the traveler's notebook » Lines of the Week

I felt like a fraud.

David Miller — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:02:03 +0000

What happens when a traveler’s need to fit in and show respect for the local culture includes wailing with women at a religious ceremony?

Photo: Please Don’t Smile.

This week’s “Lines of the Week” come from Rebecca Scott, who lived in Iran for over a decade.

At one point she decided to dress “like an Iranian Muslim woman, which means that the arms, head, neck and legs are covered in public.”

She writes, “I would have preferred not to, but I was trying to fit in and earn the respect of my new family, who cared very much about the opinions of neighbors and friends.” Later she’d find herself at a religious ceremony.

For the full story, please visit Adapting to Iranian and Islamic Culture.

Community Connection

Lines of the week is a weekly feature where the editors pull their favorite bit of writing from the Matador Community blogs.

Lines of the Week: The Air Quality

David Miller — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:26:56 +0000

This week’s lines and image come from new Matador member Britt V. She’s on the road in Laos:

This was an excerpt from Britt V’s Matador blog .

Think you know what it’s like to travel in Iran?

David Miller — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:15:00 +0000

[Editor's note: This is the first post in a new series here at the notebook called "Lines of the Week." Each week we'll going through all the blogs at Matador and posting our favorite lines. Bigup to Rob Gain for being the very first.]

Earlier this week, new Matador community member Rob Gain published a blog called An American in Iran that will shatter preconceptions of what travel in Iran is like.

As usual, it seems like the best places to go are the ones we’ve been misguided about.

photo and words by Rob Gain

Community Connection

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