for my friends and relatives in america and europe:

today i went to tajreesh which is one of the places the grandfather in my movie dreams of. i was happy to now have seen it! there was a crowded crowded bazaar full of noruz shoppers. we bargained for fruit, and sabzi and i just held the camera and walked. wasn't even looking. so many things happening from every corner. a darvish passed by so slow singing and people were negotiating around him. what was funny about him was his backpack. a poor, old traditional begger with a modern hiking backpack that looked like my brother's!

from here we wandered into the bazaar which then became more like a mini-mall of sorts. there was an old man walking and playing the tar for money. we filmed him and he stood tall and sang! he put on this stand and, look, next stop for him hollywood or vegas!

later my dad went to the bathroom and my mom and aunt asked me and my 14 yr old male cousin to wait at a spot while they looked at clothes. after 5 minutes a "komiteh" (a type of culture police) stood next to me and said something under his breath. i didn't hear him and asked him to to repeat. he did and i still didn't hear. i went closer and he looked around at the girls and said to me "what are you two doing?" i said "well sir, my mom and dad have gone to the bathroom and told me to stay here." we stared at each other and that was that. a few minutes later he left. my excitement with the "komiteh"!

on our way out of the parking lot (which is nothing nothing nothing like what's in america) the cars in front of us had stopped. i think there was an accident but a woman was fighting and screaming with a man. shoving and pushing too! amazing.

oh! last night was chahar shanbeh souri which is the last tuesday of the year. the streets were packed! kids were lighting fireworks left and right. BANG! the tradition is to make fires and jump over them transfers your bad omens to the fire and all its strength and power to you (can also ask for more specific things). the streets had fires all over them, despite the komiteh's attempt to stop such actvities. one place had 5 fires in a row so my parents and i jumped over them. on our way back there was a fight near my aunts house as a huge corwd had gathered and started shoving a car that drove by (these guys built the fire in the middle of an 4-way intersection)! was an exciting night!

we also went to imam zadeh saleh [shrine] where people pray for the poor, ask for health for sick relatives/friends or good fortune for their children. my mom had money to leave there which she had gathered for me and my brother since we were kids and also for sheema, the star of my movie who has developed (but thankfully is in remission) lukemia. my mom and aunt went through their side and my dad and i went through the mens side. inside mosiacs of mirror and a tomb of silver, glass and gold which you can hold or touch and pray. the women on the other side were screaming, crying and shouting prayers. was quite an experience. when we left my dad, who is a psychiatrist, said that place is free therapy! ha!

my dad also had lunch with 3 of his friends from his university days. he hadn't seen them in 30 years! i just sat there and listened. it's interesting to me b/c i am so american to them as they know it's my 1st trip here. but they also told my dad that he doesn't really know what they went through b/c he had left iran before the revolution and wasn't here at during the turmoil. . . in a very small way we were in the same boat. . .

and if i didn't tell you, i drove in this madness (which my cousins back in america -- who grew up here, and my parents -- said i would never be able to do) like a pro! i honked, i cursed and i was honked and cursed at!

much more to tell but i am hungry and tired now i went out with my older cousin P.

, to meet his girlfriend. this was fascinating for me and i will tell you all about it next time -- if you can stomach more of my ramblings.

best wishes to all,
ramin

Go to: Part Three

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