First impressions

Posted as me, but really from Aisling:

"In the queue for the toilets on the plane, a gorgeous Iranian girl struck up a conversation with me. She asked me how I felt about having to wear the hijab. I responded politely that I didn't mind too much as it is the rule here. She told me she hates wearing it. She also told me she married an Iranian with Canadian citizenship and they moved to Toronto five years ago. She used to be angry all the time when she lived in Iran and hated the regime although she loves her country. Unfortunately, she said that her husband, although well-educated, was surprisingly traditional about Islamic issues regarding women. Eventually their differing views led to them divorcing. She also said that there's a high rate of divorce in Iran, but that only men can divorce their wives and not the other way around.

 

In our first few hours in Tehran we've found people to be open and friendly and the atmosphere in the airport was completely relaxed, with everyone smiling and greeting friends and relatives arriving.

 

My "disguise" seemed to be appropriate; however I need to master how to secure my veil as it keeps flapping at the side of my face and I keep wanting to push it back. It's like having long hair that keeps blowing across your face. Annoying, but I will get somewhat used to it I suppose.

 

The headscarf is something I'm continually aware of and I'm not sure I've quite got the hang of putting it on correctly - (although I have seen a few different styles, sizes and ways of customising it) I was thinking about it today and I actually don't mind having to wear a particular item of clothing. I don't feel repressed. (Although I know I certainly would if the time period extended beyond 21 days!) In fact in a way I feel like I blend in with everyone else and can become more observant of others without being so obviously different or 'touristy'. What does bother me is the fact that I have to keep adjusting it to make sure it's sitting properly. Then there is the issue of restricted vision and reduced hearing! Finally and most irritating is the fact that it is difficult to control or adjust my body temperature in different situations - for example, my wool pashmina is lovely and snug outdoors but as soon as we go into a restaurant I instantly get too hot. Today I had a brainwave - to carry my lighter black cotton scarf in my bag - and so was able to swap headwear once we went indoors (not in public, but in the bathroom, of course!)

 

Apart from all the moans, it's just crazy fun to be here with zero tourists and in regime-ruled Muslim-land ;-) After lunch today (we spent the morning moving to a different hotel) we walked by the "Den of Espionage" - the old US Embassy. There are dramatic anti-American and anti-Israeli murals painted on the outer walls of the compound which we discreetly photographed. Then we took the Metro to the Bazaar and spent a couple of hours getting happily lost in a maze of interlocking passages, with vendors displaying colourful arrays of items from Bollywood-style bras to Persian rugs. Above us were the most beautiful brick vaulted ceilings. As I followed Ben, I felt like I was watching Tintin on a foreign adventure - Tintin in Persia! We were the only Europeans in the place and yet little fuss was made of us aside from some genuinely warm welcomes to Iran. I was swept along, wrapped in my headscarf and jumping aside to allow a constant stream of vendors to squeeze past with trollies and motorbikes piled high with goods."

That's just our first day in Iran - I have a feeling this will be a special holiday indeed. Right now we're planning on heading to Masuleh, which is an ancient village in the mountains north-west of Tehran. We'll be in Tehran for another couple of days though.