A bowl of "Ash"!
It’s my second interview with tourists who have traveled to Isfahan. This interview was published in one of the best Isfahanian weekly magazine in 22 October 2006.
1-what did cause you to come to Iran and Isfahan? When did you hear about Iran and Isfahan for the first time? Where did you get information about Iran and Isfahan?
I had been interested in Persian poetry for a long time—in my graduate university courses in poetry we studied Hafiz and Jalaluddin Rumi, so I always thought it would be wonderful to visit the places where they lived and wrote about. To tell the truth, I did not know much about Isfahan other than the famous saying “Isfahan nesf-e jahan” which I thought was so magical sounding, maybe I needed to include Isfahan in my journeys in Iran
2-What did you feel when you see Isfahan for the first time?
I flew into Isfahan from Shiraz; from the airplane it did not look much different from other Iranian cities. But when we landed & I rode around…it was so beautiful, all the bridges and the Imam Khomeini square. I was immediately reminded of a very famous couplet from Indian poetry: If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this. I think whoever wrote that could have been talking about Isfahan.
3-What did you think about Isfahan before coming here? And what was a real Isfahan?
I honestly don’t know what I imagined Isfahan would look like, but the reality was it seemed less crowded than I had imagined, and there were far more interesting sites for the tourist than anywhere else I visited in Iran.
4-Why did you choose Isfahan in your short journey to Iran?
All of the guidebooks recommended Isfahan as the place everyone must visit in Iran, as did my tour company when they were making arrangements for my visit. And it helps that Isfahan is very nicely in the middle of the country, between Tehran and Persepolis, so easy to get to!
5-What did surprise you in Isfahan?
The many different things to see and do around the city. I went to the bird sanctuary and Zoroastrian fire temple outside the city, spent a day in the bazaar and museums in the city centre, spent another day in Imam Khomeini Square, and still didn’t feel like I saw it all.
6- If you were the Mayor of Isfahan what would you do for this city and its inhabitant and specially for the tourists who travel to this city?
Some cities have special cards that tourists can buy and it gets them into all the museums, forts, etc. that tourists want to see. So maybe the mayor could invent an Isfahan Card that admits the person into all these places for one price.
7-If you want to count your favorite cities what would be the rank of Isfahan?
This is easy! I have been to 22 countries on three continents, and so far Isfahan is in the top three cities I have visited in the world (and the only one in Asia).
8-If one of your friends want to travel to Isfahan what do you suggest him or her?
Actually, one of my friends did recently travel to Iran and I told him he should see Isfahan and spend some time meeting the local people in a chaikhaneh, visit Ali Qapoo Palace, and walk around the city. He did, and he loved it as well.
9-How would you describe Isfahan to your friends?
Enchanting, peaceful, full of warm people and places
10-What is the most interesting thing you see in Isfahan? And what is odd for you?
The one thing that was really odd was that the Zayandeh Rud had very little water in it when I was there! I was expecting a big, rushing river, not a little stream.
11-Could you tell us your best experience (or memory) during your journey in Isfahan?
Sitting in the park and being invited to share a bowl of ash with a family of women; also being invited to tea with some schoolgirls.
12-Did you have any bad experience or awful memory about your journey to Isfahan?
The only bad thing was that it was too short a trip. I would have liked to stay there longer!
13-Did you buy anything in Isfahan for yourself or your friends? What was their reaction? What is your opinion about the handycrafts of Isfahan?
I bought two Persian miniatures and a hand printed tablecloth. When I got home, I put the tablecloth in a table in my office and everyone who comes in always asks where it is from and remarks on how beautiful it is. In my opinion, there were a lot more crafts in Isfahan than elsewhere in Iranian bazaars, and they were a good price for tourists, too. My only regret is not getting a carpet, but I guess I can do that next time.
14-If you want to suggest one of your friends who want to travel to Isfahan to buy some thing precious, what would it be?
I would say buy something hand-painted, either textile or miniatures. They will always have it to admire, and it is a very unique gift that you cannot find other places in the world.
15-What’s your opinion about Isfahanian food?
Everything I ate in Isfahan I really loved; the khoreshts are amazing and I had the best fesenjaan ever at the Shahrzad restaurant in Isfahan.
16-what’s your opinion about Isfahanian youth? Isfahanian girls and boys?Isfahanian people?
There is a false belief spread by other Iranians (mostly in Tehran) that Isfahanian people are rude, but I found all Isfahanians the most wonderful, welcoming people I met in all of Iran. The children were sweet and well-behaved and everyone was easy to talk to.
17-What is your opinion about Iranian film and music?
Many Iranian films are shown in the US and they are really well written—my favorite filmmakers are Tahmineh Milani and the Mokmahlbaf family. I prefer traditional Persian music to pop music, but I can be caught sometimes watching PMC (Persian Music Channel) on TV.
18-What is the difference between your city (and people of there) and Isfahan (and Isfahanian) people?
Of course, my city and country is much younger than Iran, so most of the things we have to show tourists are from recent history (like artwork from the last century and houses that are about 150 years old). The people in my city also work longer hours and spend more time driving to and from the city to work…they don’t spend as much time with their families as Isfahanians do, and I think they sometimes don’t stop to enjoy the simple pleasures in life (like a nice afternoon picnic).
19-Did you notice any similarities between Isfahan (also Isfahanian) and your city(also people of your city)?
I think Isfahanians are very kind to strangers (especially tourists) and I think that many Americans are also friendly and kind to tourists when they visit, and want to show them the good things about their city/country and people.
Brandy Bauer is a 32-year-old writer/editor currently living inMaryland, USA. She recently spent the last three years in Kabul,Afghanistan, working for an Afghan research organization and writingabout Afghan affairs. Brandy has university degrees in genderstudies/sociology and writing from Smith College and Minnesota StateUniversity, Mankato.
»Are you crazy?!” my co-workers and friends say to me after I announce where I plan to take my annual vacation. They are even more concerned when I tell them I’m venturing there alone. “Do you want to get killed?” Well, um, no. But then again, I never really have felt any threat in going to Iran.
Long an admirer of Persian miniatures, calligraphy, and textiles, I had singled out the Islamic Republic as a vacation destination long before America went to war with its neighbor. But it was more than mere art that propelled me to go to this country of blue domes. From the moment I started reading Persian mystical poetry in graduate school, I was haunted by a proverb in one of my books. Esfahan nesf-e jahan. Esfahan is half the world. How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to see the other half I’d been missing? ... “Iran is one of the safest places on earth,” I insist, repeating in my own mind the words that have become my mantra. Half the world, half the world, half the world…. They are the force that drives me forward to embark the following week on the first of three flights that will carry me 6,000 miles away, to a country of gardens and light. «
The sentences above are from brandy’s travel article of Isfahan and now here is my interview with Brandy Bauer.
Long an admirer of Persian miniatures, calligraphy, and textiles, I had singled out the Islamic Republic as a vacation destination long before America went to war with its neighbor. But it was more than mere art that propelled me to go to this country of blue domes. From the moment I started reading Persian mystical poetry in graduate school, I was haunted by a proverb in one of my books. Esfahan nesf-e jahan. Esfahan is half the world. How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to see the other half I’d been missing? ... “Iran is one of the safest places on earth,” I insist, repeating in my own mind the words that have become my mantra. Half the world, half the world, half the world…. They are the force that drives me forward to embark the following week on the first of three flights that will carry me 6,000 miles away, to a country of gardens and light. «
The sentences above are from brandy’s travel article of Isfahan and now here is my interview with Brandy Bauer.
1-what did cause you to come to Iran and Isfahan? When did you hear about Iran and Isfahan for the first time? Where did you get information about Iran and Isfahan?
I had been interested in Persian poetry for a long time—in my graduate university courses in poetry we studied Hafiz and Jalaluddin Rumi, so I always thought it would be wonderful to visit the places where they lived and wrote about. To tell the truth, I did not know much about Isfahan other than the famous saying “Isfahan nesf-e jahan” which I thought was so magical sounding, maybe I needed to include Isfahan in my journeys in Iran
2-What did you feel when you see Isfahan for the first time?
I flew into Isfahan from Shiraz; from the airplane it did not look much different from other Iranian cities. But when we landed & I rode around…it was so beautiful, all the bridges and the Imam Khomeini square. I was immediately reminded of a very famous couplet from Indian poetry: If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this. I think whoever wrote that could have been talking about Isfahan.
3-What did you think about Isfahan before coming here? And what was a real Isfahan?
I honestly don’t know what I imagined Isfahan would look like, but the reality was it seemed less crowded than I had imagined, and there were far more interesting sites for the tourist than anywhere else I visited in Iran.
4-Why did you choose Isfahan in your short journey to Iran?
All of the guidebooks recommended Isfahan as the place everyone must visit in Iran, as did my tour company when they were making arrangements for my visit. And it helps that Isfahan is very nicely in the middle of the country, between Tehran and Persepolis, so easy to get to!
5-What did surprise you in Isfahan?
The many different things to see and do around the city. I went to the bird sanctuary and Zoroastrian fire temple outside the city, spent a day in the bazaar and museums in the city centre, spent another day in Imam Khomeini Square, and still didn’t feel like I saw it all.
6- If you were the Mayor of Isfahan what would you do for this city and its inhabitant and specially for the tourists who travel to this city?
Some cities have special cards that tourists can buy and it gets them into all the museums, forts, etc. that tourists want to see. So maybe the mayor could invent an Isfahan Card that admits the person into all these places for one price.
7-If you want to count your favorite cities what would be the rank of Isfahan?
This is easy! I have been to 22 countries on three continents, and so far Isfahan is in the top three cities I have visited in the world (and the only one in Asia).
8-If one of your friends want to travel to Isfahan what do you suggest him or her?
Actually, one of my friends did recently travel to Iran and I told him he should see Isfahan and spend some time meeting the local people in a chaikhaneh, visit Ali Qapoo Palace, and walk around the city. He did, and he loved it as well.
9-How would you describe Isfahan to your friends?
Enchanting, peaceful, full of warm people and places
10-What is the most interesting thing you see in Isfahan? And what is odd for you?
The one thing that was really odd was that the Zayandeh Rud had very little water in it when I was there! I was expecting a big, rushing river, not a little stream.
11-Could you tell us your best experience (or memory) during your journey in Isfahan?
Sitting in the park and being invited to share a bowl of ash with a family of women; also being invited to tea with some schoolgirls.
12-Did you have any bad experience or awful memory about your journey to Isfahan?
The only bad thing was that it was too short a trip. I would have liked to stay there longer!
13-Did you buy anything in Isfahan for yourself or your friends? What was their reaction? What is your opinion about the handycrafts of Isfahan?
I bought two Persian miniatures and a hand printed tablecloth. When I got home, I put the tablecloth in a table in my office and everyone who comes in always asks where it is from and remarks on how beautiful it is. In my opinion, there were a lot more crafts in Isfahan than elsewhere in Iranian bazaars, and they were a good price for tourists, too. My only regret is not getting a carpet, but I guess I can do that next time.
14-If you want to suggest one of your friends who want to travel to Isfahan to buy some thing precious, what would it be?
I would say buy something hand-painted, either textile or miniatures. They will always have it to admire, and it is a very unique gift that you cannot find other places in the world.
15-What’s your opinion about Isfahanian food?
Everything I ate in Isfahan I really loved; the khoreshts are amazing and I had the best fesenjaan ever at the Shahrzad restaurant in Isfahan.
16-what’s your opinion about Isfahanian youth? Isfahanian girls and boys?Isfahanian people?
There is a false belief spread by other Iranians (mostly in Tehran) that Isfahanian people are rude, but I found all Isfahanians the most wonderful, welcoming people I met in all of Iran. The children were sweet and well-behaved and everyone was easy to talk to.
17-What is your opinion about Iranian film and music?
Many Iranian films are shown in the US and they are really well written—my favorite filmmakers are Tahmineh Milani and the Mokmahlbaf family. I prefer traditional Persian music to pop music, but I can be caught sometimes watching PMC (Persian Music Channel) on TV.
18-What is the difference between your city (and people of there) and Isfahan (and Isfahanian) people?
Of course, my city and country is much younger than Iran, so most of the things we have to show tourists are from recent history (like artwork from the last century and houses that are about 150 years old). The people in my city also work longer hours and spend more time driving to and from the city to work…they don’t spend as much time with their families as Isfahanians do, and I think they sometimes don’t stop to enjoy the simple pleasures in life (like a nice afternoon picnic).
19-Did you notice any similarities between Isfahan (also Isfahanian) and your city(also people of your city)?
I think Isfahanians are very kind to strangers (especially tourists) and I think that many Americans are also friendly and kind to tourists when they visit, and want to show them the good things about their city/country and people.
Labels: interview+tourist+Iran+Esfahan
posted by NAFISEH @ 9:21 PM
2 Comments:
Hi Nafiseh, I also visited Isfahan two years back. It was a wonderful trip. I stayed there for only two days and it left me longing for at least one more visit. I fortunately found a friend's contact there who took me out around mid-night. It was amazing to see people sitting with their family at the banks of Zayendehrud after 12 night. It was beautiful. The most important thing is that people feel safe to out at such hours. I was impressed by the law and order situation. I also enjoyed smoking ghelyun. Hope to go to Isfahan once again soon.
(I newly started a blog ( http://litfilm.blogspot.com )about Persian film and literature (as of now it's about only film). I will try to update it at least once a week.)
Hi, Probably my response to your comment did not go through. You are right that I'm not an Iranian. I'm from India and study Persian literature and film. That's I created a blog dedicated to literature and film. However, I will not be able to post regularly for the next few months due to some other engagements.
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