TEHRANGELES

To: My friend Jahanshah

Dear Jahanshah, a very small world that is indeed, and too short for that matter.  I am currently in Connecticut working, but I get around this country every now and then. What an innocent time that was for our generation attending boarding school here in the late 70’s before the revolution.  And of course you know what happened thereafter.   

Your reply made me feel very sentimental today and it gave me an idea.  I was wondering if I could put some sort of an article regarding Ojai with pictures of my classmates together.  And then invite all the Iranians who attended Thatcher, Happy valley, Ojai valley and Villanova to reply, and contribute with more photos and stories.  Would you be kind enough to publish it in the Iranian.com?  This way maybe we all can eventually reconnect and built a kinship with one another. 

You know after the 1979 very limited Iranians could easily come over here to attend high school at the very young age anymore.  And many of those Iranians who graduated in the late 70’s returned to Iran for their own personal reason and never could re-enter to US again.  So those of us who stayed behind are kind of like the “Last of the Mohicans”, you know.

By the way, I want to congratulate you on creating and doing such a superb job managing this web-site.  I am an avid reader of Iranain.com.  Good for you and be very proud!

With utmost regards and friendship,

Ghaffar

To: Ghafar Namjou

What a small world. I was in Ojai back in 1976. How are you doing Ghaffar jaan? Where are you and what are you doing these days?

next time do disney for the rest of us!!!

tell ya the truth, didn't get that much out of these pix. guess gotta be there, live there...

i have enjoyed your other pictories more--guess geared more towards the large iranian population of vestvood.

but thanks for the effort--as usual...

fellow Ojai high-schooler

Jahanshah, that’s great. I clearly remember Thatcher and its beautiful campus up on the hillside hidden in the woods. Yes, sad to say we were immortal enemies, and we always lost to Thatcher in soccer. It is too bad I never met you there, but I spent the most memorable time of my life in Ojai, while I was going to Villanova.

Well, I am very pleased to know you lived in Ojai! I went to visit Villanova few months ago, and to my surprise the town has not lost its old character. It has still remained a calm-lovely-old mission style little town to this day. You should go there next time you are in Southern Cal and rekindle your childhood memories.

Again I am very glad to know another fellow Ojai high-schooler, and hope our path crosses someday my friend.

Ghaffar

Thacher

Ghaffar, I went to Thacher boarding school for one year as a freshman (1976-77).

Villanova was our bitter rival in sports, as you may remember :o)

It's not pronounced Westwood...it's VESTVOOD

Q: First of all, why do you have to ruin your Saturday by spending it in Orange County, the worst part of Southern California. But please check out Caspian Restaurant in Irvine while you're down there, it's one of the best!

You have no idea how funny that statement is on so many levels!

There are other Iranian owned businesses in greater L.A., including the worst part of So Cal, as you put it. Car dealerships, jewelry stores, things like that. You're right; some of them are tax shelters. But not all of them. The same thing can be said about Koreans and their dry cleaning businesses and liquor stores, or Mexicans with their taco shops housecleaning and landscaping businesses, or the Vietnamese and their nail salons. IRS or INS.....either one scares the s**t out of all of them!! I'm not saying that it's right. But let's be fair and honest. So many immigrants are engaging in that kind of activity, regardless of their country of origin. It's easy when you have a business where currency is dominant. Why do you think they open these types of businesses to begin with?

Personal observation: Over the years I've noticed the quality of the food in the restaurants has decreased sharply, while the prices have gone up dramatically. For example, very few, if any use real saffron for the rice anymore. Instead, they use food coloring.

Nice pictures, JJ. I'm curious to know if you saw the billboards at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Sepulveda, at the 405?

Spent some time in Ojai?

Jahanshah hello,

Did you say you spent some time in Ojai while you were going to high school? When and where did you spend your time in Ojai? I graduated from Villanova in 1979 and I do recall there were other boarding schools in Ojai valley that had other Iranian students too. I was just carious if you attended any of them. I am very interested to know, maybe we have some common fellow high-schoolers from Ojai.

Take care!

Ghaffar A. Namjou

Thanks for Info.

This one is for poeple who in future may visit Washington,D.C.,VA & MD.

Best Wishes:

//www.dcpersian.com/news/sitenews.php

To Matt

www.7rooz.com

LA Persian Events

I'm visiting SoCal in a few weeks with my fiancee, who is an Iran specialist. We'll be there during her birthday (May 20), and I'm trying to find something--event, performance, film, etc.--to take her to. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for the help!!

~Matt.

Now I know

The last photo is very appropriate. Two little words that have caused many a man heart ache and more.

Now it is clear

Yours is a small town in a small world.  

Thank you. 

Feshangi

it's time to visit VestVood again!

#52 is someone's last name! SO bizarre that we have the other sibling with a similar license plate in OUR town!

Dear JJ Thanks.Lovely.

Dear JJ

Thanks.Lovely.

Thank you.

Loved the pictures and even took down some telephone numbers.

I remember Chelo Kababi in a Westwood mall in early 80s. A large chelo kabab, salad and pepsi for $5! Used to eat there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Javani koja'ee ke yadat bekhair. 

I did not get the number plate in picture #52 

Feshangi

JJ...

First of all, why do you have to ruin your Saturday by spending it in Orange County, the worst part of Southern California. But please check out Caspian Restaurant in Irvine while you're down there, it's one of the best!

To Redwine: work? Sure there is some work going on, but mostly by Mexicans. All the restaurant crew including vast majority of cooks and waiters are Hispanic immigrants, some of whom have decent farsi skills even. And that's just fine with cosmpopolitan American clientale who can pretend they know something about "Persia" by eating Koobideh in westwood.

Pretty much only the rug-stores can be said to be "Iranian" businesses in their entirety. A high number of all businesses are tax shelters. A friend used to joke that the most terrifying thing you can do in any Iranian business is to introduce yourself as an IRS agent. He has worked in the accounting business for 20 years and says he hasn't seen a single Iranian business in SoCal that doesn't cheat in its taxes... that's if they even file.

That being said, there is an increadible amount of stereotyping of what "SoCal" is like by people who live in Europe and Iran. For some reason everyone thinks it's all "bay watch" down here. Iroonis do love to flaunt leather/fur coats and expensive sports cars, but it's not all fun and games either.

Sorry to be a downer, but it's the truth. I should know. I've been here for ever.

...

پس راسته كه ايرونيا واقعا كار ميكنند در تهرانجلس...ما كه شنيده بوديم كه اونجا ايرونيا وعضشون خوبه و همش يا ميرن كنسرت خوانندههاي كيلويي يا هي جشنهاي من دراوردي از خودشون در ميارن تا مبادا حوصلشون سر نره.

ممنون جهانشاه جان از عكسها.شاد باشيد.

There are hundreds more in

There are hundreds more in Beverly HIlls, The Valley, Malibu, Wilshire area and Robertson and Downtown Los Angeles; especially jewlery and garment district. Thanks. These are great pictures.