Oh yeah? I can think of thousands of ways that things can get worse. There is no rock bottom, I can guarantee that. There are only ledges on the way down. Get yourself on one of those ledges and hope that you can pull yourself up.
I have been accused of being biased against Iran by one of my recent readers. I think that if you read the entire site you will see it is 100% bar aks (opposite). I am in a funk now. When you get in a funk, everything goes wrong. Here’s a small list: crazy, vindictive landlords who want to get us arrested for giving notice; broken promises; missed deadlines; bad communication; out and out lying and purposeful misunderstandings; hospitals and death. Oh and politics. There is always that when you can’t find anything else to depress you.
“We are borderline clinically depressed,” K told me this morning. “I saw a program that described all of our symptoms.”
Us and just about everyone else in this country…
“Many of our friends are leaving the country,” a friend tells us. “They feel like the last eight years were a sham – that we are back at square one.”
“They have discovered 300 million dollars of corruption in the oil ministry,” K tells me.
“They’re scratching the surface.”
I remember before the war with Iraq when reporters and blogger" were saying that Iraq was not preparing for war at all. Iraq did not prepare for a war that most believed was inevitable. On the other hand, rumor has it that Iran is preparing for war: a war that most believe is, in fact, unlikely.
They are dragging out the negotiations: giving themselves time to build relationships with the Russians (oops! Soviets! Or uhhh Russians) and the Chinese and god knows what else. Some Iranians I speak to believe that the regime will eventually come to an agreement about the nuclear issues, but I am not so sure. Why would they come to an agreement with the EU and US when China doesn’t care about their nuclear ambitions or their human rights record?
“All of our clients are from China,” a lawyer tells me. “We don’t open the doors for Iranians even. They are never satisfied with our work; they call at all hours of the day and night; they don’t like to pay; and they are inefficient. Our Chinese customers love us. They have money. For them, we are cheap.” (The lawyer wasn’t commenting on foreign policy, nuclear power, or anything else but his business.)
On the other hand, there seems to be a shrinking sense that nuclear arms will make Iran more respectable. What could be causing this diminishment of enthusiasm? Could it be that most Iranians wanted to believe that the nuclear program was, indeed, peaceful? Could it be that they are now realizing that it is not entirely peaceful? Could it be that the regime may be thrilled with its new-found friendship with China, but that most Iranians look to the West when they see their future? Could it be that Tehran’s metro construction has struck water and caused the near collapse of a busy street?
7 comments:
Sorry you guys are feeling down. If it makes you feel any better, please know that I find your site to be one of the most informative and interesting reads on the internet. In a web full of garbage, your page is consistently worth reading.
And if you get tired of all the crap, don't forget you can always come home. (not that we don't have our own crap, but you know what I mean)
This page is one of the few pages that are in my favorites. Even though i have never been to iran, i use this page as my eyes and ears into the country, hoping that one day i will visit the place my parents once called their home. dont ever stop what you are doing, your blogs are among the most unique i have ever seen, and it keeps a young college student like myself addicted to your words. thank you.
Arya,
It is so nice to see your words of appreciation.
A place called home is never forgotten by those who once lived there. Ties to a place like that become mythical when marvelled at by the following generations. I hope that the wonders of your parent's generation can be restored so that you will find the sweentness of home when you have a chance to go.
This website does bring to life the day to day events in a distant land, where customs, culture and expectations are so different from my home in th US. It is nice to have an interpreter who is up to the task of understanding and enlightening us with wisdom and insights.
I have to agree with Arya 100%. I look everyday to see what you have posted. Your so honest and at times that may be painful for some, but I think its best.
wow. You guys are niiice.
Thanks for the comments.
T
tfors says...
Yeah, you can always come home. We miss you.
This blog is awesome! I read every post, as does my girlfriend. She's doing a masters degree and reading papers for it and was so excited when she found references in one of them to this blog.
This. Blog. Rules.
You point about Iran/depression reminded me of the story about a Scottish guy in the USA who was diagnosed as having "clinical depression" when it turned out he was just a typical, miserable Jock!
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