Iran 2002 - End of trip notes

Notes from 2002 Trip

• While I was here Bush stated on the news that the Iranian government needs to be changed.
• The Religious Police arrested 140 participants at a speech that "offended the clergy". They warned a high-ranking speaker to discontinue "providing assistance to the enemy".
• My wife's father's driver side mirror was broken off by a bus driving too close. It happened at a spot that had lots of police handy. When they told them to move their vehicles a little up the road, the bus driver sped off. The police told Pedar "oh well, he will be caught some day".
• Five or six times the neighborhood water supply was either cut off or cut back to a trickle in the evenings for rationing. This happens weekly on rotation during the - 100 degree heat with no water, air conditioning, toilet, etc. This time of the year, Mashhad is at its peak population due to annual vacations and pilgrimage to the Harram.
• Thousands rally in Tehran against the USA for Bush's written statement about Iran.
• At the same time, thousands rally in Tehran against their own Iran government.

My Safety

With the exception of traffic and deteriorating conditions due to sanctions and poor maintenance, I am completely safe in Iran. I've never been anywhere in the world so open, warm and welcoming. I am greeted everywhere with respect and consideration. This includes common people, youth, old, everyone.

Traffic

This is a complex subject. The traffic in Iran is an example of public anarchy. There is almost no attention paid to right-of-way or basic safety rules, especially concerning pedestrians. Autos converge in mass at intersections with 5-inch space between them, and a strong show of vehicular intimidation. Everyone is very focused on where they are intending to go. Most traffic issues get by with a little honking, but patience is measured in seconds, and everyone gets out of their cars after 20 seconds to see what-the-hell is the matter. Three, four, five or six cars side-by-side share a single-lane left turn lane, as the cross-traffic light turns yellow, cars behind you begin to beep and encourage you to move into that cross-traffic. Motorcycles ignore red lights and as traffic lightens, so do many autos. In the middle of all this, pedestrians (including children, but always with adults) migrate across the street knowing that oncoming cars will not stop, but will veer left or right around them --  to cross the street you advance five feet/wait, advance five feet/wait, etc. Fortunately, the traffic is mostly under 30 MPH. Seat belts are seldom worn and are unavailable in the back seat. Child seats are neither required nor used. It is common to see five or six people stuffed in to a subcompact, or a family of three-four on a 125cc motorbike. (When it is four, I notice it is always child, father, child, wife - with the father driving the bike and each parent holding a child in place). Almost all of the cars are the Iran-made compact called the Paykan (Farsi for "Arrow"). The uniform size and performance of all vehicles is the only reason there are not more injuries or deaths in traffic. The driving habits are exhibited by all classes of people, from blue-collar to professional.

OK, so why is traffice so bad? Here are several reasons given to me during my visit:

1. A lot of drivers are recent-villagers who do not understand how to drive (many of them are taxi drivers); others are forced to drive the same way or never get anywhere.
2. Drivers disrespect even the simplest of traffic controls as an infringement of their freedom. These "freedoms" were won at the Revolution where the people believe (rightly or wrongly) that they overthrew a tyrannical dictator (the Shaw and CIA).
3. Drivers are acting passive-aggressive, using traffic as a message to the government that they do not believe they are properly addressing their needs.
4.  The driving habits have become a "culture" and are now inescapable.

Taxis

The busiest streets of Iran are full of taxis. I would guess 15-20% are acting as taxis. Where events are to start or end, they back up for a mile, honking and jockeying for an inch better position. There are "official" taxis, but the overwhelming bulk are ad-hoc taxis, as if you or I drove around town and picked up passengers. Unless prearranged, Taxis in Iran do not take you door-to-door, they run like busses along specific routes. So you might need to catch two or more taxis to get to a specific place. Since there are no meters, price is normally whatever is most commonly accepted for a given route - for a Westerner it pays to ask someone else about price before getting in a taxi. The volume of taxi usage is partly driven by the lack of parking (I heard lots of complaints about this), the sheer danger of driving yourself, and that most spouses are left without a vehicle when the other goes to work. Then again, I am told that many people commute to work via taxi. The common practice is to lean out from the curb and mouth your destination to an open window passing by. If the driver agrees, they stop otherwise they drive on. Also, taxis will pick up as many people as the car will hold along its path. The biggest danger from these drivers is that they may spot a potential passenger and dart from the left lane to the right across all traffic to pick them up. If you ever ride in one of these cabs, bring exact change because somehow you never get any back for various reasons beyond the drivers control!

People and hospitality (they go together)

Other than the traffic mentioned above, the Iranian people are the most hospitable and generous you will ever find. At every opportunity they smile and greet you placing a hand over their heart and a polite nod. It is heartfelt and not at all faked for any concealed motive. Some of this was directed at me because I am a visiting American, but I also saw it expressed in general at the least opportunity. I should say that, as a non-Iranian, I normally had to acknowledge a strangers stare, before they would go through these motions. I began to see this as a sign of respect, not to interrupt me. At every (each and every) social gathering, tea is served before and after a meal, along with various fruits, cold sweet drinks, Coke-a-Cola, etc. In a home it is the husband or an older child that normally presents the refreshments. Oh, and they are never simply set out for you, they are offered to you in a way that allows you to refuse. However, this initiates an other common practice among Iranians called the "Tarouf". Here the host offers something on a gold or silver platter held by two hands, bending from the waist and nodding to the items. The guest politely says no-thank you. The host persists and this goes on several times until the guest either does or does not take an item. If the guest does select, say an apricot, the host invariably turns the tray and suggests a complementary item such as grapes or cherries. Some hosts are really, really good at this and it is marvelous to watch from a distance.

Refreshments fall into distinct categories:

1. Tea and on the side, sugar or "ghand" which is rougher cut and less refined
2. Mellon - green "Mashhad'e" melon, watermelon, honeydew, etc.
3. Cookies or sweets or assorted nuts
4. Assortment of fruits - apricots, cherries, peaches, apples, and the requisite Iranian cucumber
5. Ice cream or Jell-O - the ice cream is either sherbet or tri-color creamy with walnuts and pistachios

I have had this generosity expressed to me at the bank, at the jewelers, the music instrument shop, at every home including my wife, the University Deans and Chancellor's office, Zoohr Khoneh, and each of the half-dozen companies we visited. I also have had countless silent encounters with strangers on the street who, acknowledging that I am not from Iran, wait for a sign from me (they do not express before I do), then nod, mouth Salaam, and put their hand to their heart. It is a very beautiful and heartfelt symphony.

The same thing happens at doors where each parleys for the position of the most humble by encouraging the other to go through first. It often becomes a pleasant point of humor to everyone.
It amazes me the lengths they go to to show their honor to a guest. When at one my wife's companies, I was to join the VP for lunch in the company cafeteria. Although I noticed no phone calls, when we arrived at the dinning hall, a place was set for us with real china and sliver. In general, refreshment at public places appear as if from nowhere by a willing servant.

If, as an American, I speak a little Farsi, they are overjoyed and full of praise. It is a culture where pubic expressions of emotion are subdued and anger is never expressed. From my observation, this is true and it makes being here a delight. (Again, the rules get a little fuzzy in traffic).

  

Our Shiraz Guide

Akbar Afkar: Many of you have read or heard of the book "Searching for Hassan". Through absolute divine intervention (and some help from my wife) we had the same person that served as guide for Terence Ward in this book. What a great man! He brought out the best of Shiraz and the Iranian people for us. If you have read this book, please let us give you his contact information so you may drop him a line or better, make a visit. We do, at any cost, plan again to visit Akbar.

  

Local Police

Useless except for directions or if you actually have an accident with injuries. There is no "911" service.

  

Religious Police

I am told they are not very active in Mashhad, but exceedingly active in Tehran. Apparently they are not to be fooled with, even for a curious person like myself. I would not suffer much harm, but it could be expensive for my wife's family to get me home, etc. More on this later.

  

Newspapers

I read two newspapers daily; the Iran Daily and the Tehran Times. They are from the political left and right, respectively. News presented in either might be the exact opposite interpretation. For example, Bush has been pressuring Russia to not provide nuclear technology to Iran (in the form of a power plant). The Daily said Russia agreed to discontinue the support, the Times said Russia was defiant against the meddling USA and would provide support anyway. I believe the correct answer is that Russia will deliver work in progress, then stop to reevaluate. I saw now "editorial" pages and I get the impression that you cannot really freely write as you wish without some retribution. I saw a few instances of this where a paper had to retract a statement because it offended the government. In general, the papers do not go into much detail on an issue and the papers are between 10-20 pages in size, about the same as an American sports section. The Times is very narrowly written to support the religious cleric rulers. The Daily does contain arguments from both sides and BOTH papers contain massive amount of discussion of international issues. The Times condemns Bush at every turn and speaks in dogmatic hyperbola while the Daily seems to express opposing viewpoints.
I think the image we get at home about Iran is directly from this political hard wing side - they speak like they are being attacked and they immediately rebuke every action as a threat against Islam and their authority. At one point during my visit, the editor of the Daily made a remark that he had to recall because the clerics felt it slandered the ruling class.

  

In general, the newspapers ridicule Bush and our foreign policy. Actually that is not complete; they also run AP articles published in Europe about the USA that are very informative about our policies and the opinions of the other half of the world. I dare say, these opinions never make our news.

  

Internet/Satellite TV/VCR's

Everyone has access though the government has tried to prohibit access. Local TV is all government sponsored and controlled. Very boring according to the locals.
Technology resources
I am told that lack of access to higher technology stems from these root causes:

1. US sanctions make capital investment from other countries difficult. Iran has access to the technology, but can not afford to purchase, support or maintain it for lack of investment from countries that possesses the technology. Universities are able to study newer technology, but not able to obtain practical experience for the same reasons.
2. ALL systems in Iran are of substandard technology - Finance, Information Systems, Construction, Manufacturing, etc. It is difficult to upgrade one technology while the other areas remain incapable of integration.
3. The government does not support or encourage corporations to advance their technology. Evidence of this is everywhere from simple traffic control to inferior autos and safety practices in manufacturing plants.

Restrooms

The Middle East toilet is different than that of the West. Without going into detail, it is designed such that no part of the toilet comes into contact with the body. In all restrooms, cleaning yourself is accomplished by a water spraying mechanism (like a European bidet) and/or paper. Again, the overall concept is cleanliness and this is a paramount concern in Islamic life. Fortunately for me, most hotels and homes are equipped with an "American" toilet also. When asking directions to the restroom, it is often funny to be directed by a gracious host to the "proper" room, cognizant of my non-Middle East heritage.

  

What they think of W. Bush

This was surprising! They are in agreement with the majority of Americans in that they think Bush is an inexperienced fool-hardy warmonger that insults and demonizes nations rather then encouraging dialog or specific action. However, in relation to the Middle East, he is "their kind of guy" as one Iranian said. "He actually is the sort of president that can accomplish what is needed in places like Iran, we just wish he would push harder." In his capacity as President of America, they look to him to push the ruling class in to some sort of action and to partly rescue them from their current situation. And because, in his own way, he is moving this task forward, they like him. They, as do I, hate his blind stance on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. And, it was a pure accident that Bush ended up between restrooms and money on this commentary section.

  

Money

Everything is in cash in Iran. Residents do not have credit cards, though some larger business try to provide this to tourists. The basic monetary unit is the Ryial ("ree all") which is valued about 750R to one dollar. It costs 1000R for a glass of coke, about $1.30. The largest bill is 10,000R, so larger purchases require stacks of cash. Banks pay significantly less for a US Dollar than the black market. This alternative market is not "hidden" as dozens of money changers roam the streets near the banks with wads of cash in their hands. Lack of credit causes interesting situations. Many items are 'pre-pay'. For example, internet access at the home requires someone to physically go to the provider and pay an advanced amount for them to turn service back on. Utility bills do come to the house, but residents pay their electric and water bills by again physically going to the bank. I am told that a credit card system is impossible in Iran because there is neither enforcement infrastructure nor culture to support such a responsibility.

Products or services that involve significant labor are the most inexpensive compared to the US. Dry cleaning for example is around $0.50 per item. Newspapers are around $1.20.
Gasoline is a scant $0.20 per gallon, heavily subsidized by the government. I am told they plan to raise this over the next few years to something more reasonable. I imagine this will ruin the ad-hoc taxi business.
Business bank loans are around 25% making it near impossible to obtain or pay back a loan. Again, business is conducted in cash, you sell this apartment complex to purchase that piece of land, etc.

  

Food

Here are some of the meals I had while in Iran:

• Chelo kabob
• joojeh kabob
• Shishlick (lamb chops) - I would fly to Iran just to have this again
• ghormeh sabzi
• kangar (similar to Karafs)
• Albaloo polo
• baghali polo
• bademjan
• fesenjaan
• gheimeh

Traditions

Leaving for a long trip: A member of the family holds the Koran over the head of the traveler, who passes their head from side to side, kisses and then touches his/her forehead to the book. As the auto is about to depart, the ground behind the vehicle is wetted with water. Water represents life. There are variations to this tradition; when Pedar left for Tehran we were rushed and ill prepared, and simply hosed down the driveway. I noticed over my shoulder when we left for the airport ourselves, my wife's sister-in-law poured water from a glass behind our path. This reminds me of the several times someone has passed smoldering tin of herbs either over my head or around my body. This happens on the streets or at stop signs by strangers.
Shop merchandise

I have mentioned earlier that Iranians love French furniture, silver and gold finery. To accomplish this within such difficult financial conditions, many of the shop items are made in Iran as exact copies of French originals. The workmanship and materials are a magnitude lower than the original, but so is the cost. The lower workmanship is only visible when you get within a few inches.

  

What they think of Americans

Read this entire page, the answer is obvious.