IamA English tutor living in Iran AMA!

What would you say the average Iranian's attitude toward the West (not just America, but yeah, mainly America) is in general? Is there a divide in opinion between students you teach and those who aren't interested in learning English?

They love Americans with a passion. Watch Anthony Bordain's special, it'll become clear. They chant death to America but on the signs they hold up it says down with the USA. That's the thing, they really, really, REALLY dislike the foreign policy of the United States. Unlike other countries, however, we don't blame the citizens of America for this. Most Iranians believe American citizens are powerless in their foreign affairs. They also know that Iraq had America's go ahead to use chemical weapons against Iran... as well as the fact that America shot down an Iranian passenger plane, which killed hundreds. They will never fully forgive the American government for this, yet against the American people they hold no grudge. Iranians are also the most hospitable people in the world. No American I know has been able to get through Iran without being invited to someone's house for dinner or has had anything negative to say about the country.

The reason they do this is they believe that showing you the hospitality and goodness in their hearts might change the way you think about Iran. No matter how poor or how rich they are, it is amazing the lengths they will go to in order to make sure you have a wonderful time in their country.

Here's a link to the preview of the special: https://youtu.be/pzqHf9oR5Rs

Oh and there is a divide. Almost everyone who learns English wants to live in America one day, and that requires a mindset about the US government that is slightly more... positive than the rest of the population, to say the least.

I don't mean to be disrespectful, and I would certainly apologize for any harm done by my country to the people of Iran.

I'm not trying to be controversial. How are such incidents like the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing of the U.S. Marine and French 'Drakkar' barracks which killed 241 American and 58 French peacekeepers seem from the average Iranian citizens view point? And the blowing up of a van filled with explosives in front of the U.S. embassy in Beirut killing 58 Americans and Lebanese in 1983? And the Lebanon hostage crisis which involved the kidnapping in Lebanon of 96 foreign hostages of 21 national origins—mostly American and Western Europeans? All happened due to Hezbollah with the financial backing of the Iranian Government.

Is Hezbollah targeting Americans and Europeans seen as a good thing or disliked among the average Iranian citizen?

GoodDogCy is correct.

Those acts were horrid but most (that I've discussed this with) believe that the Iranian government had nothing to do with it. We were one of the only middle eastern countries to have candle light vigils after 9/11, because we believed that despite the foreign policy failures of America, no civilian deserves to get killed for the actions of his or her government.

This is the same reason most Iranians are disgusted by ISIS as well as Hezbollah.

Most Iranians don't believe in Hezbollah as being a good organization. It's slang to refer to any terrorist (or guy with a beard) as a "Hezbollayi" so basically terrorism and Hezbollah are viewed as one and the same.

Hamas, however, is a different story.

Salam! I live in Mashhad

Oh and there is a divide. Almost everyone who learns English wants to live in America one day, and that requires a mindset about the US government that is slightly more... positive than the rest of the population, to say the least.

This really isn't a good thing, it's almost become a sort of disease where they think everything Iranian is shit and only western products and cultural practices are superior, and quite frankly it gets very annoying.

Sounds like the majority of my upper class students.

Can you estimate like what percentage of homes in iran have electricity?

Is it almost everyone?

What about internet access? Of your friends how many have internet access routinely versus only when they go to an internet cafe?

Everyone where I live (Tehran) has electricity access. Of course there are places outside the big cities that have limited electricity, but these locations are becoming increasingly rare (you'd have to go near the iraq/afghan border to see most of those villages).

As for internet, the story is completely different. It costs about 5000 toman (at my favorite internet "cafe") for internet access per hour. That's roughly 1.2 USD (exchange rates here are far different from those listed online). Internet cafe's are usually just the size of maybe 4 American cubicles filled with computers in a 4x4 configuration, with some fans included. For 5000, I get the filter lifted because I know the guy so I can visit blocked sites like facebook and twitter (in addition to, of course, Reddit). You have to pay extra for downloading videos as bandwidth costs money, unless you are using the internet between certain hours.

Most people here use internet cafes when they need to access from a laptop. Only the very rich can afford tolerable home internet access (no restrictions, 10mbps+, unfiltered, and no need for a VPN that can slow your connection to a crawl). One of my close friends (who is the director of a hospital) has internet speeds more than that of an internet cafe but other than that everyone here uses cafe's when they need to do something online. Also, most middle class citizens have iphones anyways so internet use in cafes and homes is declining.

Apple iPhones? How did these make it into Iran given the trade sanctions?

The same way the BMW's do. We have plenty of apple stores here, we even have "geniuses" wearing the same uniforms. People want a phone that makes them seem classy, which is why they want Iphones. We also have plenty of Chanel and other designer brands. All these items cost much more than their non smuggled counterparts, although the sanction circumvention trade is massive and isn't really considered smuggling based on the scale on which it operates.

American goods like iPhones are revered as being extremely high quality. Black and Decker is seen as the gold standard for power tools, for example. Also American Muscle cars are very expensive, and almost every middle aged person's first car was a Jeep, and Jeeps are still very popular despite the sanctions. Land Rover/Range Rover are seen as the ideal car today, people here like big, American cars. They last a long time, fewer people are willing to cut off a large car (and cause an accident), and not everyone can afford to buy more than 1 car in their lifetime. At least 1 in 5 cars here in the downtown area are of the Large, American variety.

People are willing to pay through the roof for these goods, sometimes even triple the western rates (and it's far harder to earn money here than there) simply because they are American. German goods also follow this trend, but not as much as American ones.

Black and Decker is seen as the gold standard for power tools, for example.

This makes me cringe. Black & Decker is cheap crap, here. Brands like Milwaukee and Snap-On are what you really want.

My garage in the states only has Milwaukee tools. There are none here though, hopefully when the sanctions are lifted we will get some.

I may disagree with you on this one. When I left Iran few years ago, I had a 1 Mbps internet subscription. It is not comparable to the speed you get in the rest of the world, but it wasn't 56 Kbps either. Those friends of mine who I am still in contact with told me a while ago they have 4 Mbps subscriptions, and apparently price is affordable for them too since they are definitely on the lower of the middle class. This is in the north however. I was under the impression that things would have been better off in Tehran.

Most people I know who have home internet service live in cities outside of tehran, unless they are solid mid class citizens or higher. Even then, 10mbps is basically the gold standard few can afford (although there is talk of a fiber optic network coming soon)

The best internet is that of government employees like Hospital directors etc because they have unfiltered/unthrottled access, which let's you use the full mbps speed without having to set up a VPN, which many people end up doing, especially if they are not very good with computers. This ends up lowering their overall speeds depending on which VPN they can afford.

Would you be in trouble with your government if they knew you were hosting an AMA on Reddit?

Well I'm using a VPN at a cafe, and the government here doesn't necessarily monitor the internet as much as they simply filter it. And I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble over posting on Reddit, people here get away with far worse things.

If they found out nothing would happen as long as I don't post anything too negative on here, although if the Islamic police found out I'd be screwed pretty badly but thankfully they don't monitor the internet.

How are teachers respected in Iran when compared to those of the west?

Tutors are treated like professors. I'm treated very well because I am good at my job and love teaching youths (I also work mostly for free if the family can not afford my service... that might be a factor)

Teachers are treated like they are in the states. Low pay etc... most become tutors if they want more pay, otherwise they stay for the government benefits.

In your estimation, what percentage of the population studies and learns English?

In the US most high schools give you a choice of foreign languages. Here you get a choice of English, French, or German. You have to take Arabic and Farsi as well, those are mandatory.

The English teachers here are garbage could be better. I mean most students that I teach took English in school, and their levels of fluency rival that of illegal immigrants in America. Because I'm fluent, and was raised in the good old US of A Great Satan I'm very popular. Most people choose me because I have a neutral North American accent, which can be understood everywhere in the United States and Canada.

As a career, fewer than 1% study English. As a hobby, I'd say maybe all middle class people, not sure what % that would be. They want to learn English because they dream of going to America, even though on the surface they may appear to hate it.

The poor of course don't have time for things like this, they prefer European languages of countries that are easy to immigrate to like Norwegian, Spanish, Greek etc etc... most learn Azeri and Arabic if they are not interested in leaving the country

You have to take Arabic and Farsi as well, those are mandatory.

What level of Arabic are we talking about here? Basic, do students get up to the level of being able to read Arabic books? Is it modern Arabic, or Quaranic type Arabic?

That's actually kind of mind blowing to me.

Based on what the students tell me it's modern and Quaranic, but when I was a kid it was only Quaranic.

Hi! I have a double citizenship (italian/iranian) and gonna go alone in Iran for one month for the first time in August. Do you have some advices regarding: -how can I meet people in Tehran? -is it still forbidden to walk with a girl who is not you wife? and how about sex in iran? -i don't know farsi, will i be able to communicate in english, get indications in the city etc? -how about the cost of life? Thanks!

You have to at least know a few people in order to meet others in Tehran, the best way to make friends is to be introduced imo. It's forbidden to do all kinds of things but the moral restrictions are pretty lax. Unless you go to certain hotspots nobody is going to check if she's not your wife.

Sex in Iran... well I'm in a relationship but based on what I've heard the "country folk" have begun moving in and they are very morally... lax to put it lightly. The university students I teach tell me that sometimes there are groups of women who come to the men's dorms to have sex every so often, but that's basically all I know. Sex is pretty taboo to discuss with another gender, and the men and women say different things so it's hard to know for sure what's going on.

The cost of life is relatively cheap in Euros. As long as you can understand broken English, you should be fine. You'll most likely take Air Italia to Iran, so get to know some people on the plane and that'll be your start to making friends.

Are churches legal in Iran?

Yes, we have Armenian churches, and many others. But Armenians get away with so much in this country, they are so lucky fortunate. They can drink booze, eat pork, and are exempt from religious duties (like fasting during ramadan, which is mandatory and enforced). Not only this, but they also get permanent seats in the country's legislature.

Edit: To err... make my post seem less like I promote alcohol and eating pork. Just in case.

As a good Armenian friend of mine said, Iran is probably the only country bordering them with which they have friendly relations.

This is more or less true. Armenia borders four countries, two of whom have complete embargoes on it: Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenia borders Georgia to the north, and while relations with them are a damn sight better than with Turkey or Azerbaijan, I don't think any objective observer (and FWIW, I'm Armenian-American, so I'm not necessarily objective myself) would say that they're great. Armenia is friendly with Iran and especially friendly with Russia, which is really rather unfortunate because Armenia is a Christian nation with a history of welcoming western culture and ideas (such as the missionaries who ended up being crucial witnesses to the genocide during World War I), so there really are the seeds for a more integrated presence in the world than is currently the case. But Iranian culture has long historic ties to Armenian culture (during the late Middle Ages, Armenia was even ruled by Iran for a period of time), which is my theory as to why Armenians are exempt from much of the religious codes in Iran.

There's also the matter of the preferential treatment Armenian churches get compared to the persecution of, say, Baha'i's in Iran, which, OP, I'd be super curious if it gets talked about at all where you are?

Being any religion but Baha'i is ok. Being Baha'i means you are treated like a Muslim who is trying to adulterate the religion. Kind of like being a Jehovah's witness (from the eyes of an ultra conservative catholic) but at the same time being discriminated against.

It's a shame too, Baha'is are really peaceful and nice people.

Ive heard poetry enters daily life in Iran. Have you experienced poetry on the street?

I have once or twice but it's probably more common outside of my local area. If there are any Iranians viewing this thread I encourage them to elaborate.

Iran is absolutely on the top of my bucket list for travelling at the moment. I've been reading a lot about it and am completely blown away by the beautiful scenery of the country itself and the apparent hospitality of its people.

With Iran now beginning to open more up to the west, do you think things might change somewhat for the better/worse in near decades?

And as a traveller: when would be an ideal time to visit, any season better than the other?

All of the things GoodDogCy says are true. Also going skiing is something I would most definitely recommend if you go there. It's cheap and just as fun as European resorts. It's strange for me to recommend such places because I myself have yet to see the entire country for myself. I've yet to go outside of Tehran except for occasional visits to my home on the Caspian sea.

What's general view of Iranian towards Malaysia now after the clampdown on shi'ism by our government since the past few years? Would I be treated with hostility if they found out that I'm Malaysian while being in Iran

I can't think a scenario where you would be treated with hostility from people Iran, no matter where you are from; be Israeli, Saudi, or Malaysian.

Well if you said you were Israeli and you worked for the Mossad...

Never heard of any Malaysians in Iran, and I'm not sure what the general population thinks of them. From what little I've heard people discuss, I'd assume we're on good terms but it'd be best to ask someone more aware.

How about Australian & Chinese people? Really jealous of what you're doing, would love to visit Iran one day.

I'm just doing this as a summer job, I work as a tutor to pay for my tickets each year.

I mean I don't think I can accurately state the stereotypes the general population of my country has towards Australian and Chinese people, but there are plenty of Chinese expats here in Tehran.

I am a math and science teacher from America currently living and teaching in Shanghai, China. I would love to come to Iran to visit. What are some of the must sees? Also, are teachers like me in demand in Iran? I would love to teach and live for a year in your part of the world.

I don't know about teachers but there are an excessive amount of math and science tutors in this country (everyone wants their son/daughter to become a doctor/engineer/architect/dentist). I recommend you come to Iran to visit but I doubt you'll be hired unless you become fluent in Farsi, then you'll become in demand because they really like foreign teachers.

Thank you so much for doing this AMA! I'm a bit of a history nut, particularly with anything related to Iran/Persia, and hope to one day visit.

From what I understand, there are still a token amount of practicing Zoroastrians in Iran today, despite centuries of religious oppression. Have you ever met any Zoroastrians? How are they viewed by the average Islamic Iranian? Have you been to any Fire Temples?

I've never seen any Zoroastrians nor fire temples. They are declining in population due to marriage laws.

The expat community is very fond of them but the average Iranian basically thinks of them the same way the average christian thinks of mormons.

What Iranian dish should I seek out?

I can't speak for OP but as somebody who has eaten quite alot of Persian food I would recommend:

• Ghorme Sabzi

A herb stew with meat (often lamb), kidney beans and dried limes.

• Fesenjan

A walnut and pomegranate stew with chicken/small meatballs

• Kababs of all variety, grilled on flat skewers over fire (even in most restaurants), eaten with rice or bread, often grilled tomatoes, sumac and raw yellow onion (sounds wierd but it works)

Koobideh Kabab - ground meat kebab which is incredibly juicy

Jojeh Kabab - chicken marinated in saffron & yoghurt

• Dizi/Abgoosht

Lamb stew with chickpeas, beans, onion, tomatoes, turmeric, and dried lime. Which is made in a special clay pot, the stew is often eaten by separating the meat peas etc and the broth, and then then the meat part is mashed together. The dish is then eaten with bread, onion and the broth.

These dishes are all very common but can differ quite alot depending on who makes them.

Generally most dishes are eaten with flatbread and/or Persian rice/Polow/Polo of varying kind, my favourite is probably Zereshk polo - Saffron rice with Barberries or Baghali polo - rice with dill and fava/broad beans.

Also definitely worthy to mention is Tadigh which is basically rice cooked in a bit of oil so that it's crispy and golden in the bottom of the pan, it can also be made with potato or bread in the bottom.

Desserts include:

• Falodeeh Which is basically the predecessor to/oldest documented form of ice cream. It's made with rice noodles, rosewater, sugar and lime/lemon.

• Bastani sonnati Saffron rosewater vanilla ice cream often served with pistachios and can also often be served as a icecream sandwich between wafers which is to die for.

• Lavashak More of a treat, like fruit rollups but in a vast amount of flavours and less processed and more delicious. Generally a favourite among kids.

Lots and lots of other soups and stews

• Many stews - Khoresht-e ***

Khoresht-e karafs is another favourite of mine, herb/lamb stew with dried limes and celery

• Many soups (often quite thick) - Ash-e ***

Ash-e mast - yoghurt soup with rice chickpeas, mint and lamb meatballs

Also Ash-e Reshte - A noodle soup with herbs, chickpeas and "kashk" - a yoghurt product which is quite special.

Drinks

Doogh is what is quite commonly drank with food, very much like ayran, a yoghurt drink, often served with some mint, sometimes ice, can be carbonated or plain.

There are obviously incredibly much more to the Persian/Iranian cuisine than what I've listed, alot of things that very interesting, things that you'd not think go together but which ultimately do. Generally the food is not spicy but definitely not bland, and you will get full, no question about it.

Something few people will tell you: don't buy "khoresht" (the stews you put on rice) at restaurants. They are often frozen and usually are old if they are prepared daily because few eat them. These include Fesenjan, Ghorme Sabzi etc... But do try the Kebabs, they are always made fresh everywhere, and also go to a good tahchin place and try that.

This would be a delicious meal for you to try:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghormeh_sabzi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabab_koobideh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahdig

http://www.mypersiankitchen.com/kashkeh-bademjan-persian-eggplant-dip/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doogh

Do you have any Persian restaurants around where you live?

You want a foreigner to try Doogh? Are you trying to get them to hate our country (it's an acquired taste)?

What do people in Iran think of Germany and their role in the world?

We like Germany, they have always been relatively good to us. Iranians are taught that Germany was our ally both in WW2 and after it. The smart ones go to America, the geniuses go to Germany.

From what I've heard from people who visited Iran, the people there are amazingly friendly and welcoming to foreigners. I'd like to visit some day. Any places you recommend visiting?

Don't visit the capital. Go to Isfahan and see the sites. Try your best to steer clear of the cities (downtown area), they are incredibly boring imo, and go see Persepolis as well.

can i become an English tutor in Iran?

And how

If you can speak decent farsi and have English speaking skills slightly better than broken english you can. It's mostly accent that matters, people want their kids to blend in when they speak to a native.

As for how, just go to the nearest school and offer your services, they'll refer you to kids that need help. After you tutor 1-2 kids you'll start getting requests from other family members, then following that friends, soon you'll have requests from many others.

Just remember not to charge much. Not everyone can afford it, so sometimes you'll have to charge little to nothing or flatly refuse someone. I've never refused someone because they couldn't pay, and neither should anyone else unless they are dependent on tutoring to put bread on the table.

Best Iranian food you've had ?

Tahchin @ the "cherry water" abe geelas restaurant.

The restaurant is HUGE but was split into 3 because the 3 brothers who ran it decided to screw each other over and now there are 3 restaurants. The bottom one is the best, it's the most crowded and smallest but it's got the best food. The top one is beautiful with stained glass and plants everywhere but the food is mediocre and expensive.

It looked like this: https://goo.gl/vytRBl

What is your favorite treat?

Gohe Sag

Dude.

Translation: dogshit

yep.

What happens when Nowruz overlaps with Ramadan? Which holiday do Iranians celebrate? Do the feast or fast?

Feast after you fast. Though many people ignore Ramadan each year and don't get caught, so I'd assume a good deal of the population would feast anyways.

What do you mean by "don't get caught". Dude, just 4 days ago I was in a car right beside a cop and I was just calmly drinking from my water bottle. It's common curtsy to not eat in front of people fasting but it's not like people are regularly arrested. Plus, Reddit isn't filtered in Iran, it's "smart filtered". You can just bypass it by changing http://www.reddit.com to https://www.reddit.com. I'm starting to doubt you saying that you're in Iran...

I got a fine for drinking some soda I bought at the mall.

I don't want anyone in the government to know I'm visiting Reddit. And I never said that Reddit is filtered, I just said I visit Reddit while I have the filter lifted. I personally always use a VPN even if I'm going on gmail to check some emails, you shouldn't assume I'm lying about being Iranian because I don't have the same browsing habits as yourself.

What does the average Iranian feel with regards to Jews and Judaism?

Jews are viewed neutrally even though many make fun of them. It's not Judaism they have a problem with, it's Zionism, which they believe is totally different from its western definition.

Do you reckon Iran's economy is going to sky rocket from the new oil deal with America?

Nope. The poor and rich divide here is really bad, until that gets fixed the economy isn't going to undergo any rapid changes. The sanctions have had quite an impact but the rich/poor divide has done far worse for this country.

Then again I'm not an economist so anything is possible.

Is iran more democratic then westen countrys (lot people say) ? Have muslim people problems with christians ? And have you got some western/russian propaganda in medias ?

We have Voice of America and plenty of Russian channels. Most people have satellite tv, so they can watch most anything.

As for the muslim people, it depends on who. The average Iranian is highly tolerant of any religion as long as it does not attempt to convert muslims to it (mainly because it would be bad for the muslim e.g. punishable by death...)

It is a theocracy... so all religions have a say in the government based on their % population. Muslims are the majority so we have an Islamic republic.

Was it difficult adjusting to new customs and laws at all?

I've been coming and going all my life so there was 0 adjustment.

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Fox news talks about Iran and puts a picture of a desert in the background. Iran has a desert but the majority of the population does not live in it.

Basically anything Fox news says. Here we call it "Fucks news"

Iranian women aren't as oppressed as the west implies. They can't do certain things like attend football (soccer) games, which I think is stupid. But they can drive, vote, hold office, become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and I even know a female mechanic. Also all you need to wear is a headscarf and a long sleeved shirt/long pants with a monto (a coat-like thing, hard to explain), much more relaxed than most other middle eastern countries. It could be better but right now women are relatively satisfied with the changes that are going on.

Also men can't wear shorts in Iran. Not nearly as strict of a dress code as for the women but goes to show that even men have cosmetic restrictions placed on then.

picture of a monto http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/pict/201139149043_2.jpg (Basically what morpheus and Neo wear in the matrix, but shorter.)

Iran doesn't use sharia-esque law like Saudi Arabia, they use it only to make examples out of certain people (like acid throwers, rapists, pedophiles, murderers, etc). Other than that our punishment system is similar to that of the west. You won't get your arms cut off if you steal.

How about gay Iranians?

They don't exist. Officially.

The government forces you to get a sex reassignment if you are gay, but I think you can opt out and get executed I'm not sure.

What do normal Iranians think of the nuclear deal?

For most Iranians it's the most exciting foreign affair of their lives. People were celebrating in the streets for hours after they announced it.

It's rare that a foreign affair can unite the young and old (pre and post revolution born population) The pre revolutionaries believe that it will be a return to the "good life*" while the post think that it will allow more American products into their lives as well as an American Visa.

*good life refers solely to the westernized society which had many flaws but had a arguably better economy

just in case someone is monitoring this

How do Iranians feel about chinese korean japanese people? I'm a female and a mix of these three ethnicities. If I went to Iran, would I be harassed? discriminated against? What am I to expect?

tolerable home internet access.

So it's still pretty underdeveloped?

Also, do they do the teaching abroad things?? How much does one make? How many people do it?

Basically an average of 5Mbps, which most believe is very slow. We still have some poorer people with netzero speeds. But bandwidth is limited and filtered/throttled by the government, which leads most to believe that their internet is slower than it really is. (The VPN slows your internet browsing speed). I find the lower income people to be able to get more out of their internet speeds than the upperclass.

You wouldn't be harassed but people would probably want to be politically correct and call you a "cheshm badoomi" (almond eyed one) which isn't supposed to be insulting it's just there's no good word for asian people, we usually say chini-japoni when we can't tell which one, but if we can't narrow it down to those two we say cheshm badoomi.

Most Iranians can tell the difference between Asian races because there are so many Chinese people living here and they watch many Asian Farsi dubbed programs.

Teaching abroad things is mostly limited to Latin American countries.

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Err I said the average was 5mbps. And most people use a VPN, which further slows down net speeds. Nowhere did I say nor imply the penetration rate is below 60%...

And there's no need to insult. If you have something to contribute, please do, otherwise leave.

Which is your favourite Tea combo and why?

Twining Earl Grey with any Iranian desert they are all good.

Have you drink more Tea in Iran than in America? or have you been a tea fan since always?

Always, I lived/live in TN so I grew up drinking hot and cold teas.

Chicks are hot ?

Chickens are delicious.

A few questions please: (1) How many strip clubs in your area? (2) Is Iran going to put an end to ISIS once and for all? (3) Do you guys poop in modern toilets or holes in the floor? (4) What do you think of the Moody Blues? (5) What happens to an American visiting your country that meets a guy's wife who's in a full burka and he gives her a quick smack on the behind? (6) Do you feel that folks have an issue learning the English language because of silent vowels? (7) How hard is it to learn Farsi? (8) Do Iranians believe in vampires or the undead? (9) As a tourist which part of Iran should I avoid at night? (10) Why does Persian rice take about an hour to make but regular rice is done within 30 minutes? - Thanks!!

(1) in my country 0

(2) We are doing more to destroy ISIS than any other country, but only time will tell if that's enough.

(3) Modern holes in the floor. It's called a french toilet.

(4) I don't know what that is

(5) It'd be hard to find someone in full burka, most just wear a headscarf. The really religious ones (who work for the state) wear a mandatory chador, which still isn't a burka.

(6) No English is easy for them, I've yet to meet someone who struggles with that aspect.

(7) I don't know I've always known it, but it would be difficult for a foreigner, basically as hard as learning Chinese characters because after the 2nd grade we take out all the vowels and you are forced read without vowels.

(8) No

(9) Based on #5 I don't think anywhere is safe for you.

(10) Because we have a special process of "dampening" the rice. We also do this with pasta, which I think is gross but most Iranians enjoy.

Edit: rice clarification -_-

"damming" the rice?

Brewing the rice. Man he's a goddamn English tutor and he doesn't know how to speak English properly. I've started over 20 "I'm an Iranian, AMA" threads since 2010 and none of them got any responses.

Well I wanted to say dam kardan which is the process of making the rice damm (damp), hence damm-ing. But now I can see how it could cause confusion. I meant it to be a foreign phrase, I'm used to speaking pinglish to students to explain how our words translate. Should've said dampening the rice, my mistake.

Sorry about your threads, but by the way you've insulted me with your posts on this I can tell why your AMA threads haven't gotten any responses.