Back to normalities!

I was happy that the fasting was over and now I can openly drink and eat in front of my staff!

having coffee on my desk in the morning! back to normal!


having lunch at my office! I was too full with a double cheeseburger and fries! belch!
back to normal!

And more important... I also wanted to celebrate my staff's birthday which came right in the middle of Ramazan and we couldn't buy a nice cake for him...

celebrating with a nice birthday cake weeks later from his birthday!

Ramazan was very stressful even though I'm not a Muslim as I always tried to be careful not to cross over the line to frustrate the fasters, including my staff. Anyone who is fasting would surely not like someone drinking fresh water right in front of you as non-smokers hate to have someone smoke right into their faces. Well, the anxiety is over and I can enjoy eating and drinking more than ever!

PS
Summertime is over and we had to rewind the clock one hour back! I have to wake up at five tomorrow and this one hour would really help!


one hour back at 24 o'clock tonight!

Eid Mobarek-e!

I had to wake up early to watch the Leader's Eid ul-Fitr sermon.


on TV... everybody's there!

It was not a surprising sermon and I was able to return home at around 10:30AM to go back to sleep. I finally woke up again nearly four hours later. I was full of energy and decided to go out for dinner!
It was another rainy day and it was the right choice to take our folding umbrellas with us!

having a steak for dinner...

nobody at the restaurant! all reserved just for the two of us!?

It was raining on our way back and my jeans and socks were wet... When will this rain stop!?

Today's menu...

hot udon noodles for lunch...

and Yoshinoya style beef bowl for dinner!

PS: Food menu of today...

a Korean style meal my wife fixed...

not bad!


pudding... made in Iran!

not bad!

PS
I was very happy to hear my favorite team won!

sadly, I can only watch some of the plays through the web...

PPS
Another nice dish prepared by my wife!

grilled beef...

eating it Korean style...

with another type of Iranian cola...
hmm... Zam Zam Cola is better...

Still no enthusiasm...

The lingering languidness continued on throughout the day and it was probably the same for all my staff as they all finished work at regular hours and I was alone at 5PM. My wife went out to enjoy tennis and I was left alone at the office. I had no enthusiasm for work and just waited for my wife to return... The day went past quickly and I thought it was a waste... Well, too bad... how can I motivate myself when there isn't anything I really want to do here!

PS
At least my wife tried to motivate me by fixing a meal that waters my mouth...

curry rice... my favorite!

One more day please...

Working day from today... but to be honest, I really didn't have any energy to motivate myself to do any work... Maybe it's because I did some work yesterday and it's getting harder each day I stay here to go on without any day off...
I asked God please give me one more day to take it easy. Fortunately no one bugged me from Tokyo and in the evening, as we had agreed, my wife and I went out to have a burger!


cheeseburger and fries and salad!
it's a humble gift just to have some time together munching on burgers!

PS
It was a Friday today and as the Leader of this nation had a sermon before the worshipers, I had to work and watch his sermon. I really didn't want to write about it and though I was not confident, I decided to skip! After spending my time with my wife at home, we went outside to have dinner. Sadly the burger shop we targeted first was closed and the other was full, so we went to the familiar Thai restaurant farther away. I was satisfied, but the day went by so fast! It's already a new week! I hope my depression will ease a bit, but I really doubt it!


the burger shop was full!

to the Thai restaurant... cool enough to enjoy the meal outside!

and the usual "Islamic" beer...

and Thai food!

PS
Trying another type of Iranian cola...

Pepsi!?

nope... it's Parsi!

PPS
For dessert...

we had ice cream!

An empty day...

There was an announcement that the proposal about solving the long debated issue would be handed in tomorrow and today I just went through the past documents and prepared my radio report that I will record tomorrow morning.
Not having a rough day, especially in the middle of Ramadan, is not bad, but nothing really makes me smile these days and I rather see it as an empty day where many would try to attack me, I've wasted another day. I'm getting really pessimistic... probably coming from depression...

PS
At least my wife made me smile...

getting me a nice melon for dessert!

It was getting cooler and cooler...

I declare it's the start of coffee season!

Relaxed Friday...

Today I didn't bother to cover the Friday Prayers at the University of Tehran and spent my time relaxed at home. Happily, there were no bugging phone calls from anywhere which was the last thing I wanted today!

I woke up at 11AM, so it was already lunch time!

we had some pancakes...

made with magic doe we bought at a supermarket in the U.S!

Snack time... trying a variety of local chips!

German brand made in Iran... 3 out of 5...


Tortilla chips... Salsa flavor!? 2 out of 5...


Chili flavor!? it's rather salty than chili! 3 out of 5...

At night, we walked for about 50 mintues to get to a hotel...

on our way... the moon was already out there...


we saw... McDonald's!? no... it says Moz...


we also saw the Milad Tower...

And our dinner at the hotel...

enjoy Indian food! the food was great!


there was a parrot!? at the hotel...


and the full moon in the sky...

I was a little worried that the guest sitting next to me was coughing as the swine flu rage is catching fire here in Iran too... I hope I didn't contract any viruses.

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!

Going out for Iftar

Like last year, I wanted to enjoy an Iftar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar) and asked my staff to take me to an Iranian restaurant!
Fortunately, it was not a busy day and without any surprising calls, we were able to flock to the south right before sunset and have a nice meal.
I didn't eat or drink anything after lunch, so I was happy to see the dishes!
(of course, the relief is incomparable to my staffs' who are really fasting!)


oh there's the moon!


nobody yet at the restaurant!


the first things to eat! the date being the first one!


and then the nice Iranian dishes...

PS
Other pics of the day...

Iranian cola... from the Zam Zam bottlers... not bad...

At the local supermarket...


we found these! wow!


oh! and a Taco Bell brand!