It has been so nice being back in Dubai since Sunday Night. After all that time in Saudi it makes Dubai seem like Disneyland! We have a mono-rail, seaside with beaches, great hotels, amazing shopping and everything is manicured beyond anything imaginable. That was I think the biggest difference. In Dubai they don't just let a side of the highway be dirt, they landscape it, add palm trees, grass, bricks, and make it look really nice. Many of the Dubai malls are also new within the last 5 years so are marbled and high-gloss finished whereas in Riyadh the malls are from the 80's, 90's and haven't really been updated. In Riyadh, they are trying and they did do landscaping, but it is so dry there that it just gets covered in dust, or dies from the heat, so it makes the city look really rough.
The past two days I have spent getting re-connected to the rest of my job. That Saudi launch took up 2 weeks for training the trainers, 1 week of training the staff, and one week of merchandising the new store so that was one whole month that I was disconnected from everything else going on! Today I met with the Regional for the southern gulf who is overseeing the Bahrain market entry. She is great and has it all worked out from the franchise side, I just have to input the brand training, merchandising, and opening things like I did for Riyadh. So another new market in 14days! YAY! I can't wait to see Bahrain! I know you just quivered and slouched back into your chair when you heard that- but really, the strife there has calmed and our malls are not on the same side of the island where the uproars were.
I finally got to see Harry Potter last night! It came out when I was in Riyadh and they don't believe in movies, so had to wait to see it. Very enjoyable, but seems hard to believe that the series is over after 10 years of movies! I also had my first drink last night after the movie. It was great to have beer, but I'm not craving it, and dare I say all these visits to dry countries may just cure me of it all together! And if the trips don't- Ramadan will- which starts on Sunday. ugh, I just convulsed when I wrote that. No eating or drinking from sun up to sun down (5am-7pm)- otherwise you get the "hot stone Massage" as they call it here :-) It will be an experience for sure. As much as that sounds horrid, at sundown they call it "Iftar" which is when you break fast and you GORGE yourself. Everywhere you go now they have signs up for "Iftar Buffet for 150D"- even Applebees and Chili's has it! The other part of "Iftar" is hosting a dinner party at your house to celebrate with friends and family and it is like Thanksgiving dinner every night for 30 days! So it does have this great community undercurrent. I am even having a dinner party when I get back from Bahrain for everyone- I'm going to actually buy real groceries and cook for people! Can't wait! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment