Another Year Passes by...

       Rodz and I have just finished our first month back in Dubai and it feels like so much is happening and at the same time, progress is painfully slow. Speaking of Rodz this New Years eve, she is with her sisters-in-law and brothers in downtown Dubai waiting to enjoy the annual fireworks show at the Burj Khalifa. It is an amazing 10 minutes of unmatchable firework excitement as the worlds tallest building is used as a platform for an awesome show. I decided to work late on this New Years Eve instead of fighting the mega crowd that gathers downtown for the celebration.
      We finally have gotten settled into our new apartment in Motor City (suburb just East of Dubai). We found a nice one bedroom flat the will cost us just shy of $1,900 per month. The cable tv and internet is scheduled to be hooked up on Saturday, and hopefully life will begin some normalcy. A similar apartment in rural America would be about $800 a month, in a big city 11 to 1,200 per month. We are trying to buy inexpensive furniture to fill it up...pictures coming in future blogs.
       Rodz's life in 5 star hotels came to an end this week after our first 31 days in the country were spent in various Rotana hotels. Vinny's wife (Agum) was an absolute life savor by getting us "family rates" at her company properties. We were upgraded at each and everyone of them, spending Christmas at the Almarooj Rotana in downtown Dubai.


Living the good life in Dubai - Christmas 2015

Our room came complete with a private outdoor Jacuzzi. We made the best of it. I will say that I am going to miss a chef making me a cheese omelet for breakfast every morning.  It seems like it's going to be either cereal or a stop for a breakfast of cheese Fataya that I buy at the gas station next to my work.

       It may not look like it in my photo bomb of Rodz's selfie, but I have reached a new low (95kg or 209lbs) - It isn't because of exercise, its change in diet. I eat soup and salad for about half my dinners now, and actually am enjoying it, not feeling like I am punishing myself. Rodz seems to like playing the role of the GM's wife.

 



Mr. & Mrs. Bruck Dec. 2015



     She has also now accepted my role when we dine at customer's and potential customers (something she hasn't always been comfortable with). There are some new American chains that have come to the UAE since my last tour of duty (Denny's, Olive Garden and Five guys). Don't worry, we are contributing to their bottom line...and as always to our favorite restaurant here, Texas Roadhouse!
       I finally got my UAE visa straightened out this past Monday. We are now getting Rodz's visa changed to a spouses visa (in a nutshell, you can't be in Dubai for more than a visit without a work visa or a spouses visa). I had to pay almost a  $1,000 to begin the process. It seems like every time I turn around, I am paying for another visa or visa application. Once Rodz's visa is approved and processed she can begin working. I think she is anxious (understatement of the year) to have her "own" money. I have now learned as a husband, what I earn is ours, and what she earns is hers...lol. I will be happy for her.
        Work is going well, although there is much needed to do. Leading a company is a big responsibility, and I feel like my moves are being watched carefully, although no criticism so far (fingers crossed). I was honored to cut the ribbon on our companies new prayer room.

We only have maybe a dozen Muslim employees (probably 2 dozen Christians and the remaining 100 employees mostly Hindu's and Buddhist) .

It was quite moving to see the reaction of the Muslim's to have their own place to go during their prayer breaks.

      I think that limiting my posts to twice a month is too big of a gap. So going forward, I will post at least every 15 days, if not more often. It is good therapy for me to reflect and makes me feel like I am talking to my friends and family. Speaking of which, one of my best friends' (Lee Croy) mother passed away this week. It was sort of odd for me that the surge of emotion that I felt. Lee's wife Cheryl sent me a note on Facebook saying that she had passed (Lee and I had talked a couple of times about her declining health in November before I left the states) and I started to cry. Rodz didn't understand my reaction, and I guess upon reflection I began to understand why someone that was as sweet to me as could be, but that I had only met in person a little over a dozen times in the 34 years that I knew her. I realized that I had a similar reaction to Danny Messimer's dad dying a few years ago. It wasn't the sadness of them dying, it was knowing the loss and pain my good friends were enduring. Even half way around the world, I only wish the best for my friends, and I know these same friends are rooting for Rodz and I to be happy and healthy.

       So, it's after 8 pm on New Years eve in Dubai (the number one New Years celebration spot in the world (so they claim - lol) I am at my desk at my office taking a break from the "catch up" work that I am doing while Rodz is out partying. So time for me to get back at it...Here's to a special 2016 for all of us!

Happy New Years, see you soon!

Back in Dubai, the adventure resumes....

Greetings from sandy wind swept Dubai. Where to start???? Let's begin with the job, I got s call in October wanting to know if I would return to Dubai to be the General Manager for BIFCO Foods (one of the Barakat Companies). The offer was generous, Rodz was missing her sisters and brothers in Dubai, and unfortunately I wasn't that happy with my American employer, so we accepted the challenge and returned to a warm welcome.

I have quickly settled into my new position, with about 150 employees to nurture and a brand new manufacturing plant to get cranking, the opportunities are tremendous. I have quickly made some easy to make changes (reduced employee working hours, working on new compensation plan, and hiring some needed key personnel), the first two weeks have been busy. I leave our hotel at 7:45 in the morning and return back by about 7:30pm each day. Every day we have a morning management meeting, I steer the team in what I feel is the proper direction and fortunately so far I have been well received.

Burj Khalifa December 14, 2015

Last night I was a guest at a dinner at the Armani hotel which is part of the Burj Khalifa (the 162 story mega sky scraper) in Dubai. It was chilly and very windy, but as much as I hate selfies, I could not resist. I actually snapped sitting in my seat at dinner. I am still awed by the giant technology marvel every time I see it.

Rodz and I have started looking for housing and a car. Getting a lot of pressure from my peers to buy a BMW, I would be fine with a Turbo Optima...will see if I succumb to the peer pressure...I think we have decided to move to Motor City (a suburb of Dubai), we haven't found the right place yet, but hopefully by the next blog I can share pictures of the new digs.

Rodz still isn't allowed to work (Visa Issues) so she spends her days at our 5 star hotel, swimming, hanging out in the Sauna and spending time in the YaCoozie (as she calls it). Say's its like prison...lol, lock me up. A quick update on past Dubai connections...I speak with Vinny Varma (Vinny the Pooh) almost everyday. He is a manger at Unilever here in the UAE and his career is soaring. Steve (my old Transmed manager) is now running Chef Middle East, and has hired my friends Georges Louis and Juan Lopez. Kelly got married to Sammi, and I have totally lost touch...as far as I know she is still a Regional Manager with ACE Hardware. I haven't spoken to Reem yet, so TBD her status - Hayley is now a corporate Manager with Shake Shack USA - living back in NYC, I couldn't be prouder. Suresh is working for a company out of Western Europe selling paper goods in the market, he is also doing great. Elie Saber is still credit manager at Transmed and he and his wife have invited us for Christmas eve...love them...

My health is a little sketchy, I fell down the steps at me parents house in June and I still have  a severe limp (messed up my ankle pretty good). The good news is I have lost a good amount of weight. I now weigh 212 lbs (96.3kg's lol) - the lightest I have been since I challenged Hunter Jones my old King College classmate to a weight loss contest in December 1981. that's a 20 lb loss since early October...

Time to go to dinner (Beni Hanna's tonight)...see you soon....Merry Christmas from your friends half way around the world...