Araz Gholami

Ross ulbricht, the founder of the underground silk road marketplace, is a brilliant programmer and a libertarian who has been in prison for 2,156 days (over 7 years), serving a double life sentence plus 40 years without parole. this harsh punishment is not for any crime we are familiar with. no one ... Read All

Yesterday, while leaving the office, i got caught by the accountant and, after a word slipped out of my mouth, i stood there for 45 minutes being guided toward the “right ottoman path.” he remarked that he’s certain i have ottoman blood running through my veins and that my arrival in turkey is a ble... Read All

It’s as if we were born with a homesick heart. ten days ago, after a two-month gap since my last chance to travel to iran this year, i made the trip to tabriz at a relatively high cost. ticket prices were staggering, and exit fees were at their maximum. in short, the cost of my fourth trip exceed... Read All

This tuesday afternoon, i’ll be hosting a meetup to discuss immigration experiences, challenges, solutions, crisis management in failures, and similar topics. if you’re in tabriz and think it could be useful, i’d be happy to see you there. to participate in the session, please email contact@arazg... Read All

At the istanbul branch of the company i work for, three positions are open for senior front-end, back-end, and mobile (react native) developers. if you prefer to work at a good company without commuting, traffic, or even moving abroad, this is an opportunity not to miss. we’re flexible. if you’re so... Read All

One of my friends emailed me: my undergraduate exams finished this week. since then, i've been under a lot of mental pressure, feeling like a useless person. i can't even handle a single day like this. previously, even if i had nothing to do, i would at least be at the university a few days a w... Read All

Want to avoid embarrassment? blend in with the crowd? this proverb carries several assumptions: first assumption: by default, you are embarrassing. second assumption: being embarrassed is undesirable. third assumption: blending in protects you from embarrassment. but this proverb has some m... Read All

leaving a tarzan-like life and achieving proper grooming and attire boosting self-confidence (at least someone, even a completely clueless person, values you) access to emotional support during tough days sharing in moments of joy opportunities to join groups with couples as members ... Read All

before migrating, work and live in iran. migration itself is hard. don’t let the challenges of living alone for the first time add to the difficulties of migration. learn and master the language(s) of your destination country, especially their street-level slang. learn as much as possible,... Read All

A few days ago i returned to istanbul, and after some rest and recuperation, i finally started working at my new job. during the time i was job hunting, my main goal was to choose the best and most stable option possible, while avoiding repetition of past misfortunes. everything at the new company s... Read All

I’ve lost count of how many times i’ve had issues with my workplace, but here’s the short and tense version: i lost my job again, and once more i applied for other positions. this time, however, i was very selective—i rejected almost all of the 10-15 interviews i attended, determined that this would... Read All

A) my roommate, after much whining about having brought all their savings from iran, refuses to contribute to living expenses. they decide to leave and use the remaining money (which they claimed was their only life savings) to buy clothes and return to iran. i decide to be more careful from now on.... Read All