Every Country is Different, That’s What Makes it Fun

I love the little differences between countries, that’s what makes each one special. A few things here that are funny are that the soda cans have those pop off tops we used to collect and string together when we were little kids. Inexplicably, some sodas and the fake beer that they offer here have the normal can openers, but most sodas force you to throw away that little piece of aluminum every time.

There are never men’s urinals here. So you go to a men’s room and there are 10 doors. You have to wait until one opens. Often there is no paper, merely a feeble little dryer that barely washes your hands. At the first day of the conference I went to a men’s room that was full of men in furious scrubbing mode…washing their feet, their faces and their necks. It was time to pray, and nobody here wants to pray dirty. There is also a hose with hot and cold inside each of the men’s room stalls so you can use it instead of toilet paper.

We flew every day so far, hopping to Kish Island, Shiraz, Esfhan, and back to Tehran. Security is relaxed, after you throw the bags onto the x-ray before you enter the airport, after that it is totally lax. Nobody worries about what’s in your carryon or tries to take away your bottle of water.

Coffee here….nearly always Nescafe, except in that great little coffeeshop in Esfahan. The bus drivers have little tea cup holders and sugar cube dispensers right up near the dashboard. We drank cups and cups of the tea, which is served with roughly shaped balls of sugar.