Ahm-ma-dina-jad. Ahm-ma-dine-ijad. I used to say this over and over again, walking through Cindy’s house. Ahm-ma-dina-jad, I wanted to learn how to say it. I better get it right, because I just got invited to visit Iran later this month.

I have always wanted to see Persia, see the famous land of poets, and see the city of Shiraz. I Our tour will include the International Tour Operators Convention, to be convened in Tehran to showcase the country’s tourism opportunities. I am going with a large group of journalists organized by Thomas Steinmetz, the man in Hawaii who publishes eTurboNews.com

We will be staying in ’5 star hotels’, and the invite reads

We hope you will discover the hidden potential of Iran’s Tourism industry, its rich culture and diverse nature. We invite you to a country with a long history and rich cultural heritage.’

I am sending Kentski to Ireland for the culinary trip I was going to take, glad that he can go and cook in my stead. Iran. Wow, it is both exciting and a little scary. But hey, I bet people there will be gracious and interested, and much more friendly than I can imagine sitting here.