Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thebomb]

[desultude]

[ajgeddes]

Well, things are still great here. This place is kind of like me gym in Korea. I went there everyday and never got anything done because the whole time I was there, the trainer just talked to me. So, I would go for 2 hours and do 3 exercises. Well, Iran is the same, and it is taking me forever to see everything, but I got most of the big things covered in Isfahan, but I am leaving tonight to fly to Shiraz.

The people here are awesome. There is one guy I stop and see everyday and have tea with. Yesterday, he took me out for a nice curry lunch. Another guy bought me breakfast. Not just that, but they are very family oriented. They don't drink here (well, in public, apparently they all drink at home) but they are all out until at least midnight. They go to the square, or the river, or the park and play with their families. They are played volleyball or soccer or badminton and eating ice cream and actually spending a tonne of time with their families. They all ask you to sit down with them, too, and stuff your face with food.

I saw the two main mosques of the city yesterday, and they were both stunning. The detail in everything is amazing. When people build stuff here, it is built to last. The Friday mosque is 1,200 years old in parts.

I had Saffron ice cream last night, it was da bomb!

The last little while in Isfahan, the government has been cracking down and they have closed a lot of the popular tea shops and are making things close at midnight, whereas, less than a month ago, most things were open until 4AM. 3 of the main, most popular, tea shops were all closed down, the week before I got here, too bad.

You can get booze here, but only in the Armenian areas. They aren't really allowed to sell it to tourists, but they do. They are actually given quite a bit of freedom here, for being an Islamic Republic and all. In Isfahan, there are 13 churches. You can just feel a difference when you walk in their part of the city, so much more liberal and no chadors, whereas everywhere else the girls where chadors here, as Isfahan is one of the most religious cities in Iran. It's good to go to Shiraz next, which is probably the most liberal.

Anyways, I am outtie for now.

__________________________________________

Actually, I just got to Shiraz, my hotel is amazing, and it is $37 a night.

To answer a few questions.

Princess - You don't have to worry. Just don't show your arms, above your ankle, and you can be pretty relaxed with the veil. A couple of women I talked to have been here a month and the one just wears a bandana style thing. It doesn't cover her neck or ears.

Someone else - Regarding VISA's, I just applied through a tour company. It cost $35 and they got me an authorization number and then I just went to the embassy and they gave me a VISA. The whole process was 10 days for me. I couldn't transfer money to them because of it being an Iranian bank, so they just told me to drop by and pay them when I got here. I will pay them tomorrow.

If you are anything but American, you can travel freely, but sometimes they make Brits take a tour. Americans have to take a tour no matter what, but can still wander freely at the end of the day and do whatever they want. People here are super cool with Americans, love Canadians, and are a bit so-so with Brits. Apparently the only two groups of people who they don't really 'like' are Brits and get this.... Koreans. Seriously. But they are still nice.

I showed up at immigration and they asked me what hotel I was staying in. This was at 3AM. I told them I didn't have one, the guy looked at me like I was retarded and then he said go ahead. So, you don't need to have things booked before you go, although you do have to send in an itinerary. I haven't followed mine at all, in fact, I don't even know what it is.

I am Canadian.

[doggyji]

Very interesting! Some pictures wouldn't hurt if you have the USB cable with you.

[bosintang]

[merkurix]

What a great adventure, it really debunks the view of western media outlets who portray a strained Iranian society constantly living under the spear of the ever-watchful ayatollahs.

[Tiger Beer]

How is the nightlife in Tehran? Is there much of one? Iranians seem really cool, and they party quite a bit in Seoul anyways. Seems like Tehran would have its spots somewhere.

Iranians are seem super intelligent and well-educated. Always impressed to meet an Iranian. Would be a very interesting country to visit.

[ajgeddes]

[ajgeddes]

Well, just visited Persepolis today. Amazing! It is actually really big and it is cool to see the reliefs put onto the stone. Also, definitely cool thinking that Alexander the Great, Darius and Xerxes all stood there. I also visited the tombs of Darius, Xerxes, Artaxerxes and Darius II. They were also very cool.

Also, explored Shiraz yesterday, the home of wine and poetry. It's also pretty cool and has a nice bazaar but it isn't Isfahan. I got kicked out of some holy place for not being a muslim, but it was because yesterday was a national muslim holy day, so they said come back tomorrow.

Yesterday, I had my first moment where I wanted to kick the Persian in the chest and yell "THIS IS SPARTA!" Getting laundry done at my hotel was a real test in patience.

Anyways, off for now to try to figure out how to extend my VISA.

Oh yeah, also saw super-cool Korean guy today and he was with 3 Korean women who were also cool.

[doggyji]

You are having such a great time! It's interesting that you see quite a few Koreans in Iran, which I didn't expect. They are tourists, right? Last month I visited Turkey and Koreans were all over the famous spots there, too. My dad had his middle eastern experience in Iraq under the Saddam Hussein regime. He worked for a Korean construction company as an engineer back in the '80's, building oil pipes. He has many negative memories indeed as he even had a few life-threatening moments, apart from little annoyances such as officials often asking for treats. A kid on the street pointing a gun at him, for example. And back then, Korean workers got often kidnapped by the Kurdish fighters for ransom and the company had to negotiate with them a few times. Now it's all just interesting anju for soju.

[trubadour]

wow, sounds cool. Keep us posted.

[endo]

ajgeddes, do you speak Farsi?

Has communication been difficult? And didn't you visit Afghanistan a year ago (or was that another poster)?


Did you make it to northwest Iran? Alamut?


Keep the stories comming!

[ajgeddes]

No, I don't speak Farsi, a few little basic things is all I can muster. Communiction has been difficult a couple of times, but one thing that is very different between here and Korea is the willingness to try to understand. You know sometimes in Korea when you approach someone with English, they panic and just shut down. It's the opposite here, you just keep on trying, they keep on trying and eventually you can get your point across what needs to be done. It's great.

I won't make it to Nothern Iran, I want to but I just don't have the time. Basically, my trip will lead me to Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and Kashan, and then the surrounding areas of these cities.

It was not me that went to Afghanistan, it was Camel.

I will write more tomorrow when I have time. I am in Yazd right now, and it is mind-blowingly amazing, right down the the traditional hotels.

By the way, Super-cool Korean guy and I are like BFF's now. We are going on a tour together tomorrow, after hanging out with him all day today. We, by coincidence, ended up on the same bus here yesterday.

More by the way, Koreans are common enough here that there are to signs on this internet cafe's door in Hangeul.

[Tiger Beer]

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

Sounds like a great trip.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you budget for it?