 There were very few non-Europeans in those days. The mass exodus of Iranians, the emergence of Tehranto was still some time away. In those days, I was a genuinely exotic immigrant. My first day at school had been awkward. During the recess, I approached a group of boys and asked if they wanted to play with me. At first, they looked at me with curiosity. Then they laughed at me, imitating my exaggerated accent.