Exhausted...

It was tough to get up in the morning, but I had to as it was just a weekday here in Iran... It was announced that it would be the last day of Ramazan (Ramadan) and from tomorrow everybody will have a three day weekend. I was supposed to be happy, but with all the work left because my absence, I will not be able to take my days off and enjoy... It would be rather tough for me without my staff...

everybody's awaiting the Eyde Fetr (Eid ul-Fitr)...

I only had to go to a regular meeting at the Japanese Embassy but time flies when I'm battling with accounting papers... I have to think about future news reports and even future documentaries, but with limited time, I'm going crazy! Well I took the risk to leave the country for 9 days, so now I have to pay for my debts!

Transit and arrival...

A brief transit stay at Charles De Gaulle again was boring as ever, and very troublesome with the transfer to a different terminal with a bus. I was already tired after flying out to JFK last night at 22:50 and reaching Paris in the afternoon with a 6 hour time loss.

Inside the first plane I watched two movies that you would never be able to see in the Middle East... Sex In The City and Forgetting Sarah Marshall... no time to be a critic as rest of the way I was just sleeping like a log!

they had to twirl around the airport for a long time with a bunch of Air France planes taxiing around!

nothing to do at CDG!

I tried to continue the quest for nice movies to watch... I decided to see two that were connected to New York... one was What Happen in Vegas and the other was Definitely, Maybe... right before the ending of the second movie the entertainment system was turned off and I missed the last part of the story! Oh... where is my God!

Sadly, I lost another 2 hours and a half returning to Tehran. It was over 10PM and when I got home, it was almost midnight... It was a very tiring flight back and someday I hope they would get some direct routes, which is very unlikely!

back to IKIA... oh that was long!

Leaving New York...

I had to record my standing report outside and my voice for the my news report for Monday morning in Japan. I thought everything was okay though it was raining from the start of the day.

The cameraman who filmed my report was a good friend I've known since we were together at Kobe 9 years ago, and it was natural that we went out to have a great lunch!

it was my request... a great steak lunch!

Sadly, right in the middle of the feast, I had a call back from Tokyo that I had made a terrible mistake concerning the preparation of my report and I had to shove all the food into my mouth quickly and return to my office. You can't imagine how depressed I was to be disturbed at the most joyous moment of the day.

There was only a few hours to go till I must leave the city for the airport, and all I could do was do some shopping nearby.

just a short walk around the city looking for shops to hop in!

I bought four pairs of jeans and seven books about Iran before I stopped by to get my last meal...

finished with a $7.58 Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal!

It was about time when I finished eating my burger and fries... I don't know if I'd be able to come here again next year, but I surely would like to. And next time I'm going to do a much better job with by learning from all the mistakes I've made this time!

JFK is a really boring airport... I couldn't even connect to the web without paying! It's a free service at Tehran's IKIA! Boo to America!

Last day at the UNHQ...

Although it was a Saturday, the delegates had agreed to continue their general dabates today, as it would save a Tuesday when it would be the end of Ramadan, and a very important religious date for Muslim countries. The Iranian executive team was long gone and though my main purpose staying in New York was that I had to give out a report on Monday morning (Japan time), I decided to watch the general debates and see how it is on a special Saturday at the UN Headquarters.
Sadly the bookstore inside was closed so I decided to go outside for a while to look for some books about Iran.

the last day to see the UN building... but it was wrapped around with thick fog...


some guys were parading with loud music at 2nd Ave.


having some of my favorites!
glazed donuts and a Mountain Dew!
a bad combination, but who cares!!

In the afternoon, I listened to a speech made by the Russian FM, and most importantly the DPRK speech which was at the end. I was able to see how the "right of reply" was being used and the Japanese and DPRK delegates exchanged hostile remarks for a total of about half and hour. It was funny that the Iranian and UAE delegates spoke severally about a completely different topic. I kind of felt I was there at the right time, and it was my last minutes hanging around the UN Headquarters!

After the festival was over, I walked more than half an hour to one of the places I've always went when I was a child living in Long Island. Since my memories were totally blurred, it didn't really feel nostalgic, but I found some parts of the street familiar. Maybe it was because it was nighttime and it was never a good idea to hang around when it was dark at that time!


my last view of the UN building... see ya... and maybe see ya next year!

front of the Japanese American Union Church...

and the familiar Madison Garden Square...

under the bright lights... it's always like daytime here!

After returning to our office in Midtown and working till around 11PM, I went out to get a late dinner...

a Triple Whopper with Cheese meal! $7.90 with tax!

Rain in the city...

It was raining from the morning. I really hate it when it rains, and it was really uncomfortable with my shoes all soaked with water!

good thing I brought my portable umbrella...

all wet in the streets!


can't even see the Empire State Building!

I was spending my time at the UN and them moved to my bureau to get ready for my last report. I got some footage from an Iranian friend who promised to help me and I just hope this footage will be enough to get me through!

where the stakeout is done... the funniest guy is undoubtedly the French FM when he's on stage here!

having some snacks...

surprised at the package! wow! you should write all the countries of the world!
does this mean they're being honest!? or maybe they can't keep track!?

At nighttime, the broadcasters were obsessed with the debate that the Presidential candidates were about to fight. It started from 9PM and all the channels were hijacked by the two hopefuls.

the screens were filled with Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama...
they say Mr. Obama had a slight edge, but not a decisive one...

I went out to have dinner with a colleague visiting New York and our choice was...

a prime rib!
the grand total for two was a hefty $135.47, but it was worth it!

For lunch I also had something that I really wanted these several days...

oh I see it!! I finally found one!!

hey move over! here I come!

a Whopper meal!

Now I'm satisfied. I've eaten everything I wanted and I have no regrets concerning the food I've had!!

One mission to go...

In the morning, I successfully finished my live report and though many of my colleagues were up on deck with greater missions, my modest role in sending this short report was a very big one for me to be a part of the broadcast team from the UN. It would have never happened without the support from Tokyo and a strong push from my colleagues in Paris and New York.
I still have some regrets that I could have done more to be ready for this event, as I had none of my staff from Tehran together with me, and without the ability to speak Farsi, I'm really losing out on all the coverage I would have been able to do.
I still have one more report to give, which is of course not obligatory and not even secured with big news coming out from Tokyo, but I have to try the hardest to get it done!
Today, the new PM of Japan came to speak at the UN, and it was funny that he had to repeat the first part of the speech as his snap arrival probably did not let the staff to get ready for the translations. I really had nothing to do with this as the coverage was completely done by the team that accompanied him from Tokyo.

So right after his speech, I moved on to have an Asian dinner with my colleagues including the chief here in New York. I had sashimi again which really was palatable!

maguro, salmon, and hamachi!

Sadly, with so much wine, I dozed off and when the dinner was over, I was completely sleeping in the taxi on my way back to the hotel...

PS
My food for the day...

a muffin in the morning

and a pair of sandwiches for a late lunch

And in the daytime...



walking around the city...

ah this building seems a little familiar to me...

But this city...
it was always a city I was afraid of...
a city where all the wealth is centered on...
and where all the crimes were happening...
walking in the city meant a risk to your life those days...
unbelievably the crime rate is considerably low...
but now it may be a city of risk to your wealth...
you might lose it all here if you don't be careful!

Making something out of nothing...

I still had two more missions to go, but to be honest I really didn't have any trump cards to play. It was up to me how to analyze the scenes that we have and make out a report.
I'm not saying that I'm fabricating a story, but rather trying to capture the important point of the speeches and announcements here in the United Nations and build up a story that will show the siginificance of this session of the General Assembly.
The Georgian conflict is surely in the center of the arguments, but for me the effects and the surrounding activities of other parties were on the canvas for me to finish the painting.
After constucting a story that I myself thought was not bad, I went out with two of my colleagues entering the organization in the same year out to dinner...

to a Japanese izakaya...

with food that I can never find in Tehran!

sashimi too!

It's unbelievable you can find numerous Japanese restarurants here in NYC. Just walking around the city, you'll bumb into some Japanese letters luring you to go inside for some Wafu treats...

And this was my lunch...

a hamburger at the UN cafeteria, which was not that bad!

also using one of the banks I have some savings...
don't really need cash here... but I surely need them at Tehran!

My dinner at 3AM...

After finishing the recording of my radio report and an English report, I returned to my hotel after 3AM...

I didn't have dinner last night... and here's my dish!

a familiar chocolate bar!

The General Debate...

The series of speeches by the heads of states started. Unfortunately many of the speeches were not exciting nor refreshing. My reporting was in jeopardy but since I can't write their speeches for them, all I could do was at least try to find anything that could be broadcasted on the news!

It was really a hectic day as I had to run around and manage to get something on the news and a short report for the satellite channel. I would not have completed any of my work without the help of our correspondent in the United Nations and my fellow colleagues working in our New York bureau and another correspondent who was here for the coverage of the Japanese Prime Minister...

Teamwork is the sole power that makes things happen!

first time ever to see the General Assembly...

trying to say hello to the delegates... oh... too far away!

PS

a turkey for lunch at the UN cafeteria... not bad...

nice view from the cafeteria!

United Nations

Second day in New York City, but I spent most of my time around the east side of Manhattan, around the United Nations headquarters.
It was the first time ever for me to go inside the building of the headquarters and I briefly saw the Security Council's room. Outside, the people, especially the Jews were rallying against the Iranian president visit to American soil.

so many variety of placards!

they're outrageous!
I wonder how they could find so much time on a weekday like this...

naturally... it's these people here...

It was still a rehearsing date as the general debates at the General Assembly is to start only from tomorrow, and getting used to the place was an important issue for the day...
I decided to finish work early so I can prepare for tomorrow...

under the main building from the front...

I stopped by a pharmacy to buy everyday things...

here you can pay with self-service! wow!

things I bought...

wandering around the city after finishing work...

Radio City...

around Times Square...

And winding up at...

the famous hamburger franchise!

munching on a Double Quarter Pounder meal...