When I was about 10 a neighborhood kid who was around 3 came over. He was riding a tricycle in the backyard and at one point made a sharp turn and fell off the bike. Afterwards he excitedly got up and proudly said, "دیدی ان شا الله گریه نکردم." Later on when I shared this incident with others we were split on what exactly he meant. Some of us believed he meant to say ما شا الله while others considered الحمد الله as his intended word.
"My parents, brother, and I left Iran in 1980, shortly after the revolution. After a brief stay in Italy, we packed all our belongings once again and headed west to the exotic and the unknown: Vancouver. We had recently been accepted as landed immigrants, meaning Canada graciously opened its doors and we gratefully accepted; we arrived at Vancouver International Airport on my 10th birthday, three suitcases and one sewing machine in tow. After respectful but intense questioning at immigration, we were dropped off at a hotel on Robson Street, which was then still a couple years shy of becoming the fashionable tourist hub it is today. We were jetlagged, culture shocked, and hungry, so that first night, my father and brother courageously ventured out into the wild in search of provisions. I fell asleep before they returned. The next morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. and ravenously feasted on a cold Quarter Pounder with cheese and limp French fries that had been left by my beds...
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