[rjsimmon]

It was a police state then even though it is a worse police state now. After I arrived, my passport was confiscated. In addition, there was runaway inflation and I had to begin borrowing thousands of dollars from the school in order to meet my basic expenses.

I have no idea where this guy was, but it certainly was not Iran. I lived there in 1975-76 and there was no 'police state' nor was there 'runaway inflation'. I and my friends wandered all over Tehran without a care in the world and the Rial was as strong as it could be. That is, until the revolution started, then all hell broke loose.

[PrairieLady2]

I had friends in Iran around the same time frame as you, and they loved it. They told me the Sha was bad, but the iatola was worse. Still, they had relative freedom and traveled all over the place.

I have another friend who has taught English in Dubai. She love it there as well, and makes terrific money, much more than she would be paid as a tenired teacher in the states.

She came home to visit her mom, and had no problems going back when the time came.

The only place I would ever consider going in the middle East is Israel.