Two months to go...

I couldn't wake up early today, and after waking up several times just to check the e-mails especially from Tokyo entering a three day weekend from tomorrow so I didn't reply quickly before it's too late...

It's Halloween...

can't trick or treat for myself, but I had my share of snack bars!
only two months to go this year!

It's really getting cold and I was reluctant to go outside and even though I was initially thinking of going shopping, I changed my mind and stayed inside and finish the accountings of October after talking to my boss in Tokyo and also having a private conversation in the evening.

The day was quickly over and I was little envious that Tokyo will have its three day weekend and for me it's going to be another hard working weekday tomorrow starting before 8AM...

I also analyzed my three months in Tehran...
Out of a hundred:
Doing work I have no passion for... 80 pts
Doing work I could say I care for a little... 10 pts
Spending my time privately for chores (like laundry)... 5 pts
Spending my time privately for fun... 5 pts (of 3 pts was in NYC and UAE)
Doing work I'm really satisfied with... 0 pts

I hope I can change this... or I'm really not going to have fun here at all!

Doing other things

I'm not using my time wisely, but I had to do other requested coverage today. My mind was still filled with the obligation to make reports about the economic crisis. The dollar seems to be recovering and the stocks are also surging and I had some dishonest feelings that the economic crisis will ease a bit along with the pressure from Tokyo... Am I too optimistic? Oh, I really don't have any investments and I don't care about people who have gone bankrupt being greedy and too ambitious about money, but I'm sure the news is not just about these kind of people... Okay, okay, I'll still look for a business report!

PS
Today for the first time I went to the former US embassy...

I saw just a bit of the exhibition as I had no time to wander around... I hear it's a rare occasion to be able to go inside, but I'll be here again... I'm sure!

Still no clue!

I couldn't find any clues for making a report in the business world... Oh this is going to be quite a tough task! I'm running out of time as many are making similar reports all over the world... I'm trying to ask for some help, but sadly I really don't have any friends in the Gulf! Again, I'm thinking... Why did I have to come to a place where I have no friends!

PS
We moved around some of the large desks of my office to make use of old furnitures...
and another thing I did that I also did in Baghdad...

making a white board writing biweekly schedules!
handmade by my staff!
as you can see it starts from Saturdays and ends with Fridays!

Succeeding in restoring my computer!

Using the Vista upgrading disc to somehow restore the Vista Business of my dead computer worked!

After the night of the 27th, I gave up after about three error messages and sadly it didn't make it to the end that night... but it seemed that I can still try using the Vista upgrading DVD to get something going!

This night, after going through another two or three error messages, I was able to restore just the Vista Business components. After restoring the OS, I tried to recover the computer booting from the partitioned recovery data in the hard disc... and it worked! Back to work! I'm sure going to make a recovery disc this time!


error message... I saw many other error messages, but I just kept going!


I was so glad to see this message!


I see the TOSHIBA mark so the partitioned data is still alive!


yes! the reinstall process finished!


recovered... yes!

The pressure growing

Tokyo's pressure on me is growing each day... A report about the reactions to the American Presidential election, business reports about the Gulf countries, a cultural report about my residing country... Oh, I'm really getting my hands full!
But again, I can't resist... I'm just only a hired correspondent of a demanding organization...


the pace of drinking hot coffee has significantly risen!
it's getting so cold I didn't even think of drinking my favorite Coca Cola...

Getting cold!

It was really getting cold as I assume it's under 10 degrees at night time and in the morning. I think I didn't catch a cold but I better be careful or I really will...

Today I went to the Japanese embassy to talk with fellow correspondents and the ambassador. We had some informative talks about many things that I had to do, but my mind was completely shifting to the Gulf countries in the south as I was strongly urged to make some business reports. I'm really not good at making business reports and it's really a pain in the neck when they'd obliged me to give something out. Well I'm a hired correspondent and I can't resist orders. I better start getting some results here!

PS
I found a clue to restoring my dead computer...
using the Vista upgrading DVD that I used for another computer...

it seems to work as a booting disc!

Challenge an important feat!

Working from the morning as any weekday, I couldn't resist it any more!
It was too annoying!
What am I talking about!?
My hair!!
I hadn't had a haircut for more than three months and since I had no way I can go to a barber without understanding Farsi, it made me reluctant to take the first step...

With the help of my staff, I took the challenge and went to a barber. I was relieve when I accidently found an English speaking customer waiting and I could take in English while I was waiting! While getting my hair cut, I sat silently watching the barber trim my hair with scissors and a comb he just washed with water. I realized sterilization is not an option here and rubber gloves were just fantasy! I think my hair was done fine... I think... paying 15 Khomeini, I didn't feel that bad... well, it's another step towards getting used to life here in Iran!

On the way back I saw the top of the mountains that soar in the north of Tehran were getting white! I rushed to the rooftop of our building to film the mountain!

it's covered with snow! and it's still October!
it's not the clouds...


see the upshot!

while I was waiting for a call from Tokyo...
one after another a mosquito appeared to attack me, so I just had to kill them one by one...

four of them in less than two hours!
they say it's the worst time of the year concerning mosquito attacks as they tend to fly inside more because it's getting cold outside and it's really warm inside... boo...

Unintentionally...

It was a rare second day of a two day weekend as it was the holiday for the martyrdom of the 6th Imam. It's a precious day that it's a day off here in Tehran and a day off too in Tokyo. One of those rare days that I feel relieved as I had no calls from Tokyo as expected.
It's really tough when you think about the days off you might luckily get here. Being a foreign correspondent it's my decision whether I want to take a day off or not. Our offices hours are from Saturdays to Thursdays, having the Thursdays finishing slightly earlier that usual, so only Friday is off completely. (the governmental and public organizations are off Thursdays and Fridays) Evidentally, Saturdays and Sundays are weekdays.
It's really hard to take a Friday off as it is usually the last day I can confer with Tokyo especially about next week's schedule and making alerts to the elders and I usually have to do it early in the day so Tokyo which is running five hours and a half early will not finish it's weekday working hours. When you really feel safe on Friday, it's usually around 5PM when it's almost midnight in Japan. That's when I can get some rest. Obviously one fourth of the day per week is not enough for me to rest and revive. So I really felt relieved to have a day like today.
Still, I was hanging around my office to catch up with many things I've planned to do weeks ago... making recovery disks for my new computer (so I won't make a mistake I did with the Toshiba one that just crashed...), learning the Farsi "alef be", cleaning up my desk full with papers, replying to e-mails I've left unanswered, etc. The normal things I wanted to do when I'm not worried about work. My worries will return tomorrow anyways and I'm sure no one will care whether I'm taking some days off or not.

I started cooking my dinner... and unintentionally I realized...

pork bone broth ramen... uh oh... prohibited!?

One twelfth? One eighth?

It's exactly three months after I left my native country. If it's going to be a full three years sentence, have I finished 1/12? Or if it's only going to be two years, is it 1/8!? I hope it's not 1/16!

I woke up in the morning to be ready for some calls from Tokyo which somehow I has some presentiments I'd receive some. I did get some phone calls in the afternoon while I was fighting with the computer which crashed a few days ago. Sadly I couldn't get the call I wanted to and the day flew by without any improvements.

The world economy is really in disaster and I'm sad all the money I have in the bank I changed from the yen to the dollar has dropped its value significantly. I hope it would return to the 100 yen level before I return to Japan (two or three years later! or will the bank collapse before that!?), and on the other hand since some of my salary is now sent by the dollar I really don't need the yen to drop back so fast. It surely can take its time!

Taking hours to fight my way with the computer...

the crashed one on the left...


oh it seems helpless! it's completely my mistake I didn't make a rescue disk!


the pile of junk mail... I found out that almost all of the junk mails are sent with a name that starts with A!


thinking about the Kikkasho scheduled for Sunday... will it be another big payback race like last week's Shukasho!?


my dinner... curry rice! my favorite! I haven't had this recipe for more than three months!

Over the mountain!

As we say in Japan, I've managed to successfully go over the mountain and I should feel relieved... But I'm not... not at all...
There's too many mountains I can already see in front of me and they're not just humps but high and rugged ones that look really nasty!
So to be honest, when I was talking live at the studio today I was thinking about all the problems that lie ahead that I just wanted to finish the job quickly and go back to my office to prepare some documents I had to send to Tokyo...

It's a rare two day weekend from tomorrow, but I'm sure I won't get any rest with this situation but I'll try to be relaxed just a bit so I won't die from all of these troubles!

I went out to have some Shishlik with my colleague. They're a bit expensive, but who cares! Having good food is the best way to use money here after successfully going over one mountain!

this is one of the best I'd ever had!!

And for lunch...

a spaghetti our friend cooked for us!

Making friends

Getting ready for my live broadcast tomorrow and the logistics matter was still an important factor but I decided to lay the priority on to reporting rather than the irritating management business.
Who cares!!
Oh, I surely would like to say those two words, but I tried to gulp down to keep my temper and act cool so I won't lose control, especially before my staff!

At nighttime, I went out to answer to an invitation for a get-together and it was great to have an opportunity to meet some people I'd gladly be friends with. I really hope they felt the same, as making friends would be the most effective medicine for all of the wounds I've developed in my heart!

PS

buying some candies for the bureau... some Iranian candies aren't that bad!

All of a sudden...

Now all of a sudden, my hands are becoming full with management of the bureau rather than reporting. Now this is the tough part being a bureau chief rather than a foreign correspondent of a larger bureau where all the logistic parts are taking much of my time away and I'm really getting deeper into debt if time is money!
The troubles I'm involved in are, if I were be able to honestly confess, not really something that I started, but being the chief of a representative in a foreign country, I'm not allowed to say I'm not responsible.
All of a sudden, it's again bringing me into the red zone. Will I get fired like the 49ers coach!? I'd rather would like to dismiss myself like the Tigers coach!

Sadly...

Using my precious time, I went to a meeting of the board of directors for the Japanese community in Iran, but though it was only the second one I've attended, I felt a bit estranged. Most of the members are of course from the private sector, especially in the trading and engineering areas, and it didn't feel right being one of the youngest attending, to be sitting and hearing about the activities.
I had to seriously get ready for my live report coming up and another recording for the radio. Seriously, my enthusiasm level has dropped to the least and I'm just thinking about having a day off... which I won't get being a foreign correspondent...


a tasty lunch cooked by our friend coming twice a week!

My private computer...

crashed! oh no...

A bad sign...

Back in Tehran, it was back to normal work, again looking for worthwhile coverage but still in vain with no lights on sight through the dark tunnel.
I went out to dinner with my Japanese colleague visiting from Tokyo and had a nice dinner for a change. Sadly my talks went to those glorious days of the past and I didn't really talk about my future. Actually I admitted that I had no insights about the future. It's always a bad sign when I reflect on my past and realize that I've even thought about quitting this job not long ago. The thinking process gets worse and worse saying to myself why I hadn't quit at that time. Well it's too late now that I have so many responsibilities and any complaints or excuses I give is just considered as giving in and giving up. I have to burn my samurai spirits again and turn on the switch of a confident

To change my spirit a little...

having a nice steak for dinner at a Continental restaurant

A disasterous trip, but...

I'm convinced that this trip was one of the worst ones if I'm only thinking about results for my work. If I'm talking about my life, or experience as a correspondent, maybe it wasn't that bad that I could see the other areas of this country for a change and I've learned so many lessons just on a short trip. I have to start thinking about what I can do from tomorrow that I could get serious results!

Photos of the day...

one last visit to the lake! it's really beautiful!


gotta ride this boat one day!


beautiful mountains and shots of nature to see!


another kyabab lunch... this time at the resort's restaurant!

After a two hour and a half drive...

we arrived at the airport...


one cup of Cappuccino at the cafe!

And leaving with the same airline...

yes the Caspian!


inside the plane... stewardess!? it's obsolete! how old is this plane!?


the dinner inside the plane... it's a $35 roundtrip flight... can't complain!

Back in Tehran...

I saw the famous Azadi Tower for the first time!
I didn't know it was near the airport!

Was it a BIG mistake!?

Nothing is going the right way and I have serious regrets about this trip. We still have half a day tomorrow, but I doubt I can get the results I've hoped for. It's surely my responsibility to make the decision to go on trips, and all I could say to myself was that this should be a research trip and not a reporting trip!

Photos of the day...

visiting the Salt Lake again...



ruff ruff! the doggy looks rugged too! like the mountain on the bg!

having lunch at the restaurant that was recommended both on the Japanese and English guidebooks!


the church in a Muslim country... St. Mary's Church


the favorite of my staff... I declined to have some, but I don't know when I'll give into this someday...


buying some local sweets!

To the NW!

We left the office at 4:30 in the morning and headed to Mehrabad Airport. I was still very worried about my trip to the northwest leaving Tehran empty for three days. I was of course worried when I went to the U.S. leaving the country for 9 days, but this time it was a different feeling... not that I was leaving my office empty, but rather I had no concrete belief that I could get some results from this trip... Well I took the chance and all I could do is pray there's some treasures lying at my destination...

Using another different airline... fourth one after Emirates, Iran Aseman, and Iran Air...

the Caspian Airline!

We arrived in the northeast and drove to the ferry port...

first look of the Great Salt Lake!

no... this ain't snow! it's salt!

and it's not Utah buddy!

We were driving around the area the whole day...

a beautiful view of the city of Urumiyeh...

We had a late lunch... Okay let's see how he makes them...

the dough first...

then the recipe on the dough...

shove it in the big oven! And...

voila!

cuttem up captain!

having Turkish pizza! spicy but tasty!

with fruity beer! of course it's non-alcohol mate!

In the evening...

stopping by a exhibition of food related business...

!!! ??? uh... one arch!?

the view at night was great too!

And here's the city's symbol...

the Simorgh!

Today, there were some miscalculations, but it was not critical... I still don't see where we're headed, but I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow!