On a never-return-home journey

1978 summer, arriving in Japan

Life turned around 180 degrees once I boarded that plane on its way to Japan. I will never forget that hot, muggy day in August when the airplane landed in Tokyo. The humidity was unbelievable, the exact opposite of Tehran, when there is not a drop of rain for months, not even a patch of cloud. I was too excited to be bothered by this humidity, the long flight, or the crowded airport packed with people, evidently, coming back from the summer holiday they could afford to spend aboard. I wanted to see, in close contact, this country with its centuries-old traditions, hand in hand with the state-of-the-art technology on a fast track which had perplexed the world, and its formidable economic presence influencing most part of the world, despite the devastations it suffered during the Pacific war.
Passionately, I followed the line to the arrival desk, and got permission to stay for three months. I still had no idea how long I would stay, but three months was plenty, so I thought. Never had I imagined that I just had set foot to my second home, and that I would never be able to return to Iran. A year earlier, even visiting Japan was still a dream.

What was life like before coming to Japan?

I will continue to write about my life from the day I set foot in Japan. But first, a few words should be said here to give a background of my life situation before coming to Japan.
I was born and raised in Iran, in a middle-class family. My mother, a homemaker, and my father, like most workers, was a public servant. In the 50’s and 60’s most organizations were run by the government under the control of the Shah - the king.
I had an uneventful childhood. One thing, though, that made me different from other children was that I came from a Baha'i family. In those days, as a young child, to be a Baha’i was, and still is, a huge difference. The Baha’i Faith continues to be a minority religion, not recognised by the government. There is a lot of hostility and prejudice towards the believers. It intensified after the Iran’s revolution in 1979; although the principles and teachings are about world peace, unity, and service to humanity.
As a Baha’i child, I attended dars-e-aghlagh (literally meaning lessons of character/morals) every Friday morning, similar to a Christian Sunday School. What does it mean to be a Baha’i? It was taught to us as: “one endowed with all the perfections of man in activity”. This was the first lesson I learned as a child. Although I am far from this perfection, I can still aspire to that goal.
I learned the taste of being different from early age; it was not particularly pleasant. I always tried to hide  my identity as a Baha'i in school as much as possible, especially when I was alone without my Baha'i friends around me. But most children in the neighbourhood  knew, and some were told by parents not to play with the Baha’is. My playmates were mostly Baha’i children on the block; luckily there were more than enough of them.
After high school, at eighteen, I went to Philippines. At university, I attended to all the learning activities and could have the excitements of a university life that students enjoy. The Filipinos are easy going, cheerful, and friendly. There were beautiful beaches within a short distance. I can honestly say I spent the most joyful days of my life in the Philippines.
After finishing an undergraduate program, I decided to go on to graduate school. Up until then I was fully supported by my parents because, as a foreign student, I could not earn money. After that, however, I was told by my parents that they were no longer able to support me financially. I had no other choice but to return home, where I worked as a social worker for a year to save money and returned to the Philippines to finish graduate school.
While doing my graduate studies, an excellent job opportunity came up. I started working as a language instructor, teaching Persian to Filipino doctors, nurses, and technicians in different fields who were going to Iran to work. Iran had a severe shortage of skilled workers. The Shah, following the footsteps of his father, Reza Shah, was leading the country toward modernization and he was in hurry. Those were the glorious days in Iran. Today, the situation is entirely different. The unemployment rate is over 20%. It is sad to see those same unemployed young people who come to countries, like Japan, for work and then get involved in illegal activities.
After graduate school, I returned home, and easily found a full-time position at Tehran School of Social Work as an assistant professor. I was 26, rather young for such a position, especially for someone with no experience teaching at higher education. The job was quite challenging but I was a fighter and enthusiastic to learn.