Holly Wood...the Tree...

I ended up doing several interviews for the Iranian media. This one fellow had asked if I would do something for TV while at the Film Festival, and Bahram was interpreting.

First question off camera to prepare was..."Tell us about the Holly Trees." I'm looking at Bahram, figuring that somehow this has been translated incorrectly. He then explains the guy wants to know about the Holly Trees and have I ever seen any of these in Hollywood....OK...

I politely explained that there are no Holly Trees in Southern California...and Hollywood was not named after a tree...Bahram translated and the guy eyed me suspiciously with a look of disbelief!

So a moment later with cameras rolling, the first question was..."Tell us about the Holly Trees." This time I went through the history of Hollywoodland, the subdivision that gave Hollywood it's name.

In hindsight...maybe I should have come up with a really good story about the Holly Trees!

Maaasoooouuudiiii!

Our fearless cameraman, Massoud. Scott and I would work with him on his English, and he was amazing! You would say something to him, and he would instantly pick it up. I know some people have a talent for language and he is obviously one of those people...I am not so lucky!

Funny Bahram Story

So during the Film Festival, Bahram was on several TV shows talking about film, Iran, etc. One morning, we went to the bank, after he had been on a popular evening show.

Outside the bank, there was a security guard holding a machine gun. He stopped Bahram and was really excited and happy about what he said on the show. They spoke for a moment, then we went inside the bank.

I sat down in the lobby to wait util he finished his banking business. The guard comes back inside the bank, saw me and came over. he was still VERY excited about what Barham said, and stood there in front of me, smiling and gesticulating wilding with his hands as he spoke.

The machine gun then moved and as he is standing there...it is pointing eye level at me as I am sitting in a chair! Needless to say, that woke me up!

I have NO idea what this guy was saying (in Farsi) but I kept smiling and nodding my head, thinking to myself "Let's hope he does not get too excited and that thing goes off!" After a few minutes, he said goodbye and left.

We were laughing afterwards saying here are the headlines..."American woman shot in bank in Tehran."

The 3 M's...again!

Mellissa, Mina and I at the Film Festival party. It was in this amazing place in Tehran that was a huge garden with fountains. 

Art Market

Then we went after that to the art market, it's in the Souk. Lots of really interesting things. It's rather old, but it has lots of character.

This picture was made from wood inlay, it was beautiful. This piece had a lot of work and was priced at $10,000. It looked like a painting it was so intricate.

Here is one of the Artisans working in her shop. She was making the wood inlay.

This other shop made handmade violings, sitars, and several other Persian stringed instruments I do not know the name of.

Such beautiful things, and the souk smelled of all kinds of spices and incense, very exotic.





Bagh' Saba Synagogue...

Synagogue in the Jewish Neighbohood

 

 

Today Bahram and I went to the Bagh' Saba (Garden of Breezes) Synagogue in Tehran. After ringing the bell and being let in by a tiny little woman, he explained that I was a visitor from US, and I wanted to see the synagogue.

Apparently they had just finished their meeting and the woman took us upstairs to their community room. The young man in the picture with Bahram had gotten married the night before and the party in the community room was a small celebration. He had played music there, but we had just missed it.

 

The new groom

Everyone was SO friendly and excited that I came to visit...it was an amazing moment, as the group all came over to say "Hello" and ask Bahram about who we were and why we came to visit. All these ladies, some young and some really elderly, surrounded me and were laughing and taking my hand and giving me their email and mobile numbers. It was really difficult for me to hold back tears, (and I'm not one who cries much) as the kindness and the energy that was there was overwhelming. The men all came up and greeted me as well.

Then the woman took us to the prayer room, and the crowd came and joined us. They asked if I would like to pray with them...it was really something that I have never experienced before, complete strangers being so open and friendly to me for no reason other than they were just lovely people.

 

 

Prayer room

We were then escorted back downstairs and even though many did not speak English, most knew "Goodbye" and stood outside and waved and said their goodbyes as we left.