Thursday, March 22, 2012 - Abu Dhabi

Dear Readers,


Welcome to the weekend!  In Abu Dhabi, the weekend starts on Thursday.  This works better for me... In Western countries (where the weekend is Saturday/Sunday), I can party Friday and Saturday night and then relax on Sunday.  Sundays can be quiet in (choose 1): a. London, b. Dallas, c. Shanghai ... Notice that I didn't indicate Wichita, where it is quiet 7x24x365.  In Abu Dhabi, the big party nights are: Wednesday night (Ladies night), Thursday night (start of the weekend), Friday night (Big party night) and Saturday night (house party night).  So, instead of having two party nights per week, I have four in Abu Dhabi.  This is great, but all great things comes with a price.  In my case, the cost is "conference calls".  Invariably someone at head office will schedule a conference call for Friday morning Dallas time (Friday night in Abu Dhabi and the early evening of the "Big Party Night").  If my company doesn't stop scheduling Friday conference calls, I'm going to start scheduling Sunday afternoon (Abu Dhabi local time) conference calls (Middle of the night Saturday/Sunday in the USA).


Anyway, I wish all of my readers a happy weekend and try to spend some time partying "Shane Style" this weekend!




Musical Interlude:


My suggestion this time is a song written by David Byrne (formerly of the Talking Heads).  This is "Papa Legba" from the movie "True Stories" performed by Pop Staples.  I love this clip, even though it is dubbed in German (which just seems to add to its coolness, if you ask me).  By the way, this scene supposedly takes place in Fort Worth, Texas in 1986 -- which, although I didn't have direct knowledge, was not exactly a hotbed of Santoria "white magic" voodoo when I lived there.  For those of you who have never seen "True Stories", I highly recommend this film.  It is a nice, non-judgmental, good-hearted story that launched the career of John Goodman.  Enjoy!


http://youtu.be/XsbtAxGTAE4



Section 1:  Cool Items for Less than $10:

The preponderance of "Apps" in recent years has really revolutionised eCommerce.  Apps are inexpensive and can provide super-cool functionality.  I'll feature some of my favourites throughout my blog entries, but this first entry of Apps is "near and dear to my heart" ... In fact, it is for my heart ... "Instant Heart Rate" the heart monitoring tool from the Apple Apps Store.  Many mornings, following nights of relentless partying, I am just happy that my heart actually registers on the App at all.  the App, however, has a trending capability which has shown me that, the more I work out, the quicker my heart recovery is ... It is nice to know that I can repair some of the ravages of my hard-partying life with consistent trips to the gym.  For $1.00, this App is a steal, if only to "put your heart at rest" ... 




Section 2:  Cool Items for Less than $100

My entry for this section of my blog posting is my favourite alcoholic drink, "Snow Leopard Vodka".  This is a six times distilled super-premium Polish vodka that tastes fantastic.  The producer also provides 10% of the profits from the vodka to the preservation of the Snow Leopards in the wild.  I tell my friends that it is our moral obligation to show charity and save the Snow Leopards.  In fact, I've saved so many Snow Leopards by this time that I'm expecting a nomination for the "CNN Hero of the Year".  Thanks, in advance, for your vote!  I guarantee that I've had some wild nights with the Leopard!  In fact, when my friends and I decide we are going to party heavily we take a vow to "Free X numbers of leopards" (one litre of Vodka = 1 leopard in our reckoning)!  My favourite way to enjoy Snow Leopard is with sour cherry juice ... This is immortalised in one of my older blog entries as "The Elixir".  Enjoy this good value luxury!






Section 3: Cool Items for less than $1000:

For those of you that know me well, you know that I love neck ties.  I also like "theme ties".  My favourites are by Hermes (shown above), Salvatore Feragammo (pictured below), and Dunhill.  Although, a banker friend of mine once commented that he didn't support Dunhill due to to the "tobacco connection".  I don't smoke Dunhill cigarettes but they aren't a political issue for me.  I'll keep wearing my Dunhill ties, thank you!  I never buy myself ties, even though I like them very much.  I expect my loved ones to buy all of my ties.  This year, I asked Shazia (my daughter) to find me a Tiffany Blue tie.  For some reason, I keep seeing celebrities  wearing this colour and I like it (its not like I'm asking for Shazia to give up her lunch money, the chick is 27 years old this year!).  She eventually (after great effort) found me one from Feragammo ... one of my favourites!  I have about 200-300 ties ... and about 35 of those 200-300 are clean enough that they don't have a spot on them that needs dry cleaning!  Some of my ties have so many stains on them, I have to keep them in the refrigerator!

Section 4: Cool Items When Price Doesn't Matter:

Most hotels have a shop that sell T-shirts, swimming suits, cheap novels, etc.  Not Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.  They have Barakat's - a shop that sells authentic antiquities.  The Barakat's antiquities are 100% authentic and are from locations around the world.  They have ancient Egyptian, Hittite, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Indian, Chinese and even pre-Columbian new-world artefacts.  These are museum quality finds that are available for the well-heeled.  The sandstone relief above is of the god Horus and is from ancient Egypt.  This trifle is about 8 inches x 10 inches (18 cms by 22 cms) and was made in the period of 950 BCE - 910 BCE.  This can be yours, dear reader, for a mere Dirhams 75,000 (US$ 20,800 or GBP 13,000).  Below is one of my favourites ... this is a wine crater (sort of like a mixing vessel) made of Attic "Black Wear" pottery.  It is a little more pricey (Dirhams 120,000 = US$33,000 = GBP 21,000) because it comes from the "Golden Age of Athens" (380 BCE - 350 BCE).  Antiquities are an investment but these are undoubtedly cool!

Section 5: My Favourite Places:

Undoubtedly, one of my favourite places in the entire world is the Sky Bar at the Unique Hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  The Sky Bar has the most fantastic view of Paulista Avenue in downtown Sao Paulo!  The bar and restaurant have a convenient roof-level swimming pool.  At night, the bar has a super-chilled music selection and the most romantic view of the city.  The Unique Hotel (pictured below) is a landmark in its own right.  Shaped like "Noah's Ark" it is an architectural icon that adds to the lustre of Sao Paulo.  I do not recommend, however, that you drink the Caprianhas at the Sky Bar ... Cachaca gives me a hangover that last for days.  Instead, drink Caprioskas (made with vodka instead of Cachaca).  Might I recommend Snow Leopard?!

I hope you all enjoy this blog entry ...

Dear Readers,

The last blog on women's items prompted a lot of page views and also a lot of comments.  Thanks very much for both.  I will mix in additional women's items from time to time within my postings.  I also had a few encouraging comments regarding the musical selection, so I'll keep that up as well.

I hope you enjoy today's entry ...

Musical Interlude:

For this posting, I have selected "Ungodly Fruit" by Wax Tailor.  Again, this is European lounge chill-out.  As with all Wax Tailor works, this is ice-cube cool!  I especially like the sampling of the B-grade horror films from the 1950s in the beginning and middle.  By the way, this selection is from Wax Tailor's album "Tales of the Forgotten Melodies".  There are other cool tracks on the album including an electronic remix of Doris Day's "Que Sera".  Its worth checking out...

http://youtu.be/tq3m3_ZEJZ4

Section 1:  Cool Items for Under $10:

When I travel on airplanes, my skin and especially my lips become very dry.  This is perhaps very common in the low humidity because many amenity kits on airplanes include lip balm.  My favourite, however, is from a company called EOS with their "Lip Balm Spheres".  They are not particularly spherical, but they are cool and they fit in any case -- including a briefcase.  EOS comes in three flavours: lemon, berry and mint.  I strongly prefer the mint because it is also cooling.  There is always a mint one in my briefcase.

By the way, speaking of lip balm always reminds me of a story.  There were two cowboys riding the range in western Kansas during a winter storm.  The weather was terrible and the wind was biting.  When the two cowboys made camp that night, one cowboy turned to the other and said, "My lips are really sore and chapped ... do you have anything for chapped lips?"  His companion thought for a while and said, "Well, I reckon that if you spread a fresh glob of horse shit all around your lips, that might work if the shit is really fresh ..."  The first cowboy replied in a shocked voice, "Is that going to cure my chapped lips??!!"  To which his stoic companion replied, "Well, probably not, but it will surely keep you from licking your lips and making them worse."

Section 2: Cool Items for Under $100:

My friends all know that I love Beirut!  One of the best things about Beirut is shopping for cigars in the Casa De Habana in Beirut Duty Free.  I always buy my favourite cigar there: The Romeo y Juliet "Duke Limitada".  These are aged cigars that are as smooth and mellow as the virgin Cuban girls that roll them on their soft inner thighs (or so I would like to believe that this is how they are made).  A box of ten Duke Limitadas costs $99 in Beirut Duty Free, which is less than they cost in Havana!  I buy boxes and boxes of them when I am there.  Many people like to use a punch but I like huge clouds of aromatic smoke, so I always use a cutter.  Whichever your preference, the Duke Limitada is the best!

Section 3:  Cool Items for Less than $1000:

Over the years, I have developed a taste for vintage champagne.  I have to admit that Rosa is the one that started me down the winding track of drinking champagne but I took to it much like, as it were, a duck takes to water.  Rosa likes Dom Perignon, but my favourite is definitely Perrier-Jouet "Belle Epoque".  Belle Epoque is named after the wonderful years in France after the Franco-Russian war and before World War I.  At this time, Paris was the coolest place on the planet and the time became known as the "Good Era" (aka "Belle Epoque").  Belle Epoque has a very small bubble which means that it is crisp yet very, very smooth.  My favourite is vintage 2002 -- which is probably the best vintage overall for champagne in the past 20 years, but 2004 is also excellent and easier to find.  The bottle is unmistakable with its flowers motif.  Once I drank PJ Belle Epoque, I realised why enthusiasts like champagne so much, it tastes fantastic!

Section 4:  Cool Items When Money Doesn't Matter:

I wear a suit nearly every day to work.  I actually like wearing suits but wearing one every day means that my suits take a lot of wear and tear.  So, once per year or so, I have bespoke suits made.  Bespoke suits fit perfectly because they are designed specifically for the wearer.  I have my favourite brands including; Canali, Zegna and Brioni, but these suits don't always transport well.  this year, I bought Tom Ford bespoke suits.  The materials are designed not to wrinkle and the styling is impeccable.  These suits are undeniably expensive -- especially since I always have two pairs of trousers made for each suit, but they are very fashionable and they wear like iron.  I don't quite have the physique of Tom Ford (pictured above in his own suit), but even I look good in a custom-made Tom Ford suit!

Section 5:  My Favourite Places:

I mentioned Beirut above ... A lot of my friends remember Beirut when it was a war zone and their perceptions about the city are based upon those terrible events.  Well, that is OK with me because when people stay away from Beirut then it is less crowded and I love Beirut -- especially when it is less crowded.  Seriously, however, Beirut is one of the most lovely and certainly one of the coolest spots on the planet.  This time of year, it is possible to ski at Faraya resort in the morning and then hit the beaches in the afternoon down by La Roche.  Faraya is about 45 minutes from downtown Beirut and La Roche is downtown!  If the reader goes to Beirut, however, he/she must pay a visit to Music Hall.  Music Hall is part theatre, part night club and part bar.  There is a mix of music and even comedy that will satisfy everyone.  Plus, the bottle prices are inexpensive.  By the time the second or third bottle of Stoli Elite is consumed, everyone in your party will be up dancing, laughing and having fun -- regardless of the music playing.  All of the music is from live acts and there is a good opportunity between acts to relax with friends.  I liken Music Hall to Vaudeville for the 21st Century ... part retro, part old-school -- totally cool!

I hope you have enjoyed this posting.  I'll write more in a few days ...

Dear Readers,


Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Given that it is the middle of the weekend for most of my readers, I wish you fun and "the luck o' the Irish" tonight.  I have a full day of work tomorrow, so I'll be moderating my intake this evening ... That's not a joke ... No really ... Ok, I might be having a quick pint or two with friends, but that's all ... I think ...


Rosa is still on her girl's trip to Istanbul, so I thought I'd quickly submit another posting in my blog.  I did receive a question about what's hot on my playlist right now, so I thought I would provide a link in the beginning of each blog posting to a song which I like.  Those readers who want the full experience can start the song in the background while they read the blog entry.


By the way, dear readers, so that you don't have the impression that ALL cool things are masculine, this entry is dedicated to Rosa, my female readers, and some of Rosa's cool things.  So, consider this one to be for the ladies ...


Let me know how you like the new musical addition.


Enjoy the read!




Musical Interlude:


My selection for this posting is "Cold Water Music" by Aim.  This song is classic European lounge chill-out.  The woman's voice is singing the lyrics "Vodka made me cool", which could actually be a line in my obituary some day!  Enjoy this song as you read the remainder of the entry ...


http://youtu.be/KTyP2UgyHsU


Section 1: Cool [Women's] Things for Under $10:


I've been with Rosa for 20 years now (married for 17 years; three of the best years of my life!) and I wish I had a dirham (or quarter, or 10p coin, etc.) for each time I heard those special four little words, "Are my teeth clean?"  Rosa is paranoid about something sticking in her teeth so I am asked this question literally after every meal, snack and even cup of tea with a biscuit!  So my entry for this first section is for disposable toothbrushes... Rosa puts these in her bag when we are out and, if I tell her there is something in her teeth, then she runs off to the toilet in the restaurant to use these handy little devices.  To be clear, if there is just one glass of wine left in the bottle, I'm liable to tell her that there is something in her teeth just so that she'll run off to brush her teeth while I bogart the last glass.

This topic reminded me of something my dad always used to say... My dad always used to say that there was one question that every husband should always dread -- and it has nothing to do with teeth.  He said that this question is the worst possible question to to be asked by your wife because there is absolutely, positively no way to answer this question correctly.  Dad claimed that scientists have studied this question for centuries and NO HUSBAND has ever developed an answer to this fundamental question that is acceptable.  In fact, dad would break out into a cold sweat just thinking about my mother asking him, "Honey, does this dress make my ass look big?"  Dad was a wise man ...




Section 2: Cool [Women's] Things for Under $100:

I'm cheating a little on this entry because it is only below $100 if you buy the 50ml bottle (pictured above).  Rosa prefers the 400ml version with the cut glass stopper which, to be honest, is about $500.  This is the new super hot scent from Tom Ford.  It is supposed to be unisex but I find that pretty hard to believe.  None the less, it smells fantastic (at least on Rosa).  There are about 10-12 different scents from Tom Ford in this range but most of them aren't good.  Neroli Portofino one is not very good ... it is GREAT!  By the way, I also like their magazine ads (pictured below) -- or at least the top half anyway:

Section 3: Cool [Women's] Items or Under $1000:

Rosa loves her designer shoes ... and one of her current favourites is Christian Louboutin.  This brand of women's shoes is instantly recognisable by their blood red sole -- and rather high heels.  By the way, Tom Ford's store at the Dubai Mall is immediately opposite the Christian Louboutin store -- how handy for you male readers when you are shopping in Dubai!  I love it when Rosa wears these shoes because other women instantly hone in on the red sole -- pretty cool!  


I cannot write about women's shoes without telling you dear readers about Rosa's obsession with a particular pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.  She must have four or five pairs of this exact same shoe (pictured below) in various locations around the world.  I know she has a pair in Abu Dhabi and a further pair in Cyprus (plus a second pair in Cyprus in nude colour).  I am pretty sure she has at least two pairs in London -- one with a slightly damaged heel that resulted from  a late night party session with her girlfriends in Las Vegas.  Then, she recently bought the same shoe in red which is floating somewhere around the world.  I tell everyone, "Rosa's obsessions are not evil, and generally not dangerous (at least to others), but they ARE expensive!"  Still, this obsession (like most of Rosa's) is nothing if it is not super-cool!

Section 4: Cool [Women's] Things When Money Doesn't Matter:

Almost every woman in the world has a built in affection for the colour "Tiffany Blue" especially if it is the colour of a box (husbands take note: the larger the box the better).  I firmly believe that this affection is genetic and it must be part of the general heritage of all women in the world.  I know that Rosa has this gene hard-wired into the fondest portion of her brain, but even my Kansas-born, seventy-something year old mother can instantly recognise a Tiffany Blue box!  Of course, just like with men (I tell Rosa jokingly), "its what's on the inside that counts ..."  So, when money is not really an object and a reader wants to be a little extravagant, I recommend Tiffany Pink Diamonds.  Pictured below are the princess cut earrings, which are the right colour, but I opted for the 0.5 Carat (each) solitaire cut diamonds.  Pink diamonds are apparently the rarest, which makes them the most expensive.  None the less, they are undeniably feminine and undeniably cool!  By the way, Rosa lost one of her earrings on an airplane ... I must replace those sometime!

Section 5: My Favourite [Women's] Places:

In keeping with the theme of this posting, I'm still writing about cool things for women, so my entry for this section is a place that I've never been.  In fact, I'm not allowed to enter beyond the foyer of the building.  This is the women's only Sanctuary Day Spa in Covenant Garden in London.  Stressed-out female bond traders, bored executive housewives and relaxing female celebrities seem to really like this place.  I arranged a day for Rosa there for Valentine's Day one year when we were not together.  I think she liked the place but she probably would have preferred my company instead.  She did return home relaxed.  Isn't that nice!

By the way, ladies, men generally don't hang around the locker room chatting and laughing after a shower (although, I've never been to a YMCA, so maybe its different there).  This "girls only" spa ritual is foreign to men.




Dear female readers, I hope you enjoyed this women's edition of my blog ... I promise that testosterone will return in another entry soon!

Friday, March 16, 2012 - Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dear Readers,

I'm hopefully hitting my stride on writing blog entries in this new format.  I'm picking up more page views and good comments.  Thanks for that!  Today is the weekend, here in the UAE, so I thought I would spend time writing in my blog as a nice way to relax for a short time.

Unusually, Rosa is traveling while I'm staying in one place.  She is on a "girls holiday" in Istanbul with about nine other women.  I reckon there will be at least seven or eight husbands that will be complaining to me about their credit card balance after Rosa has taken their wives shopping ... If shopping were an Olympic Event, Rosa would have gone pro by now!

Enjoy today's entry...

Section 1: Cool Items for Under $10

Its probably fairly easy to tell from reading this blog that I sometimes wake up in the morning "a little slow" due to late night partying.  So, today's entry of cool items for less than $10 includes my handy remedy ... Berocca Boost.  This is an effervescent vitamin that dissolves in water (much like Alkaseltzer for my American readers).  It is full of Vitamin B complex (e.g. B2, B6, B12) which perks me up quickly, Vitamin C and various other minerals.  There are several types of Berocca, but what makes Boost my favourite is that it also has Guarana ... which my Brazilian readers will instantly recognise.  Guarana is a Brazilian berry that naturally stimulates you without being addictive or containing caffeine.  So, Berroca Boost with Guarana is just "what the doctor ordered" after a late night "Half Shane".  For the "Full Shane", I recommend Additivas ... they contain a LOT of caffeine and are known affectionately around the world as "Shane Pills".  Interestingly, Bayer -- those bright pharmaceutical boffins -- make both Berocca and Additiva but Additiva is only available in certain countries (countries I like to visit, I might add!).

Section 2: Cool Items for Under $100

When I write my blog, I generally listen to music on the stereo.  Quite often songs from Hotel Costes CDs will feature prominently on my play lists.  Hotel Costes CDs are the absolute zero of cool when it comes to chill-out music.  Buddha Bar CDs might have helped create the genre but Hotel Costes takes it to its ultimate crescendo.  Dear readers, you can download Hotel Costes albums from iTunes, but I highly recommend instead that you buy the CDs.  The sound quality is better and the CD comes with cool graphics as well.  It is a vicious rumour that I prefer Hotel Costes CDs because of the cover graphics, but let's face it ... beautiful women on CDs are always going to sell better than pictures of a Buddha!  There are many Hotel Costes CDs but I recommend the entire collection -- each one is fantastic!

Section 3: Cool Items for under $1000

My entry for this section this posting is something that I carry with me every time I leave the house: my credit card wallet.  I have a pretty big arse, by the way ("ass" for my American readers)... So, I don't like putting a wallet in my back pocket because then my arse sticks out that much more.  I also don't like to use a jacket wallet because I then worry when I take my jacket off.  My answer is to put my few cards in the Louis Vuitton Business Card wallet and then I can put this into the front pocket of my trousers.  The LV Business Card wallet is still cool and I only have a few cards that I need: my American Express Card, my ATM card, my Etihad Gold Elite frequent flyer card and my hotel room key.  Rosa doesn't trust me with credit cards so I only have these few cards about which to worry.  The business card wallet is very thin and discrete.  I prefer the "Grey Dammier" pattern instead of the brown (pictured above) but both are cool.  The grey just looks better when I remove my Centurion Titanium card to pay for dinner ...

The Centurion card is optional, of course!  

Section 4: Cool Items When Money Doesn't Count

I've noticed in my 49 years on this planet that there is a difference between boys and girls.  Besides the obvious, I wonder if my readers have ever considered that women can look cool wearing men's fashion items but visa versa doesn't work.  A physically fit woman in a man's t-shirt and boxer shorts looks one million times more sexy than I do wearing the same thing!  Similarly, I sort of wonder about men that wear Christian Louboutin shoes or La Perla knickers (not that this is not a perfectly acceptable choice in its own right)...  Rosa is no exception to this rule (i.e. she looks good in men's fashion items, not that she is a cross-dresser).  She can wear men's fashions and look chic.  For the past several years she has been one of the pioneers of women wearing large men's high-fashion watches.  Rosa's particular fancy is for the solid gold variety of Rolex watches -- but never the women's model.  The latest addition to her burgeoning collection is the Pink gold President Day-Date with diamonds.  Now, my readers, this is not a purchase ... it is an investment.  None the less, it is a cool investment.  Rosa looks fashionable wearing this watch whether she is in a bikini or in formal attire.  Then again, Rosa looks cool in pretty much anything (including my t-shirts and boxer shorts)!

Section 5: My Favourite Places

Today, I'm going to shock my readers and not point to a bar or restaurant as one of my favourite places (ok, there is a pub involved ...).  Instead, I'm going to encourage my readers to visit Avebury in the county of Wiltshire in England.  This is a truly mystical place regardless of your religion.  Built in prehistoric times, the Avebury Ring is enormous and no one knows the true purpose of this marvel.  It was probably a temple district and is almost certainly related to the nearby (and more famous) Stonehenge.  The builders of Avebury moved huge amounts of earth to form ditches in a circle and then erected enormous standing stones much larger than the ones at Stonehenge.  Avebury is large enough to have a village inside of it!  That's where the pub is, by the way.  The pub is a nice spot for a pint of cider after circumnavigating the Ring and a convenient place to park.  This is a great place to wander as you wonder ...

I hope my readers enjoyed this entry.  I'll write more soon ...

Wednesday, March 14, 2012: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Blogger Comments:


Dear Readers,


I received good reviews regarding the revised and especially about the shorter format.  It seems that many readers found the old format difficult to read because it was too long ... Well, if you think those entries are long to read, please consider how long they took to write!


This format is less of a commitment from my side.  Whenever someone told my dad, "It is the least you can do ...", my dad always used to say, "Well, never let it be said that I don't do the least that I can do!"  So, I'm going to stick with this format for a while because it is "the least that I can do."


Enjoy the read ...




Section 1: Cool Items for Under $10


Unlike most offices in the USA, the full-service airlines in most parts of the world are still formal in attire.  So, I need to wear a suit with a tie nearly every workday.  The problem is that I travel a lot and have to use hotel laundries virtually all of the time. While that may not sound like a problem to most people, frequent business travellers know that there is one problem with hotel laundries: they always lose collar stays from dress shirts.  OK, it is probably my own fault that I don't remove the collar stays before I send the shirt to the laundry but it is not always easy to remember to remove the stays after a late night of business entertainment (which typically involves cocktails and bottles of wine).  The solution is very simple:  a $9.00 bottle of collar stays from Brooks Brothers!  This handy little bottle contains about 12 pairs of collar stays of different lengths.  The bottle is compact enough to fit in any piece of luggage (including a briefcase) but it is made of glass so it "tinkles" when shaken so that it is easy to find in the bag.  This is the cheapest and best "bottle" that I buy in a year! This is a totally cool way to make my life easier ...

Section 2:  Cool Items for Under $100


When I'm travelling, I always try to toss one or two DVDs into my luggage in case I end up someplace where English is not the primary language and TV channels are limited.  Instead of watching old versions of the 1970's show "Hawaii 5-O" in Cambodian, for example, I can pop a DVD into my laptop and watch something more interesting (Although Jack Lord es muy macho in any language!).  I don't watch films because they require a lot of time commitment, but I do like watching documentaries.  My new favourite is "Frozen Planet" a BBC documentary featuring David Attenborough, the most revered documentary maker since Jacque Cousteau!  This high definition DVD is so cool that when I watched it the first time I had to put on a sweater (jumper) even though it was 110F outside!  The sidebars showing how the shots were set-up are amongst the greatest episodes during the documentaries.  I highly recommend "Frozen Planet"!

Section 3: Cool Items for Less than $1000


I always travel with at least two iPods ... a 160GB iPod Classic which holds about 22,000 songs and a 64GB iPod Touch with a mere 9,000 songs.  I have hundreds and hundreds of playlists of mostly chill-out and world music.  I listen to them on airplanes, in hotel rooms and when I hit the gym.  The iPods, however, are not the items that I am describing for this section.  Instead, this section is about my headphones.  I have high standards for headphones:

• My headphones need to provide flawless sound reproduction
• They need to have a good bass and treble range
• They need to block out all outside noise and they must not leak noise (don't you hate to sit next to a fellow passenger and hear his/her poor selections of [choose one: a. Country music, b. Gospel music, c. Heavy metal noise or d. books on tape]??!!)
• My headphones need to have a very small form-factor and they need to be comfortable enough to wear when I sleep.

The problem with headphones is generally that, the smaller they are, the worse sound quality they produce.  So, my cool luxury item is the Sure 535 headphones.  These headphones were originally aimed at professional DJs and they have all of the quality of Sure professional sound equipment.  The older versions (e.g. the original 530s) used to wear poorly and their wires would quickly fray, but the new 535s have solved those problems.

The plugs fit snugly and the whole headphone unit sits easily inside the ear like a hearing aid.  The sound reproduction is stunningly good.  In fact, the headphones have a much greater sound range than the iPods to which the headphones are connected!  They are a little pricey (about $550) but they are worth the extra price for the pure enjoyment that comes from fantastic sound quality!  By the way, I buy a new pair about every 18 months and use the older pair when I work-out.

Section 4: Cool Items When Money Doesn't Matter

I know that money always matters, but this section is about the luxury items that produce pure enjoyment.  My entry in this post is Dunhill writing instruments.  My favourite is the Dunhill black lacquer and gold roller-ball (pictured below).  The black lacquer is simple and elegant while the gold fittings are classic.  The roller-ball is a good compromise between a ball-point and a fountain pen.  Fountain pens are cooler, but the cartridges tend to explode at low pressure and I've ruined shirts and the interior of a few briefcases with exploding fountain cartridges at altitude during flights.  The balance of the Dunhill pens is perfect and when you loan a pen to a customer they almost beg to sign contracts!  The coolest characteristic about these pens, however, is that they are nicer than Montblanc pens and less expensive.  The biggest drawback of these pens is that everyone who sees one wants to steal one!

Section 5: My Favourite Places


I don't want to disappoint my tippling readers, so I have another bar entry within my favourite places.  This bar, however, is more relaxed than most where I entertain.  Unusually, this bar is also in a hotel where I stay frequently.  For those of you who have travelled with me, you will know that I rarely eat in a hotel where I stay.  This is because my dad used to provide the advice, "Don't eat where you shit ..." (maybe he wasn't speaking about hotels, come to think of it!).  This entry of "My Favourite Places" is about the Sphere Bar at the Sofitel Hotel near London Heathrow Terminal 5.  The Sphere Bar is super-cool and relaxed but what makes the difference in this bar is the bar-staff.  Andre and Raphal are the best but all of the others are good.  These guys will always stop for a quick chat and they are always welcoming!  If you ask them nicely, they will even fetch a stone-baked pizza from the restaurant next-door to the bar.  The bartenders know every drink and even create potent potables of their own.  Dear readers, visit the Sphere Bar and tell Andre and Raphal that I sent you!

I hope you all enjoyed this posting!  I'll write another in a few days...

A New Beginning

Blogger's Note:


Dear readers,


I have been absent from my blogging duties for some time ... We all become busy and different priorities arise.  None the less, I have decided to try again even though I am moving to a simpler format and shorter entry length.


My new format has a simple concept...


Many friends ask me, "What should I buy for [insert name and relationship]?  I want something luxurious but I only want to spend [enter amount]."  Since I have the good fortune to have visited most of the earth, I always try to provide an answer that is both unique and, at least in my opinion, cool.  So, my new format for this blog is to have just five short sections:


Section 1:  Cool items for under $10.


Section 2:  Cool items for under $100.


Section 3:  Cool items for under $1000.


Section 4:  Cool items when money doesn't matter.


Finally, I'll add a final section:


Section 5:  My favourite places - which will detail a restaurant, party place or other place that I really like and really enjoy visiting.


I'm hoping that this new format achieves several goals:

1. It is short enough for readers to enjoy without requiring the long read that my other entries required.
2. It sparks comments from my readers
3. It is easier for me to write and maintain because the entries are shorter

I'd really like to hear from any readers who enjoy the new format -- or anyone that preferred the older version.

With this introduction, I will jump into the first entry of this new format:

Location:  Shangri-la Residence, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Section 1:  Cool items for under $10:

Many people think that it is hard to reinvent something that has been around for thousands of years in order to make it cool without being expensive.  I believe, however, that the chemists at Cussons Imperial Leather have done the miraculous by reinventing soap with their "Foamburst - the Ultimate Body Wash Gel".  This is like shaving gel that makes an incredibly rich lather and rinses cleanly under the shower flow.  I like the "Ocean Fresh" but all of the other scents are great!  Kind reader, you might ask, "What's so cool about body wash?"   The answer is quite easy really, "Foamburst makes showering fun again because it makes you feel like you have a bubble bath every time you shower!"  Whether you shower alone or in pairs (to save water resources, of course!), Foamburst is a super-cool product that is inexpensive and yet luxurious.

Section 2:  Cool items for under $100:

This category is very easy to fill with a plethora of super cool items.  For this entry, however, I'm going to recommend Dyptique Candles and room sprays. I'm not really the "Sensitive Man" type who is "in touch with my inner feminine", but these candles and room sprays are super cool!  The candles don't produce smoke because they are made from very high quality essential oils and they last for about 50 hours.  The room sprays don't last as long as the candles, but they are a quick way to change freshen up a room.  My favourite is above, "Pomander". It has the scents of cinnamon, cardamom, orange and other exotic spices.  For some reason, it relaxes me and makes me feel happy.  Scientists have determined that odours are identified in one of the most primitive parts of the brain and that the olfactory nerves are "hard-wired" into memory.  This is the reason that a certain smell will bring back vivid memories very quickly.  What I know for certain is that the Dyptique candles and room sprays produce very emotional responses: a person either loves the smell or hates it.  I give Dyptique a high rating!

Section 3: Cool items for under $1000:

This section is also very easy to fill.  For this first entry, however, I'm going to recommend Salvatore Ferragamo shoes for men.  I always gave a friend of mine a very hard time for wearing Ferragamo, because I thought Ferragamo was for old men (which it is, of course).  Then, however, I found Ferragamo's high-end dress shoes that are made from a single piece of leather.  These shoes are so cool that their temperature has to be measured in Kelvin!  The shoes have no decoration to distract from the pure simplicity of extremely high quality leather.  They are comfortable from the very first time that they are worn but after two or three wearings, they fit perfectly to the owner's feet because of the one piece leather construction.  I wear them with my business suits because they look and feel fantastic!  My dad always used to say, "It is impossible to look tough in wing-tip shoes..."  As always, dad was right!  These shoes have no decoration, so they look just as cool with jeans as with an expensive suit.  I buy at least two pair each year.  They will last for many years, so the older pairs are lovingly consigned to wear when I'm at leisure.  These Ferragamo shoes are a little more expensive than other shoes but they wear like iron and they always look outstanding with just a simple polish.  I guess this is why so many CEOs and heads of state wear these shoes.

Section 4: Cool items when money doesn't matter:

OK, this section could be filled with super cars, luxurious houses, yachts and other paraphernalia of the rich and famous.  This would not be true to the purpose of my blog, however, which is to provide my own opinion -- from personal experience -- as to what is cool.  So, I will reserve this section for things that I like a lot regardless of their price.  My first entry is for my beloved stereo made by Linn.  Rosa bought me my first Linn system for our Laurel Court home in Iver Heath outside of London.  She did all of the research and found just the right combination of ease of use and high-end audio reproduction.  The sounds that are produced by the components and speakers are perfect to the point of being sublime.  The audio range is incredible!  The speakers are so perfect that the same song played on an iPod sounds completely different from being played on a CD -- even at exactly the same volume.  The speakers are sensitive enough to pick up the differences in sound quality between CDs and MP3/MP4 players.  The sub-woofer has a signature "flying saucer" design and it adds so much to the depth of the sound that comes from the system.

We now have a larger Linn system in our Cyprus home.  I turn it on when I arrive home and it is not turned off until I leave.  For me, this Linn system is the ultimate luxury item: it has no other purpose for me beyond simple enjoyment.

Section 5: My favourite places:

Restaurants and bars are liable to feature frequently in this section because I spend a lot of time entertaining.  So, I will start with my current favourite in the entire world, Hakkasan at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.  While it is not true that I have my own reserved space at the bar and while it is just a vicious rumour that I spend more time in Hakkasan than I spend in the office, I will admit that I'm known by pretty much everyone that works there and I'm greeted by name when I walk through the door.  The bar is simply the coolest place to hang out but the high quality food is what makes Hakkasan one of my favourite places.  The house speciality is "Jasmine Tea Smoked Wagyu Beef Rib" which is outstanding but that is just one of my favourite dishes.  Other favourites include: Champagne and Honey Roasted Grilled Silver Cod, Kumpao Duck, Singapore Black Pepper Ribeye and Lobster in Black Bean Sauce.  The food is extremely high quality and made to be shared.  The bar is the "place to see and be seen" in Abu Dhabi.  On different nights we have partied with celebrities, sports champions and heads of state.  The bar even has a drink invented by me that is a secret formula involving Ciroc vodka, fresh passion fruit juice and thai hot chillies (not for the faint at heart!).  I thoroughly recommend Hakkasan and you can tell Vinicio (Managing Director) or Aurelian (Assistant Managing Director) that I sent you there!

That's the entry for today, my friends.  Let me know what you think!