Dinner at the Takallou's

Over the years I have discovered that dinner time in my family is a lot more relaxed than most everyday family dinners. Although we try too, we don't have sit down dinners everyday due to our schedule's which are not easily lined up. We normally have sit down dinners three times a week at home, and go out once a week. For us, dinner time is a time to catch up, see how everyones day has been, and eat. We don't stress much about presentation either, our dinner's normally consist of self serve and all you can eat. Our typical dinner consists of rice and various types of typical Persian stews, however my mom tries to change it up by adding different foods from other cultures such as tacos, curry, or pasta. Unlike dinner's with other family that I have attended, we keep it super casual provided a calm and open space to simply talk and catch up with each other. A few things that I notice are a change in discussion, assigned seats, and stricter etiquette. Dinning at friends houses has made me realize how different each family is and how we should respect their own rules or etiquette they run by.

Sarah Sonia Takallou

My full name is Sarah Sonia Takallou. Their are not many other Sarah Takallou's out there so I embrace it in every way I can. To start, my first name is really nothing too special or sentimental. There are 818,553 people in the U.S with the first name, so I do my best to make it own and embrace it in my own way. It's not really something that stands out or shocks people, however it's grown on me over the years. Simple and apparent. My parents chose it because they thought it sounded sophisticated, strong, and presidential, but also serves as cute and girly due to it's Greek meaning "princess". Sarah a common Americanized name however can also dualize with posing as an Iranian name by adding an added stress on the second A. My middle name is more accustomed with my Iranian back round. I was handed this name down my great grandmother due to her wisdom and kindness. I don't use it often or refer to myself by it, however it's nice to know it's their and where it comes from. Finally, my last name is something a little more nontraditional and noticeable. It neither sounds Persian or American, quite honestly I'm not sure where it comes from. Defined, "tak" means unique and "lou" means a grouping, so we like to construe our last name as a "one of a kind family". Having such a diverse name like this one can lead to some challenges. Over the years I have heard nicknames from "Tackle-you" to "Talk-alot" and even sometimes "Tickle-you".  Besides that, I've heard every mispronounced version of my name their is from people that don't know me. Despite how weird and quirky my last name sounds, it's a name I hold and am proud of. It shows how I am and groups me with the family I am apart of and honored to represent. My name, Sarah Sonia Takallou, is something I posses and have made my own over the years. Although it was handed down to me, I hope I did my part by using it well and transforming it to fit my own personality.

What Identify's You Best

While both my parents are Iranian immigrants, my brother and I were raised under an American household here in California. My parents came to America from Iran for educational proposes, as well as the Iranian Revolution in 1979. My dad came at the age of 16 in pursuit of a better life and college experience, and my mom came when she was younger with her family, both not knowing a single word of English. From Iran, they carried with them something that they could never let go of, their native culture. 

Coming from an all Persian background, I have been influenced by a number of Persian cultures and traditions that were carried out through my family. We celebrate a number of Persian holiday's in my house such as Persian New Year and Eid in March. Like most Persians, I am very close with my family and love drinking tea with candies. Although I do respect and love celebrating my heritage's culture, I identify myself as more American and Westernized. I am so grateful to come from such a diverse background such as Iran, however growing up in California, I see myself more accustomed to American-like ways of living, more casual and less conservative. Overall, my Iranian background is something I will always hold onto and cherish because it will always be apart of me, but I do not completely identify myself as a perfect Persian.