Wednesday, May 13, 2015

MAY 13, 2015: IRAN-TEHRAN: Make butter...



Make butter...out of  s**t is the Persian equivalent of 'when life.hands.you lemons, make lemonade'.
Our delightful driver/guide 29 year old Hossein says there is a more polite version but he can't remember it.
Today two places we wanted to see were closed, but boy did we churn butter! First we went to the Persian Carpet Museum and challenged our eyes to endure such beauty. (Depending on Internet some photos may be attached ). One of the carpets displaying images of great historical figures...including Moses, and Jesus in the prime spot... and Napoleon, Charlemagne, and George Washington  mystified Hossein: it also portrayed Mohammed...against all Islamic rules. Go.figure.

Then, since the vegetarian place was closed, we churned over to another place where a lamb, potato, garbanzo stew subtly kissed by cinnamon was on tap. This was not I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, but the real....and delicious...thing.

This places continues to surprise and destroy more preconceptions.
Blue-jeaned couples walk hand in hand. The cosmetic section is the biggest section in the drugstore where we bought Colgate toothpaste.The women, especially the young ones, are stylish and glamorous.

64% of the college students are women.

We see none of those robed, bearded, and severe looking types our media display. The young guys affect the tight jeans, tee shirt, sneaker and most becoming five o'clock shadow Stud About Town look common everywhere on the planet  (and far more successfully than guys just.about anywhere else...these guys definitely have the right stuff).  

Smiles abound. Three truck drivers taking a break from hauling loads of cell phone and backpack.equiped school kids on a field trip to the palace smiled, waved, and gave us a folded paper toy.

Tehran has the look and energy of a cosmopolitan and sophisticated European city. There is a lot more to see but we leave tomorrow for the Caspian Sea.

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