To the south we go!

Waking up as usual, we got ready to go to a very short vacation less than 48 hours! We took the around noon flight from Tehran to Dubai.


enjoying the Emirates entertainment system on the way...
watching the latest James Bond film... finished minutes before we landed!

We wasted 30 minutes at the passport control of Dubai International as the computer being used suddenly had some malfunctions, and we also wasted perhaps another riding a taxi driven by a lady that could not find the way to our destination...

Finally arriving at the hotel, my request was to...

get a burger!

We also walked around the city and did some window shopping at malls... It's always nice just to see goods written in English!


walking through the clock square...

to the mall...

Just as we were walking for half an hour back to our hotel, it started to rain and while we were having a pleasant dinner, it was like hell outside with rain storming the people without umbrellas.

We had dinner at a gorgeous seafood restaurant!

choosing the recipes on your own!

fresh seafood!

of course with BEER!

oysters!

and lobsters!


heavy rain outside...

I ate too much and I had to gulp down some medicine to calm down my bursting stomach! It was a nice day though we had some small troubles... It's always nice to get away from home a while!


the view outside... can barely see the Burj Dubai...

Start of a new private life!

My wife arrived in Tehran in the morning. I feel relieved to see her safe and sound though she had come here last November and knows her way here.
It was not a good day for me at work as I had to follow up on Khatami's withdrawal from the Presidential race and I had to write about it before leaving the office to pick her up at the airport. I was up until 4AM and was quite groggy receiving painful phone calls from Tokyo even at the airport and it became worse when I was asked to give a live coverage about Khatami's story in the evening. It was a good opportunity for me to show how things happen unexpectedly and of course I'm not troubled at all to be able to participate in our news programs as it is always tough to get some coverage time for news about this country.
I was able to finish my job at around 8PM and finally have some time with my wife. Well, it's the start of a new private life for me and I think it's starting fine!


I checked the board over and over to see she has arrived!

Our first night in Tehran... it was loud outside as residents around the area were lighting fire crackers, which is far from what the original Chaharshambe Suri should be like... On the last Tuesday night before Nowruz, people are supposed to jump over fires, but people, especially the young ones are using fire crackers to have fun...

Time to rest... right!?

Waking up at around 6AM, it was time to finish the job. With my colleagues, we went off to the studio to finish my live coverage! It was the last one for the series: the 30th Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution...
I was so sleepy and I really wasn't satisfied with the quality of the work, but I was relieved everything was finished...

So I went out to finish some of the payments due...


going out to the exchange shop first!


oh, hello! an alien friend on the way!


a sunny and nice day!

And I took my colleagues out for lunch...
and my choice was of course...


meat!!

After my colleagues left the office, I once again fell asleep on the sofa of my office... Oh, I can really sleep tomorrow... right!?

Greatly relieved...

Mission complete... The fruit of our hard working two months was finally broadcasted... I also had the role of giving out a live coverage from the central square of Tehran along with a short video package in our prestige 30 minute documentary. I was expecting some trouble, but it happened two minutes before the live run! I lost the interruptible feedback (called IFB in media jargon) connected via my mobile phone and I had to go without it completely trusting the cue by my Japanese colleague talking to Tokyo with his mobile which became our lifeline...
Luckily the broadcast was finished in clean air and how alleviated I felt after I heard this from Tokyo! I had to be more cautious about preparing for these live coverages! I really thank God that it went fine as it was merely pure luck that it did not turn out to be a disaster. I also thanked God that the sun showed its face right before the live time. This was also a gift from God!
Motashakkeram!

Pics of the day...
It was still cloudy...

but good signs that we can see the sun coming out!

Just before the live coverage...

the sun came out... completely!

All I had to do was...

talk to the camera... believing in myself and my colleagues!

Relieved... just a little...

The first report I must give out on Sunday seemed to have passed the test in the preview held in Tokyo and I really really felt relieved. Really...
If they had said no to this one, I would have been doomed and regret what I've been doing for these two months! It was really hard to make decisions on priorities and I had some luck in filming... This time, I have to thank God!
Still, the operation will continue, filling other news programs without any mistakes... There are live broadcasting coming up and all I could do is pray again things will work out fine!

PS
Opening a souvenir my colleague brought from Japan...

always nice to have them...

and also a nice bath with additives... to relax like bathing in a Japanese spa...