Taarof

When you are offered something, say "Nah Merci!"

Taarof
by Siamack
08-Mar-2008
 

Taarof is a very Iranian behavioural code - not sure which other cultures practice this as intently as we do. (What should I teach my kids next? Would love your suggestions.)


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Love your Indian accent!

by hassani (not verified) on Mon Mar 10, 2008 06:29 AM PDT

Love your Indian accent!


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siavash az khandeh mordam,

by shasha (not verified) on Sun Mar 09, 2008 08:52 PM PDT

siavash az khandeh mordam, khoda khafat nakoneh


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Diet

by annom (not verified) on Sun Mar 09, 2008 08:17 PM PDT

hey, how is the weight loss going??? can't see your bod!!!


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Abarmard

too funny

by Abarmard on Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:42 AM PDT

Thanks for sharing, the kids are too cute. Maybe they are a bit young, but later on it might not be a bad idea to have a photo album and tell them story of the time and era with each picture. I have found that the kids love that.


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David ET

Aweful

by David ET on Sun Mar 09, 2008 05:49 AM PDT

Teaching children confusion, lack of openness and not to going for what they want and on top of that calling one "pedar sag"

 


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Kalvoks

Gosh Beda

by Kalvoks on Sun Mar 09, 2008 04:42 AM PDT


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> question

by Another lost iranian in France (not verified) on Sun Mar 09, 2008 03:17 AM PDT

My question is, how can a people with such refined and subtle tradtions be so rude and violent ? And to a certain extand, how can the same people be governed by dictators,and still tolerate it ?

If you ever find a LOGICAL and RATIONAL answer to this let me know.

Mersi, Kheili mamnoon, Sharmandeh.

=)


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Teach Them About Salam

by iranimother (not verified) on Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:41 AM PST

I really enjoyed watching this lesson! Many Iranian children who live outside Iran don't learn that when they arrive somewhere, it is polite and expected of them to say Salam. Teaching them to be the one who greets others first is a very good way of helping them develop self-confidence through practice.

Also teach them "befarmaeed." This is really useful in teaching them selflessness when they eat something in presence of others.

Thank you for the waves of nostalgia about raising Iranian kids abroad.


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Thank you

by Shahram (not verified) on Sat Mar 08, 2008 08:27 PM PST

Very nice and funny.
GOD bless you and your family.


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benbagheri

Too funny!

by benbagheri on Sat Mar 08, 2008 05:11 PM PST

Very well done Sia!

:)


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Che Ghofti?

by Rahna (not verified) on Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:13 AM PST

Internets- With all....respect, what do you talking about? What kind of thoughts are "Children and animals can be very unpredictable"?


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Yes it is polite gesture to taarof, even if you don’t mean it.

by Roshan (not verified) on Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:07 AM PST

You are great Sir. Merci for this. I love the way you simplify these cultural things and teach them to your boys. This is really wonderful and you should feel great about. Cheers to you and family!!!


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Internets

Never use children or animals as props!

by Internets on Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:04 AM PST

Siamack, the use of your children in your pieces do not work very well (the same as in the previous piece about God). It's an old show BIZ fact: "Children and animals can be very unpredictable".


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Tarof

by Homayun (not verified) on Sat Mar 08, 2008 09:27 AM PST

THis is only my opinion and don't want to force it on any one.
But Tarof is indeed one of the many iranian cultural behaviour that I really hate..

Tarof prevents people from saying or doing what they really want to do or to say!! In my opinion it's a bad thing and I really believe we should not teach this pratice to our chilren..

But please note that Being polite is really different than Tarof...I really disagree with Siamack that Tarof is a polite way of doing or saying things.

Tarof is also largly used by Iranian people to fake a good gesture while in reallity they have something else on their minds!
I was once in Iran and I took a taxi going somewhere. When we got at the destination I asked the driver politly, how much do I owe you..The driver insisted what ever you pay, is OK..So this was a Tarof and put me in a situation that I rally didn't know exactly what to do..I paid an amount I thought could be enough. But the driver found it low and started arguing with me..So had he at first place told me how much he wanted, would have been absolutly good.

So why should we go throuhg this type of things..And this is a little, little, tiny example of how bad Tarof can be..

Dear Siamack, don't , don't teach your children Tarof! Just give me an example why you think it is good to have Tarof..


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