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Edited on Mon Jul-14-08 09:11 AM by windoe
genuine and from the heart. I was there in 05 and was entranced by how friendly and connected people were. A group of teenagers were laughing once and talking in Farsi, and one of them explained what the joke was to me so I would not feel they were laughing at me!! And believe me I felt my scarf looked ridiculous (never got down the scarf thingy, I wouldn't have blamed anyone for laughing but they never did)
One of the biggest differences was the long look, the eye contact I am not used to (in east coast especially people sort of avoid much eye contact)-and I never never felt uncomfortable, instead I felt so much purity and curiosity, and everyone wanted to practice their English with me. At that time over 60% of the population was under 30, there was a baby boom after the revolution, so all you see is the older people and all these young people and children everywhere, and they are sooo cool and polite.
All these people LOVE the people of the US, they understand life under crazy leadership, they have never known different. No one talked politics or religion with me, it would have been rude (and they know to stay off certain subjects anyway).
Tehran is huge and surrounded by mountains, like Anchorage, it is beautiful (only thing is smog). We traveled south to see a 4000 year old adobe village, Abyaneh, then to Shiraz and Isfahan, some of the most serene, artistic and beautiful cities I have ever seen, bazaars are full of artisans. In school they take art seriously, and poetry and history.
They have the most beautiful gardens with scented blooming plants and trees surrounding the tomb of Haafez, a revered poet. If you want a cure for depression, just read Haafez!! His white stone casket is engraved with his poetry in the most beautiful script, covered with an open round arched canopy all lit up with colored lights at night. People stand in reverence around his tomb and read his poetry, and drink tea in the gardens.... Imagine, how we have statues of military men, they have built gardens around all their revered poets. Their language is rich and full of nuance, and so romantic.
I wanted to add: few people know that the patterns of their rugs are sung, they are songs that are sung or chanted while they are being made. No rug is made but 2 times, every rug has a 'sister' rug, after that pattern is made it is never made again (it takes months to make), the colors and patterns are changed for the next pair of rugs.
If anyone here ever has a chance to go to Iran, go, you will be surprised. I was in tears a lot because after being here, treated harshly at airports and with all the hate speech against Iran, I was treated like gold, and was deeply humbled and moved by this.
I hope and pray every day for their safety, beautiful people of Iran.
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