Earning my pay...

I have hit a wall in personal time available. I am working now more hours than I have in years (maybe ever). I went to work Saturday for almost 5 hours(Saturday is Sunday here), Sunday, I went to Abu Dhabi and didn't get home until after 7pm. Monday I spent the day in Al Ain (should have taken my camera-more on Al Ain in a minute) I did not get home til after 9pm, Tuesday my last call ended at 7:30 pm then I went straight to a reception for a grand opening of a new client. I got home at 10pm. Today, I sent my last email and Sham made me leave the building at 9pm. Got a Burger King Fish sandwich on the way home. Tomorrow, I start the day off with a sales meeting and have a late afternoon call scheduled with an unhappy customer...what a week....maybe my first 80 hour work week...
After no unusual weather at all I woke up Monday morning to thick fog, There were several accidents- it was at least weather...still upper 90's low 100's everyday...but it feels good outside. Everyday since I have been here the weather forecast calls for 0% chance of rain. I wonder if this winter there will be days that call for 10 or 20% chance and then will I be rooting for rain...silly question, of course I will.
On Monday I traveled to Al Ain. It is about an hour and a half drive east of Dubai, which contrary to logic is inland away from the Arabian Sea. It was a drive straight into the Arabian Desert. Lots of road construction as the road is going from a 4 lane highway to an 8 lane highway. Al Ain is a historic city. It was built around an Oasis and large spring. After an hour drive straight into the desert, all of a sudden everything was green. Grass, trees wide well paved roads Al Ain is a sleepy city. The downtown area was wall to wall buildings, not very tall and very cluttered. It reminded me of a Brad Pitt movie where he was an agent in the Middle East. The entire time I was downtown, I saw no one that would be considered a westerner. The city has a population of 375,000 people, and almost all were middle Eastern or Indian .
One of the accounts my sales rep took me too was the Al Ain zoo. It seems that the city is going through a green phase and is trying to attract tourist at the same time. They have hired a consultant from Denver, who was glad to see an American He has been here since March, and I have a feeling his living experience in the UAE has been totally different than mine. AL Ain would not be a place I would choose to live.  Our last call of the day was at the Hotel Mercure. It is located on top of a mountain (Jebel Hafeet) one of the tallest mountains in the UAE. The Hotel is on top of the mountain, and it has a beautiful view of Al Ain in the valley below. I was within two miles of the Country of Oman. I'll have to find out if Oman is a safe country to visit....
Speaking of safety, I am a little nervous about my upcoming trip to Paris. I fly out next Saturday, (16th) and I am attending an international trade show in the heart of Paris. Our Embassy is warning against traveling there, but I don't think I have a choice...definitely should be in my friends prayers...
I booked my parents tickets to visit me in February for their wedding anniversary (birthday and Christmas too, 3 presents killed with one trip!,,,lol)so the 9th of Feb. through the 19th I will have visitors...Maybe I will start a tradition of guest bloggers while they are here...almost midnight, meeting 8 hours away, need some sleep...
Don't be strangers...and come before my parents do...lol...

John