Iran: Adventures to the Homeland

     Our other stop in the Middle East for Spring Break was Iran! I was especially excited to go there because I am Persian and both my parents were born in Iran before they moved to the US. My brother and I had never been to Iran before, my mom hadn't been back for over 20 years and my dad was going back for the first time after he left 39 years ago. The trip was bound to be a really amazing experience for our whole family. Going into the trip, I had no clue what to expect because all I had heard of is how Iran "used to be" and the only things that illustrate Iran now are the news and talk of war and nuclear capabilities. Regardless, I can say with complete confidence that what I saw during my four-day journey exceeded any expectations that I had about my family's original home nation and I am so glad we finally visited!

   Our first stop was Shiraz. From the second we exited the terminal, the smell of orange blossom took over took over our senses. It was the sweetest and most welcoming aroma I have ever smelled! The first thing I noticed was how good it felt to understand what people were saying even if I couldn't respond! Since my whole family speaks Persian, I grew up around people speaking it, so I can basically fully understand it, but I still can't speak it very well. We arrived at 2am so the bulk of our Shiraz exploration happened the next morning. We started by visiting one of Shiraz's many gardens and baths and saw the historic ways in which cities and citadels were planned out. Next, we went to the great poet Hofez's monument, garden, and grave. At the gate, people were handing out Hofez poems and fortunes for pedestrians by having really cute birds choose one at random. Hofez is one of the most important and influential parts of Iranian history and is most remembered for these three things: he could recite the whole Quran, he thought big, and he always was positive and fostered hope through his written and spoken work. People always came to him when they need advice and still consult his book for help hundreds of years after his death. After visiting his grave, we went to lunch at a traditional Iranian restaurant where we feasted on top of a bed, rather than sit in chairs. It was so cool! The next and coolest stop was Persepolis! Persepolis was plotted by Cyrus the Great and was executed in 1518 by Darius the First, two of the most powerful leaders of the Achaemenid Empire. It was used as the central palace of the Achaemenid Empire and was said to be the center of town. We were able to see what remains of this ancient palace that was eventually burnt by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The depictions on the walls showed crowds of diverse people from all over the empire offering gifts to the emperor. 

    During out journey through Iran, we drove from city to city. Our next stop was my personal favorite: Esfahan. The main place we visited was the Royal Square, which was the home of the Safavid Dynasty. The Safavid Dynasty was very religious and appreciated art as made evident by the beautiful square. The square was built with the golden proportion with four monuments, one on each side. The first, and my all time favorite, was the Masjid e Shah (now called Masjid e Emam). This was the holy mosque of the city and is honestly one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. The entirely of the mosque was decorated with different shades of blue and yellow tiles in a floral and herbal pattern. The images really speak for themselves...

    The next monument was the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. This was the women's mosque where especially the wives of the Shah (there were up to 100) would come from an underground tunnel from the palace because they were not allowed to be seen. This mosque too was decorated with beautiful blue and golden tiles and was fitted with a massive dome. Third was the Royal Bazzar; it was a total of 3 kilometers long and sold everything from spices to handicrafts to clothes. Lastly was Ali Qupu Palace, which was one of the palaces of the empire. The Shah would sit up on the top balcony and watch the polo games that used to be in the middle of the square. There was also a music level at the top floor where the top musicians at the time would come play for the king and the melodies would flow through the palace. 

Our last stop in Iran was the capital city, Tehran. What I remember most about Tehran were the two breakfasts I had: the two were very different, but both were memorable and delicious. The first morning, we went to J’ai Café. This is where all the young, hip, and rich Persians come for brunch, all dressed in similar attire. Women were wearing their head-carves more relaxed, often having their long straightened hair hanging out the back of a designer scarf, and sporting sunglasses in hand. Since they can’t show much else, the women went all out in terms of accessories; from bags to glasses, to watches, to jewelry, to shoes, they wore nothing but designer. This look and atmosphere reminded me of the Iranian community at home. Besides the super interesting people watching, it was really nice to get a taste of the western food I missed. I had the best smoothie and French toast as pictured below. The next breakfast was at a little hole in the wall kitchen that my mom’s friend suggested. It was probably the highlight of my trip besides the mosque in Esfahan. The breakfast I had there was so authentic; we had warm bread with cherry jam, eggs with sausages, and strong Persian tea. The even through the crowd and food were the polar opposite of what I had enjoyed the day before, it was just as good, or even better.

    Honestly my favorite part of the trip was the fact that we traveled like locals and drove from city to city, enjoying the little things like warm bread on the side of the street and reliving memories from my parents’ pasts like seeing my mom’s elementary school. Surprisingly, the long car rides from city to city were a highlight because of the laughs from insomnia and the sunset views. Ultimately, I was so pleasantly surprised by how modernizing and improving Iran was. I will forever remember these beautiful experiences. 

Saudi Arabia: Bin There, Done Haij

      This spring break, my family and I traveled to the Middle East. Our first destination was Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  In order to get to Saudi Arabia, we had to connect through Dubai. To my mother’s and my delight, we had a 7-hour layover so we left the airport and explored for a couple hours...

     When my brother and I were younger, my family used to come to Dubai more often so it was really nice to at least get a glimpse of my favorite childhood sites like the Borj Al Arab hotel and the Dubai Mall, as well as see new favorites like the (current) tallest building I'm the world, Burj Kalifa. The new tallest building will be Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, our final destination, and it will break 1,000 feet. It was really interesting to travel between these two competing Arab nations and compare their industrialization since they are both referred to as their respective country's "big, modern city." To my surprise, Jeddah was nothing like the bustling, industrial, and skyscraper clad Dubai but rather resembled cities in Africa, like Senegal or Ethiopia. Yet, it was still obvious that Jeddah was quickly working towards complete industrialization because of all the construction everywhere. Nevertheless both cities, Dubai and Jeddah, and counties, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have impressively and quickly transformed from nomadic, Bedouin cultures to immensely rich and thriving welfare states in the past 100 years, all thanks to the discovery of abundant oil in the region. Today, oil accounts for 95% percent of Saudi Arabia's exports and 70% of the country’s total government revenue. 

      During our stay in Jeddah, we got the chance to go to Mecca and preform the holy pilgrimage that Muslims from all over the world come to participate in, Haji. My family is not very religious, or Muslim at all, but both my parents were born into Islamic homes. Regardless of the fact that we are not Muslim, we decided to do the whole deal. My mom and I wore the white full body outfit which consisted of three layers: white pants, a white long sleeve tunic, and a tight white hijab that only showed our faces. My father and brother wore the traditional outfit of two towels: one around the waist and the other around the shoulders. We first started by praying outside the mosque when the Azan, the prayer over a load speaker, went off. Even though I had no clue how to pray correctly, I thought it was such a meaningful experience because I was surrounded by thousands of other women from all over the world. Then, we walked into the massive mosque, which is the largest in the world, and headed towards the Kaaba. Once we got to the central part of the mosque, we saw the large black box that people all over the world save up to see, pray in its direction five times a day, and which people even before Islam came to pay respect to their gods.  It was surreal. We circled it 7 times; we prayed the whole time and even got a chance to touch the Kaaba! After that we prayed twice more, we then made our way to the area of the mosque where we walk for approximately two miles between two rocks. The last step was to cut off a little bit of our hair and then we were officially Hajis! 

     

     When we got to the city of Mecca, I was really shocked. I thought that since it was such a holy city, there would be little to no commercialization and tall buildings, but I was wrong. Firstly, the third tallest building, The Clock Tower, is neighboring the mosque. Next to it are numerous hotels and other tall buildings. Around the Caba itself is a three-story structure, which allows more people to circle the Caba while praying. As if all this isn't enough, the whole mosque is lined with cranes, that are all working 24/7.  In my opinion, these new industrialization, modernization, and commercialization projects are ruining the holiness and true experience of Mecca.  Nevertheless, it was still an experience of a lifetime and I am really glad I that I got an opportunity to try it out!

     The entire time I was traveling, through both Mecca and Jeddah, I couldn't help but think constantly about the role that women play in Saudi Arabia Before even getting to the Middle East region, I was not looking forward to the fact, and I was rather angry, that I had to wear a hijab and other Shira law attire during my trip such as covering all of my skin besides my hands and face. I thought that as an American tourist and woman, I had the right to wear whatever I wanted. Yet, the fact of the matter is that the second I leave the US, I leave my rights at the boarding gate and I have to respect the laws of the country I am traveling to. I understand that the only rules that we had to follow were to cover our hair, arms, legs and to dress modestly. My mom and I did this, not realizing that we were probably the only women in the entire county not wearing an abaya. When I say this, I am not exaggerating; from private areas like our hotel to public areas like the mall we did not see one female wearing anything other than an abaya. This, embarrassingly, awkwardly, and frighteningly, was noticed not only by us, but also by officials in the mall. My brother and I went to go get ice cream while my dad and mom were browsing through the mall. Not paying that much attention to how much of my hair was covered, a little bit began showing in the back. A woman came up to me and tried to talk to me in Arabic but I didn't understand her and I thought she just wanted to have me try a perfume or something, so I kept walking. She and a couple other women stopped my brother and tried to talk to him too, asking where we were from. Then they got a man to translate for us and he basically said that I needed to follow the country’s rules and completely cover my hair. He suggested that I wear an abaya and leave the mall immediately. It was such a scary experience especially since my parents weren't there! Overall, I completely respect a woman's choice to wear an abaya, burka, or hijab, but I don't think that this attire should be enforced. In my opinion, these restrictions narrow women’s ability to express themselves freely. Beyond clothing, women are oppressed in other ways in Saudia Arabia as well. For instance, women are not allowed to drive and must be accompanied by men wherever they go. This not only is just blatantly wrong, but it also destroys any sense of freedom and independence for the women, and forms a patriarchal structure within the home. In addition, women will not be allowed to vote until next year’s municipal elections. Evidently, women are second class citizens in Saudi Arabia; this really disturbed me when I visited and it still does. 

    Overall, I think visiting Saudi Arabia was a really eye opening experience and I was glad that I could see it with my own eyes! 

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CHILE

The next stop on our South American journey was Santiago, Chile. Waking up in this city, we saw the evident development and industrialization of this modern, forward-looking nation. The city almost seemed like it could blend in with those of Europe. The city even had its own metro system as a efficient public transportation system. In addition, Santiago is home to the tallest building in South America, Gran Torre Santiago, which has a total of 70 floors and a height of 300 meters (compared to the 828 meters of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world). The country has had a consistent, steady growth in GDP and an overall good management of assets. This wealth is largely due to the copper industry, which comprises one third of all copper production in the world. In addition, economists educated at University of Chicago and Harvard have pushed the country into a more capitalist economic model. Through privatization they have greatly improved Chile's economy.

Like many neighboring South American countries (e.g. Brazil and Argentina), Chile has a female president, Michelle Bachelet, who served her first term in 2006. Bachelet has done a lot of work helping the Chilean people find the truth and take steps towards reconciling what happened during the 1973 Coup d'etat. Bachelet has created a museum to "raise awareness of the human rights violations committed by the State of Chile between 1973 and 1990, to dignify the victims and their families, and to stimulate reflection and discussion on the importance of respect and tolerance, so that these events never recur" (according to their website). We visited El Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, which resembled all the other genocide or Holocaust museums I have seen around the world. This reminded me that history really does repeat itself. Here is a brief history of what was covered in the museum:

In September 1973, the democratically elected left-ist president Salvador Allende was overthrown by a military coup. The coup was lead by Augusto Pinochet, who ended up taking over the country, kicking Allende, who later committed suicide, out of office. These are President Allende's last words:

My friends,

Surely this will be the last opportunity for me to address you. The Air Force has bombed the towers of Radio Portales and Radio Corporación.

My words do not have bitterness but disappointment. May they be a moral punishment for those who have betrayed their oath: soldiers of Chile, titular commanders in chief, Admiral Merino, who has designated himself Commander of the Navy, and Mr. Mendoza, the despicable general who only yesterday pledged his fidelity and loyalty to the Government, and who also has appointed himself Chief of the Carabineros [national police].

Given these facts, the only thing left for me is to say to workers: I am not going to resign! 

Placed in a historic transition, I will pay for loyalty to the people with my life. And I say to them that I am certain that the seed which we have planted in the good conscience of thousands and thousands of Chileans will not be shriveled forever.

They have strength and will be able to dominate us, but social processes can be arrested neither by crime nor force. History is ours, and people make history.

Workers of my country: I want to thank you for the loyalty that you always had, the confidence that you deposited in a man who was only an interpreter of great yearnings for justice, who gave his word that he would respect the Constitution and the law and did just that. At this definitive moment, the last moment when I can address you, I wish you to take advantage of the lesson: foreign capital, imperialism, together with the reaction, created the climate in which the Armed Forces broke their tradition, the tradition taught by General Schneider and reaffirmed by Commander Araya, victims of the same social sector which will today be in their homes hoping, with foreign assistance, to retake power to continue defending their profits and their privileges.

I address, above all, the modest woman of our land, the campesina who believed in us, the worker who labored more, the mother who knew our concern for children. I address professionals of Chile, patriotic professionals, those who days ago continued working against the sedition sponsored by professional associations, class-based associations that also defended the advantages which a capitalist society grants to a few.  

I address the youth, those who sang and gave us their joy and their spirit of struggle. I address the man of Chile, the worker, the farmer, the intellectual, those who will be persecuted, because in our country fascism has been already present for many hours -- in terrorist attacks, blowing up the bridges, cutting the railroad tracks, destroying the oil and gas pipelines, in the face of the silence of those who had the obligation to protect them.  They were committed. History will judge them.

Surely Radio Magallanes will be silenced, and the calm metal instrument of my voice will no longer reach you. It does not matter. You will continue hearing it. I will always be next to you. At least my memory will be that of a man of dignity who was loyal to [inaudible] the workers.

The people must defend themselves, but they must not sacrifice themselves. The people must not let themselves be destroyed or riddled with bullets, but they cannot be humiliated either.

Workers of my country, I have faith in Chile and its destiny. Other men will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to prevail. Go forward knowing that, sooner rather than later, the great avenues will open again where free men will walk to build a better society.

Long live Chile! Long live the people! Long live the workers!

These are my last words, and I am certain that my sacrifice will not be in vain, I am certain that, at the very least, it will be a moral lesson that will punish felony, cowardice, and treason.

Santiago de Chile, 11 September 1973

This coup was influenced by president Nixon of the United States who did not want there to be another "Cuba" or communist country neighboring America. This exemplifies how fear of communism during the Cold War pushed America to support dictatorships in South America. What followed were 8 years of terror where Pinochet killed anyone who disagreed with him. From mass killings, to torture, to labor camps, Pinochet did it all. The sheer fear imposed on all citizens and the increasing number of refugees, woke up the international community. They eventually pushed Pinochet to call a referendum, the YES option keeping the dictator and NO making him step down. Ultimately in 1988 he was denied a second term and the country worked its way back to freedom of speech, press, and towards a free market economy.

While Chile has the tallest building in South America, it is also the longest country in the world. Stretching almost the entire length of the continent of South America, it is home to the driest dessert in the world, beautiful snow covered mountains in Patagonia, and the world wonder of Easter Island. Chile is not only a progressive economic and political nation but also such a geographical natural beauty. I can't wait to visit again and see all the natural wonders I missed this trip:) 

There are so many mysteries that I have yet to uncover: why is the country so long, how did it get this shape, how does the government manage with such a spread out country? From being in other countries I know that the smaller the country, the easier it is to manage. This is especially evident in the highly fractioned United States. I plan on continuing studying government in my future years in school and I will continue to pursue these mysteries. 

Peru: Breathtaking...literally

The first stop on our South American adventure was Peru! Peru is a very bio-diverse country, comprising of coasta (arid coast), sierra (mountain ranges, the Andes), and selva (the amazon and jungle) environments. We got a chance to visit two of them; the seirra during our stay in Cusco and visit to Machu Picchu and the selva during our cruise along the Amazon rainforest.

The second I caught sight of the Amazon, I fell in love: its sheer beauty, the fact that it seems like it goes on forever, the cute villagers and Amazonian women, the sounds of the jungle, and the beautiful crisp blue cloudy skies. We started our trip in Iquitos, meaning surrounded by water, where were boarded our Amazonian cruise ship for the next three days. It was modern and organic, the most perfect oasis from the hot city, busy with the hustle and bustle of motor taxis, much like the ones in Thailand called tuctucs. Most of our time in the Amazon was spent exploring the vast river and spotting wildlife. We got a chance to go on four excursions, twice a day, where we did a variety of activities. 

The first day we went on a general boat ride through a few of the Amazon's many tributaries, sighting many types of birds, sloths, and even pink dolphins. Next we went on a village tour where we got to meet the people of an Amazonian village. It was such a cute village. The houses were built on stilts because the water level rose by up to 21 feet in the rainy months. You could see the water mark on the houses, some lines went higher than windows and doors, making it nearly impossible to live in the villages when the water level was high. There were around 40 families living in the village we visited, some more hard working than others, managing to build houses with walls while others settled for a more open house look. The families had a lot of children, sometimes even up to 14 kids in one household. The population was rapidly rising due to lack of birth control and education but recently organizations have started educating and providing birth control methods for the families in Peru. The families would drink water from the lake: they got a bucket of water from it and then would wait for the sediment to settle at the top and then drink the other part. As one would assume, this is not the healthiest method for getting water but that is all they had. Young children often would get sick due to the unsanitary water but they would get used to it in the first couple years of their lives. At the village I met a really cute girl that wanted to hold my hand. She was adorable and even remembered my name. It reminded me of the little girls I know from The Taft Elementary School back home where I tutor. We then gave them school supplies and they gave us a mini Spanish lesson, I really enjoyed it. We also got a chance to have a canoe ride across the lake and see the breathtaking sunset. The next day we went on a jungle walk, and really the main thing I took away from this certain experience were mosquito bites! I enjoyed the afternoon much more when we caught (at least attempted to catch) pirañas and caymans. I even got to carry one!! I absolutely LOVED my time on the Amazon. 

Our second stop in Peru was Cusco where we visited Machu Picchu. Not only was Machu Picchu spectacular, but so was Cusco. This beautiful city at 15,000 ft served as the capital of the Incan empire until the Spanish took over. The streets made of cobblestone and decorated with native bright colors were so beautiful. I really enjoyed the little shops with llama sweaters and alpaca wool since I got to pick a couple to take home:) Taking little time to get accustom to the altitude, which ended up not being such a problem, we went to Machu Picchu our first full day in Cusco. Built in 50 years, Machu Pichu was one of 82 Incan cities. In order to build so many cities of great size, the empire utilized a system called the Mita system. According to our guide, it was almost a type of slavery due to its heavy labor demand. Connected by 8 Inca trails to other large cities  Machu Picchu was home to around 300-500 people. Sadly, the Incans only stayed in this beautiful city for a few decades due to the fear of the Europeans, and due to lack of food and the ability to efficiently farm. Even though the conquistadors never found the city in the clouds, Incans left the city quickly, also due to lack of food and the ability to efficiently farm. The Incans left behind an archeological wonder, which was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham found to have many deep celestial, deeper meanings. Almost everything in the city was thought out according to the stars and other Incan myths. For example, the Incans believed in three worlds: the underworld, represented by the snake, life, represented by the puma, and the celestial world, represented by the condor  Everywhere around Machu Picchu, you can see windows, doors, etc in threes representing the three worlds. In addition, the entires structure of Machu Picchu forms the shape of a condor and the city of Cusco forms the shape of a puma. I also really really loved Machu Picchu, it was honestly breathtaking (and by that I not only mean the beauty but also due to the high altitude. A couple steps up caused major panting and shortness of breath!) I also got a chance to see a couple Llamas which were one of the highlights of the whole trip. I LOVE LLAMAS!!!

Besides its natural beauty, Peru is also a developing country with a high human development index. Unfortunately, 31.3% of population is poor and 9.8% of the population lives in poverty. The country is on an upward spiral that is really encouraging democracy. For example, according to law, if you are a citizen, between 18 and 70 years old you have to vote, otherwise you get fined! While many think that the country is very impoverished  I would argue that it is one of the richest in beauty. It is also, by far one of my favorite countries I have visited thus far! 

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