Job Discussion Forums

[Cool Teacher]

Has anyone read Lollita in Teharan?

[Cleopatra]

I did once develop a masochistic streak and force myself to wade through it. A hunk of turgid, maudlin prose crying out for some ruthless editing. There are some excellent books on Iran, but this overhyped Oprah's book club-worthy tome is not one of them.

[veiledsentiments]

I didn't dislike it as much as Cleo, but it was rather self-indulgent as this type of book always is...

VS

[littleoldlady]

Sobh Behkher everyone ( Good morning in Farsi).
Just passing through here on my way to ... Iran! Don't panic VS and John S.. all shall be well.... ( insh'allah).

Like John, I was questionned by Savak in 1979 when I got married to an Iranian and by the Pasdah - dress police in subsequent years.

Iranians, , are delightful, hospitable, witty and open minded. The women love to know about your shall we say love life and can be very " fusili" - nosy.

I had a very different life to ex pats though as I married into an Iranian family and have Anglo-Iranian daughters. Read " Septembers of Shiraz" if you haven't done so already.

As far as working there.... very risky. Mr Ahmadinejad can be bit shall we say, " volatile?"
Fingers crossed everyone that I get out this time. Going on my Iranian passport with an exit visa. Needs must.

( trying out a range of suitable rusari ( headscarves).

Hope you enjoyed your mini Farsi lesson.

[Cleopatra]

[littleoldlady]

Didn't make myself clear, Cleo. My mistake. Good job I don't teach English ain't it?
Khoda hafez

[johnslat]

Dear LOL,

Actually, I wasn't formally questioned by the SAVAK. One of my neighbors in SHiraz was a very high-ranking officer of that outfit, however. He "took an interest" in me and invited me to his home, where we had a lovely dinner and pleasantly discussed "world issues" in a most congenial fashion. He seemed an exceptionally pleasant and erudite individual.

Then, when the "islamic Revolution" began to come to a boil, one day I got a phone call from that "pleasant and erudite individual." He accused me of being a "foreign agent" and proceeded to explain in considerable detail just what he was going to do to me down in the basement of the SAVAK headquarters in SHiraz. It was as if I'd had the chance to see good Dr. Jekyll transform into the diabolical Mr. Hyde.

Fortunately (for me) matters had gotten so uncomfortable for those who loved the Shah that he and his family left Shiraz within a day or so of my receiving his call.

"O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables,--meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain"

Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5

Regards,
John

[walkingstick]

[walkingstick]

[Cool Teacher]

Thanks. I thought Reading Lollita in Teheran was interesting. But I don't knwo much about Iran. I read two books on the country. One by Ervand Abrahamina called "History of Modern Iran" and one by Michael Axworthy called "Empire of the Mind". They were both very interesting.

Also, I ordred "My Uncle Napoleon" which many people say is a great novel about Iran but I haven't read it yet and one more book by Shirin Ebadi called Iran Awakening. I haven't read it either but own a copy. She won the Nobel prize!

I also want the Steven Kinzer book, "All The Shah's Men" and one by another guy from Iran called "A People Interrupted".

Iran is a fascinating country and I hope that it will be free soon.

[007]

[sliim]

I really get ticked about the way people in "the West" (whatever that means) feel that they have the right to decide who should run Iran and how they should run it.

The US, for example, had no qualms about removing the democratically elected Mosaddiq and installing the Shah. So when the Iranians had a revolution in 79, was there any surprise? What were they supposed to do, lie down and be enslaved?

People--all people--have a right to self-determination. But--and remember this--when the Iranians kicked out America's pet dictator, Americans were singing a mock version of the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann" that went "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."

So don't claim you love them and want good for them.

And now, thirty years on, the revolution seems to be a flop. But I say that the Iranians--and all people, for that matter--have a right to decide which course they choose to take independent of self-adulating westerners who ultimately have nothing but contempt for them (no matter how much they claim to "support" them).

It would be nice if US citizens would maybe stir the pot in their own collapsing republic rather than impose their narrow worldview on a people who have enough culture, history, technology and civilization to take care of themselves.

I am sick of ESL missionaries and their silly little project to convert the world.

[johnslat]

Dear sliim,

I really get ticked about the way SOME people on this forum make such generalizations about "US citizens."

"It would be nice if US citizens would maybe stir the pot in their own collapsing republic rather than impose their narrow worldview on a people who have enough culture, history, technology and civilization to take care of themselves."

"I am sick of ESL missionaries and their silly little project to convert the world."

If you think such "missionaries" are confined to the borders of the US, you
are quite mistaken.

Regards,
John

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

An' I hain't even Irish!!!

NCTBA