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:
- It is short enough for readers to enjoy without requiring the long read that my other entries required.
- It sparks comments from my readers
- 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!
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