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...
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