Three

Nadia, Hamide & Mahtab.

It is hard not to feel for a place after its people have treated you so warmly. Today's report says that at least 10 people were killed in Tehran after clashes with the police. Most of the protesters are young university students, just like Nadia Hamide & Mahtab who are pursuing a degree in Architecture at Tehran University. We spoke briefly about how culture and history has shaped architecture. I mentioned architects like Le Corbusier, Van der Rohe and Zaha Hadid which drew a blank. They asked me to spell out these names so they could search them out on the internet when they next visit a coffee-net and in shallah if their sites were not blocked. Young, curious and sincere. That is how I would describe Nadia, Hamide & Mahtab. But I could very well be describing the 10 that were killed in Tehran today. What a shame.