End of the Year blog...

What a year it has been! Started the year out selling food to restaurants in rural Illinois, finished it up selling food to restaurants half way around the world in the United Arab Emirates.
I am fighting a horrible cold. I went to the pharmacy at the mall. The pharmacist here can give you whatever prescription you need. So, I told the man I had a chest cold he gave me some liquid potion to drink 3 times a day until the cough goes away. Please know that if I am found dead, it was not suicide...lol.
I am having a little bit of a steak problem with a major customer. So, last night I spoke on the phone with My old boss from Buckhead Beef for a half an hour. As most of you are aware, my departure from Buckhead was ugly and I left some scorched earth with my resignation and subsequent letter I sent to corporate. I will give my old boss credit, he was cordial, and we agreed what was in the past should stay that way...how the world turns, I invited him to come to the Gulf Food show (big show here in February) and I hope he takes me up on the invite....
All my amigo's are on vacation, Bob is due back Jan. 2nd, and Richard is due back Jan. 6th from the states. Kelly is in Sri Lanka celebrating New Years, and Georges, Karim  and Rami have all gone home to Lebanon. Ceren is headed to Turkey...I guess I am the last one standing...
New Years Eve here there is a Big fireworks show at the Burj Khalifa, so I am planning on getting spectacular pictures and posting them on Facebook shortly after midnight Dubai time (9 hours difference).
Fred is coming in 3 weeks, I am really looking forward to his stay, you should look forward to my first guest blogger....My parents will be here in mid February, they will be celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary in Dubai. I plan on taking them up in the worlds tallest building to celebrate on valentines day! I have another friend that may come in April...time seems to fly by here....maybe with a steady stream of visitors I will be home before you know it....
Offering a job to another old SYSCO co-worker this week, if it works out that will be 3 former SYSCO marketing Associates I will have hired. That will be 3 new sales reps starting in January. We finished out the month of December right at 5.5 million in sales, the second best month in Transmed history (last month best ever 6.1). I think January will be somewhere in between those two...
Fashion TV is having a big Dubai New Years celebration here...I don't know if that is televised just here or will be on back in the states, maybe interesting to check and see if you get fashion TV on your local cable.
From the interesting how its different here department, you don't have credit scores. If you bounce a check you go to jail. They base all credit on income. So I got a nice credit card with no fees based on my direct deposit to the bank. The funny part, Richard was denied a credit card. It seems that since Richard is 62, he was denied credit. A lawsuit in America, just how they do business here.
Same thing with resumes and interviews....You have a picture on the resume and religion questions and child rearing questions are fair game. As is age...They put a huge emphasis on where you went to college....
Oh well, gotta call Fred and sell  my car...
Here's to a prosperous and healthy 2011!
Happy New Year!
John