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...