We are in - but more about that later.

Hi All Monday 12 noon 8 June
We are all moved in and Christine and I are picking up the few remaining items to round out the villa. It has been a whirlwind and late nights.
I've been meaning to post this for a while and here it is: It's a email I sent to a peer back in Indiana about what the working conditions are like so although I haven't told you much about the villa - here is some interesting info.

Hi Tom, challenges are many fold.
One to start out of the gate is the language barrier –Most all speak English however the understanding of what is spoken and heard is different – you can have a conversation back and forth and you think that all is OK – but when put into practice – it’s like you never talked. So you end outdoing a lot of follow up and checking the work.
Second thing is education levels – most of my team at least has a high school education – but again – what standards were the school adhering to? – I have a few that are “pharmacists” but when you go deeper , all that tile has is a certificate that says they can tell the difference between Advil and Aspirin. – Don’t get me wrong, they are intelligent but the way things are done here – lock step, repeat the process, anything new is really a hard concept for them to grasp.
Then I have porters – the lowest level of employee – literally a paid slave – and the pay – well it’s a notch above slave wages . The company that provides the porters ( a contract business ) hires in people from Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and pays for their trip here, puts them up in “camps” (yes the sign says -Labour Camps on the freeway) drives them to / from work and they put 8 of them in a 10’ x 10’ room. They get 1 meal a day provided and then they all chip in to have one of them cook an evening meal - rice veggies and small amount of meat . – If you think this is “bad” think of the conditions they came from –open sewers in front of the mud/tin hut – Slumdog places – well at least this is better and they are able to send money home. A REAL eye opener to the third world.
Another problem is I have 3 – non-networked systems for MMIS – and a paper system inter weaved throughout.
One for Warehouse, One for Purchasing and One for Accounts Payable - all data triple entered . Levels of approval here are a big thing too. Do this here then take it there to be stamped then return it here to then wait in a line there. I’m not kidding. (stamps are a big thing – I have my own stamp now – I must have some authority somewhere.)
Another problem is the Emeriti themselves – better know as a “Local” – all must work to get the subsidy – salary is low – but the subsidy is high – many make more than I do at a clerks level pay when you add the subsidy. – So the work ethic is low to nonexistent (not all but most) so you have a complete apathy to get things done.
Lastly as I eluded to before is the HUGE preponderance of red tape. I carry my papers with me where ever I go – Passport, visa, letter of no objection - Get this – your employer must provide a letter that states your salary , your hire date and that they do not object to your getting a car, a villa , a drivers license etc – ( remember they “own” people here and if they do not want you to drive – then you don’t get the letter hence – you can’t leave their employ , where you stay etc. ) You literally are an indentured slave ( the Porters, housekeepers etc)
But with all this , it’s a really interesting place, the people are friendly and for all the backwards ways , there is money to be made hand over fist.

So there you go a little insight into the ways of the UAE. More to follow.
Love Scott