As an Iranian woman who lives in Chehalis, Golnaz Koloushani has been struck by how little local people really know about her homeland. "I noticed people ask me kind of bad questions, like people ask me if we walk around with guns, people ask me about transportation, do we go around on camels," Koloushani said. Koloushani, 24, says her friends and family back home are more like the residents of Lewis County than they might realize. "We're ordinary people," she said. The Centralia College student grew up in Tehran, Iran, went to London for school at age 18 and moved to Chehalis about two years ago. After she graduates this spring, she wants to attend the University of Washington to study accounting. Her experience here has prompted a program at the college on Thursday night, where she hopes to share about her Iranian culture. The evening will feature a film made by a California college student who traveled to Iran, called "Hot Tea, Cool Conversation," and will be followed by a panel discussion. Assembled to answer audience questions and discuss the lifestyle of the average Iranian citizen will be Ali Ghambari, a Tehran native and Seattle-area entrepreneur; Dr. Sam Farahani, professor of international relations at Portland State University; Masoud Kheirabadi, an author and college teacher, and Koloushani. Koloushani said she saw the documentary in San Jose last summer. "It touched my heart, I really liked it," she said. "It was about the time President Bush was talking about attacking Iran." If You Go The public is invited to watch the film "Hot Tea, Cool Conversation" and hear from Golnaz Koloushani at a free program on Thursday evening, which is co-sponsored by Centralia College, the International Student Program, and Phi Theta Kappa, the college honor society. Refreshments will be served. Doors open at 6 p.m. For further information call the International Student Programs office at 736-9391, ext 625. Sharyn L. Decker: (360) 807-8235 Dan Schreiber, dschreiber@chronline.com Centralia College student Golnaz Koloushani has arranged a panel of experts set to speak about her native country of Iran on Thursday at the college's Corbet Theatre. Koloushani says the typical image of Iran from the West is negative and fostered by misinformation.
