezwan on 12/05 at 12:35 AM
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What’s on your refrigerator? Persian (a.k.a. Farsi) word magnets with English translation on the back! Bond with the Persian language like never before! The perfect unique Persian gift for Adults, College Students, and Kids. That’s right! Adults and college students too! This means YOU!
Check it out »

Standard
متداول

Magnets • Kits •
by Rezwan on 12/04 at 12:16 AM
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The Standard (a.k.a. “motedAvel") magnet kit has over 600 Persian words on magnetic tiles with English on the back! Great for all ages! The perfect gift for everyone on your list!
{embed=buttons/buystandard}

Courtship
خواستگارى

Magnets • Kits •
by Rezwan on 12/03 at 07:58 PM
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The Courtship kit (a.k.a. xAstegAri) (a.k.a. خواستگارى) features over 600 Persian words of love, passion and insanity including particles, suffixes and prefixes for grammatical accuracy. Millions of possible romantic and inappropriate sentence combinations. The words are on magnetic word tiles. English transliteration and translation on reverse side. Both sides stick to steel surfaces. Alphabet card and instruction sheet included. For creativity, education and fun! Great for all ages! The perfect gift for everyone on your list!
{embed=buttons/buycourtship}

كلمه بازى مغناطيسى خواستگارى: داراى بيش از ٦٠٠ واژه و واژك عشق و عشوه بر روى پلاكهاى مغناطيسى. عزيز دلت را چون مغناطيس روى آهن به خود جذب كنيد!

Pleasantries
تعارف

Magnets • Kits •
by Rezwan on 12/03 at 05:22 PM
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ُThe Pleasantries (a.k.a. “t’Arof") magnet kit features over 600 Persian words of desperate supplication and inverted one-upmanship. Millions of possible self-sacrificing sentence combinations. The words are on magnetic word tiles. Where possible, English transliteration and translation on reverse side. Both sides stick to steel surfaces. Alphabet card and instruction sheet included. For creativity, education and fun! Great for all ages! The perfect gift for everyone on your list!
{embed=buttons/buypleasantries}

Magnetized Dry Erase Boards - Magic Wall Panel
تخته هاى مغناطيسى بزرگ

Magnets • Accessories •
by Rezwan on 12/03 at 12:38 AM
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Is your refrigerator stainless steel or wood paneled? Magnets can’t stick to that! But don’t panic. You can still enjoy playing with magnets when you get fabulous Magic Wall Panels. {embed=buttons/buymagicwall}

Magnetized Board - Small
تخته كوچك

Magnets • Accessories •
by Rezwan on 12/02 at 02:49 PM
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Play with the magnets anywhere on your own small, magnetized board! 8.5” x 11” only $4.95 While supplies last. Ideal for portability - just pop it in a folder and take it anywhere. One side is white and one is black. BUY NOW!
{embed=buttons/buyboard}

Sentences with Pleasantries Magnets

Magnets • Examples •
by Rezwan on 12/01 at 02:00 AM
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This sentence means: “Step on my eyeballs” and is a classic pleasantry. - read it right to left, of course, like this: qadam ru toxm{embed=bits/ezafe-e} cheshm.
Check out more sentences and see how things get lost (and found) in translation.
Also, don’t forget to join the forums and contribute your own sentences to the Pleasantries-تعارف cyber-fridge!

Sentences with Courtship Magnets

Magnets • Examples •
by Rezwan on 11/29 at 03:28 PM
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This sentence means: “The picture of the beloved laughs at me.” - read it right to left, of course, like this: aks{embed=bits/ezafe-e} ma’shuq be man mixandeh.
Check out more sentences and see how things get lost (and found) in translation.
Also, don’t forget to join the forums and contribute your own sentences to the Courtship cyber-fridge!

Sentences with Standard Magnets

Magnets • Examples •
by Rezwan on 11/15 at 07:15 PM
Permalink »

This sentence means: “Long live the Persian language!” - read it right to left, of course, like this: zende bAd zabAn{embed=bits/ezafe-e} fArsi.
Check out more sentences and see how things get lost (and found) in translation.
Also, don’t forget to join the forums and contribute your own sentences to the Standard cyber-fridge!

Irony
طنز

Synthesis •
by Rezwan on 11/07 at 01:11 AM
Permalink »

What is irony? Alanis had no clue.

Getting Started
نقطه آغاز - نقطه شروع - راه افتادن

by Rezwan on 03/02 at 06:13 PM
Permalink »

So...you’ve taken a look around the site and decide you want to be a part of this language experiment. What you need to do now is Register! That way you can post comments, join the forum, and contribute to certain blogs. If you’re qualified, we can also make you an editor or moderator!

{embed=buttons/buycourtship}

Top 10 Reasons to get Persian Word Magnets
١٠ دلايل براى گرفتن كلمه بازى مغناطيسى

Magnets • Examples •
by Rezwan on 03/02 at 12:33 PM
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You need a reason? To get Persian word magnets? They’re PERSIAN. You can have the PERSIAN LANGUAGE at your fingertips! Not enough? Well OK, then. Here are the top ten reasons.

Nowruzizing Google
گوگل را نوروزانه كردن

by Rezwan on 02/27 at 12:54 PM
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The folks at http://www.esfahanhost.com/nowrouz/ want you to pester Google to put this image on the google page for Nowruz. Click the links to pester google! (Note: clicking link opens browser to maximum size. Also, they have a few other image choices.)

First Encounter
اولين برخورد

by Rezwan on 02/06 at 01:31 AM
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Welcome to ajaban zabAn! You have added a hundred years to our life! Or a hundred megabytes to our bandwidth! Please walk on our eyeballs. And then take a moment to get oriented:

به وب سايت عجباً زبان خوش آمديد! قدم رو تخم چشم!

Flying Cage Shirt

T-shirts •
by Rezwan on 02/06 at 12:39 AM
Permalink »

Juju Fever! What is it about wearing a Juju the Cage-Bird T-shirt that makes you able to suddenly fly over tall buildings despite your chains? Obstacles. HAH! Juju leverages your obstacles.
More info on Juju here.
All the Juju apparel you could ever want is HERE!

Persian-English Magnets Are Here!
كلمه بازى مغناطيسى اينجاست

by Rezwan on 02/06 at 12:12 AM
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Our new Persian-English Magnetic Word Play kits will help you bond with the Persian (a.k.a. Farsi) language. The kits are fun and educational and spark creativity! They are great for any level of language ability. Each kit has different words chosen around a theme.

Jingle

by Rezwan on 02/04 at 03:18 AM
Permalink »

Your Role

by Rezwan on 01/24 at 07:44 PM
Permalink »

قطره قطره جمع گردد - وانگهى دريا شود

Two Veins
كيفيت دو رگه بودن

Identity •
by Rezwan on 01/22 at 02:50 PM
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Some Iranian terms (a.k.a. slurs) for dual nationality.

حتماً اصطلاحاى بيشترى براى دو رگه بودن وجود دارد. لطف كنيد دو سه تا عرض فرماييد .

Home of the Amazing Double-sided Persian-English Word Magnets!
(Roll over image to see!)

Over 600 Persian words and word particles on magnetic tiles.
English transliteration and translation on the back.
Both sides stick to steel surfaces.
Three different kits to choose from: Standard, Courtship or Pleasantries
Millions of sentences possible
Grammar & Alphabet Guides included
The perfect gift for everyone on your list!

متداول - Standard $24.99

تعارف - Pleasantries $29.99

خواستگارى - Courtship $34.99

See Catalog »

Do you suffer from Assimilation Anxiety?

Check out our "feeling alienated" icon. Roll the mouse over and see the shifting identities behind the ever alien self.

Symptoms & Cure

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