So much to do, So much to see and So much to eat!

So far my week in Iran has been amazing! Since my mom is not here yet my schedule got changed around a bit. For now I am staying with my uncle and cousins in Tehran until she arrives. It has actually worked out because I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my dad’s side of the family since they can’t come visit us, so this week has been great.

Every morning I wake up to the sound of my uncle making breakfast and music. He puts the TV station on MTV for me and they play everything from Persian dance to Usher. My uncle is very cute, he sets the table everyday and if I get up to help he looks at me like I am crazy. He bought about 5 different kinds of cheese for me and sets each one out. I have lots of choices as to what to eat and of course I want to try a bit of each. We eat breakfast together and talk about all sorts of things. He keeps telling that if I want something to tell him and they will get it. When I arrived the frig was stocked with all sorts of goodies, from Twix and candies to every kind of drink I could ever want.

My days have been filled with different places to see, hiking and shopping. My cousin and his wife have so many places they want to take me and show me. Two days we went hiking for a few hours, another day my cousin’s wife and I went to one of the biggest bazar’s in Tehran. We spent about 6 hours there getting lost. It truly is a place to see. Once you have entered the bazar it is nearly impossible to know where you are going. There are alleys upon alleys of shops. They sell everything from toys, to make-up to Persian rugs. Each good has there own section and the stores are next to one another sharing a wall.

The Bazar has it’s own culture. There are people everywhere, they push and rush past you if you are to slow. There are workers coming through with large dolly’s carrying goods from one location to another. If you don’t move they will hit you and keep going, it is up to you to know that you should get out of the way, after all they are working and have to keep going. Every so often you will see a motorcycle come through in the middle of all the people and try to find a way out.

The people are all shopping and looking for good deals. It is very common for you to be asking a store owner for a price and another person just walks up and starts asking them to look at something. This is all part of the package, there is no use in getting upset or wondering why the person just interrupted you, you just have to ask you question louder and be persistent. Once you decide on something you ask the price and then the fun starts. The owner will tell you one price and you tell your price. This usually goes on for a few minutes and in the end you agree on something that hopefully both people are happy with. No one ever says ok to the original price and pays it, there is always a better deal. This is part of the culture, people are trying to make deals and sell you all they can. The bazar was great fun and I got a few pieces I liked.

In Iran lunch is the biggest meal. Usually around 1 or 2pm everyone shuts down what they are doing and heads home. Feasts are cooked and everyone is at home with their families. If you go on the streets around that time you will usually see very few people out. Because people eat such big lunches they have siesta afterwards until about 5pm and then head back to work for a few more hours. It used to be that everyone did this but now I am seeing some places are still active during the lunch hours and people go out. Either way it has been an easy tradition to get used to :)

I have had some amazing food! My first day we had a huge feast for lunch which was a few different kinds of kabob and rice. I ate until I couldn’t move. Because I am with all my cousins in the evenings, we usually get together and go out for some walking or shopping then we go out for dinner. Usually dinners are small and at home but the restaurants here are so amazing we have been going to at a different one every night. Some nights we had pasta, another pizza and another steak and seafood.

As you can tell my days are full of seeing sights and eating the most delicious foods. I love it here and I am having an amazing time so far. My cousins are great, we are the same age which is nice. They have been wonderful hosts and of course they don’t even let me get my wallet out. Even if I want to buy a ring or clothes they are paying for it all. It doesn’t help that I am not super aware of all the currency so they quickly pay and we are gone.

Tomorrow we are going to my uncle’s villa about an hour outside of Tehran and we will spend the day there. I find out wether or not my mom can come tomorrow after her doctors appointment so I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will make it and be ok.