What a week!

So this week has been crazy! Once we got past Eid I was able to travel again so headed to Riyadh on Sunday night. This trip was to close out the 2 US store managers we had working there since July. It was great to spend time with them and have them show me all that they did with the new stores and teams. Wednesday night we all flew back to Dubai so the US managers could see something other than desert, and relax and have some fun (and booze) after their two months in Saudi. Of course, that means I put on my "tour guide" hat, and so Thursday I took them to all the stores in Dubai, showed them the Ski Slope in the mall, the waterfall, the Aquarium, even took them out onto the palm so they could get pictures of the sea and the Atlantis Resort. Then the other US manager we have working in Kuwait flew in for her weekend of fun, and we all met up for a meeting and Dinner at the Dubai Mall. It was fun showing them around the city and taking them to see all the cool things that are here- makes me realize how lucky I am to be based out of this city.
I'm in the office today trying to catch up on expenses, print out tons of things for next week, and trying to catch up on emails- both work and personal: sorry for those of you I haven't emailed in weeks!
I leave for Istanbul tomorrow and AM SO EXCITED!!! When I got my email last week from the new Franchise group telling me the trip was a go I was ecstatic! I'll be having a city tour with the marketing manager from the US on Sunday, then Mon/Tues meetings, and to top the week off on Thursday night is "Fashion Night Out"! It is the event sponsored by Vogue magazine where they have a "call to shop" and everyone goes around and supports businesses and the malls are packed- and stores give away free things or discounts and our company is doing a huge testing event infront of our new store front which opens in October. Best of all- all hotels were booked because of this event so I have to stay at the W Istanbul! Woohoo! That is the most amazing hotel that W has (and all the other US people are at the Hilton) :-)

And yes, if you're wondering what that picture is- it really is a man in a Dishdasha riding a mechanical bull!! When we were at Dubai mall last night one of the big courts has this set up- hilarious! He did an amazing job and stayed on the bull the whole time! But I think falling off and having his robe up over is head would have been more embarrassing than anything- so he was clinging on for dear life! And of course I took the team to the fountains- if anything is more Dubai than the Burj Kahlifa, it's the fountains.
Check back soon to see pictures of Istanbul!!!!!