This is MPD, reporting from Tehran

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Multiple Personality Disorder
by Multiple Personality Disorder
14-Apr-2010
 

It's beautiful up here. The weather is perfect and everything is beautiful, even the bearded man at the airport passport checkout booth was beautiful, very polite. The most confusing part of getting out of the airport was picking up our luggage, most of the them looked the same on the conveyor belt. The more experienced travelers had marked their luggage with ribbons. My younger brother and I arrived at Khomeini International Airport in wee hours of Wednesday morning. He has never, until now, returned to Iran ever since he left the country as a teenager to study in the USA, that was over three decades ago. Over the years he made so many promises to return for a visit, never keeping any of them, until now. The time had to be now or it would never be, I thought. I had told him many times before, anytime he decides to go I would go with him. Me on the other hand have gone back afew times.

Everyone at the airport was crying of joy, and by "everyone" I don't mean just the members of my family. Some of the people who were there my brother had not seen before, ever. My brother cried nonstop for a long time. I, on the other hand, was more used to this kind of emotional scenes. Yeah! Whom am I kidding?! The tears were unstoppable. Our relatives were waiting on the other side of a glass wall and we were touching the glass and kissing each other and crying all at the same time. There was so much joy it was unbelievable. Grown-up men and women crying like babies. Young adults who were not even born yet at that time when my brother left and had never seen him, ever, were in tears. So much shit has happened ever since we left Iran as two young Iranian students and got stuck in limbo ever since. I went to the USA first, then my brother came some nine months later. He is loved by everyone, a great joker, dancer, plays tombak and santoor, a great party warmer-upper.

Through all the tears, everyone was looking at my dental braces and didn't know what to make of them. I was laughing my head off in betweenthe tears. I was laughing so hard that they could see my braces all the way to the end of my mouth where my wisdom teeth used to be before they were pulled out. The people here are incredible, and there are those who want to bomb these beautiful people and this beautiful place. To them I have to say khaak to saratoon, dirt be upon your heads. No matter where you drop your bombs you will kill some of these people, and if you want to kill you might as well line up your own children first.

The sensation of belonging to this place is unexplainable. The minute I look at the Iranian people and places something inside me tells me "I belong here." A few times I have tried to explain this feeling to my siblings and friends; they hear me but I don't think they fully grasp what I'm saying. The most common reply is "ageh raast migi chera barnemigardi?"; if you're telling the truth why don't you come back? And then the reality hits. How to come back to this place after being away for so many years.

There was not much traffic on Tehran-Qom Freeway, having arrived before sunrise. Going towards Tehran we passed Khomeini's grave, mausoleum, or whatever it is called. It's a site to see, right by the freeway, which is lined with trees for many miles, is well lit, and looked pretty good. The highways were great and cars moved fast. We passed a few highway interchanges till we finally took surface streets to our final destiny, to my little brother's house, having stayed there before and being more comfortable there than with the others. It was 4:30 a.m. when we got there. At the house we talked a few more hours before I passed out to sleep from being exhausted. I slept three hours this morning. Being from a different time zone seems to have confused my body but I am wide awake now.

I went out to find a coffee net this morning. The city air smells fresh, no sign of smog. Some street curbs are green and white, some others green is painted over with black. When I asked my brother why green was painted over with black and if it had anything to do with Green Movement, he laughed at the question. I think we in the West have become too imaginative.

I'll try to write more later.

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more from Multiple Personality Disorder
 
Fouzul Bashi

Dear MPD jan!

by Fouzul Bashi on

You brought tears into my eyes .. Have a wonderful time in our beautiful home and safe journey back.  You said it as it is:  Khak tu sareshoon, let them line up their own children first ...


Anahid Hojjati

dear vildemose, thanks for your words of support

by Anahid Hojjati on

Vildemose jan, I appreciate that you read my blogs. Thanks for what you wrote.


TellitLikeitis

خانوم دادور

TellitLikeitis


 

۲ تا سوال داشتم اگه لطف کنی‌ جواب بدی ممنون میشم:

۱) شوما تو کارتون کد آو اتیکس ندارین یا دارینو شوما حالیت نیس؟

۲) ما بچه که بودیم یه بستنی فروش داشتیم اسمش آقای دادور بود. نسبتی دارن؟ اگه دارن تورو خدا سلام مارو برسون


vildemose

Anahid jan: You have always

by vildemose on

Anahid jan: You have always been brutally honest and courageous. I admire that about you very much and never miss reading your post or comments.


Anahid Hojjati

Dear vildemos, thanks for your comment to me

by Anahid Hojjati on

Vildemose jan, thanks for opening in your comment to me.  Yes, unfortunately, sometimes there are much doroee in Iranians.

Dear vildemose, your comment was touching.


Maryam Hojjat

Thanks MPD!

by Maryam Hojjat on

For writing your feeling about being at home with our Iranian  compatriots.   Enjoy your stay.

Payandeh IRAN & True IRANIANS


maziar 58

say cheese

by maziar 58 on

MPD khan enjoy your trip,even though you ignored the u.s state dept.   advises of not traveling to Iran (for all American & dual citizens ) .but any way, 

Just do not get  close to PARK WAY (if you know what I mean)  !!           Maziar


vildemose

Anahid jan: I couldn't

by vildemose on

Anahid jan:

 I couldn't have said it better myself. I havea  Hizbollahi uncle who holds a US citizenship but he hates  and complains about the US constantly at the same time he Knows all the shopping malls in Los Angeles better than I and his children who live California. I can't stand his hypocrisy although I love him as an uncle. If I went to Iran and visited as many of my relatives always beg me to visit.;"You have no idea 'cheghadar khosh migzareh va cheghadar 'hameh chiz ke toye america hast to iran ham peyada misheh", va az in jour sohbatah.

There will be no difference between me and my uncle if I visited Iran while young kids are either languishing in jails and have succumbed to drug addiction because of abject poverty. Rastesho bekhayd, ghormeh sabzi va cholo kabob az galoom payeen memireh too Iran...lol

But that's just me. To each his own. as they say.


ramintork

MPD good for you

by ramintork on

And thanks for sharing images of home.

Come home safely we need you in good blogging order. LOL.


MM

MPD - r u sure everything is green?

by MM on

I heard that a fatwa was issued to extend the winter months by six months.  During this time all plants are prohibited from turning green.

 


minadadvar

Anahid Jan

by minadadvar on

"S" the first alphabet for........in English and "A" the first alphabet for ........in Farsi.  This character has been a member of IC for less than 2 hours.  He/she is already showing his/her true colors:  Yellow.  Don't be fooled by the avatar.


Anahid Hojjati

Holly, Holly, Holly, when did u become a therapist?

by Anahid Hojjati on

.


HollyUSA

I I I I I I I I I I I I

by HollyUSA on

Me me me... therein lies the problem! I'll try to make the point again: Niether your personal experience, nor mine should be what WE (people in general) use to dictate how another should or should not feel and do! This isn't just what I believe and want, it is a standard for normal, healthy conduct! 

Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to stop derailing this otherwise very nice blog.  God knows nice blogs are few and far between on IC these days.

 


Bavafa

MPD: What a nice blog, as if I was there, thank you so much

by Bavafa on

and hope to hear more of your trip.

Mehrdad


Anahid Hojjati

Dear Holly, MPD has written another blog

by Anahid Hojjati on

Dear Holly, we may come from different backgrounds.  I was in Iran until summer of 1983 and have many bad memories of IRI treating people.  I still think MPD should reflect problems and he already does.  As I check about 1PM, MPD already has written another blog about Iran and he has started writing about problems and people's take on them.


HollyUSA

Yes the issue IS bigger...

by HollyUSA on

but not in the way you describe it, at least not in my opinion. The truth is all hell can break loose and LIFE STILL MUST GO ON. You and I don't stop eating, working, showering or (God forbid) taking a vacation because of what is going in Iran or anywhere else for that matter, do we?? Just because we do and enjoy one thing doesn't mean we stop caring about another. My hope and belief is that most of us have the capacity to do that. And quite frankly those who don't, need help. It is not normal or healthy.

Further, he just landed for God sake. What do we want from him? To trample on his emotions and that of others, deny himself the pleasure of taking it all in and run out with a camera so that he can 'report' for us?

If you give him any credit for what he has written in the past, then I think a little time a credit now would also be appropriate. And even if this is just a nice, touchy feely, fluffy blog on all things nice when visiting Iran and nothing else, that's fine too. That's his right and his decision and many of us will enjoy it as you can see from the comments. I certainly don't believe any of us are qualified or have the right to be policing how others report on their trips or what priority they give to what goes on in the world.

The issue IS bigger. It concerns us as a nation, giving ourselves the right to tell others what they should, think, feel and do when we are niether qualified nor have the right.

There is a HUGE difference between what was said and 'MPD jan, have a wonderful trip and I'd love to know more about ....when you get a chance'.


Anahid Hojjati

Dear Holly, issue is bigger than MPD, also to Saccharine Annie

by Anahid Hojjati on

Dear Holly, issue is bigger than MPD.  I am sick and tired of Iranians sending e-mails showing off luxury hotels in Iran and then others just be happy that they can go to Iran for summer, have fun and then forget about all the problems Iranians have gone through past thirty some years.  MPD is the same writer who wrote many critical blogs about IRI so is he going to forget all that?  I write from my personal view that I will be disappointed at MPD if he does not use some of his time in Iran to do actual reporting.   Nobody wants to  kooft anyone's trip.  If MPD did not want this, he did not have to blog about it.  Once someone like MPD writes about going to Iran after all has that happened especially in the past year and MPD has written about it day and night, how can you can expect all comments be about, have fun, please eat more kabab, etc?

To Saccharine Annie, you are probably another writer who writes regularly on this site under another name heavily encouraging everyone to act and write aginst IRI and then she/he registers less than an hour ago to make comments in multiple blogs that I am jealous of those who visit Iran.  I like to visit Iran when there is freedom.  Until then, if I visit Iran, I will get happy seeing my family and friends but I will also be sad thinking about my friends losing their lives to IRI and IRI still being in power.  For me, time to visit Iran is when there will be "bahare azadi".  If you call this being jealous, Saccharine Annie, then you are truly an idiot.


HollyUSA

Since when is visiting Iran a crime??

by HollyUSA on

Why are some people 'koofting' MPD his trip home?? Since when does going to Iran to visit entail all these accusations? And if we so passionately feel for the people in Iran that we think we should begrudge ourselves a visit home, the love of family and friends and 'good food' (really? like we can't find that here?) then why accuse those same Iranians of "looking for opportunity to get green card"??? 

MPD, I know u and I don't see eye to eye on many things, but fair is fair. Enjoy your trip. Hug and kiss and cry and laugh and travel and eat and...to your heart's desire. Nooshe joonet.  Jaayeh maro ham khalee kon.

Tweet, you nailed it. I'm jealous TOO!


vildemose

Anhaid Jan: I couldn't agree

by vildemose on

Anhaid Jan: I couldn't agree more. Sometimes your pocketbook is the bottomline and trumps everything else in this world.

I guess Iranian.com is not blocked in Iran after all...


Monda

So good to hear from you!

by Monda on

Your travel blog is very touching.  I wish you the best times with your loved ones, where you belong but can't be.  Thank you so much for sending us this and hopefully more when you you get the chance.  Safaret bekhair o salaamat.  Khosh begzareh MPD jan.

(I thought you were done with the brace work.) 


Little Tweet

Nothing beats Norouz in Iran :))

by Little Tweet on

Nice blog even though you are being accused of many things because of it. One is calling you IRI agent and one is worried you might get someone a green card. That's so cute. I am jealous too!


Anahid Hojjati

Dear MPD, I just have to write this

by Anahid Hojjati on

Dear MPD, I believe many in Diaspora are not as active and outspoken aginst IRI since they benefit from it.  So many love to have their yearly trips to Iran so they can have good food, go to shomal and be showered with attention from people looking for opportunity to get green card.  Please don't forget your responsibilities as a writer and don't let your personal pleasures blind you to people's pain.


Cost-of-Progress

Hey MPD

by Cost-of-Progress on

" The city air smells fresh, no sign of smog."

No smog or fumes?  It's a miracle! If that is the case, then in the past 3 years they have managed to get rid of the majority of "maachine mashdi mamdali's" responsible for Tehran air as being the most toxic.

Hope you enjoy your stay bro'. Be safe.

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________


Abarmard

Thanks MPD

by Abarmard on

It is great to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time and writing your trip experiences for us. Waiting for more, hopefully soon. Be safe and happy traveling.


Ari Siletz

Thanks MPD

by Ari Siletz on

You picked all the right moments, scenes and characters to make us feel we were right there with you. Looking forward to experiencing Iran through your insightful eyes and creative mind.

Nazy Kaviani

One more thing...

by Nazy Kaviani on

به کجا چنین شتابان؟
گون از نسیم پرسید
دل من گرفته زینجا , هوس سفر نداری؟
ز غبار این بیابان؟
همه آرزویم اما.... چه کنم که بسته پایم....
به کجا چنین شتابان؟
به هر آن کجا که باشد بجز این سرا سرایم

سفرت به خیر اما تو و دوستی خدا را
چو از این کویر وحشت به سلامتی گذشتی
به شکوفه ها به باران
برسان سلام ما را

دکتر محمدرضا شفیعی کدکنی

م. سرشک


Nazy Kaviani

How beautiful!

by Nazy Kaviani on

Aaaaaahhhhhhhh! Enjoy your time MPD! So glad for you and your brother and the rest of your family. Do tell us more when you can. Can't wait to read the rest of your lovely travel diary.


bajenaghe naghi

Multiple Personality Disorder jan

by bajenaghe naghi on

Happy to hear you are well and having fun. Loved reading your first blog of this trip to beautiful Iran. I got emotional reading it.  Hug everyone and kiss everyone because everyone is so special there. Keep on having lots of fun.  Looking forward to reading your next blog. 


divaneh

Good on you

by divaneh on

Hope you are having an enjoyable time dear MPD. While you are there try to have a little word with AN and see if you can bring any sense to him.


curly

MPD

by curly on

have a great time specially that marge is sending you love all the way from Palestine:D