 Follow an Iranian translator and journalist in his two weeks travel to Belgium.Belgium is very small ( 30 500 sq Km), but its history is rich. If you love old history,old architecture, real chocolates,beers,Georges Simenon or are a Tintin fan,then Belgium is the right choice! I wrote almost daily,edited later, added more features to the weblog.
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
The last post to this blog
8:09 AM
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Back in Belgium and Paris after 3 years
well it seems that I was called back again to Belgium and Paris.
I will shortly be in Brussels and then Paris.
So if you are interested ,follow me.
5:28 AM
Thursday, June 24, 2004
No updates
I wont update this blog for the moment and no more photos or changes.If you like to see my photos just go to my links and find my photos there.
9:42 PM
Basic Changes
I am working to reorganize the blog again with a better structure.
6:34 AM
Atomium
photo by Esmail
6:22 AM
A waitress in Hema department store,Ghent
photo by Esmail
6:11 AM
A train station in Belgium
photo by Esmail
6:08 AM
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Photos again!
As you see I am trying to bring photos again back to the blog.Soon!
10:03 AM
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Comic book capers
Comics are an integral part of Belgian culture . Herge, the creator of Tintin, may be the country's most famous comic book author, but he's certainly not the only one. Susan Wilander finds out more about Belgium's enduring love affair with the so-called 'ninth art'.continue the story here.
P.S.I am trying to recover the photos.
10:08 AM
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Photo Problems
It seems that there is a problem with my photos.I suppose Freehost ( Where I put my photos ) has problems.In the mean time,please go to my Yahoo Photo Albums.
11:01 AM
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
A Weblog on Bam
Have a look at this weblog on Bam quake.
Go
10:50 AM
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Bam Disaster
The people of Bam in Iran need your help.More than 40000 people were dead in the terrible quake happened last Friday morning (December 26th 2003).I do ask my respected readers and all Iranians fans to help us.Visit Jan's page on Bam quake and donate.
P.S:An office was opened in Brussels - Belgium by the Iranian in order to collect public help.
Foods in can, water, shoes, blanket, clothes and medicine are required to be delivered to Iran by help of Belgian defence minister, Mr. André FLAHAUT.
You can access to this local by the following address:
49 Rue Général Henry
1040 Etterbeek, Bruxelles
Opening hours: 10:00 to 18:00
Bank Account: 310-1513935-45
Communication: « Bam-Iran »
Contacts :
Mr. Ali samad : 0474 55 18 32
Mr. Anwar Mirsattari : 0475 71 69 25
9:41 AM
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Iranians were ousted of ULB
Fifty Iranian asylum seekers protesting in a University of Brussels classroom were expelled by police Wednesday morning after a three month sit-in.
Police entered the ULB classroom where the group of Iranian immigrants were living at 6am and took them to seven open immigrant centres after being processed at Laeken police station.Before calling in the police, we were guaranteed that no protester would be expelled, imprisoned, or kept in a closed detention centre,? member of the ULB board Fabrizio Bucella told La Libre Belgique.
The ULB closes at Christmas and there would have been no infrastructure left, nor a medical service, he said.Following a governmentl decision mid-November, 410 Iranian asylum seekers re-submitted their applications for asylum. Of these, 61 decisions have been made so far 44 were rejected and 17 accepted.
( What is going on in Belgium for Iranians?)
4:52 AM
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Kish ( Part 2)
Almost all hotels run a 2/5 hours tour around the island .The tour leader( the mini- bus driver) was a young man who talked during his work. .The first sight was Dolphin Park. An Iranian expatriate who is now living in Spain made this park. Thousands of palm trees have been planted in this area just in south of the Kish. Butterflies, exotic birds, cactus & silk gardens , world of orchids, submarine aquarium, artificial rain forest & volcano mountain projects are under design & construction. Dolphins & other sea mammals amuse visitors with wonderful show . The entry was around 220000Rls and it was closed then.
While we were moving ,we passed a couple of villas just by the sea .They driver told us that they belonged to A.Hashemi Rafsanjani ,ex president of Iran. We also passed a number of high apartments We were surprised when we heard that Ali Daei,the famous Iranian soccer palyer has bought one flat at a price of 8000 000 000 Rls!
There is very old tree ( more than 8oo years) in the island called Green Tree.I do not know the scientific name of it, but it had special stems that grow upside down!Local people believe the tree can grant their requests and that’s why you can see many small colorful cloths fastened to it.
Obviously the most famous sight in Kish Island is the Greek Ship. A Greek steamship named KOULA F( 136m long,7061 tonnes) was stranded on the 25th of July 1966 and since then lies silently in the western extremity of Kish. All the efforts to recover the ship was unsuccessful,so they left the ship there.Watching the sunset behind the Greek ship is an unforgettable & everlasting memory.The ship is nothing just a mountain of rust.It was made in Scotland in 1943.You have a strange feeling when you look at it.You ask yourself why it happened?Why they could not save it?
"Qanat"(subterranean aqueduct that includes a network of wells & tunnels to bring out water from underground) is the secret in the heart of Kish. It is unique in the world. The emperature inside is 22 -25° C throughout the year. There are plans to build modern & traditional restaurants, museum, etc. in the tunnels.The young guide told us that there is a special paln to connect the Qanat to the airport and the beach.It will not finished until the next three years.
There is also old town of Harrieh dated back to 800 years ago.There has been some excavation to trace its history,but now it is like a ruin mostly.
There is a very big supermarket in the island called Kish hypermarket which provides almost everything.There I could find Spanish olives,Fragata( triple stuffed) .
( find more about this olives here) I could not find this kind of olives in Iran since I got back from Belgium.
So it was really nice to have it again. This supermarket is very like Hema department store in Belgium.They have almost everything that you need in a supermarket,food,drink,cloths,shoes and etc.
There are also lots of Indians ,Pakistani,and Asian nationalities who just come to Kish to extend their visas. They mostly work in the Gulf.
Kish is a refuge for people who are tired and seek a shelter by the sea.Not just a shelter,but also a shopping center where you can buy original goods, have a test of European markets and even bargain. Every night you can taste your chance in drawing shows and win even a car!
But what was Dudu? This is the name of Tarkan latest record that I bought it there.
Though Kish is a free zone and tries not lose the competition to Dubai ,it still has problems. The hospital ( the mini bus driver called it The Island Slaughter-house) has no good doctors,the zoo has only some donkeys, and there are not many newsstands( it is awful that you can not find the national paper easily) available.
That is my notes on travel to Kish Island.
P.S.There is an internet group in Yahoo called Kish Island Fan Club.If you like talking about Kish,this is a good place to start.Go:
7:38 AM
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Kish,Dudu and Spanish Olives( part one)
It seems that there is no place for Kish island in a weblog on Belgium.But I visited that island and as I love writing my travel notes,here are my expression of the island.
Kish is free zone and that means you can find things which are not usually available inside the land,like cars.There is no Iranian cars except some Peugeots and some trucks.It is 17 Km off the Persian Gulf,15 KM long and 91 KM(2). Around 20000 People live in Kish island including shopkeepers,workers and locals. The most recent history of the Kish dates back to 1961 when the government of Dr. Manuchehr Eghbal, bought the island from the heirs of Mohammad Reza Khan Setvat ol-Mamaalek Bastaki for nine million Rials. In 1970, Iranian-American expert delegations visited Kish, designating it as a geographically strategic spot for international trade and tourism. The Kish Development Organisation (KDO), founded in October 1972, drew up a costly plan to develop Kish like Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean or the islands of South Mediterranean Sea.( Read more about the history of kish here).
There are numerous airlines running between Kish and neighbouring countries and major cities.Kish International Airport is small,nice and efficient.It was renovated recently according to an airport in France.
Why do people go to Kish?
Most Iranians visit the island for one purpose: shopping.But shopping is not the only reason that attracts lots of them throughout the year.They go there to enjoy good weather in autumn and winter, swim in its clear and clean beaches and see the most beautiful fish and corals.There are many shopping centers like Zeytoon,Paniz,Marjan,Kish Trade Center,Venus and so which have always something to offer.One can easily detect Iranian middle aged mothers who move around to buy the cheapest goods for their daughters dowry.It is quite interesting to see them how they can manage it! Apart from this special customers ,there are many young people who come to Kish for one or two nights and buy goods which they know will be bought at higher prices in return.
11:14 PM
Monday, December 08, 2003
I am in Kish
Well I am again travelling: and now I am in Kish Free Zone .It has many things to say and wonder.I will write more as soon as I get back home.
8:46 AM
Friday, December 05, 2003
Two Belgian-Iranian girls in Belgian Embassy in Tehran
Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Louis Michel met with the mother of two Belgian-Iranian children Wednesday, the girls sought refuge at the Belgian embassy in Tehran after running away from their father, who brought them to Iran illegally.Michel told Zarah Pourhashmi that the Belgian authorities were determined to have Sara and Yasmine, six and 14 years of age, returned to Belgium, but urged Zarah to find a compromise to the situation as a unilateral solution would not be possible.The children’s Iranian father Shahab abducted the girls in August of this year from his 36-year-old estranged wife in Liege, who had been awarded custody of the children after her divorce from their father.Belgium’s Ambassador to Iran, Jacques Vermeulen, has confirmed that the girls, who were in a state of panic when they arrived at the embassy, thought they could have Belgian passports issued to them and sent home to Belgium there and then.“We immediately took action to keep them at the embassy as, for us, the two girls are Belgian and it is our duty to protect them for as long as it takes,” said Vermeulen.
8:30 AM
Manneken Pis: A Wonderful statue
While working on my weblog to improve it, I came across a nice and interactive site about this little boy who is kind of a symbol for Brussels.There is a short film and an interactive history about this small statue.I visited it too on my first visit to Brussels.It was kind of an unusual adventure.Jan said something funny about this little boy.He says everyone can pee,but only this boy is famous.Why?Explore it all here.Have fun!
12:33 AM
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
The Adventures of Herge
He invented an alcoholic swearing ship's captain, was painted by Andy Warhol, appeared on a Belgian stamp and has a planet named after him .Jean o'Connor takes a wander through the life of Tintin's creator, Herge:
Herge, born Georges Remi on 22 May 1907 in Brussels, is remembered by all as the father of that intrepid cartoon reporter. Continue.
7:49 AM
Monday, November 03, 2003
Fears for ULB asylum protesters
The Red Cross has issued a warning over the ill health of 200 Iranian asylum seekers living in a University of Brussels (ULB) classroom in protest at rejected pleas for residence in Belgium.
On 19 September, 17 Iranians left the Petit Chateau detention centre in Brussels for the ULB after receiving orders to leave the country. Dozens of their compatriots, also hoping to be granted political asylum in Belgium, joined them until some 250 were camping out on the ULB campus. Of the protesters, 31 have been on hunger strike for the past 10 days.
The protesters are asking the Belgian authorities negotiate with Iran on the repatriation of asylum seekers and grant them permission to stay in Belgium until the next Iranian elections in 2005.
4:34 AM
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Who are the most famous people in Belgium?
browse it here.
11:18 PM
Monday, September 08, 2003
Iranian asylum seekers on Strike in Belgium
Once again some Iranian in Belgium went on strike
Sixteen Iranian asylum seekers have barricaded themselves into a room at the Petit Chateau asylum centre since Monday morning in protest at their failure to receive refugee status. Iran is the cradle of terrorism. If we go back there, the government will not hesitate to torture us and throw us into prison, one of the protesters told Le Soir.
The protesters are accusing Belgium of acting in opposition to the Geneva Convention by not granting the group asylum.
But Director General of the Foreign Office, Freddy Roosemont, said he disagreed.
We are conscious that the situation in Iran is unstable. But each case has been studied closely and none of those applying for asylum is in direct danger in Iran. They want Belgium to grant asylum to all Iranians, he said.
In June, a group of Iranian asylum seekers went on hunger strike at the Minimes church in central Brussels in protest at having received repatriation orders. The Minimes group was given the opportunity to re-submit their application for asylum, so why not us? said the group's spokesperson, Shiva. All 16 are threatening to begin a hunger strike Saturday if the government does not intervene favourably.
8:25 AM
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
A new name
You know I feel it is better to add something to my weblog name:Iran & Belgium in an attempt to cover Iran & Belgium news too.I hope this brings a forum for those Iranians and Belgians who like to follow the two countries events.
9:42 AM
Writing for kids in Belgium
Tintin!Now that Iran is full of Persian translations of Tintin,see who are the rest of these funny characters in the following report.While in Belgium ,I did not find any English translation of Lucky Luck,I do do not know if you have any idea?
Belgium, the cradle for children's favourites such as Tintin, the Smurfs and half of the Asterix team, seems the obvious place for the art form of children?s book writing and illustrating to flourish amongst the expat community.
Continue
9:24 AM
Friday, August 15, 2003
Iran denies Khatami's visit cancelled
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has denied reports he is to cancel a planned visit to Belgium in protest at the EU's stance on Iran's nuclear programme.
The Iranian foreign ministry has dismissed last week's Iranian press reports as completely unfounded, saying that Khatami would travel to Liege University to receive an honorary doctorate.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi told Iranian news agency IRNA that President Khatami would be visiting Belgium, although the date had not yet been fixed, and did not see the EU's stance as a threat.
EU foreign ministers expressed concern last week regarding Iran's nuclear programme, threatening to review relations with the country unless it came into line with UN regulations and co-operated fully with the UN's nuclear watchdog agency.
More intense economic relations can be achieved only if progress is reached in the four areas of concern, namely human rights, terrorism, non-proliferation and the Middle East peace process, a joint EU statement said.
Iran has been under strong international pressure to sign up to the NPT Protocol, allowing for spontaneous International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of nuclear sites in order to assure the UN that atomic weapons are not being developed.
More suicides in Belgium!
The number of suicides in Brussels and in Flanders' eastern-most province of Limburg has shot up by 20 percent in the past six months, official figures showed today. With an average of seven suicides per day, Belgium already maintains the highest number of suicides per head in western Europe, and has the11th highest rate worldwide.
9:19 AM
Monday, July 28, 2003
No Khatami in Belgium
It seems that Khatami's travel to Belgium is cancelled due to recent debates over Iran atomic problems.The so called travel was planned by Liege university.Iwill give you more details later.
6:07 AM
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...We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived,felt dawn,saw sunsets glow,
Loved and were Loved,and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields...
John McCrae ,Canadian poet wrote this poem in memorial of the soldiers who lost their souls in Flanders Fields in Belgium.Now you can see
their graves in some places in Belgium,notebly in Tyne Cot.Just imagine being among those white graves mostly of young soldiers(photo).
