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Rotterdam Not Novo Mantra

9 January 2015

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I have heard, “Rotterdam Not Novo” so many times now, my ears are ringing! It has become a mantra. CI dip and pay in Rotterdam not Novo. Buyers, brokers, agents, all seem to have enough offers from Novo and don’t trust the port, tank farms, authorities, and seller offers as much as they do Rotterdam. […]

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Does the word ‘mandate’ have any worth?

31 December 2014

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I think the word ‘mandate’ is thrown around so much, it has lost its value. I keep hearing, “I am a mandate, she is a mandate, I know a mandate, I am direct to a mandate, I only work with mandates…” etc! Have you ever asked a ‘mandate’ to provide a mandate letter? I did […]

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Many Rivers, One Sea

9 November 2014

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One day as I returned from lunch through our lobby, a spacious area bathed in Silicon Valley sunlight, three men wearing the blue lab smocks of engineers jumped up from their seats and tackled me with a chorus of questions. Erfan, a Syrian with a trimmed, graying beard, said, “Mariam, we were just arguing about […]

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Business Meeting Eastern Style

6 July 2010

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Business Meeting Eastern Style

Here I am, sitting at a 5 star hotel somewhere in the Middle East. I would rather not specify my GPS co-ordinates. Just imagine a large lobby covered with a light-colored marble floor, bright carpets thrown at right-angles, and huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling over colorful furniture. Upright on a piece of colorful furniture […]

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Boxes From Isfahan

16 November 2009

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Boxes From Isfahan

I think the handicrafts and sweets in Isfahan beat all other cities in Iran. They do amazing wood inlaid work as seen in this photo. It is called, khatem kari. I bought several small and a few large boxes as gifts. We went to the small shops to watch how they make these boxes from […]

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Isfahan – Nesf e Jahan

15 November 2009

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Isfahan – Nesf e Jahan

Next stop in Iran: Isfahan – also known as ‘Nesf e Jahan’ or ‘Half of the World.’ It is a beautiful city filled with parks, canals, and plenty of historical sites. Here is a photo of the Naqsh e Jahan Square (Maidaan e Naqsh e Jahan) which means, ‘Image of the World Square.’ It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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