Escuchar Foreigners (Farangi's) of Iran

International development expert and master gardener Linda Fidjeland spent most of her childhood living abroad because her father was in the airline industry. Seven of those years were in Tehran. In this first of two episodes, we focus on her difficulties adapting to leaving Iran, and her life afterwards. Part 2 shall focus on her uncommonl delightful life and adventures as a child in Iran.

Born in Los Angeles to Armenian-Iranian parents Gayane Anahid Kazarians is a Planetary Protection Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Currently, she is actively involved with the Planetary Protection Group, particularly as a team member for both the InSight and Mars 2020 Missions. Anahid’s parents had immigrated to the United States from Iran but decided to move back to Tehran where Anahid attended Iranzamin-Tehran International School and graduated in 1977. With the onset of the 1979 Revolution, Anahid and her parents moved back to the United States where she received a Bachelors Degree in Microbiology from the University of California, at Los Angeles, (UCLA), in 1984.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Barry Cantor was a broadcaster in Iran for the Armed Forces Radio Television Service (AFRTS). AFRTS ceased to operate on October 25, 1976, the day before Shah's 57th birthday. He talks about his heady days in Iran, the place where he met his future wife of now 46 years. We have a clip of Cantor playing Roger Whittaker's "Durham Town (The Leaving)" followed by a closing announcement by Chief Master Sergeant and Station Manager Bob Woodruff ("After 22 years of audio broadcasting and 17 years of telecasting in Tehran, AFRTS Radio 1555 and TV Channel 7 cease all operations in this country at this time.

Kathy Weiss Ragheb and her four siblings found themselves in Iran when her father signed up for the opportunity in the mid 1970s. An internationalist who bridges herself to other cultures, Kathy has always sought foreign adventure and aspired to teach her children the same values. The first 30 minutes focuses on Kathy's Iran experience, and after that, we hear about internationalism in Fairfax County Schools, and Kathy's new life on her farm in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Ever the naturalist, Kathy has horses, chickens, dogs, exotic flora and fauna...

Polish Communications expert and journalist Agnieszka Wasak came to Iran twice, once as a baby in 1961-1965, and again from 1972 - 1977.Her father was the Commercial attache from Poland to Iran. After graduating from the last "normal" class of Iranzamin - Tehran International School in 1978, Agnieszka returned to Poland to complete higher education, working with Time-Life Corporation as a journalist and Nestle Corporation as Poland's Communications Director. She continues to remember her years in Iran warm-heartedly. We discuss Tehran International School, friendships, travel, the fall of the Soviet Union, Persian Cuisine, and the availability of chelokabab in Warsaw...