Quite Unexpectedly....

Quite unexpectedly, it snows, well, not in Dubai, but close. It was reported in the news that snow covers and carpets the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah as the temperature dips to -3 degrees Celsius. We need a helicopter to reach the snowing spots. Many kiasu dwellers in Dubai drove all the way to witness the unprecedented event, but they were disappointed with the road inaccessibility. It will not be a lasting event as the snow starts to melt as I speak [blog] now. The photos are sourced from the Gulf News for us to witness the outcome of one of the many weird ways our world is behaving now.

Last night, when the snow fell and landed on the mountain top, I sms-ed my boss, the Operation Manager to book 30 minutes of her time. I have 3 points to discuss, my project, my team-building program and my business trip to Philippines and Vietnam. She sms-ed in reply, "Sure, morning before 10 or around lunch". I had my thumb texting, "Lunch ~1PM".

Before I went on narrating about the 30-minute meeting, let me shed some details that describe her. She is an Egyptian with sharp features, smooth and creamy complexion, beautiful lips and hazel eyes. She makes a close resemblance of modern day Cleopatra. She is only 33 years and has been in the business for 10 years. So she knows the operations inside out. I mean, almost no single pipeline could escape her mental layout and no single miscalculated operational figures could pass her scrutiny. Well, I could have exaggerated and over-rated her, but she is like that. There is no point going around the bush with her. There is no point not telling what she should know. From the day she interviewed me, I have trusted my instinct to adapt a straight-forward policy with her, strictly business, less words and more actions. I still hold on to the approach despite in the my last appraisal she commented that I need to be more outspoken as she requires more of my fresh eyes' views being delivered on various matters.

So we had our 30 minutes talk. I had prepared my presentation about my project last night and I presented to her. It's well on track. She was so focused on the presentation materials that she was able to give inputs that tie up a couple of loose ends. Then I presented my production team's proposal to have a team-building excursion in Musandom, Oman. She studied the budget figures. She highlighted some safety considerations since it will be a corporate-sponsored overnight affair. With all her concern and considerations turned into action in my to-do list, she said, "Go ahead". The last point discussed was my trip to Philippines and Vietnam. I would be travelling with her and our Personnel Manager to these countries to conduct assessments and interviews as part of our new talents recruitment to fulfil about 10 posts for electrical and mechanical technicians required for our factory expansion. We talked very briefly about our expectation and preparation. My to-do list gets longer and we are done for today.

In those 30 minutes, I have my oriental trip confirmed with a clear mission. On the 29th January I will be flying Emirates in the business class to Manila, and then to Ho Chi Minh City on the 2nd February and will be spending one night in Bangkok on the 5th February. When I return to Dubai, I have to deal with the most delicate part of my project in which we have gone through the process mentally in this meeting. Also, I have secured that my production team, all 30 of us to head to Musandom, Oman on the 20th February to enjoy the sea, sunset and the stars we wish to see above the sky in our night camping. From this meeting, in less than a month, quite unexpectedly, I will have my passport stamped in 3 countries or even 4 if I am able to sneak out of Bangkok airport!