My Patriotic Side!

Iran clashed with China yesterday in an Asian Cup soccer match at Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur and I was in the stadium! Yes, I had travelled all the way from Ipoh to support my country, Iran. Since the match was being held in Malaysia where a third of the population is Chinese, I knew my country needed me!

The game brought out patriotic feelings I never knew existed in me! It was the first time I was supporting the national team at a stadium, so I was worked up even before the game began. I was constantly cheering for Iran at the top of my voice and energized a few people around me as well!

Surprisingly, Iranian fans outnumbered the Chinese. My friends said the Iranian embassy had flown in hundreds of fans specifically for the games. These included some professionals with experience in leading crowds at Tehran's Azadi Stadium which at times holds 100,000 spectators. These guys really knew what they were doing and got us to sing chants in an awesomely organized way. Most of all I enjoyed the Mexican wave where we would suddenly stand up and together scream "Iran".

Iranian supporters had a big funny banner that said "Iran 4 - China 0". They held this on the fence facing the Chinese crowd to our left. See if you can find it here:

I sent an SMS to our relatives in Iran who were watching the match and told them exactly where I was in the stadium. Ali, my uncle who is my age, later called from Iran and said he had actually seen me on TV!

It wasn't long before the players came running onto the field to warm up. It's amazing to see the stars you've admired on TV for so long standing right in front of you, only tens of metres away. The Iranian players looked so tall and sturdy on the pitch.

Soon the match started. China scored a goal only 5 minutes into the game! I was devastated. I suddenly found the ball sitting in our net and the Iranian crowd went quiet. A few minutes later they scored another one. My jaw dropped. I was very upset. But I still had confidence in our team. We'd been to the 1998 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. Our players had plenty of European experience particularly in the German and Italian leagues. And we were good at comebacks. Just last week we had fought back after taking a goal from Uzbekistan, beating them in the 2nd half.

There was still a lot of time left and our hopes gradually went up as Iran made more and more attacks on China's goal. Finally, towards the end of the 1st half we scored! I was euphoric!!! I totally lost control, climbed up the fence between us and the Chinese fans and started screaming at them like bloody hell, showing my muscles as a symbol of strength. I then held both my hands up high and showed them the rude finger! I regretted doing that later but I guess it's OK to hate the other side in a football match. Two police guards got pissed and came at me but I jumped off quickly and started acting civilized again. Here's me up on the fence!

Iran took control of the game in the second half and turned the pressure up on China's defence. The crowd was optimistic and we anticipated another goal. There was so many of us and we were so united when we roared "Iran, Iran, ..." that our voices dominated the entire stadium. The Chinese fans looked at us with awe. They seemed to be thinking, "We're the biggest population on Earth, yet Iran has more fans here! Why the hell are these people so passionate about their team?!"

At last, we scored the equalizer! I could not believe it!!! It was a dream-come-true. I climbed the fence again and did the exact same crazy things with even more intensity except without the obscene hand gestures! Then I ecstatically hugged everyone around me. I could not stop shouting! For about 20 seconds all I could think was AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! Those were definitely some of the happiest, most exciting moments of my life!!!

We kept attacking and almost scored a third goal, but time ran out and the match ended in a draw: Iran 2 - China 2.

When it was over the Iranian players ran towards us and clapped to thank us for cheering them on. The crowd went bananas! Everybody was like, "Hey, look at me! Notice me!!!" Here's a photo of that.

It's true that we should have won, but after that lousy start, a draw didn't seem bad at all! Given their performance in the 2nd half, China considered the draw a lucky result too.

I'm Graduating!

I had the very last exam of my undergraduate studies last Saturday. Four long years of studying were finally over! When I came out of the exam hall I was thrilled to bits! I ran towards one of my friends and hugged him so hard that I lost my balance and brought us both to the ground. Then I managed to calm down for a while while walking to the main road. But then I got ecstatic again and had to release my energy somehow, so I just started sprinting on the road with the biggest smile on my face. There was a car on the road ahead of me going in the same direction. The driver must have seen me in the rear-view mirror and thought I was chasing her because she stopped and asked, "You want a lift?" "No," I screamed, still running, "I'm just so excited it's all over!" And I kept running for about a half a kilometer until I found another friend to hug. "What's wrong with you?!" he exclaimed. He was right to ask. I had gone crazy!

What I've Done

Yesterday I downloaded Linkin Park's latest music video "What I've Done". Man, it is INTENSE! The video reflects on a variety of social issues including wars, destruction, famine, racism, pollution, global warming and other crimes committed by humanity.

The picture is unbelievably crisp and clear. The reflections off the drummer's cymbals, the clear blue sky, the sun rays behind the band are just beautiful! And Linkin Park's music and Chester Bennington's voice are just the thing for the lyrics which are about regret and healing.

The video includes some shocking scenes you've probably never seen before, even if you watch the news frequently. Like real footage of a soldier in a war who runs towards the camera, nervously activates a flamethrower and iginites a horrendous massive fire towards you.

You'll also see a group of American military officials explode an actual atomic bomb in the desert and observe it from just a few kilometres away. The bomb gives out such a bright light that for a second the desert disappears and all you can see is a blinding white. But one of the officials is so cool about it he has his back towards the bomb and doesn't even bother to look back to see what's happened.

In another scene the shockwave from an atomic bomb blows snow off of forest trees from the side on a perfectly horizontal path and then bends the trees like they were made of rubber!

There's also footage of Nazi concentration camps during WWII and enthusiastic marching of Nazi groups still active today.

I've got to admit that although I think man should feel guilty for doing so much wrong, I feel a little proud of myself for being part of our modern world. I mean mankind has so much power and influence today that he has developed nuclear weapons to efficiently wipe out his enemies and he is actually raising the temperature of planet Earth!

Also in the video are scenes from the wars in Vietnam, Palestine and Iraq, the September 11 attacks, and political figures like Ghandi, Stalin, Fidel Castro, Hitler and Saddam Hussein. So if you're interested in modern history and would like to review the past century in just over 3 minutes, watch this video!

Chris de Burgh

This post is about a man whose music I've admired for many years: the Irish singer/musician/songwriter Chris de Burgh. Those of you who have heard of him, perhaps know him from his hit singles "Lady in Red" and “When I Think of You”. But there's so much more to his music than that.

For most of my teenage life, I listened to Chris de Burgh’s songs only, partly because English songs are not that easy to find in Iran. Since I came to Malaysia, I've been exposed to a great variety of new artists and bands. But still, nobody's music touches my soul like Chris’s. He's the sweetest pop star on Earth!

As a boy, my favourite Chris de Burgh song was “Sailing Away”. As much as I despise bloggers who fill their weblogs with nothing but lyrics (Don’t you just hate that?! lol), I have to quote some lines from this song to give you an idea of what it’s about:

“Waiting at the water's edge
Watching all the ships
As they are heading for the harbour wall,
I was just a boy,
Dreaming of the wide world,

Watching as they disappear,
Reading out the names
Of all the places I have never been,
Looking out to sea,
Staring out to sea,
Dreaming of a wide world,

Walking down another street,
Underneath the red lights,
I am watching where the shadows fall,
Looking at the girls,
Listening to the girls,
Dreaming of a new world,

I wish I was sailing away,
Sailing away,
Sailing away, with you tonight,
With you tonight;”

Listen to a short clip taken from "Sailing Away".

This song's obviously about the wonders of growing up, discovering new places and experiencing new things. As a boy, the prospect of learning all the things I didn’t know about this world was thrilling. This song to me was a beautiful, dramatic expression of my journey towards manhood. Here's a photo of me "sailing away"!

Unlike most artists, Chris doesn’t sing only about love. He has written some very meaningful songs on war, politics, poverty, hope, friendship, God, heaven, sex, temptation and basically a lot of the different aspects of life.

I have a complete collection of his albums and songs which I used to share on my university's internal network a couple of years ago. I advertised it as “heart-warming British love songs”, and soon I had a steady stream of downloads. I wanted to know if the downloaders enjoyed his music as much as I did. So I asked. I was delighted to find some people had become fans! Here are some of their comments, Malaysian-style:

"thanx for your songs. i love all of them. i love the rhytm. i feel very calm. im really touched. currently i am still listening to all of them. tq very much. i don know how to thank you :)"

"i was just trying it out at first. then i fell in love with them then started downloading like mad. still listening actually. at first i only downloaded the love songs series. then after the first few songs i was like wow. and went on mirc searching. i downloaded all the albums. the more i listen the more i like it. and if u really listen to the lyrics...they have meaning."

It must be incredibly satisfying to create music that inspires people. Chris de Burgh has gotten so many thanks from all over the world on his website (http://www.cdeb.com), it's overwhelming. And he probably knows there are many more people out there who deeply enjoy his work but haven't had the chance to tell him; people like me.

Click here to listen to some samples of Chris de Burgh's music. If you're already a Chris de Burgh fan, leave a comment!

Phoning abroad

Two years ago I had this over-ambitious plan to do my internship in Europe. I needed details on applying to my selected companies. Usually institutions prefer answering to emails, but if you want precise answers right now, you need to call them. So I started ringing them up. I spoke to people from all over Europe.

It was exhilarating! I remember the first time I called the UK. I spoke to a man in a Scott Wilson office in London. He had this beautiful British accent that was just like the actors in the TV comedy "The Office". And he was talking to ME! I couldn't believe it. There I was standing in my university in the middle of a jungle in Malaysia and within seconds of dialling the number, I was talking live with somebody in London! I might sound a little over-excited here, but I think we sometimes take technology for granted.

Making those calls was a real eye-opener too. For instance, I learnt that the French don't know much English. Sometimes the secretary couldn't speak English, so she would ask around the office looking for anybody who could speak English, then a guy would pick up and talk to me and feel like a hero. It was so funny! Also, having to consider time zones gave me a better understanding of Europe's geography.

Most Malaysians don't know how cheap it is to call developed countries. It's often even cheaper than making domestic calls between states! This is probably because of the good infrastructure over there and the intense competition between telecommunications companies.

I love calling people in English-speaking countries. It has strengthened my conversation skills and given me a lot of confidence in my ability to communicate with people if I go there in the future. You get a bit nervous the first few times, but after a while it's like talking to anybody else.

If you'd like to give it a try but have no special reason for calling overseas, just visit any of the phone directory websites below, search for any random name (e.g. Tony Anderson) and call their number. When they pick up, tell them the truth: Introduce yourself, say where you're calling from and explain that you just wanted to see what it's like to speak to somebody from their country! They'll probably be thrilled and want to get to know you and make friends. Then post a comment here and tell me how it worked out!

US & Canada (+1): www.whitepages.com

UK (+44): www.bt.com/phonenetuk/

Australia (+61): http://www.whitepages.com.au/

I'm home!

I'm now in the last week of my 3-week holiday in Iran. I'd gotten so used to Malaysia in the past 4 years that I still can't believe I'm here!

My first impression of Iran formed the moment I stepped outside the airplane door and onto the staircase. The season being winter, it was freezing cold, 4 degrees below zero. I believe my first words were, "F*** it's cold!". But I've had fun with the winter:

Me in a park preparing for a snow fight!







Me literally standing on a frozen lake.

Among the changes in Tehran (the capital city) is a new type of toilet: You put your hand on a panel to open the door, get in and do your business. After 10 minutes, the door automatically opens again whether you're finished or not!

I had a spectacular view from my window on the flight from Tehran to Mashhad (another big city).

The pointy mountain at the top of this photo is called Damavand. At an altitude of over 5 km, it is Iran's highest peak.

This one could easily qualify for a postcard photo! Notice the beautiful shadows of the clouds.

Look at the middle of this photo. The lines are roads and the bald spots in the snow are villages. See how several roads branch out from the main road to connect to the villages.

In Mashhad, family members came to visit my father and me. Being the centre of attention, I enjoyed it very much. I spent most of my days there going from house to house, meeting people, drinking tea, filling my belly with lots of delicious Iranian food, and even dancing.

Some of my teenage friends and relatives had grown so much since I last saw them that I wouldn't have recognized them if I'd seen them on the street. They saw some differences in me too. Everybody was surprised with my height and some said my facial features had changed.

I visited a traditional Iranian "zoor-khoone", where men used to gather and exercise in old times.

Iranian men swinging around weights as heavy as 40 kg.

The guy in the middle is swinging around while the others warm up.

Here are some other photos of me in Iran:

Me having sneaked under a "korsi" on display in a shopping mall. The korsi is basically an electric heater placed under a short table that's covered with a big blanket. Family members sit around it and stick their legs under the blanket to keep warm in those long cold winter nights.

My cousin and I after a successful bombing mission on a rotating flight simulator.

The white van next to our car is loaded with sheep skin. A heart-breaking sight for vegetarians!

From the right: My cousin, his cute little nephew, and me.







All in all, I've had a fantastic time and gotten a nice break from working and studying so hard last year.

I'm going home!

I'm going back to Iran in the coming holidays for the first time in 4 years! "How could you stand being away from your homeland for 4 years?" people ask me. The answer is simple: My family has been here with me all this while! "No f***ing wonder!" they exclaim.

It's been quite easy being away from Iran for this long. To be honest, I don't miss it all that much. See, I'm the kind of person who doesn't really miss things or people.

For example, I changed schools several times when I was young, but I never held on to my previous school or friends. I always focused on making new friends at the new school. I remember spending weeks away from home at study camps during high school, but I don't remember missing my family. In fact, I got so immersed in the here and now that I sometimes forgot I had parents at all!

Call me cold-hearted, but I think it's a good thing. Missing things or people too much can keep you from moving forward in life. I once met a Malaysian girl who got a full scholarship to study in the UK, but didn't go just because she was too bloody emotionally-attached to her family!

The story of my leaving Iran for Malaysia is interesting. Iranian boys aren't allowed to leave the country after the age of 18 unless they complete compulsory military training for 2 years. I left the country when I was 17, only 10 days before my deadline! I remember looking outside the airplane window and thinking, "This might be the last I ever see of my country." Turns out I was wrong. I can leave Iranian borders this time because we paid the government to exempt me from this law.

It's winter now in Iran. It'll be nice to experience cold weather after so long because all we get in Malaysia is heat and humidity. Most Malaysians have never seen snow or experienced four seasons. They don't know what it's like to come back home after a long day and not be wet with sweat down to your underpants!

I'm really looking forward to seeing all my relatives again. I bet they'll notice so many changes in me, both in terms of physical appearance and personality. I bet I'll notice all the changes in them too. I was shocked to see how my nephews and nieces have grown when I saw their photos recently.

I'll also take in all the little changes in an Iran that has moved slowly ahead, from the new towers and subways to the way chicks dress!

Obviously, the one thing that won't have changed will be the buildings. The rooms and corridors of our old house will definitely take me down memory lane and remind me of the good old days.

I'm expecting to get more fluent at speaking my mother tongue. Having dealt with so much English over the past 4 years, I now use some English words in my sentences when I speak Persian. I'm also expecting to hear a lot of new funny words and expressions that have entered the slang while I was away.