Big News! Sara's (Sohail's sister's) short film "The Pool Party" was selected to be in the Tribeca film festival this year. She and her producer (boyfriend Davyde) went to Iran last year to film it and the result was beautiful, touching, and a huge success. We'd already seen it but it was much more powerful to see it in a theater and fun to hear strangers complimenting the film and talking about Sara around us. In addition, Sara's film was shown with other shorts directed by some big shots - Domenica Cameron-Scorsese (Martin Scorsese's daughter), Kirsten Dunst, and Max Hoffman (Dustin Hoffman's son). All of the directors participated in a Q&A after the films were shown and, of course, Sara was the best (not that we're biased...).
A scene from The Pool Party
Outside the theater
Lots of stars were around
Thanks to our connection to a filmmaker, we got to walk the red carpet as well (after the show...)
Q&A with Sara & the other directors. Sara's on the far right and immediately to her left is Kirsten Dunst.
Yum! NY pizza.
Celebrating Sara & Davyde's success after the film.
Spring is finally here and we've been making the most of it by playing lots of soccer. This year I'm captaining the GW alumni team which has kept me extremely busy but the roster is finally in order and we had our first game Saturday. The alumni league is one of my favorites because the people are great and because we (usually) get to play at Hains Point, an island in the middle of the Potomac surrounded on the weekends by sailboat races. It also happens to be where Sohail and I got engaged.
Sohail getting a shot off (relatively graciously!). After our game we were linesmen for the following game. It was a great way to spend more time in the sun and scope out our future opposition.
After the soccer games at Hains Point we went to watch the Madrid - Barcelona game. I think we may have been the only non-Spaniards there.
This tree is at the entrance of our building and make me happy every time I walk by. Anyone know what it's called?
Sunday Sohail and I decided it was about time we got a bookcase / tv stand for our apartment so we spent most of the day running around Ikea and then started putting it together.
The bookcase is a work in progress... It's about a fourth complete now.
Last night I made Shakshuka - an Israeli dish with tomatoes and poached eggs. Yum!
Today the weather was incredible and poor Sohail had to work so I went to the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms which are at their peak. There were a ton of people there but it was worth dealing with the crowds to see the trees.
Yesterday Sohail and I went out to the eastern shore of Maryland for Sohail's college friend Andy's wedding. Sohail caught up and a lot of old friends, many of whom I met for the first time. Luckily for everyone, the weather was beautiful and the wedding was a lot of fun and at times funny (like when the extremely cute ring bearer lost the rings in the grass or when the DJ introduced the groom, Andy, as Paul) but Andy and his wife Caroline have a great sense of humor so luckily they took it all in stride and added some more humor to the event.
We've been having a lot of fun lately. Last weekend Sarah & Barney were in town. Oddly we don't have any pictures of them but Sarah and I went wedding dress shopping and I found the dress I plan to wear at the wedding.
We also convinced Sarah and Barney to join us in throwing this parachuting bunny from the window of our apartment. I felt a bit like an 8-year-old doing it which is what made it so fun.
Last weekend we also went Eid didani (visiting family for Persian New Year). Here's Sohail playing his grandfather in backgammon.
This is Sohail's grandparents' haft sin (seven Ss). It's a table with seven objects that start with the letter S (in Farsi) each of which represent something you hope for in the new year including prosperity, good health, and happiness.
Tuesday night we had dinner with Sohail's cousins. The couple on the left got engaged over the new year but we were in Charleston and missed the party.
