Being cautious...

Waking up at around six in the morning, I went to my office to send off my crew going to the east today where it is still warned by the MOFA that Japanese nationals should not enter. I had already gone once to this dangerous area, but this time I decided not to go and asked my staff to take the necessary pictures for me. I don't think my decision was wrong, but I'm sure it would have better off for my crew as they can have their lunch and drinks even though it's Ramazan as they can be treated as tourists who are allowed to eat and drink.
I was actually more worried about the plane that would take my precious staff as there were several accidents in this country recently and anything can happen. I received continuous reports from them that they were okay and I was very happy to hear they arrived safely in Tehran late at night. I was really relieved to hear that. I hope the air industry of this country will be safer as there's no other way to travel around in this large country. Thank God everything went fine today!

PS
My computer was heated up! I tried the same trick as before...

putting an iceberg on it! I think the speed was a bit faster... only just a bit...

Last month in two ways...

It was the start of the last month of the Japanese fiscal year. I have to seriously think about my accounting papers and that's a real task that I would rather not touch... Sadly, that's not a option and I have to think about a pay raise of my staff and how I would like to make changes in my equipments.
It's also the end of the Iranian year and that's coming up in less than 20 days. I hear that the last month for this country is a busy one for everybody here... I want to slow down but I'm sure I won't be granted with that luxury...

It's not the 29th of Feb...

mistake by Kayhan International!

The trouble with my computer was growing...

is it the modem that is killing it!?


the stupid modem for my private computer!

But today there was a major breakthrough for me!
I was told by the Iranian provider that this modem can't be used with Vista computers. I believed that for more than half a year, hoping they will someday provide me with a software that would let me use the modem with my new Vista computer... but it didn't happen...
But as I surfed the website to find out why my XP desktop computer might be troubled by the modem, I found out a solution to connect my Vista computer with the stupid modem!

I just surfed around the websites of other providers outside of Iran that used the modem for their services and one of them had provided its customers with drivers and tips!


these guys were the ones providing the modem!


using the same modem!


It's connecting! yes!


yeap! it's connected to the internet correctly!

PPS
Today's lunch!

not bad right!?

So fast...

After 9 o'clock I finally woke up... It was around six yesterday that I fell asleep, so that's... 15 hours of sleep!
I still felt quite drowsy and the day went past so fast!
I had to fight with my computer... it runs into so many freezes and hang ups that I seriously have to think about what I should do to make it usable...


these error messages... it's making me crazy!!

PS
It was the last day at work for my wife in Tokyo... I wonder how it would feel if I'd quit my job. I surely wouldn't cry and if I'd decided to quit, I'm sure I'm not worried about my future, but rather seeking a dream...
Well, the heroine of the story is my wife today and from the bottom of my heart, I told her "Otsukaresama!" (meaning something like "Thank you for the hard work" we always say at the end of work in Japan).
I hope she'll spend a nice time until she will leave Tokyo to join me here... of course I'm hoping she will have a much better time spending time with me!

PS
oh... it's going to take hours!

too bad I only have slow internet... it would've much easier in Japan!

Fighting with my computer...

I was supposed to take my time to reset my computer and recover the C drive to wither off some of the errors that continuously trouble me by making me restart the computer over and over, each time taking so much of my time waiting for the Outlook to finish its checking at restarting after about a ridiculous 20 minutes!

After finishing work, I started the process... I didn't know if I'd done the back-up process correctly, but who cares... I need to reset this guy!

PS
It took me hours to download the necessary updates for the OS, including Windows Service Packs... The booting process of the computer now only takes a minute and a half compared to 5 minutes before I started the recovery...


ok! let's start the recovery!


oh is it really okay to do this!?


XP refreshed!


and the applications are recovered too!


refreshed as new!

No progress in the rain...

From yesterday, it was raining continuously, but in the afternoon it started to soften a little and we went out to film a standing report and then also went to go get a notebook computer for my staff.
Along with the rain, our progress at work was not really good and I had to say to myself that I shouldn't get too stressed up or I won't make it. Still, the uneasiness and worries darkens my mind and it's becoming harder each day to smile!

PICS

the computer complex...

filled with gadgets!

what happened to the sanctions!?

Japanese brands seems to be quite popular!

Too gray to cheer up...

It's really gloomy when you wake up and see the sky and it's cloudy again. I haven't seen the sun for a while and when you really need something that could cheer you up, the gray sky is not helping at all.
It was again a tough day getting strict orders from Tokyo and finding out how late my progress is getting ready for a big project. I can't run away unless someone could take my spot but I'm sure no one is really thinking that I ever would. Yes, it's a hard country to run away, and I even have my passport taken away to extend my visa!
Oh... I'm in a quandary and I don't know which way to turn!!

why is the sky so gray!? why won't you cheer me up!?

Last night I couldn't write my diary on time because of a black out, but tonight after I restarted my computer clicking the "disc error check" operation...

it was checking the disc forever... hey I want to write my diary!

Succeeding in restoring my computer!

Using the Vista upgrading disc to somehow restore the Vista Business of my dead computer worked!

After the night of the 27th, I gave up after about three error messages and sadly it didn't make it to the end that night... but it seemed that I can still try using the Vista upgrading DVD to get something going!

This night, after going through another two or three error messages, I was able to restore just the Vista Business components. After restoring the OS, I tried to recover the computer booting from the partitioned recovery data in the hard disc... and it worked! Back to work! I'm sure going to make a recovery disc this time!


error message... I saw many other error messages, but I just kept going!


I was so glad to see this message!


I see the TOSHIBA mark so the partitioned data is still alive!


yes! the reinstall process finished!


recovered... yes!

Getting cold!

It was really getting cold as I assume it's under 10 degrees at night time and in the morning. I think I didn't catch a cold but I better be careful or I really will...

Today I went to the Japanese embassy to talk with fellow correspondents and the ambassador. We had some informative talks about many things that I had to do, but my mind was completely shifting to the Gulf countries in the south as I was strongly urged to make some business reports. I'm really not good at making business reports and it's really a pain in the neck when they'd obliged me to give something out. Well I'm a hired correspondent and I can't resist orders. I better start getting some results here!

PS
I found a clue to restoring my dead computer...
using the Vista upgrading DVD that I used for another computer...

it seems to work as a booting disc!

One twelfth? One eighth?

It's exactly three months after I left my native country. If it's going to be a full three years sentence, have I finished 1/12? Or if it's only going to be two years, is it 1/8!? I hope it's not 1/16!

I woke up in the morning to be ready for some calls from Tokyo which somehow I has some presentiments I'd receive some. I did get some phone calls in the afternoon while I was fighting with the computer which crashed a few days ago. Sadly I couldn't get the call I wanted to and the day flew by without any improvements.

The world economy is really in disaster and I'm sad all the money I have in the bank I changed from the yen to the dollar has dropped its value significantly. I hope it would return to the 100 yen level before I return to Japan (two or three years later! or will the bank collapse before that!?), and on the other hand since some of my salary is now sent by the dollar I really don't need the yen to drop back so fast. It surely can take its time!

Taking hours to fight my way with the computer...

the crashed one on the left...


oh it seems helpless! it's completely my mistake I didn't make a rescue disk!


the pile of junk mail... I found out that almost all of the junk mails are sent with a name that starts with A!


thinking about the Kikkasho scheduled for Sunday... will it be another big payback race like last week's Shukasho!?


my dinner... curry rice! my favorite! I haven't had this recipe for more than three months!

My private computer...

crashed! oh no...

Finally after fighting for two hours...

I got 2GB of memory!
maybe I can smoothly update my blog now!

A sweet visitor...

Someone had brought their puppy, and he was running around like crazy in our garden next to my office...

he's so cute...

bowwow...

he really is curious about the camera...

hello!?

I have to go! please let me go...

Having some pizza for lunch...

but can't give this to that puppy...


good-bye... I'm going back to work! bowwow!

I had some important issues to clear up today... I had to work, but I was very curious about that fella outside...

oh you're still there... I got to work buddy... sorry...

In the night time I challenged to upgrade my desktop...

so where does this memory chip fit!?

National holiday...

Imam Mahdi's birthday...
It's the second religious national holiday in less than three weeks and I used the day to fight with my computer which seems to be unstable maybe because of the incompatibility with the wireless internet system or hopefully not becaues of a virus.
It's unfortunate I can't connect all my Vista computers with the internet and my four years old VAIO is the top contributor to my computing life.
I woke up in the morning, went to sleep again till an hour after noon, and fought with the computer and took a nap again till later in the evening!

computer business...

and snacks!

In the evening, news about a satellite being launched jumped in and I had to scramble to write a story. Later, agencies said it was not a satellite being launched, but a satellite-carrier... I always have to be careful about what the agencies first report! It took me till midnight to compile a story... oh it's going to be a short, but long week!
Anyways, I have to find ways of showing progress this week... so let's scramble!

My things have arrived!

After finally getting my passport back yesterday (which will let me stay in this country for at least another three months!), I was now given the priviledge of getting my personal things which were pegged to the customs at Mehrabad Airport.
After an hour and a half of getting the papers set and waiting another 2 hours for the goods to arrive, I finally got my personal things!

23 boxes in the truck!

there here!

I decided to cut short my work at 6PM and started opening the boxes. Some of the boxes were opened and damaged, but the goods inside seemed to be safe. Luckily all my computers and data DVDs were not destroyed! It took me more than 6 hours to get things straightened out and it was obvious I had to sort out some things I just crammed in without making any decisions whether I really need them or not!
I'm lucky I can concentrate on cleaning up as I can't watch the Olympics!

I think the computer is set for use! it's working!

My lunch today...

some buffalo wings!
without any rice or bread... perhaps with unhealthy amounts of oil!

And some snacks...

Azerbaijan cookies!

and the kitten in the garden!
good to see someone resting...