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...
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, October 14, 2011
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....
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....
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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....
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....
Friday, October 7, 2011
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...
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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)