 photos via yomadic.com Something amazing is happening right now in Iran, and you need to pay attention. Chances are pretty good that part of your world view is cock-eyed, askew, and kerfunckled (Yes, "kerfunckled" is so a word. It means exactly what you think it means.) What do you think would happen if you bought a one way ticket to Iran, and just showed up? Do you think they would put you in jail? Do you think they would deport you? Do you think they might lock you in a little room and in-terror-gate you? Well, you are wrong. Here is what happened in 2012 when the Yomadic did just that: "... the friendly Iranian officials at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran asked me a few questions, typical of any airport anywhere, they efficiently processed my application, stamped my passport with an Iranian visa-on-arrival, welcomed me to their country, smiled, and let me in. I walked out of the airport, leaving behind one of my many preconceptions about Iran."  It seems that the reality of Iran is a little different than the whole "axis of evil" thing we have been led to believe in. Click on that picture of the fake KFC at the top of the page. Read the article. The Yomadic has gone back to Iran again, and you can follow his adventures via Twitter and Instagram. Pay attention, and let your world view get blown out of the water.
I have an friend who is married to an Iranian national. I don't know him very well. Usually, when we are together, we just sit and watch the kids play. When we talk about Iran, we don't talk about war. We don't talk about oil. We don't talk about politics. We don't talk about religion. We aren't avoiding the subjects, they just never come up. He is too busy talking about the architecture, and the restaurants, and the public art and his friends, and the parties. He is not from the Iran that lives in your brain. Oh wait... One more thing before I turn you loose. What do you think would happen if you were an Iranian and you bought a one way ticket to the United States? What do you think would happen to you when you showed up here? |
