Ramazan in midsummer!

Ramazan (Ramadan) time has arrived in the Islamic countries! I'm not a Muslim, so I do not intend to fast, but I want to at least show some appreciation by not drinking in front of my staff who are fasting.
I had some regrets when I found out how tough it is not to drink anything in midsummer though we have airconditioning! It would be even tougher when we have to go outside to cover something! I hope we wouldn't have a major press conference for a while!

Today, unexpectedly, we had some flowers sent to us! Wow! Our neighbor gave us these to show her gratitude as we had let her maid stay in our living room yesterday... Oh, we just wanted to help a neighbor and we felt a bit overthanked, but being awarded with flowers feels nice in any circumstanes!


a beautiful flower sent to my wife!

A busy day off...

It was a Friday, I could finally rest, but nothing is for granted in this job... Sadly, I had several calls from Tokyo, ruining my time off to spend with my wife, and had to go to my office to handle some paperwork... boo...
In the nighttime, I finally had some time to use for myself... Yes, I have to go back to work right away tomorrow, but I used my time to work on our option to go to a trip to Paris next week though my butt's really on fire with so many things coming up in May!

Pics...

roses that I thought were dead have revived!

happy to see you again!

snacks of Iran... the pistachios!

Some time to relax in Tehran...

For several days, before the real cruel days of work will start, I'm going to spend my time a bit relaxed. From next week I know of sure the next series of severe working days will begin...
Tonight, after work, I went out with my wife to have a chat with nice Japanese food with compatriots. I'm happy my wife has already made friends that will support her and I always want to be friends with Japanese residents who can share the hardships of staying here as we can exchange information together, encouraging each other saying how tough it is to stay here. Tomorrow, I will briefly leave the country but I hope nothing will happen here!


some nice flowers I saw near the press conference venue in the north...

Last day of a six day holiday!

It was my mistake to sleep until 11AM! The day went by so quickly as it was around 3PM when I finally finished writing about 50 more cards!
Trying to finish the holidays in a nice way, I asked my wife to accompany me out for a walk in the park... I'm sure she was the one who would have loved to, but I knew she was worried if I'd finish writing the greeting cards on time!
The stroll in the park was pleasant. It was warm and many families were picnicking running around with soccer balls!

Pics in the park... so peaceful...

nice day to take a walk!

many people were enjoying the day in their own ways!

and the favorite family sport is soccer! we spotted a lot of girls kicking the ball wearing the skarf on their heads!

so many beautiful flowers!

sakura!? cherry blossoms!?

In the nighttime, we decided to setup the game console that my wife bought in Tokyo. So many of her colleagues and friends gave us softwares and peripherals for the console as a "marriage gift" for both of us and as a "retiring gift" for my wife!


it works fine!
we had a tough time to be used to the remote controllers!

PS
In the morning, reports of Japan winning the WBC was already out... It seemed to have been a very exciting championship game and I was quite sad I couldn't share the excitement together with my friends in Japan and the US... Oh well, someday I'll get to go to see a game in the future! Inshallah!

PS
After doing shopping, we stopped by at a coffee shop...

much like the Starbucks type shops!

with menus in English...

and the frappuccino!

PPS
Back in the garden of our office...

planting a colorful plant!

Money is the key...

Here, many things can be solved with money. Well, maybe it's too far to say "solve", but it's undoubtedly better to pay more money to get the services and the leniency that counts in the end. People who have the power and connections to make things happen know it will be good business to offer the help... with the compensation element...
I have the right to use the office money for services that I really need, but it's really hard to distinguish beforehand if I will get the right results. It's very hard to make contracts on "a piecework basis" as the people with the power are the ones in the upperhand.
My only humble way to resist is to ask for a discount as I'm using the official budget and not my private money so I won't be attacked by the accounting division. More like business today in quagmire, it's really hard to get the returns from the investment. I think it's more so in this country than many of the other developing areas of the world. I know many people will not agree, but they will when they get to work here. Sadly, not many people get the chance to work here... Would you like to take my place!? If you're saying yes, I really hope you really mean it because I don't think so!

PS
It really relieved me to help...

planting the flowers on the garden!


a variety of them!


beautiful!


planting one by one...


hmm... not bad!?


a renewed garden!


we continued until it was dark!


and giving them what they really need!
aab! (meaning water in Farsi)

Alone...

Alone on Valentine's Day... Oh yes, my colleagues were here until the working hours were over, but they left as there was no reason to keep them for overtime work as it was a really peaceful day. I'm sure everybody wants to rest as the Revolution frenzy is over.
I looked at the garden and was shocked that our housekeeper had trimmed all the plants including the rose plant that had fostered two blooming flowers...


oh... the plants are all trimmed...


oh no... where did they go!?


oh... there you are... poor thing...


just like me... is it over? and where is your partner?


oh... there you are... poor thing...


you couldn't bloom before falling... very sad...

I was casting a reflection of myself on the yellow flower waiting for the latter one to catch up... now they're both dead... Oh well, I just have to believe they sacrificed their lives for me... Rest in peace!

PS
Another song... a very famous one!

Heart - Alone


http://www.mp3tube.net/musics/Heart-Alone/109726/



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxfdDrKO8uM

Alone
by Heart (1987)

I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

You don't know how long I have wanted
to touch your lips and hold you tight, oh
You don't know how long I have waited
and I was gonna to tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
and my love for you is still unknown
Alone

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

Alone
Alone

Dreadful...

The week started with a mistake... I went to an event which I thought would be a worthwhile ceremony to cover, but I arrived at the scene, I realized it was nothing close to what I was expecting... This kind of letdown is an everyday thing here, but it's really disappointing when it happens when you're running out of time... Oh, this is really killing me!
There was no progress as I had anticipated... I'm getting desperate, and should I thank God that I can't drown myself with drinks!
Tomorrow a correspondent from Tokyo will arrive for help... I hope he will become our messenger of good luck! I really do!

Today I noticed in the garden...


a single flower in blossom... in this cold winter...


it really encouraged me... yes... I want to be like this beautiful flower standing strong in adversity!

PS
It's the 14th anniversary of the earthquake that hit Kobe... each year it reminds me of how I've come a long way... I was hoping to be spending a happy career as a good reporter to cover stories that would help people and even Inshallah save the lives of people... but look at me today... I'm not even close to that! Why am I here now covering things I really don't care about!? I don't know... I really don't know... Please God, show me the right path I should head to... please...

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!

First rain in Tehran!

Back to work...
After having a great night, it's always painful returning to work. But today we started out going to an event to see beautiful things...

a flower exhibiton!


nice!

beautiful! all made in Iran!

Lunch for the day...

rice with boiled chicken! this is tasty too!

In the afternoon,

suddenly the sky looked gloomy...

it started to rain! only breifly but it was the first time I saw rain here in Tehran!

in the evening, it rained a bit stronger! but only for 10 minutes...

It would a day to remember... when would I see some precipitation the next time!?