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  • James Tam 谭炳昌

Impressions from Iran (2) — Persian Bazaars 伊朗印象(2)- 波斯市集

Updated: Oct 24, 2022


Tehran Bazaar 德黑兰市集

Whenever I visit a strange place, I like to see its markets. They tell me a lot about the locals’ lives, habits, social order, living standard, and behaviour towards each other. For example, supermarkets are efficient, impersonal, and cold, while advertising “organic” produce. I wonder who invented them.

Persian Bazaars are colourful, personal, and busy, but clean and quiet comparing with their Far East counterparts. Iranians do bargain, but not at the expense of sanity and composure. They don’t scream and exchange curses ritualistically before finalising a deal. The bazaars open early in the morning, then take a long nap after lunch before resuming in the late afternoon. Normally, there’s a seemingly incongruous tomb of an imam and/or a religious school in the midst of fragrant herbs and sticky candies, probably to remind people of their spiritual needs while depraving the bodies with yummy food and colourful fabrics.

我每到一个陌生地方,都喜欢到市集逛逛。市场是当地民生的缩影;人民的所爱,生活水平,物价指数,大概的治安情况,和相处态度,都会在市场反应出来。假如你有留心中国市场文化从70年代到今天的转变,便不难看到整国国家过去几十年的演变。再看看高效冷漠的“超市”,打着招牌大卖“有机食品”,便不难推想谁是现代超市的“发明者”。

市集是每个伊朗城镇的心脏;虽然十分繁荣热闹,却比我们的街市干净宁静。伊朗人也讨价还价,但不过份,亦不会大吵大闹,互相诅咒一番才忿忿然成交。波斯市集一早开市,午后小睡,到四五点才苏醒过来。市集当中通常有个宗教领袖的墓,祈祷的地方或伊斯兰学校,提醒着人们买香料煲鸡汤的时候不要忘记了照顾灵魂

伊朗人的饮食文化也有凉燥冷热的阴阳调和概念 Iranians have a Yin Yang "hot" "cold" concept in food similar to the Chinese

Afternoon Nap 午后小睡 能养天年

Apple Seller openly counting his millions. No worries about getting mugged 买苹果的老伯当街数身家,也不担心钱财露眼

Looks like a specialty store doesn't it? Owner was off somewhere chatting, leaving it unattended 看上去像个专门店吧!店主去了隔壁聊天,无人看管

Three wise men watching time pass 三位老人家一同看着时光飞逝

Many arts and crafts were created in the shops 不少工艺品就在店内生产

A retired arts professor running his own shop 一个退休的艺术教授自己开店营业

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