Iran, Febr. 4 , 2009
Eating with an Iranian composer in the Blue Duck, a wonderful restaurant in a shopping mall. For a moment I had the feeling I was walking in Beijing in the mall on 77th street. Almost the same shops.
Anyway the composer tells me that he always tells a joke when asked about the nature of Iranian people:
A boy koms home crying. His father asks hm what is the matter?
My teacher gave me a bad grade in school.
Why, the father asks.
because he asked " how much is 2 x2?" And I said
" 16".
The father says;" How can you say 16? You know it is not 16, 2 times 2 is 4, or at most 5........
Later that evening I talk to another guy. He asks me how I like Iran.
When I answer that I think it is pretty schizofrenic, he says:
" Normal people are schizofrenic. You need to have two faces: one private and one public.
Biut Iranians have 5 or 6 faces.....at least.
We need to, one for the street, one for the work, one in official meetings etc
Last days in Tehran. On the CNN news we see the rocket goiing up...we somehow missed it while beiing here.
If you use Iranian Cell, the cellphone company we use here, you understand very wel that Iran needs a sattelite up there to get the phones working .... to have contact the second time you are calling...at least.
It is snowing this morning.
Anothetrday with 5 faces, another day of calling someone 6 times before you can have a conversation, another day of having fun and meeting terrific people , and suddenly everything changes and life appears to be an absurd nightmare.
Here are some pictures of a collegue of mine:
Hamid, he works with Aganian refugees and makes theater with them.
And another wild group og Iranian kids I had dinner with
Also Sara, a beautiful dancer from Tehran.
More about them soon......
Pictures all by Neil van der Linden,
my ambassador here in Tehran.
