伊朗行《11》--- Persian Food

The cuisine of Iran is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their region. Iranian food is not spicy. Most meals consist of a large serving of seasoned rice and an accompanying course, typically consists of meat, poultry, or fish. Herbs are used frequently. Onions and garlic are normally used in the preparation of the accompanying course, but are also served separately during meals, either in raw or pickled form.

Zereshk (i.e. barberry) is used heavily in Persian Cuisine. Zereshk polow (i.e. Iranian Chicken and Rice with Barberries) represents the most prominent use of barberry that is mixed with rice. It tastes great!

Source: http://www.wikipedia.com/

伊朗行《10》--- A World Without Strangers

When travelling, it's more than just about sightseeing, it's the ability to meet local people and make friends that is most interesting, and that's when language becomes important. Even though not many Iranians speak English, I'm glad that we can still communciate well with each others by means of body languages.

However, my Iranian friend Zarrin, who has been living in the US for the past 20 years and lately travelled to Iran, had a hard time in taking a picture for the local people. Perhaps they get worried when an Iranian wants to take a picture but with a foreigner they think the picture goes far and it won't matter. They are private and shy at the same time.

伊朗行《9》--- 亡命攝影師

伊朗行《8》--- 遇上100%的畫家

這天我和Iris在Imam Square內的Bazzar遛連了一個下午，紀念品買不到，郵票也買不到，累極！只想找一間茶館休息一會，伊朗人不喜歡喝咖啡，喜歡品茗，他們不會直接加糖在茶內，而是把方糖含在口中，再喝一點茶，讓糖在口中慢慢溶化，伊朗茶有點像錫蘭紅茶，就算不加糖，微澀的口感加上芳香，也很好喝。

可是找了整個廣場，半間茶館也找不到，卻誤打誤撞進了一間果仁店，店主是伊朗人，說着流利英語，知道我們對他店中的產品沒有興趣，非常熱情地邀請我們去見他的父親，並聲稱他父親並不是商人，是一名藝術家，廣場上有不少壁畫也是他的作品。

見他盛意拳拳，且時間尚早，就跟他往市場內一逛，我們被帶到他父親的一間畫廊，他父親正默默地畫畫，而他兒子就不斷地介紹父親的作品，又展示Lonely Planet (Italian Version)內有他父親的照片云云，他絕對是一名出色的推銷員，但比較硬銷。

他父親就用軟功，看見我手中拿着小記事簿，就說替我即席畫幅畫，最後，我和Iris都不敵他倆的軟硬攻勢，各替他們買了一幅駱駝骨畫。

伊朗行《7》--- 不同的遭遇

以下是一位記者去年在伊朗採訪時的遭遇:

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"暗角

翻譯阿麥德給我講過一個故事, 他的女兒莎哈爾小的時候最喜歡不穿鞋,光著腳丫在雨中玩, 每次都是渾身濕漉漉的回家. 可是到了她9歲生日的那一天, 按照伊朗法律, 她必須要參加一個成人禮, 在那一天, 她將披上頭巾, 從此不可將頭髮顯露於外人面前. 別的女孩子欣然接受的時候, 莎哈爾卻拿著頭巾, 對爸爸說, 爸爸, 我再也不能感覺到雨水打在頭髮上了. 望著莎哈爾的眼睛, 阿麥德衝進洗手間, 淚濕滿面.

前兩天我穿著一件白色的長衫, 去大巴扎拍片. 那裡琳瑯滿目的讓人心慌, 因為人太多,聲音太嘈雜, 讓我忍不住的鎖緊眉頭.阿麥德是個絕頂聰明的人, 看我的神情, 於是站在我的身邊, 靠牆而立, 司機和dee還有R先生, 將我環繞. 可是那來來往往的男人眼神中骯髒的氣息,已經足以讓我感覺到窒息. 結果即便是這樣, 15分鐘之後, 一個男人居然還是潛伏到樓上的那一層, 對著我吐下口水, 白衣服, 藍色的頭巾, 我的同伴們臉上的憐憫, 周圍的人一副看好戲的表情, 真是想大罵一場, NNND甚麼狗屎國家, 我為你的文明而來, 而你將我如此羞辱. 但是我最後還是咬緊牙關, 沒有發出聲音.

最難過的卻不是我.

阿麥德一言不發的在車上看著窗外的飛過風景, 我問他說你怎麼了, 他說你不知道我有多抱歉和多難堪. 我說那並不是你的錯, 他說, 可是這就是我的祖國, 那些人就是我的兄弟, 你說我該拿我的人民怎麼辦? 我問, 有沒有想過離開這裡, 你去過那麼多國家, 去任何一個地方, 都會過的很好. 他說, 可是我怎麼能逃避我自己的家, 它在我的血液裡面, 是我無法迴避的部分啊.

回到住的地方, DEE突然跟我說, 幸虧帶了頭巾, 不然就直接吐到頭髮上了. 我聽完, 想起Simi跟我說, 裹在黑長袍裡面, 我覺得protected. 但是protected from what? 如果我因為受到今天這樣的羞辱, 而寧願躲藏在黑長袍的保護之下, 那麼到底是我變的文明了, 還是邪惡教化了我, 馴服了我, 我不要躲藏在暗角里面, 那裡太荒蠻, 太淒涼.

12點的時候, 毛拉的祈禱混合著歌聲響起, 很多人會在乾淨的毯子上, 向著麥加的方向, 跪拜他們的真主. 我的身體, 卻不由自主的轉向太陽的方向." Unquote

原文

G.O.D. forbid!

G.O.D. should design some products with logos like "P.T.U.", "C.I.D." or "O-Kee" to help promoting Hong Kong Police Force as a remedy. Haha!

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"G.O.D. forbid!

Carol Chung

Friday, November 02, 2007

A bid to turn a Hong Kong-made and designed T-shirt into a fashion icon for local youths has run foul of the law with the arrest of 18 people from a local chain store yesterday.

Police said the design on the T-shirts marketed by Goods of Desire - or G.O.D. as the store is popularly known - was linked to a triad society and that those who purchased them could also be arrested.

Possessing triad products is a violation of the law and people wearing a shirt with such logos will be arrested, Organized Crime Triad Bureau Acting Superintendent Cheng Fuk-chuen warned.

Police confiscated 88 T-shirts and more than 500 postcards printed with a "14K" logo, "? x K"- with the numbers written in Chinese characters - from the store's five offices and warehouse located in Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Yuen Long. They arrested nine men and nine women, including salespersons and designers, aged between 21 and 51.

It is believed one of those arrested is the store's founder, Douglas Young Chi-chiu, who is a grandson of Kowloon Motor Bus founder William Louey Sui-tak.

They are suspected of contravening the Societies Ordinance, which refers to slogans, published materials and objects with symbolic meanings, and which police specialists have confirmed to be related to the triads. The police raid followed a recent media report on products the store was selling.

Cheng said the industry should be careful when designing products not to contravene the law.

"Creativity is creativity - that's different. The industry should study the legislation, which clearly states symbols representing or constituting triad symbols are illegal," Cheng said.

G.O.D.s marketing manager Cherry Ma Kit-ying insisted the logo was one of the store's usual designs and involved "a play on words."

Other examples include "Delay No More" - which sounds vulgar in Cantonese - printed on products, and home accessories with the store's name G.O.D. which sounds like the Cantonese words for "better living." The logo design was only intended to refer to gold rather than the triads, Ma said.

"Some may relate it to the triads ... we didn't have any intention to promote things [related to the triad]."

Ma stressed the store's innocent intention, saying "14K gold was marked on the back of the postcards."

Lawmaker James To Kun-sun, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council's security panel, said whether the controversial logo violates the law depends on how it is displayed and publicized, and whether it conveys any triad-related message.

People who have bought the products but are innocent about the meaning may not be charged. But if they act in a provocative way when wearing the T-shirt, they could be mistaken for a triad member, To said.

G.O.D. is recalling the T-shirts and postcards, which went on sale in mid- September.

So far, more than 10 T-shirts, costing HK$280 each, have been sold.

Police said those who have bought the products should call 2527-7887. "
Unquote

Source: The Standard