Anonymouse
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I don’t like green eggs and ham
13-May-2010
I had the opportunity to visit Iran again. Unfortunately this trip was to pay respect for the passing of a loved one.
I thought to share with you the updates since my last visit in June and the election fraud and protests that followed. There are no more Allaho Akbar lullabies at night! No more death to dictator chants but I saw few written slogans here and there.
I got a sense that people have more or less given up for the time being and understand after all that they’re living in a dictatorship. I think Mousavi summed it up best when he said “they think by silencing people they can silence their just demands.” While the protests have subsided for now it will flare up once again. For sure! If you ask me it’ll be when the elimination of subsidies for those “above” poverty line goes into effect.
Just like anything else with Ahmadi’s overnight dreams they’re identifying a group of people “above” poverty line and if you make a penny above it you’re considered middle class! It is not clear what documentation is needed to show yourself above or below the poverty line. I think by far vast majority of people in Iran work very hard for their money in order to just keep up with the inflation which by the way becomes noticeable in Spring of each year after Norooz, like clockwork!
Government pays subsidies to cover part of the expenses for things such as electric, gas and other utility bills for a home. It also covers some other items such as healthcare costs and other things that I didn’t get a chance to read enough about. Suffice to say that people are anxious and worried about paying more out of pocket when their salaries are not only stagnant but inflation is cutting into their buying power. As an example the fee for leaving Iran jumped from 25000 to 50000 tomans an increase of 100%. There are many items that have 100% increase and above in one year.
Many foreign companies especially European companies have stopped doing business and have given Iran’s atta’s to its lagha! Some of my own family members who worked for these companies are either without jobs now or will be very soon.
I’ve also noticed that in the past year not many movies were made or albums produced and given the chaos of the last year it is understandable. But now that there are some new movies they are really a waste of time and talent. Good actors such as Niki Karimi played the love interest of Mohammad Reza Golzar, another good actor, in a really crappy movie called 2 sisters. I saw few other new and cheesy movies. I guess it is time for making bad movies just to make a living. Somehow Government wants the industry to make more comedy and cheesy movies to keep the masses occupied to give an impression that “life is good” and don’t worry your pretty little head over it!
Taxis don’t like to take you “straight” anymore they want you to “charter” (dar bast) them so they can make more money. Going straight distances is like 200 tomans while chartered is about 3000 – 4000 tomans. You can use designated taxis with defined routes that take more people and are far less expensive like 500 – 700 tomans. Overall I think as bad as Tehran’s traffic is there is plenty of public transportation of all kinds that you can use. During weekdays people can’t drive their cars to the center of Tehran and they have to use public transportation anyway.
This year I saw more motorcycle “taxis” and many of them now on cell phones. I don’t understand what they can hear in the middle of all that noise! I still haven’t gotten the courage to sit behind one of them. My main concern is “how to sit” behind the guy! I mean I can’t hold his waist because it is gay and I can’t not hold anything because I’m afraid to fall when he weaves his way through traffic! I have an idea to hold the seat behind me like other passengers but I’m afraid to fall down head first in a sharp turn!
I also saw more street lights at night. More colored lights and overall lighting. Also noticed more landscaping around Tehran.
This year I didn’t feel like talking politics to Taxi drivers or other people. I sensed some of them didn’t feel like it either but the 2 or 3 who tried to start something with me didn’t get me interested. I think we all know where we stand and how things are going. It’s pretty much a given and everyone has witnessed enough in the past few months.
It is always good to visit home and Iran. It gives me great pleasure to walk in the streets and mingle with people with the same skin and mother tongue as mine. Love Iran!
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Thanks AO!
by Anonymouse on Sun May 16, 2010 02:34 PM PDTEverything is sacred.
Mouse
by Anonymous Observer on Fri May 14, 2010 10:28 AM PDTWelcome back.
Anahid jaan Hajiagha blames JJJ 4 banning him from Iran travel!
by Anonymouse on Fri May 14, 2010 10:00 AM PDTHajiagha has mamnoo-ol khoorooj himself for posting so many anti Islamic Republic cartoons on i.com in the past! He has asked JJJ to delete those cartoons so his file is "clear" but to no avail!
Although I met Haji Aghas per se! riding behind motorcycles letting wind blow through their abaas!
Everything is sacred.
VPK, your comment was funny .Dear Anonymouse, did u see Haji?
by Anahid Hojjati on Fri May 14, 2010 08:30 AM PDTVPK, your comment about your experience to get your renewed license cracked me up.
Anonymouse jan; by any chance, did you run into Haji Agha in Iran? I thought maybe by now he has become an advisor to Ahmadinejad to teach him to say even more outrageous things than Ahmadi normally does.
vpk: Off topic: I thought
by vildemose on Fri May 14, 2010 08:11 AM PDTvpk: Off topic: I thought you would like to see this one:
//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37114046/ns/business-world_business/
Sargord ra
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Fri May 14, 2010 08:10 AM PDTbebakhsheed. Hanoz chai nakhordeh halesh khoob nist. Bezarid ke pa she chai bekoreh halesh behtar meshe. In gadar chert o pert nemegeh.
Regarding masculinity: the other day I went to the registry of motor vehicles. Person gave me my renewed license and said here you go mam!! Then got really nervous and apologized. I said if you think I am a lady you need eye exam more than I do. Boy I make the ugliest lady you ever saw!!
VPK,
Dude does not look like a lady. Or at least none anyone wants to marry!
Thanks Rea. About proper passenger sitting on Iranian bikes
by Anonymouse on Fri May 14, 2010 07:22 AM PDTJust so I give a little more explanation on proper "etiquette" on how to sit as a passagenger in a motorcycle taxi!
First of all the only reason to use a motorcyle as taxi is that in Tehran's terrible traffic motorcyles are the fastest way to get around town, also cheaper. While cars and regular taxis get stuck in traffic, motorcyles weave around traffic like they are not god's creature!
So to put an armor for using a motorcyle taxi for 10 minutes to get to your destination like Sargord the vagina-nut is suggesting is the ultimate in cross-dressing! It may be ok with him but not for regular people!
Second the proper way people ride behind these bikes is to open your legs wide, sit up, put each hand on each knee and balance yourself through turns. Like a sumo wrestling pose except you're sitting up and not down like a sumo wrestler.
Now some novice passengers hold on to the sit behind them as I explained in the blog. Sometimes the driver takes 2 passenger like a couple or in one case they wanted to drive me and my brother! In those cases the driver squeezes up as much as he can near the gas tank and then the passenger tries to leave a space as to not have a "lap dance" scenario!
This year I also noticed a lot of women sitting behind men and they are either married or engaged and in those cases the women hold on tight! Unless you see an older ior arguing couple when the woman doesn't hold the man and just balances herself and her chador! Yes holding on to your chador is another sight to see. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take some photos, hopefully next time!
Everything is sacred.
Mouse on a motorcycle
by Rea on Fri May 14, 2010 06:44 AM PDTSo mousy. ;o)
Thank you
by Anonymouse on Fri May 14, 2010 05:43 AM PDTMarjaneh, Ebi jaan, Vildemose, bajenagh jaan, thank you for your kind words.
Sargord as usual you're off the mark and shooting from your hips with your vagina poems! Why did you even bother to pollute my blog? The gay issue holding the driver's waist is not my issue. I'd gladly hold on to his waist as a bike passenger is supposed to do. However, the driver and those watching us will have an issue (not me) and since there are no gays in Iran, I don't want to cause a scene and be accused of being the first one!
-----------
BTW i.com is now unblocked at work. JJJ for the love of god if you're going to have more boob photo albums please hide them in the belog sekshen! Or somewhere else, not smack in the front page. Websense will block i.com!
Everything is sacred.
.....
by yolanda on Thu May 13, 2010 10:50 PM PDTLOL! I am afraid of the motorcycle ride, too. I have never got on a motor-cycle in my whole life!
Gimme a break. You feel your
by Sargord Pirouz on Thu May 13, 2010 10:24 PM PDTGimme a break. You feel your masculinity is somehow compromised by appropriately holding on to the rider of a motorcycle, as a passenger? Sounds like a personal problem to me.
I do have some advice to offer. Bring your own crash helmet when riding on a motorcycle and wear appropriate clothing, such as a leather jacket, boots and even gloves.
Anonymouse Jan
by bajenaghe naghi on Thu May 13, 2010 09:25 PM PDTIt is good to have you back. I am very sorry for your loss, my deepest sympathies to you and your family.
Welcome back and thank you
by vildemose on Thu May 13, 2010 05:34 PM PDTWelcome back and thank you for the inside scoops from Iran.
On Subsidies.
Cutting subsidies in and of itself is a necessity but An is executing the wrong way for the sole purposes of punishing the Middle class who sympathize with the Greens. This is not cutting on spending. He is going to spend even more in form of cashpayments to crooked welfare bonyads to distribute the funds. The cashpayments is going to be more state welfare for the bonyads. The poor might see a few more pennies. This is systematic increase in poverty and destruction of middle class to guarantee regime's grip on power in perpetuity.
Patently diabolical.
Here is must read. Long but well worth it:
//www.merip.org/mer/mer254/harris.html
Anonym Jaan
by ebi amirhosseini on Thu May 13, 2010 05:19 PM PDTTasliyat.
Ebi aka Haaji
Thank you
by Marjaneh on Thu May 13, 2010 05:00 PM PDTThank you for the insight. Much appreciated.
Most people would rather die than think: in fact, they do so. – Bertrand Russell
Anonymouse Aziz
by Red Wine on Thu May 13, 2010 04:42 PM PDTHahahaha ... I always admire your original humor ... I love A.Powers,Thank you my dear friend :=) .
Thank you friends!
by Anonymouse on Thu May 13, 2010 04:35 PM PDTHamsade, Anahid jaan, Abarmard jaan, DK jaan, Monda jaan, Marge jaan, VPK and RW jaan thank you for your kind words.
The "hope" situation in Iran is definately not at an all time high. It has taken a seat back otherwise what was all those brutal crackdowns for?
James Bond will be filming in Iran for the next Bond sequel!
Cutting the subsidies will be bad. How much? Time will tell. When they cut the gasoline subsidies people burned the gas stations and rioted and they soon changed the law and allowed people to buy gas at higher prices. This is bigger. My feeling is Ahmadi will leave office after he leaves Iran in economic ruin, like W.
RW jaan I can sell you the sign in the blog's picture for ONE MILLION dollars! Want it?!
Everything is sacred.
:=)
by Red Wine on Thu May 13, 2010 03:58 PM PDTخوش آمدید ...
دلمان برای شما تنگ شده بود،با آمدنتان..دلمان را شاد کردید،مخصوصا که بوی خانه،بوی بهار ایران را می‌دهید.
همیشه سبز و همیشه پاینده باشید.
شراب قرمز.
Welcome back!
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Thu May 13, 2010 03:49 PM PDTDespite our previous arguments I truly welcome you back!
VPK
So good to hear from you. I thought you quit iranian.com
by I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek on Thu May 13, 2010 03:44 PM PDTWelcome back. I'm sorry you didn't get to visit Iran for a more cheerful reason. I had to cut my Howard subscription. Did artie come back yet!? By the way, when they cut those subsidies, I don't think it will be as bad as you say. However, I say that as an Americano whose government comes at people through IRS for pennies. I guess we just have to wait and see.
ressidan be khair va cheshme maa roshan
by Monda on Thu May 13, 2010 03:15 PM PDTAnonymouse jan, I am sorry for your loss. On the other hand I'm glad that you got to visit home again. Thank you for your reports.
Welcome Back Anonymouse Jaan
by Darius Kadivar on Thu May 13, 2010 03:06 PM PDTWe should use you from now on as our on spot informer on IC for all updates on the situation back home ;0)
My Word is Bond ... James Bond !
Welcome back
by Abarmard on Thu May 13, 2010 01:51 PM PDTWhen people don't like to talk about politics means that the situation is hopeless. The "shur va nehsat" that came from hope of "change" is now gone.
Welcome back and thanks for the blog.
Great write up, we missed you Anonymouse
by Anahid Hojjati on Thu May 13, 2010 01:44 PM PDTAs always, you are funny. My favorite part was the one that yolanda also quoted. Looking forward to reading more of your blogs.
wb anon
by hamsade ghadimi on Thu May 13, 2010 01:30 PM PDTgood write-up on your trip. glad that you had a safe trip home and back. when you get a chance write about prices of different goods and salaries to get a sense of inflation and ordinary people's constrained income and hardship.
Thank you guys!
by Anonymouse on Thu May 13, 2010 12:57 PM PDTThe photo is from a garden in Elahieh and the cafe has a new name. Someone previously posted a photo album about this place.
Funny thing about Elahieh, if you know about it, is that as popular as it is and people would like to get to it, is that the residents have bribed the officials and the streets have remained narrow and the city has not taken over parts of the properties to make a wider street to get in and out.
For the entire Elahieh there are only 2 narrow alleys to get in and out! If you don't know your way you'll be stuck in a maze. It is a nice place. I too thought of RW and yes he'd pay an arm and an leg to get it! :-)
Everything is sacred.
Welcome back!
by Nazy Kaviani on Thu May 13, 2010 12:46 PM PDTYou were missed! Please accept my condolences for your loss and thanks for sharing your very real and interesting report.
P.S. I would give anything to own that sign! I want to buy it and to re-sell it at a much higher price to Red Wine!
.....
by yolanda on Thu May 13, 2010 12:33 PM PDTHi! Mouse,
Welcome back! Thank you for the article....this part really cracked me up and made my day:
*****************
I still haven’t gotten the courage to sit behind one of them. My main concern is “how to sit” behind the guy! I mean I can’t hold his waist because it is gay and I can’t not hold anything because I’m afraid to fall when he weaves his way through traffic! I have an idea to hold the seat behind me like other passengers but I’m afraid to fall down head first in a sharp turn!
*****************
Thank you for the laugh!