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Re: The Irani henna trip........(long)
 
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Posted by  JAVEED on September 25, 2001 at 14:51:55: 
In reply to:
The Irani henna trip........(long) posted by
Erfan on September 3, 2001 at 14:31:36: 
 
: HI ERFAN 
WHEN DID YOU COME TO IRAN ,LET ME KNOW ARE YOU IRANIAN ,WHAT PITTY  
THAT DID NOT SEE YOU IN IRAN . 
YOU WOULD HAVE ASK CATHERINE JONES ABOUT ME. 
WE  ARE MAIN PRODUCER AND EXPORTER OF HENNA FROM IRAN . 
OUR FACTORY IS IN YAZD . 
HOPE WILL SEE YOU IN IRAN NEXT YEAR WITH YOUR FREINDS NICK  
 
TAKE CARE . 
JAVEED 
 
: is MUCH to tell! 
:  
:  
:  
: Well,when I arrived,my feet were hennaed and I weared sandals... 
: This was a problem. 
: Because at the airport the islamic-police asked me what this was. 
: I told them that this was henna 
: THEN 
: Then about 20 Islamic-police women(all with chador of course)came  
: over to me and asked me how I did these patterns.I took out some  
: skatches and hennabooks and began to tell them about the henna- 
: history .that henna was really used in Iran and so on....then one  
of  
: them told me,that in Iran eldery women do henna theire toe- and  
: fingertips and that they would do this because allah likes this.... 
: I started to laugh and explained them that henna is the  
: ONLY "cosmeticum" which is "ba mahram"(something simmilar then  
: islamic correct)during praying and "ashuras"(ashura are the days in  
: which we muslims do remind our prophet ali). 
: They all were VERY interested and wanted henna-the only problem was  
: that I´m over 15,so I´m not allowed to see gurls without the  
: chador..... 
: Then i told them that also my granny did henna and that she did  
learn  
: this artform to me and that maybe my granny could do the henna for  
: them. 
: So,the next day about 6 of this police-women came to my grannys  
: house,and at first my granny thought that they want to controll our  
: house or something..but when she found out that they did come there  
: because of henna she began to laugh and told me "erfan,you´re  
really  
: like a henna-prophet!I´mm telling you you will make henna modern  
: again!" 
:  
:  
:  
:  
: So my granny went to her room with this women and applied theire  
: hennas...(I did choose the designs) 
:  
: They did pay me(cause my granny doesn´t do henna for buisness  
anymore) 
: and they left. 
:  
:  
: But I was really afraid to henna my hands,cause my granny told  
: me,that maybe they will think that my mehndis are tattoos.and if  
they  
: would think that I have tattoos, I would get a lot of probs.--cause  
: tattoos are not allowed in theran-just face tattoing is still  
: allowed..... 
: Then when I went to my father´s relatives and they saw my feet they  
: at first thought that my feet are tattooed but when I told them  
that  
: this was henna they ALL wanted some designs on theire  
: overarms..really funny I did a lot of henna in Iran but 90%  
: wanted "modern" or "marrakeshi" designs.cause these were new things  
: from other countries........and in Iran you´re cool and fashionable  
: if you have something from an another country............ 
:  
: Really pitty that henna is SO "unmodern" in Iran. 
: Also everybody wanted "black" henna...but I did show them all  
: pictures and the ppd rant and than they decided to get  
the "granny´s  
: unmodern henna"(In Iran some people did tell me that I´m  
a "dahadi"(a  
: curd>>>fars peolpe do see curds as silly and unmodern people) 
: But everytime they said this,I linked them to the hennasites of ccj  
: and the other wonderfull artists and they ALL wanted henna!!!! 
:  
:  
: It was really funny and pitty to see that the "americans" have to  
do  
: something before it is modern in Iran again! 
: I mean henna was part of the Irani comunities..but then the &%$"% 
: $§!/&)?=/(`=)/`()?/%§(§ shah came and TRADITIONAL henna is know  
: really forgotten and UNMODERN!!!!! 
: *uuuuuuurggggggg* 
:  
: The only place wrere I saw "patterned" henna was in the southern 
: (*shomal*)of Iran and in Mashad. 
:  
: In shomal old women did also henna theire lips and they also did  
have  
: facre tattoing. 
: I asked them about theire lip-henna cause the colour was a really  
: beautiful bright orange. 
: They explained to me,that this henna is applied 7 times and each  
time  
: it has to sit for seven hours..... 
: But later I also found out,that EVERY bodypart did take henna  
: fantastic in Iran because the weather was REALLY dry and so your  
lips  
: and other body parts did get dry VERY fast. 
: I also did draw theire face-tattoos.... 
: And I also did show them my work.and they all wanted some  
traditional  
: hennadesigns.so I did some freehenna for them! 
: They were so happy that they did introduce me to theire face tattoer 
: (an old woman who did learn face-tattoing from her granny) 
: Of course also nasrin(the tattoer) wanted henna. 
: So she wanted to tattoo my face because I did henna her,but i did  
: tell her that europian comunities are much diffrend than Irani- 
: communities. 
: I really had a lot of fun there..... 
:  
: And I learned much! 
:  
:  
:  
: Then in mashad I did see SO many hennaed hands and feet. 
: But not fars people! 
: They were all arabs and marrakeschi women/and even men!/who weared  
: really beautiful designs which I had never seen in my lifetime! 
:  
: I also talked to some arab hgenbnaartist trhere and I learned very  
: new and fascinating things about henna in Dubai,Saudi arabia and  
: libanon! 
:  
:  
: I also had the opurtunity to draw hennapatterns from ORIGINAL  
: manuscripts which were not for everyone.I mean I had soem family  
: members who did have friends,who did let me go to closed museums  
and  
: so on. 
: REALLY fascinating! 
:  
:  
: So all in one it was a fantastic trip,and I really have to tell you  
: all much,much more soon! 
: I promise! 
: If you have any questions feel free to mail me! 
: Erfan
   
 
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