4A

After waking early to make an important call in the morning, it was time to return to the research about the economy. Today I was able to talk to one of the experts and get a wider and deeper perspectives which was very informative and in a way having the scales drop from my eyes.

Yesterday, I was thinking about how bad the situation is for me, but still I'm getting small results everyday that no one would actually care and even know. It might be something special to note all of these small things in this diary that one day I might realize how the small steps have turned into a big accomplishment.

Still I don't see any bright futures, as there's no light that I see through this dark tunnel I'm walking through. I don't even know if I'm walking in the right direction. I remember the elder colleague who stayed here in Iran 17 years ago and felt the hardship in this country has not changed for nearly two decades. He said it would be like a long distance steeplechase race working as a correspondent here. I replied it would be better if I could see the obstacles like a steeplechase, but rather I feel it would be the pitfalls I probably will not see until the last moment that would be the most scary.

This same experienced colleague also told me there is a "4A" that was disseminated among the Japanese business people in Iran...

Aseruna=do not be in hurry
Ate ni suruna=do not expect
Atama ni kuruna=do not get angry
Akirameruna=do not give up

With all of the "do not"s, the last one is the conclusion of this story. Yes, I won't give up!

We had another blackout tonight while I was using the computer! The maglight and candles really helped to get me around things, but I'm really not happy to see this happening two days in a row!


lighting candles for the first time...


PS

hey what are you looking at!? someone giving you snacks!?

Outta luck?

Another day of waste! I wasted nearly 5 hours in the morning, starting early as 7:30 leaving the office and returning shortly after noon. The day flew by so quickly, but I decided not to work in night time and accept an invitation from the Japanese residents many of whom I still haven't said hello to. For that, I had to give up making a call to Tokyo, making it a priority tomorrow morning.

Just three minutes before it was time I requested the taxi to come, suddenly the lights went out! I know there's blackouts once in a while in this nation, but when I went outside and realized it was just the floor my office resided that lost electricity, I really felt how unclucky I am. Struggling to make a conversation with the janitor, all I could do was call one of my staff to ask him to talk to him and help me out.


hey why now!? some light from my battery driven notebook computer is the only help...

And the taxi did not come from 45 minutes, which evidently was because it was the first time using this taxi company, though it was thought that it would be better to call a taxi that knows more of the destination. I don't know if I was outta luck, but as I had to concentrate more with the blackout problem and not contacting the taxi company to ask what the hell was happening, I was able to see the electricity return just a minute before the taxi made it to our building.

It was a relief I could at least relax at the party being able to speak Japanese to many new people for the first time, explaining all the trouble I'm having with the stay here. It's something encouraging to here how all the people are having a tough time sypathizing each other going through the hardships. It was also helpful that today I was able to drink some "magic liquid" for the first time since my stay in New York.

Well for a while I'm going to remember how my luck had plunged and I'll see how it would bounce back so it really will help me when I need it!