ABSTRACT
One evening in the summer of 1999, as she was joining a monthly gathering of Iranian senior citizens, ‘Mrs Tehrani’1 put out her hand to brace herself against what she thought was a wall. But it was the open door to the bathroom, which then swung away from her into the room. With her weight shifted towards her unsupported and outstretched hand, she was thrown off balance and then onto the floor. People nearby helped Mrs Tehrani get back up again and pulled up a chair for her. She sat resting while other older Iranian women and men arrived. Once in a while she winced during an evening that included a lecture by an Iranian doctor, music and poetry provided by members and an Iranian dinner. Someone brought a full paper plate to Mrs Tehrani.
