End of the Gregorian year!

It doesn't seem like the end of the year at all... It's just like everyday... a regular weekday! It was worse than a regular day, as one of my staff caught a bad cold with fever and another was coughing... There were no progress at work and it was a really bad way to finish the year...
Privately, I think I made great progress and the experiences I went through were tremendous. But as a reporter and a correspondent, I think this year was below average... I have no satisfaction about what I've done this year... I hope next year I can take a prodigious leap forward!

I went to...

buy calendars for next year! they didn't have many with the Gregorian calendar...

And one last look at...

the "Down with USA" display near the bookstore we went to...
Next year, the relation with this country will be the key to this Islamic nation!

In Tokyo, all of my family who lives in Japan entered the New Year when it was still 6:30PM here in Tehran. I was able to talk with my newly wedded wife in Tokyo using Skype right at the moment Tokyo's clock hit the second pronouncing the New Year's arrival. At least this had made it a special way to enter the New Year!

for the "year-end soba", I had udon... instant made one...

Thank you to all the people that have supported me this year and I hope you will support me the following year too!
In return, I shall devote all of my love to you too, and please have a great new year!

Thank you 2008... and I hope I will enjoy 2009!

Another trip...

We went to Qom for the second time in 4 days. This time the outcome was both awful and progressive... It's hard to determine whether it was an inevitable result, but I'm sure God is not making things easy for us...
It could well be that it was a good decision not to go to Muscat as there would have chaos talking to my staff about today's outcome by phone. Also the Summit in the most eastern Gulf country had no surprises in its Communique and it would have been tough to squeeze through a report with short broadcasting time with such a result.
It was also splendid that I was able to celebrate one of my staff's birthday in Tehran with other members of my office. We could not have done so if we went to Muscat.
I just have to say to myself... yes, you've made the right decision!

the great mosque was being restored

PS
It was another day of celebration!

another one of my staff's birthday!

a nice cheese cake to share!

A reserved but steadfast step...

Not much progress today... but I had some "good" talks with my staff and I'm a little relieved. There's still a long way to success, but I'm sure today's conversations were some great steps forward.

The warmth is once again fading and I'm starting to shiver again in the morning and night... Oh, I hate it when it's cold...

PS
The protests against Israel's attack continued. It seems that the Gaza issue is also dominating the GCC Summit I missed to go for coverage... Will talks... condemnation and warnings stop such a deep controversy!? I doubt it... What can the world do!?

reading an article about the GCC Summit while having a "pumpkin" soup, another special dish made by my staff

Escalating...

The attack in Gaza was expanding and the demonstration around the world was also escalating. Young ones in Tehran were also participating in demonstration and the heads and chiefs of organization were all announcing some sort of condemnation to the "Zionist Regime".
Before coming to Iran, I rarely had heard of the "Zionists". I hear the word so much that I'm also becoming tired of hearing all the sad happenings in the rivalled two states. It's too complex that there seems to be no way that the conflict will be resolved and all of the states around are making it more complex. I only hope peace will prevail, and maybe the return of Christ or the Advent of the Mahdi that the Twelvers believe can only solve it...


news channel was covering live the demonstrations in Tehran...

PS
We celebrated my staff's birthday!

with a cake!

very nice!

hey do you need some!?

Breaking news in the end...

I was quite dr... oh, I can't say the word... but you know... when you have some of the you know what acommodations with friends especially with Japanese ones, when you want to fight with the stress and pain. The magic liquids have easily dominated my state of mind as all the stress from the pressure I get is killing me. I couldn't work after returning to my office and went to bed right after going back home...

From early in the morning, I left Tehran to head for the religious center of this nation. Qom was more than 2 hours of driving and it looked like a nice city with many mosques. I was not there for sight seeing so I didn't get to see so much of the city, but I'm sure I'd be here more than once!

Another stressful thing today was that I had to give up going to Oman as everything had opposite results to what was intended... It was more than a backfire having Tokyo turning away from me as they entered their 9 day vacation period... It was too unfortunate and to be honest, I swore that I wouldn't want to be involved in covering the GCC nations any more!

A unprecedent attack was undergoing in the Palestine State and it was obvious that this would be the largest news of the Gregorian Year end. Maybe it was tough for me to get any broadcast time for a meeting that only covers the Persian Gulf!

PS
At Qom...

we stopped by a shop to buy sweets made in Qom...

quite tasty with cinnamon flavor


and also stopping by the rest area along the highway between Qom and Tehran...

lunch time!

a big piece of meat!

As usual in Iran...

It's the last day of work for many people in Japan as usually three days in the end and start of the year are off except the financial sectors. My colleagues in Japan are holding the year-end party which I also missed last year travelling around Southeast Asia to cover the anniversary of the tsunami disaster. It was the 4th anniversary from the catastrophe, but this year I'm so far away from the worst hit nations that I have no way of participating in the coverage.
Although it was a day off, it's as usual here in Iran as the new year is still months away and I will surely work as usual until next Friday. Being a little envious of the nine day vacation in Japan, I swore I will use the days wisely to proceed steadily!

PS
After yesterday's quake drill, I was curious where the fire extinguisher is...


it was right in front of my door!

Happy and reborn!

It was Christmas and time to celebrate. I'm living in an Islamic country now, but I had a very special event that I can celebrate. As of 9:10AM (JST), I'm not a bachelor any more! I had some congratulations calls and e-mails and though it's really hard to feel that I'm not single any more as my belle is still in Tokyo and she will not make it to Tehran until April at the earliest, but it has become a day I will never forget!

Today was also exactly 5 years from the earthquake that shook Bam located in southeastern Iran. I went to cover an earthquake drill held in central Tehran from the morning. This country is very vulnerable to quakes and I hope that everybody will become more aware of the situation. I know the upgrading of life is more important in everyday life, but you will lose everything if you're not prepared for a major disaster!

The drill was held by the Tehran municipality with the support of JICA and it was nice to know that the Japanese philosophy of disaster management is being infused into the minds of Iranian people. I know diplomacy and financial assistance is important, but to me, such cooperation that could very well lead to saving thousands of lives is more valuable!


fire extinguishing drills!

I felt the existence of God today when it was so warm that the temperature rose to around 14 degrees. It even rained last night and there were rumors that snow could return to the city, but the weather was so nice that I really wanted to take a nap in the park where the drill was held!

Christmas Eve in an Islamic country...

I spent Christmas Eve in a mainly Buddist country last year, but in a resort. This year I'm here in this Islamic country... alone...
My dinner was pizza I couldn't eat for lunch and at night I celebrated with some American chocolates... very miserable...
It was also very sad that my plans for the business trip next week is on the verge of collapsing. Nothing seemed to have gone my way... but...
I had great news that the important document that will change my life had reached Tokyo! Now I can say It's a very different Christmas Eve this year that I know that next year, I will not be spending this night alone and lonely!

PS: A cat on a tree!

the poor thing couldn't get down from the tree!

I think a stronger cat forced it to get up

but there was no way down...

I couldn't film it, but the cat just fell down from the tree and hit the ground... it fell on some soft soil and got up right and ran away... I hope it didn't hurt its intestines or its bones!

While Tokyo is dead...

I was trying to get as many steps forward as possilble as Tokyo was dead today with a "stepping stone holiday" with the Emperor's Birthday. I don't know if I had any progress but it was better than nothing, I hope...

PS:

I had some nice soup my staff made...

Negotiating for permission...

I thought that the country I stay in is one of the toughest places to negotiate for permissions, but I find the GCC Arab states to be even further trickier... Of course, it's not helping that there's no one who can speak Arabic around me and that's disasterous when you have to get info and negotiate with the Arabs...
I hope I can get the permission in two days... All I can say again is... Inshallah!

PS:
nothing to paste today... but...

my kyabab lunch!

Inshallah...

I had to react to a news that jumped in, but at night although I had to be worried about calls from Tokyo, I went out to have dinner at a Thai restaurant in Estegral Hotel with my Japanese correspondent friends based in Tehran. It was nice to share our sufferings here but we all came to conclusion that we will surely see the better days coming.

Inshallah...

PS:
for lunch...

having some kyabab!

and after I returned home... I had my...

last gummy bear pack!

The longest night...

They say today's night will be the longest of the year, called Yalda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalda), rooted from a Zoroastrian tradition. I didn't know that people celebrate this night, but coincidentally I asked my staff to get me some cakes as I wanted to munch on something sweet to heal my fatigue.
It was a busy day as expected and many things did not work out in my favor. It's really disappointing when you see everything is rolling to the worse and I really can't foresee a happy ending. Still, the day passes by, and I will be seeing a new day after this longest night of the year will pass...

PS

a souvenir from my staff who went to Turkey for vacation
quite tasty!

we also had some sweets!
I really need these when I'm quite sad...

duel between the samurais! meow!

Colder than ever...

Last day of the three day weekend and I used most of my time working on making a script for an interview I took last Saturday. I couldn't really concentrate as writing out the scripts is one of the most painful work I have to do as a correspondent. Time flew by quickly as I took some rest in between and it was over 7PM when I finished the task.
It was already dark and it was one of the coldest days ever today. I took a bath but the water was lukewarm and I felt even colder than before...
It's going to be a busy day tomorrow... Making the list of things to do, I felt really gloomy that there's so many things I have to do as the weekday returns...

PS: REVENGE!

okay let's boil them!

uh oh...

oh well....
conclusion: I'm suck at boiling eggs!

PPS: IN THE GARDEN...

hey, found something!?

Officially a holiday...

The "announced" holiday today. One of my staff decided to work for a while today and came to the office around noon. For them it would be a nice to earn some extra money by working on a day that they would have worked anyways if the Government hadn't announced it was a day off, but for me, I don't get any extra money, of course... Oh, when I think about my salary divided by the hours I work, my hourly pay is probably cheaper than a high school student working at McDonald's in Tokyo!
I had some calls from Tokyo and I had to reply by calling some people, who I had hoped would pick up the phone, and who are in different countries that would not be taking their day off. I was tired already before the nighttime came and I took a nap from about 6PM. I couldn't wake up for three hours and the day seemed to have finished so quickly!

PS

it was intially a nice day...

but...

it started to snow again!

my dinner... Italian and Japanese!?

Three day weekend...

As the Government had announced suddenly that Thursday will be a day off, it was a start of a three day weekend. I had to do work, but I was too tired to wake up early and overslept till 11AM. I had several calls to take and after doing some work, I went to bed at around 4PM until 8PM.
Surely I was sleepy but as I had to record a radio report at around 10:45PM, I had to go to my office at night. It was like those days I had overnight duty, taking a nap in the evening and waking up to go to my office late at night. But everything's different when I realize that I'm not in a place where I can buy some tasty food at a nearby convenience store and spend the night feeling secure.
Outside the snow was falling down again and once again I was feeling sentimental...

PS
Challenging the boiled egg once again!

okay... let's see...


hmm... the yolk is always lopsided!

White winter...

It started to snow... it was not powdered snow at first, but as the day proceeded, it was turning into fluffy white puffs that gradually turned all of the greenery into white decorated masterpieces.
It was significantly cold from the morning and the season which I loathe seemed to have started and I only hope the scenary with snow will heal my soul.


it started to snow from the morning, but with puffy snow after 1PM!


everything's turning white...


in the highway...
a white winter is starting!

My office is at the northern side of the city, and when we went to the downtown area further south, I saw no snow was bothering the people. How interesting that the weather can change so significantly!

In the city park located near the Tehran Municipality...

no snow!

In the park there was a

peace monument...

with messages written in five languages...


including Japanese!

After the meeting...

it's still snowing...
getting harder as the night goes...

Gotta warm up!

how about some coffee! "Americafe'" I snatched from the meeting...
this Singapore product (not American!) is too sweet...

And to warm up further...

you need a warm bath with a nice color!

PS
First thing in the morning, I went to a police station located in Azadi to see what happened to the decision about my traffic violation...
They still tell me I have to pay 200,000 rials! Hey, I didn't commit the violation! I'm so angry about the conclusion! My staff told me I can still fight, but now I realize it's a waste of time... What a crazy world I'm living in!
By the way if I had just paid about 530,000 rials in the beginning admitting the violations, I wouldn't have to waste about a total of 7 hours for everything and I'm sure many people just would do so to avoid the complications... What a crazy world...

PPS

the man was finally convicted with the crime!
not everything, but it was finally concluded he had something to do with the English girl's death!

PPPS
In the morning at the garden...

another rivalry! foo...

Judgment day...

I thought the day of judgment was tomorrow, but surprisingly I had a call from Tokyo today. The go ahead signal was announced and I have no choice but to now run at full speed to complete our mission which February would be the ultimate goal.
I still have so many things to do to reach that goal but there's no way turning back and the pressure will mount each day...

At night, there was another power cut. Frustrated, I went to bed before 11PM... there's nothing I can do so who cares!

lighting the candle again!