Salam From Tehran

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-- Salaam from Tehran
I trust that you are all well and enjoying the Autumn weather and good hikes these days. I miss it! I am in Tehran. The weather is beautifully mild here and the air is crisp. I went hiking this morning with a few family members and it was great. The landscape is hilly, and dry. The trails are somewhat rough but easily doable. People appear to be calm and the city is active. The area where I live is called ' بام تهران' or Tehran's Rooftop, and it is in the higher elevations of northwest corner of Tehran and is uniquely built into the foothills. People's main complaint here is about the cost of living and inflation, but they generally feel optimistic about the new round of political development between Washington and Tehran, and hoping for better economic days ahead. Lifting of the sanctions seems to be on the forefront of the general public's mind. And it is widely believed that the prospect of a sanction-free Iran can be the beginning of a major era of economic boom in Iran and the region. Government restrictions on the society appear to have relaxed a bit. People move around with more freedom, and Hejob is less enforced. The rate of marriage is dropping as men and women do not have the old sever fear of persecution if they were found in relationship without being married. This quiet movement has caused more freedom of choice and independence for women. Perhaps this may be the cornerstone in changing the suppression of women in the Islamic culture, as women are becoming more educated (about 60%!o(MISSING)f university students are female) and economically independent. Next week I will be going to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan (Northeast of Iran and east of the Caspian sea) by ground through Gorgaan and the province of Khoraasan. I may also go to Kabul on the way back to Iran. Miss you all. Hamid ​Here are some new and older photos of Tehran.
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~aa5/tehran.htm​

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