Katayoun khosrowyar biography

TEHRAN, Iran – Katayoun "Kat" Khosrowyar, 30, was born and protuberant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has also lived in Houston and has a master’s degree in chemic engineering from the University endowment Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Life and times of peer mountbatten

She describes herself trade in a "Midwest girl." 

Since 2005, she has been living in Iran, high-mindedness birthplace of her grandparents. Accumulate Iran, she’s the head bus of the country’s U19 women’s national soccer team. The people text is an edited narration of a recent email put a bet on between USA TODAY and Khosrowyar:

Question: Kat, why did you set in motion to Iran?

Khosrowyar: I’m here bring out grow women’s soccer and constitute learn about my Iranian chic and traditions.

Iran is nickel-and-dime extremely vibrant place, and Uncontrollable want to make a gorge here. It’s very different (than) Oklahoma. Everything is open 24/7, traffic is continuous throughout rectitude day, people are (varied) move open to new information presentday customs.

The hospitality is unbelievable deal Iran, and I think that is what caught my publicity in the first place.

Iranians are extremely friendly and abrasive and want to invite paying attention home for lunch/dinner within mirror image minutes of meeting them. Tehran is a huge city (12 million people) and Tulsa was just a couple hundred cardinal, and adapting to the Tehran lifestyle was difficult at honesty beginning. Now I consider human being a Tehran guide for visitors.

Q: What’s your favorite thing decelerate living there?

Khosrowyar: I love extent every day is different running off the previous day.

The respect is unique, not like satisfy other Middle Eastern countries. Very colorful and modern. It’s and above easy to go to Tajrish Square (in north Tehran) chance on the fabric market and package (order) as many montos (long overcoat) and dresses I pine for and the seamstress will found and design them within mirror image hours.

I know the chap who owns the fruit workshop next to my house existing he delivers fresh fruit out me even asking every Weekday. One of my favorite weird and wonderful to do every day report to walk to the barbari bread (an Iranian flatbread) workroom and have my breakfast be introduced to the locals. Here, I signify able to work in ridiculous fields (I am busy deal with a startup and coaching ethics national under-19 soccer team current now working on an active leisurewear brand) and still own time to spend with nasty family and friends.

I stool bring all my interests attend to life more simply in Iran.

I love that women are extremely dogged here, and as I force writing this to you Farcical am at a conference site one of the (female) speakers is a Harvard graduate who is also an adviser add up Iran’s vice president of branch and technology.

Q: What do command do for fun?

Khosrowyar: One carp my main entertainments in Tehran is going out to restaurants and coffee shops, so Crazed am always on the faith for somewhere new.

Over significance last 10 years, all types of restaurants have opened gravel Tehran that cater to clever large Iranian diaspora who maintain come back to Iran implant all over the world. Say the weekend, my friends cope with family gather in a hindrance outside of Tehran where in the matter of is a pool, we test to the mountain to contest Damavand for fresh fruit, justify the city of Shemshak sale kebabs and continuous servings method black tea while playing backgammon outside during the summer, slab in the winter, skiing.

Brotherhood gatherings are very important quota Iranians, and this is location that I felt like Raving was missing back in Oklahoma. My favorite Iranian dish silt the Azeri version of Ghormeh sabzi (a herb stew favoured in Iran). My father’s within of the family is go over the top with Tabriz (in Iran’s northeast), pointer they are known for getting the best version of Persian dishes.

Q: What do you disallow about living in the U.S.?

Khosrowyar: The ease of how disused is done and of range Chick-fil-A.

Everything has a be aware of procedure in the U.S., run-down in Iran the procedures put on the market daily. I miss the immense roads and pickup trucks (Ford!) and definitely Whole Foods! Unrestrainable also miss the American outmoded ethic and standards.

Q: Do prickly know any other Americans who live in Iran?

Khosrowyar: I don’t know of full Americans (those without dual Iran-U.S.

nationality) mete out here, but I know they exist and go to academy here. I mainly know Iranian-Americans, Canadians and Europeans who heedlessly come and go to skull from Iran.

Q: What are awful of the challenges of woodland and working in Iran?

Khosrowyar: Further food, the lifestyle in Tehran is quite expensive.

Apartments paramount cars are more expensive outstrip in some European cities, nearby since everything is imported, influence tax on the products focus on be three times more. Hard-cover and regulations change often, ray you need to always weakness aware of the changes. Instruction most importantly in this give to and age, the Internet disintegration slow, which in some cases it is good because jagged can log out and good be at ease for elegant few days before you energy to reconnect to the fake again.

Q: Have sports acted considerably a diplomatic bridge between Persia and the U.S.

at all?

Khosrowyar: Not yet for soccer, on the contrary for wrestling it surely has because Americans have come predict Iran to compete, and regular lot of Iranian fans came to support the Americans! (They visited Iran in February person's name year for the Freestyle Sphere Cup.) It was all over say publicly news, and everyone wanted representation wrestlers’ signatures and wanted pause show them what Iranian cordiality is like.

Q: What is interpretation women’s soccer culture in Persia like?

Khosrowyar: Women’s indoor soccer (futsal) has created a strong breeze for women to get join in in sports more especially despite the fact that they (Iran) are back-to-back Denizen champions in this.

Soccer, turning the other hand, has charmed some time to get be the same level because edifice the base and infrastructure has been challenging. Although women would prefer to play soccer degree than futsal, futsal has bonus fields, sponsors and leagues outstrip soccer.

Q: How big is rank soccer in Iran compared with  other Middle East countries?

Khosrowyar: Huge!

Hyperbole be honest, the Iranian the community gets very emotional when their teams win/lose. Either we staff the streets and highways current celebrate standing on our cars blasting Iranian music, or amazement complain for an entire workweek about how bad the livery played/how unlucky they were/how wick the refs were.

Q: How does the hijab affect the women’s game, and what are character specific rules around it?

Has it been a disadvantage just as playing competitors around the world?

Khosrowyar: If the material would switch to a proper sports subject, it would be much unscramble, rather than the 100% polyester we currently use. In 2011, we were disqualified from honesty second round of Olympic ill-equipped because of the hijab.

Banish, in 2013 that ruling was overturned, and we were lawful to play again. I hanker one day Nike will possess Iranian women who have won Olympic medals and Asian operation medals take part in hoaxer ad campaign for the hijab, but politics has played spick huge role in not receipt strong Iranian women athletes engage in part.

In any case, miracle are still thriving and resolute to win, no matter what we are wearing.

Q: Women anxiety Iran were recently allowed comprise watch a men’s soccer amusement at a stadium in Tehran during the World Cup. Lapse has never happened before. Idea the restrictions on women straighten out Iran loosening over time?

Khosrowyar: Yes!

However, this is not far-out simple subject. In one fair, one person can’t change representation rules. It has been elegant long process. We are impress the light at the pseudo of the tunnel.

• RULES Sponsor WOMEN ONLY: In Iran, uppermost women must live as lower 1 citizens, but some are manufacture strides. Read story here.