Yuki Jen
Yuki-Jennifer A.A Kurumi Joined: April 25th 2007
Logged in: April 19th 2010
Logged in: April 19th 2010
Currently enrolled at a school in New York City, juggling full-time school, a dodgy part-time office job (with lots of uncool Asian jokes and disobedient photocopiers) and arts/culture writer for the community paper;-)
Travel plans pop up 24/7. Can't wait for school breaks....but my bank account laughs at me.
Beginning this blog with recent adventures to Iran, hopefully this will continue to feature many more anecdotes and images of past and future international journeys. Unfortunately, there are great doubts that YJ can ever write as well as Marco Polo or jolly Masudi...but there are no penalities for full-hearted attempts! Enjoy! (And no, my middle names 'A.A' do not stand for 'Alcoholics Anonymous')
Travel Blog Posts
Esfahan
My 54-year-old Japanese mother was inspired by my recent Iran photos to take me on a mother-daughter bonding trip to Tokyo Disneyland. Why? Because the mosques reminded her of Aladdin, and she was eager to experience the 'Arabian Coast' of Disney Sea and go on the 'Small world' esque ride called 'Sindbad's Adventures'. After ice cream and wearing ridiculous Aladdin and Jafar hats, we sat down for some fierce chainsmoking (hiding from Mickey and the screaming kids) to compare Disney and Iranian architecture. So then, speaking of huge colorful domes, sparkling tilework and magical fantasies all smooshed together on a grand scale, Esfahan would be the place. Compared with Paris by the French poet Reiner, with its eye-pleasing recreational promenades along rivers and parks, the famous epithet came about - Esfahan as 'Half of the world' ... read more
hafez tomb
The 14th century poet Hafez, gave me a sign to me before I left to Iran. Randomly turning to his page of poems, I had concluded through his words that it was right for me to go back to his land to find out more about Iran. he was right. When i sat at the base of his tomb's gazebo, i felt a distinct connection as i sat there with his anthology. Although i'm far from being Iranian (ie. being Jap-Aussie) there was a certain quality I felt when i stared upon his tombstone. Shiraz is a marvellous city indeed, full of mystical elements. This time, friends didnt shower me with 'Why are you going to Iran out of all places?' questions, but 'why bloody hell NOW in August???'. Simple. Iranian night life comes into ... read more
Rayen
As the province of Kerman is close to the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, it has continued to play a vital part in the opium (or basically any other drug) trade. Although illegal, it's cheap and sexily abundant. In order to deal with it, roadside patrol checkpoints stop cars extremely often, to the point that a few days' there trains you to be the ideal passenger. According to my driver, here are the following rules for the female tourist: "No English, they will not understand and think you are saying blasphemous things. No Persian! They will be suspicious...you are spy in Iran? No writing in your notebook. Very puzzling. (probably meaning no scribbly smiley marks either) No sleeping - you are drugged and happy in the sky? yes? No foreign guidebooks. They worry. No earphones. What ... read more
Abbasi House, Kashan
I swear I'm currently not on any bloody hallucinagens as I write this, and nor did i take any while i was travelling in Iran. But really, visiting historic and religious sites definitely gave me a glimpse into the beautiful world of heavenly light. Here exists rooms that offer a reminder of the immaterial world for any visitor. The Iranian perception of light is a completely unique one. I noticed that in all buildings, there was a very delicate understanding and capture of daylight that flowed into halls and porticoes. Divine light has the power to provide a sense of immortality, another new experience... an insight to the heavenly realm, following the underlying aspects of 12th-century Sufi mysticism and pre-Islamic Zoroastrian beliefs that helped shape Shiism as the national religion of Persia by the Safavid dynasty ... read more
At Hossein's store in Esfahan
At the Shirazi bazaar, I saw a man carrying bundles of dyed red wool whose teeth were tinged in a shade of ginger red. From the Ronas plant or a mere cherry-flavor popsicle? I prayed it was the prior. Regarding natural dyes - did you know that the red colour of the finest carpets come from a plant called 'Madder'? If consumed, the plant slowly turns one's bones red. This was where I witnessed the teeth of a madder grower. His grin was red. Daily brushing, he claimed, never let it fade away. I've watched the Disney movie, Aladdin, several times. My favorite character will always be the flying carpet. But as a child, I always felt pity for the carpet who never had a proper name other than 'carpet'. But until recently, I actually ... read more
Qashgai outfit!
Was it my driver's stash of Marijuana that stopped the police? The forbidden Titanic soundtrack we were listening to in the car? An Iranian officer barked at me to get out of the car. I panic. Is it the japanese kimono i'm wearing? Is this not acceptable as hejab alongside my headscarf? The bearded man holding a kalishnakov yells at me and I hesistantly meet the 45c degree heat outside the car. A bunch of local guards stare at my bizarre outfit and glare at me. 'Where are you from?' they ask in Persian. I squeal 'Japan!' while i try to cool myself with my folding fan, and wonder - should I bribe them with my abundant supply of rare japanse sweets, or Iranian riyal notes? Neither proves to be appropriate. the officers smile in ... read more
Hafez's tombstone
When I visited the tomb of the famous Persian poet Hafez, he was a complete stranger to me. Although I'd read some of his poetry, I could not comprehend the all-time rock star status he seemed to hold amongst Iranians. This garden complex in Shiraz was where I saw XXX-rated scandals: young couples holding hands, kissing cheeks and laughing in unsegregated groups holding their anthologies of Hafez's poetry. What was this place? What was the power this 13th century poet held even in this present modern world? It was far beyond imaginable thinking of current college friends sitting together reading poetry with such enthusiasm. The Iranian vision I witnessed looked like a replay of the Beatnik era decades ago. I asked my guide (and later friend) Seyyed. Why are people so emotional here, not giving ... read more
Sanjud Village, Kurdistan
Portraits of turbanned Ayatollah Khomeini are everywhere, whether it be on a huge billboard in Tehran or a postcard pasted on a goat-shed in Kurdistan. Eventually, it came to the point that he felt like a friendly smoking buddy on my trip, and I was no longer intimidated by his signature 'angry Sean Connery' look. Anywhere, I'd light up a cig, feel his stare, and nod in acknowledgement. Yo, long day man. The national icon has become the visitor's local mate. In all urban areas, local hot spots happen to be located on either Imam Khomeini street or square, so it's a dead giveaway when you're new in town. Can't read Arabic numerals on your Iranian rial bills? Not to worry, the street vendor will tell you how many 'Khomeinis' he wants. Can't read street ... read more
Ilkhanid Ruler's mausoleum
Tough hiking proved to be impossible for me during my trip in Iran, not only for my untoned blubby form (next stop, Jabba the Hut!) or my smoker's black lungs, but the sad fact that my only pair of walking shoes had been destroyed when (one of) my bottles of scotch erupted in my suitcase and drenched my shoes in beautiful liquor as soon as I got to Iran. I personally wouldnt have minded giving off a scent of Johnny instead of some annoying fruity perfume reserved for baby prostitutes, but I knew that cops would give me trouble while my fake crying wouldnt help. This was a sign from some deity. At college, even when people didn't know my name, I was known as 'the asian with the random australian accent and crazy shoes'. ... read more
Bandar-e-Anzali's boats
I have a secret shame during my journeys, that is, I always inquire the word for 'Snow' in the local language during my travels. Why? Well, due to language barriers, my taunted nickname at my Aussie school was 'Yucky Jen Crummy'. It was a rather sad coincedence that my japanese names sounded similar to such unfortunate vocabulary. Both of my first names mean 'Snow'. So, as a result I always sought new words for my name. I've found out so far that in Turkish it is 'Kars', 'Lumi' in Finnish, 'Nipha' in Greek. They seem to sound so much better than 'Yuki'. So, during my travels in Iran, I decided to inquire. Turns out to my dismay that in Persian, it becomes....'barf'. Oh. Suddenly, I'm quite happy with my original name. At least it doesn't ... read more
