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.
Mehran,
It made us, Kikie and me, so happy to read you are together with your family after 32 years; enjoy your days my friend and bring our warmest greetings to your family
Hans & Kikie
Just found the link from your review on yelp on Masouleh….GREAT pictures! So cool! I’ve never been to Iran but would love to go someday to see where my dad grew up. Thanks for posting these!