tehran, iran — report 2

October 13, 2009 :: Tags: tehran, travels :: 2 Comments

almost 10 days in tehran now. nami and sora flew back to chicago last night. i am so happy they had a chance to visit tehran, and the family. they were stars here.
i have taken over a thousand pictures and will post a few here as soon as i return. the trip so far has been very good. a few highlights:

• went to my boarding school/high school. the boarding school is now a women’s school but the school is still there and remains one of the best in iran. the doorman remembered me from 32 years ago!
• while at school, a few kids came to us, saying “hi” and “i love america”
• many people on the streets tell us hi.
• caught a cold. went to a doctor. she did not accept money from me saying i am a guest.
• many beautiful women, covering part of their head as they have to in public; but actually you notice their beauty even more. when you see them at a party, the cover comes off and they (well, most) look brilliant.
• low cut pants are rather common among young men. not the most beautiful scene imho.
• i have been pigging out. so much delicious food. pictures to be posted soon.
• facebook, twitter, linkedin, and other social networking sites are filtered here. many people buy programs to break this filter. i have not been able to do so as i use a mac.
• everyone has been courteous and friendly to us. this includes places we have been going to like museums, palaces, and a mosque, giving us free catalogues and trying to make us feel like a guest of honor.
• i find tehran cleaner than chicago, and certainly much cleaner than san francisco. i am also surprised how clean everyone, even the street cleaning people are. most i see are on the young side, clean shaven, and put gels on their hair, using their brooms to clean the city.
• the gentleman you see in many pictures is my brother whom i met after about 31 years in antalya, turkey a couple of months ago. i love him more than ever and am proud of the good person he is.
• one of my biggest fears was going through the customs and the immigration office. again, was pleasantly surprised how smooth and professional it was.
• seeing most my family members after 32 years is a bit an emotional event. a few of the loved ones have passed away during this time. as i see them through the lens of my camera, can not help but wonder who may be next.