They can't take that away from me

“The way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea…The memory of all that, no no they can’t take that away from me.”

So there I stood with my ‘happy as always’ face and slightly nervous attitude at the visa section of the airport of Tehran. “That’s fifty euros please.” Monney had given me 280.000 Iranian Rials, equal to around twenty euros. Bright as I am, I considered this to be enough to enter Iran. Smart of course. The ATMs in Iran are not connected to the international network and I did not have any other money. I really thought that I would be on my way back to Dubai, when the visa guy made a few phone calls with Mike and a few minutes later mr. Shahbazi, the man who picked me up from the airport, came with the necessary money. I wonder when I’ll ever turn out of luck, but I can tell you I’m happy to be born on Sunday.

Dubai and Tehran have been great and surpassing my expectations. In both cities I have been treated like a king by the Javadi family, something for which I always be grateful. Dubai was a true ‘culture shock’ after the chaotic and unstructured life in Cairo. Everything was new and clean and the air-conditioning was always working. I had a very special encounter with dolphins and I performed one day of true fasting, including praying and not biting my nails. For the rest it does not really feel you’re in the Middle East. There is no history and culture and everything is about showing off wealth and getting things done as soon as possible. I had a really great time, but five days were enough.

Iran is just amazing. The treasures that are present are indescribable. This accounts for the jewelry and palaces of the Shahs, but also for the natural treasures that are everywhere. At a certain moment I felt like driving through Amsterdam, when watching the green trees along the road. I paid a visit to Esfehan, a very impressive city with a lot of art and architectural wonders 450km south of Tehran. I took a train and I’m glad I did. It was great to talk with the Iranians in my cabin. We spoke about the beauty of Iran and the kindness of the people, about their struggle and the hope that their country will be seen as the proper and beautiful country that it is. Although they could hardly speak English it was a very nice experience and it gave me a very welcome feeling.

I did way more, but something that really surprised was the level of liberalness in the streets. Again there is a clear separation between the public and private, but I was stunned with how often I saw people eat and drink on the streets and in parks, although it was Ramadan of course. When I went for lunch in Esfehan to see that the whole restaurant was full I could not believe my eyes.

It shows that ‘theory’ is not enough to understand what’s going on in the Middle East. Without meeting the people and experiencing daily life it is impossible to understand what moves the respectable societies. With all the stereotyping in the West and the lack of understanding of the culture, the existing gap will probably broaden further. Generalizing is impossible. In every country they wear their hat and sip their tea differently. I have learned that when you embrace the culture, without judging the very apparent differences, life in the Middle East is great and the people are the same as everywhere. This is my experience, although I realize life was easier for me since I’m a guy.

During the past two and a half months I have met the son of the president of Kurdistan, I have seen a new and an old world wonder, I drank a beer in a yaught club in Beirut, swam with dolphins and took the train in Iran. Most importantly however, I developed myself by exploring different cultures and was able to meet amazing people along the way.

They just can’t take that away from me…

Dare to share.

Jort Statema