Five hours flight and experiencing a different planet

We are approaching Hamburg international airport. It is one o’clock in the afternoon. Outside the plane, the air looks fresh and the country clean and well cared-for. We’ve landed safely, and now we must go to the border control, where the police will stamp our passports. It is an historic moment for me. After years of waiting, I am about to enter the country I have dreamed-of since childhood. In High School, I loved the idea of Germany so much that I decided to study the German language even though it was both an unpopular and unusual choice at that time.

My heart was palpitating as I approached the barrier, and I wasn’t sure whether it was because my dream was about to be realized or because I was frightened by all the stories I had heard in Iran. I had been told that the German police were harsh and that they have police dogs which can chase you and attack you. Instead, I am welcomed with a friendly smile by a very neat, middle-aged policeman who reminds me of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Colonel Sanders’. His smile brings to mind that ‘miraculous smile’ that the Japanese practice all their lives. Receiving such a smile from a German policeman was a complete and marvelous surprise.

We went to the baggage claim. A cart would be needed – but for the cart, we needed a coin. I told myself, troubles began. But I was wrong, because there was a machine to change notes into coins just for this purpose. That is not especially surprising – in middle-eastern countries there are often such machines. The surprise was that the machine actually worked! Here I should explain to my European readers that we in Iran have many public machines such as escalators, public clocks and so on – all over cities but they usually do not work and we have become used to that.

Our German friend is waiting for us at the exit gate. He insisted on coming to pick us up from the airport. I was terrifically pleased to be welcomed in this way, but at the same time I was quite embarrassed that someone so busy should take time to be there for us.

The taxi-driver was a woman. Now I was not surprised at this, but I was surprised that she gave us so much help in carrying our heavy luggage. Iranian women workers are exempted from physically heavy jobs – some by tradition and some simply by their own decision. I am not sure whether this would be regarded as a mark of respect and privilege by Western women – after all, treating women as the ‘weaker sex’ could also mean that they are judged that way in other areas of life in which they may feel discriminated.

The weather was hot. People said that it was an unusually hot summer. It was not particularly hot for us, but I was amazed as there was no ice or any air-conditioning to cool things down except for in the shopping malls.

At first, we thought the people are on holiday. Because, the streets and public transporters were not crowded. But after 2-3 days we found out how a city should be. A city of less than 2 millions with all means of transportation managed and utilized perfectly can not be compared with Tehran. A metropolis where still nomad's way of life can be seen.

Everything is clean and everybody looks alert, interested and yet calm. People seem to be happy and relatively satisfied in their work. Obvious laws such as driving and pedestrian regulations are carefully observed.

Among the thinkers who have words to say about the West, the first one who came to my mind was Asadabadi. He said, ‘In the West, I saw Islam but not Muslims. Back home, I see Muslims but not Islam’. I do not share this idea with him. On the contrary, I saw nothing that was Islamic. I live in an Islamic country where there is no respect for animals. Even animals like dogs are harshly treated both by laws and by the majority of people. But here in Germany, the dogs were living like gifted humans. In Iran, one can receive seventy lashes if caught drinking alcohol but here in Germany, every shop sold alcohol. Back in my country, one can ruin his or her partner by holding hands in public. But here in Germany we saw couples kissing in public. Of course there may be young couples holding hands in Tehran and other big cities in Iran, but there is no guarantee that they will not risk being questioned and, if they are not related, might face punishment under the law. In Germany, I saw people walking around, quite freely, semi-naked. Who in his right mind could claim that this is Islamic?! So, I think either Asadabadi lied or that Europe has really changed since he was there in the 19^th century.

One day, in the park, I noticed an elderly woman taking her dog for a walk. She had shaved-off the dog’s hair. Noticing our curious looks, she explained it was because she thought the dog felt too hot in the heat-wave. Although I am not at all sure she did the right thing (do dogs feel cooler if their hair is shaved-off?) but I did think that no-one could care more for his neighbour, let alone for his dog! Then I remembered something I’d learned in my German lessons in school back in Iran – that Germans care more for their dogs than they do for their neighbours! And I thought that, well, the neighbours don’t need so much care as the system cares for them.

There was a bookshop in Hamburg that I became fond of. It was on the way into the centre of town and it served coffee. It was a wonderful bookshop – not just because it sold coffee and cake as well as books – but because there was a place to sit and read the books! It was amazing to me, like a bookshop of my dreams. A place to read books, drink coffee and buy a book if you really liked it. I managed to visit this paradise bookshop three times. The salesperson, who I think was also the owner, was polite, clever, well-informed and nice-looking. She unwrapped a new book for me just so that I could look at it properly. Not for the first time I found myself telling myself that if the serious illness I had suffered from last year had managed to kill me, what a wonderful experience I would have missed! On my third visit, the salesperson welcomed me by saying, ‘It’s nice to see you’. I answered, ‘I have more reasons for saying the same to you!’. I think she felt I was being a bit over-the-top, but had she known what her shop meant to me she would have understood perfectly.

I think what I am going to say it is not very smart but, one of the most wonderful aspects of the trip was the easy access to unlimited Internet. I am sure many of you would not find this fashionable about how I spent some of my time in Hamburg, because almost every night I surfed the Internet couple of hours. I tried to look at things which are filtered-out back in Iran. I was able to watch so many old films, and listen to many archive recordings of historic speeches. Even though this part of my little travelogue can portray a clown out of me, yet I hope I have been able to remind my European readers of the priceless freedom they have.

At a newspaper office, I met a woman in her fifties. While she shook my hand, she pressed it with warmth and passion and with a look that I cannot describe. She explained that her first love had been an Iranian man. It was very interesting to hear. I wished that I had had the chance to know more about her story and perhaps to write about it. I am sure that the story would have been very popular and interesting.

One thing that made a deep impression on me was the patience that people show towards other people. For instance, when we took the bus we had to pay the driver. As our German was not good, and as we didn’t understand the ticket system very well, it usually took a little time for the driver to work out what we needed. I was so surprised that the people behind us never showed any irritation at the delay.

I had visited Dubai and other luxurious cities such as Tokyo and Seoul. I had experienced the architectural masterpiece of the dream-like city of Prague. But what amazed me about Hamburg and what made me admire it so much was not big buildings or the latest cars but the gestures and behaviour of a civilized community. The thing I remember most and can never forget were the warm smiles. And if I smiled when asking a question, I hardly ever received a disappointing reply.

One thing which I did not appreciate in the gatherings I attended and learnt about was the exclusion of children. Usually, in family or friends' gatherings in Iran I spend my time mostly with children. Though irrational, still I feel they, the children are closer to original factory settings and therefore nearer to God!

Back home I wrote a thanks letter to the German Embassy in Tehran. Which their reply was even more encouraging.

Dear Sir,

I wish to thank you for taking positive action on my visa request and making it possible for me to visit your gifted country. There are other people to whom I would like to express my feelings of gratitude but I skip names lest I deviate from the purpose of this note.

On this memorable trip, I learned a lot and was amazed most of the time by the masterpieces of urban and administrative engineering. I also found the people kind, polite and law abiding and most unexpectedly very approachable.

Thus, I profoundly am in debt of this excellent feeling of the memorable European trip. But, alas what can be my contributions to your beautiful piece of human community, except to pray the almighty God to keep your marvelous society safe and even more prosperous. I also hope if ever my people can have the chance -and the will of course- to establish such a clever and wonderful haven for generations to come.

However, in the whole trip there was once I thought something needs to be corrected.

In our Berlin visit one afternoon we joined a city circle tour. It took about 2 hours. And in the excursion course through a pre-arranged tour voice guide one can be acquainted with the city's highlights. But surprisingly the outlines are imbued mostly with war associated environment. It is true that this city and her people have been involved in a terrible war and we can hear here and there some strategic initiative tend not to let the memories of war disappear from the German people's mind, but this I think has nothing to do with a touristy mood with diverse cultures.

This dynamic city I believe has more to tell apart from depicting a war affected capital by repeating unnecessary sequence which belongs to a long time ago and in a very different atmosphere.

‘To return home at eventide with gratitude,

and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved

in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.’

Khalil Gibran