The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1963, Qupperneq 34

32
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER 1963
however, see snow capped mountains
throughout the summer from our
kitchen window.
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable
features of living in Iran is that all
of the rainfall occurs during the win-
ter months. It is possible to make plans
in March to have a picnic on any day
in October, and be sure of a bright
sunny day.
Is is almost impossible to describe
life and economic activity in Iran ac-
curately. In almost every activity it is
possible to see some 5000 years of
development. Some of the people live
and work much as their ancestors did
many centuries ago, while others live
much more luxuriously than I had ever
seen. One can shop in modern, air con-
ditioned supermarkets, or in small and
very ancient shops, or, indeed, one
can buy one’s daily needs from street
peddlars. One may see a sharecropper
on a feudal estate plowing the fields
with water buffalo and an iron-tipped
wooden plow; or one may see five-plow
tractors pulling plows or discs over
large fields. Some harvesting is done
by hand and some by self-propelled
combines. If one wishes to buy a com-
bination television, radio and phono-
graph, it is possible, if anything, some-
what more cheaply than in Canada.
It is also possible to obtain the most
intricate in silverware made by hand
by expert craftsmen.
There are high-speed highways,
trains and airways. On the other hand,
it is possible to hire donkeys, horses
or camels. Much business is transacted
with ithe aid of the ancient abacus, but
work is being done with the most
intricate of electronic computers. The
University of Tehran is beginning to
carry out nuclear research.
Ninety-three percent of the popula-
tion adheres to the Moslem faith, with
Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and
others making up the remaining seven
percent. The “church” and state are
not seperated. The hierarchy of the
Moslem faith is given a definite role
in the government of the nation.
One of the more impressive aspects
to me, of our stay in Iran was the
depth of the cultural heritage of its
people. For one whose grandfathers
settled on the shores of Lake Win-
nipeg and were part of the beginning
of the society which is Manitoba today,
it is an impressive experience to walk
among the ruins of cities which existed
and flourished 2500 years ago. Persep-
olis, the most famous of these ruins,
contains vivid evidence of a highly
developed social structure under
Darius I, 500 years before the birth of
Christ. The Persians are famous for
their poetry and literature, and al-
though 60 or 70 percent of the
populace is illiterate, this cultural
heritage is unmistakable.
Part of this heritage results in
hospitality and courtesy, the extent of
which is indescribable. Wherever one
goes, and throughout all strata of the
society from the richest to the poor-
est, one is received with complete
graciousness. This works splendidly be-
cause great care is also given to not
imposing oneself on anyone.
Perhaps a brief description of our
first road trip out of Tehran will serve
to convey some idea of our reception
wherever we went.
This trip took us into some of the
most productive agricultural land in
Iran—along the Caspian coast and into
the northwestern part of the country.
We arrived in a resort town on the
Caspian coast on a holiday and were
unable to obtain hotel accommodation.
Fortunately, we were stopped by a
twelve-year old boy who told us his
family could provide us with lodging.