For the invitations, I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The GP comment claimed "It is likely that the vast majority of invitations to people's homes were n

For the invitations, I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The GP comment claimed "It is likely that the vast majority of invitations to people's homes were not sincere, and by taking locals up on their not-actually-intended offers, those foreign travelers are probably causing great inconvenience". Furthermore, the concept of being invited into homes is not something foreign to me, I have Couchsurfed in many countries and hosted many Couchsurfers. I have a decent feel for that sort of thing. There is a very large portion of people who actually do want foreigners to come stay at their home, myself included. Is that so difficult to believe? As for the sandwiches: well, he also did it for a fellow Iranian, and I am pretty confident that I wasn't misunderstanding the situation: the guy just has a massive heart, and I've seen him do everything he can to help other people. And as to your opinion about taarof, well, I'll just say that I have met many Iranians that simply regard it harmless, amusing, or an important part of their own culture. Iran is a big country, and just like you can find Americans that hate their own culture's habit of asking "how are you" with no sincerity, there are others that find it important.