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!

A new start!

I was very sleepy, as the live coverage ended at around 3:10AM and I went to sleep just before 5AM, only to wake up again before 9AM to rush to work. Of course, I've asked my staff to come later than usual as i wouldn't want to see them all dead when there could be any breaking news any time!

Luckily, we had nothing that would make us scramble, but that in return made me realize that we have to move faster in finding new ideas for a report. I also had to return to my accountings papers, and this is one of the painful things about my job...

To think back, I had not done anything that had started with my initiation. I have to sharpen up my senses more than ever to achieve something, and a flexible mind to design a grand design for my staff is also a necessity... It's a new start and I really have to put myself in a higher gear!


one of my staff brought some flowers... might help to let us relax a little!

Another staff is taking a two-week vacation from tomorrow and the others are saying he might not return... I wasn't told that he will leave for good, but maybe he will not be back... but I hope he will change is mind if her really is trying to leave this city!

having my bath tub fixed...

boiled chicken with rice filled with sour berries... after fasting time!

I'm doomed...

It was a day off for me, so I did sleep for a long time... Not just because of the Wimbledon match, but from all the accumulated fatigue, I just couldn't wake up.
My task was quite demanding, as I had to clean up my room in 10 days. Everyday I realize how long eight years is, as I find so many things in my room that is archaelogical... Oh I'm doomed...


the packing boxes for moving arrived... oh, I have to get going!!

Aloha... Tokyo...

Yeah, there's many great things in Tokyo too!
Yeah, I'm having a wonderful night back here!!

but it's always the worst thing to do... to unpack and return to reality!

Trying my best

revival or destruction?
Start of a new week after a horrible day off.
Before I go to my office I see scenes which now no one pays attention to. Shinjuku, one of many populated centers of business in Tokyo, is already filled with gigantic mega-buildings. But still redevelopment plans are executed everyday. In the northern area of Shinjuku, another apartment was torn down. After ten years, I probably won't recognize this area. With a threat of a great earthquake, I can't object entirely to these plans but it makes me a little sentimental. Old things will someday find its way to the ground. I still think I'm one of the new ones. Won't forget the elders have plowed for us. So why not make a better world!?

タイトル：一生懸命やってるよ

写真：再生なのか破壊なのか。

　ひどい休日の後で始まる新たな一週間。
　通勤するときは誰も興味を持たない風景をたくさん見る。新宿は東京の中でも過密なビジネスの中心で、すでにかなり巨大なビルで埋まっている。でも再開発 計画が連日進められている。新宿北部ではまた一つのアパートがつぶされた。十年後にはここら辺を見てもどこにいるのか分からないぐらいになるんだろう。大 地震の恐れがある中、こういう計画が進むことに依存はないけど、少し感傷的になる。古いものはいつかは土に帰る。自分はまだ新しい方の人間だ。先輩たちが 耕してきてくれたことは無駄にしない。だからこそ、もっと良い世界を作っていけるんじゃないだろうか！？

(today's word)
elders　先輩たち
　年長者という意味で、先輩後輩の先輩というより、
　上の世代の人たちというイメージの言葉。
　日本でよく使う「先輩」や「後輩」というのも
　英語に訳しにくい言葉。
　使うなら、seniorやjuniorを使うしかないかな。

Home SWEET Home

we all know these guys...
To tell the truth, I was supposed to be home in Tokyo by Sunday night.
One of these smiling cats blew up my plan. Just a small mistake left me homeless for a day. The black cat "kuroneko" is known to almost all here in Japan. A famous character of a door-to-door delivery company. This infamous cat just chew my keys away from me... uhh...
I should have remembered I put my keys in my garment bag in the day I arrived in Kobe. The hotel where the WCDR took place was filled with metal detectors for security. Don't wanna get tired taking the keys out each time I go through them, right? The keys were in the bag I sure will just keep in the hotel I stay in. Forgot all of that and after checking out on Sunday, I sent the bag with the "kuroneko" service to my home which would arrive the next day. The keys inside the bag were heading east when I was having a pleasant dinner at Kyoto... Without the keys, I wouldn't even be able to receive the bag because the cats' drivers just bring it right to the doorsteps! Wait in front of my apartment with all the eyes of my neighbors on me on a freezing Monday morning? NO WAY...
So I asked if my bag can be stored in a nearby delivery center. They said yes and I was temporarily happy. But I found out this center was 3 train stations and a half an hour walk away... On the first visit, the bag wasn't even there as one of the truck driver had already brought it out to the streets. Uhhh... After another round-trip it was already getting dark.
I finally got my keys all right. And at the same time wasted my only day off. I really hate my dirty and minute room, but today it was just like heaven.

タイトル：ホームスイートホーム（ようやく居心地がよい我が家に帰った）

みんなこいつらは知ってるよね…

正直言うと、日曜夜には東京の家に帰っているはずだった。
でもニコッとしているネコが計画をぶち壊しにしてくれた。ほんの小さな間違いで一日だけ宿無しになった。黒いネコの「クロネコ」は日本でならほとんどの人が知っている宅配便会社の有名なキャラクター。この忌まわしいネコが鍵を持って行きやがった…うー…。
神戸に着いた日に鍵を衣服用の鞄に入れちゃったのを覚えてるべきだった。世界防災会議の会場となったホテルは警備のために金属探知器で埋め尽くされてい て、毎回通る度に鍵を取り出すのはうっとおしかったんですわ。分かるっしょ？で、鍵はホテルに間違いなく置きっぱなしになる鞄に入れたってことをすっかり 忘れて、日曜にチェックアウトしたあと、「クロネコ」宅急便で次の日に着くように鞄を送ってしもたんですわ。鞄の中の鍵は東に向かっている間、京都で美味 しい晩飯を食べてた…。鍵がないと、鞄を受け取ることさえできない。ネコのドライバーが家の前に持ってくるんだから。寒い月曜の朝に自分の家の前で近所の 目を気にしながら待つなんて冗談じゃない…。
それで鞄を近くの配達センターに置いてもらえないかお願いした。大丈夫だと言われて、一瞬喜んだけど、そのセンターが三つも離れた駅からさらに三十分も歩 くようなところだと分かった。そこに訪ねてみたら、鞄は無かった。トライバーがすでに持って出ていた。うわぁぁ…。もう一回往復したら、もう暗くなってき た。
やっとこさ鍵は手に入った。でも同時に唯一の休みを無駄にしてしまった。自分の汚いごく小さな部屋は本当に嫌いだけど、きょうだけは天国のようだ。

(today's phrase)
home sweet home　快い我が家へ帰る（直訳）
　これも和訳がしにくい。家を留守にしたあとにようやく家に辿り着いた
　ときに親父が「やっぱり家が一番落ち着くわー」という気分の時に
　思わず英語で口走ってしまうフレーズ。
　grammarで考えると最初のhomeは動詞のように使うhome
　（鳩が巣に帰るときなどに使う）でそのあとは
　sweetなhome（快い家）ということか。
　ということで、ちゃんと訳すなら「居心地の良い家へ帰ってきたー」と
　いうところか。アメリカではよく玄関の周辺でこのフレーズを見かけた。