One last day to enjoy...

We woke up in the morning, slightly later than usual, and went out to shop for Japanese food nearby our hotel. We found things we wanted including some frozen eels!


at the Japanese food store...

After having a nice lunch, we also went shopping to a supermarket where we could find things we can't find in Tehran.

my wife's choice... Shogayaki Teishoku...


and my lunch... SUSHI, SUSHI!

We also stopped by the Media City to meet my colleague and soon it was time to leave... We found out at the airport that the plane was an hour late, so we enjoyed another hour at the Duty Free zone...


where many journalists work...


and one last burger at the airport...


and this plane will take me back to... uh...

In the plane, we both watched Bolt because it was shorter than 90 minutes. Still, we couldn't listen to the sound of the film as our headphones were taken away, but we could still understand how the ending was! By the way, they didn't bring me any dinner as they completely forgot about me after they handed out the last set to my wife. Anyways, the Whopper Jr. I had at the airport was enough for me and it helped me concentrate on the film!
When we touched down on Iranian soil at around 10:40PM, I was really feeling blue.

Shortest and hottest night!

It was after 7PM when the plane touched down and we felt the heat even when we were walking through the jet bridge! Very hot and very humid!
This time in Dubai, we chose a three-star hotel to stay, right near the shopping center that is reasonable.
Right when we left the hotel to go to the shopping center that is just across the parking area, my glasses were clouded among with my camera!

completely smoked!

We once again hunted through the 6 Dirham shop and finished off at the food court!

at the 6 Dirham shop...


they didn't have Burger King, but I wanted to have one particular burger...


yes, the Quarter Pounder! and my wife had Green Curry!

It was very cool in the hotel, and the shower water was lukewarm too. But I really enjoyed the hottest and shortest night of this year!

Longest day of my life!?

Going to bed after 12:30AM we woke up before 2AM and was already on our way to the airport at 2:30AM. Our flight to Dubai was not on schedule as we had to wait in the plane for someone who had a baggage problem and one female passanger who didn't feel well. We finally took off an hour and a half later than schedule. We were concerned as we only had two hours for transferring to the next flight but the ground staff lead us to the gate in less than thrity minutes and there we encountered a pleasant surprise.

We were upgraded to business class! Our ticket issued at Tehran was a "standby" pass and it was another concern whether we would have the seats, but how awesome to be able to sit in the business seats for a 16 hours ride! I'm sure this flight is the longest direct flight I've ever ridden in my life and we were saying all the misfortune has paid up!


nice seat!

with... all I can drink!

and a steak already! oh, the rich always have this priviledge!?

Watching three films, The Soloist, Bride Wars, and the Confessions of a Shopaholic, the only other things than eating and driking that I'd done in the plane was... sleep!

We arrived in San Francisco International 15 minutes after two, only half an hour late than schedule and we headed straight to the wedding venue where my lovely sister and his superb new husband were rehearsing. There I met my family, mom and dad and my brother together for the first time in years. It was a great chance to reunite my family living in three different countries now. How glad I was to be able to be here!


welcomimg me... yes I'm happy to be here!

After rehearsal, we went to a wine shop where they offer a "cocktail hour" for the guests. It was a mistake I had three glasses of wine in the plane and I refrained of having too much here. Well, my brother had so many glasses he seemed to be happy than ever!


all the great Californian wine on the table!

It's an 11 hour and 30 minute time zone difference from Tehran, being almost on the other side of the globe, made today probably the longest day adding up to 35 hours and 30 minutes! But I'm sure it was spent the best way ever!


home sweet home!

PS
I made a shameful mistake by jamming my toe into the brick of the chimney of our home... It really hurts!!

Back to work right away!

Arriving in Dubai before 7AM, and leaving right away... We took the same flight as the Japanese FM we had arrvied from Australia.
Covering the meeting between the ministers of my native country and where I work, I almost forgot that I was just having a pleasant day in France yesterday...
I was very sleepy, but the last press briefing took place at around 11PM and what a long day it was for me!


at the Japanese press center...

PS
Dubai International Airport in the morning...


my wife needs her coffee!

Bonjour!

It was a crazy day... After packing, and sleeping for perhaps 15 minutes, it was time to leave and we were in the airport by 3:10AM.


leaving Iran... not for good... for a while!

Our first flight to Dubai was the usual Emirates flight, but I was so sleepy it felt like a 30 minute ride to a neighborhood in Tehran!


the familiar plane...


bunch of people for transit routes!

We took the transit route to Paris and I had some time to watch the multiple Oscar winner "Slumdog Millionaire" and tried to watch another one, Brad Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" but I couldn't finish watching the 166 minute film as we arrived in Charles De Gaulle 30 minutes earlier than expected!


the nice "i c e"


quite a trip...

We took the bus to the city and though I was very sleepy, we first went to see my colleagues working in this beautiful city and at night went on to meet an acquiantance I've known for nearly 7 years when I was covering disaster news.
It was a pleasant day and how refreshing it is just to be out of that country!

Pics in Paris!

waiting for the bus!


how refreshing just to see the view of the city!

having a café at a café!

and taking the Metro like ordinary Parisiens!

the Tower!

at night time too!

and the world famous!
they're everywhere but not Iran!

Before hell will be upon me...

We returned with no delays... The plane started moving five minutes before the scheduled flight time and the landed 3 mintues before the announced landing time!
The weather looked bad, something like a sandstorm covering the atmosphere... I was happy we made it safely back home!

After returning to our home, we rushed to another party we were invited to.


A sushi party!

We enjoyed the night having great Japanese food I've never seen in this country and the next time will surely be months or even years!

I know there was a load of work I had to think about... but I didn't. From tomorrow, hell will start and only God knows if I will make it through...

A unique experience...

I worked till 3AM and after a brief nap, it was time to leave. We reached the airport at 6:30AM and I was left speechless...

Only one line...

of the bulletin of departures said...

CANCELLED!

I couldn't understand what happened and I was standing in front of the bulletin with my wife open-mouthed and even dumbfounded... I tried to think how we can still go to Dubai while starting back to central Tehran. The next flight available would be too late to get me to Dubai to make it to an appointment and tomorrow is a day off so I won't be able to do anything tomorrow...

After returning to my office, it was nearly the time I had to leave for the next flight I found the solution! I asked our bureau chief in Dubai to help me out to be a proxy and it seemed to become the right solution to my case and everything would be fine if I could meet the bureau chief later on in the day...

After making the decision and going throught the formalities, we rushed to the airport and made it 35 minutes before the flight time. The agent sitting on the counter of the airline told us the ticketing was closed, but I pleaded for mercy and with a smile from an "innocent" customer being troubled with their cancelling, it somehow worked and we were inside the plane in 20 mintues. Everybody seemed to be on board already, but we did see some ladies boarding the flight after us... phew....


the plane we took...
be careful when you're taking this carrier!

After reaching Dubai, I dedicated my time to finish off an important task to meet the bureau chief and felt relieved that my decision was correct...

I had a bite with our bureau chief at...

Sumo Sushi!? hmm... a "mimicry" of Japanese!?

oh... the sushi's not bad... sorry! I'm sorry calling you a mimic!
it's something different but not bad!
I hope we can have one in Tehran... really...


view of Media City

one more beer!

After 7PM, we went out to shopping centers nearby the hotel and finally spent some time feeling relaxed...

Our target of the day...

a "thrifty" shop, very popular in Japan!

a variety of things...

many of the goods were just 6 Dilhams each and we bought 10 items!

Shopping around for other necessities...

we also got some nice shoes for my wife!

We moved on to a different shopping center walking for about half an hour from the hotel...

here in Egypt!?

not really!
it's the Wafi City Shopping Mall...

Here, many of the shops looked very expensive and there were not much people around compared to the first shopping center with many locals...

We hunted for a restaurant and settled in a restaurant near the roof of the hotel connected to the shopping center!

It was very nice to have dinner outside watching the night view of the city and we had a pleasant time... really...


view of the city in front of us...


nice appetizer with beer!

Asian taste!

It was nearly midnight when we finally finished eating our dessert... We have to return to Tehran tomorrow, but I hope the dream will not end now...

PS
Shots of the nightview of Dubai...


New downtown in the far left...


Wafi Mall below...

PS
Just before leaving Dubai...


yes! you know what I'm going to have!