Last day of Ramazan!?

It was raining crazily with thunder roaring in the city. Actually it was also raining heavily before dawn as I was awakened by the sound several times. In the morning the thunderstorm continued on in the morning and everybody was predicting Ramazan will continue on till tomorrow as the lunar-watchers were supposed to see the moon to pronounce its ending.
Surprisingly, at around 10:30PM, I received a call from my staff that they did announce Ramadan will be over! How did they see the moon!?

From the morning...

hmm... a bad sign...

With the stormy weather outside...

the TV via satellite was dying...

Early closing...

Thursdays' regular hours are over earlier than usual and I encouraged my staff to leave as early as possible as we had plenty of work tomorrow, saying goodbye to another day off.
I even took a short nap in the evening before dinner and tried to improve my physical condition.
But that just made the day pass by like lightning...

PS
It started raining...

hmm... the weather is quite unstable recently...

Shortest and hottest night!

It was after 7PM when the plane touched down and we felt the heat even when we were walking through the jet bridge! Very hot and very humid!
This time in Dubai, we chose a three-star hotel to stay, right near the shopping center that is reasonable.
Right when we left the hotel to go to the shopping center that is just across the parking area, my glasses were clouded among with my camera!

completely smoked!

We once again hunted through the 6 Dirham shop and finished off at the food court!

at the 6 Dirham shop...


they didn't have Burger King, but I wanted to have one particular burger...


yes, the Quarter Pounder! and my wife had Green Curry!

It was very cool in the hotel, and the shower water was lukewarm too. But I really enjoyed the hottest and shortest night of this year!

Demand and Supply

At lunchtime, I was asked to give out a live report for a program broadcasted at night in Japan and I had to scramble to write my script. There seems to be a shortage in the news in the world as Europe is completely in its vacation mode and I'm sure many people are enjoying their days off. Here it's just as usual, a bit hot of course, but just over 40 degrees Celsius, much cooler than it is in the Gulf. I don't know where the people in Europe would want to go as I would love to go to Europe, even if is the center of work, to spend time leaving this crazy place. I'm hoping I would really be able to take a day off from next week after the important ceremony due to take place one week from today. Anyways, just like the weather, the news of the turmoil continuing in this country is still hot and it seems like Tokyo is targeting me to import some supplies for satisfying the demands to fill in the international sections of the news programs. I know very well that they would switch to a better story especially from the West which bumps in after I send my stories, but it's more like an obligation to send in anything so they wouldn't be worried about the stocks.

After the job was done, I rushed to a party commemorating the 80th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Japan and Iran. The FM of Iran attended and it seemed to be a very friendly party. I talked to many of my Japanese friends who I hadn't talked for a long time after I was preoccupied with the coverages of the election and its aftermath. Many say they will take their summer vacation and actually many already have left the country to take theirs. I always have to be envious about how people can easily take their vacations, but the responsibility I get for being a correspondent is incomparable. I thought I was used to this, but after getting married, it really hurts to realize the position I'm taking. I hope things go the way I hope it will. I really do this time!


heading north to the party...

One day to go till another holiday!

In Japan they're having a three day weekend. For us it's only a one day weekend and another holiday after three days. I took my first day off in months on Friday and I want to take another day off tomorrow! From Tuesday, another wave of work days... perhaps with no assurance about our future and limited security is coming. Will I be able to find stories that will once again stir up my enthusiasm!? I hope so... or again I have to go on disheartened...

PS
It's starting to hit the over 40 degree mark... It's too hot to go without air conditioning!

hello there! having a nice meal!?
the shadow of the visitor is so clear you can imagine how hot it is out there!

Over 40 degrees!?

Waking up right after 4AM after sleeping for less than 4 hours, I was at Mehrabad Airport before 5AM and leaving for Bam in an hour after that.

It was only two months ago that I took the same flight out of Tehran, but the weather was terrible! The winds were strong and it was suicidal for me to use contact lenses as dust kept flying into my eyes! In the daytime, I believe the temperature was easily over 40 degrees and my mouth was dry at every moment! It's been months since I trully wanted to drink water so much!
Our coverage was average... Not super, but not bad either... I still have two days here and I hope I can nail the story... well, I must nail the story or I will lose all the trust!


the plane to Bam...


a ruin of a famous adobe building...

White spring!?

It was cold yesterday too and everybody is saying that there's something wrong with the weather. Me and my wife really thought it was cold overnight and I found out why when I looked outside...


SNOW! in April!?

ain't it too cold for the flowers!?

Everybody is saying even more that it's crazy winter is back... maybe we don't have to rationalize the water usage in summer if this continues, but I really hate a "freezing spring"... Who wants a white spring... please give me back the sun!

Today I changed my SIM card... the display on the cell changed from IR-TCI to IR-MCI. I hope the antenna receiving will get better with the new generation!

new SIM card!

Spring has come!

It's becoming warmer each day and the snow of the Alborz Mountains are melting. I sense for the second time this year that spring has come, though the last time I felt it, the cold breeze returned to the city and it even snowed in Tehran when I was at The Hague!

Today, we went out to look for mobile phones. I wanted to get one for me as my phone's not doing well, especially on its ability to catch the waves... It could be costly if the antenna's sensitivity remains low when I really want to talk... it could help me very much when I don't want to talk to my bosses ;)


bunch of shoppers at the "mobile phone" department building!

with the latest phones... quite expensive!


so many small shops in one place...
which one should you choose to shop!?


all the gadgets necessary for the phones are here!

No disturbance!

It was such a nice day... no, not the weather... because there was no disturbance from Tokyo! Well, maybe I should be ashamed of myself hoping I don't have to do my job as a foreign correspondent, but who cares!
Spending time at my home, I almost forgot that there was an one hour difference on the clock! On 12 o'clock midnight today, the clock jumped to 1AM having the Daylight Savings Time in effect from today.

adjusting the clock!

After setting the clocks, we left for a walk to the north, heading to a hotel to have a nice lunch.


there were quite a lot of people out in the streets!

We decided to have a Thai meal!

some spring rolls...

and green curry and beef with mushroom sauce!

finished with coffee!

and the Haft Sin on the table!

The weather seemed to turn to the bad, but thank God while we were having lunch, it became sunny again!

this is how it looked while we were having lunch...

but it seemed fine later on when we started back towards home!

We stopped by a supermarket on the way back...
You can find some Japanese imported food here...

curry package...

and soy sause... ones on the right are made in China...

but also Snapples!

Some rewards...

I know the problem now... Why is so stressful to be here? It's because you can't have the the drinking parties with your colleagues who have shared the hardships together and refer back to the tough times and how we have overcome them. I did go out to have dinner with my staff and enjoy some cakes, but that's far from satisfaction.
Today I did spend some time with Japanese business persons staying here but I was mainly explaining about my hardships to strangers where I can't be too open to with so many insider information.
Each time I'd overcome these walls in the past, I realize I did have time to spend in the izakayas and bars all night to chat about what I've gone through and getting reactions were contributing to killing the stress...
Tonight, I think I participated in a gathering that was the closest I can get to such stress-killers...

PS
The weather was nice... but


the mountains were gray...
because of the smog...

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!

White winter...

It started to snow... it was not powdered snow at first, but as the day proceeded, it was turning into fluffy white puffs that gradually turned all of the greenery into white decorated masterpieces.
It was significantly cold from the morning and the season which I loathe seemed to have started and I only hope the scenary with snow will heal my soul.


it started to snow from the morning, but with puffy snow after 1PM!


everything's turning white...


in the highway...
a white winter is starting!

My office is at the northern side of the city, and when we went to the downtown area further south, I saw no snow was bothering the people. How interesting that the weather can change so significantly!

In the city park located near the Tehran Municipality...

no snow!

In the park there was a

peace monument...

with messages written in five languages...


including Japanese!

After the meeting...

it's still snowing...
getting harder as the night goes...

Gotta warm up!

how about some coffee! "Americafe'" I snatched from the meeting...
this Singapore product (not American!) is too sweet...

And to warm up further...

you need a warm bath with a nice color!

PS
First thing in the morning, I went to a police station located in Azadi to see what happened to the decision about my traffic violation...
They still tell me I have to pay 200,000 rials! Hey, I didn't commit the violation! I'm so angry about the conclusion! My staff told me I can still fight, but now I realize it's a waste of time... What a crazy world I'm living in!
By the way if I had just paid about 530,000 rials in the beginning admitting the violations, I wouldn't have to waste about a total of 7 hours for everything and I'm sure many people just would do so to avoid the complications... What a crazy world...

PPS

the man was finally convicted with the crime!
not everything, but it was finally concluded he had something to do with the English girl's death!

PPPS
In the morning at the garden...

another rivalry! foo...

A sharp fall

The temperature has sharply fell as it's under 10 degrees even in the afternoon with the sun. Of course, it's much better than Sapporo or the other bureaus in industrialized countries of European and American continents. Still, I can't stand a temperature that will make me shiver and I can only pray there wouldn't be any major earthquake for at least three months.

Today, I interviewed a person written in history books and known to many Americans of the older generation. It was a smooth interview as all the questions I asked seemed to have been answered with standardized replies as the interviewee has surely had been asked the same questions trillions of times. What can I get out of this? I don't know but I'll try to see if there's any implications that were informative!

PS
I'm starting to recieve seasonal greeting cards...
In Iran, it's only the season of the Eid celebrations but not the year end and new year season as the Iranian year ends in March in the Gregorian calendar...
Should I return seasonal cards??

well at least I can choose which cards I would like to send...

Finally the sun appears!

It was finally sunny today and it was quite a nice day to go the Japanese ambassador's residence inviting many guests in the occasion of the Emperor's birthday.

Today my mobile was not working and it seems the telecommunications authorities have limited my service because I haven't paid my bills... but I didn't receive any! It's really crazy that they just limit the usage because I can't really foretell how much I owe them as they don't send me the bills on time and they give no warnings!

still some clouds in the mountains... but a nice day in the city!

Hoping for something hopeless...

Another start of a tough week. I have to use my time wisely...
I'm skeptical, but I'm counting on my luck that next weekend I can spend my time in Dubai hopefully getting some time to rest. Any hopes are hopeless, as I always have to be ready for emergencies being in charged of one of the wildest areas in the world, but I think the only time I can take some time off is now and I will not have any day off till Feburary! Am I hoping for something hopeless!?

It was so cold today that I didn't want to get out of bed. I had set the alarm at around 7:30, but I woke up just before 8:30. The mountains outside were more blanched and it seemed to be at least 5 degrees colder than last week. Is it going to get colder at this pace!? You better be kidding!


the white mountains that rise behind the metropolis...


in the morning, he or she was waiting again...

Too gray to cheer up...

It's really gloomy when you wake up and see the sky and it's cloudy again. I haven't seen the sun for a while and when you really need something that could cheer you up, the gray sky is not helping at all.
It was again a tough day getting strict orders from Tokyo and finding out how late my progress is getting ready for a big project. I can't run away unless someone could take my spot but I'm sure no one is really thinking that I ever would. Yes, it's a hard country to run away, and I even have my passport taken away to extend my visa!
Oh... I'm in a quandary and I don't know which way to turn!!

why is the sky so gray!? why won't you cheer me up!?

Last night I couldn't write my diary on time because of a black out, but tonight after I restarted my computer clicking the "disc error check" operation...

it was checking the disc forever... hey I want to write my diary!