I am not sure if there is much point in using a blog to indulge in navel-gazing. I have not read enough to get an idea what these are all about or what they can entail, but the plan here was to be regaling folks with my tales of wonder and adventure in Iran, or to put it more romantically, Persia. For about two weeks now I've been sitting tight and waiting to hear word as to when I'll be able to make a move to get on my way.
It has been a little trying to fill the time that I've got. I've been reading more and more stuff about the country and even managed to test the old six degrees of separation theory as two friends of mine - in Australia and Nova Scotia - have both offered me the names of Iranians whom I could contact while I am in Tehran. It certainly makes it all feel a bit more surprising to realize how closely connected we really are despite the sense that Iran is so far away geographically and in the imagination as well.
I am becoming familiar with the curriculum that I have to teach in the meantime and if there is another delay I might just know it by heart. In the meantime I also find myself turning over all the scenarios that I might encounter when I go through customs. There have been some suggestions that the listening materials I bring in might be confiscated if there is a fear that they might be music or something else that might offend the tastes of the nation. I am really looking forward to getting that stamp in my passport and being told I'm free to go or even, "Welcome to Iran."
