Serious headache...

I had a headache and though I'm sure it wasn't because I had contracted swine flu, I really didn't like how it was seriously aching. I tried to finish my work as quickly as possible, and fortunately(?) there wasn't anything I had to write today. I finished work and returned to my home to take it easy and relax. It was getting better at night and I really hope it won't return tomorrow!

PS
Happy Birthday to my MOM!
I hope she'll stay healthy!
And I hope I can return to Japan to see her and Dad!

PPS
Hey...

oh you found the best place to take a nap!

and the garden's all yours!

Alarming...

There was an alarming issue today. I had some regrets as I realized though I always express things in a pessimistic tone, I may be too optimistic in the root. I must be careful not to be overridden by this optimism. I must remember: what I believe in is not being believed by others, even by the closest ones. I have to think more about how others think rather than thinking how others would probably think. To clarify, all I could do is obviously... to communicate!

PS
Today's menu...

for lunch: warm soba

for dinner: oyako don

I really have to show my gratitude... Thank you so much...

I also have to remember it's Ramazan time...

everybody's waiting till Azan time to have their meal!

PS
Today's menu...

for lunch: ramen with vegetables!

for dinner: chirashizushi with shrimp!

Thanking my wife for these delicious Japanese meals!

Under pressure...

Working as a correspondent, I always feel the invisible pressure... The western media always write everything... especially if it's threatening to the West... obviously. And the existence of this nation is already a threat to them... so they write everything! I always receive these wired news and I have to make a decision to write about the same topic or not even before I get the first hand information myself.
Please be reminded that we're not a "western" medium! Why do I have to be intimidated if I don't write about stories that they write! If I'm going to continue my job, I would love to go to Asia, but everyday I'm losing my motivation. I'd rather completely quit what I'm doing and go to the United States, but visiting my hometown last week, I'm fully aware that it's not easy to earn a living in that country.
So for now, all I can do is go on feeling the pressure and hope for the best, that someday I would be able to take a job I would love to engage in!

PS

we shared our Japanese souvenirs with my staff... they're all tasty!
thanks Mom and Dad!


and with some magic liquid, I had my favorite snack at night!

Time to leave

This time I wasn't that blue to leave one of the best places in the world to be on vacation. It was partly because this time our plan was only to get ourselves to my sister's wedding and see my family and the mission was complete without any flaws. Yes, I was satisfied!


we had steak who took home with a doggie bag!

Today we also went to a Japanese supermarket and bookstore to find things we will never be able to find in Tehran (maybe at Dubai by doubling the price). And finished off with American style getting souvenirs at Costco (former Price Club to me), and stopping by Starbucks and Burger King for our lunch.


Japanese food store...


and the famous bookstore!


wholesale store!


looking for the BEEF!


and my favorite fast food!


drive thru!


the largest one... Triple Whopper!

We left home at 2PM and we were on the way at 4:40PM out of the airport... After saying farewell to my sister and my mother who will also leave tomorrow with my dad... maybe I fell a little blue... At least we still have one more day at Dubai...


oh... we're almost there...


and that will take us back to the Middle East...

PS
It really sucks that our enterainment system was broken! We were offered another seating, but we heard there was another guest together, so we decided to skip movies and just enjoy the time together. Actually we were sleeping most of the way!


not working!

But there's many ways to enjoy...

number one... BEER!


number two... WINE!


crossing the mountains...


and flying through the blue sky!

Day of celebration!

I now have a brother-in-law. I'm very happy to have one so trustworthy and reliable. I'm of course happy that both are doing well in their career and even more, they have great friends around them. I've been away from my sister so long, that I never was there to help her in need and I witnessed all the love my sister and her husband has received from all of their companions.
The five hours we spent at the wedding venue made me realize once again that I hadn't given my wife this opportunity to celebrate among her friends and our family. I really felt guilty... but today it was a day to celebrate so I just pushed it back into my conscience. I'll think about it later!
So anyways, congrats to my lovely sister and our new compassionate friend who is the luckiest guy in the world! Congratulations!

Photos...

before everyone was seated... waiting for the great event!

while sunset... after the ceremony...

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!!

Something in the ordinary

Using my spare time, I went out to get a haircut. My wife came along to the shopping center where the barber was and we stopped by an ice cream shop to get some treats for my staff. No major steps in our coverage, but there were indications that the authorities were not thinking of kicking us out as we received another three months visa today.

PS
It was a day of election coverage in Japan, as the major step of dissolving the Lower House took place. From now on, most of my colleagues working in Japan will have to take part in the coverage and we would feel the pressure of filling the news from abroad... do I have enough dough to make a nice report!? I don't think so...

Photos...
Our lunch today!

Super Star burgers!

And...

to the ice cream shop!

6 scoops please!

sharing with my staff!

A birthday to celebrate!

It was my wife's birthday today... It was the start of another week and my staff were here to celebrate! We had pizzas together for lunch...


four different kinds!

And in the evening before the end of the working hours, while we had a power cut, she was congratualted with a cake!

her favorite cheese cake!


And how old she is... ??


a surprise!


and very tasty!

In the nighttime we went out to have dinner at a Mexican food restaurant. All of the visitors were smoking shisha (or ghalyun غلیون in Persian), and it was too smoky for my wife, but the food was good. I hope she had a really fine time in her first birthday in a crazy environment!


too dark to take a picture...


having ice cream bars for dessert!

Quiet...

It was very quiet today. Nothing to do but to be alert nothing will happen! It's really hard to do nothing but I want to do nothing!

Of course my wife did not say she wanted to do nothing, but I offered to take out some kyababs for dinner. Not bad to do so once in a while!


kybab we had for dinner!


PS
Today my colleague's sincere gift reached Tehran safely!

my wife's really happy to get her Kewpie mayonnaise and dressing!

The cakes we had today...

a bit too sweet...

PS
Food photos!

snacks my wife bought in Dubai for my staff!


we opened up a Japanese gift my colleague gave us...
kastera!
I waited till my wife's back from her trip so we can enjoy it together!


our dessert at night! tasty black cherries!

Back safely!

The crisis seemed to have entered the next stage... more of things happening underground where it's would be harder to follow and tougher for me to find the raison d'etre to be here. I need to at least fill in the news for our channels, but that's nothing worth doing to me... personally...
Today, I didn't even fulfill the chore of writing such boring news stories, and went out to pick up my wife returning from Dubai. Work stinks, but my family still remains to be the most important element in my life and I think no one can blame me for being a bit worried about her going out on a trip on herself for the first time.


waiting in the lobby having a burger and Islamic beer!

She came out with only half an hour after the plane landed! Wow! She seems to be fine and I was relieved to see her smile. It's the end of June and I hope the tide will change... please...


she bought me my favorite snack!