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.