Crime Wave Strikes Dubai!!!

I have finally moved into my new digs! I moved in on Wednesday Evening, never suspecting that the saga would just keep on going. I had no water, the power company kept promising (2 more hours sir, please be patient, we are 24 hours a day, didn't we turn that on yesterday, and In Shallah - was used several times) but alas, no power on Wednesday night. I knew I wouldn't have water until early Thursday morning, so I decided to be the wise man from the West and head to the nearby Mall of Emirates for a bite to eat and a complete use of the facilities. Nothing worse than knowing no water to flush toilets for over 12 hours....so I of course showed my wisdom...well. I had the Chilies appetizer platter for dinner, went to the bathroom then headed to my new apartment....yes, you guessed correctly, had a reaction to the food and spent most of the night running to sit on the toilet, wishing for water to flush with...sigh - it never ends. Of course they got the water running just after 2 am on Thursday morning, I know when because they came to my door to wake me up and share the good news. Lol, several flushes later, back to bed. My power finally was turned on about 8 pm Thursday evening, once again after numerous calls threatening or polite - it didn't seem to matter...
I am posting this from Dubai Mall, because I won't have Internet for another week. My email account is loaded full of spam this morning (3,000 messages), I am not sure what's going on there - I have shared many times how safe it is here, and how there is very little crime (virtually no repeat offenders) - well, my streak of feeling safe and secure is over. One of my employee gifts that I mentioned last week was stolen (still wrapped - money clip with cash in it) from an employees desk. Really took the joy out of Christmas day, then I found out the water cooler that I traded Bob for when he left the country "disappeared" from my new apartments basement. To make it a crime wave, it takes three things...well, its a wave...All of our CAB kickoff materials (pens, hats, calendars and aprons "disappeared" from our warehouse....security saw nothing...lol - where the culprits are going to wear this merchandise without being seen is a true mystery...I think the latter of this three crimes will be eventually solved.
It was a strange feeling being all alone in a brand new apartment complex. No curtains for privacy, no mirrors - but it was really nice to be back in my own bed. It is a little sad, one of the primary reasons I chose to move was Rodz really never cared for my other apartment (too sterile - not like a home) so she liked this much better when we visited the site while under construction...now I have moved in, but I also have moved on, 2012 will hopefully bring new opportunities for sharing and caring in my life.
My mother and brother (Mike) will be visiting in three weeks, so I need to get the new place spruced up. Today will be some moderate shopping, might leave a lot of the major purchasing decorating decisions for my mother. I guess it doesn't matter how old you get, still need your mom.
We ended up the sales year very strong, over 11 million in December (final numbers still a day away) beating the old record set in November by about a million. The final number for 2011 will probably end up around 94.5 million, 1 and a half million short of plan. Who can imagine a year where you grow sales by approx. 93% but still miss your goal.lol....The company grew Food Service Sales 23% in 2009 and 18% in 2010 and now 93% in 2011.....yet, Bob, Kawa and Richard (the other three senior American managers) didn't make it through the year. Somehow, I feel secure in my position, they have been very clear in their long term plan of keeping me, I think the other 3 had that same warm fuzzy feeling...right before they realized they were bull frogs and the water was boiling (I know all the |Americans reading this understands, my Mid eastern readers....code - payback for all of your Arabic conversations right in front of me...lol. Like they care....
Well my power is almost dead....reminiscing about 2011, plans for 2012 and a wrap up of numbers will have to wait until next week...I am spending New Years Eve right next to the Burj Khalifa (the worlds tallest building) for the spectacular fireworks show....Hope you spend your New Years happy and Safe...God Bless....
John

Tis the Season for Giving....

I am sure you can imagine how un-Christmassy (great word for scrabble) it feels when you are in the desert in the Middle East surrounded by people of different faiths that mostly do not view Jesus as the Christ. That being said, it is the commercial version of Christmas that is almost missing, not the part that brings inner joy. For you non math majors out there, this is my second Christmas in Dubai. Hani (the Company Manager) asked me to have food service team host a Christmas luncheon for the employees again this year. If I had to guesstimate (ok, closer to being a real word than Christmassy) the "believer" breakdown, probably 50% of our head office employees are Muslim, 35% are Hindu's and 15% are Christians. It is against the law to "proselytize" (real word that there is no hope for me to spell correctly) here, but the kind of witnessing that I have always been the most comfortable with is the kind that shows through your actions. So it was an extremely nice atmosphere, having all these people of different faiths, wishing me a Merry Christmas as I helped my team serve Turkey, dressing, green beans, mashed potato's, gravy and cranberry sauce to our fellow employees. I couldn't help but think of last Christmas, when Richard and Lal baked some beautiful Turkeys and Raju (one of our cleaners from Bangladesh) helped us to carry them into the dining area marveling at the "big chickens" from America (I found out that it was the first turkey he had ever seen).
I did go shopping for the team this year and bought presents from Steve and I. Engraved business card holders for the sales reps, money clips with cash for support staff, executive wooden desk sets for the managers and a very nice executive planner for Georges. It was a nice feeling to be able to give them all a little something to thank them for a good year. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a very nice group of employees. Christmas at work this year was outstanding.
It is a lonely Christmas in my personal life this year. This time last year I had just broken up with my Ukrainian girlfriend of a couple of months (seemed like much longer-sigh) and was stalking the beautiful Rodz, trying to get a date with this lovely waitress that had captured my attention. Well sadly, we are no longer seeing each other as we had different visions of our future together that didn't seem to align. I know that they say love can conquer all, but sadly that is not always the case. It was a mutual decision to not go forward, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I still have a heart that can't imagine not having a place for Rodz in it. The irony of some of the darker business days were made much easier by Rodz's warm smile and gentle touch, and now when so many business things seem to be aligning well, it seems hollow, with no Rodz to enjoy them with.
Speaking of empty places, my new apartment (is this an epic tragedy?) is unpacked, and unlived in. The final good news of Christmas is that I can move in on Monday (keep your fingers crossed). So my Christmas gift will be moving in to my new digs. The three months that I have spent in hotels, at Nick and Mimi's and now at Kelly's have tried my soul. I lost a bet with Bob that I would be moved in by Thanksgiving. I would have never believed it would have taken this long.
The news from the states about Bob is good, he has accepted a position back with SYSCO Atlanta and I am sure Sandy and his kids and grand kids are elated to have him home. I will be enjoying my Christmas day (the company has given the Christians amongst us the day off) with Nick, Juan, Hayley and their families at a special brunch at Kempensky in the Mall of Emirates. Steve is back in the UK with his girlfriend of 7 years telling her about the wacky Mid East, and then I am sure whispering how much she will like it if she will move here (I have a fertile imagination). He has made a very positive impression on the team in his first three weeks on the job.
I need to crawl out of Kelly's warm bed (weather has been outstanding, clear sky's highs in the mid 70's lows in the upper 50's) and forage some lunch at the Dubai Mall. Next week I will reminisce a little with you about the past year, and hopefully share with you a couple of move-in stories.
Merry Christmas to all,
John

Spending a few days at Kelly's...

No, I have not moved into my new apartment, and yes I keep hearing just a couple of more days....sigh. Tomorrow, Muzzy, Nick, Hayley and I are planning on going to the apartment and set up the bed, hang the TV's and get the place ready, so when I get the call to move in I will be ready. Yesterday morning, I checked out of the Holiday Inn and now I am staying in Kelly's apartment. It is very nice, and Kelly's bed is very comfortable. I slept very well last night. Yes, Kelly is happy I am here, mainly because she is home in Canada for the holidays...lol, no Kelly has not lost her mind, she was just very sweet in letting me use her apartment for a few days. She doesn't return until January 3rd, and if I am not moved into my new place by then....well, I don't know what I will do...lol.
My mom and brother arrive in a month, and before they get here, Christmas and New Years will have come and gone.....2011 will be a distant memory soon enough (at my age, many things are becoming distant memories). Fred has his trip planned out for late March, and I know a lot of my work pals are looking forward to seeing all three of them.
Christmas day is a normal business day here, but I am planning on giving the Christian employees a day off anyway. Not quite sure what the celebration plans are, most plans that we made earlier this month revolved around my new apartment, so not sure what we will do. I am responsible for hosting a Christmas lunch at work on the 22nd. Last year Richard and Lal cooked Butterball Turkeys for the building, but since they have both moved on. I am choosing the safe luncheon....Having our largest customer (Paul) cater lunch. It is going to be a traditional meal, as Rudy (GM at Paul) is fixing turkey's, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green beans and mashed potato's. They are known for their French pastries, so I am really looking forward to the Christmas Cakes that are very impressive (had them last Christmas). I guess I will take Shams out again this year for his Christmas lunch...I will let you know.
Bob has settled in back in the good ole USA. I don't think he has chosen a new (or resurrected an old) employer yet. My new manager (Steve) and I are getting along well so far. I am in a good spot right now, that being said, if I don't perform that could change rapidly. Steve is planning on making some structural changes to our team both short and long term, he is planning on announcing some of them this week, before he returns to the UK for a couple of days over Christmas. He has been given more latitude than Bob had, as he is clearly over operations also. I am confident that some of the things that are broken are about to get fixed.
I am going over to Nick and Mimi's tonight for spaghetti and meatballs, funny how my life tends to revolve around meals. Maybe that explains the extra lbs that I have struggled with my adult life. It also correlates to the void in my entertainment life away from American sports here in the UAE. Most people here have not even seen a baseball game, makes me wonder how the new "Denny's" will market here (coming in 2012) since there whole marketing and menu scheme revolves around their partnership with Major League Baseball.
Oh well, enough waxing poetically about food, I need to get out of Kelly's comfy bed, and head to the mall for a bite to eat...lol, some things will never change....

Great Scot! I have a New Boss!

Well Friday morning has arrived and Bob has returned home to Georgia today. His seventeen month stay in the UAE cut short, but opportunities for him are numerous. He hasn't decided which offer to take yet, but he will obviously land on his feet. Bob sold his furniture to a couple from church and the company was generous in helping with the penalties for canceling his auto lease and apartment lease prematurely.
Rodz's new job is taxing for her. She seems pleased with her duties and supervising the nail technicians. What she doesn't like is the hours, 10 am to 9 pm six days a week. Her off day (when she gets her first one) will be different every week. I am picking her up from work every night, and we try to have dates three or four nights a week. My mother (Helen) and Rodz are now facebook friends...not sure what the world holds, but my mom and Rodz exchanging Facebook greetings has got to make you smile. They are both looking forward to seeing each other in January. Maybe my mom will get Rodz to join the "red hat" club...lol.
Transmed was given a "CAB" license yesterday. It was quite an accomplishment that Bob took the lead in acquiring. Nick started his new role with the company as CAB Specialist (Certified Angus Beef) and Dry Goods Manager. It is a nice opportunity for Nick, and he will get the chance to get the Account Executives off to the right start.
Our new Food Service Manager started on Sunday. His name is Steve, and he is Scottish. He carries a British passport, and my continuing International education rolls on. I thought that since he carries a British passport that made him English. Well, I found out the hard way that "Scots" are "Brits" but are definitely not English. Of course, I managed to put my foot in my mouth. We have hit it off pretty well so far, and I am looking forward to helping him fix some of the things Bob and I struggled to get righted. Steve is 45, so after Richard and Bob have now departed for the US, I am officially the old man on the team.
I am beginning to think that I am never going to get moved into my new apartment. There has been more delays from the Dubai Gov't, and now it looks like it will be next Tuesday. I am at a Holiday Inn Express again, and I feel jinxed with this move. Hopefully, I will blog about moving in next week.
Keep your fingers crossed! Have a great weekend!

Black Friday, Blacker Sunday

This is going to be one of the tougher blogs that I have written since arriving in Dubai with Bob 17 months ago. This past Sunday, Bob and I met with Bob's boss to go over some proposed promotions (Kelly to Sales Manager & Nick to Category Manager/CAB Specialist). I have been advocating both of these promotions strongly, and have not had the satisfaction of definite go's on either one of them. Well I finally received the go ahead for Nick's promotion to begin December 1st. Kelly has to complete one more step, then her promotion is in line to take place January 1st. The meeting concluded about 6:30pm Sunday night, and Bob's boss asked me to give them a few minutes of privacy, 20 minutes later I was called in and informed that Bob's last day with the Company was to be the last day of November. It came as a surprise to me, Bob, of course has already gotten job offers from the states and I believe he is accepting one that will bring him back to Atlanta and get Sandy happy again. I know she has been pushing him to return to the states, and I am very happy for her to get her hubby back. So at the beginning of 2011, Bob, Richard and I were running the show, now less than a year later, two of the three of us have not gotten to fulfill our contracts (runs through Dec 2013) and the predictions of my demise have already begun. My new boss starts work this Sunday, I have seen his resume, it is quite impressive (British - mid 40's - years of food service experience in the UK) - I hope he finds me to be as valuable of an employee as Bob has through the years. The big boss is very supportive of me both publicly and privately, hopefully that will continue. Change is scary, sometimes it works out, and one thing is for sure, that is we will find out shortly.
My new apartment still is not ready, so I continue to camp out at Nick and Mimi's. I try to stay out from under foot as much as possible, and I have actually enjoyed staying with them. The apartment is ready, I visited it today, only waiting for the gov't to issue the certificate of occupancy, which is scheduled to be completed this Monday. So God willing, Tuesday I should be able to move in. Hopefully life will. return to some normalcy then.
It seems that several of my employees have also moved places, Hayley (American from New York) just moved into Kelly's building and they are one floor apart. Hayley begins to report to Kelly on Jan. 1st, so I am not yet sure how smart it is to move into the same building, but they are two of my favorite people, I am sure it will work out. Ceren (Turkish lass) has just moved to near where Nick and Mimi's apartment is. Since Nick has been promoted, and Kelly is about to be, I have lined up two potential replacements. Gina (Syrian/Swede) and Jasmine (Italian). I hope to get both hired right away. We celebrated another record month (Nov. 10.4 million) Wed. night at the new Hard Rock Dubai. Hani joined us and spent the evening chatting with my sales reps. At the close of the evening he pulled me aside and commented what a nice team that I have built. I take pride in that, because I believe selecting the right people to support sales is the most important part of my job. It was also a chance for the team to say goodbye to Bob, and wish him well on his trip home to continue his career. It all happened so quickly. Bob fly's back next Thursday night.
Today is the 40th Anniversary of the UAE. National Day is widely celebrated and maybe bigger than our 4th of July. I wonder if on America's 40th birthday, the enthusiasm was similar. The locals all paint and decorate their cars with the UAE's flag colors and it's a 3 day celebration in the country. There is a huge antique auto show outside the Dubai Mall, lots of old American Roadsters. Rodz has pointed out to me that I am older than the country. I guess that means I am officially older than dirt. Of course, there is no dirt here, only sand and the oil underneath it.
December is going to be full of changes, with a new boss and a new apartment, hopefully it will make the calendar move faster. My mom and brother visit in January, and Fred in March, before you know it summer will be upon us, and I will get to visit the good ole USA again. Today, I am enjoying the celebration of a country born 40 years ago, but my heart is still definitely with a country born 235 years ago. (yes Rodz - some things are older than me).
Enjoy your weekend.

Black Friday???

It will be a normal busy Friday at the malls today, no "Black Friday" in Dubai, in fact very little chatter about Thanksgiving day at work. We Americans did a lot of explaining about the tradition and what it meant to Americans, and the most common response I got from my Arab colleagues was "I have seen Thanksgiving on TV"...it looks nice...I was fortunate enough to celebrate a big dinner with Kelly, Hayley, Loren and her hubby, Juan and his wife and daughter, and our hosts Nick and Mimi. The food was very good, and I am stuffed. Now after everyone is gone, I am sitting here with Nick and Mimi waiting for the Cowboys game to start just after 1 am here. I do miss America, but it was a nice get together.
Bob's boss sent an email out late this afternoon offering a free turkey to all of our American employees, a little late since we had bought our big Butterball 18 lbs Tom Turkey on Monday...It is the thought that counts. Bob and Sandy celebrated Thanksgiving for the second straight year with Feda's family (Bob's equal in Retail) and Sandy heads back to Atlanta this weekend. Bob heads back to the states in Mid December.
It was a tough week at work, it felt like I was flying solo a few days this week. We had a new American concept start to do business with us this week, and I was fortunate enough to host Kelly and Bruce from the US on a couple of plant tours trying to find the right products for them. Reem is the sales rep (Jordanian American) that handles the account. Well I was my normal self, chatting away with Bruce and Kelly all day long. trying to entertain with my stories and mini education about the UAE to our two visitors. They had a franchise supplied body guard (Egyptian) that was driving them in his car and monitoring our conversations. Unfortunately, Reem did not fare as well for me. It turned out that Bruce's real name is Stu, and I had called him by the wrong name all day long. Reem told me after they had parted ways with us....sigh. She didn't know how to let me know while I was doing it. Sadly, I used some choice cuss words to let Reem know of my displeasure with her lack of business saviness to let her manager make a boob of himself. Fortunately, when I later apologized to Bruce/Stu, he was kind enough to share a laugh with me at my expense over my poor memory and name recall.
Now the interesting part of the day occurred when there Egyptian "host" through a fit about parking and the tardiness of our third tour, by abruptly ending the day, and removing our new found American friends.
We were victims of a scam that cost the country over 100,000 Dirhams this week. A company ordered all this product, then abruptly closed their doors and shuttered there warehouse. I felt really bad about being victimized by these thieves. I now know for sure that we are not immune to crime here.
Rodz started her new job as a supervisor at a beauty salon. the 10 am to 9 pm hours six days a week has Rodz worn out, but she is actually starting to enjoy it. I wish she would have been able to join us for our Thanksgiving feast.
My apartment is still not ready to be moved into, now they are saying Monday or Tuesday next week....I certainly hope they geterdone!
Well the Cowboys are about to receive the opening kick-off and I need to start concentrating....lol.
Hope your Thanksgiving was as nice as mine.

Paul McCartney, he plays the guitar, right?

Thanksgiving is approaching, and it is a nice time to reflect on what I have to be thankful for. My immediate family are all alive and relatively healthy. Other than thinning hair and expanding waistline I am hanging in there also.(Is thinning hair life threatening?) I am dealing with loads of stress in my job, but that has been the norm for me for awhile. I have a good job and am living safely in the Middle East. I have a beautiful girl friend that has an infectious smile and personality. My employer trusts me to make good decisions and allows me great latitude to get my goals accomplished. My boss has been a friend of mine for over 15 years, and one of the friends that SYSCO brought me (Nick) has joined me here in the UAE on this Great Adventure. One of our other Account Executives has become a very trusted friend (Kelly), that has joined some of you "blog followers" (who would have thought that I would ever write anything that dozens - ok approx 55 people a week would actually read) as I hope a friend that I will enjoy for a lifetime. I moan and groan a lot, but the bottom line is that I have so much to be thankful for.
One of the booming areas of the UAE is Yas Island. Juan services that area for us, and business there is exploding. It is where Ferrari World (largest Indoor theme park in the Galaxy) calls home, and there are a number of hotels that have sprung up next to the beautiful Marina and F1 race track. Its a 15 minute drive to Abu Dhabi from there, and a little more than an hour from Dubai when traveling on the Sheikh Z super fast hiway. Well part of what they are doing on Yas Island to attract tourist is have concerts with world famous groups and artists. Britney Spears appeared there last week as did famous Beetle, Paul McCartney. Now my previous mentioned bff Kelly scored free tickets and front row VIP access to the concert. Nick and I were excited for her. What an opportunity that probably all of us would love to enjoy.  Probably one of the top 5 greatest singer icons of all time. Well, 27 year old, blond Kelly really appreciated it also. As she shared with Nick and I about this concert she was going to, where this guy that plays the guitar will be preforming. LOL....Nick immediately correctly identified the moment as "Blog able"....
By the way, Kelly loved the concert and now understands that this guy - Paul - can sing also.
Work update, sells are going ok this month as we are on pace to top 11 million. We still have an outside shot of reaching our company goal of 96.1 million. Do you remember Juvy from one of my previous blogs? (a very nice Filapena that Rodz introduced me to) Well I finally helped her land a new job. I hired her to join our Customer Service Team. I am as excited as she is about her joining us around January 2nd. Rodz's job search hasn't gone as well. She has been offered a job that would allow her to stay in the country, but I don't really like anything about it. For a very meager wage, she would have to work 10am to 9 pm 6 days a week. She has basically this weekend to find something better. I pray that she does. She and I have grown closer during this stressful time, and it really pains me to watch her struggle with these decisions.
I stayed last night at the Crown Plaza in Festival City, and will be staying the next two nights at the Holiday Inn Express in Internet City before I enjoy the hospitality of Nick and Mimi until I move into my new apartment. That's right it is finally completed and ready to move into. All we are waiting for is the Certificate of Occupancy from the Dubai Government. I am psyched. I should be moving in by next Wednesday, with any luck on Thanksgiving Day I will be in my new place.
So please keep all of us Americans that are over here, helping to keep the unemployment figures down in the states, while you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Please try and remember all of the things that we should be thankful for, one of them that I am is I have friends that one to keep up with me, while I enjoy my Great Adventure.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Fool me Once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, 3rd Time, I am a Gullable Idiot

It has rained this week, and the weather is absolutely beautiful. On Monday morning, I woke up to the sound of rain hitting my Holiday Inn windows. Rain has come early to Dubai. the "rainy season" usually is mid-December until Late February. This weeks rain was the first rain since last February, and although it was only scattered showers it was the most it had rained in the 17 months that I have been here. It probably rained less that a half an inch, but since there are no storm sewers there was puddling in the roads. The remarkable thing was the beauty of the city after the rain. The cars were covered in sand from the rain cleansed sky, and the beauty of the clear Dubai skyline is so different than the normal "sand haze" that is always prevalent here in the UAE. The daily high is now in the mid 80's and the humidity is low, frankly for the next 30 days I am living in a weather paradise.
Monday we were off, and I spent the afternoon with Rodz ferrying her to job interviews. She was like a happy youngster (ok - she's 26) giggling about the rain. I guess in her home country rain is a routine part of the day, and she (as do I) love to see it here. Last winter it rained during the day 3 different days, and only one of those rains lasted more than 5 minutes. Life in the dessert...
Speaking of Rodz's job search, she had a very promising interview on Thursday, and she has been scheduled for a second interview on Sunday. I think a lot of stress will be released when she finally lands a decent job. Her old employer has made it very difficult by delaying canceling her current work visa, demanding payment from her to get it released. We did have a very enjoyable evening at the "Global Village" on Wednesday evening. Global Village is a seasonal shopping mart that is open from November through March, It has different buildings with country themed shopping. Rodz of course made a bee-line for the "Phillapene pavilion". We snacked on fresh grilled corn on the Cob and watched a local Emirate woman make a traditional Arabic bread. She would take the bread batter, spread it out on a searing hot pan - Then she cracked a raw egg on it and spread it out over this flour tortilla like bread. After melting a small amount of cheese on it, she folded it into a tri-angle, and for 10 dirhams ($2.73) we enjoyed a hot Arabic treat. It was a very nice evening together.
On the housing front, it has been a drain on my meager savings to stay in hotels the last two months. I now have a tentative move in date to my new oasis home....Nov 22nd. With sending money back to Fred to settle my American debts, I wish that the people who owe me money back in the US would pay. When I moved from Atlanta to Florida I sold some furniture to Kathy Gonzalez. She ran human resources for Buckhead Beef in Atlanta. She wanted some of my furniture and I sold her lots of my household stuff (bedroom suites, theatre seating, big screen television at bargain pricing. Well, sadly, she made it a bigger bargain by not paying. Well, you would think I would learn, alas, I did not. When I landed this job and moved to Dubai, I sold almost all of my furniture to Devin, a young salesman I worked with at Kuna. He eventually paid $370 of what I would estimate the $2,000 he owed me. The third person bought a big screen tv and stand that I owed $1,100 on for the promise of $600 (funnily, less than I was offered by Devin...Hmmm) I sold it to her because I liked her, and it was a way for her to get a much better tv than she could afford. Well, she paid $350 of the $600 and only owes $250 to me. When I was in St.Louis this summer I went to see her. She apologized, asked for deposit tickets to square her debts, and promised to pay what she owes.- Yes, she reads this blog, so this is a posting to pay up, or join the ranks of other people who took advantage of my trusting. Sadly, these people's actions change my gentle trusting spirit in friends that owe you....3rd time, yes, I am the idiot.
So, back to my homelessness, if we are lucky, when you sit down for your Thanksgiving dinner, hopefully I will be settling in my new apartment. I am not sure what Turkey day will bring us this year, Bob and Sandy will be the guest of Feda (Bob's counterpart in Retail) again this year, and I am certain that Nick, Mimi, Hayley(American for New York) and I will have dinner together.
My mother and brother have booked their travel for January. They will be here from the 19th through the 28th. Fred is still planning on visiting in March.
We have had a big start in sales for November, on pace for over 12 million. It is amazing that the strong numbers sales team produces with our growth challenges. The whole team has returned from vacations (except for Vinny whose attending a family wedding in India) and the push to hit our year end target is on. Bob thinks we will make it (96,100,000) with a couple of hundred thousand to spare, I think we will fall short by less than a million. Let's hope that bob is right....In 2010 the company sold 48 million, doubling is outstanding, I will do everything i can to make it happen, but it rests on our 12 sales people.
I want to go back and catch a few z's before I face the day. I hope yours is a fruitful one...

Shopping with Rodz....

Eid Mubarak! The celebration has started as the three day holiday begins tomorrow. This is the celebration that occurs 70 days after the Eid that occurs at the end of Ramadan. It is marked by gift giving and sacrifices. I have studied up on sacrifices, the way it works here is that you go to the lamb market, and pay for a special sacrificial sheep, and then the company, ritually kills the animal, part of the animal is given to the poor. There is a little stir about the high price of the sheep this year. They cost about 900 Dirhams ($250), up about $25 since last year...inflation gets everyone...
The Eid holiday has given us a couple of things, we are closed on Monday, so I get to enjoy a true day off, and Sunday is going to be a 7 hour work day....Making it a restful weekend. Business is absolutely booming. We ended up having a bust out month in October with over 9.7 million is sales at 117.7% growth over last October. That has been followed with business of around 3 million this first week of November, yes another record. We are struggling to get orders processed and keyed correctly, and shipped. The "IT System" is still not keeping up with our needs, maybe we will get it solved before we have a critical meltdown. The account Executives are very frustrated by lack of support in getting their job done efficiently. Time is ticking to solve some of these issues, while our growth is not giving us a chance to catch up. For the first time, I actually feel like we have a chance of making the goal of 96.1 million in sales this year, I just got to keep leading, without pushing...and the talented group of Ex Pats that we have recruited will get it done!
I went to church this morning, and was very pleased to get to see Sandy has returned safely. I finally got to give her that face to face apology that I owed her, and in the sanctity of church- she was kind enough to forgive me, now if I can just go awhile before I have to apologize again for my social Faux Pas (yes Mimi, I had no idea how to spell that one).
Rodz has come down with the dreaded "sand lung". It's that respiratory infection that all of us seem to catch regularly, but especially in the fall and the spring. I think her depression over her job search has made her susceptible, she seemed like she had turned the corner last night in getting better. Last weekend, I needed a new belt to replace my worn out brown one. So before we went to Fuddruckers, Rodz took me shopping. We went to KM trading first where the prices were very low (to me) but so was the selection. The belts were about $10 there, we didn't like them, but Rodz said they were expensive...hmmm, so I asked where should we go to find better deals...Rodz said "Green House", Ok, this may be boring, but we headed to Deira and went to greenhouse. It was absolutely packed with shoppers, heavily dominated by Indians and Fillapeno's. (did I actually spell it right?).... Well. I bought 6 pair of dress socks, a nice brown belt, and a pair of swim trunks (for the hotel). Total bill....45 Dirhams ($12.25) and of course, no sales tax...lol maybe She and I will return to bargain shop again. Still no job for Rodz, but has a couple of interviews scheduled for next week, so keep your fingers crossed...
A new feature for this "tired" blog...what's in the newspaper? Since I get a free paper at my door each morning at the Holiday Inn (at least two more weeks...sigh) I am enjoying reading the "Gulf News". The writing is sometimes lacking, but the angles of the stories are fascinating. This week there was a statistical analysis of people injured and killed in auto wrecks. It was linking nationalities to the accident rates. So the reporting goes like this, so far in the first 9 months of this year, Indians (no surprise in this corner) had the most injuries and casualties at 365. 23 of those died, and 328 were men. Locals, or as they are known "Emiraties" had the second most with 264, then came Pakistani's with 242. Somehow I think I could make this into a contest for Nick, Bob and I to wager on....lol.
Well, heading to the mall to meet Nick and Mimi for lunch (new pizza place), then an evening out with my gal. Several of our Reps are out of the office on vacation. Kelly is in England, Magy and Ceren are in Turkey, and Muzzy is headed to India. Reem is licking her wounds form her adventure in Israel. She was visiting her Palestinian Grandmother in Israel. Well, the Israeli's confiscated her papers, and Jordan would not allow her to return to her homeland with out the proper paper work. She now has a new appreciation for being an American Citizen. The Embassy came to her rescue, and a week later she was out of the country and has now returned to work.
I have started riding the bike in my Holiday Inn gym. So I am rather stiff, hopefully I can keep motivated to keep working out....got to live long enough to enjoy the prosperity I am hoping to enjoy before I leave....God willing, I will blog about another week of my life here in The Middle East!

Johnny the "Prophet"...

As I write this weeks blog, it is the 11th inning of game 6 of the World Series, poor Nick (Huge Cards fan) has been BBM'ing me all morning, but his Cards are hanging in there....Now we are both skipping church (service starts at 9 am) - The World Series is sort of a legit excuse....
Speaking of church, planning on taking Rodz (and possibly her best gal pal Juvy) to the Catholic Service tonight. Most Filipino's (ok Mimi if It gets any more serious between Rodz and I - I will learn how to spell her nationality...lol) are Catholic, and almost all are in the service industry, so with Friday being "church day" here, she has not attended church here - since I have been around at least, I hope she finds some comfort, no job yet, and her spirits are low. By UAE law she has 30 days from when her employment visa is cancelled to find a new job or leave the country. The clock is ticking....
Well Home Run Cards, I guess I have something to watch on tv at 4:30 tomorrow morning. Nick has to be whooping it up down the road....
Speaking of Nick having fun, his next door neighbor has been celebrating "Diwali" this week. Diwali is an Indian celebration of great happiness. You can tell what homes the Indians live in by all of the "Christmas" lights adorning their dwellings. Nick's next door neighbor has taken it a step further by creating a candle display in the hallway, leaving them burning all night outside Nick's door, Nick has been posting pictures on Facebook wondering about fire marshall laws...lol...There was a lot of well wishing for our Indian friends at work, but unfortunately, unlike most of the other international activates and celebrations, I have been exposed to here, I don't know much about Diwali. I promise, if I am here a year from now, I will have better incite!
Speaking of being here in a year, I wonder if it will be in the Holiday Inn...Checking last weeks ramblings, my new apartments construction update said last week, that sometime between the 1st and the 15th I would be moving into my new home....well, not so fast, The latest update from Tuesday of this week is 3 to 4 weeks, for sure no earlier than the 14th and hopefully before December 1st....sigh...I am tiring of the hotel life....
Well being observant and worrying about what could happen, has always been a trait of mine, also revisiting last weeks blog, I wrote about how nobody pays attention to school buses here and how when a bus is stopped with its "stop sign" out, cars, trucks and even buses race around it while nervous parents try and dodge the traffic to get their children safely on or off the bus. This morning, I was reading my hotel provided free copy of the "Gulf News" (isn't Holiday Inn bound by some kind of moral American governance to provide me with a good ole USA Today?) there is a story about a six year old getting hit by a pick up truck while getting off the bus to go home. The story relates how the driver used to let the child off on his side of the street, but lately he has been making the kid walk across traffic, so that he (the bus driver) doesn't have to double back to let this child off. The testimony from witnesses is that the driver told this 6 year old to run across the street, and that the youngster was hit by the pickup truck (broken bones, but the lad will live). Even funnier, no mention of citation for the driver of the pickup truck, and the gov't owned bus company says the driver did no wrong...crazy driving here....
Work has been interesting this week, we are finishing the month off without Reem. She is our Palestinian Christian gal from Jordan, that carries an American passport...(confused? she also worked for 10 years in the states and speaks excellent English). Poor Reem is stuck in Israel, somehow she went to visit her Palestinian Grandma, and now she isn't being allowed to leave. Hopefully she will be back with us by next week and I can share her story. We have had another huge month, our record established last month, was 8.4 million in sales, well we are over 9 million with a couple of days to go...Our growth this year verses last will be well over 100%. Final numbers next week, also coming is a big holiday here in the Gulf world, it's "Eid Al Adha" and it should start for 3 days beginning Nov. 6th (the Gov't. will be shut down the entire week - hence the lengthening of my wait for approval to move into my new apartment). More on the holiday next week.
Have a happy Halloween (no-not celebrated here -some westerners have small parties) and I will be back in November with record number sales reporting and hopefully a Rodz got a job update...Keep us all in your prayers...

Driving in the UAE....

First off, something I need to get off my chest....A couple of blogs ago, I hinted at my dislike for Pakistani's. Well, as usual, once you state something like that...well, while at the convention in Germany, one of our suppliers had a very, talkative, likable young lady working their booth. She expressed an interest in coming to Dubai and working for our fine company, she is multi-lingual (Nick, that means she speaks several different languages) - and her English was better than half of my current employees. Of course, she is Pakastani, she is now my facebook friend and I will certainly interview her when she completes her masters in business next summer.
Speaking of work, we are going to smash our old record of 8.4 million in sales this month, probably by close to a million. In spite of all of our IT and warehousing issues (maybe by bashing IT, it will suddenly get much better...lol) the team keeps selling. We will top 100% growth over the same period last year for the third straight month.
I haven't ranted about driving here in a while, but that's about to change. I was notified last week that I have a 1,000 AED ($270)fine for "breaking the line at an intersection". No proof or even description where this heinous crime took place. All I know from my fine, is it was September 28th in Dubai. As you may recall from earlier postings, there are machines taking pictures at intersections and automated photo radar everywhere. It has to be a major source of income for the treasuries of the UAE. I was reminded about how crazy the driving is here, by watching cars and even other school buses passing a bus loading students into another school bus yesterday. there was a parent holding their pre-teen child's hands trying to get across the street while cars and buses passed in the middle lane. Cars force their way into your lane on the daily commute, and you see babies routinely riding in the laps of their parents as they drive aggressively through traffic. This past week there was a 36 car pileup during rush hour, and traffic related ones are about the only deaths you read about in the local papers. Don't worry about me being a victim of crime here, worry about me surviving the commute to work.
I have settled into my Holiday Inn, the cable is fine (finally season 4 of True Blood has started and am enjoying Survivor) and the room is clean. I have a great view of the Burj Al Arab out of my 6th floor window. The latest update from my new apartment is that the new window for me to move in is between November 1st and 14th. Let's hope it's closer to the 1st.
Rodz restaurant finally closed this week. She is still searching for a new job.(She desperately wants out of restaurant service industry) Kelly rewrote her resume, and I typed it up (must be some strong feelings huh) and forwarded to a few of my friends. Hopefully, she will quickly find something acceptable.
Well, it is a busy day ahead, Need to get ready for the early service at church, I am picking up Nick and Mimi (Nick is in baseball Cardinal heaven right now), then giving Rodz a ride to her interview at Emirates Airlines - followed by a dinner party with a few of my work pals. Then back to work on Saturday...there is definitely no rest for the wicked..lol.
Keep us in your prayers, I will do the same for you.

Rest Easy, I am at the Holiday Inn....

Aww, the weekend came just in the nick of time. Last week was so long, then I flew to Germany for four days of conventioneering (Is that a word?), flew the red eye back, landed just before 6 am - went straight from the plane to the office...finally got checked into the Holiday Inn Al Barsha (great view of the Burj Al Arab from my clean and well maintained 6th floor hotel room). The cable here is decent (no ESPN, but everything else appears good)...there is a nice big workout room 1 floor up, and a very nice roof top pool - with daytime highs now in the tolerable mid 90's I plan on scaring the other guests by taking of my shirt and enjoying a little sun.
Things at work are still going well, we are headed towards our first ever 9 million in sales month. Considering just a year ago the biggest month in food service Transmed had ever accomplished, was just over 4 million - Bob, the sales team and I have a lot to be proud of. Former stateside employer (they will remain unnamed due to potential legal action) continue to pop up in my life, I think they will not be happy until I draw my last paycheck from any company. I have learned a lot in my 48 years on this earth, the biggest of those lessons is that mega companies don't lose against individuals....Oh well, Bob knows the whole story, so I am still out of arms reach for the big guys stateside.
The guys from McCormick are in town for a couple of days, they made some end user calls yesterday, and did a nice sales training for the team. They are taking Bob and I for dinner tonight to Social House at Dubai Mall. Kim Kardashian is at the mall this afternoon at the grand opening of the newest American concept "Millions of Milkshakes". Maybe we will bump into her and invite her to dinner....You all will have to let me know stateside if her "E" show will have a Dubai episode....
Tomorrow is Rodz last day at Napolatono. It is closing and she has informed the corporation that she does not want to transfer to a new store. Her job search has come up empty so far....I am not sure how long she will look before she packs it in and moves back to the Phillapenes (I know Mimi - I still can't spell Philapenes-trying a different spelling just in case one of them is right). I am very sad about the whole situation....don't know what to do....
Speaking of loved ones leaving, Sandy has returned back to the US after her extended vacation and convalescence recovering from her broken leg. I know staying here almost 3 months, only getting out when Bob took her shackles off had to be tough. Sadly, I was rude to her at Nick's Birthday bash (long story-but I assure you unintentional) - I meant to apologize in person...sadly, I did not see her before she returned...So Sandy, sorry I am an insensitive boob, I meant no malice...I will apologize in person if I am lucky enough to see you on your next visit. You know occasionally, I ask for your prayers for those of us over here, and Sandy is one person I know for sure honors that request....that is special indeed...
I am wondering what trouble I may be in over my airport parking bill while away in Germany...Everybody either takes a taxi, or bums a ride to the airport from friends or coworkers when they travel out of town...well, I had no where to leave my car (no hotel, no apartment) so I decided to just park my car in the long term parking at the airport and bill the company....The charge was a whopping $70 a day...so now I will have to worry about my $280 parking charge on my expense report...:-(
Haven't mentioned every body's favorite bloggie in a while - Nick. I don't know if he is settling in or if I have been too busy to notice his shenanigans. He did run afoul of the system this week...He misplaced a customers check. Now in the states, if you lose a customers check, you pretty much just go back to the customer say I am sorry and get a new one...here - not so fast American hombre'..... Nick has got to take our internal security man to the police, make an official report, take it to the bank, get a stop payment, go back to the customer and request a replacement check. Our credit manager, (Elie Saber) is having a field day telling Nick that the Dubai police will lock him up when he visits...they love an Americano in jail...lol - I certainly will let you know if we need to start baking pies with files in them to send them to the Dubai jail...or if I need to start a legal defense fund, to get the big guys to finally leave me alone so I can have a career somewhere on the four corners of this earth.
Have a nice weekend....

Porking out in Germany....

A little bonus blog time from Cologne, Germany...I am here for a big trade show, but I am enjoying uncensored Internet and good food as much as anything....
I flew direct from Dubai to Dusseldorf yesterday, then I caught the train from Dusseldorf to Cologne, then took a cab to my quaint German hotel, with my front desk "Fraulein" if her name is not Olga, it should be...The train ride in was almost 45 minutes, a very efficient way to travel....Sadly, it was dark when I arrived - and very cool (50 degrees) and rainy - so I didn't get to experience the German countryside....hopefully I will on my Monday afternoon trek back to Dusseldorf before I take the red eye home to the UAE....
After I checked into my hotel, I ventured out for dinner. I wanted some pork...Near my hotel there is a pizzeria....I thought, sausage or pepperoni topping, and not a German place where I wouldn't understand the menu. Well wrong again on all counts....The establishment had Italians working there, and the workers all spoke Italian and Germany....no speaks Americano....
They had 1 English written menu....I look and right next to all the pizza listings is a beautiful pepperoni pie...mama mia! So, I of course point to the pepperoni pizza listed in the menu and patiently wait for my precious pork treat!  15 minutes later the waiter brings me my pizza, completely covered in sliced red peppers.....I ask in a very polite slow manner...."I wanted Pepperoni pizza" the waiter said yes...sliced peperoni's....I said no, this is red peppers...(I detest red peppers on pizza) the waiter insists that this is pepperoni....I show him the picture on the menu, and say that is pepperoni, he says no that is salami...I gave up....
The city is very clean and the citizens that I have approached for help (especially on the subway) have been very kind....their English is somewhat limited, but they are most helpful....Bob's boss arrived this evening, and we enjoyed an excellent dinner as the guest of McCain french fries. I had a baked/broiled white fish, ate fairly healthy, and then blew it by ordering desert.

The hotel does serve a hot breakfast, and I gobbled up sausage and bacon. Oh well, my eyes are growing heavy....time for bed....I will check back in with you on Friday....al vidersane....

The longest week of the year....Gotta be 9 days...

Wow...what a long friggin week....Let's start with last Saturdays move....The movers came and boxed up all my meager belongings and we took them to my new apartment in Jumerah Village (I like the name). As you are painfully aware, its not ready mainly because of inspections from the UAE Government. The power is not on, so in 100 degree weather the movers had to carry my furniture up four flights of stairs (no power=No elevator)...I felt so guilty...then I checked into my new temporary hotel residence.
I was upgraded to a suite, but sadly that's where the sweetness stops at this hotel. It is very clean and well maintained, but it is also heavily influenced by Indian culture. The cable is horrific - only three western channels - National Geographic, MSNBC, and OSN comedy....sigh...I have not had the tv on since Sunday. The Internet connection was poor early in the week, and it is censored more than my normal provider. No sites of any funnies. I valet park my car here, and on Tuesday morning I got an unpleasant surprise. When you live here in Dubai, one thing that you learn is there are a lot of unpleasant body odors. It tends to be (although not exclusively) a segment of the Indian population but it definitely includes the Pakistan's (Ok maybe I just don't like Pakistanies). Well this gentlemen of Indian heritage got out of my car and I sat down - I was instantly gassed! It smelled like the gentleman had just exploded a combination of old curry and rotten eggs...and to top it off my drivers seat felt wet...I drove the first few miles to work with the windows down.
Numbers were great for September....108% growth and a new record sales month of 8.4 million. Bob and I took the team out to dinner tonight and and kept our word by having Indian cuisine. (I had shrimp briani) I really enjoyed my dinner - Especially the "Butter bread"....
Oh well, I just retyped this blog...did I mention the bad Internet, I gave you a long story about Juliane's short employment with us (5 days)...but now I am exhausted and need to go to bed since I fly to Germany right after church in the morning....Sorry you missed the fun stuff....To bed I go! I will return from Germany next Tuesday, and to this blog from my new hotel (Holiday Inn) next Friday!
Have a great weekend, and no I do not want to talk about the Dallas Cowboys....sigh...

Human Heart strings.....

Another month comes to a close today, the last quarter of the year is upon us...
Work is going well, I will know the final numbers for September tomorrow, and I think we edged out another record month with growth topping 100% again...We will review that next week....
I am attending the World's largest food trade show next weekend in Germany. I leave next Friday for a four day trip to Europe, I am attending alone for a couple of days, then Hani (Bob's Boss) will join me for two days...Should be interesting.
Tomorrow I become homeless...I am moving out of 8 Boulevard Walk and unfortunately my new apartment at Jumerah Village is not ready...(No electric or water). The movers are picking up my belongings tomorrow and my stuff will be stored at my new apartment until I can legally move in. My apartment was suppose to be ready September 1st, sadly November 1st looks likely now.
Rodz and I visited on Wednesday, she likes the apartment and the layout, but not so happy with all of the construction...I think I am in the "dog house", what else is new. I am moving into a hotel near the Mall of Emirates tomorrow afternoon...I can only hope for good cable....
One of the sadder parts of living the dream here in the UAE is the stories of the less fortunate workers that you come across. Maybe because of Rodz, I am most aware of the plights of the Philapena's (yes Mimi I still can't spell it). Nick and I have befriended a waitress at a local Italian Restaurant named Grace. She is very friendly and always greats me by name, after getting to know her, we find out that she is so desperately wanting an opportunity to sell retail instead of the long gruelling hours of her eatery. When I agree to pass her resume on to some retailers that our company does business with, she literally cried at our table. Grateful for the opportunity. I now feel guilty, because none of my influence has panned out for opportunities for Grace.
At one of our Arab customers another waitress asked me for help. She is here working while her husband is home in the Philippians with their child. Her contract prevents her from leaving and she is homesick and depressed. Her contract will be up this spring, and hopefully she will return back to her family. I know the owner of her restaurant and would even call him a friend, but to have her cry (literally tears running down her cheeks) and ask for me to help her to "escape" - I feel helpless...
Rodz best girlfriend here is a bright and beautiful young lady named Juvy. She is somewhat fortunate that she is working in retail. She has worked very hard to master the art of retail sales and now is the top sales person in her company making three times the commissions of her coworkers (don't get too excited she still makes about 15 thousand dollars a year, under a restrictive contract living in an area that you would not want a friend to live in) and she sends her father back in the impoverished Philippians four hundred dollars a month. Well, as a story about how employees are treated she got her first written warning by her employer (had to do with company uniform being worn to work - no verbal 1st warning) this month. From my understanding it was sketchy at best, she then found out that if you are given a written warning at her job, that her company does not pay your commissions that month. She found out Wednesday, and as she told Rodz and I the story of how they told her, I struggled with not crying. I wanted to just give her the money that she had earned....helpless to help another victim of the class society here. I will do everything I can to help her find a better employer (her contract is up in November) - hopefully I won't let another one of my new friends down...

I can not save the world, and I certainly can't help everybody I come across here in the UAE, but I can show American kindness and generosity at every opportunity. I am so fortunate in so many ways, but a lot of my fortune has not been created by my hard work, but given to me  by birth - A fact that I do not take lightly.
Well, this past week was a celebratory week for Nick. The old boy turned 47 on Wednesday. Rodz and I took him to a Phillapean Restaurant for lunch, yes I succumbed for love lol- well, I found exactly one thing on the menu that appealed to me (a fried white fish in a sweet and sour sauce- with white rice), it turned out to be tasty, Nick chose a chicken dish that was accompanied by "Margarine rice" and he cleaned his plate (not a challenge for Nick), Rodz had some kind of crock pot dish, she was not a happy camper, she basically concluded that had to be some "Injun" cooking in the kitchen, that no Philippine chef could make such a bad dish...lol - I do not have that on Rodz's wish list fer eateries anymore... Last night, Bob, Sandy, Kelly, Reem, Loren, Mimi and I (Rodz was working) joined Nick at Benihana's for dinner. They put on the normal show, the food was great, it was nice to celebrate with Nick and friends. The highlight of the evening was Nick eating his dessert, finishing Mimi's then eating Lorens...It is nice that Nick keeps the overeating jokes from being focused on me.
Well Sandy went to get her cast off her broken leg and prepare for her rescheduled trip home next week...Not so fast, they re exrayed her leg, it still is not healed and now has a new hard cast and three more weeks of crutches...she is still keeping an awesome attitude.
If we post a record month tomorrow, Bob and I are taking the team out for an Indian dining celebration...a curry fest to be sure...Homeless, but very fortunate Johnny will update you next week on my spicy dinner and hopefully spicier numbers!
All the best...

Sleep depravation and the NFL....

There are a few American adaptations that have happened in the last year that has made year two in the UAE a little more normal for me. Since this time last year the addition of several American Restaurant chains have made eating here much more "American friendly". I became aware of Papa John's pizza, they are in a couple of malls and one next to the office, the nice difference is that they are sit down pizza joints here and yes they usually have the garlic butter and those smelly pepperoncini's. As mentioned Shake Shack (awesome hamburgers), Pot Belly, Red Lobster, PF Changs, Texas Roadhouse have all opened - and opening soon IHOP and the Cheesecake Factory - Fred dreads visiting and flying 14 hours to have dinner at Red Lobster so I will try and be UAEish to my visitors.

So food wise, America is very present (didn't even mention Ruth's Chris, Chili's, Fridays, Fuddruckers, Ruby Tuesdays, Macaroni Grill, Hard Rock or the fast food (McDonald's, Hardees, Burger King, KFC, Johnny Rockets, Pizza Hut) that thrive here. There are also the specialty places, Krispy Kreme (Can't get them hot) Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robins, Cold Stone, and others, I am continued to be reminded here as much as the Middle East doesn't like America (UAE is American friendly) that they import our quality food and our quality life to their region and people like myself (a hired gun to teach, train and then leave behind an American footprint of know how). It's ironic that a region that may have the most valuable resource in the world (Abundant oil) imports so many resources from the greatest nation in the world.

Now the other thing that has improved for me is the cable TV (what a surprise Food and TV highlighting my social life). My cable still has a lot of American shows available on it,  Survivor, American Idol, Cougar Town, Fox News, and cable series like Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, Entourage and Game of Thrones. They have all been great distractions, but the number one change for me was the addition of ESPN America and regular ESPN to my available cable in April. I went from seeing one or two Major League Baseball games a week, to games on nightly. I can see more American Football than someone living in a NFL City in America. I now have 4 different NFL Sunday games on live (your 1 pm and 4 pm games) also now get Sunday Night Football (early Monday morning football) and Monday night football....what a fantastic change...Now sadly, most of you know that I am a rabid Dallas Cowboy fan, Trust me, it is a lot more distasteful to haul my happy ass out of bed at 4 in the morning (like I did two weekends ago) and watch the Cowboys blow their game then have to hop in the shower and head to work and assume my role as "Mr. Grumpy Pants" as Bob calls me. The abundance of sports has been a definite enhancement to keeping me from being homesick for sports. Every PGA golf tourney is also on TV here...keeps my idol mind busy when I am not working or seeing Rodz....Food, Rodz, sports(TV) and work (in random order..lol)- my daily life in the UAE. Time does sail by....
Sandy is having her cast removed this weekend and will be returning home to her kids and grand kids in about 10 days. This was Mimi's (Nick's wife) first week at work, she seems to be enjoying it, Rodz still is not liking her job, and her search for a new one has yielded no results so far. Keep your fingers crossed that one of her interviews will reward her with a job that gives her a better living and a better work environment than she currently enjoys. I gave her and a girlfriend of hers a ride home last night and even after her long day at work with meager wages she keeps plugging along hopeful for better days ahead....I share her dreams for her and pray that happier days lie ahead for her...
My work pals went out for Pork ribs and adult beverages last night at hotel with a special permit to do both. Muzzy, Kelly, Nick, Mimi, Georges, Loren , Ceren, Magy, Peter, JP and I had a nice time (I enjoyed my pork ribs and chicken wings! with my diet Pepsi) but it was nice that people I that report to me would honor me with an invitation out. They are such quality people that I grow fonder of every day. Kumail finally started this week, he a quiet gentleman with an impressive reputation, I will turn him lose in his territory on the 1st of October. Juliane (our new hotel business development specialist) starts Tuesday. The team keeps growing better with quality people. I had a reminder of job desperation this week. I interviewed a gentleman from Lebanon (the country not the town,,,lol) and decided not to hire him. After I declined to hire him, he called me a couple of times on my cell phone and ended up begging me to reconsider....it was sad trying to explain to him in a nice way why I didn't have a vision of him being a part of my team, but I am even more confident I made the right decision after his second phone call...it's a tough world that we live in...
My new apartment is still not ready (new eta is October 20th). My new appliances that I bought for it were delivered this week, I plan on visiting tomorrow to check the progress. I have to be out of here 1 week from today. I have rented a hotel room near Mall of Emirates to have a place to stay between the 1st and the 20th. There is a convention in Germany that Bob is planning on sending me to from Oct 8th through October 12th. I really don't want to go, but on the other hand, I have never been to Germany and it will save me paying for a hotel room for four days while I am homeless...lol.
We are on pace for another record month, but I fear we might fall a few Dirhams short with the expected end of month slow down in business, before the big season that should be huge in October and November. Well time for me to hop in the shower and get ready for a Thai food lunch at Festival City with Nick and Mimi, then to Hyper Panda.
This weekend my high school classmates from Lebanon High school '81 is having their/our 30th high school reunion. hopefully they will remember me fondly as I do them and hopefully I will be there with them in 2016 for the 35th. Have a great weekend.....

The Dean's increase their income and their vocabulary

Fall is in the air here in the UAE. For the first time since early June, the high temperature on Tuesday was under 100 degrees at a cool 99. The forecast now for most day's is right around 100. I won't miss the 115 July/August regular highs, but it was a little cooler than the summer of 2010 when it reached 120 degrees several times...must be global cooling...I absolutely love the weather that arrives in early October and last into late December. highs in the upper 80's lows in the 60's and not a hint of rain. This year I plan on spending more time at one of the many beaches that are from 10 minutes to a half hour drive away.
Nick's wife Mimi has become gainfully employed. She actually got a decent paying job, and she and Nick now are on the path to improving their financial lot in life. She got a job working for an American (the details are in the foggy recess of my slowly decaying mind) Doctors office that does Invitro fertilization. Her first day is this Sunday and she actually is scheduled for 40 hour work weeks, which is only about 15 more hours a week than Nick works...lol. Now Nick, Mimi and I dine together a couple of times a week (charity is obviously close to their hearts) and I get to enjoy their one upmanships with each other. Mimi makes fun of something Nick doesn't know- that she feels he should and Nick delicately points out flaws in Mimi's life that won't get him in too much trouble (wives have the power) This weeks funny was Mimi's new employment contract. She noted that she would be paid in arrears. The problems was I think she thought that was something a little perverse rather than the time of the payment...yes, you can't make these things up...this week Nick wins, one can only wait for next week's Dean families funnies.
Work continues to be...work. This week Kumail finally will start (Muzzy's cousin), really expecting good things from him, and I am meeting Monday morning with Julianne (new young lady from Germany-if she accepts her offer, I will share more) to make her an offer that finally got approved. We are on pace for another record month (ho-hum), it will be great if we can do it, but then disheartening when the over 100% growth this year verses last and record sales won't be enough. It has finally sunk in, when last month's whopping 137% growth, didn't bring celebration from above, that we just have to enjoy our successes and make the most of it. I promised the sales team that if we had a record month in September, Bob and I would take them out for an Indian Cuisine celebration...I think the team is more excited about seeing me choke down curry laden food than the great things they continue to accomplish.

Sandy (Bob's wife) is still trying to let her leg heal. Bob says he has new found appreciation for handicapped people as he tries to maneuver Sandy around the mall to prevent her from dying of shear boredom in their apartment. She is scheduled to have her cast removed next week (I think?) and then rehab a little before returning to Atlanta in early October.
Rodz still hasn't gotten a new job, and I have real fear she will pack it up and move home (I would say the Philippians but Mimi makes fun of me never spelling it right)...I feel a little helpless and am very frustrated, I am trying to be encouraging to her as a friend, but of course I don't want her to leave, because I know down inside that would close a chapter of my life that I am not ready to close, keep your fingers crossed.
"911" is an interesting anniversary to spend in the Middle East. I watched a lot of the TV coverage on Fox news, but the comments from co-workers tends to fascinate me. One of the managers from Transmed's retail division made a comment to me (late 20's very friendly Palestinian gal) that she saw "911" as an opportunity for me to see what the Palestinian people face every day, that every day was "a Palestinian 911" for what her "people" go through. There is an open hostility (I know I should have paid attention in English class-maybe I could have spelled then) towards Israel, the United States Government and "Jews" here in this peaceful part of the Mideast, the maps don't even have Israel on them, Egypt just borders Jordan....I have little hope for peace with what I hear and see from the people of the Mideast....
On that somber note, I will say goodbye for now, and I will try and stay out of trouble for another week....

Gone from America, but not forgotten....well, sorta..

This week it seemed like there was a lot of things to blog about, and as I sit here on Friday morning all sleepy headed, doesn't seem like there are a lot of things to blog about....Oh well, let's start with the American that bit the dust, poor Sandy Green. She was leaving the Dubai Mall with Mimi and Nick this week, slipped and fell. No don't worry, Nick dodged her falling body and came away unscathed. (Obviously Nick played more dodge ball than catch growing up) to make a long story short, she ended up going to the hospital in an Ambulance and now has a cast that runs up her leg to almost her hip. Her broken leg will keep her in Dubai an extra 3 weeks with Bob, you can always find a silver lining if you look hard enough. She does seem to be in excellent spirits, I know I would be wining on an on, when I visited her she didn't even complain.
Well this weeks attempt at a clever blog title....I call my mother almost every Friday evening without fail. She and dad are up and about (I normally call around 9 or 10 in the morning Virginia time) getting ready for the day, and I get to hear stories about the weather and my relatives and she hears that I am still alive....well last Friday's phone call....not the normal...here's the recap...
Mom;  "Hello"
Me;  "Good Morning, are you up and about this morning?"
Mom; "Yes, we are already dressed, getting ready to go shopping."
Me; "great, that sounds like fun"

Now the conversation turned

Mom; "Well let me let you talk to your Nan"

Just to understand, my grandmother died in 1999, I know no Nan...

Nan (In an elderly whisper); "Hello"
Me ; Hello?
Nan; "Who is this?"
Me; "This is John"
Nan; "You have a wrong number, this is the Bruck Residence"
Me; "I know, I am John can I speak to my mother again"
Nan; "John, oh Helen it's for you- it's your son..."
Mom: "John?, oh I thought you were Nan's son".....

I guess I have been gone too long.....

Well, updating you on the employees, Vinny returned from a three day weekend with his girlfriend in Switzerland - some how that seems a lot more exciting than my weekend trips to Hyper-Panda. Hicham returned from his month long leave in Morroco. Our newest sales rep (Kumail) will join us this week, the team is doing very well and are working well together, now the company, not quite as good. We are still struggling to get orders processed and delivered and our warehouse is strained by capacity issues, we have a lot of things to get fixed if we are going to keep growing at 100%.
Speaking of growing at 100%, for you "Nick story" fans, Nick is feelin the blues about his elevator adventure at a hotel. He got on a crowded elevator to go down the 8 floors to the lobby after his sales call. Well, the elevator started beeping and unfortunately, wouldn't continue down, because of being overweight. Nick said it was silent as he got off, and the doors closed behind him and continued on its way, leaving Nick to contemplate the Iftar dinners that he enjoyed during August.
Speaking of eating, I am really enjoying the new dining establishments that have opened up in the Dubai mall in the past month, Red Lobster has now become one of my favorite places. I also enjoy the new Texas Roadhouse. We are bringing in Idaho potato's for them from the United States and they have been sorely missed by me. I have been eating at least once a week at both of those places.
Rodz is still waiting on her new job offer, she is so homesick for the Philippians...I am trying to get her happy again...we will see....
The weather is starting to cool, the highs this week are only going to be 102 to 104 degrees down from the 115 degrees of August. We still have a streak going back to early June of days over 100, I expect the streak to end soon...
Enjoy your weekend, I will catch up with you next week....

One third down, two thirds to go!

September 1st, was the beginning of my 15th month in the UAE. Bob and My contracts were for 42 months (Dec. 31st, 2013), so 14 months complete, 28 more to go. After my two week vacation in the states I feel like I have gotten my second wind.
The numbers are in for the month of August. We had a record growth rate of 137 percent in this year verses last years sales. Bob and I got a very nice congratulatory note from Bob's boss, hopefully our review meeting for the month will go smoothly. If we make our plan numbers for September, it will be a new record month. Keep your fingers crossed.
This past Tuesday was the first day of our three day national holiday called EID. It is a big celebration marking the end of Ramadan and the breaking of fasts. I don't remember the malls being as packed last year as the throngs of people escape the heat to celebrate in the mall. You can not find a parking place. Mall employees (like Rodz) are having their off days cancelled because of the onslaught of people. All I know is that the instability of the Middle East is creating a boom in business for the super safe and stable UAE. We have more Arabs here vacationing, the hotels are booked solid, it is absolutely great for business.
Apparently, from feedback of my blog readers, one of the things you all like the most is hearing what Nick is up to. Two of the funnier moments since I have been here happened this week, involving Nick. The first one is to hear Nick describe what happened when an invoice blew out of his hand in front of one of his customers. Nick, took off running after it, and needless to say the wind won the race. Nick said he thought he was going to die from a heart attack, and Mimi (who was watching from their car) said she couldn't stop laughing. The second incident occurred this morning in church. Once a month we partake in communion at our church service. This morning was that day. Well, they passed the bread wafers and shot cups out so that we could all share communion at the same time. Pastor Jim (from Georgia) asked us to bow our heads while he said a prayer, then asked us to eat our bread representing the body of Christ (I noticed Nick not moving between Mimi and I) then he prayed another verse and asked us to drink from our cup representing the blood of Christ. Well, good ole Nick, had zonked out, he woke up downed his drink then proceeded in a very confused moment to try and hide his bread. I was shaking the seat laughing (quietly suppressed)....Nick said after church for me not to dare blog about it, Mimi and I over ruled...it was too funny. I am so thankful for Nicks being here, I have always enjoyed our friendship, and his self deprecating humor is right down my alley.
Speaking of Alley's, a couple of my salespeople bowl on Saturday evenings in the fall and have invited me to join them. It sounds like something I absolutely would enjoy doing, so hopefully I won't worm my way out of it.
Have two new employees starting this week, JP (a young Philippine man) is joining our Customer Service team, and Kumail (An Indian gentleman) is joining our sales team replacing Lal in the Jumerah Beach Territory. The team grows stronger each month, hopefully we will lead them down the right path to sales successes!
Oh well, enough rambling today...Hope your EID is happy, enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
John

Last Friday of Ramadan, Let's get ready for EID...

Well things in my life are almost back to normal. Back from the states a little over a week, but boy oh boy what an old man I am. The trip back went extremely well, I flew on Emirates Airlines and really enjoyed the service and food and the huge planes early return to the UAE. That being said, I have had a very difficult time readjusting from the jet lag. I still am exhausted, but I do feel like each day my internal clock gets back to the somewhat ab normalcy of my life in the UAE. I have really felt poorly this week, maybe partly to blame was my dental adventure. I got my first crown this week, of course the busy me insisted on no shots or painkillers and I cried in pain when the procedure was being done. Ok, no one ever accused me of being a brain surgeon.
One last thing about my trip to the states, I did get to talk to Cowboy. Richard and his lovely bride are doing well, he is selling for a company and she is back to being a school teacher. Typical Richard, he feels richer for the experience, I am so happy for them.
We are in the middle of 24 hours of returning women to the UAE. Sandy and Mimi (Bob's and Nick's wives) returned last night, (and yes you hopeless romantics - Rodz returns tonight) so I will probably see a little less of Bob and Nick in the coming days. Sandy's visit is only for a couple of weeks, while Mimi is back to find a job and make a go of living in the UAE.
Ramadan is in full force. It will end either Tuesday or Wednesday next week (I am hoping for Tuesday) It depends on the moon and we won't know until just before it happens. It has been difficult during my abbreviated Ramadan to get by without drinking fluids (as much you have to do it in private) or eating during the day (don't worry I only miss meals because of oral surgery lol) so I am looking forward to next Wednesday when working life returns to a recognizable pattern.
Business is surprisingly good for us. We had planned for the Sales numbers to be soft (remember restaurants are closed during daylight hours and westerners (like me) leave the country in droves to escape the oppressive heat and Ramadan restrictions. Our plan was to do 5 million in sales, and it looks like we will top 6 million instead. I will share the boring math next week. We do have our new Texas Roadhouse opening up this weekend in the Dubai Mall. It will really boost our numbers.
My new apartment has fallen behind schedule. I have extended my rental at my current 8 Boulevard location through the end of September, but I must be out by then. I am hoping the new place will be ready to move into by then. I went out shopping (with Nick's strong arming negotiating help) for the new appliances for my before mentioned new digs, bought a stainless steel Refrigerator, stack able washer and dryers, new vacuum and microwave for a little over $1,200. The Ramadan sale and no sales tax made it a sweet deal. Although Nick arguing with the poor salesperson over a $10 charge for the color difference in the microwave was fun to watch. Nick kept saying we were walking, while I was already ready to pay...Yes, I paid the extra $10.
I moan and groan about the oppressive summer heat here regularly, but as I watch Hurricane Irene head up the coast, watch the earth quake info and hear and read daily about the miserable US economy, maybe I will count my blessings with the timing of my employment in the Mideast.
Oh well, here's to a great week to all of us, I will check back in with Reuniting Rodz stories and big sales growth stories next week. Try and avoid the pestilence and plagues in the USA and remember the Mayans say we still have 15 months til the end of civilization.
Take care and drop me a note.....

Back in the UAE....

Well, I am back. I had a great vacation in the states, and yes I enjoyed having a very busy schedule. I plan on doing the same thing next summer except for the fact that I will need to include Atlanta in my trip next time. NYC was interesting for a first time visit, the Reds game with Fred in Cincinnati will have to become a traditional part of my visits home to America. The flight back was great on Emirates Airlines, I flew in one of those big double decker Air buses (A-310?) and we had a strong tail wind, which made the normal 13 and a half hour flight a mear 11 hours....We got back into Dubai at 7 pm which was early for International flights, so the normal hour to an hour and a half to get through customs was 15 minutes, and then 15 minutes waiting for my luggage. I was home before eight-thirty, which I was scheduled to still be flying. I enjoyed having the extra time at home.
I planned the trip so that I would come back on Wednesday night, work a normal Thursday, then have Friday off and an easy Saturday to try and minimize the effects of jet lag. Well it seems to be a good plan. I was tired yesterday, exhausted last night...I finally got out of bed for the day at 1 pm today. I feel good and well rested, hopefully I will sleep well tonight and Saturday will feel normal...I am keeping my fingers crossed.
We are having a slow sales month at work, but with the opening of Texas Roadhouse next week and the New "Paul" restaurant at the Dubai mall, we should end up ok and over plan. Kelly did a great job covering for me while I was gone, I don't have a lot of issues to fix, she is such a great asset to our company and our friendship and trust of each other continues to grow. Bob also seems to have weathered the first two weeks of Ramadan well, I know he is looking forward to Sandy's return to Dubai next week.
Thursday morning the heat of the UAE fired another shot across the bow of my car. It seems that leaving your car parked in the heat for two weeks while you are out of the country is not a good idea. My battery was dead. So, I was late for work on my first day back, I am sure some of my coworkers thought I was catching some extra sleep, sadly, it was just my battery going into permanent deep sleep.
Rodz is still at her home, she still has to travel to the city for us to talk, as the typhoon that hit three weeks ago destroyed the communication network in her area of the Philippians. She hasn't seen Facebook (or her favorite blog) in almost a month....(maybe she is fortunate). I am looking forward to her return next weekend.
I am moving into my new apartment in two short weeks, so I need to buy a washer and dryer and Refrigerator in the next few days. I also need to make arrangements to move. It will be a busy time. Oh well, back to my desert life, I am meeting Nick at Red Lobster for dinner, then tomorrow the dentist (yes, they have those here also) and back to work.
Have a great weekend in America, I can't wait til I visit again.

God Bless the USA!

Thirteen States in the eleven days I am in the USA. This is going to be a quick blog, Fred and I are getting ready to leave from the hotel to go to the Reds game.
The trip so far has been a great catch-up. I spent a couple of days in Virginia at my parents house. They were happy and healthy, and I did get to see my brother Don, and his son AJ. Before I left Lebanon, I went to church and saw my old high school friend Sarah Altizer Adams. Also got to visit with Susan Campbell. They were both great to chat with since I hadn't seen either one of them in over 30 years. They both have held up better than I have.
Stayed a night at Fred and Debbie's before I headed to Florida to IFG. Very productive meetings and great hosts. Then I flew back to Knoxville, and hopped in my rental car to drive to St. Louis....I was one whipped puppy!
I had breakfast with Chad, and a nice visit to my last employer before I left for the Mid East - Kuna Foods. It was nice to be warmly greeted by my former employer and the co-workers I left behind.
Had dinner at Hendels with Rez, it was great seeing Nathan and his kitchen crew! (Had excellent PORK chops...). Gambled at Harrah's (a year without gambling - a very long year :-). Had breakfast with Mo and Rez (former SYSCO co-workers) this morning (at Waffle House of course)....and the a 5 and half hour drive to Cincy....
Bored with my trip? Sorry....
Back to normal blogging next week....I fly out Tuesday night, back in Dubai Wednesday night.
John

Big fast planes and rental cars...

Well, blogging a day early, cause the day of my departure has finally arrived. This is a day early, but since I am traveling back to the states tonight, wanted to give you a brief update. Have a sales meeting today and then we are having a record month celebration Iftar at Al Safadi tonight, before Kelly drops me off at the airport at midnight. Believe it or not we had another record month in July with almost 8.3 million in sales. I was even surprised with the results. We grew 89.9% over July of last years sales and we are on pace to exceed our 2011 goal for sales. Senior management seems pleased with the summer surge we are enjoying, and it's a very secure time for me to leave for a couple of weeks.
Ramadan started this past Monday. So no public food, water, gum (even toothpicks - nothing suppose to pass your lips during daylight hours) all day long. Work closes early. the building is locked up at 5 pm, and our fasting Muslim employees are done at 3:30pm. Ex-Pats have left the country in droves, it's almost as if the country has taken a month off. There are some nice sales (especially big ticket items - like cars & appliances) and everywhere you go signs wishing you a happy Ramadan in Arabic greet you.
I am so excited about returning to America today. When I think about being back in the USA its about seeing my friends and family. I dread the almost 14 hour flight, but now that the hour draws near, the flight isn't even concerning.
I don't think I will blog next week (we will see) but I return back to Dubai on August 18th, so before you know it - back at the grind stone I go.
I move into my new apartment September 1st, so I have a busy couple of weeks when I get back.
Ramadan Kareem!
John

My brush with death in the Middle East...

Well the countdown is almost over, this time next week I will hopefully be asleep somewhere over the Atlantic. It's coming so quickly, yet in some ways it seems like I have been waiting forever to get to visit the U.S.
Where to start this week, I guess you are curious....well we have been having highs hit 115 most days. I finally figured out that when they say it is going to be 103 for the high here, it usually reaches 109 or 110. When the forecast is for 107 or 108 (like it is for this weekend), it reaches 115 or 116. Tourism is the life blood of Dubai, so they don't want to scare away the tourist from the region and Europe with the fore casted highs. Trust me, when it is 115 to 120 degrees outside and the heat index is near 140 degrees it is scary hot.
On Tuesday we were having a scorcher (reached 115 that day) and Joseph and I had a business appointment at the DIP (Dubai Investment Park) a business community about 30 minutes from our downtown office. About half way to our appointment, Joseph's AC in his car stopped working completely. Within 5 minutes we were drenched in sweat. traffic was congested, so we kept the windows down when we were moving, but rolled up when we were stuck in the traffic. I was debating having Joseph pull over and calling a cab, but realized that there was no shade (funny not a lot of trees in the desert), and that might be a worse option than the slow cooking I was experiencing. By the time we got to our appointment, Joseph was soaked through and dripping wet and I had stopped sweating and was nauseous (I can't spell it - But I knew it was not good!). We hurried into the Air conditioned building and our customer got us water and helped us cool down and rehydrate. I have turned into a soft old man, don't want to experience that again....of course my salespeople couldn't enjoy laughing at me enough (They say my desperate blackberry text during my basting were too funny....I don't quite remember them that way...

Rodz is in the Philippians, enjoying the rain....maybe a little too much. As you may be aware, a Typhoon hit the Pacific Island this past week. 25 have died in the floods, landslides and torrential rains and scores are missing. Ironically, while I was baking wishing for a drink, Rodz was hoping not to drown in floods. She is fine and although housebound the whole time she has been there she is enjoying her family and being home. She doesn't come back to Dubai until August 24th. Mimi (Nick's wife) is back in the Mid west enjoying the muggy heat of St. Louis. She returns around August 29th. Sandy (Bob's bride) returns to the states tonight, but she is coming back around August 25th.
When I get back from the States on August 17th, I will need to get busy and pack and buy a few things for my August 31st apartment move. It looks like August will come and go before you know it. I did not enjoy Ramadan last year, this year by spending a third of it in the United States, it should be a better experience.
Ramadan begins this Monday (August 1st). That means that most of the predominately Muslim population will begin their dawn to dusk fasting. No water, food or even chewing gum is allowed to enter their mouths during the day. Non practicing Muslims are asked to observe and respect the religion by not publicly breaking the fast rules. Almost all restaurants (a few hotel dining establishments are open, but diners sit behind black curtains hidden from view) are closed during daylight hours. Every night there are "Iftars" - Arab buffets that open at dusk and people enjoy the feast after the day long fast. Very cultural. I am sure I will share Ramadan tales with you in the coming weeks.
I am meeting Nick for breakfast this morning and the we are meeting Sandy and Bob for church. It's time to hop in the shower and get ready.
I will see you next week here -and hopefully in person also.
Have a great week!

Out of the fryer into the frying pan...

It's just after 11 am here and it's already 104 degrees outside. I know my weekly groaning about the weather, well I feel for you back in the states. I have been watching the news about the weather back in the states and sounds like the Midwest and Southeast is feeling a lot like where I am at in the Mid East. The long hot summer continues, I hope the heat wave in the states takes a break while I am home in August, and yes would it be too much to ask for a little rain while I am home?
My search for a new apartment is over. I found a new apartment complex near the Mall of Emirates (5 minutes from where Nick lives) and I move in September 1st. I did have to pay for a year in advance, the weird way they do rents here because of the high number of expats, but in the end I like it better than my current apartment, and I save over $300 a month in rent. The apartment developer is German, but their whole pitch was based on how the apartment was built to strict American standards. I will bore you with more details in future blogs.
Speaking of Nick, his bride and son leave for the states on Monday. They found better air fares from Abu Dhabi to the U.S. (Chicago). Mimi is coming back on August 30th (just in time to help me move in my new digs...lol). I have heard through the grapevine that Cowboy is still reading the blog in the states. I thought about him yesterday at the warehouse. We have a brand new Texas Roadhouse opening in Dubai Mall in August and they have their Kitchen Manager here from the US. He was wearing his stetson and cowboy boots. We did have a new Red Lobster open in Dubal Mall, Kelly and I tried it out. The garlic-cheese biscuits were the first biscuits I had eaten in over a year (since I had Cracker Barrel with Danny Messimer last Fourth of July).
There are a few places that I want to make sure I eat at while in the US. Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-a are the two that come to mind first. I find myself eating a lot at the American eateries here, but Chili's, Ruby Tuesdays, Papa Johns and McDonald's only go so far. Coming to Dubai within the next 6 months are Texas Roadhouse, Cheesecake Factory and IHOP. Variety is the spice of life. That is of course if it's American Restaurant variety.
Rodz leaves for the Philippians today. I am picking her up at the airport on August 24th. Ramadan starts back on August 1st. I won't blog about it today, save something for the next time. Two weeks from right now, I will be flying over the Atlantic approaching JFK. I hope a government shut down won't effect my trip. Just something else to worry about.
Until next time....

871 Days til Dec. 31st 2013, but who's Counting....

Well 3 weeks from today, I will be touching down on the JFK Tarmac. I don't think ever in my life have I needed a vacation more than I do now. I have been grumpy, angry, and short tempered...I have been like some of my past bosses that I didn't care for. I had dinner this past week with Bob, Sandy and a supplier, I was downright disrespectful to my boss. The good news is I realized it (made the appropriate apologies) but it put a somber tone to my week. I think my lie on the couch self diagnosis is just a merging of unhappy things - Being away from the United States far too long, missing dating Rodz (more on her later), unbelievable unsatisfaction from some in the Company to performance accomplishments that we are achieving at work. So the better news is, after all this self reflection, I have taken a breath and things have shown a sign of getting better.
Starting with work, the numbers have been really good, much better than even I expected this month. With temperatures soaring (forecast highs of 111 for this Saturday and Sunday) the exodus of people from the UAE to cooler summer destinations has continued to grow, yet somehow our sales have remained strong. Just last night, had a remarkably successful agreement made with a large hotel group, where we will supply their beef. The deal will be worth millions each year. We are on pace for a record month (still really don't think we will make a new record this month) but even talking that way half way through traditionally the second worst month for business (Behind only August) is very encouraging. So, work is going very well...I am surrounded by some excellent employees that support me whole heartedly. What a blessing that I need to be thankful for.
I do need a vacation, My last day at Kuna in St. Louis was Friday, July 2nd, 2010. After driving through the Southeast I boarded a plane with Bob on July 4th. We arrived here in Dubai on July 5th, and the Great adventure began. I took only one vacation day in my year at Kuna, and only one so far here in the UAE. I am so looking forward to seeing some of my friends and family while I am back in the states for two weeks in early August.
Well Rodz and I have begun to reconcile our differences, it is clear that I have deep feelings for her, and I have looked way to hard at the problems verses finding the good things that I love about her. She did have a senior moment this week, she thought her summer trip home to the Philippians was to begin today when she was flying out. So, she said goodbye to her friends at work packed her bags, checked her tickets one last time for flight times...ooops, her plane was booked for next Friday - July 22nd. She was so embarrassed and is back at work today. We are going to dinner this week, hopefully there is a bright future for us, I know that I want there to be one.
I clearly know, that every day that I spend here, will make the years to come in the United States much sweeter and rewarding. I have so much to be thankful for, the great job with a boss that is a friend (a thing not to be taken for granted), a decent income with an opportunity to be debt free within a year, good health (OK I have gained 5 lbs) and freedoms here that are unparalleled in the Middle East.
It is time for me to hop in the shower and get ready for church (going to late - 10:30 am - service with Bob, Sandy, Nick and Mimi). I promise to pray for you and also to pray for my own blessings...
Until next week.....

Is he gay, or just happy to see me???

Ok, I will get to this weeks title eventually...I guess we will take care of the business that leads up to it first...lol. Well in the month of June we finally hit our target, we had 102% growth, and beat our old record month by almost 800,000. So, let the party start, right...not so fast, still not satisfied at the top. Well, Bob and I decided to celebrate with our people anyway. Bob bought two big banners that said "Congratulations Food Service on a New Record Month in Sales". He hung one of the banners in our warehouse and the other one in our department at work. Ralph, our operations manager, took our ware house food selectors out for dinner and adult beverages. We had the celebration at a hotel, set up a buffet with spicy Indian food (95% of our ware house pickers are from India) and each of the employees got two drink coupons good for a bottle of beer each. You must understand, that most of these workers have never even kissed a girl and spend almost their entire time at work or living in their company housing with 5 other male roommates. So after they have drank their two beers, some of them are drunk as skunks...too funny, 95 pound Innocent Indian boys gone wild...We had a really cute Philippine waitress (no, not as cute as Rodz :-)  ) and Ashod (one of my favorite employees), begged me to get the waitresses phone number for him. I felt like a rock star, the workers all wanted to get their picture taken with me. One of the cultural things here is hard to explain. If you go to a club in the USA, you will see girls dancing with each other, well here, these single guys were up dancing with each other, they are not gay (not that I know of, it's just what the guy friends do here...well one of the guys from the warehouse wanted the honor of dancing with me...he asked 4 or 5 times (alcohol apparently gave him great courage..lol) fortunately I was sober, so no dancing with Indian boys for me.

In continuing the party atmosphere, last night Bob and I hosted the sales and support team at UNO's in Dubai Mall for a pizza party. We really have a great group of guys and gals working for us. I hope we can stick together and continue to set records. Speaking of records, today is going to only be 103 degrees. The forecast calls for 106 everyday this week with lows overnight near 90. The sand has been kicking up all week, cars are dust covered, and the skyline is obscured with the sand. I am looking forward to spending a few cool days in St. Louis in August, where the 98 degree highs will be easy to take with 120 degree days here in August. The official temperature here in the UAE won't be reported higher than 121. (49 C). because, when its 50 degrees (122F) the laborers working on the roads and skyscrapers are by law given paid days off, so it never is "officially" higher than 121.
Well a month from today, I land at JFK airport. I have my itinerary finished...Land Friday morning August 5th, drive to the Virginia state line. Wake up and drive the remaining 5 hours to my parents house in Lebanon, Virginia on Saturday morning. Leave for Knoxville Monday after lunch, fly from Knoxville to Orlando Tuesday morning to spend a couple of days working at IFG in Florida (SYSCO's international division) fly back to Knoxville on Wednesday, drive to St. Louis late that night. Meetings at Kuna (about meat operations) on Thursday morning, drive to Cincinnati on Saturday, where I will meet up with Fred and Dan Scott  for a Reds baseball game on Saturday night. Drive Sunday to wheeling West Virginia, spend the night arrive at Dan's an Monday, catch a plane back to Dubai on Tuesday. My trip mileage will be well over 3,000 miles without even counting my flight to Florida. Sounds busy, but I am so looking forward to it. I need a break. I spoke with my buddy Chad (St. Louis friend) last night, and it helped me remember that I still had some really good friends in the states. I need to think more about what I do for a living and where I will live when I leave here.
I think Mimi is going back to the United States and leaving Nick here. She is planning to come back in September to find a job. So, I won't be totally batching it. Rodz leaves for a month in the Philippians next Friday...Sandy is here visiting Bob for the month of July.
Oh well, doing laundry and enjoying my day off. I will most certainly catch up with you next week....