Weddings!

Last Saturday, my good friend C (The Anatolian) invited me to the wedding of his one and only brother. I hadn't been to a Turkish wedding for quite a long time, so I felt a bit special about it. C himself had come over all the way from Istanbul for the event.

I remember how I used to be excited about weddings when I was a child. For us children, it usually meant a great occasion to play our favorite games in a big hall, until very late in the night. We often ended up with so much perspiration that all our clothes were soaked through, which of course caused the anger of our beloved mothers.

As we grew older, weddings assumed a completely different meaning. The games we used to play as children were replaced by the act of flirting. Both the boys and the girls often made extensive use of the dance floor, trying to impress the opposite sex with their dancing skills. Signs and especially notes were the initial means of communication, as many did not dare to simply walk to the one they fancied (among others because of the presence of the parents and other relatives). I remember how I was once given a note that was so badly written, that I could not read a single word!

Looking around at the wedding of C's brother, I realized that nothing had changed really. Children were, as always, running all over the place, playing their games and annoying all other guests. The flirty behavior of boys and girls was to be observed in all its splendor too all right. Several times, I was poked by M, who continuously pointed to a girl on the dance floor, whispering how much he liked her dress.

Well M, the next time you should write it on a note and pass it on!

"Che ragazzo serio!"

When I asked my Italian friend E to have a look at my blog, the first thing she said was "Che ragazzo serio!", which would translate into something like "Oh god, you gotta be kidding, this is far too serious dude!". She obviously referred to the prevalence of politics and society related writings and in particular to the absence of personal and light subjects in my oh-so-wonderful blog.

It is actually not a coincidence that these three words were uttered by this lovely lady from Florence. "Ah, Florence! Of course, that romantic city with its refined taste for food, fashion, arts (etc.) and its la dolce vita lifestyle; that's why!" I hear you shout, but that's not the reason. She's actually Neapolitan and not very fond of Florentines (and for some strange reason the Florentines are not very fond of Neapolitans either). The reason is in fact much simpler: she just hates politics and stuff.

There's a Turkish proverb that says "Look at one's friends and you will know what one is like". I must admit that this is largely true for me. Most of my close friends either study politics and society (or anything that is related, including humanities) or are highly interested in the subject. Most of the time they're advocates of cultural pluralism and often also anti-nationalist, or anti-rightist in general (which does not imply that they're leftist).¹ It must be for this reason that they haven't remarked about the general course of my blog so far; they must be thinking it's great! (or don't you?)

Only a few of my friends, among who E, do not match this general description and I think that is a very good thing. They keep me reminding of things of which I myself wouldn't think in the first place. I mean, at first I had no intention to write about personal things, but now the idea doesn't seem that bad at all. In fact, most of the bloggers that deal with politics and society, also write personal stories. It's not an unusual thing.

I guess a blog would simply be too heavy if politics and society would be its only contents. A personal, easy digestible writing now and then, would in this respect surely do good. In any case, it would give the blog more personal traits. After all, it is not some organization or whatever that keeps this blog running, it's me!

Obviously there are still many things to learn for me, but that's just how things go. Let us not forget that this is a process, not a project!

1. Needless to say, my friends are not as one-sided as depicted in those few sentences. Let us for the sake of convenience skip a comprehensive examination of their interests and activities as a whole, and assume that they are all multifaceted intellectuals.

Another world through exchange

For the ordinary man reading his daily newspaper, it may seem like squabbling is the only form of intercourse between the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran lately. I have to admit that this is indeed true for politicians and diplomats; they keep on arguing, bickering and maneuvering, yet not producing any tangible results. But hey, it's their job to act like that! We wouldn't have expected it otherwise, do we?

I'm happy to say that there is much more dialogue on much more levels between Western countries and Iran. In fact, at this particular moment, a group of Dutch students is visiting Iran, as part of an exchange project between the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Tehran based School of International Relations (SIR). A group of Iranian students had already visited the Netherlands in March 2007. The exchange project was started in 2002 and is repeated each year with new groups of students.

It is worth noting that the participants have always described their experiences as very positive. The exchange is indeed a perfect tool for the development and facilitation of mutual understanding and dialogue. The participants not only get the opportunity of studying the country on location, but also of meeting fellow students and maintaining links with them. To give just one example: this blog itself is also read by Iranian students! (Hello my friends!)


Dutch and Iranian students in Tehran.
source: www.pidad.org

I myself participated in this exchange in 2005/2006 and I'm still involved in the project in some way. Together with fellow exchange students (both Dutch and Iranian) from my year, we have developed an online platform with the aim of making the dialogue stabler and permanent. Visit the platform for more information: PIDAD. Oh by the way, you can already read the report of the Dutch students' first day in Tehran!

Guys, I'm eagerly seeking new exchanges! Anyone organizing one?