April 18, 2023 | Farvardin 29, 1402
Velenjak and Tehran.
Image: Ustaz (master) of mo’alla calligraphy in the midst of work.
Crossing Streets in Synchronicity
Up at 7:00, had breakfast, and sorted my laundry. Howeiyza Hotel has a laundry service that returns your clothes either the same day, or the next morning. I walked to one of the Iranian artefact shops 5 minutes from my hotel, and purchased a fabric travel suitcase embroidered with a Shirazi pattern. I will need this at some point during my trip. I walked home to put it in my room, and it was already nearly noon when I left again to head towards Charsou Mall on Jomhouri Avenue. It took me over 1 hour to walk there. I walked south on Nejatollahi street, and continued south on Hafez Avenue. At one point, I had to cross Enghelab street, and it was on this moment that I learned a life hack that I would try to use for the remainder of my time in Iran. I used a local woman as a shield. Sounds so wrong, but I assumed she knew what she was doing, and stood by her and tried to synchronise my walking speed to match hers, so I could get across safely. Yes, there were traffic lights and drivers were obeying the law, but the traffic was wild that day. And the smaller streets without traffic lights are more difficult to cross. For 2 kilometers south, I passed by an Armenian church and the Embassy of Russia— totally gated. I encountered a woman in her 50s who asked for directions, and I replied that I’m not from Tehran (note: I did not say that I am not from Iran). I wonder if she was able to identify me as a foreigner.
Themed Malls
Once at Charsou Mall, I saw a Samsung store. I’ve never seen a Samsung store before, and smiled. I went up the escalator and found another one. And then a 3rd one! I asked a security guy with beautiful eyelashes and big brown eyes if this mall is exclusively electronics. He replied, yes just mobiles (“Areh, faghat mobileforoosh” – he said something like that). Each floor of the mall was saturated with electronic accessories and mobile services. I was pretty annoyed with myself for not having done research in advance. Themed malls, and even themed streets, are a common thing in the Middle East. In Jeddah, Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia, I saw a street that only sold lightbulbs and light fixtures, left and right, up and down the road.
But how can this be good for business? These business owners are in close proximity with their literal competitors, and it’s saturated with the same goods and services. And how can this be good for the citizens, too? Imagine you need to buy 5 lightbulbs, skin care products, and some printer paper. It makes it more likely that you might have to go to 3 separate “themed” shopping areas/streets.
(Edit from the future: there are places to buy “general” goods, and they offer a mix of commercial and retail places. But in general, I hate the idea of themed streets as a pedestrian/metro commuter.).
I paced around and tried to figure out the nearest metro station. The food court on the top floor was empty and had large windows all around — pretty chill. Should I do some writing here?
Suddenly, I smelled a nostalgic fragrance that took me back to age 12. A little perfume that my Mom gave me with a picture of a 1950s woman on it. At that moment I started to wonder whether after a few months or a few years, if I happen to smell a nostalgic smell that reminds me of Iran, which would take me back to this very day. I know that the olfactory system is the most superior sense we have that can literally change our emotions and even our physiology with a smell that is emotionally linked to a memory.
Walking
I studied the Map of the area, identified road names and all turns that I would need to make, and found a path to Sa’adi station. Ferdowsi (the metro station near my hotel), was of equal distance, or maybe 100 m further north, BUT it lies on the yellow line. Sa’adi is on the red line, which means I could take a single train north to istigah Gheytarieh, and from there, I need to walk for exactly 3 kilometers to Palladium Mall in Mahmoudieh.
As I left the Themed Mall, I walked through crowded streets once more, and struggled to cross some little streets. I found an Armenian coffee roastery along my path, and went inside. The shop was small, line was long, and fast moving — an intimidated Mariam left, but of course I saved their location for later! As I walked, I noticed many people buying snacks from the many canteens that are present on the pavement of every block. I noticed a man in his 50s chugging a bottle of water and another man eating a muffin. Nobody was trying to be discrete about not fasting, but they weren’t trying to attract attention either. Just living their lives normally.
I arrived to Sa’adi, and took the line up to Gheytarieh. From there, I started my ascent north-west and enjoyed a 3-kilometer uphill walk — thought it would take 40 minutes, but walking in an Iranian city as a foreign girl takes longer. About 1 hour. Also, I stopped and let my senses take in my surroundings.
Palladium
Finally, I arrived at Palladium Mall! I went in, and saw that most of the stores were high-end clothes. I want to explore what the local brands are like and buy a gift for my friend’s Mom. I spotted Mango and walked inside. The branding, the tags, the interior design, looked like a very good imitation of Mango— even the clothes looked a bit Mango-esque. But…I’m 95% sure it is not original Mango. And oh my, the prices were similar to Mango in Dubai! Exploring the Mall, I found a lovely cafe upstairs to grab a bite, but they were closed. The lighting of this Mall is beautiful, as is the walkability of it, and it’s not too crowded. The escalators are in odd locations — I found a “half’” floor between some of the main floors, equipped with a “mini” escalator leading to the mystery portal. I went to the supermarket on the lower level, and looked for snacks. I am so hungry! I have to meet two friends at 7:00 PM tonight at my hotel. We made plans to visit their calligraphy instructor.
Leaving the supermarket empty-handed, I found a cool flower kiosk, and took their card. Their card had a little bouquet on it. Outside the mall, I tried to order a Snapp. The walk to the metro station would take too long. So, I walked to a quiet residential corner where I could get a good view of the cab and where traffic would allow him to stop. The cab guy was Hossein. Thank God he didn’t call me prior to his arrival. Sometimes, the drivers will call you before they arrive, and I can never understand their fast and informal speech over the phone. Tehran rush hour: I got a little motion sickness in the car and was growing worried about how it would take us 58 minutes, basically one hour, to travel only 12 kilometers (north to south, mostly on Modares highway). The cab ride was 1,460,000 IRR (~2.30 USD).
Mo’alla Calligraphy
I arrived to the hotel, changed quickly, and walked south on Nejatollahi to a nearby restaurant. The same fluorescent-lit restaurant that we had gone to yesterday. I saw an SUV pull up with Friend A and Friend B. Friend A treated us both to dinner/iftar. With 12 hours since my bite, and all that uphill walking, you can bet I was super hungry: I had two full narenj (bitter oranges) squeezed over my grilled chicken. This is the beginning of my new obsession with this flavour combination. Afterward we all ventured to the calligraphy master! Ustaz (master) M. E.; the Mo’alla calligraphy instructor.
Ustaz E. lead us through to the studio that was very tastefully decorated with original artwork. Another student joined, for her lesson was ready to begin. Master E. and his student practised at the big desk, I drank tea and ate mulberries with Friend B, and Friend A sat in the corner of the studio and played us some music on the tar. Surrounded by various artists, drinking Persian tea, and live folk music being played in the vicinity. This was such a good vibe, and I wish my weekends could always look like this.
Finally, Master E. asked to write my name as a parting gift. I would later on learn that ustaz E. was a student of the original inventor of Mo’alla calligraphy. Time to go home.
Iran, Az Cheshmanam 