Towards the end of my work week last week sometime while working in Rockville, Maryland I decided to pop into Yekta, a restaurant specializing in kabob and other fine Persian dishes. It was a good decision too. Normally I would have tried the koobideh (skewered lean ground beef) or kabob-e barg (flattened strips of marinated beef), but since I’m shying away from red meat temporarily I went for the white meat. The chicken kabob was well done. From time to time I find chicken can just be a little too boring for my tastes, but the cooks seasoned this to perfection. I was impressed and the serving was of a decent size which included rice, tomato, and bread. Only thing that didn’t seem to impress me or the person who referred me to the spot were the prices. For kabob it seemed as though they could have lowered the cost by a buck or two, but a meal at Yekta won’t send you into debt either so give it a try!
Yekta is located at 1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. (Easily accessible from Washington D.C.) Ph. 301.984.0005. www.yekta.com
Word for the Travel Wise (11/23/06)
Today marks the day of my all-time favorite holiday where year-long stories are exchanged with family and friends over warm plates of turkey, ham, stuffing, and veggies. As people from all corners of the country either relax in the comfort of their own homes or dine out at some fabulous restaurant there will be many toasts, cheers and wishes for good-health over their good meal. It is for this very occasion that I pass this small fruit of knowledge your way to whoever may be reading at this hour.
Today I leave you with various ways to say Bon appetit!
- Croatian – Dobar tek!
- German – Guten appetit!
- Hebrew – Bete’avon!
- Hungarian – Jó étvágyat!
- Korean – Mani deuseyo!
- Persian – Noosh-e jan!
- Polish – Smacznego!
For a complete list as found on the New York Public Library site in their World Languages Collection follow the link found here. Happy Thanksgiving all!
Word for the Travel Wise (11/21/06)
Over the last few weeks we’ve blogged quite a bit about traveling for Iran and for various reasons. If you’re wanting to check out the so-called dangerous nuclear sites that could very well land on your travel itinerary or if you’re an agent looking for some extra pocket cash – try generating a buzz for travel to Iran. I have no real special reasons for wanting to visit Iran other than it’s incredibly cool and packed with tons of ancient history to be explored. One of these the timing will be perfect and you will receive postcards from Persia. I’m hoping that time comes sooner than later.
Today’s word is a Farsi (Persian) word used in Iran:
safar kardan – to travel
Excellent sites for learning Persian online include a personal favorite called Easy Persian and Farhangsara. Both sites have an excellent beginner’s guide into the language and use images, sound and music to assist you in the process. Check out Lonely Planet’s Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook for a shorthand guide at the ancient lingo.
Past Farsi words: be salamati, toot farangee, kheyli golabi, tazeh, dovidan, khastam
Word for the Travel Wise (10/06/06)
After several very long hours of driving down the wide-open road, I am going to leave you with this Persian piece of vocabulary before retreating to bed. My apologies for the short blurb, but I am truly in a state of delirium.
Today’s word is a Farsi (Persian) word used in Iran:
khastam – I am tired
Excellent sites for learning Persian online include a personal favorite called Easy Persian and Farhangsara. Both sites have an excellent beginner’s guide into the language and use images, sound and music to assist you in the process. Check out Lonely Planet’s Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook for a shorthand guide at the ancient lingo.
Past Farsi words: be salamati, toot farangee, kheyli golabi, tazeh, dovidan
Word for the Travel Wise (07/27/06)
Did I mention I am training for a marathon this October? Um, yeah – I’m still trying to figure out why I made a move to do that and when it is all said and done you can sure bet I won’t be signing up for another. It isn’t that the marathon day itself is what I find horribly painful. It’s the consistent, time consuming training that is a little tough for me. One hour, two hours, three; spent training over 18 weeks for one big day of running… Sigh. If I had a bumper sticker for my sneakers it’d probably say something like, “I’d rather be studying Farsi.”
Today’s word is a Farsi (Persian) word used in Iran:
dovidan – to run
Excellent sites for learning Persian online include a personal favorite called Easy Persian and Farhangsara. Both sites have an excellent beginner’s guide into the language and use images, sound and music to assist you in the process. Check out Lonely Planet’s Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook for a shorthand guide at the ancient lingo.
Past Farsi words: be salamati, toot farangee, kheyli golabi, tazeh