Iran, or more commonly known as Persia
prior to 1935, does not typically come to mind when deciding on a destination
for vacation. This is due to a number of reasons, namely the economic sanctions
imposed upon this country and the international image of Iran as an unsafe
place to be in. Sanctions on Iran were imposed by the US following the Islamic
revolution of 1979, while the more recent sanctions in 2011 were motivated by
Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme.
So what brought us to Iran … ? In terms of
foreign students pursuing higher education in Malaysia, Iranians rank at the
top of the list. As at January 2012, there is an estimated 18,000 Iranians
pursuing education in both public and private institutions of higher learning
in Malaysia. With this in mind, we participated in the ‘Education Malaysia’
roadshow in Iran in June 2012 with the hope of penetrating into this market.
As there is literally no promotional
efforts on tourism to Iran, it is not surprising that there were only a handful
of Malaysians – that is us – in the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tehran, and
back. The unusual scene for us, but totally normal for the Iranians, is that upon
landing at Tehran International Airport, the ladies quickly whipped out the
headscarves to cover up the hair. For
the unfamiliar, it is compulsory that women in Iran follow the Muslim attire
that is to cover up the hair, arms and legs. Malaysians require a visa to enter
Iran, and this can be quickly done at Tehran airport itself, without charge.
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After the airport formalities, we were
greeted by a charismatic and beautiful Iranian lady whose name totally befits
her personality – Angel – who will show us around her country and act as a
translator since English is not widely spoken. Since we arrived near midnight
and the streets are not quite lit, looking out of the car windows, we could
make out that Tehran is a huge metropolis - we were told Tehran’s population is
around 8 million people - but the infrastructure and architecture lags behind
in terms of modernity.
Iran, being an ancient Islamic
civilization, is a nation rich in history and culture. With Angel as the guide,
we visited the Carpet Museum which exhibits a variety of Persian carpets from
all over Iran, the Golestan Palace and the Jewelry Museum which houses the
Imperial crown jewels of Iran. Amongst the many things, we saw a replica of the
first Persian carpet in the world (the original is in some museum in Russia), countless
beautiful carpets from the various carpet-weaving regions around Iran namely
Tabriz, Esfahan and Kashan; and in the Jewelry Museum, a priceless collection
of precious gemstones – heavily jewel-encrusted thrones and swords, a diamond
measuring 20 carats, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and jadestones the size of
pebbles.
All of these were certainly sights to
behold, and at the same time it aroused a feeling like we have travelled many
centuries through time to envision the great Iranian empire during their glorious
reign. It was all in all an eye opening, mind expanding and educational
experience, to say the least.
Onward to shopping, where we visited the
Tehran Grand Bazaar – one of the world’s biggest and oldest bazaars. Walking along the alleys or, if you like,
corridors, we quickly noticed that each corridor specializes in different types
of goods – for nuts and produce corner, it’s
a row of shops selling almond nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachio, apricots,
tea leaves, local sweets and delicacies to name a few; for clothes section, it’s
kids stuff, adult wear, scarves, swimming wear, underwear, clothe and towel; then
there is kitchenware of all kinds, to Persian carpets for the floor and wall,
to toys, to precious metals, copperware, jewelry and spices - almost all things
imaginable. For those who just want to a by-stander, the bazaar is definitely a
place to observe and absorb the continuous soliciting and haggling between
buyer and seller – all in Farsi, all so unintelligible, nonetheless
interesting.
Having feast our eyes and ears with
awe-inspiring sights and the rhythmic sounds of the city, to satisfy the hunger
pangs and tantalise the taste buds, we were certainly pleased to have Angel introduce
to us a typical Iranian cuisine comprising of saffron buttered rice and kebabs
of lamb, beef and chicken. Siding the mains are lettuce salad, roasted
tomatoes, olives marinated in traditional Iranian peanut sauce and yoghurt. Lemon,
or some sour condiments always accompany such meat-heavy meals to ease the
digestion of the lamb and beef, so we were advised.
The roadshow began in Shiraz – a city two
hour by flight south of Tehran. Angel certainly rose to the occasion during the
exhibition as she did her best to explain to the participants about the
programmes offered at Vision College. There was a steady flow of participants
making enquiries at our booth throughout the day, and it is our hope that
Iranians will see the benefits of pursuing a healthcare programme at Vision
College. In particular, we believe that the course Iranian students and doctors
would find most attractive is the Post Graduate Diploma in Ultrasonography (Pg
DMU) which is fully accredited and certified by the Australasian Society for
Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM). The Pg DMU is a one-year programme that would
provide the pathway for Iranians to work abroad in Australia, NZ or the UK as
ultrasonographers. Professionals in the field of ultrasonography are highly
sought after in these countries as there is a dire lack of such persons in these
markets.
The second leg of the roadshow brought us
to Esfahan – another city renowned for its great historical monuments and some
of the best sights in Iran. Noteworthy of mention are the Shaking Minarets, the
Hamman-e Ali Gholi Agha bathhouse, the Sofeh mountains lining the city and the
cable car ride, the Armenian cathedral and the Khaju Bridge spanning across the
Zayendeh-roud river. No trip to this great city would be complete without
seeing one of the world’s largest and most beautiful squares – the Imam Square.
By night, the view of Imam square and the garden within it was simply breathtaking.
Being there in person, marveling at its matchless beauty and grandeur, a sense
of indescribable amazement and inspiration flowed through the body. It is
undoubtedly an engineering feat and architectural wonder, considering that this
place was constructed nearly 500 years ago.
Lining the square in the century old buildings are the bazaar,
restaurants and a great Shah Mosque.
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No wonder Esfahan is termed “half of the
world” ! I am truly blessed to have visited this amazing city, and there are
still plenty of sights left to be explored on another trip to Esfahan.
At our last stop for the roadshow in
Tehran, Angel gave a captivating and informative presentation on Vision College
and the courses offered. The video clip can be found at www.vision.edu.my. With this, we hope that Iranian students
and doctors will see the vast benefits of enrolling in the Pg DMU as a stepping-stone
to a career outside of their home country. Vision College is the only institution
in Malaysia that offers this postgraduate diploma in ultrasonography.
To sum up, if at all possible – it was a
whirlwind of a ten-day trip. Iran has boundless to offer in terms of culture,
history, things to see, learn, taste and experience. Unfortunately for the
sanctions, this beautiful country has been disadvantaged in too many senses but
one cannot deny that there is plenty of potential in the Iranian people and
country to relive the glories of its past in this modern world.
