Working behind Closed Door

Phew~~Finally, I have finished writing for Iraqi Kurdistan chapter and Armenia chapter for my blog…have been leaving behind for some time.

Cheapest room in Tabriz!

I have been working behind closed door in the cheapest hotel room I could find in Tabriz for the past three days, almost naked and sweltering with unbearable sweat and odor in my unwashed(unable to wash!) clothes. It’s end of June now. Iran is so fucking hot! Can you imagine not taking shower for six consecutive scorching and irresistible hot days here? (You need to pay for shower!) It’s interesting(if not ludicrous) to learn that Iran(Tabriz) is the second country after Jordan(Irbid) where you could find hotels charging for shower! The last time I took a shower was when I was in breezy Goris, Armenia, six days ago.

Gomez and his house(Don't freak out! Only angle problem!)

If not because of meeting and hanging out with ‘friendly’ Iranians(Steven and I stayed with Gomez right after crossing the Armenia/Iran border at Norduz, then got invited again on next two days for a ‘communion chat’ at Poet’s Memorial Park in Tabriz by a group of curious Iranians fond of learning native English, and also something else), I wouldn’t spend for five days in this little-thing-to-see city of Tabriz. Apparently Tabriz is not a good venue to write, at least not in a good season. With five days, I’m able to finish all the writing including the Georgia chapter.

Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t grumbling. Yaya…may be a bit. The thing is everybody was so excited to have met an English native speaker(Steven is from UK) and was so eager to learn the so-called ‘British Standard English’ in person. Of course I’m not an English native speaker. My mother tongue is Chinese. Yes, it’s true I want to brush up my English conversation and communication skill but not through idiom in a summer class under a tree! I wasn’t feeling bad of being ignored…Ok! Ok!...may be a bit…or more. Arghhh….I hate the feeling of being ignored. Does anybody want to learn Chinese? I’m very good in Chinese idioms and proverb!   

Summer class under a tree!

Leaving to Azerbaijan in a night bus soon, estimating to arrive in Baku the next morning. With a 7-day Azerbaijan visa, it leaves me little choice but to take an expensive coach. This is how I plan to maximize my stay there, using money in exchange of time.

I thought I was smart.

The painstakingly border crossing the next morning is another story.

Note: I have been taking only bread and water for the past five days here. The inflation in Iran is so high! Everything has become so unfavorable for a budget-traveler. I was so frustrated!