My degree results came in, and I have a first with an average of 72 percent, so I am very pleased.
advanced inf sys 83
project 73
distrib and networks 77
virtual adv graphics 61
japanese 69
I left Shiraz and Hamoon's family who really made me feel welcome here in Iran, I had a fantastic time there. Unfortunately I left with a bit of a cold but I'm feeling fine now.
I am in Kerman in the south of Iran and I am travelling with Phil, a Swiss guy from Basel and Martin a German from Dresden. Phil has driven his LandRover here from Switzerland and me and Martin are hitching with him at the moment. I will turn around in a few days and take the train to Esfahan, where as the others will continue to Pakistan. Phil is trying to go to Vietnam, but may have to stop at the Burma border.
The last week was very funny. I took a bus to Yazd, 7 hours east of Shiraz and stayed at the Silk Road Hotel, a fantastic backpackers lodge in an amazing traditional house with courtyard inside. That evening I was introduced to Amu Purang (I now know the spelling is
amo-poorang, and I think he has his own blog - 1-20-06), otherwise known as Mr Prank, Iran's best known children's TV presenter. We got along well, and he was impressed by my knowledge of the Iranian sitcom "Bamshod" which I repeated the catchphrases and songs that I had learnt whilst it was too hot in the afternoons in Shiraz.
So the next day he asked me to appear on his TV show, I was special guest "Mr John" from "overseas" (I said I was from England in one take, and we had to cut it!) So at first I just had one scene where I was talking on the phone to an imaginary character but in the end, I was in every scene as we walked around the "Yadz water museum"
My lines:
Gollyjan, gollyjan Kujai? -gollyjan gollyjan, where are you?
Bagaleh gatuk, bamur ganeh! -two delicious Iranian foods.
Gollyjan emshab mi me maneh! -gollyjan tonight you are my guest.
None of the childen have ever met Gollyjan, he is just a squeeky voice on the end of the phone... but I had come all the way from "abroad" to find him.
Click here for more photosAnyhow, I really made friends with all the TV crew and had lunch with them. In the afternoon they invited me to the next filming which was at the local stadium. As we arrived there were hundreds of people pouring in the entrance, and I thought Uncle Prank was joking when he said that they were all there to see him. There were about 5000 people there and later he brought me on as special guest to recite my lines again. By the end of it, I was a celebrity, and as we both drove out of the stadium to cries of "MR John... MR John!"
The ride out of the sadium was crazy, the car was mobbed by hundreds of people banging on the windows and screaming, wanting his autograph and throwing flowers into the car. There was no police escort, and no organisation, we were trapped in the usual Iranian traffic and nomatter how fast we drove or swerved through the traffic in front of us, a trail of 20 young guys on motorbikes followed us, at one point driving in front of the car to slow us down. Eventually we had to drive into the local police station and switch cars before we could continue.
Anyhow, I had not realised quite how popular Amu Poorang was but I think the stadium gig was live on TV and there are only 3 channels in Iran. I keep getting recognised in the street. at the hotel that evening I signed an autograph and was given a present... I was only paying 70p (1000 toman, 10,000 Rial) to sleep on the roof of the hotel, but it is a beautiful hotel, and popular with backpackers. Foreigners are something of a celebrity in themselves here as there are so few.
The show should have gone out yesterday, but it was not on when they said it would be, so maybe next week instead. I'm meeting up with the TV crew in Tehran again next week, but I don't think for more TV, just to say hi. My royalties were lunch and dinner at the hotel, so I was happy. oh, plus my Amu Purang watch, very stylish indeed...
I left Yazd with Phil and Martiyn and we drove throught the dessert to Chak Chak, a Zoastrian fire temple and world pilgrimage site, for the 700,000 Zoatrians that there are in the world. This religion was the original persian religion before the Arabs brought Islam to Persia. Chak Chak was a beautiful mountain hide-away, where 5 daughters of the king of Persia hid from the invading Arabs because they did not want to convert to Islam. The usual Iranian hospitality followed and a great party was had that would definately not be found anywhere else in Iran.
Later we camped in the dessert and slept under the milkyway. The day after visiting a shaking minaret in an old mosque and then sleeping in a Caravanai in the dessert, fantastic food and company, and just found on the off chance.
More to come soon... Esfahan next...
