Calorie Bazaar: Quantifying Bites and Negotiating Trades at the Dinner Table

There’s an Assyrian saying about eating in front of someone who’s not eating, “sapee khjboonelah” or “you’re counting my bites.” It’s bad manners to be at the table and be the only one eating, so I guess this is supposed to encourage others to eat too. My mom came over for dinner yesterday and pointed… Continue reading Calorie Bazaar: Quantifying Bites and Negotiating Trades at the Dinner Table

Tarof and Other Christmas Rituals

We were raised in an Assyrian-Iranian American household. “Tarof” takes up a large part of the day. It’s a set of rules to follow in social situations. Just Wikipedia that shit. You can’t come right out and say what you think or ask for what you want. That’s rude! It often involves insisting that others… Continue reading Tarof and Other Christmas Rituals