I feel a little guilty about my last rant re: smelly taxi drivers. While it's true that a lot of them smell and/or try and rip you off when they see you're a foreigner, you do get the odd gem.
Like last night. One of the '133' drivers (one of the bigger taxi companies in Qum) dropped us off at someone's house. Not even 2 mins later, the guy drove back to the house and handed me my mobile phone. I didn't even realise I'd left it behind! And to top it off, its a brand new nokia E71!
So I felt really guilty cos I previously slagged off taxi drivers and came home and immeadiately changed my facebook status in the taxi driver's honour.
But one day later, as I sit and ponder on what happened (yes, I'm really that sad) I realise that actually, I gave the driver my phone to speak to the family whose house we had been invited to, to check we were in the right place. And HE forgot to give the phone back to me! And I forgot to ask for it back. So technically I didn't leave the phone in his car, he held onto it and drove off, but realised his mistake and came back. So its a little from column A and a little from column B.
And I'm changing my FB status!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Smug people
I really hate smug people.
You don't get a lot of the convenience food in Qum that we're used to back home. There is no concept of sticking something in the micro and 5 mins later having a meal in front of you. Most things have to be made from scratch. (perhaps that's why most people loose weight here - because they can't be bothered to prepare meals/snacks themselves).
So when a new product comes out in the shops, I get really excited. The latest additions to the grocery list include frozen chips and frozen veggies! (We get the tinned ones here already, but I think they look very anaemic - esp the peas).
I once made the mistake of telling one such smug person that I found frozen chips in the grocery store. She spent the next half hour explaining to me the benefits of the homemade variety, how its better to do it yourself, how her husband doesn't like anything that isn't homemade, how eating chips doesn't fill you up. Jeez, I wish I'd kept my mouth shut. In reply to said smug person, I'd just like to say:
1. I'm not a stepford housewife. I'd rather go out and see the world and have fun rather than be chained to the kitchen peeling potatoes.
2. Train your husband better - a time will come when he will have to eat leftovers/freezer food etc. Or better still, teach him how to cook!
3. If such convenience food exists in Qum, make the most of it! After all, the mullas will be buying and eating it too, so who are we to deny ourselves such things! :-)
The other variety of smug people are the ones that withold information from others. What's the problem with telling people where you got something from or which classes/programmes are taking place. Share information people! It can be very frustrating for new people to find their feet in a new place with such barriers put in front of them.
That's my whinge for today.
You don't get a lot of the convenience food in Qum that we're used to back home. There is no concept of sticking something in the micro and 5 mins later having a meal in front of you. Most things have to be made from scratch. (perhaps that's why most people loose weight here - because they can't be bothered to prepare meals/snacks themselves).
So when a new product comes out in the shops, I get really excited. The latest additions to the grocery list include frozen chips and frozen veggies! (We get the tinned ones here already, but I think they look very anaemic - esp the peas).
I once made the mistake of telling one such smug person that I found frozen chips in the grocery store. She spent the next half hour explaining to me the benefits of the homemade variety, how its better to do it yourself, how her husband doesn't like anything that isn't homemade, how eating chips doesn't fill you up. Jeez, I wish I'd kept my mouth shut. In reply to said smug person, I'd just like to say:
1. I'm not a stepford housewife. I'd rather go out and see the world and have fun rather than be chained to the kitchen peeling potatoes.
2. Train your husband better - a time will come when he will have to eat leftovers/freezer food etc. Or better still, teach him how to cook!
3. If such convenience food exists in Qum, make the most of it! After all, the mullas will be buying and eating it too, so who are we to deny ourselves such things! :-)
The other variety of smug people are the ones that withold information from others. What's the problem with telling people where you got something from or which classes/programmes are taking place. Share information people! It can be very frustrating for new people to find their feet in a new place with such barriers put in front of them.
That's my whinge for today.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Police line: Do not cross!
You know that yellow tape that the police put across crime scenes to stop people wandering in a contaminating evidence at a crime scene? I saw a refreshing alternative the other day. It was a green tape which said: "Grass and flower seeds planted. Do not enter".
How cute!
How cute!
Smelly People
I wish people would learn to wash. Its no good covering your sweaty, gross. 'I haven't showered in 3 days' body odour smell with nasty Iranian rose water perfume Mr Taxi Driver. It makes your passengers want to throw up in your equally dirty taxi.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Gym Class
I've now had a couple of gym classes. They are just too, too funny. I wanted to share a couple of observations with you. Although to get the full benefit of the experience, you need to be in the class, but I'll try my bestest. But first maybe a warning. If you're in love with Jamia, Iran or lack a sense of humour, you might want to navigate away from this post!
1. No matter how much the teacher insists that there are no men in the gym, some of the girls refuse to take their scarves off during gym class.
2. Same about gym clothes. Girls trying to exercise in shalwar kameezes, jeans, 'school shoes' and a variety of other non-practical clothes is indeed a sight to be seen.
3. You know those funny soldier marches that you see on the news in 3rd world countries where they walk and kick their legs up to hip-height - they learn them in gym class. And yes, we did them last week and no, I can't bring my legs upto hip-height.
4. Sport bras don't exist in this country. Or in any of the countries where the students in my class come from. I'll leave the mental picture up to you. Future potential business idea?! Import sports bras from Primark and sell them here.
5. People who have bad backs, knees etc. are not exempt from class. The teacher takes these people to one side and makes them do stretches! I've learnt that its better to do as much as you can in class rather than make up some ailment. The only thing that gets you out of class is getting pregnant.
6. Pace yourselves people! My classmates have yet to learn that if they run fast, or are really energetic in the first hour of class, there is no energy left for the 2nd hour.
7. They have some really strange exercises in this country. For example, lieing on the floor, bringing your knees up to your chest and rocking on your back is supposed to help strengthen your back?! Makes mine hurt more)
8. We have this sequence of star jumps and arm/leg movements that we are going to be tested on?! We're supposed to practise them at home. The second part of our exam is an obstacle course. My PE grades sucked at school. Hope these ones don't bring my grades down too :-(
9. I thought I was unco-ordinated. You should see some of the other students in the class. Picture Mr Bean (or Mr Blooby) with a long pole trying to kick his foot up in the air upto hip-height and walk 3 steps forward and back in synch with the teacher. That's what last week's class was like!
10. Our teacher is stick thin. My classmates ask her for dietry advice! Maybe there is something in her exercises!
1. No matter how much the teacher insists that there are no men in the gym, some of the girls refuse to take their scarves off during gym class.
2. Same about gym clothes. Girls trying to exercise in shalwar kameezes, jeans, 'school shoes' and a variety of other non-practical clothes is indeed a sight to be seen.
3. You know those funny soldier marches that you see on the news in 3rd world countries where they walk and kick their legs up to hip-height - they learn them in gym class. And yes, we did them last week and no, I can't bring my legs upto hip-height.
4. Sport bras don't exist in this country. Or in any of the countries where the students in my class come from. I'll leave the mental picture up to you. Future potential business idea?! Import sports bras from Primark and sell them here.
5. People who have bad backs, knees etc. are not exempt from class. The teacher takes these people to one side and makes them do stretches! I've learnt that its better to do as much as you can in class rather than make up some ailment. The only thing that gets you out of class is getting pregnant.
6. Pace yourselves people! My classmates have yet to learn that if they run fast, or are really energetic in the first hour of class, there is no energy left for the 2nd hour.
7. They have some really strange exercises in this country. For example, lieing on the floor, bringing your knees up to your chest and rocking on your back is supposed to help strengthen your back?! Makes mine hurt more)
8. We have this sequence of star jumps and arm/leg movements that we are going to be tested on?! We're supposed to practise them at home. The second part of our exam is an obstacle course. My PE grades sucked at school. Hope these ones don't bring my grades down too :-(
9. I thought I was unco-ordinated. You should see some of the other students in the class. Picture Mr Bean (or Mr Blooby) with a long pole trying to kick his foot up in the air upto hip-height and walk 3 steps forward and back in synch with the teacher. That's what last week's class was like!
10. Our teacher is stick thin. My classmates ask her for dietry advice! Maybe there is something in her exercises!
Afternoon Siestas
Afternoon naps are a national institution here. One would never dream of calling an Iranian between 1 and 5pm. Most shops are closed between these times too, which kinda makes it hard if one runs out of ingrediants while cooking lunch. (yes, for those of you that know me you'll be glad to know that I'm finally getting the hang of the cooking thing!!)
I haven't quite got the hang of the afternoon nap. It sounds great in theory. 40 winks after lunch to help you get through the rest of the day. The trick is to time it. The nap should be exactly an hour. Any more than that, just makes you feel more tired.
I love my sleep. I could sleep all day - just give me a duvet and a dark room. But this afternoon nap thing is beyond me. I ALWAYS over sleep and then it takes me the rest of the evening to 're-wake-up'.
I haven't quite got the hang of the afternoon nap. It sounds great in theory. 40 winks after lunch to help you get through the rest of the day. The trick is to time it. The nap should be exactly an hour. Any more than that, just makes you feel more tired.
I love my sleep. I could sleep all day - just give me a duvet and a dark room. But this afternoon nap thing is beyond me. I ALWAYS over sleep and then it takes me the rest of the evening to 're-wake-up'.
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