Travel note in Persia 5 Welcome party

Travel note in Persia 5, Welcome party

The nieces of teenage took off both headscarves and coats. They wore the normal cloths like T-shirts and jeans.

Female relatives in their forties took off the coats or Chador, but they still put the headscarves even at home.

Young women of the far relatives did not take off even the coats. Because they think they were not very familiar to us.

I did not know what I could do.

"You can take it off" the niece said by gesture.

"Mersi.(Thank you)" I answered but I still could not decide. I wanted to ask my husband. But I could not talk to him because he was speaking with other people.

First of all I took the coat off.

All were sitting down along the wall because the traditional cushions were stood against the wall. Although there were many men and women, they were divided into each of the men side and the women side.

However, they were not perfectly divided. They were speaking together in the oposition side of the room.

Eat!!

Mother and Sister were preparing Chai(tea) and fruits in the kitchen.

It was the cold drink called Sharbat that was taken out first.The concentrated syrup of the fruits with water and ice were put in each glass and served.

This day's Sharbat was the blackcherry's one. It was offered without mixing water and was so beautiful like cocktail. They mixed the drink with the spoon and drank.

They were distributed by young nephews and nieces.

"It is beautiful." I said with holding the glass to the sun.

The fruits were distirbuted next. They served apples, plums, small cucumbers and a small knife on each plate.

Left fruits were put in the big basket and displayed in the middle of the room. Cucumbers are a king of fruits here.

I was surprized that all of them ate the cucumbers peeled the skin. Because the taste is strong, they say that lye is resistant to the skin as well.

In Japan we peel the skin of peaches, but Iranians don't.

I stopped eating, because I was full. When I was watching the room and the people, the relatives thought I was bored.

"Bokhoreed! (Eat!)" they said and replenished the fruits from the basket and gave me a Chai (tea).

Welcome of women

Our baggages were brought to the next small room. Sister took my hand into that room.

The other women were gathering, too. When they became only women in the room, they took off the headscarves and the coats. And the foots were stretched at ease.

Sister took the headscarf off, and sat beside me. She held my hands and spoke to me eagerly. It seemed that she said I might take off the headscarf.

All of them gathered in every direction of me. They huged and kissed me and held my hands.

I was overwhelmed because all were watching every movement of mine.

I could not understand the speaking. Sister called my husband to translate for me. I found out what they said from his translation.

If you don't know the language, after all you would only watch the people. Communication is difficult by the gesture.

However, I understood well I was welcomed.

I returened to the living room without the headscarf, because I found out I didn't need to put it on any more. Sister and the wife of the eldest brother wore the headscarves again.

Even if they are restrained by the law in the outside, it would be left to the individual discretion in the house.

If a woman wants to wear the headscarf, she does. If a woman wants to put on Chador, she does. If a woman wants to wear only the T-shirts, she does.

Women including me can behave freely at home.