1. On a January 1987 visit, Jenkins found Tehranis to be in an obviously “upbeat” spirit and found that the living climate had changed little from the mid-1970s—the streets were jammed with traffic, shops bulging with eastern and western merchandise, food plentiful, the people’s morale was good and their mood calm and relaxed. This was true in spite of seven war years, middle class criticism of the government, and rationing of certain food and merchandise items.