the second question

Tehran, Iran

It's always the second question. It follows logically on from the first, and is asked without fail. It is accompanied by what i now understand to be a universal gesture that clarifies the question, and my response universally brings a nod of the head and a look in the eye of utter incomprehension. I don't think that it is that my answer is misunderstood, rather that my answer is not one of the possible answers in the answer list for the question. I'll take this opportunity then to ask my father publicly: How is it that i am from south africa and i am not black?

More kebabs, more buses, a nice train last night from tabriz and as always the grilling in the train compartment. It was funnier this time because of the way it was done, with a farsi english travel phrasebook- not my own- and set questions like : ' what is your name/address?' , and 'where would you like to be seated?'- I answered back by pointing to the phrase that read ' there are very big waves today'- at least they thought it was a bit funny.

Tehran like Cairo but a bit more subdued- nice nice people trying to shrug off the reputations of the worlds second worst villains. Most of these people would not know what an atomic reactor fuel is if it hit them in the head- me neither i suppose.

Here for a few days in search of an elusive tourist- more as it happens
rx