Oral History Interview with Fatemeh Ejlal & Mana Kareman

ERIN ROTH: Okay, today is July 17th, 1998, and we are here in the--seventeenth?

FATEMEH EJLAL: Yeah.

ROTH: I think so, yeah. And we are here at the Adult Learning Center on Eleventh Street in Bowling Green, and I have Mrs.--I'm Erin Roth and I'm interviewing Fatemeh. What is your...

EJLAL: Yeah, Fatemeh. (People in the background talking)

ROTH: Oh, okay, thank you. The fifteenth of July.

EJLAL: Fifteenth of July, yeah.

ROTH: Yeah, so say your name.

EJLAL: Uh, my name is Fatemeh. My family name is Ejlal.

ROTH: Ejlal?

EJLAL: Uh-huh. Ejlal.

ROTH: And your daughter is here.

EJLAL: And I have--yeah.

ROTH: Mana?

EJLAL: Mana is uh, my oldest daughter. And I uh, I have twins. One girl and one boy. The girl is Massa, and the boy is Matta.

ROTH: And how old are they?

EJLAL: Twelve years old.

ROTH: Twelve?

EJLAL: Yeah.

ROTH: And how old are you, Mana?

ME: Seventeen.

ROTH: Seventeen.

EJLAL: Mhmm.

ROTH: So, when did you first decide--why did you decide to leave your country and where did you....

EJLAL: Uhhhhh...Exactly was uh, I think (indeterminable). Because uh, at first I didn't any, you know....I didn't have idea, you know, for....(soft talking in the background) for coming here, but I don't know why, some reason, you know 2:00comes in front, you know, of my life and suddenly everything changed. And I came here. And uh, I'm surprised because my sister was uh, always uh, you know, very eager for coming here because she was twins with my brother and my brother came here twenty years ago. But my sister because was twins with her with him, always was trying for coming here. But she couldn't come here. But...

ROTH: Why, why not?

EJLAL: Every time, you know, you try for getting visa she couldn't. But I don't have any idea, but I do know (laughs) how God, you know, it was about dependent, God's will, just maybe, maybe it depends for my kids, I don't know, about the 3:00future of my kids. I don't know. But right now I'm thinking about my kids, what the future, all of them will be, you know, happy, good luck, and everything.

ROTH: Were you, were you afraid that they wouldn't have that if you stayed in your country? In Iran? That they wouldn't have good luck and....

EJLAL: No! I-I-I-I'm okay here. I don't have uh, you know, any problems. No, but in Iran...no, I didn't have any problem in Iran. But, I don't know why but uh, I believe that God was to change my life, that's all. I don't know why, you know.

ROTH: How, how did you get--how did you feel like you got the message from God? Did you...

EJLAL: Maybe always I ask God, you know, to show me the best way in my life. Maybe it is the response of that. I don't know. I should wait for the future.

ROTH: Did you come as an immigrant or a refugee? How, what was the...

EJLAL: Immigrant.

ROTH: Immigrant.

EJLAL: Mhmm.

ROTH: And where did--where is your brother and how, how did he come to the United States? Is he still in the United States?

EJLAL: Yes, he's living here in the United States, but um, after getting diploma 5:00in Iran...

ROTH: Diplomat?

EJLAL: Diploma in Iran.

ROTH: Oh, diploma, uh-huh.

EJLAL: Yeah. He took a test, something like (indeterminable), you know? Uh, he could come here, and study, and graduated uh, for university and then he's business, in private with her--himself.

(00:05:27)

ROTH: Where, where does he live?

EJLAL: Uh, private business, you know, uh supermarket---Where? Where?

ROTH: Yeah.

EJLAL: He's, he's living in New York.

ROTH: In New York. City?

EJLAL: Mhmm. Yes.

ROTH: So when you felt God is telling you that you needed to come to the United States, what did you do? How did you go about getting here? Did you--your sister kept, your sister couldn't come, how could you? How was that?

EJLAL: Right now my feeling, uh...

ME: Why your sister cannot come over here.

EJLAL: Yeah. My feeling, you know, is depend on uh, my sister because I like all of us uh, to be close together, you know. And because my father and my mother right now uh, they are here, maybe two or three days before, you know. They came here.

ROTH: They were just here a couple days ago? Is that...

ME: Mhmm.

EJLAL: But...

ROTH: Just to visit?

EJLAL: I don't know exactly. Right now maybe just for visit because my sister is in my country, but I don't know exactly about their, you know, their idea. Okay?

ROTH: Oh, okay. So were saying that when you decided to come here and you were 7:00concerned about your sister? I'm sorry, I got, I think I got you off track.

EJLAL: No, I told you that I like my sister can come here. I like because she has husband and one daughter. And usually we'd be very near my, my kids, you know. And they'd play with my uh, niece usually, and my niece right now is alone. I hope all of us, you know, can be close together.

ROTH: And my question before that was how, how did you come? Did you apply for a visa and you were given a visa?

EJLAL: Yes, I applied for visa for first time, they didn't accept but for second 8:00time, yes, they accept and I came here.

ROTH: And how, how old were you, Mana?

ME: Seventeen.

ROTH: No....

ME: Six--seventeen. It's about twelve, ten months.

ROTH: Oh, really? Oh, you just very recently.

EJLAL: Yeah, very recently for, uh, maybe ten or eleven months. Mhmm.

ROTH: So um, did you learn English before you came then?

EJLAL: Yeah, before, uh, I knew English but mostly it was depend on book and writing, you know. But writing and book is many, many different than talking, you know, using the word and pronunciation and accent and something like that. And uh, little by little I'm making, you know (laughs) pro--I'm making progress. 9:00My, you know, oral language, because it depends on just listening and communication with somebody. I don't have any problem for the or, you know, everything that is written. But uh, you know, some small talking is very special that you cannot find in any book just, I just by talking and it's communication. I can make progress.

ROTH: So, why did you come to Bowling Green? Why not New York, or....

EJLAL: Because my, because uh, my relative are living here more, more of them. And in, and the other--my relative is here. And uh, here is better because it's a small city and the crime is, you know, very less here, less than the other very, you know, New York or, or....But uh, it is quiet and it's very kind people, and...it's good place (laughs).

(00:10:39)

ROTH: Who are the relatives you have living here?

EJLAL: Mainly my cousin, you know, so my cousins.

ROTH: And why did they come to Bowling Green?

EJLAL: Maybe twenty years, twenty years ago, yeah. Mhmm.

ROTH: So when you first came, did you fly right into, like Nashville airport? Or 11:00did you fly first to New York?

EJLAL: At first to New York and then to Nashville. Yeah.

ROTH: And did your family meet you off the plane?

EJLAL: Yeah. Mhmm.

ROTH: What was that like? Did it--were you...

EJLAL: It was a lot. When they saw me, "(indeterminable), uh, we're happy." Meeting is good. When you saw everybody it's good. But I'm happy here, I don't have any problem and I was (indeterminable) was happy and I didn't have any problem, you know. But, I believe that I should, you know, obey the gods or the, that's um--because if I try, if it, if God, you know, doesn't want it is 12:00impossible. But if I try, you know, without, you know, God's will it's impossible. It's (indeterminable), you know, belief.

ROTH: What is, what is your religion?

EJLAL: Religion? I believe God, you know, but my country uh, religion country is Muslim. But God is common in all religion and good action is common in all 13:00religion. Everything Jesus says, Mohammad said, you know. It's not different. And uh, all of us will believe God and good behavior, yeah, and good treatment that's all.

ROTH: Does your family and you here, in Bowling Green, have a place that you go to worship?

EJLAL: Sometimes they go, yes--one of them is a member of a church, I don't know which, what is the name of church. But yes.

ROTH: Here in Bowling Green, or...

EJLAL: Yeah, here in Bowling Green. But I don't know what's the name, but yes usually--because when we go to church or (indeterminable), you know sometimes you need someplace of, for, you know, you feel that you are closer to God, you know. Maybe sometimes church, maybe sometimes in a park, everywhere that you 14:00feel that, you know, you are close to God.

ROTH: Do you, do you miss at all being able to go to a mosque, and worshipping there? Do they have one--do you miss...

EJLAL: I cannot--mosque? Uh, say again please?

ROTH: Mosque? Is that...

ME: I think so, I don't know.

EJLAL: No, what did you say?

ROTH: Oh. Um, like a Muslim, they have mosques?

EJLAL: Mosque? Mosque?

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: Mhmm. I usually don't go to mosque (laughs).

ROTH: In Iran either?

EJLAL: No (laughs). But sometimes, uh, we arrange a party, you know, we gather some people together and some people like preacher, you know, comes and talk. 15:00But the most important things it depend on the, you know, some people can meet each other, can talk together.

(00:15:06)

ROTH: Where do you--

EJLAL: But I usually I don't go to mosque (laughs).

ROTH: And when you meet together so you can talk and.

EJLAL: Yeah, talk, some relative come together and in this, uh, uh, meeting, you know, maybe some of them tell that some people need some help and other people, you know, gather some money for them, like the church, in church.

ROTH: Do you do that in your, in someone's home? At a house?

EJLAL: Sometimes some people comes in my, you know, came in my house. And sometimes I go--well it's, it's uh, constant. Some people, you know, some people 16:00ask God, "I have a wish," for example. If God, you know, uh, if God give me my wish, maybe I buy ten, ten clothes or ten dress for ten people that they don't have any, you know, parents. For example, something like that.

ROTH: So if God gives you your wish then you do something nice, like for other people?

EJLAL: Some people, you know, they see it's like, "Here, we don't any different." You know, some people sit together and talk about some problem about some people, maybe you don't know about, uh, the problem of somebody. But I know about the problem of the other person. And talk about you and other people and 17:00everybody, you know. I read something for helping that people that I know maybe. It's like here, not different, you know. Just the name of prophet is different, but the...But maybe something will be changed with some fanatic people. But the original is sane. Without any different. Some fanatic people, uh, you know, change some rules. Because they want to do everything depend on their idea, not depend on everything that is fact.

ROTH: I agree.

EJLAL: Mhmm.

ROTH: Um, so....

ME: Mana.

ROTH: Mana.

EJLAL: Okay.

ROTH: Don't leave, we're going to switch microphones here....Get closer to you. So when you first--um, this is Mana speaking. When you first came, this was just very recently, ten or twelve months ago...

ME: Mhmm.

ROTH: How did you feel?

ME: Well, first of all, at first I didn't believe it because I was studying to go to college in my country. And there I moved on my class, and--I think I'd like to study here better than there.

ROTH: Why?

ME: Well, I think, I really don't know why everybody try to come here to study.

ROTH: So it must be good, huh? (laughs) Were you afraid at all?

EJLAL: The science here is uh, uh, more progress.

ROTH: The science, sciences...

EJLAL: Science, you know. And every young people usually try for coming here. I don't know. Maybe it's a (indeterminable). But uh, I don't know the real reason. Okay.

ROTH: What would you like, or what were you planning to study?

ME: I really don't know, maybe chemistry or engineering....

ROTH: Do, do you have do it like...because you probably graduated from what we call high school...

ME: Yes.

ROTH: ...there. Does that count here, or...

ME: Mhmm.

ROTH: Yeah? So you can go straight into college?

ME: Yes.

ROTH: Are you going to go to Western first.....

ME: (laughs)

ROTH: Yeah, thanks. We're pointing the wrong direction (laughs).

EJLAL: No, Western is there.

ME: Western. I don't know.

(All talking over each other and laughing)

(00:20:05)

ROTH: You'll start in the fall then, or?

ME: Yes, I will start.

ROTH: Mhmm. So when you got off the plane and were in this strange country.

ME: Well, it's been about four or five years that my uncle (indeterminable) came in Iran. I was so busy, and so they were so surprised, so surprising when I was thinking. And well, we were have, we had fun time as a graduation in New York, with uh...

ROTH: What did you do in New York....

ME: We went and see Liberty.

ROTH: Mhmm.

ME: And Manhattan. Is is right pronunciation?

ROTH: Mhmm. Manhattan, mhmm.

ME: Manhattan? (laughs) And, well (indeterminable) we went and we saw it. And that was fun (indeterminable). And after that we moved down here and we had some friends in here, and again that was so nice and we saw the--I can't....(mumbling)

ROTH: Did she....Mhmm, mhmm. So were you sad to leave your friends back in Iran?

ME: Yeah, I still have my contact with my friends. Picture, letter. Maybe, not yet (laughs).

ROTH: Not yet? Have you, um, and when did you come first to the Adult Learning Center and what are you doing here?

ME: The second day that we moved down here.

ROTH: Really? That quickly?

ME: Mhmm, we came here.

ROTH: Who brought you, and?

ME: One of our family. And he, he's so nice and he picked up from here to home and again he took us to here, and again picked (indeterminable). He's so nice.

ROTH: He's a cousin of yours? Is that right? And are you here studying more English, or is that?

ME: Yes.

ROTH: Do you do....

EJLAL: Yes, here is good because we can find some people that, uh, you know, it's the best way for my communication because right now I don't have any job. And usually I can, you know, make progress my language, communication. But at home usually we don't have any communication we talk, you know, Farsi. And I 23:00don't have any job right now. So here is the best place for finding some people to sit and talk to people.

ROTH: Sit and talk, talk English. Huh.

EJLAL: Talking English.

ROTH: How many, how many Iranian families live in Bowling Green? Or how many people, do you have an idea

EJLAL: How many people?

ROTH: Uh-huh. Iranian.

EJLAL: I don't know, really.

ROTH: No idea? Do you know--

EJLAL: I don't have any idea. But, maybe there's a person know, the person knows, how many people, how many people, how many Iranian people are living here in Bowling Green. But I don't have any idea.

ROTH: Mhmm. Some of the foods, have you, are you able to find ways to make some 24:00of the same kinds of foods you, you ate there here? Or are you adjusting to the new foods, or kind of doing both, or?

EJLAL: Yeah some, some food, uh are uh, you know common. For example, chicken is common every country. Or meat. Meat, uh, cook meat or grill meat. (indeterminable)

ROTH: Grill?

EJLAL: Grill, uh-huh.

ROTH: Uh-huh.

EJLAL: And rice. But uh, hotdog, you know, is this something that everybody eats. But, uh, we have some special food in Iran that uh, we call this kind of food khoresh.

ROTH: Ho?

EJLAL: Khoresh.

ROTH: Khoresh?

EJLAL: Uh-huh.

ROTH: How do yo spell?

EJLAL: (sounds it out) K-H-O-R-E-S-H. Khoresh, yeah. Khoresh is uh, you know, we have different type of, different kind of khoresh. Uh, we usually use beans khoresh with rice. Uh, mixing vegetables, beans, and uh, meat. Sometimes beans and meat. Sometimes, uh, eggplant, meat, you know, different kind of khoresh. And uh, chelo kebab is uh...

ROTH: Chelo kebab?

EJLAL: Chelo...

ROTH: Chelo?

EJLAL: Uh-huh

ROTH: Do you mind spelling that?

EJLAL: Chelo. Chelo means rice, you know.

ROTH: Oh, okay.

EJLAL: Chelo, C-H...

ROTH: C...

EJLAL: Chelo. Chelo kebab.

ROTH: Bab, okay.

EJLAL: Kebab. Kebab is uh, usually meat.

ME: Some kind of grills.

ROTH: Oh, okay.

ME: With lots of meat.

(talking over each other)

EJLAL: It's uh, meat that you put in grilling...

ROTH: Uh-huh.

EJLAL: And...

ROTH: Is it--go ahead.

EJLAL: You cook by fire, you know.

ROTH: Grill it?

EJLAL: Grill. You grill it. Chelo means rice. And the--I believe, and I know 27:00that everybody that eat this chelo kebab always will eat, you know, eat that. Because it's a delicious food and international food. Everybody likes kebab, you know, rice. But maybe the kind of cooking is different in Iran with other countries.

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: But I know that every foreign person will eat this chelo kebab (laughs) and want to eat again.

ROTH: (laughs)

ME: Yes.

ROTH: Can you, can you make it here so it tastes like it does at home?

EJLAL: Yeah.

ROTH: Tastes about the...

EJLAL: Mhmm.

ME: But when they fix it in restaurant that tastes better than home (laughs).

ROTH: Really?

EJLAL: Sometimes, you know...

ROTH: Not restaurants here, though?

ME: Yeah. Nashville.

ROTH: Nashville?

EJLAL: Nashville, you know, but, but the way of cooking is different.

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: You know. Not that different, but I don't know how the choosing of the kind of meat. And the type of cooking....Size of meat. But in my country there are many restaurants, you know, that hamburger, hotdog, you know, bologna. It's usually, you know, I think everything. Some food, like turkey that here is uh, usually everybody eat in certain days. Turkey we usually eat uh, fish and 29:00vegetable and rice all together. Usually at the beginning of the new year here everybody eat fish and rice and vegetable. But here at the new year everybody eat, you know, turkey.

ROTH: So you're able to keep some of the, to cook in the same way? Somethings are different, but...

EJLAL: Yeah, we usually...

ROTH: Tastes about the same.

EJLAL: ...cook. We usually cook.

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: Usually cook. Usually cook, yes.

ROTH: Um, I wanted to ask if there was an experience you remember when you first got here that you, that was especially difficult? Something you tried, I don't know, something as simple as maybe how the toilets flushed, they might be 30:00different. Or how...

EJLAL: Ahh.

ROTH: ...you know, how to work...

EJLAL: It isn't (laughs) it is not big deal.

ROTH: Uh-huh.

EJLAL: Because you try and can find the way.

ROTH: Uh-huh.

EJLAL: (laughs)

ME: (indeterminable) Everything is equal in here and my country.

EJLAL: Usually I used to ask about everything, you know. But at first, because I don't have any, you know, ride, everyday that I go some people usually come with me or with my kids. And we weren't alone.

(00:30:15)

ROTH: You're rarely alone?

EJLAL: We, we were not alone.

ROTH: Oh, you're not alone, mhmm.

EJLAL: No. But when I'm alone if I can do everything I do, but if I cannot I ask and everybody answer me very kindly. And asking is the best way for doing everything so you cannot find any problem (laughs).

ROTH: It probably helps to have family here, you've been through something similar before, too--to help you. Your family helps you?

EJLAL: Yeah. My family is helping me and they're very kind.

ROTH: What are some of the things that you like most about living here in Bowling Green?

ME: So our families have been here--had been here--no, what is it? (laughs).

ROTH: They had--they'd been living here?

ME: Ah, they'd been living here.

ROTH: They had been living here. Mhmm.

ME: Well, we moved down here.

(Talking to other people)

ROTH: You were saying that...

ME: What was I saying?

ROTH: Your family, families that have been living here.

ME: Oh, yes. Families--they have families that have been here.

ROTH: (Talking to someone else) Blue, blue Honda. Sorry.

(indeterminable)

ROTH: Say that again.

ME: We have been ha--we had some families that have been here, and with Western 32:00college and family, everything.

ROTH: So your, your, your cousins have gone to school at Western, too?

ME: Yes.

ROTH: Is that one of the things that you like about living--some of the things that you like about living here? That your family is here, and?

ME: Well, uh, it wasn't really have different for--doesn't make different to me because I just moved now to America and it's all the same for me (laughs). Well if I am here or somewhere else.

ROTH: It's all the same.

ME: I haven't been anywhere before, I just, New York and here. But, well, it's good here. Not busy.

ROTH: Not, not busy?

ME: Mhmm, not much. In New York when it, when I first went there it was like my country. I was living in Tehran and it was (announcement interrupts).

ROTH: Not my car (laughs). So, you were living Tehran and it's a big city but...

ME: Lots of, lots of people.

ROTH: And busy...

ME: Lots of people.

ROTH: So that's, that's one of the things you'd say you like most about Bowling Green is that it's quieter, it's...

ME: Mhmm.

ROTH: ...not as busy or fast.

ME: Very fast.

ROTH: And you said to about the crime. There's low crime here.

EJLAL: Here? Yeah, yeah because, you know, it's usually, usually everywhere that is smaller, uh, the smaller the crime is less than the other big city. Because 34:00big city, uh, a stranger people are more than the small, you know, city. And in small city most of them are native. You know, in a small city most people are native. A stranger is less than the other city. In other city, in every, from every country, every people come and enter big city and do some, something, and maybe it's crime. And little by little crime will be increased.

ROTH: Okay. I'm sorry (laughs).

EJLAL: Okay, there's people.

ROTH: But when you said that um, in the smaller city there are more natives, meaning people that have always lived there, in those cities?

EJLAL: In a small city, yeah. I think native people more than the big city

(tape cuts off)

(laughs)

(00:35:18)

ROTH: Okay, sorry. That's okay. Do you mind, we're back on.

EJLAL: Okay (laughs)

ROTH: Okay, Mana had to leave to help do her job, I guess she's here helping some of the teachers. So, in the bigger city there are more immigrants, in the 36:00smaller city there aren't as many?

EJLAL: They less than big city, yeah.

ROTH: And how does that make it diff--how do you feel about that?

EJLAL: About what?

ROTH: About the differences? What was...

EJLAL: It's usually a little--in a big family you can find, um, big family you can find, uh, more problem. Until a small city--a small family. And it's the like to city. In big city you can find more problem into, you know, small city. Because in big city, different people with different idea with different, you know, treatment with different, you know, everything is different. And if uh, one of them do something maybe other people uh, can learn the thing that uh, you 37:00know, is done by the other person. But in, in small city, uh, I think you cannot find this problem. It is, but less than big city.

ROTH: So that's why you prefer--you like living here? Is that kind of what you're saying?

EJLAL: I told you, uh, the plan of my life is depend on God's will. But I believe it because it is experience, you know for me that I try, I try, I try 38:00for, you know, for getting something. But, I couldn't catch it sometimes because--but sometimes I don't try for anything. But just I like. You maybe, "Oh, I don't like, I don't know." But I catch it. And my idea, uh, everything that is happen in my life, it depends on God's will and every time that, uh, I want, you know, about my deciding or about my decision, my decision--my deciding is wrong, yeah?

ROTH: Your decision.

EJLAL: About my decision. I talk about, you know, if God wants, but I don't know, I cannot exactly uh, say anything. And by passing the time my idea, you know rise more and more.

ROTH: What kind of ideas

EJLAL: My idea about uh, that we don't have any, I don't have any, you know, I don't know. I don't have any but...Will?

ROTH: You don't have any will?

EJLAL: I don't know it's called. I don't know. I don't have any will for doing everything. You know, I can't, I cannot do anything just by my idea. If God 40:00helps me I can do it. If God don't want, if I try hard and hard and hard, I cannot catch it.

(00:40:03)

(Voices in background)

EJLAL: Mhmm.

(Voices in background)

ROTH: Is there anything you can think of that you'd like your grandchildren someday to know if they come back and listen to this? Is there anything you'd 41:00like to...

EJLAL: Grandchildren? (laughs)

ROTH: ...like to say to them?

EJLAL: But...

ROTH: About your experiences?

EJLAL: I don't know, I, I--the, the most important things and then I like, it's everybody was good like because, the good like can make me happy. But I cannot show, you know, the way. Just I would like everybody will be happy because their happiness make me happy. Like that. And it's, the wish that every parents like, you know, for their kids, I try and try just for making happy them.

ROTH: A question that I didn't ask you--what did you do in Iran? What was your job?

EJLAL: Okay. I was, uh, teacher in Iran. And I graduated in University of Iran. But uh, twenty, after twenty three years experience in teaching, uh, then my life, you know, changed. I entirement, I entired.

ROTH: You retired?

EJLAL: Yeah. I entired myself and right now I'm entired in my country.

ROTH: What does that mean?

EJLAL: Retired?

ROTH: You're not working anymore?

EJLAL: I, I like to work, yes. I would like to work here but uh, teaching is my 43:00favorite, you know.

ROTH: What did you teach when you were there?

EJLAL: In Iran, usually I teach uh, my uh, experience divided into three, three parts. Uh, for two or three years I was uh, principal for school, primary school. And for, you know, two, many years, you know, I was teaching in 44:00literature and sometimes I was teaching in English. But English in Iran is different from here because it depend on uh, usually for translation, you know.

ROTH: Translating from English to...

EJLAL: English to...

ROTH: Farsi?

EJLAL: Farsi. And it more gram--you know, depend on grammar. They want to try, you know, they want to try for uh, practicing orally. But it is, you know, it is new. And my daughter was excellent in English, you know. But when she came here, the ear. Because talking, the most important things for talking, it's what, it's 45:00listening. So when you, your ear is uh, weak.

ROTH: It's weak?

EJLAL: Yeah, it's weak. Not means, not deaf, you know.

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: It's weak for uh, using some words. So you cannot use these words for talking. You need at first, you know, to listen more conversation. And you know that the pronunciation is very different from this part of the country from the that part, you know, that part of the country. At first when, uh--English, understanding English, you know, is very similar than for me until, until 46:00American pronunciation. American pronunciation for that part, but for, for example (indeterminable) is easier for me than, you know, this part. Because I don't know, here, uh, they uh, break many words and some people they uses many, many expression, you know. Little by little I, I think everything will be okay but it will, it will take times. It take times. But I don't know what you want about my country. I can...

ROTH: I guess my question is, do you want to teach here then eventually?

EJLAL: Yeah, I'm trying because...I know the way of teaching and teaching here 47:00is very similar than my country. And uh, the way of teaching I think is more important things. And everything is different than the book, and I don't have any problem in the book. But I know that sometimes (laughs) when I'm talking, you know, talking, maybe I find everybody's find some mistake in my talking. But because my experiences in talking is not enough (laughs). But I don't have any problem with book.

ROTH: So when you say that you, teaching is very similar here than what you did there, what is similar? How, how are they similar?

EJLAL: The way of teaching is same in everywhere, you know, for, for example. But I think maybe here, I don't know, no...Uh, how can I explain for you. In 48:00Iran, you know, the teaching of the book is similar. You know, the, the--but the most important things here, when you teach, you know, when you read something in the book in the school you can do it by experience. By examine, you know. Doing. Doing and it's, doing and writing and uh, studying all of them is, you know, together. But in Iran uh, most of thing is dependent in reading. And the student in Iran try very hard, very hard, very very hard. And uh, in one class usually 49:00you can find, uh, maybe twenty percent of the student and they average are more than, you know, ninety, you know, A positive. Because they study very hard, and uh...

ROTH: In Iran?

EJLAL: In Iran, yeah. And uh, here is studying and, you know, doing with computer and uh, you know, doing some examine, you know, science fair into the reading. But in Iran, everybody should study very hard because uh, compare, you know, comparing with (indeterminable) student it's very, very, very important 50:00for uh, entering the university. And everybody should be study hard, very hard. And my daughter was excellent in Iran and the average of the diploma was A.

(00:50:29)

ROTH: Is she going to live with, at home with you when she's in school, or?

EJLAL: Usually she come with me here, but in uh--when? When she wants go to Western?

ROTH: Mhmm.

EJLAL: Oh, little by little she wants separate of me.

ROTH: Mhmm. How do you feel about that?

EJLAL: About what? About going to Western?

ROTH: About her separating from you?

EJLAL: I mean, not, uh--separate is natural. You know little--but in the, you know, I ask God that show the best way for, you know, selecting the best living. And here is not, in my country is not usual that uh, the daughter before marriage, you know, separate from the parents, usually, until they are not married, the live with their parents usually. But I hope everybody will be happy and good luck.

ROTH: I know you needed to go.

EJLAL: Okay.

ROTH: So thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

EJLAL: You're welcome. And I'm really glad to meet you.