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!

The turning point or the dead end!?

We went out from the morning to cover the friday's prayers, but sadly we were kicked out... actually I didn't even get to enter the venue! I'm still lost... without being able to cover anything important...
After today's sermon, I really don't know if the people are still lost... Everybody reports today was the turning point, but for me it really didn't seem so... Will anything change from tomorrow? Or did they reach the dead end? I really don't know, but somehow it doesn't seem a major change will happen soon...


in front of the venue... lots of people... but we were kicked out...

PS
After writing my story, I took my wife out to take part in a farewell party for a Japanese colleague working for another media organization and a diplomet both returning to Japan. They were longer so I have no right to say so, but I'm envious...


we had tasty Iranian food at the party!

Alone Again... naturally...

It was a Friday... a Friday that I finally felt I was taking a rest... I was sleeping till 10AM which was perhaps the first time this year I was able to do so!
It was a very warm day but I stayed in my office to start cleaning up some mess, especially the accounting papers which I hadn't touched for nearly two weeks.
There were some tasks left for my collegues who had to leave the country today, but they handled them with no sweat and it was quickly the time for them to leave...
I was happy for them that they could leave this country without being to burned and I really felt that I was the one left behind. After seeing them off, as they were smiling saying good-bye, returning to my office alone, I really felt the pain.
Alone again, naturally...

PS
I was surely happy to be able to talk with my wife on Skype though! I'm alone now, but I surely would like to see that change soon!

Song by Gilbert O'Sullivan
A song that reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 a month after I was born! It's about suicide they say, but I remember it more as a sad song losing your parents... I surely do not want that to happen and I also do not want to commit suicide, but I think it's a beautiful ballad so why not I paste it here!

Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally)

http://www.mp3tube.net/musics/Gilbert-OSullivan-Alone-Again-Naturally/34022/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_P-v1BVQn8

Heavier burden...

As I'm already panicking with the accounting I have to do, the burden of work is growing heavier each day!
I had a request from another office, and I had to make up my mind whether to go on a business trip or not as early as tomorrow! And as the nuclear issues are still moving onwards, whether it's the good way or bad way, I have to follow up.
The load is now putting me on my knees and it makes it really hard to go forward in full speed!
I went to the foriegn ministry in the morning for the first time. It was a special occasion today and I was invited to a lunch meeting.
I don't know if this is ordinary, but I don't think we have these kind of lunch meetings in Japan!?


it was like a great feast!

In the night, I had some dinner with my Japanese friends and I couldn't take pictures because of a reason I can't disclose. Well, you get the message!

Tomorrow will be a day I must make decisions!

Time for Independence!

It was time to say good-bye. From tonight I will be left alone as my precursor has left the city. I have to stand on my own feet now and it's all up to me to make decisions... about the operation of my office... the payments, the management, the accounts, and of course the reporting!
Yes, I'm on my own. But I think I have enough confidence with the staff and that's the most important element! All I need is the motivation to go on and of course I have to be healthy!
Tomorrow, it's a day off in this country... I better use my time wisely!

For a start...

back to the kebab meal!

Leaving behind...

Saying SAYONARA to Japan, feeling as if I'd left my whole heart behind...
I finally got what I needed to leave for Iran, and in the evening I took off from Haneda and headed to Kansai International to catch a flight to Dubai.

I met people I love dearly and most treasure at the airports. It's time to say good-bye...
I didn't cry as I know that I will meet them many more times in the future, but even a temporary parting is really painful...

I was still working on our documentary about India even just hours away from my departure, but after I took off, it was now in the past. I have to tackle my new issues in which I will be engaged in for at least three years. It just the first step towards my new life and I hope it doesn't start badly!


I stayed in a hotel near the Tokyo Tower... saying farewell...

and to the consular section of the Islamic Republic...
my visa was finally granted!


my last meal in Tokyo with my elder colleague...

And my last meal with my parents!

my favorite meal: udon!

and a souvenir from my mom... I don't need this mom...

PS
Just around midnight, we felt a slow but long tremble in the 7th floor of our headquarters. It was a large but deep earthquake that hit the northeastern part of Japan.
I went right away to my former workplace to see whether things were okay. I witnessed the dynamic flow of reporters rushing into work and I found out that I had no place in my old office.
There was no tsunami as the quake did not hit the ocean area and the epicenter was deeper than 100km. I think and dearly hope that not so many people have lost their lives with this one.

it was a hard hit quake in the north...
this country is really active!

Overtime!?

The real deadline was today, but I didn't get what I need to for me to get out of this country and enter the Persian state. There was news that I might get it tomorrow, and if I do, I'm only 24 hours late and that's not that critical. Let's see if I'll get the thing I need smoothly tomorrow!

After driking till nearly 2AM last night, I was so sleepy today. But since I couldn't leave Tokyo, I had to go back to the documentary making procedure and I devoted so many hours in to it. I went back to my neighborhood in the morning and around lunchtime, I had my haircut done. It would be very hard to get some satisfying haircuts for a while, so I just had to enjoy this haircut conversing with the barber I've been having my hair cut for 8 years. It's really sad that I have to leave where I've enjoyed so much. But I had to say thanks and bye to these people!

saying one last good-bye to Shinjuku...

and my home town for eight years...

Another farewell

It was another day of farewell as I had to say goodbye to some of my colleagues leaving Tokyo. As they have wished me luck, I did the same to them.
The editing process of the documentary continued and I still had no time to clean up my room... Time is running up and the stress is coming to its climactic state!


some cake at the farewell party...
thinking about my colleagues continuing the editing process without sleep, the best I can do was not to drink any alcohol and it was easier for me to have some of these sweets for dessert!
(another blurry photo... I better get used to this new mobile phone's camera!)