generally I did not really follow the
00:01
news I really don’t like it however
00:03
recently there was this really huge
00:05
situation where Iran and United States
00:09
had crazy crazy tensions going on a lot
00:13
of people thought there was gonna be you
00:15
know another big war another really
00:18
really intense situation and so far it
00:19
seems that it didn’t really happen thank
00:22
God that being said you might be aware
00:25
of the fact that around two-and-a-half
00:27
years ago I went to Iran and I spent two
00:30
weeks traveling literally all around the
00:32
country I made a video about my
00:34
experiences there it’s called my daily
00:35
life in Iran you can find it in the
00:38
description box down below and honestly
00:41
that trip was was very different from
00:44
what I expected going to Iran and I
00:46
remember before you know go to the
00:47
control is actually quite afraid yet
00:49
pink the hair I was astonished by you
00:52
know how friendly the people we’re and
00:54
and and how nice everyone treated me and
00:57
stuff and you know so because there’s
00:59
all these talks happening you know about
01:00
Iran and stuff I also wanted to make
01:02
this video where I would share my
01:04
experiences in that country and my
01:06
experiences with the local people I
01:08
don’t want to talk about you know the
01:09
government or politics or whatever I’m
01:11
really not into that I just want to tell
01:13
you what I saw and what I experienced in
01:16
Iran traveling there as a solo traveler
01:20
so that hopefully you could get a better
01:22
idea of what the countries really like I
01:24
don’t know if many people will travel
01:26
there now because of all the tensions if
01:29
you do travel there this videos
01:30
obviously gonna be really useful to you
01:32
on your trip however if you don’t want
01:34
to travel there or will never travel
01:35
there and that’s also fine I think you
01:38
will learn so much about Iran so stick
01:40
around watch the video for as long as
01:42
you like
01:43
if you agree with me let me know in the
01:45
comments if you don’t agree with me let
01:47
me know in the comments I really want to
01:49
you know have this conversation going
01:51
between people because I really
01:54
really really don’t think there should
01:56
be words at all in the world in the 21st
01:59
century these are 11 things you should
02:02
never be doing interrupt
02:04
let’s go
02:06
[Music]
02:15
think not doing around number one is do
02:20
not forget to bring cash with you now
02:23
you probably know this Iran has been a
02:25
sanction country for a very long time
02:26
ever since the tensions began with the
02:28
United States after the the you know
02:31
took down the embassy and and because of
02:34
that their banking system is not
02:36
connected to any other banking system in
02:37
the world meaning you can never pay for
02:39
anything with your debit or credit card
02:42
and obviously none of the ATM’s will
02:43
ever work for you now I somehow didn’t
02:46
really know this fact obviously maybe I
02:47
didn’t do enough research going there so
02:50
when I came to the country only had
02:51
maybe $200 for two weeks and that’s
02:53
obviously not enough I so I was in a
02:55
really good tense situation because I
02:57
mean there there was hardly any other
02:59
way for me to you know get the money so
03:02
what I did is I you found some sort of a
03:04
guy who accepted the money by paypal and
03:06
gave me cash but that it was a very very
03:08
intense very long situation definitely
03:11
not recommended so bring you know as
03:12
much cash as you need with you to the
03:14
country and then you shouldn’t really
03:17
face any problems thing not to do in
03:20
Iran number two is do not worry about
03:24
being an American okay so I know this is
03:28
a really really really huge thing and
03:30
obviously it was a huge thing a few
03:31
years ago when I was traveling in Iran
03:33
it’s probably an even bigger thing right
03:35
now because of all the tensions of
03:37
course but when I was there I I was
03:40
actually talking with you know my guide
03:42
that I had for a couple of days and a
03:44
lot of people that I met and I also met
03:46
some Americans as well and so I was
03:48
asking everyone like you know if for
03:50
example if I was an American if I had an
03:51
American passport today would that
03:53
actually be a thing and everyone said no
03:56
Jill we have a lot of American tourists
03:59
and even though people from the US
04:01
Canada and United Kingdom cannot travel
04:03
there so they need to go on a guided
04:05
tour but everyone really treats them you
04:08
know well as as any other tourist in a
04:10
way a lot of people are actually very
04:11
excited that you know Americans for
04:13
example come there because that means
04:15
you know they respect their country and
04:16
they want to see what it’s really like
04:18
as opposed to watching the news and
04:19
stuff now I’m not sure if that has
04:22
changed over the last you know few days
04:24
or a few weeks
04:25
I really hope it hasn’t but when I was
04:28
there it was completely fine so yes I
04:32
guess do a bit of research about the
04:35
current situation but when I was there
04:36
it was completely fine to be an American
04:38
and everyone in fact was really really
04:40
happy to welcome you and I don’t know
04:43
here doing this money thing not to do in
04:47
a round number three is do not wear
04:50
shorts as you know Iran is I guess a bit
04:54
of a conservative picture not only
04:55
because people are conservative but also
04:57
some of the laws are quite conservative
05:00
as well and one of those laws is that
05:02
you cannot really you know show a lot of
05:07
your body feel so for women that means
05:10
you always need to cover your shoulders
05:13
and you know hearing their arms and and
05:15
another shirt legs and stuff and also
05:17
women need to wear either hijabs or
05:20
scarves it’s not really like a lot of
05:23
the women when they wear scarves
05:24
especially the partners they really wear
05:26
it like this so you can still see their
05:28
hair and stuff so it’s not really
05:29
enforced big time but I mean you have to
05:31
have something to cover your hair and
05:34
and for men that means never wearing
05:37
shirts I mean shorts are illegal in Iran
05:39
which is which is which is maybe funny
05:41
but it’s it’s it’s a really interesting
05:43
really unique thing in a way so you
05:45
always need to wear pants for men
05:47
t-shirts are also okay if if if they
05:49
covered the shoulders as well so yes I
05:51
guess a dress a bit more conservatively
05:53
then you might be used to at home but
05:56
for most people that I met it didn’t
05:58
really cause a lot of inconvenience in a
05:59
way it was it was a pretty interesting
06:00
experience being there as a tourist and
06:02
having to always wear pants and stuff
06:04
you know so you should be fine just do
06:08
not wear shirts think not you in a round
06:10
number four which is actually really
06:13
really really cool thing and that is do
06:16
not be surprised when you get loads of
06:18
things for free now Iran is one of those
06:21
really awesome countries where if you’re
06:23
there as as a guest people respect you
06:26
so much more
06:27
then most other countries around the
06:30
world their hospitality is not just you
06:33
know being nice to you and smiling to
06:35
and stuff it’s doing so much more and
06:36
one of those things is they always give
06:39
you things for free it’s crazy
06:41
like a magic let’s see I go to a grocery
06:43
start lets you buy you know various
06:45
things for my lunch for whatever six
06:47
dollars and lets you only have a twenty
06:49
dollar note yeah so I give it to them
06:51
but for them it’s a big note and let’s
06:53
see they don’t have change they’ll say
06:54
oh yeah don’t worry about it just just
06:57
take it home you know and then I’d be
06:59
insisting on paying in seven days in a
07:01
row you’re a guest do not worry
07:02
thank you for coming to my country I
07:04
respect it have a nice day
07:06
and that’s virtually in a grocery store
07:09
what that’s crazy and I mean I’ve I’ve
07:13
had so many situations like this
07:15
obviously not always it depends on the
07:16
person you know some of some people
07:18
might not want to give you things for
07:19
fries is their choice but I probably had
07:22
situations like this maybe ten times you
07:24
know being invited for tea for coffee
07:26
being given free snacks or sweets free
07:29
groceries free rides I mean all sorts of
07:33
things so if you’re in Iran and someone
07:35
offers you free things generally it’s
07:37
not a scam generally people are just
07:39
being really nice really friendly and
07:41
really really hospitable to you so you
07:44
can be surprised but don’t be too
07:46
surprised thing not to do in a round
07:48
number five is do not forget to double
07:52
check about invitations for lunch or
07:54
dinner so once again as they already
07:56
established Iranians are very very
07:59
hospitable people in fact there are some
08:00
of the most hospitable people have ever
08:02
met in my entire life
08:04
but there’s this thing where sometimes
08:08
sometimes if they offer you to take you
08:11
out for lunch or out for dinner let’s
08:13
say they just meet you on the street and
08:14
go oh you want to have dinner with us
08:16
I’m
08:17
seven times for some people it is like a
08:21
cultural thing to be nice as opposed to
08:23
an actual invitation you know so what
08:25
you need to do is you always need to
08:27
double check with them because I’ve
08:29
heard so many funny stories from other
08:31
travelers for example you know let’s see
08:33
people from the UK or you know countries
08:35
like this they generally don’t want to
08:36
be rude or impolite so for them turning
08:40
some offer down is is like is a very
08:44
tricky thing so example let’s see there
08:46
would be a few a few English people
08:48
traveling the country and then some some
08:50
locals approach time when they go you
08:52
want to have lunch with us or and then
08:53
over this and then let’s see they don’t
08:55
really want to go cuz they’re busy right
08:56
but they don’t want to turn them down so
08:59
they go well okay guess let’s go but
09:03
then in those specific cases the local
09:05
people asked because they wanted to seem
09:09
polite you know what I mean so both
09:11
parties didn’t want to be employed but
09:14
that both parties know to have that
09:16
lunch together but they all go and I
09:19
mean you know they don’t want to be
09:21
there but they do it so so always
09:24
double-check when people are offering
09:26
you free things or you know lunch or
09:28
dinner or whatever most of the time they
09:30
really really really mean it but I guess
09:31
five percent of the time they might just
09:33
be trying to be polite so you’re
09:36
definitely not gonna be rude if you
09:37
double check and then if they say oh no
09:39
of course those don’t then of course you
09:42
go and have yourself the best time ever
09:44
think not to do in a round number six
09:47
and once I get a super funny thing and
09:49
that is do not over eat on onions so
09:53
Iran is the only country in the world
09:54
that I’ve seen where literally every
09:56
restaurant you go to for food they
09:59
always bring you the food then obviously
10:01
some some you know salad or whatever on
10:04
this side and they will always always
10:05
always give you a
10:07
Oh big onion just like this they don’t
10:12
get it they don’t do anything with it
10:13
they just give it to you I really do
10:15
like on the onions so I was eating them
10:17
every single day they’re free they’re so
10:18
decent they’re so good but yeah yeah I
10:21
guess you know be careful with it
10:22
because if you had all the onions they
10:25
give you your beer in ten onions per day
10:27
and that might be a big too much thing
10:29
not to do in a round number seven is do
10:32
not display your affection publicly to
10:35
your partner so as you probably know in
10:38
most Muslim countries around the world
10:41
people generally do not really you know
10:44
kiss in public and they definitely don’t
10:46
make out in public and Stephan and men
10:49
and I guess it makes sense it’s part of
10:50
the culture and part of the religion as
10:52
well and Iran is definitely one of the
10:54
more conservative countries among them
10:56
so so yes do not you know do not you
10:59
know do things like that even if you’re
11:01
traveling with your boyfriend/girlfriend
11:03
husband/wife whatever you know you can
11:05
do whatever you like in your hotel room
11:06
but not out of the sheet thing not to do
11:10
in the round number eight is do not
11:11
expect to find alcohol when I was there
11:14
I I definitely wasn’t searching for
11:15
alcohol so I’m not really sure you could
11:18
find it maybe in some really fancy
11:19
hotels or maybe in the under gun bars or
11:23
whatever but I know it’s gonna be hard
11:25
once again it’s it’s sort of similar
11:27
with most you know Muslim countries that
11:30
are a bit more strict like you know
11:31
Saudi Arabia and stuff and so don’t
11:33
expect to find out all just chill relax
11:36
you can definitely live life without it
11:38
for sure thing not to do in Iran number
11:41
nine is do not be surprised when people
11:43
approach you on the street you know in
11:46
in in quite a few countries around the
11:48
world when you’re traveling as a tourist
11:49
if people approach you on the street and
11:52
generally it might not be the best thing
11:54
you know it could be part of a scam or
11:56
maybe they want to sell you something or
11:58
maybe would they want to take you
12:00
somewhere where they’re getting a
12:01
commission you know what I mean there’s
12:03
all these things happening so so so as a
12:04
you know as a solo backpacker traveling
12:07
the world for what six years now I
12:08
learned not to necessarily be too
12:11
excited when someone random
12:12
punches me on the streets to talk to me
12:14
however in around the situation was
12:16
completely completely different I was
12:18
approached by literally dozens of people
12:20
everywhere he went and they simply
12:22
wanted to talk to me literally that’s it
12:24
they either wanted to offer me free
12:26
things or invite me somewhere or
12:28
literally just talk to me because they
12:30
wanted to practice their English or they
12:32
wanted to ask my opinion about the
12:34
current world affairs or what I think
12:36
about Iran or you know things like that
12:37
so don’t be surprised that just you know
12:40
embrace that I think it’s generally
12:41
super super super nice experiences they
12:44
literally every traveler I’ve ever met
12:45
in Iran told me that some of the best
12:49
things they did throughout the trip was
12:51
just after the local people and you know
12:54
see where life took them so yes
12:56
don’t be surprised about it be excited
12:59
about it thing not to do number 10 is
13:02
don’t offer to shake hands with the
13:04
opposite sex once again this is a this
13:06
is a similar thing to a few of the
13:08
others where you know Iran is a bit
13:11
conservative in some ways m-maybe
13:13
quietly quite conservative in some ways
13:16
and and and and what of them is is
13:19
obviously that if you don’t really know
13:21
someone of the opposite sex you know if
13:23
you’re if you’re not part of the family
13:25
or if you’re not really really good
13:27
friends and so if you genuinely don’t
13:28
you know she cans or touch or kiss on
13:31
the cheek you know it’s not true that’s
13:33
right so I so yes so just don’t offer to
13:36
shake hands with ya men if you’re a
13:38
woman and a woman if you’re a man if if
13:41
the local person offers to shake their
13:43
hand and stuff wonderful go for it go
13:46
for it but don’t necessarily initiate it
13:48
yourself because it could be seen as a
13:51
bit upset even though I’m sure people
13:53
who know that you don’t you don’t know
13:55
guess
13:55
you’re from the right just see what they
13:57
do and follow their lead and finally the
14:02
last thing think not to doing around
14:04
number 11 is do not give people the
14:08
thumbs up so you know I guess in Europe
14:12
and and and quite a few other places
14:13
this means like a great thing it was
14:15
like yeah let’s go
14:18
cool bro you know awesome stuff like
14:20
that but in Iran it means something else
14:26
it means you know it means it means it
14:31
again so don’t really use it too much
14:33
even if you want to each hike and I know
14:35
that a lot of people are hiking in Iran
14:37
including a friend of mine called Nick
14:40
from you know indigo traveler he had an
14:42
awesome experiences hitchhiking in Iran
14:44
so even then you don’t do this you do
14:47
something like you know oh hey or this
14:50
you know you do this well that’s pretty
14:56
much it those are the 11 things I would
14:58
advise you not to do in Iran I really do
15:01
hope that this gave you made me a better
15:04
perspective on you know what the local
15:06
people really are because you don’t
15:08
really get to see things like this on
15:10
the news you get to see politics and
15:12
Wars and attacks
15:15
Rapids in this Annette yet in reality
15:18
you know most of the people in the
15:20
country it might be you know quite
15:22
different from what we sometimes tend to
15:25
think and and certainly the people in
15:27
Iran where some of the friendly is some
15:28
of the most hospitable some of them
15:30
nicest people have seen or met in my
15:33
entire life and them I’m sure that if
15:36
you go to the country someday maybe when
15:38
it’s not as tense as it is right now
15:40
you’ll have a very similar experience to
15:43
mine that’ll being said I really want to
15:45
thank the wonderful sponsor of this
15:47
video apparently it’s an American
15:49
company which I’d love to do one back
15:51
for you know sponsoring a video about
15:54
Iran they’re awesome they’re one of my
15:56
favorite companies in the whole world
15:57
and the company is called Skillshare
15:59
everything I learned about you know
16:02
business online business marketing about
16:05
filmmaking editing and all these things
16:07
came from either books or online courses
16:10
and so a lot of things that I’ve learned
16:11
personally was from Skillshare
16:13
specifically because skill sure is one
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of the largest online courses platforms
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in the world it’s a place where you know
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literally anything and so if you want to
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become a digital nomad yourself and you
16:40
know travel the world for as long as I
16:43
have you really do need to pick up some
16:45
sort of an online skill and you know
16:47
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16:49
for that I think than Skillshare now as
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to extend wonderful if you don’t want to
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video right now and I just realized that
17:13
I forgot to mention that one of my
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and I definitely couldn’t recommend the
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company epic epic and once again thank
17:52
you so much for watching the video until
17:54
the end I really hope you learned some
17:56
things about you know the Iranian people
17:58
which might be different from what you
18:00
tend to see on the news and I really
18:03
hope that somehow we can all understand
18:05
that in the 21st century we really
18:06
shouldn’t be making Wars but we should
18:10
be making peace we’re all nice were all
18:12
kind we’re all beautiful in our own ways
18:14
and we’re all really good friends so
18:17
thank you have a wonderful day and
18:23
I guess if you ever get to see Iran with
18:27
your own eyes definitely go for it I
18:30
really hope that even American people
18:32
can go there hopefully in the future if
18:34
things calm down a bit
18:35
[Music]
18:40
you
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