Kwa heri...Bibi Shamsa...

Salaam,

Hosted a dinner this evening, to bid farewell to and in honor of our dear Kenyan friends...the Ambassador of Kenya and Madam Shamsa Ali.

After five years of friendship and great acquaintances, it's time to say goodbye again...to our dear friends from Kenya. Finally, the Ambassador and his lovely lady, my good and closest of African friends, Shamsa...are leaving Tehran for good in a couple of week's time. It's hard to believe that they are eventually leaving and for me to be left behind yet again...

We'll never forget the joy, happiness and the good times we, and our spouses have undergone together during our numerous encounters and trips around the country over the last five years. We'll always cherish your most invaluable gift to us...the gift of friendship, the opportunity to experience the heartfelt community that had developed among us and our families and our friends in the diplomatic circle. Your friendship is indeed warm and longstanding.

Fom my hubby and I, we wish you, the Ambassador and the family, every best wishes in your future undertakings, and pray for your happiness, health, success and prosperity. We will surely miss you and the children. Let us pray that we would be able to cross each other's paths again in the future, somewhere...perhaps in Nairobi or in Brunei...

Until we meet again, bibi Shamsa, kwa heri and asante for being a great rafiki...!!

Wassalam.

Brunei's own 'pulut panggang'...

and fried noodle...

welcome speech...

and the Ambassador's response

a farewell gift...

biryani...

beef curry...

mixed veg...

sweet & sour prawn...

cheese cake with strawberry cream...

the guests with the chefs and siblings...

guests of the evening...

kwa herini our dear friends...

D' Anggrek in Tehran...

Salaam,

At long last...and after more than five long years of waiting, a group of our Anggrek family members finally made it to Tehran. A double joy for us...our little daughter is also joining her aunties and uncle for her long summer break with us. The Emirate flight EK971 finally touched down at IKIA at around half past ten this morning and there began my joyous reunion with all my dearest siblings eversince our last encounter back home during our last autumn vacation....

Welcome to Tehran, your home away from home...to all my dearest daughter, lovely sisters and bro-in-law. We have a lot to catch up...!! Khosh amadid...

Wassalam.

at the airport...

waiting impatiently...

for the touch down...

welcome all...to Tehran

happy moment...

hi...I'm back...!!

happy faces...

home-grilled 'rumahan'...specially flown

welcome lunch...sushi...

the accommodation...!!

and barfi's strange look of welcome...

Kenya Farewell Reception...

Salaam,

Attending our best African friend's farewell reception this evening at their residence on Afrigha Avenue. Shamsa is finally leaving us soon to follow her husband the Ambassador of Kenya back to Nairobi, sometime towards the end of the month.

We'll certainly miss you our dear friend, but will still be seeing you again before you leave at our farewell dinner soon.

Wassalam.

the acting dean's speech...

Plasco Building...

Plasco Building on Jomhouri Avenue

Salaam,

Plasco Building...saw this high rise complex as we walked along the popular Jomhouri Avenue after visiting the Jomeh bazaar yesterday morning. Nothing special about it until we were told about its rather impressive background history. Built in 1964, this sixteen storey building apparently was the first largest multiplex shopping centre of Iran...and the tallest building of the city during those years. During its heydays, people used to go up to the roof top to get a panoramic and bird's eye-view of the city. It was also the first steel skeleton construction ever built by a famous Iranian engineer and foreign designers...hence the symbol of steel skeleton buildings of Iran.

Today, Iranian and Tehranis in particular still remember the sweet memory of this building as the first trading centre, with the bitter smell of its Turkish coffee, even in the midst of the congested traffic of the city, as they pass by this memorable avenue.

Wassalam.