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Published: January 20th 2011
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Most of yesterday involved taking it easy and/or getting ready for the next leg of this trip -- Tehran! I think this will be the most difficult part of this holiday, but I am optimistic nonetheless.
I arrive in Tehran Jan 13 (Thurs) – panj shanbe at 4:00am -- and, fortunately for me, my pick-up has been arranged, for what could only have been otherwise described as a 'most' difficult task -- imagine, travelling into 15 million population city, to the downtown, alone, in the middle of the night to the Hotel Atlas. (Read later blogs to get more on just how difficult getting to the Atlas can actually be for a tourist, even when I am from one part of the city to another in Tehran.). Luckily for me, Elham D. is waiting to deliver me to the hotel. She has made the necessary arrangements in preparation for my arrival, no doubt with some outside help from Canada. Long short story, I check in (~$50US, more or less), do some email with free wi-fi (am becoming addicted to wi-fi) and eat breakfast before getting some ZZZZZzzzz! In bed most of the day trying to catch up on lost, or
little if any, sleep. Cannot remember the last night I well throughout the night!
Later that evening we venture along the busy Tehran streets, including Sycamore tree-lined Valiasr St., with the evening hum of people everywhere and the lightning quick buzz of cars and motorcycles (aka buzzing like little bees). We head into the centre of city, a bit to the north of Valiasr Sq. (north of which is considered to be north of city, albeit still very central Tehran); this is the artsy district, where we go to one of
Elham's haunts for coffee and a small bite to eat.
I find driving to be extremely difficult as well as complicated, if not out and out hairy. Rules simply have no application here as cars, or drivers, go everywhere and anywhere they want; people somehow manage to cross streets in all of this chaos (reminds me a little of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). There are many close calls but Elham is more than up to the task. I think, like her father, she is considered a ‘professional’ driver too! French coffee and pasta Alfredo with chicken for me, pasta for Yasahman, Elham’s sister, though she is not as happy with hers as I with mine. Elham does not eat and takes only coffee and then some tea, yet she insists on paying!! Qu’est-ce qu’on peut dit? Je ne sais pas! No, no, I remember this is called the polite art of ta'arof!!!!
The 'Persian' fine art of ta’arof is a formalized system of politeness with ritual displays of vulnerability, giving everyone, especially with unequal incomes, a chance to be on equal terms. After an offer of some kind is made, it is usually turned down, and continues until the 3rd refusal, whereafter it can only be accepted with politeness and humility. So, after trying to pay during this episode of ta’arof with Elham, I yield to her kindness and generosity. (This happens to me on other occasions too! When I ask a taxi driver, "chand toman?", he knods "nothing, go, no money", even though I understand clearly he expects to be paid, which I do. Another time, the same thing occurred after a short lift was offered and the taxi driver refused to accept payment; he started driving away to prevent me paying this time!) Ah, such a complex but friendly and wonderful society.
I think that I truly am learning about the culture, and feeling like a participant, and not like tourists, generally, myself other times included, simply watching a foreign culture from afar .
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