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Trying cookies at Qom
Really yummy pistachio/rose-water cookies! Before my trip, my dad asked me about my next travel destination. I panicked of course, and said a half-truth..."Persia. Yep, sure it's a country". After all, a few years back my parents flipped out when I said I was in Turkey, screaming "WHAT? You're going to be abducted by a carpet-seller who will rename you Fatima and make you his fourth wife!". They knew little about Hanofi Turkey, where it's so lax and westernized without headscarves due to Ataturk's reforms at the turn of the century.
So I couldnt mutter the word, 'Iran' obviously. "Where's the capital?" he asked. Uh-oh. I pronouned 'Tehran' in the weirdest possible way that made me sound like Chewbacca with a lisp. He did find out later on, but to my surprise didn't get hysterical. Instead, he recounted his memories about the 1979 revolution he watched on TV when he was a womanizer who was 'the hottest shit in town for years'. He's 75, by the way.
As you can see here, someone had added the province option of 'heaven' to Iran's geography. i don't know what their intentions were really, but whatever... You know, Iran really is heaven for a history
Mosque at Shiraz
Enchanting mirror tiles covering the entire interior of the mosque or art major like myself. It's an opportunity to visit a country in its original form, far from influences of the west, full of cultural wonders and beauty. The only danger you'd experience in my guess, would be getting swamped by curious groups of young local students trying to grab a photo with a rare foreigner. Are they anti-American/Western? Nope, I met many Iranians, but they're just curious and fascinated about the world outside and a lot of them want to learn about new things. And their 'death to America' demos that you hear about on TV? Sure, I know it happens but for one, they're not too enthusiastic when someone does start it, and then they have this kind of dull 'Oh, well if everyone else is saying it i'll tag along. Don't wanna be kicked out of the mosque community for being unpatriotic...so what're we chanting today?' attitude.
Just remember, if you do plan to go there in the near future, you'll have your girlfriend's scandalous nude pic, playboy mags and vogues confiscated at the airport. you won't be able to purchase booze and they don't offer alcoholic beverages on board Iranian airways. But you can purchase
Ali Qapu palace
Music room with amazing acoustics! every imaginable brand of cigarettes at a low cost of US$7.50!;-) you can't even buy a pack for the price in NYC...and credit cards aren't an option anywhere. Despite the inflation, things are still pretty cheap and doable, and the food's great! There's definitely more than kebabs, and unless you're against saffron on your rice (like this one woman on my trip, I bartered my cup-noodles for her pistachios) you're good. Just no pork while you're there, so you get to save another 'Babe' piglet in the world. Squ-weaaaaaaaaal~!
So then, you might be wondering who this random blogger is and what I'm trying to do. I'm definitely not an undercover Iranian agent trying to fluff up potential tourists, nor am I an anti-western Muslim trying to lure you into Islam and spite George Bush. I'm just a kid who loves cultures and the humanities, as well as booze, friends and cigarettes. I admit that until recently I knew nothing about Iran except for the fact that I've got a few Persian friends at school who don't often claim to be of 'Iranian' heritage due to their fear of being labelled along with Khoumeini, the revolution and violence. And
At Azadi tower
Many thanks to our guide, Seyed, and my lovely smoking buddy, Kaori random, but do you know why a lot of Iranians have established their lives - post-revolution - in California? It was a place with a climate similar to their homeland, sharing a likeness in nature's high mountains and luscious vegetation.
This will be my last blog entry recounting my April 2007 experience in Iran. But wait - there will be more. I'm flying out to Iran again tomorrow (5/12) to visit the country's western regions such as Kurdistan and Khuzestan! Ah, goodbye to flushing toilets for a while and hello to squat bathrooms. But please do check out my future anecdotes which shall be posted up as soon as I get back and resume my internet-whore status.
If you're thinking "What is wrong with this Asian biotch??? Why's she going back to bloody Iran???" obviously, I haven't been doing the best job writing my blogs:-(! But this is my attempt to provide a true glimpse of a nation from the eyes of a young Japanese-Aussie girl who's growing out her hair idolizing sailor moon (hahahaha).
Thank you for your jolly support and heart-warming comments...and stay tuned for new 'Iran' adventures!;-)
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andrew
non-member comment
well done
well done ,good luck