Living in Two Times - Jalali and Javadi

We hadn’t been to the Sackler Museum for quite a while. What we like most about it are the Persian treasures. Every once in a while there are additional Iran related exhibits. One of them was all about the beautiful miniatures. And of course activities and displays about Persian new year. So while we were on a morning walk the other day we were passing through the Smithsonian castle gardens and decided to stop in for a visit. After descending the stairs to the lower level we came upon the photo exhibit called Living in Two Times by Bahman Jalali and Rana Javadi. The images show the past and present of Iran. Aside from the black and white photos I really liked to color “portraits” that looked like paintings. I was fortunate enough to have visited Iran twice - once in 1996 and again in 2009. There was a huge difference in how things looked between those years. We literally traveled all over the country to places my husband had never seen. So any time we have an opportunity to see exhibits about Iran we will go. Our sister in law and our nephew/wife still live there. Our two nieces have since left and are successful professionals. Anything that happens there is very personal for my husband. So it’s also personal for me. 

Sackler Persian Treasures

We haven’t been inside the Sackler museum for quite some time. So last week when we were walking about the Smithsonian gardens we decided to stop in for a visit. We have been there so many times before. The most appealing section is the Iranian treasures. I have had the good fortune of visiting Iran - not once, but twice.  The first time was to meet my husband’s family back in 1996. It was very interesting to say the least and I got to meet my brother and sister in law and their three children, along with a lot of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. We also were hoping to adopt, but unfortunately those plans fell through even though we met a three year old little boy. We retuned to Iran in 2009 with a couple of our American friends. We went on a tour all over the country from one end to another. So when we saw the treasures at the Sackler I am reminded of the treasures we saw at the museums and historical sites all over Iran. Many of the artifacts represent the places we visited. We still keep I touch with our family in Iran and the nieces and nephew are all grown, married, have children and are successful in their careers both inside and outside of the country. It’s been an interesting journey experiencing a different culture and understanding that there is more to life than our little world. Visiting these places reminds us of that. They have been around a lot longer than we have. Perhaps we could learn something from them. 

Sackler Gardens

It’s usually just too hot to walk the concrete Mall jungle in the summer which is why we usually go to the air conditioned Union Station. But when it rains, the humidity is lower, or the temps are slightly less, we occasionally meander over on our usual route toward the Smithsonian Castle. The gardens are forever changing and at this time of year one can tell it’s getting towards the end of the season as everything seems to be overgrown and wild. The excessive rain had an unusual impact on all the greens in the city. So as we passed through the gardens by the Hirshhorn, Sackler, Freer Galleries and the castle, everything looked rather lovely. It had just rained so the little drops on the leaves looked so refreshing and the light was best for taking photographs. My husband is probably one of the most patient people I know. I am constantly stopping - oftentimes without notice - to snap pictures of just about anything. Even the most boring bird gets my attention. Soon we will be complaining about having to wear all the winter gear to brave the outside. So in the meantime we will just enjoy each day as is comes - rain or shine. 

Sackler Cats, Bells, Buddhas and Persian Lux

We visit the Sackler Museum at least every year. The Smithsonian Freer and Sackler recently reopened after a long renovation. We saw the Freer galleries last week, so we decided to stop in the Sackler this week. We usually visit Smithsonian museums and other places when we are on our daily morning walkabouts on the National Mall. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are best if you want to avoid the crowds, but it really depends on the time of year. On entering the Sackler, one passes through the "terminal" made from brass containers connected with threads. We then ventured to the cats of Egypt which included a coffin for a special feline. I much preferred the dogs. There was a section for ancient Chinese bells. If you like Buddha, you won't be disappointed with this variety, including a temple filled with them. The last section we visited was luxury Iranian pieces. I wouldn't mind having a few of those! It was an interesting experience and there is a lot more to see if you are so inclined. The museums connect to each other underground so it makes for easy navigation. Usually we stay above ground and love the fountains and gardens - especially as the seasons change. There is something about natural beauty, but it doesn't hurt to see the other stuff every once in awhile. 

Nowruz at the Freer Sackler Gallery

On the south side of the house the sun is bright and the hydrangea are starting to bud; on the north side is a pile of snow and sidewalks still covered in ice. I much prefer the former. Yesterday was finally warm enough to walk to the Freer Sackler Gallery to check out the Nowruz event. To me it represents Spring, and to my husband a lot more since he grew up with this tradition. We have gone to see it at least five times since we moved here. At first it was interesting because it was fresh and new, and our grandson was young enough to participate in the kids stuff - like story telling and face painting. Now it is just crowded, kids are screaming, and it's too hot - and we are nine years older. It is something to do, but I much prefer going to the Mall when the crowds are sparse and at my own pace. Well, this is not the time of year for that. From this point forward the city gets very congested and cherry blossoms are right around the corner. In many ways it's really nice to be able to just walk outside and take in all these sights at our leisure. We used to fly in from Milwaukee for this and other events and holidays. The birds reminded us this morning that they wanted their birdbath set up again when they started fluttering around the patio. Spring is here and I really like it. And if there is an event to celebrate it? I'm all for it regardless of the crowds.