I'm a smoker. Yuck 😷

I never smoke around the kids and never in the house. My kids don't bother me anymore when I tell them "I'm going to the balcony" 😋

Today I was in so deep thought I picked the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette and lit it. I held the first puff inside and run to the balcony.
I usually fill a glass with Pepsi and enjoy my smoke with this fizzy drink from heaven 😍
I contemplate and think. I dream and sing (In a low voice off course).

Last Sunday, I started working with a friend of mine. Someone I consider as a big brother. He is a bit older, in his mid fifties. He's a civil engineer and a faculty member. His business is Real Estate Development. That's how we got introduced actually.

Back in 2005, I was looking for an apartment and ended up being his partner on a piece of land. We built it and sold it. I got my apartment and some cash too. It was a good investment. He did everything and it turned out great. He is an honest person and I respect him.

I remember when I was making this deal, everyone was advising me against it. They had valid reasons. People in Egypt are known to con other people from their money. The judicial and executive (Police) systems in Egypt help those con people than dissuade them 😳

Here is a funny side note on how we got introduced.
I have an uncle whose a Doctor. He has his private clinic. One of his patients is a young engineer that he knew since he was a boy. My uncle knew I was looking for an apartment so he asked his young patient if he can help. This young engineer incidentally worked with Dr. H. That's how we got introduced.
The funny side note....that same young engineer, a few years later, convinced my uncle to invest with him in Land and conned him out of a big chunk of money 😱

I think one of the marquee moments in our friendship, Dr. H and I, happened one night during the early stages of the venture. I was sitting with him in his car around 9:00 pm, in front of the closed notary, and basically gave him the money without any guarantees. It was only till the morning when we can notarize the papers but that was one long night 😖Its also a secret that nobody knows. My parents would've had a heart attack if they found out. Thank God, he came through.
But I think this moment built trust between us.

Anyway, I was working with him on and off since I got back from Qatar in 2014. I usually helped him with the marketing. Facebook style 😂 There was a time when we actively considered buying another land together but it never came through.
One of the problems I faced when I started working with him is his strict perspective on business matters. Example, I had a tough time convincing him that marketing is essential to grow his business.  For him, it was "If I spend one dollar, when do I get it back and what is the profit margin"
He is starting to open his scope and ready to take minimal risks

He called me ten days ago and asked me to help him to change his business model. To help him manage the business. Its a big task. One of those big tasks is being able to convince him about things I know he would normally object to. We'll see how it goes.

Management is a tough job and I can write about it endlessly. I feel its the art of handling people. My brain is always working 24/7 when I manage, especially in the first few months. But I love it, specially when you see a positive effect on the place and people you're working with.
There is a lot that happened at work since I started working on Sunday but I have to go to bed...

Waiting for the producer to call me. I'll try him by the end of the week...