Test your knowledge of Iran

A large part of the international shipping business is learning about foreign countries. If one deals with a lot of different countries, sometimes all we can learn is the geography, language, and transport system.

When I worked at The Coleman Company, we exported to over 120 different countries. There were times I could barely figure out how to ship to there, let alone take time to learn about the country.

One of the countries we shipped to back then was Iran. Of course, that was before the fall of the Shah.

On today's "Foreign Exchange" program with Daljit Dhaliwal, she interviewed the author of a new book about Iran, "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ" by Hooman Majd. He was born in Iran, but grew up in the U.S., and has been going back to Iran over the last couple of years.


There is a brief 3 minute video (click here and scroll down) which is really worth watching, even if you can't watch the interview.

Job Opportunities at IRISL (Iran Shipping)

After reading an article in American Shipper how the U.S. Government has determined the Iranian Shipping Company and/or it's subsidiaries are shipping things to Iran (how many government agents does it take...), I decided to check out the web-site.

There's not much out of the ordinary. They have container and break-bulk ships, they actually have a woman as one of the top managers. They had a box on the web-site flashing "job opportunities" which I decided to click on. You know, I'm bored.

Well, as I don't speak or read Farsi, I guess I won't ever know what jobs they have available. But, I just like looking at the symbols.

I remember watching someone write in Farsi - they write right to left. I remember thinking it would be a good language if one were left handed.

This posting will probably get me on some sort of list at the FBI, or CIA, or office of Home Security, or whatever.