Araz Gray


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For Anyone Considering Migration

Following the internet shutdown and people’s impatience to escape the current situation, some thoughts came to mind that I felt needed to be written. Leaving Iran is so difficult and requires such patience that just making the decision feels like a major achievement. The culture of deep family depen... Read all

02 December 2019


Minimalism (4) Should Depression Be Treated?

Depression: A lack of interest in your current life situation and inactivity within that situation. Treating Depression: Restoring interest in your current life situation and creating movement within it while maintaining your current life circumstances.... Read all

25 November 2019


Some Questions for Reflection

When was the last time you did something without a reason? What has been your biggest wrongdoing? When was the last time you let go and relaxed? Where are the things you do taking you? Why aren’t you rebellious? When was the last time you fully indulged your body in pleasure? What was t... Read all

25 November 2019


Minimalism (3) Hemlock

Today, while climbing the company stairs, I encountered a very familiar smell coming from the storage room under the stairs. The scent of Baldirghan, a plant I remembered from trips to my ancestral lands in Arasbaran, made me once again ask myself: what am I even doing here? Postscript: Baldirgh... Read all

25 November 2019


Minimal (2) Foolishness

Today, the investor of a company I collaborate with came for a visit, and it reminded me of this passage from one of Derek Sivers’ writings: “You need to learn how to read. Because if you don’t, you’ll always be standing behind a fool who can.”... Read all

25 November 2019


November 15, 2019 – Istanbul

Migration is not unlike quitting smoking. Just like that, after a while, you forget why you quit smoking in the first place, and why you decided to migrate at all. What have you spent these two years on? What have you gained? If you had stayed, what would have happened? What would you have gained? A... Read all

15 November 2019


Minimalism (1) Symphony of the Dead

People can be divided into those who have “read the Symphony of the Dead” and those who haven’t. And among those who have read it, they can be further divided into readers and non-readers of “The Sound and the Fury.”... Read all

19 October 2019


October 19, 2019 – Foggy Istanbul

I haven’t been writing for a few months. Partly because of depression, and partly because nothing exciting or worth writing about has happened. Life recently has been completely uneventful and ordinary. Naturally, I’m not used to this. I should also admit that part of it is because I haven’t felt li... Read all

19 October 2019


Free Ross

Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the underground Silk Road marketplace, is a brilliant programmer and a libertarian who has been in prison for 2,156 days (over 7 years), serving a double life sentence plus 40 years without parole. This harsh punishment is not for any crime we are familiar with. No one ... Read all

27 August 2019


August 24, 2019, Istanbul

Yesterday, while leaving the office, I got caught by the accountant and, after a word slipped out of my mouth, I stood there for 45 minutes being guided toward the “right Ottoman path.” He remarked that he’s certain I have Ottoman blood running through my veins and that my arrival in Turkey is a ble... Read all

24 August 2019


August 18, 2019, Tabriz and Istanbul, Fourth Trip

It’s as if we were born with a homesick heart. Ten days ago, after a two-month gap since my last chance to travel to Iran this year, I made the trip to Tabriz at a relatively high cost. Ticket prices were staggering, and exit fees were at their maximum. In short, the cost of my fourth trip exceed... Read all

18 August 2019


Immigration Experience Meetup – Tabriz, Tuesday, August 13, 2019

This Tuesday afternoon, I’ll be hosting a meetup to discuss immigration experiences, challenges, solutions, crisis management in failures, and similar topics. If you’re in Tabriz and think it could be useful, I’d be happy to see you there. To participate in the session, please email c&#111... Read all

11 August 2019

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