New York, New York...

Everything didn't feel right from the start.
I thought the Air France flight was going to fly out of Tehran at 2:20, but even though we did confirm that the time change will not alter the time, the bulletin was saying 1:20!

Luckily, I got to the airport earlier than expected but had only 15 minutes to enjoy...

one cup of coffee...

my first time ever to ride an Air France plane?

Inside the plane, it was freezing and though I was wearing a jacket expecting this, I think I was inches away of catching a cold... I was a little feverish and my stomach was in its worst condition in weeks... I tried to enjoy the flight watching Indiana Jones and taking a rest, but it really didn't help...
A brief stop at Charles De Gaulle did not make the situation better and it was a painful 8 hour flight to JFK...


a boring airport...

well maybe it's because...
c'est six heures du matin!

and you have to pay to use the internet!

well let's hurry up and fly!

I finally arrived in New York after 18 hours leaving Tehran, and it really felt lengthy and extensively backbreaking! But it was the first time in exactly 7 years I returned to New York City, and some of the scenery of one of the greatest cities made me nostalgic. Our office was quite different compared to those days, but as it was still residing in the same building, many memories returned to my mind.
911 was special to me only to the fact that I had developed so many skills as a correspondent. I also would like to do the same this time!
But unfortunately, the hurdles remains to be tough as I'm getting no help from the representatives of the country I am trying to follow. So still, everything doesn't feel right.

right when you see the passport control area you see the American flag!



ah... first look of Manhattan...


walking through the Grand Central...

I went through the media accreditation, but it took me nearly two hours to get a pass!

at UN... where I'd be working for the next 7 days...

PS
After 5PM, I was so sleepy that I could have gone to sleep while walking the streets of Manhattan...
For dinner, my colleagues from the bureau took me to the Korean territory of the city and we enjoyed a nice Asian meal...

a Korean dinner!

I was happy I could see American football (though I can't watch it for a long time as I'm here to do work!), and the New Yorkers are surely happy to see their Giants secure a 3-0 start beating the Bengals in overtime. The bigger news for them was the last MLB game at Yankee Stadium and the media were repeatedly reporting about the game at the evening news.

the Giants won a thriller...

I was happy to hear the 49ers nail the Lions for a 2-1 start and hearing the offense is back on track with a NFL migrant QB as their new starter!