Boroujerd, Iran
We spent a day in Boroujerd visiting with Aria Animation Studios. They are considered to be the best animation group in Iran, and are owned by 4 brothers. They do some incredible (and amazingly well priced) work and are a great bunch of guys. We left on Monday on the drive to Boroujerd and had the driver from hell...it took seven hours to get there! After a restful night, we spent Tuesday checking out their work and getting a tour of Boroujerd. The brothers brought us some parting gifts, mine was a handmade wool purse from the local artisans (I love these types of things) and a silver colored hand made metal plate which is also the speciality of the area, with my name engraved on it. They are a great bunch and hopefully we can put some projects together with them.
Boroujerd looks like that area of So Cal when you leave Bakersfield on the 5 North, around Los Banos. Lots of hills and farms. A great typical Iranian lunch...the running joke is that I have eaten kabobs for 3 days...anymore kabobs and it will be "death by kabobs." The food is delicious...it is just I don't really eat much meat...MAYBE once a month and now it's constantly. Definitely diet time when I get home....
We were running around Tehran before we left for Boroujerd, it's been rather warm in the 90's and unlike the UAE, not everywhere you go is air conditioned...still not used to that part. Interesting observations, the Iranians mix more than do the Gulf Arabs, at night you see young Iranian women sitting and chatting in groups at cafes with young men. You don't see that much in the UAE, mostly women are with women out in public. The Iranian women are very fashionable and attractive, the entire vibe is one of a major city that is on the go. The sidewalks are all full of pedestrians, and lots of street traffic. The drivers here I believe are worse than the UAE...as roads are not as defined. And these strange little motor bikes they drive...not really motorcycles, but not scooters. You see lots of young men and women riding on them together, another thing you would not see in the UAE. You also don't see a lot of new cars, unlike the UAE, where new, very expensive cars are constantly whizzing past you on the roads. I'm afraid I would not do well driving here...I am already pretty aggressive behind the wheel, but this would bring it to another level!
I have been approached 3 times by people on the street who have heard me speaking to my friends and asked "Where are you from?" No one has yet guessed I am an American, but all three were very excited to hear that I am. I don't wear the abaya here, but have it for formal meetings... when we are out, I wear a long shirt and jeans, with a scarf. Still getting used to that bit, as it tends to slip down, too much hair!
Meetings are interesting here...they go on for hours. You talk, have tea, eat something, then go back to talking. In LA you get very conditioned to speaking, getting it over with and then leave. I keep finding myself thinking, "OK time to go" only to realize that I just have to relax and wait. Also people come and go into the meetings...another thing that is rather unique. It is a little different in the UAE, people are always polite and friendly as well, but I have never eaten a meal in someone's office like I have in Iran. With so many unique and trendy restaurants in the UAE, if you are going to meet over food, you do it in a restaurant. In Iran, they have the meal in their office...then we go back to discussing business.
More things to discover!
