Kamangir (Archer)

Freedom

Kamangir | February 21, 2006 | Category Iran

Freedom Square, one of the largest squares in Tehran.

Right to my face, he goes “can I take a photocopy of my assignment?” He continues “I want to be able to show the original one to somebody else”. He describes more as he says “I want to make sure that you are objective, Are you?”

He made a joke about Iran making nuclear bombs and then he got a not very good mark in an assignment. He is now worried that I am partial in my job as a TA. I described that his sheets were very unorganized and hard to read, but he didn’t believe me.

I was just thinking, am I ready for this level of freedom. When your students talk to you this frankly and ask for their “right”?

I have been a teacher in Iran. Also, I was a TA in sharif, Iran’s best university. There, being a TA was a very nice experience. The students were respecting me and were very friends to me. I did the same to my TAs and teachers, too. You know, being friends with your TA means you will likely get a good grade, at least it means so in Iran. I am thinking, we, Iranians, have seriously accepted dictatorship. Still, we talk about “freedom”.

Misunderstanding

Kamangir | February 21, 2006 | Category Iran

Ambassadors of the countries around the Indian ocean met Ahmadinejad. These two pictures show Ahmadinejad greeting two ambassadors. If I was not an Iranian, I would conclude that the Islamic Republic regime has very serious relationships with the country whose ambassador is this warmly greeted by Ahmadinejad (see the first picture). Then, obviously, I would say the lady’s country is not having good ties with Iran (see the second picture). And if there was not that smile in the lady’s face, I would have thought Iran and that country are having serious problems together.

As I am an Iranian, I know that there is no such point. The fact is that Ahmadinejad can not greet a woman. That’s it.

p.s. In the Ahmadinejad version of Islam, which is also accepted by many others, people with different sex can not touch each other unless they are very close family members.

Facade

Kamangir | February 21, 2006 | Category Iran

Facade is an interactive game with fantastic ability to communicate with the player (see). The concept of the game is about trying to resolve problems between Grace and Trip, a seriously-troubled couple. The game starts when you get invited to their house. You can move around with arrow keys and use objects with mouse. For example, you may try to hug Grace or pick up a bottle. Also, you can talk to the players as you type. They will answer to you very good.

I played the game for three times and they always put me out of the house. Once, I was a male friend flirting on Grace. The other time, I criticized them badly. You can download the game from the above link. Also, if you send me an email I will send you a better address (the file is about 800MB).

Spring is coming!

Kamangir | February 21, 2006 | Category Iran

A church in Karimkhan st., Tehran, Iran.

Trying to Calm Down

Kamangir | February 21, 2006 | Category Iran

“We should try to cool down the situation. We do not support any violence,” Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a visit to Brussels. But he also cautioned that freedom of expression must be exercised with full respect of other people’s values and beliefs. Mottaki said he has contacted European foreign ministers as well as officials from Islamic countries, trying to calm the protests (see).

It seems that Iranian officials have at last understood the situation.