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Shadowing practice: Exploring IRAN As An American Tourist

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  1. Iran is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries to visit as an American.0:00
  2. The US government issued this travel warning, citing terrorism and kidnapping as major risks.0:05
  3. Iran's government supports militant groups that are openly hostile to the United States.0:10
  4. And with no functioning US embassy, Americans who visit Iran are on their own if something goes wrong.0:14
  5. So why am I going to Iran as an American?0:20
  6. Because I want to spend time with the local people to see what they really think about the states.0:22
  7. America.0:26
  8. And find out what the security situation is like on the ground today.0:27
  9. This is going to be a wild seven day road trip across the country.0:30
  10. But first, I need to tell my parents I'm going.0:33
  11. Hey, Bufi.0:36
  12. Hi, Mom, how are you?0:37
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  1. Good.0:38
  2. Guess where I'm going tomorrow?0:39
  3. Where?0:40
  4. Where?0:41
  5. Iran.0:42
  6. No, Truby.0:43
  7. Why?0:44
  8. You can't go there.0:45
  9. Contrary to what my dad says, you can go to Iran as an American.0:46
  10. You just need three months to prepare for the visa.0:49
  11. After a long flight from Prague to Shiraz, a city in southern Iran, we have a little issue with my cameraman's visa.0:51
  12. If we wrote down Slovakia, which is originally where he's from, but now he has a Czech passport.0:57
  13. So, Latina and I are basically just doing a list right now in the immigration area.1:02
  14. We've been waiting for two hours.1:05
  15. Still no visa form.1:07
  16. All right, you got it?1:10
  17. Let me see it.1:11
  18. They made it?1:11
  19. I'm getting it deported, so that's a good thing.1:12
  20. Once we clear immigration, my local friend Amin is waiting for us at arrivals.1:14
  21. He's a tour guide dedicated to showing the real Iran, the vibrant culture and hospitality beyond what makes the headlines.1:18
  22. Very well, Drew.1:23
  23. Welcome to Shiraz.1:25
  24. Welcome to Iran.1:26
  25. As we hop into the taxi, the sights and smells flood my senses, and the adrenaline rush starts kicking in.1:27
  26. We are in one of Iran's biggest and most liberal cities, Shiraz.1:32
  27. Amin has a very special destination in mind for our first stop.1:36
  28. We're here inside the pink mosque in Shiraz.1:39
  29. It is stunning.1:41
  30. You can see pink all around us.1:42
  31. These beautiful tiles and mosaics on the windows.1:44
  32. They make these incredible reflections.1:46
  33. It's one of the most spiritual places I've ever been.1:48
  34. It's really, really cool in here.1:50
  35. Women are dressing in these beautiful colors.1:51
  36. You can see, like, even the roofs are covered in pink flowers.1:53
  37. Having this special type of stained glass windows is also very influenced by the European art.1:56
  38. Is it different than the other mosques in Iran, or is it kind of the same like this?2:01
  39. Most of the mosques in Iran, they are in dark blue color.2:04
  40. What makes this mosque more different is the special pink color they use for the tiles of this mosque.2:08
  41. It's all original from 19th century, and this is mostly European scenery painted on the tiles.2:15
  42. What are you going to say?2:21
  43. Even on some of the tiles over there, you can see some of the building like churches.2:21
  44. After the mosque, we're heading to Iran's most important historical site, and a place that every traveler who comes here has on their bucket list.2:26
  45. We are in Persepolis, an ancient site built in around 518 BC.2:32
  46. BC?2:38
  47. Yeah, BC, yeah, before coming Iraq.2:38
  48. On the order of the king Darius I, one of the famous kings of Persian empire.2:40
  49. This place was important for the Persian empire because this is the place used as a ceremonial capital.2:45
  50. Persian kings invited lots of delegations from all around the empire.2:53
  51. They came here and they celebrated a big festival for the new Iranian year, No Rus.2:57
  52. I'm amazed by how old this place is, and it's still standing.3:02
  53. And as an Iranian, what does this mean to you as your identity, like the Sepulchre?3:05
  54. Yeah, we are all proud of this place.3:09
  55. It is like a national ID for Iranian.3:10
  56. And this is a special part of coming to Iran because this is one of the most ancient civilizations.3:13
  57. I mean, the birthplace of what we know today of cities and life happened.3:18
  58. I don't know, in the US, it's such a new country.3:22
  59. We have amazing nature and stuff, but we don't have anything that we can say 500 BC.3:24
  60. Generally, Iranians are really proud of the ancient history.3:28
  61. I can feel it here when local people, Iranians are here.3:32
  62. They are really proud of visiting this amazing historical place.3:36
  63. The most important thing about Persepolis is whoever worked here was paid.3:40
  64. We have documents about that.3:45
  65. Oh, cool.3:47
  66. We have clay tablets found during the excavation of Persepolis.3:47
  67. So they weren't slaves, they weren't...3:51
  68. Nobody was used as a slave, so it's something that makes Persepolis different from other historical sites in the world.3:51
  69. Maybe that's so deeply rooted in the Iranian culture, like take care of people, hospitality.3:58
  70. Koubi, in salam, hai.4:03
  71. A -re!4:04
  72. You speak English?4:05
  73. I'm so interested that you are here.4:06
  74. How many American tourists do you think are in Iran right now, if you had to guess?4:07
  75. Maybe just you.4:11
  76. That's a crazy feeling because Iran is a huge country.4:12
  77. Yeah, exactly.4:15
  78. Tell me about Persepolis.4:16
  79. In 2500 years ago, we had a rich culture here you can see in Persepolis.4:17
  80. You can see a mixture of all of the countries that they were under the control of Iran.4:23
  81. In that part, you can see half of the world, different people with different cultures, with different hairstyle, different shoes, different clothes.4:28
  82. Thank you so much.4:36
  83. Merci, I'm cheering.4:37
  84. I appreciate it.4:38
  85. Thank you, thank you so much.4:39
  86. Being here, you can really feel a presence of how huge and incredible and royal this place was back in the day.4:41
  87. It's that feeling that you get when you visit like the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids of Giza, Ortaj Mahal, like these really, really old and potent structures.4:47
  88. They've just been standing for so long and you wonder all the people that have passed here over the century give me goosebumps, seriously.4:55
  89. You know, as a tourist, this is more enjoyable than the Acropolis because there's just like barely any tourists here.5:01
  90. Yes, how are you?5:09
  91. Nice to meet you.5:10
  92. Nice to meet you.5:11
  93. We came to Iran.5:14
  94. Yeah?5:15
  95. Why?5:15
  96. Because I want to meet some people and share stories.5:16
  97. Really?5:19
  98. I'm from America.5:20
  99. American, really?5:21
  100. Yeah.5:22
  101. Thank God.5:23
  102. What do you think about America?5:24
  103. Far away.5:26
  104. Have you ever met an American person here?5:27
  105. No, never.5:29
  106. Really?5:30
  107. Nice to meet you, bro.5:32
  108. Yeah, take care.5:33
  109. Thanks.5:34
  110. Of course, man.5:34
  111. You too.5:35
  112. Take care.5:35
  113. I can tell you most part of Iran is the same.5:36
  114. Iranian are really, really friendly, hospitable.5:40
  115. You can see wherever we go, people come to you, they talk to you, they want to know your idea about Iran and they are very friendly.5:43
  116. I like it.5:50
  117. I love you too.5:51
  118. I love you too.5:52
  119. To see these amazing inscriptions inside of the stone, it was underground, that's why it's so preserved.5:53
  120. I could spend all day at Persepolis, but I'm dying to meet local people on the countryside and see who's living off the beaten path.6:00
  121. So far, I feel pretty safe in Iran, but I can't stop thinking about the country's complicated history.6:06
  122. Back in the 70s, Iran was a different place.6:11
  123. It was comparable to Paris.6:14
  124. Women dressed freely, bars were thriving, and the culture felt more open and westernized.6:15
  125. But after the 1979 revolution, when the Islamic Republic took over, everything changed.6:19
  126. Man, the first one in the left, the left time, the front.6:24
  127. New laws and restrictions reshape daily life, especially for women.6:27
  128. Today, these changes are why many see Iran as a scarier place to visit.6:31
  129. But in my experience, the media overlooks the warmth of Persian people.6:34
  130. We are back in the car and heading five hours north from Persepolis to a city called Esfahan, but an exciting detour is ahead.6:38
  131. We are somewhere in between Shiraz and Esfahan, and the beautiful nature here, the mountains.6:44
  132. Along the drive, we've been seeing little huts and people living out here, and I asked them, what's going on?6:49
  133. And they said, these are called Kashkai nomads.6:54
  134. We have about a million of them in Iran.6:56
  135. And within 20 years, they're expected to be all gone because of new generations wanting to live in cities and stuff.6:58
  136. Basically, we parked our car.7:04
  137. There's some cool little settlements here, and we're going to go knock on a few doors and see if anybody will kindly accept us in, because these are the kind7:06
  138. of untold stories that you can't find anywhere else in the world.7:12
  139. I mean, how many other countries have literal nomads living in them?7:15
  140. I mean, nice ass.7:19
  141. Oh, yes.7:20
  142. So, do you think we can say hi to some of these people?7:21
  143. Or are they too shy?7:23
  144. Probably, but we can go and say hi.7:25
  145. The Kashkai nomads are found in Iran's farce province.7:50
  146. They traditionally herd sheep, goats, and camels.7:53
  147. Each time they move, they pack their belongings, travel with their animals, and set up camps all over again.7:56
  148. Known for their vibrant rugs and textiles, the Kashkai maintain strong ties to their community and have a deep appreciation for music and storytelling.8:01
  149. However, I am heartbroken to find out that their way of life is at risk of dying out due to modern pressures and changing land use.8:08
  150. Are Kashkai nomads looked down upon among Iranian society?8:14
  151. No.8:19
  152. They're not.8:19
  153. No, they're not.8:20
  154. They're not nomads because now there are lots of feminist scholars from these families.8:20
  155. They have a very important role in providing meat for the whole country.8:25
  156. They are really respected by the whole society.8:30
  157. They were, I mean, in terms of studying, they were flourished.8:32
  158. There were lots of scientists, lots of writers, filmmakers from the nomads.8:36
  159. Many of them, as over the years, are all educated.8:41
  160. They started from this nomadic school and then they continue going to universities and etc.8:45
  161. Most of the younger generation prefer to stop in this kind of city.8:49
  162. Yeah, so like their kids' generation, like the chemistry, she won't keep it up.8:54
  163. Yeah, probably.8:58
  164. She moves soon to the city.8:59
  165. What's the best and the worst part about being a nomad in this region?9:01
  166. It's always the most uncertain.9:05
  167. The most difficult time for them, it will be during winter when it's cold, raining a lot, but during a spring time, the nature is amazing, so they enjoy it.9:07
  168. And they love the nature, which is really important for them.9:17
  169. But at the same time, because of the facilities there are in the cities, they sometimes are tempted to go out and eat.9:22
  170. Do you want it too?9:28
  171. What happened is, Iranians are too polite that they're trying to figure out who's going to deliver the tea.9:30
  172. Traditional way to drink tea.9:35
  173. Put it here a little bit, then keep it in the mouth.9:37
  174. Don't chew it.9:40
  175. Just keep it in the mouth.9:41
  176. I'm getting it.9:42
  177. And even it's very hot.9:43
  178. I'm getting it.9:44
  179. You drink tea in Iran.9:45
  180. I'm going to mine.9:46
  181. Delicious.9:50
  182. Cheers.9:51
  183. It's so bizarre that there's this little settlement here that's totally abandoned, but just like on the side of the road, there's awesome little brick buildings.9:55
  184. Like, if this is in the US, it'd be the most historical site.10:03
  185. This is probably like 700 years old, but here in Iran, it's just there.10:05
  186. But I will say, I just realized something.10:09
  187. This is a place for human poop.10:11
  188. Yep.10:13
  189. I smell it and when I look down, I guess now use it as a toilet and I'm leaving.10:14
  190. It all hit me at once.10:20
  191. The smell of it.10:21
  192. I'm really excited for this dinner that they're cooking up.10:22
  193. It's definitely going to be delicious.10:24
  194. The son of the family, as they said, he's studying nuclear engineering, but now the school is off, so he's here working here helping the family.10:26
  195. As we heard from the family, one of the girls, she's graduated from university.10:34
  196. She studied chemistry.10:39
  197. So, but mostly they stay at home doing, you know, that I do it.10:40
  198. Tell him he looks very handsome.10:44
  199. Welcome, he says, to Iran.10:48
  200. And he's asking, what did you think about Iran before coming to Iran?10:51
  201. In American media, there's all like negative things about Iran, like all the headlines.10:55
  202. It's only about war and terrorism and crazy things.10:59
  203. So my mission in coming here is to try to share real stories and share with the world that the people here are actually really nice.11:02
  204. They say that the same story here on media is always they try to show a bad portrait of USA.11:11
  205. Every night at this time of the day, all of the lamb come from the fields and they come back.11:18
  206. They just know where to go.11:23
  207. It's really a cool scene to witness like all the sheep just coming in at once.11:24
  208. Sheep and goat.11:28
  209. And of course, Mr.11:29
  210. Caretaker here is ready to feed them.11:30
  211. Give them water.11:32
  212. There you go.11:42
  213. That's water.11:44
  214. And now after they drink water, they all go inside of the pen here.11:45
  215. It's so cool.11:48
  216. All of them are like trained to know exactly where to go and at the same time every single day.11:49
  217. Just trying to get in.11:54
  218. Come on, let him in.11:54
  219. Let him in.11:55
  220. Okay.12:02
  221. Okay.12:03
  222. Salam.12:05
  223. Farhad, Farhad and Farhad.12:06
  224. Salam.12:08
  225. They're just backing from bring shepherding.12:09
  226. Nice.12:12
  227. How old are you?12:12
  228. She's 10.12:13
  229. Farhad is 13 years old.12:14
  230. Touchy, Farhad.12:16
  231. No thought.12:17
  232. Farhad is 9 years old.12:18
  233. Today is Farhad's birthday.12:19
  234. Happy birthday to you, Farhad.12:22
  235. Happy birthday.12:24
  236. We have all the ladies over here preparing dinner.12:25
  237. It's going to be amazing.12:28
  238. They're making some lamb and rice with vegetables.12:29
  239. It's nice.12:32
  240. Everybody's warmed up to us and they're all just hanging out, waiting for the dinner to happen.12:32
  241. This is what it's all about, you know?12:38
  242. Just good vibes, happy people and incredible nomad life in Iran.12:40
  243. It's obviously way more slow paced and anywhere else you would find any community in the world.12:45
  244. It's a really, really humble lifestyle and I'm just grateful to be here and share with you.12:49
  245. After an hour of smelling the meat and fresh bread, dinner is about to be served and I couldn't be more excited.12:53
  246. Oh, that's the best part.12:59
  247. The crispy heart of the rice.13:00
  248. Wow.13:02
  249. Look at the color.13:03
  250. Perfect carpet.13:05
  251. It's Farhad's 10th birthday today.13:06
  252. So we're going to make it very memorable with a beautiful meal.13:09
  253. Hasta la nación.13:11
  254. This is incredible.13:12
  255. It's colorful.13:14
  256. There's many vegetables, rice, meat.13:15
  257. Thank you so much for cooking.13:17
  258. Thank you.13:18
  259. Here we have a fresh plate of goat with rice and saffron.13:19
  260. Food is a serious business here in Iran and we're experiencing it right now.13:24
  261. Sorry guys, I don't know how to...13:27
  262. Really?13:30
  263. Oh man, finger.13:31
  264. Lame.13:32
  265. This rice, so good.13:36
  266. Try the goat.13:38
  267. Very good.13:40
  268. You guys are lucky to have amazing food every day.13:41
  269. Have you ever had any American visitors here?13:43
  270. Or am I the first one?13:46
  271. No, for the first one.13:47
  272. I'm the first one.13:48
  273. Yeah.13:49
  274. So how do you feel having an American here?13:50
  275. For sure.13:52
  276. They're very happy.13:53
  277. I'm happy to have this.13:53
  278. You know, many people in my country, I would say most people in my country are very scared of Iran.13:55
  279. So it's nice to share the real Iran.14:01
  280. When you think about America, what comes to mind?14:07
  281. When they were young and started to go to school, they just heard bad things about the U .S.14:12
  282. Like what you said about the other way.14:20
  283. But now when they are grown up and because of technology and the information that they get, and they understand that everything and all the problems are between governments.14:22
  284. That's exactly right.14:31
  285. This is honestly one of the coolest meal experiences I've had in a long time.14:33
  286. Everyone just hanging out, eating, sharing jokes.14:36
  287. Got birthday boy over here, he's tired, he's been in the fields all day.14:39
  288. You have to make a wish on your birthday.14:43
  289. But don't tell me the wish, you have to make it.14:45
  290. Make it, daddy.14:47
  291. Honestly, you wish to become a doctor.14:48
  292. Brother is going to be a pilot and he likes to be a doctor.14:51
  293. That's awesome.14:54
  294. You may notice that only girls are doing, I mean they brought everything for preparing the food.14:55
  295. And the guys just chill.15:02
  296. Because they've been working the whole day, I mean they've been outside with the sheep, then come back.15:04
  297. So they go early morning, come back at lunchtime, and again in the afternoon.15:10
  298. It's hot.15:14
  299. Yeah, yeah.15:15
  300. It's so peaceful out here.15:16
  301. You can see the stars.15:17
  302. So quiet.15:19
  303. And we're going to get some rest now.15:20
  304. Get up a beautiful sleep, wake up in the morning.15:22
  305. Good night.15:24
  306. Good morning.15:30
  307. It is really cold outside.15:31
  308. Temperature dropped drastically overnight.15:33
  309. Beautiful sunrise about to happen in front of me.15:35
  310. And it's just an incredible experience out here.15:37
  311. The guy just woke up this morning and came out with a huge gun around his shoulder.15:39
  312. Wow.15:46
  313. What do you use that gun for?15:48
  314. To protect him, especially sheep, the family in any case, but mostly for protecting the sheep.15:51
  315. Where did you get it from?15:57
  316. The government actually give them permission because in Iran you need to have permission to carry a gun, having a gun.15:59
  317. But the Gashkine nomads, they get the permission.16:07
  318. Do you ever use it or do you just carry it for just in case, for safety?16:11
  319. Oh, that's more like it.16:15
  320. In a case that there is, for example, a thread like a valve or something like that, they shoot in the sky to scare them.16:17
  321. And according to the traditions, when there is a wedding ceremony, they also do some shooting, you know, the welcome actually the bride, but I mean shooting to the sky.16:24
  322. Oh, gosh.16:34
  323. Arre.16:34
  324. It's only 5 .30 in the morning, but his chore of the day is to let the goats and sheep out and take them out into the field.16:36
  325. Now I understand why the sheep have such thick fur because it's really freaking cold out here.16:47
  326. The sun right now is just peeking over the mountains and it's already starting to get a lot warmer because let me tell you, it is cold out here.16:55
  327. And that's why the nomads move because it gets too cold in this region.17:02
  328. We're at like 2 ,500 meters elevation right now.17:06
  329. It snows a lot here in the winter, so that's why they migrate.17:08
  330. They go 400 kilometers south.17:11
  331. Up until just recent years, they actually used to walk 400 kilometers, which would take weeks and weeks, even months.17:13
  332. But now, sadly, as those practices are dying out and as modernization is creeping in, they throw all of their goats and sheep on the back of trucks and they17:18
  333. drive.17:26
  334. What do you think about this?17:27
  335. It's amazing, you know?17:28
  336. Yeah, I just think of the differences between living here in nature with the sun.17:29
  337. They are ready to do everything and compare it with the city style of life.17:36
  338. You know, that's totally different.17:41
  339. Again.17:46
  340. Now I'm here in Iran because the only way to truly understand a place is to see it unfiltered.17:47
  341. But as an American, I've realized that the news we get back home doesn't always tell the full story.17:52
  342. This is extremely dangerous to our democracy.17:57
  343. That's why I've partnered with Ground News for this video.17:59
  344. It brings together perspectives from around the world, including Iran and the Middle East, into one place.18:02
  345. So you can check bias, factuality, and who owns the source.18:07
  346. So you know exactly what might be missing.18:10
  347. They recently analyzed over 100 sources covering Iranians' currency crisis, and it shows how drastically the coverage differs across countries.18:12
  348. Some say sanctions are about strategy and safety, but on the ground, they can mean everyday people struggling to buy food.18:19
  349. Ground News helps show just how real that impact could be.18:25
  350. They even have a blind spot feature that highlights stories that one side of the media ignores.18:29
  351. It has really helped me step outside the media bubble and see the full picture.18:33
  352. Traveling has shown me the world, but Ground News helps me understand it.18:36
  353. It has changed how I read the news, and it's one of the best tools I've found for seeing every side of the story.18:40
  354. If you scan this QR code or go to groundnews .com slash Drew Binsky, you can get an exclusive 40 % discount on the Ground News Unlimited Access Vantage subscription,18:45
  355. which comes out to about $5 a month.18:55
  356. Alright now, let's get back to the story.18:57
  357. You see in the Kashkai nomads, they have really specific gender roles.18:59
  358. So the men wake up and they go out into the fields with their goat and sheep, and the women are making the amazing Iranian bread, which is really tasty.19:02
  359. It's like really thin and crispy, and it's almost like a cracker.19:10
  360. It's like six in the morning right now, and they're just up as soon as they can to make it.19:13
  361. Five after that.19:16
  362. Alright, so she is bringing us freshly baked bread.19:18
  363. It's still hot.19:21
  364. Oh yes.19:22
  365. Oh my God, it's just nothing better than this cracker bread, bro.19:22
  366. Listen to this.19:27
  367. Oh yeah.19:29
  368. Bon appetit.19:30
  369. Mousheja.19:32
  370. Leaving the nomads behind, we hop in the car for four more hours towards Esfahan, one of the most popular cities in Iran.19:35
  371. On the way, I finally pick up phone signals so I can call my wife, Diana, to let her know I'm safe.19:41
  372. Is it safe?19:46
  373. So far it's so good, yeah.19:47
  374. Guess what, some of the women aren't covering their hair.19:48
  375. Oh my God.19:51
  376. So do you have any last wishes for us?19:53
  377. Please be safe guys.19:55
  378. You know, you're a ginger and you're a golden tree bird.19:57
  379. Thank you.20:00
  380. Love you, bye.20:02
  381. Bye bye.20:03
  382. Bye bye.20:04
  383. Bye.20:05
  384. We've entered the lively city of Esfahan, and after just two minutes of walking around, I meet my first local friend who said hi to me on the street.20:06
  385. I just met Abed here.20:12
  386. I just want to learn a little bit more about life here because, first of all, Americans and American media are scared of Iran.20:14
  387. You know this, right?20:21
  388. Yeah, yeah, yeah.20:22
  389. The funny thing is it's super safe here.20:22
  390. No, for like, Iran for visiting is absolutely safe.20:24
  391. People are so friendly, like so helpful.20:27
  392. But like, if you want to invest here, that economy is not safe.20:29
  393. But the living, like to live here is absolutely safe.20:32
  394. Iran has a lot of opportunities for tourism.20:36
  395. The nature of Iran is amazing.20:40
  396. Everywhere you have beaches, forests, mountains.20:42
  397. Desert culture, like over a thousand of years in the desert.20:44
  398. So you go to a tiny, tiny village, they live in there for like over a thousand years.20:47
  399. So basically, the life here is great.20:51
  400. Yeah, yeah, it's fun.20:53
  401. In terms of like overall happiness, things to do.20:55
  402. So people are switching from like being religious and more like closed to be more open -minded.20:57
  403. Women used to cover their hair, and now I'm seeing so many women not covering their hair.21:04
  404. It's crazy.21:08
  405. It's actually, it's applied.21:08
  406. So they have to do it.21:10
  407. So that's a, that's a law in Iran.21:11
  408. But they're taking it off.21:13
  409. So they're taking it off.21:14
  410. It's their choice.21:15
  411. So they have to fight for it.21:16
  412. It's interesting because most people here are not religious.21:17
  413. They don't go to the mosque.21:20
  414. No, no.21:21
  415. But obviously the government has its own ways of doing things.21:22
  416. And I just think it's a crazy contrast between the people, local people and what the laws are.21:24
  417. People that got really fed up with religion, which is really great.21:29
  418. Because otherwise, if Iran was a secular country in 1979, people wouldn't wake up.21:34
  419. So now they like, they don't really care about religion.21:40
  420. In Iran, like the next generation, it won't be like that.21:43
  421. After all that great insight from Abed, we make our way over to the 17th century royal mosque, which has some of the most beautiful tile work I've ever seen.21:47
  422. Look at the amazing architecture we have here.21:55
  423. Look at the beautiful tile work.21:58
  424. Look at the spectacular calligraphies we have all around this mosque, which makes it really, really fascinating.22:01
  425. Yes, it's original from 17th century.22:08
  426. Dude.22:10
  427. The moment I saw, I walked through the arch, you know, you just get the goosebumps.22:11
  428. If I stood here 400 years ago, it would look the same.22:15
  429. Exactly the same.22:18
  430. Exactly the same.22:18
  431. I think the most impressive thing for me in here is how that light always faces Mecca.22:19
  432. And you only see it when you enter the mosque and it goes away.22:24
  433. The mosque is located just next to the main square of Esfahan, the second largest city square in the world behind Beijing.22:27
  434. And I'm very excited to walk around and mingle with more locals.22:33
  435. Teach me the phrase again.22:35
  436. Ah, the famous phrase.22:37
  437. Yes.22:38
  438. Esfahan.22:39
  439. Esfahan.22:39
  440. Nesfajahan.22:40
  441. Nesfajahan.22:41
  442. Means?22:41
  443. Esfahan, half the world.22:42
  444. Half the world.22:43
  445. I heard that Esfahan is one of the most open minded cities in Iran.22:45
  446. So I came here to try to meet some younger people and see what the culture is like underneath the surface.22:48
  447. So we obviously can see amazing mosques and mausoleums that we went in, but what's actually happening behind the scenes?22:52
  448. How are people living their life?22:57
  449. I want to mission out and meet some people and see if we can find out.22:58
  450. How are you?23:01
  451. What's your name?23:03
  452. Mohammed.23:04
  453. Mohammed.23:05
  454. My name is Drew.23:06
  455. As you can see, people here are extremely friendly.23:07
  456. We're just hanging out in the main square.23:10
  457. The sun is going down.23:12
  458. Kids are playing in the water.23:13
  459. People are having picnics and riding horses.23:15
  460. Ronaldo.23:19
  461. No, no.23:20
  462. You can see they just come up to you and sit down and they just want to make friends.23:21
  463. And that's one of the best things about visiting Iran.23:24
  464. And like when I say I'm American, it raises an eyebrow.23:27
  465. They're like, oh, American, but they just want to be friends.23:30
  466. Put off, put off.23:33
  467. America, America.23:34
  468. Take your time.23:36
  469. Insha 'Allah.23:37
  470. Wow, that was cool.23:40
  471. I don't know what he was saying.23:42
  472. He kept saying America, America and smiling, but I imagine it was pretty genuine.23:43
  473. Are you from Estefan?23:51
  474. I know.23:52
  475. I'm from Estefan.23:53
  476. What's Estefan?23:54
  477. Just kidding.23:54
  478. So what do you like about Estefan?23:56
  479. I like inflation.23:58
  480. I like the political situation, sanctions.24:01
  481. It's great.24:04
  482. The river is dry.24:05
  483. You know why?24:07
  484. At least people have a sense of humor.24:08
  485. I respect that.24:09
  486. Really though, what's good about Iran?24:10
  487. What's good about Iran?24:12
  488. The nature is very varied.24:14
  489. We've got mountains, we've got desert, we've got the sea.24:15
  490. The people are friendly.24:18
  491. We don't have that variety in food.24:19
  492. Is it a struggle to live here?24:21
  493. Yeah, it's...24:23
  494. Economically.24:24
  495. It is economically.24:24
  496. We have problems.24:26
  497. We have daily problems.24:28
  498. We have daily inflations and those stressful, you know, every time when you're bombarded with news, stress about the future, people are very educated but mostly they want to immigrate24:29
  499. outside Iran.24:39
  500. But there's a misconception that Iran is dangerous, terrorism, it's a scary place.24:40
  501. But you know, I'm American and I'm going everywhere and I'm telling them I'm American and they love to hear that.24:45
  502. What do you think about America?24:51
  503. People are people everywhere.24:53
  504. American people are very friendly.24:54
  505. I think they are very open -minded.24:56
  506. You know, the problem is between the governments, not about people.24:57
  507. I love American people.25:01
  508. I love their dollars, especially.25:02
  509. So good to meet you, man.25:05
  510. Nice to meet you.25:07
  511. I'll let you go.25:07
  512. Nice to meet you.25:08
  513. What's your name?25:08
  514. Drew.25:09
  515. What is it like to live in Asfahan?25:13
  516. You're a Gen Z, 21 years old.25:14
  517. What's it like to live here?25:17
  518. It's a beautiful city.25:18
  519. It's a history and National Jahan Esquire is very big and very popular.25:19
  520. Yeah, it's amazing here.25:27
  521. Have you ever met like tourists coming here or is it really uncommon?25:28
  522. Yes, the last summer I met two Spanish tourists.25:33
  523. Nice.25:38
  524. Have you ever met an American tourist?25:38
  525. Never.25:40
  526. So I'm American.25:41
  527. How does it feel to?25:42
  528. Oh, really?25:43
  529. Yeah.25:44
  530. Why, oh really?25:44
  531. I've never seen an American person.25:45
  532. Really?25:48
  533. Yes.25:48
  534. You've never seen an American person?25:49
  535. I like a bit of Portuguese, America, I like it.25:50
  536. So what do you think about America?25:54
  537. Regardless of politics, I think American people are very kind.25:56
  538. How do you know if I'm the first one you've met?26:02
  539. There's so many American -justed movies, not in real life.26:04
  540. Of course, I see so many tourists in here from all around the world expect America.26:08
  541. Is it safe here?26:14
  542. It's not dangerous.26:15
  543. What do you think about Iranian people?26:17
  544. I mean, you may hear about Iranian people that they are very kind and hospitable.26:19
  545. They are.26:24
  546. That's just a message that I want to share in my videos.26:24
  547. Iran's incredible and super safe and people are friendly like these ladies.26:27
  548. I'm so happy to hear that.26:32
  549. Yeah.26:33
  550. American person.26:34
  551. Iranian people are very kind and friendly together.26:36
  552. How does it make you feel that the entire world looks down on Iran?26:40
  553. They think it's a terrorism country.26:44
  554. There's just this horrible dark picture of Iran that the whole world sees.26:45
  555. How does it make you feel?26:49
  556. Because Iran always is in the media in a bad way.26:50
  557. So just recently, like in 7 October, what happened in Israel?26:54
  558. So in the news, most of the country, they say, Iran got involved with the war.26:58
  559. So they put pictures of the war.27:02
  560. So that's the media.27:05
  561. It's completely separated from the people.27:06
  562. Exactly.27:08
  563. That's the point.27:08
  564. Yeah.27:09
  565. That's the point.27:10
  566. I bet if you could say one message to everybody in the world.27:10
  567. I would say, As the sun goes down, I'm meeting up with a friend of a friend who's going to help me to sum up my thoughts when it comes27:13
  568. to safety in Iran.27:23
  569. What is special about Asfahan to you?27:25
  570. It's so clean.27:27
  571. So clean.27:28
  572. Comparing other cities in Iran, also people are kind to each other.27:29
  573. It means you can find people whom you can trust on them.27:34
  574. Yeah.27:38
  575. Before I came to Iran, a lot of my friends and family, even my parents, think that I'm so crazy, that it's so dangerous.27:39
  576. How does that make you feel?27:45
  577. I know.27:46
  578. I heard a lot about it in news.27:47
  579. That's not the truth.27:49
  580. Iran is very safe.27:50
  581. Like, okay, in every country, we have problems.27:51
  582. We have maybe inner wars.27:55
  583. Every country has it.27:57
  584. Well, it's right in the middle of the world.27:59
  585. Exactly.28:00
  586. It is.28:01
  587. And you have many other wars happening around Iran.28:01
  588. And it's just, yeah, it's a mess politically.28:05
  589. Unfortunately, yeah.28:08
  590. But the point is, Iran is very safe, very kind people.28:09
  591. If you could say any message to people in the world watching this.28:12
  592. Mostly American people watching this.28:15
  593. What would you tell them?28:17
  594. I would tell you that Iran is safe.28:17
  595. And don't let news to cheat you.28:21
  596. And if you travel to Iran, so, because it's very economic, very safe and people are very welcoming and nice to you.28:25
  597. So you will have a nice trip and stay in Iran.28:33
  598. I can promise.28:36
  599. As I head back to my hotel, I want to update my parents who've been waiting eagerly to hear from me.28:37
  600. Hey, I really want to take you here.28:41
  601. Oh, I think I can go to the hotel right now, but thank you.28:43
  602. I don't know, man, but the world's falling apart in the Middle East.28:46
  603. If you're there.28:49
  604. I promise you it's safe.28:51
  605. Yeah.28:53
  606. All right, I believe you.28:53
  607. You look like you're in very good hands.28:54
  608. So that may use happiness.28:56
  609. Thank you.28:57
  610. Don't worry, adult.28:58
  611. Don't worry, adult.28:59
  612. My mom is right.29:00
  613. I am in good hands.29:00
  614. With Amin as my guide, everyone here has been super friendly.29:02
  615. But there's something else worth mentioning.29:05
  616. While the Iranian people seem happy on the surface, life behind the scenes isn't so easy.29:06
  617. Thanks to international sanctions, Iranians can't use foreign credit cards, which means they can't book flights, travel, or shop online like we do.29:11
  618. Amin tells me he has to visit a physical travel agency and pay for flights in cash.29:18
  619. And when he has to travel abroad, he needs to bring a lot of US dollars, since he can't withdraw money from an ATM.29:23
  620. It's a tough reality of being Iranian.29:28
  621. Our road trip is now going to take us north and west, deep into the Kurdish communities and villages, which is going to really show the diversity of Iran.29:31
  622. If you've never heard of Kurdistan, it's the world's largest unrecognized country spanning Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria.29:37
  623. It has more residents than all of Canada, but sadly, regional politics prevent them from uniting as one nation.29:44
  624. My goal for the remainder of the trip is to visit the smallest villages to meet the Kurds and see what their life is all about.29:50
  625. And that leads us to our first town called Harsin.29:55
  626. In true Kurdish fashion, their amazing hospitality shows as we're invited for a glass of tea with random locals.29:57
  627. Mr.30:03
  628. Aviator guys, show me how to crack open the walnuts.30:03
  629. Wow, that's so cool.30:06
  630. Thank you.30:08
  631. That's about as fresh as a walnut gets.30:09
  632. You'll notice, like, when you shake their hands, they always put their hand over their heart, which is like a sign of respect.30:11
  633. His name is Darius.30:16
  634. Darius is the person from now on for Darius.30:19
  635. Being Darius, it's super hot.30:23
  636. Be careful.30:25
  637. After a lovely first stop, we hit the road for Kermanshah, the largest city in Iranian Kurdistan.30:26
  638. We're driving through this massive dust storm right now.30:31
  639. Oh, my God.30:34
  640. It's dust coming from the west, from Iraq.30:36
  641. Are you picking on Iraq?30:38
  642. Oh, my God.30:41
  643. In Arizona, we have these.30:42
  644. We call them Haboo.30:43
  645. H -A -Boo.30:44
  646. As the road continues, the modern side of the city begins to fade, replaced by an older feeling of life.30:45
  647. But before we go any further, Amin says we need to stop for gas.30:50
  648. Because Iran is such an oil -rich country, it cost about $1 .50 to fill up this entire car.30:53
  649. It's subsidized by the government, so it is literally dirt cheap.30:59
  650. Stopping on the side of the road here in the middle of nowhere, and there's a lot of goats.31:05
  651. They're surrounding our car.31:09
  652. I'm itching to get to Kermanshah, but Amin tells me there's a UNESCO World Heritage Site that we have to stop and see.31:13
  653. Welcome to Bistun, the world's largest ancient inscription that dates back to 520 BC.31:19
  654. While we're not allowed to climb to the top, we can see from below how the inscription is still in perfect condition after more than 2 ,500 years.31:24
  655. Here, you can also find a third -century sculpture of Hercules.31:30
  656. It is pretty cool how detailed it is.31:33
  657. You can see his beard, you can see his fingernails.31:35
  658. Just casually looking at a inscription on this mountain.31:38
  659. It's something like you would see in Egypt, and it's so incredibly detailed.31:42
  660. We're just arriving in Kermanshah right before the sunset.31:49
  661. Pretty cool arrival into the city.31:53
  662. Hello.31:55
  663. How are you?31:57
  664. How are you?31:58
  665. Eat on.31:58
  666. We've met us somewhere in a random neighborhood at Kermanshah, and we're about to get dinner with Amin's friends.32:01
  667. You're a nice gentleman with your gift.32:09
  668. Yes.32:10
  669. Hi.32:11
  670. How are you?32:12
  671. How are you?32:13
  672. Cerve is my friend.32:14
  673. Hi, how are you?32:15
  674. Nice to meet you.32:16
  675. Thank you.32:16
  676. This is very nice.32:18
  677. What does your shirt mean?32:20
  678. Absolutely.32:22
  679. I like this.32:24
  680. It's very nice.32:26
  681. The belt is called Choharana.32:27
  682. When I went to Soleimanya in Iraq, I saw that.32:29
  683. So what are we having for dinner tonight?32:32
  684. The secrets.32:34
  685. What's with English?32:36
  686. How old are you?32:37
  687. Six.32:38
  688. Have you ever spoke English with a native English speaker?32:39
  689. No.32:41
  690. He really understands English, like really well.32:42
  691. Thank you so much.32:45
  692. What is this?32:46
  693. It's a traditional drink.32:46
  694. This is really colorful.32:48
  695. It's like rose water.32:52
  696. It's like rose water tea.32:53
  697. What do you want to be when you grow up?32:54
  698. Construction site.32:56
  699. You want to be a construction site?32:58
  700. Yes.32:59
  701. And I want to be a pilot.33:00
  702. I'm going to be a police officer.33:02
  703. All of that construction and pilot and police officer?33:05
  704. Yes.33:08
  705. And a fire truck.33:09
  706. I want to be a fire truck.33:10
  707. Are you hungry?33:12
  708. Yes.33:13
  709. Where are you going to sit?33:14
  710. I'm going to sit next to you.33:16
  711. So where are you going to sit?33:19
  712. There.33:21
  713. Okay, so I'm going to sit there.33:21
  714. Okay.33:24
  715. Is that okay?33:25
  716. Yep.33:26
  717. Rocky speaks English.33:27
  718. He's my best pet.33:29
  719. So he's your best friend and your best pet?33:30
  720. Yep.33:33
  721. Wow.33:35
  722. Nice room you have.33:36
  723. Yep.33:37
  724. My favorite toy is a bouncy ball.33:38
  725. He took me in his room in the back and he's showing me his favorite toys.33:41
  726. Is that fun?33:44
  727. Yep.33:45
  728. Oh, you have a lot of books in here.33:46
  729. No, but I'm not reading it.33:48
  730. Here's my bathroom.33:49
  731. We can use it to go bath.33:53
  732. Everybody watching this video from America and the world is going to love you.33:55
  733. Yep.33:59
  734. What do you want to say to them?34:01
  735. I want to say I'm six years old.34:03
  736. And cute.34:07
  737. Yep.34:08
  738. This is a hat.34:08
  739. Yes.34:10
  740. Let's go.34:11
  741. The food is ready.34:11
  742. Come on.34:12
  743. This is a secret food.34:22
  744. Which one is secret?34:23
  745. That's every secret.34:27
  746. Secret.34:28
  747. I mean, in Iran, there's not many recognizable brands.34:29
  748. But Coca -Cola is one of them.34:32
  749. Yeah.34:34
  750. No McDonald's.34:36
  751. This is a fishing trick.34:37
  752. Yes.34:38
  753. Wow.34:39
  754. Look at here.34:39
  755. Yes, man.34:40
  756. It's very colorful.34:41
  757. Thank you.34:43
  758. Who cooked it?34:43
  759. Which one of you cooked it?34:44
  760. You cooked all of it.34:44
  761. I guess.34:45
  762. Thank you.34:46
  763. It's amazing.34:47
  764. Yes.34:49
  765. My favorite food is a strawberry.34:49
  766. Strawberry.34:53
  767. So this dish is a very, very typical dish from Kermanshah.34:53
  768. We call it Koreshe Halal.34:57
  769. These are almonds.34:59
  770. And red barberries that they are.35:02
  771. Blackberries.35:04
  772. Blackberries.35:05
  773. You got it wrong.35:06
  774. It's a blackberry.35:07
  775. Okay.35:08
  776. You start first.35:09
  777. This is awesome.35:10
  778. With the current situation in Iran and Middle East, was it okay for you to travel to Iran?35:11
  779. I wasn't scared because I've been to many countries in the Middle East, including Iran.35:20
  780. And so I know that the governments are different than the people.35:24
  781. But to get the visa, it was tricky.35:28
  782. It took many months actually to get the visa.35:30
  783. And my parents are scared right now that I'm here.35:33
  784. So there's a lot of fear about Iran.35:37
  785. But for me, I just want to come and meet the people and share this with everyone.35:39
  786. Our parents are also afraid that we are living in Iran.35:44
  787. It's just not your parents.35:47
  788. Everyone's scared of Iran.35:49
  789. What does it mean to you to be Kurdish?35:50
  790. It's a difficulty because it's a...35:52
  791. Because he had a tizy, he had a lot of issues in East Mesopotamia.35:54
  792. She feels that they are kind of isolated in the corner of the country.35:58
  793. The other people in the country don't understand the language.36:01
  794. For example, in America, all people are speaking English, you know?36:04
  795. But here in Iran, it's a lot of languages like Kurdish, Arabic, Persian.36:08
  796. How is the culture of Iranian Kurdistan different from the rest of the country?36:14
  797. Our food, or our traditional, for example, hands -shaking, or lots of things that are different.36:19
  798. And so, in religion, we are different.36:25
  799. Thank you for explaining.36:28
  800. This is the best dish I've had in Iran.36:31
  801. Arrival for a person in general.36:34
  802. It's bad.36:36
  803. I'm a meat eater.36:40
  804. Are you?36:42
  805. If it's a bad meat, I don't eat it.36:43
  806. If it's a real meat, I will eat it.36:45
  807. Is this real or bad?36:47
  808. I need a real meat, not a bad one.36:49
  809. Is this real?36:52
  810. It is.36:53
  811. Good.36:54
  812. What was it like here many decades ago?36:56
  813. How is it different than today?36:59
  814. Since a long time ago, it's been like this, and it hasn't changed, and it still is like that.37:06
  815. They want to have some of their rights.37:12
  816. One of them, for example, is they would like their language, which is Kurdish, the mother language.37:14
  817. At least it's been, you know, that they teach it at the schools as well.37:20
  818. They don't teach it at the schools?37:24
  819. No, because in Iran, the official language is Farsi.37:25
  820. What are some of the other struggles that you have?37:28
  821. Because there's a border near here, but the people are Kurdish.37:30
  822. Does that affect any family dynamics, or how does that change the life because of the nearby border?37:32
  823. So, they all have relatives in Iraqi Kurdistan.37:40
  824. You know, it's not like that they cannot go there, but they have to have a visa.37:45
  825. They have to apply for a visa.37:50
  826. Cords of Iran and Iraq are very similar, so they could easily be up together.37:55
  827. The same thing between the courts of Turkey and Syria.37:59
  828. They believe that in the Kurdish region in Iran, the unemployment rate is higher than other parts of the country.38:03
  829. It's totally higher all around Iran, but they believe that here is higher than other parts.38:10
  830. So, they have less opportunities.38:14
  831. You know that the Kurdish people are the largest ethnic group in the world without a nation.38:15
  832. And it's so sad, you know, you just grew up and you live in an Arab world, but you'd never have a country, or you'd never have a rule, you38:20
  833. know, a government, who is supporting you.38:28
  834. These conversations really strike a nerve, and I have empathy for the beautiful Kurdish people and their culture.38:30
  835. After dinner, they want to share some traditional songs played by these handmade instruments.38:35
  836. Maybe, tomorrow, just the only, yeah.38:56
  837. Next year, come to our home.39:04
  838. I will, thank you so much.39:07
  839. You're welcome.39:08
  840. I hope you have a good night.39:09
  841. He says that hopefully, we will have a good relation.39:11
  842. I mean, Iran and USA will have a good relation, and we will see you in USA soon.39:14
  843. Thank you, that was amazing.39:19
  844. Bye bye.39:21
  845. Bye bye.39:21
  846. That was one of the best experiences of my life.39:23
  847. Wow.39:26
  848. After a wonderful sleep, I'm feeling refreshed for another day of exploring Iran -i Kurdistan.39:30
  849. We are going to be spending all day driving northbound and stopping random towns and anything that catches our eye.39:35
  850. We've entered a beautiful village called Palangan.39:40
  851. And what is this place known for?39:43
  852. The village is famous for its architecture.39:45
  853. It's a step.39:47
  854. It's interesting that the courtyard of a house is the roof of the house.39:48
  855. The next house.39:53
  856. The next house, exactly.39:53
  857. It's set alongside this mountain, kind of at the bottom, but it's the exact same color as the mountain.39:54
  858. So when you're driving in, it's almost hard to notice it.39:58
  859. It's camouflage.40:01
  860. Camouflage, like a chameleon.40:01
  861. We're just going to wander around and see if we can meet some people.40:03
  862. I already know they're going to be friendly.40:05
  863. Of course, like other parts of the country, they should be very friendly here.40:06
  864. Let's go and see.40:11
  865. Let's go.40:11
  866. Alright, we're shopping for scarf here because it's hot and it's going to make my head cooler.40:12
  867. And the cooler.40:21
  868. So how much is it?40:27
  869. $7.40:28
  870. So that they are guests?40:28
  871. Yeah, but they're travelers.40:30
  872. They're from India.40:31
  873. He's pushing us away, not letting us pay.40:32
  874. Oh, you took it?40:35
  875. Yes.40:36
  876. Okay, finally we won the battle.40:36
  877. I'm the first to feel it.40:38
  878. So cool, man.40:40
  879. They're so friendly.40:40
  880. Every time you make eye contact, they're like, come here, come with me.40:41
  881. Take this.40:44
  882. Come on, come on.40:44
  883. As you can see behind me, they still use donkeys to get around this village, just like ancient times.40:45
  884. And when you're here and you see these old mud brick buildings and the way the society wears, you really feel like you're in the 1700s.40:50
  885. This man we've just seen on the donkey.40:56
  886. I don't know what he's doing, but he's preparing some stuff to go back to his village, I'm guessing.40:58
  887. Salam, salam.41:02
  888. Salam.41:03
  889. What's up?41:04
  890. What's up?41:04
  891. I just stepped on my leg.41:05
  892. There is no indicator on the donkey.41:08
  893. What happens?41:12
  894. The bike's out?41:12
  895. Let's go.41:13
  896. Not much help, unfortunately, in a moment, because I probably wouldn't be able to start it myself.41:17
  897. All right, this is a losing battle.41:28
  898. Our mission is to find a young person and see what it's like to live here.41:31
  899. Hopefully they would speak English, but we don't know for sure.41:35
  900. Some friendly old man up there just gave us the wave.41:38
  901. He invited us to go and visit them.41:42
  902. Let's go and see.41:45
  903. Where are you going?41:46
  904. Salam.41:47
  905. Salam.41:48
  906. Okay, so now he's taking us somewhere, the old man.41:49
  907. What's he saying?41:52
  908. So he's inviting us to his balcony.41:53
  909. This is his house here, and he asked us to go to the balcony.41:55
  910. Salam.41:59
  911. Following the leader.41:59
  912. Salam.42:04
  913. Salam.42:05
  914. Good to see you.42:05
  915. Salam.42:06
  916. Salam.42:07
  917. Good to see you.42:07
  918. Good to see you.42:08
  919. Good to see you.42:08
  920. Good to see you.42:09
  921. Good to see you.42:09
  922. Look at the balcony views.42:10
  923. Holy smokes.42:14
  924. You see how friendly people are.42:15
  925. We don't know him.42:17
  926. We just came and he said that come with us.42:18
  927. He took us to his house.42:21
  928. He really spoiled being from Iran, because when you go to other countries like Switzerland, people are private people.42:23
  929. They're not going to let you come in their house.42:28
  930. You're used to this.42:30
  931. Yes.42:32
  932. So I'm from America, and I came here to learn about Kurdish people.42:36
  933. Do you think that your grandparents and great grandparents and all your ancestors came from this village?42:41
  934. Yes, 100 % sure.42:46
  935. That's for four or five centuries ago, they've been living here.42:48
  936. What are some of the struggles that Kurdish people face living in this region, because obviously there's borders around here.42:51
  937. There were some problems at least in this region, but right now everything is good, safe and good.42:57
  938. For example, the Democratic Union.43:05
  939. At the beginning of 1980s, there were some kind of domestic wars here in this region, but fortunately it says that now everything is safe and good.43:07
  940. Nice.43:17
  941. In 1980, one year after the Iranian Revolution, one of the deadliest conflicts in the Middle East reached Palangan.43:17
  942. It was called the Iran -Iraq War.43:23
  943. Saddam Hussein launched a surprise invasion of Iran, seeking to gain control of border territories and oil reserves.43:24
  944. The war escalated into a brutal eight -year conflict marked by trench warfare, chemical weapons and a high number of deaths.43:30
  945. Kurdish fighters on both sides were now caught in the middle of two fighting nations.43:36
  946. For the people of Palangan, like this man, it seemed as though danger was closing in from every side, but their strength is something I truly admire.43:40
  947. It's really peaceful, he says here.43:48
  948. You cannot believe how peaceful it is, this place, he says.43:50
  949. What is one thing that you want the whole world to know about Kurdish people and Kurdish culture?43:53
  950. We are all in Palangan.43:58
  951. Palangan is a beautiful place.44:00
  952. He would like people from all around the world come here to Kurdistan of Iran and this village, and he likes them to see this beauty.44:02
  953. Here people are really friendly and here is totally safe.44:10
  954. He's inviting you to come to Iran and Kurdistan of Iran and his village.44:15
  955. The irony in what you said is that the whole world, including my country, thinks it's so dangerous here, but in reality it's really safe.44:19
  956. Well, I don't think it's dangerous here.44:26
  957. As I know, everything is quite safe here.44:29
  958. People are friendly and they shouldn't be worried at all.44:32
  959. Thank you.44:35
  960. The gentleman just invited us to stay with him for lunch.44:42
  961. He just invited us to his house and now he's insisting us to wait and have lunch with them.44:46
  962. I could easily stay at this guy's house all day long, but it's time to wander around the village and see who else I can meet.44:55
  963. After a few humble interactions, I think I just hit the jackpot.45:00
  964. So what happened is we met this really friendly old lady who was selling stuff.45:03
  965. We were on our way to get some lunch and we asked her if she wants to join us.45:07
  966. She said, yes, I would love to, but instead of you eating at the restaurant, I'm going to set up a really nice carpet here so you can enjoy the45:11
  967. meal here at my shop with me.45:17
  968. So we have walked all the way to the other side of town to get some fish, which is what they eat here, believe it or not, and we're going45:19
  969. to bring it back to her.45:25
  970. She's such a sweetheart that I know this is going to be an incredible moment and conversation and you guys are coming with me.45:26
  971. We found the only restaurant in town where this guy is cooking some fresh water fish, grilling it, spicing it.45:32
  972. It smells incredible.45:39
  973. Welcome.45:42
  974. Alright, we have a lot of fish and here she is.45:44
  975. Salam!45:47
  976. Salam, salam.45:48
  977. Salam.45:49
  978. She's more active than my friends and she's like 85.45:50
  979. That's good.45:55
  980. How is it?45:56
  981. Did you try?45:57
  982. Yeah, it's f***ing amazing.45:57
  983. Oh my God, it's so soft.45:59
  984. It's just melting your mouth.46:01
  985. So good.46:02
  986. This is pomegranate sauce.46:03
  987. You know, they grow pomegranate here.46:04
  988. You're very, very, very kind.46:06
  989. Thank you so much.46:08
  990. What is it like living here in Palangan village?46:09
  991. Thanks God, good.46:16
  992. How old are you?46:18
  993. 80.46:19
  994. 80?46:20
  995. 80 years old.46:21
  996. Masha 'Allah.46:21
  997. Masha 'Allah.46:22
  998. What's the key to living a happy, healthy life?46:24
  999. Food, nice weather, you know that here.46:29
  1000. They have farming so everything is good.46:32
  1001. Alhamdulillah.46:35
  1002. Alhamdulillah.46:36
  1003. Al -Aisha.46:37
  1004. Al -Aisha.46:38
  1005. Shukr be 'ukhla.46:38
  1006. Shukr be 'ukhla.46:39
  1007. Tell me about Kurdish culture and Kurdish people.46:40
  1008. How are they different from other people in Iran?46:43
  1009. Hameyan khuba.46:46
  1010. Hameyan khuba.46:47
  1011. All people are good.46:48
  1012. How are the Kurds?46:50
  1013. Everybody is good.46:51
  1014. Can you remember any crazy stories that happened here, good or bad?46:52
  1015. Just something that you want to share.46:56
  1016. Emakko charibut.46:58
  1017. Yeah, she just says that before it was different lifestyle here.46:59
  1018. They just use animals such as mules and donkeys to go around now.47:04
  1019. Everything is with car.47:08
  1020. Which one do you prefer, the old one or the new one?47:09
  1021. She says that before it was much more difficult, but now it's much easier to live.47:12
  1022. She has clients coming right now.47:18
  1023. She has to grind.47:20
  1024. She has to grind.47:23
  1025. No, no, no.47:25
  1026. She is going to bring glasses.47:27
  1027. I want it to go.47:31
  1028. She doesn't let me in.47:32
  1029. She is very fast.47:33
  1030. Every two minutes she is getting up and going down.47:35
  1031. This is why she is healthy.47:37
  1032. Eight years old and healthy.47:40
  1033. Do you hope that someday Kurdistan will have its own country?47:41
  1034. Farah khuba.47:45
  1035. Farah khuba.47:46
  1036. It will be very good if they can live all together.47:47
  1037. Inshallah.47:50
  1038. Inshallah.47:51
  1039. If you could say one message to everybody in the world, what would you tell them?47:52
  1040. Min hazaqam do a hayraqam.47:55
  1041. She wishes them all the best.47:58
  1042. Bali bali.48:01
  1043. Bali bali.48:02
  1044. She is okay.48:03
  1045. Lovely experience, truly.48:04
  1046. Isn't she amazing?48:06
  1047. Amazing.48:07
  1048. She is amazing.48:08
  1049. Das khosh.48:09
  1050. Das khosh.48:10
  1051. Das khosh.48:11
  1052. Das khosh.48:12
  1053. Sar khosh.48:13
  1054. Sar khosh.48:14
  1055. Das khosh.48:15
  1056. Spas.48:16
  1057. Spas akham.48:18
  1058. Shash ma 'amad.48:21
  1059. She means literally US tip on my eye.48:23
  1060. You are most welcome to our place.48:26
  1061. This village is spectacular.48:29
  1062. Everyone is so friendly.48:30
  1063. You can really feel the Kurdish hospitality.48:31
  1064. They are shaking your hands, bringing you inside their shops, inviting you into their homes.48:34
  1065. Just genuine, great people that just have good hearts.48:37
  1066. What's amazing to me is that even though this settlement dates back to the third century, there's still people living in these houses.48:40
  1067. It's not made for tourists.48:46
  1068. It's just made for the locals.48:47
  1069. And you can see there's people everywhere.48:48
  1070. You know, I travel so fast, and I'm always bouncing around from place to place, but it's nice to just kind of sit down and relax here.48:50
  1071. It's a really slow -paced life.48:56
  1072. Just kind of meet people as they walk by and just admire the beauty of this ancient village.48:58
  1073. Our journey to cover more of Irani Kurdistan continues.49:03
  1074. And after another five hours of driving, we stumble across a bustling town.49:05
  1075. We just arrived in the Kurdish town called Sanandaj, which is a beautiful little town somewhere in northwestern Iran.49:10
  1076. There's something about being in a town that no one's heard of before.49:16
  1077. And including myself before this trip, I never heard of Sanandaj, but it's cool.49:19
  1078. It's hip.49:22
  1079. You even have women not wearing scarves here.49:23
  1080. It's like this cross between traditional and but also some new things, which is pretty sweet.49:25
  1081. What I've gathered from being in Iran is that it might be the most affordable country in the world, at least as a traveler.49:30
  1082. So in this city, I want to do a budget challenge to see how many things I can buy for $100.49:35
  1083. $50 million is $100.49:39
  1084. So this is what we get for $100 US.49:41
  1085. There's two different currency systems in Iran.49:44
  1086. There's Riyals, which is the official currency.49:46
  1087. If you Google it, Riyals.49:48
  1088. But there's Tuman.49:49
  1089. What's the difference?49:50
  1090. Tuman officially doesn't exist.49:51
  1091. But since all the time, people to make it easier to say that, they always remove one of zeros.49:53
  1092. So for example, this is 500 ,000 Riyals, which is equal to 50 ,000 Tuman.49:59
  1093. But in conversation, do you say 50 or 50 ,000?50:05
  1094. We just right now, we just say 50.50:08
  1095. 50 ,000.50:10
  1096. Okay.50:10
  1097. All right.50:12
  1098. So now what can we buy with all this?50:13
  1099. Let's go to the casino.50:14
  1100. We have our bag full of cash here.50:16
  1101. And we are in the bazaar.50:18
  1102. We're going to try to meet some people and see how far this $100 can take me.50:19
  1103. Probably a lot of stuff, I am guessing.50:22
  1104. Everywhere you see the freshest fruits and vegetables, everywhere.50:25
  1105. So this is a butcher shop.50:29
  1106. We have testicles.50:31
  1107. Your favorite, right?50:32
  1108. Of course.50:33
  1109. After you.50:35
  1110. If you ever wanted to try brain and testicles, Sanandaj is your place.50:36
  1111. You know, when the sun starts to go down, everything becomes lively.50:40
  1112. Always.50:43
  1113. Too hot in the afternoon.50:44
  1114. Exactly.50:45
  1115. Siesta.50:45
  1116. Everybody will relax.50:46
  1117. Even sometimes they go home.50:48
  1118. And then they come back in the afternoon.50:49
  1119. And you can see how alive the city is right now.50:52
  1120. Dara.50:55
  1121. Where are you from?50:56
  1122. Dara?50:57
  1123. Not to Istanbul.50:57
  1124. I am from America.50:59
  1125. How you come from?51:01
  1126. I am from the city of Dara.51:02
  1127. They are asking how you come from United States to Iran.51:04
  1128. Why?51:07
  1129. I took a plane.51:09
  1130. This is how expensive are the goods in the US.51:13
  1131. I would say it's five to seven times more expensive in the US than here.51:16
  1132. For example, this would be like seven US for one.51:21
  1133. No, one for one.51:26
  1134. Seven US dollars.51:27
  1135. Because one KG you buy here for five cents.51:31
  1136. Five cents.51:36
  1137. It's like one one thousand is cheaper than the US.51:37
  1138. They are making joy.51:42
  1139. They say that we can just export eggplant to the US.51:43
  1140. They want to know how people in the US like Trump.51:49
  1141. A lot of people like him.51:53
  1142. A lot of people hate him.51:54
  1143. What do you think?51:56
  1144. What do you think?51:58
  1145. Trump is very relaxing.51:59
  1146. Really?52:02
  1147. If you ask someone in the US, for example, the name of the leader in Iran, do you think that they know?52:03
  1148. Absolutely not.52:12
  1149. I think nobody knows.52:13
  1150. But here everybody, if you ask them, they know the previous presidents of United States.52:14
  1151. Thank you.52:20
  1152. Bye bye.52:22
  1153. Thank you.52:23
  1154. Yes, good bye.52:25
  1155. That's good.52:26
  1156. The name is Calané, bread, which is stuffed with some vegetable grows in mountain as the lady was saying.52:26
  1157. In Afghanistan they call this Bolani.52:34
  1158. Bolani.52:36
  1159. The same thing.52:36
  1160. Bolani, yes.52:38
  1161. This is a really cool scene.52:38
  1162. You see all these men making this incredible flatbread with some onions inside, scallions.52:40
  1163. We're going to give it a try.52:45
  1164. America.52:48
  1165. America.52:53
  1166. America.52:55
  1167. America.52:56
  1168. America.52:58
  1169. Because Trump.52:59
  1170. Trump has come to the office.53:00
  1171. Our money value drops down much more.53:03
  1172. Trump is around $55 ,000.53:06
  1173. Right now it will be $100 ,000 soon.53:11
  1174. You know, at least people here joke about it, because that's really messed up for the economy.53:14
  1175. But they have a sense of humor, which is actually really nice.53:19
  1176. Okay, there we go.53:21
  1177. Let's try it.53:22
  1178. How much is it?53:23
  1179. $200.53:24
  1180. Can I give a tip?53:26
  1181. Yeah, leave three.53:27
  1182. Take three.53:28
  1183. Take three.53:29
  1184. Take it.53:30
  1185. Yes.53:31
  1186. All right, let's try it.53:32
  1187. He says that you have to drink the yogurt drink.53:37
  1188. It's really creamy and buttery, almost like a quesadilla with no cheese, but just the onions.53:40
  1189. Oh my God, for reals.53:46
  1190. In Iran I've never tried something like this.53:48
  1191. He says that it's considered to be one of the oldest past foods in the world.53:50
  1192. Amazing, man.53:54
  1193. Really amazing.53:55
  1194. They give you this really salty milk drink.53:55
  1195. They drink it across the Middle East.53:59
  1196. Really, really sour and salty, but it's good mixed with the food.54:03
  1197. Tell me about Kurdish people.54:08
  1198. Tell me about your culture.54:09
  1199. Friendly people, hospitable people.54:12
  1200. They are among one of the most ancient nations in this country from the mid -8th century BC.54:15
  1201. I could eat like four of these, but I'm going to save myself for more food later.54:24
  1202. Do you want another bite?54:27
  1203. Hear the music.54:28
  1204. Spass.54:31
  1205. Spass.54:32
  1206. Not coach.54:34
  1207. We still have about three pounds worth of money to get rid of, so onwards.54:38
  1208. It seems that you are the superstar of the town right now.54:45
  1209. Everybody is looking at you, pointing at you, and they're talking about you.54:49
  1210. You're also the superstar because we're together.54:52
  1211. Crossing the street in Iran is crazy.54:54
  1212. The drivers do not pay attention, and they won't stop for you unless you really do this.54:56
  1213. It's crazy you can literally find anything here from clothes to electronics to...55:05
  1214. Look at this one.55:10
  1215. It's like an antique shop.55:10
  1216. Like if we were standing right here 50 years ago, the guy would look like this and this would look the same.55:11
  1217. Exactly the same.55:16
  1218. Okay, so we still have a lot of cash.55:17
  1219. We've got to spend some money, man.55:21
  1220. What do you think we should get?55:23
  1221. What are these old men doing here?55:24
  1222. I think that they are selling prayer beads.55:25
  1223. Salam.55:30
  1224. Khubbi.55:31
  1225. Alhamdulillah.55:32
  1226. Alhamdulillah.55:33
  1227. Khubbi Alhamdulillah.55:33
  1228. Alhamdulillah.55:34
  1229. Where are you from?55:35
  1230. America.55:36
  1231. America?55:36
  1232. America.55:38
  1233. You're from the city of Khubbi?55:38
  1234. Yes, Khubbi.55:39
  1235. Khubbi.55:41
  1236. Khalife.55:42
  1237. Khalife.55:43
  1238. Khalife.55:44
  1239. Khalife.55:45
  1240. Khalife.55:46
  1241. Khalife.55:47
  1242. Khalife.55:48
  1243. Khalife.55:49
  1244. Khalife.55:49
  1245. What did they say?55:50
  1246. They were choosing his.55:51
  1247. Ideal.55:52
  1248. They are choosing the pictures.55:53
  1249. Okay, let's get one.55:56
  1250. How much?55:58
  1251. This is 50 million Riyals.55:59
  1252. Just give me a second while I count the Riyals, please.56:02
  1253. So, 9 million?56:05
  1254. Yeah, 90 of that.56:06
  1255. 90?56:08
  1256. 90.56:08
  1257. That's 50.56:12
  1258. One, two.56:14
  1259. I lost count.56:16
  1260. We look stressed now.56:17
  1261. When the money comes out.56:19
  1262. Here is safe.56:20
  1263. If you're anywhere else in the world, you cannot do that.56:21
  1264. Very good point.56:23
  1265. If you're anywhere else in the world, you can't just take out money.56:24
  1266. Dude, this is a crazy scene, man.56:26
  1267. This is crazy.56:28
  1268. I just pulled out 90 make notes to pay him.56:30
  1269. So, 10 million.56:32
  1270. 9 million.56:34
  1271. 9 million.56:35
  1272. We got the discount.56:36
  1273. We got the discount.56:37
  1274. 1 million.56:38
  1275. I'm not kidding.56:39
  1276. I'm sorry.56:40
  1277. I'm sorry.56:41
  1278. I just met these lovely old men here selling prayer beads that are made out of amber.56:43
  1279. And I bought one for 9 million Riyals.56:48
  1280. So, 90 of these 100 ,000 banknotes.56:51
  1281. That's push.56:53
  1282. That's push.56:54
  1283. There you go.56:56
  1284. That's yours.56:56
  1285. No, no, that's yours.56:58
  1286. Let's me take it.56:59
  1287. The bag is getting lighter and lighter.57:00
  1288. We got a few more things to get.57:02
  1289. One of my favorite things about Iran are the old bazaars.57:11
  1290. And you can feel how old they are just by looking at the roof.57:13
  1291. This was always a place where people buy stuff.57:16
  1292. Yes, always.57:18
  1293. For 400 years.57:19
  1294. The bazaars were always like the economical core of the cities, yeah?57:20
  1295. Different merchants from other cities, even other countries, came to these places doing business.57:25
  1296. So, it was just like the beating heart of the city.57:31
  1297. I have about 75 US left in the bag.57:34
  1298. And I'm thinking to get a nice carpet.57:36
  1299. Because in Iran, they make a lot of incredible carpets that they export all over the world.57:38
  1300. So, we're going to look inside this carpet shop.57:42
  1301. That's cool too.57:44
  1302. Something to hang in my house.57:44
  1303. Okay.57:46
  1304. Fine, that is more than your budget.57:46
  1305. Shit.57:49
  1306. This is from here because of that, I think.57:50
  1307. This is clean, yeah?57:52
  1308. This is, I mean, matches your budget.57:53
  1309. Really?57:56
  1310. Any of them you can do the same price.57:56
  1311. But just choose their color and pattern.57:58
  1312. The first one, I like it more.58:01
  1313. Is it locally made?58:02
  1314. They're all from here.58:04
  1315. No inclusion.58:05
  1316. What are they?58:05
  1317. This is the best part of this whole video.58:07
  1318. So, this is for decoration or what?58:09
  1319. You can put it on the floor.58:11
  1320. Actually, very strong material.58:13
  1321. It's made out of wool.58:15
  1322. Or hang it up to you.58:16
  1323. In Iran, in olden times, we're mostly used as a, like a curtain.58:18
  1324. They hang it at the entrances of the doors.58:22
  1325. But you can put it on the floor.58:25
  1326. We usually use it on the floor now.58:26
  1327. We are surrounded by amazing Persian carpets and rugs.58:28
  1328. Why are carpets so famous in Iran?58:32
  1329. We are one of the biggest producers of carpets.58:35
  1330. And historically, Iranians are one of the first carpet -vivers in the world.58:39
  1331. Persian carpets are all hand -woven.58:44
  1332. Different, you know, that actually pattern from different parts of the country.58:47
  1333. This is like regional, like this kind of style.58:51
  1334. Yes.58:53
  1335. The Toulje is a clean.58:53
  1336. And it comes from this area.58:55
  1337. We call it Sen 'e, Sen 'e pattern.58:56
  1338. Sen 'e, you remember, is the way that the Kurdish pronounced Sanandat.58:58
  1339. Sanandat, yeah?59:02
  1340. So this is called Sen 'e clean.59:02
  1341. I'm going to take this all the way to America.59:05
  1342. You're going to come here to go to America.59:07
  1343. Alright, now it's time to pay for the carpet.59:13
  1344. I'm really slow, sorry.59:19
  1345. This is five million.59:20
  1346. There you go.59:22
  1347. We've got a lot more to go.59:22
  1348. Five more million.59:25
  1349. You can see he's way faster at counting the money than I am.59:26
  1350. The inflation in Iran is so high that the money just keeps getting devalued.59:30
  1351. So we have like tens of millions of reels that we're paying, which is just like 70 or 80 US dollars.59:34
  1352. It's absurd.59:40
  1353. Just another day in the life in Iran, spending millions of reels to buy a carpet.59:41
  1354. If I weighed it, she's right.59:45
  1355. Just weigh it.59:47
  1356. Just know how much each bill weighs.59:48
  1357. Smart.59:51
  1358. We've been counting for about ten minutes.59:51
  1359. Still going.59:54
  1360. See you tomorrow.59:55
  1361. Is that a good, everything?59:56
  1362. He gave it a discount.59:58
  1363. Oh, thank you.60:00
  1364. Thank you very much.60:00
  1365. Thank you very much.60:02
  1366. Ten minutes later, we got all the money counted and I got my carpet.60:03
  1367. Thank you.60:06
  1368. Thank you.60:07
  1369. Thank you.60:08
  1370. Mamnoon.60:08
  1371. Spass.60:10
  1372. Here we are.60:11
  1373. Even though we're here in Kurdistan, there are reminders that this is indeed Iran with flags everywhere.60:12
  1374. Lots of flags.60:18
  1375. You know what's interesting?60:19
  1376. In Iraqi Kurdistan, they don't have Iraqi flags.60:20
  1377. They only have Kurdish flags.60:23
  1378. Kurdish flags.60:24
  1379. But here, there's only Iranian flags.60:25
  1380. Yeah, because I think there, they have some kind of independence.60:26
  1381. Right.60:30
  1382. But here, they are under control of Iranian government.60:31
  1383. It's just an observation.60:35
  1384. Yeah.60:36
  1385. What Amin says is true.60:37
  1386. In Iraq, Kurdistan is semi -independent with its own government, flag, laws and military.60:38
  1387. But here in Iran, the Kurds don't have that kind of power.60:43
  1388. As I walk around the bazaar, there are constant reminders that I'm still in Iran.60:46
  1389. I love how this is just a random mosque and it's just absolutely stunning with the blue tiles.60:50
  1390. That is Iran for you, my friends.60:54
  1391. Salam alaikum.60:57
  1392. Salam alaikum.60:59
  1393. The guy's opening up the mosque just for us to go check it out inside.60:59
  1394. Let's go.61:03
  1395. So the coolest thing about this mosque is all the carpets and rugs on the floor.61:05
  1396. They are all from Kurdistan region and I'm sure they are donated to the mosque because, you know, there's a nice gesture, a good Amin, they just donate this carpet61:10
  1397. to the mosque as a holy place.61:19
  1398. In one hour, I think, it will be the sunset prayer time and people come to say prayer here.61:21
  1399. These are all holy books, the Quran.61:26
  1400. There's a bookshelf of them here.61:28
  1401. Wow.61:31
  1402. Fantastic.61:32
  1403. The mosque is so peaceful and I appreciate this quiet moment to reflect on my trip so far.61:35
  1404. But now, we're back on the road, driving along the Iran -Iraq border, a place that was once scarred by war.61:40
  1405. What is this?61:46
  1406. A police station.61:47
  1407. That shouldn't be the only one.61:48
  1408. These mountains used to hide Kurdish fighters, but today, I'm here to see what's changed.61:49
  1409. Right now, we're in a town called Merivon on the border of Iraq and Iran.61:54
  1410. This is like full -on Kurdish.61:59
  1411. Way more men wearing the traditional outfits, women as well.62:00
  1412. I have a huge fascination with border towns because, literally, if you drive 10 minutes from here, everyone's going to be speaking Arabic.62:04
  1413. And just like this imaginary line that just separates cultures and people, especially when it comes to Kurdistan, you know, the same culture split between two countries.62:10
  1414. It's just super interesting to me.62:18
  1415. You've been a lot of places in Iran.62:20
  1416. In fact, you might have the world record for the most traveled Iranian who has seen the country.62:21
  1417. But this place, it's your first time.62:26
  1418. This is my first time to be here in Merivon.62:28
  1419. We're going to go explore the town and also we're going to check out the lake in the main square area.62:31
  1420. There's a chill hangout here with a bunch of old guys.62:35
  1421. And they have tea that they're just serving on the street and everybody just comes and drinks it.62:37
  1422. It's amazing.62:41
  1423. How do you feel here?62:42
  1424. Totally amazing for me.62:43
  1425. I love this place.62:44
  1426. It's definitely different than the other place we were in.62:45
  1427. Behind me, they're playing this Czechos game with rocks.62:48
  1428. Literally, that's all I understand.62:51
  1429. Dame.62:53
  1430. Dame.62:54
  1431. The name of the board game that they are playing.62:54
  1432. It's like a chess.62:58
  1433. Like a chess.62:59
  1434. Just like chess.62:59
  1435. 64 blocks.63:00
  1436. Because we're so close to the Iraqi border, do you have any influence from Soleimanya because it's just there?63:03
  1437. Or how does that affect the culture of the town?63:08
  1438. It's more or less the same.63:13
  1439. Even the way that they speak is the same language with a different accent.63:14
  1440. The same style of actually outfits.63:20
  1441. They were here as well.63:23
  1442. But as a second language, they would speak Arabic instead of R .C.63:25
  1443. That's the big difference.63:28
  1444. Yeah, exactly.63:29
  1445. That's the only difference.63:30
  1446. No, no, no.63:31
  1447. No, no, no.63:32
  1448. No, no, no.63:33
  1449. No, no.63:33
  1450. What happened?63:35
  1451. What happened?63:37
  1452. The gentleman is going to pay.63:37
  1453. You're already paying?63:38
  1454. He's going to pay.63:39
  1455. We don't have to pay for us.63:40
  1456. I just came to pay, but this nice gentleman says that you are our guest.63:41
  1457. Crazy.63:46
  1458. I don't know what to say.63:47
  1459. I don't really mean it.63:48
  1460. Yeah.63:50
  1461. Salam.63:50
  1462. How are you?63:51
  1463. Enjoy the wind.63:51
  1464. Ever always pays off and Harvard leads to success.63:52
  1465. I agree with that.63:55
  1466. Do you know what it means?63:57
  1467. He has no idea.63:58
  1468. I like it.64:03
  1469. It's good.64:03
  1470. There's something special about being in a random border town.64:05
  1471. You know what I mean?64:07
  1472. Yeah.64:08
  1473. It just shows how diverse Iran is.64:08
  1474. There's so many different little pockets of this country that are so different from the rest.64:10
  1475. Yeah, from Southeast to Northwest, totally different.64:14
  1476. As all these gentlemen were saying that it's very similar to the Kurdistan of Iraq.64:18
  1477. That's what's cool.64:22
  1478. It's like you cross the border, but the culture is still the same.64:23
  1479. Yeah.64:25
  1480. Something I love about the culture here is that the men just hold hands.64:26
  1481. They just walk down the street holding hands like we saw them.64:29
  1482. So from North -East to Marijuana.64:31
  1483. Marijuana.64:33
  1484. Marijuana.64:34
  1485. Kobi.64:35
  1486. Hello, Mr.64:35
  1487. Bacchi.64:36
  1488. I'm from America.64:38
  1489. America.64:39
  1490. Good luck.64:40
  1491. Good luck.64:42
  1492. Good luck.64:42
  1493. Thank you.64:43
  1494. We've been sitting here for about three minutes and he just invited us to his house.64:45
  1495. Everybody's super nice.64:49
  1496. They just shake your hand and invite you to their house.64:50
  1497. It's a good life out here.64:53
  1498. What do you think about America?64:54
  1499. America.64:56
  1500. America is the best.64:56
  1501. The United States is the best.64:57
  1502. It's a great place.64:59
  1503. It's a great place.65:00
  1504. I'm going to give you a fish for free.65:01
  1505. Take it and make a barbecue there just by the lake.65:03
  1506. What happens?65:06
  1507. Hello.65:07
  1508. We say goodbye.65:09
  1509. He goes, hello.65:10
  1510. Good morning.65:11
  1511. Good morning.65:12
  1512. Hello.65:12
  1513. I'm fine.65:13
  1514. How are you?65:14
  1515. The sad thing is that these big countries have separated the Kurdish people.65:15
  1516. And so if you live in Iran, you're forced to know Farsi as a second language.65:20
  1517. You're forced to abide by the laws and the rules of Iran.65:23
  1518. And if you're in Iraq, it's the opposite.65:26
  1519. You're forced to learn Arabic in schools and you have to abide by the laws of Iraq.65:27
  1520. But it's crazy that it's the same people.65:32
  1521. When you think about other countries and cultures, you have Vietnamese people living in Vietnam, Japanese people living in Japan, Brazilians living in Brazil.65:34
  1522. But the Kurds don't have that luxury.65:41
  1523. We've made it to a beautiful lake called Zariwa right on the border of Iran and Iraq.65:45
  1524. Actually, just those mountains there is Iraq.65:51
  1525. You see a bunch of fish in here.65:53
  1526. Look.65:55
  1527. You can't come to this lake and not take the swan boat.65:55
  1528. It has to happen.65:59
  1529. We get a more romantic small one.66:01
  1530. Thank you.66:07
  1531. Cue the music.66:09
  1532. We're sailing to Iraq.66:13
  1533. Have you heard of Bamyan Afghanistan?66:18
  1534. In Bamyan, there's a beautiful lake and they have this exact thing.66:20
  1535. So the last time I was on a swan boat was in Bamyan.66:24
  1536. I would love to go to Afghanistan.66:27
  1537. Yeah, dude, someday we're going to take a mean to Afghanistan.66:28
  1538. So why do you think tourists don't come to this region?66:32
  1539. I think we need to do more advertisement.66:34
  1540. We need to show the beauty of this region.66:37
  1541. You've seen that.66:39
  1542. It's culturally safe.66:40
  1543. Culture is different.66:42
  1544. People are really, really nice.66:45
  1545. So it can be amazing for other travelers to come and visit this part of Iraq.66:47
  1546. If you ever wondered what two grown men look like in a white swan peddling, this is what it looks like.66:51
  1547. Over the last seven days, I've gained a deeper understanding of Iran and developed a real respect for its people, who face challenges that most of the world will never66:58
  1548. grasp.67:05
  1549. From the Kashkai nomads living peacefully off the land to the proud Kurdish communities in the West fighting for their identity, everyone I've met is living proof that Iran is67:06
  1550. safe and the media only cares about the negative.67:14
  1551. Listen, I'm not saying this country doesn't have its problems, but I want people to look past their preconceptions and see this ancient culture for what it really is.67:16
  1552. Safe, beautiful, and full of history, you won't find anywhere else.67:23

English speaking practice with a fast American travel narration

This clip opens Drew Binsky's seven day road trip across Iran, and it moves fast. At 224 words per minute, faster than most of the catalogue, the narration gives almost no pauses to catch up, which is exactly why it works for english speaking practice. The CEFR level is B2, so the vocabulary is not simple, but it is not academic either: it is the plain, quick spoken English a travel vlogger uses to keep an audience watching.

The opening sets up the whole trip: the US travel warning, Drew's decision to go anyway, and a phone call to his parents where his dad flatly tells him no. Then the scene shifts to the airport in Shiraz, a visa problem with his cameraman, and the arrival of his local guide Amin. It is narration with dialogue dropped in, so you get a steady voiceover pace and a couple of short conversational exchanges, which makes it useful for everyday english conversation practice too.

Shadow this line: the language in the Iran opening

A few lines here reward closer listening before you shadow this line by line, since the phrasing does more work than it first sounds.

  • "Contrary to what my dad says, you can go to Iran as an American." This stacks a subordinate clause before the main clause, and Drew leans on "Contrary" as a formal connector inside otherwise casual narration. Get the lift before the comma and the flat statement after it.
  • "So why am I going to Iran as an American?" A rhetorical question aimed straight at the camera, said in one breath. The pitch climbs on "why" and drops again on "American".
  • "Hi, Mom, how are you?" and "You can't go there." are short conversational lines from the phone call, quick and clipped, good for practising everyday rhythm rather than new vocabulary.

How to improve your english accent working through this scene

Work the opening in order, since each line sets up the next.

  • Start at line 1, "Iran is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries to visit as an American." Read it once for meaning, then shadow it three times, watching where the stress falls on "dangerous" and "American".
  • Move to line 5, "So why am I going to Iran as an American?", and repeat it until your question intonation matches Drew's instead of sounding like a flat statement.
  • Take the phone call as one unit, "Hi, Mom, how are you?" through "You can't go there." Say both sides out loud so you get used to switching pace mid scene.
  • Finish on "Contrary to what my dad says, you can go to Iran as an American." and say it back without looking at the line, since it recaps the whole opening in one sentence.
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