Month: September 2011

It never stops….learning that is

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A celebrity acquaintance asked me this evening at the OSN re-launch at the Atlantis where I get the energy to keep up with work, travel, dance, child, gym and still buy books to read (this was after she read my blog on the potential near death of the publishing world)….it was a tough question because somehow, when you go with the flow, you integrate activities like reading into your lifestyle with ease. There is no set formula I can share with women who are hip, trendy working mothers who want it all in life and want to make no apologies for their ‘me’ time. I guess, reading falls under ‘me time’ for many, including myself.

It all boils down to how much you love reading. For instance I keep my blackberry on all the time because I love my job and believe in the philosophy that if I can tackle something right away while enjoying the sunset on the beach after work, it certainly beats staring at the computer doing the same thing the next day….it only delays things. There are days I take my magazines to the beach near my office and read it in between swimming – I learnt this by seeing how some Emirati women come to the beach with the Quran, read it just before sunset and pray after that with the sound of the waves in the background….they always look so calm and serene when they do that so it has inspired me now to stop at the beach after work, read and swim before heading home.

When you love what you do….its easy to integrate that in your lifestyle. I dance on days I don’t feel like the treadmill and choose what takes my fancy at that moment….depending on if its salsa, bellydancing, zumba or hip hop, I then decide where I will work out and if I can do my groceries on the way. When I need extra time with my child, I choose a gym nearer to where she is to make it easy and it gives me extra time to read or watch TV because she goes to bed early. Its all about planning your life around things that you enjoy.

Reading, like travelling broadens your horizon, your thinking and your outlook of life. I travel for work but naturally prefer travelling for pleasure…my holiday travel stopped tremendously with my current job because I had taken on way too much than I could chew to my own detriment. But I’m slowly getting back to my normal self where I make time to get out and see places instead of slogging all the time.

A therapist friend told me a few months ago that no matter how much you work there is always somebody else’s business benefitting from it such as clients demanding and getting more and  more and the money doesn’t necessarily go back into the same business unless you work for yourself. I even had a amusing incident last year where I was harassed by a woman from a dodgy country for money for a job she didn’t do any work for. These are good lessons because you learn the hard way that making sacrifices on your reading or ‘me’ time because of working during your personal time does not help you grow – books teach you about the world and going to places you read about enhances the experience.

There is a Chinese proverb that says “Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back”.  Learning new things is not just for personal growth though – in the business that we are in, intellectual savvy is just as important to gain clients confidence as much as the know how of the technical and implementation work. I strongly believe that clients have more confidence in people who are well travelled and have a wider knowledge base because they have better insights and can give different perspectives to different situations.

The business world today with unpredictable economic shifts and changing media keeps us on our toes and makes us become adaptive and savvy to stay one step ahead of the game. So I guess, reading is no longer a luxury but a necessity. And to my friend from tonight….yes making time to read is tough but its got to be done.

San Diego Adventure

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I started September in the USA starting out from San Francisco to San Diego to Las Vegas to San Jose and finishing off again at San Francisco. Although I’ve been to California numerous times, this was my first venture into San Diego. Most resorts in San Diego are thankfully located on the world’s finest beaches (over seventy miles in fact stretching from Harbour Beach to the State Park in San Ysidro).

Personally, I had a wonderful experience and content at just being at the Paradise Point Resort sitting at breakfast looking at people getting off yachts, returning from deep sea fishing, kayaking and surfing, enjoying the sound of the waterfall next to my table and the sound of birds. The best part is that the resort is less than 5 minutes drive from the famous Sea World (check http://www.seaworld.com). I’m told that Knott’s Soak City and Belmont park are just as much fun as the Sea World.

I recall a few years ago we took my daughter and nephew to Disneyland in Los Angeles after a long drive from San Francisco….we contemplated going further to San Diego but there was way too much on the schedule to make it happen. I’m glad we didn’t because I feel to do justice to San Diego, you need a special trip focused only on this city to fully enjoy and appreciate all that it has to offer. My Californian sister said I should spend some time with my cousins in San Diego but I told her there was no way I was going to give up my adventure to get stuffed on home cooked Fijian food as I normally do. I had far more interesting company to make the journey exciting.

I am amazed at the number of academic centres and research institutions in San Diego….unbelievable. I hope my daughter decides to do her university there….what an amazing experience that would be with a world of opportunities at the doorstep for her to delve in…hopefully that will give me a chance to stay somewhere like Hillcrest (Hint!)

My most memorable time in San Diego has to be spending the day at Old Town, which is California’s birth place when in 1769, Father Junipeo Serra established 21 missions that became the cornerstone of California’s colonisation. On the nearby hill is the Heritage Park where Victorian looking houses have been authentically restored to its full splendour.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican fiesta De Reyes with more nachos and salsa I’ve ever had while looking at traditional dancers entertaining the crowd plus a photo session that transports me back to the old times in a saloon, with guns and a dress that will particularly rock the senses out of my Y-chomosome friends .(Hence it will remain under lock and key until its cropped enough to make it safe for public consumption).

Driving along the city port in San Diego is an experience in itself. Looking at the USS Midway Museum with its collection of restored aircrafts is overwhelming….an equally adventurous friend took me to his favourite waterside restaurant to try calamari which was fine but we adored the dish at Paradise Point and San Clemente Pier a lot more on the drive to places like Laguna Beach, Newport and Balbao Island etc. I have the most beautiful art image from Laguna Beach – love it.

The coastal drive on historic Highway 101 was an unforgettable experience – from San Diego to La Jolla to Laguna Beach to Newport and finally to Balboa Park that is home to more than 15 museums. La Jolla was as breathtaking as I imagined and at Balboa, it was fun driving the car onto the ferry, getting across to the other side and sitting by the beach, watching people (I was chilly so we left quickly).

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a Spa junkie….and most Spas in California (Paradise Point, Aria at Las Vegas etc) carry the Pure Fiji line products so I was in heaven. Still have warm memories of my bath with rose petals and bath oil by Pure Fiji and how smooth my skin was for 3 days after…..like a baby according to my therapist at The Spa at the Fairmont!

I never made it to the San Diego Zoo, the Children’s Museums, Ultrazone for laser tag, the Palomar Observatory and Legoland cos of Vegas calling but have left it as something I would do with my charismatic daughter one day. She would love the Discovery, Air & Space, Surf and maritime Museum as well as the science centre while I cant wait to see the Auto museum, being the car junkie that I am.

Till then I have to work on convincing Tash that San Diego is the perfect place for her to do her higher studies and the fact that we can drive to LA …wish me luck – this kid has probably picked out her choice of university, course and apartment already being the diva that she is!

The Onam experience

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Last week I went through memory lane as I saw signs of the Onam celebrations around me in Dubai Supermarkets, jewellery stores etc. Living in Fiji I never came across this festival and had no clue of its significance until I came to Malaysia to study. My parents, being anxious about me in a country where I didn’t know a single soul at the age of 19 arranged with family friends that I should spend some weekends at their sisters house in Subang Jaya.
The family, who I still love and adore happened to be Malayali or Keralite, a community known to be highly literate, cultural and very warm. I thought at first all Indians were the same, spoke the same language etc but instead was introduced to a whole new world of cuisine, dance, theatre and met specialists in English literature that would leave some of the Harvard Professors gaping in awe.
As a Fijian I am used to being hospitable and having an open house policy to guests but my family friends went way beyond that to the point of making my favourite dishes on weekends, taking me to visit the extended family on trips and dropping me off to University (30 minutes away) when I had early morning classes.
Going back to Onam which is a ten day festival…..one of the things I remember in the nine years I spent in Kuala Lumpur was that every September, we ate a dozen or so dishes off a banana leaf in various family gatherings also known as sadya. My favourite sadya dish was payasam of course which is a dessert cooked in milk.
The community organises dances, numerous theatrical productions during this period and famous singers are called on for performances etc. I can almost smell the string of jasmine flowers in my hair when we set off for a dinner performance or a sadya outstation. Women buy gold during this 10 day period and many wear the traditional cream sari with a gold border (known as the kasavu yarn) that looks so awesome on them. I’m told that historically kasavu sari’s appeared in ancient Jain and Buddhist literature and over the years the material may have changed to suit the fashion trends but the colour and look remains the same.
Onam is over but the memories of yesteryears and my time with the Venugopal family, their extended families and friends in Malaysia still linger. I learnt so much from them that I feel I gained knowledge of an entirely new community from their perspective. Another thing I have to thank my parents for – they certainly guided me into situations that helped me learn and understand what the world is all about outside my comfort circle.

Girls’ nights – Food for the Soul

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Some of the best times I’ve had in the recent times have been with my girl pals… I’ve always loved the concept of girls’ nights out and chick flick nights in and find it extremely therapeutic.

A friend once said girls nights’ out is the best way to get over a bad day or a broken heart. After being lied to and cheated on for over a year by a dude who she considered her best friend and soulmate, my friend found a lot of solace in working out and having fun girly nights out with women who made her laugh and see the positive side of her life.

My last girls night in was for iftar at my pad with my girl pals, Maissa, Edina, Wajma, Habiba and my daughter Natasha. It was great catching up with all of them and as I watched everyone chatting, I realised each one of us were unique and came from interesting backgrounds.

Maissa, a local Emirati with an amazing personality is my soul sister. I love her diverse interests in cooking, interesting serious movies + sitcoms, chick flicks and our mutual interest in art, museums and exhibitions. I absolutely love and adore her entire family and moments with her are always treasured.

I was introduced to Maissa by her mum (an amazing writer) with whom I share a passion for publishing and I hope one day in the near future we will venture on a writing project together. I love working wholeheartedly with friends with whom I can build something special that has a positive impact on people around us. It doesn’t feel like work when you do need to go the extra mile. I can just see myself lying on Afra’s sofa discussing a cookbook or the next cheeky alternative reading material for the mixed local audience.

Its interesting to see my daughter and Maissa discussing movies and stuff when they get together. I really believe my intelligent, beautiful and charismatic friends will have an amazing influence on Tash and am glad I only relate to and hang out with very unique intellectuals from equally unique backgrounds.

On the same night I also had my Bosnian Australian friend Edina visiting with Wajma, an Afghani Australian. They are both friends of Natasha’s guardian Amira who is a Lebanese Australian. Edina is an ace HR chick while Wajma’s family owns and runs a TV station and needless to say, they are both drop dead gorgeous. I would love for Tash to learn more about their work and enjoy their company as much as I do.

Visiting us the same night was Habiba, an Egyptian Italian who just moved back to Dubai from London so it was a delight to catch up with her over iftar and introduce her to my other inspirational friends in Dubai. I got to know Habiba through Leila, my French Algerian friend, ex-colleague and confidante who I love to bits and wish she was living here instead of Paris to share my girly nights with.

We sorely missed Rajah, my Fijian chum married to an Emirati, my Italian friend Michela and my gorgeous Belgian Moroccan neighbour Farah who is Dubai’s hottest fashion stylist. I so wanted to introduce Farah to all my regular friends because I think they would have gotten on so well together.

Having these treasured moments with friends are possibly the one thing that keeps me sane in between work and traffic. Whether it’s a Wagamama or movie session with Maissa or bumming on the couch with Rajah, there is nothing as therapeutic for a woman as a fun girly outing that’s full of laughter.

To all my gorgeous friends out there…I love you loads and hope to have more girly nights out…hopefully we shall have a bigger group for our next chick flick night. XXX

 

Turning pages no more

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My 10 year old diva is in the process of downloading iBook on her new generation chic looking ipad 2. As a geek who collects gadgets as often as sexy lingerie, I am feeling a tad bit left behind by the fact that my kid owns something that is far more advanced than what I have and has nailed the process of buying Apps with her ‘BLING’ credit card with more savvy than what I am comfortable with.

Talking about iBooks – I am delighted about the fact that with this application, perhaps I wouldn’t have to weed through the 1000s of books that we have between our small family in the libraries that exist in every room of our villa and pad. But there is a bit of sadness that comes with it as I love the smell of books….love the fact that the libraries in our home make us feel like its our place and comfort zone. With digital books, this is likely to change as I can imagine that my daughter who reads close to 7 – 8 books a fortnight will now download her reading material on her swanky ipad2.

I felt the same way a few years ago when emails became the norm. Instead of getting a romantic poem from hubby every month on a nice smelling paper (all of which I still keep), I started getting them via email instead. It was just as nice but the emailed ones are sitting somewhere in a diskette or usb right now while the ones I received in hard copy is still among my personal stuff in a treasure chest. I guess it meant a lot because as women, we love being being serenaded and worshiped by getting meaningful stuff that comes from the heart and hand written poems and cards mean a lot more than getting material stuff which most men get away with these days. Thank god my daughter still gives me cards with cute messages, girly stickers and coloured hearts for every occasion…there’s hope yet!

I do feel sorry for the publishing industry though….statistics show that more and more people are turning towards digital technology and book sales don’t have the same edge anymore as they did before. On the positive side, more trees will be saved. While this is a good thing, I don’t ever see myself parting with my giant collection of Shakespeare in one edition or my Dante (not even my collection of over 200 Archie comics unless someone offers me a collectors price of a few million)….i think even my daughter would hit the roof if she had to part with her library of Roald Dahl, Lord of the Rings or for that matter, her Harry Potter books.

I guess I should get my young diva to teach me the joys and possibilities of iBook plus other cool stuff she has bought that has left my credit card smoking while I was on my USA adventure. Perhaps its time to buy Apple shares and start designing a digitised smart home that responds to my every need at the touch of a button on an Apple gadget. That certainly would make me feel more positive about reading my next book on an ipad.

Up, close and personal with Rami Al Ali

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Before I ventured out for my great American adventure, I was invited to have suhoor with the charismatic Rami Al Ali one evening at the Madinat Jumeirah Ramadan tent. Having met Rami socially a number of times and exchanging pleasantries, I never got to know him well except that he was warm, friendly and a delight to be around at VIP events around town.

However, because of the intimate set up of Ramadan tents and being a gracious host that Rami is, we got to know more about each other and what we do a lot better and I am left in awe of this multi talented down to earth designer – hence, I have decided to dedicate an entire blog to him. Partly because he is one of the few local celebrities who likes to know the person in front of him as much as he wants you to know about his work. (I have never told so much about my life to anyone as I have told Rami – partly because he is a good listener who is so comfortable to talk to and partly because he genuinely is interested to know and understand the audience around him)

Rami’s interest in fine fabrics and design led him to the College of Fine Arts in Damascus, Syria, where he studied visual arts, giving him the opportunity to work with some of the region’s leading fashion houses. With his talent, it was not long after when Rami Al Ali Couture entered the fashion arena with a bold collection and uncompromising couture designs.

After a number of inspiring fashion shows around the Gulf, Rami has become a celebrated artist coveted by those who know something about fashion. With royal, celebrity and social muses like Youssra, Ivana Trump, Natasha Bedingfield and Lateefa Nawal, among others, Rami’s designs have stood out from the red carpet of the Adonia Awards to the international stage of Najem Al Khaleej.

As the popularity of Rami Al Ali Couture spread through the region, the need for a ready-to-wear collection was clear. The Rami Al Ali woman needed dresses suitable for dinners and intimate gatherings, and the designer was happy to oblige. The excitement continued and garnered attention from global brands such at Swarovski.  Rami was chosen to be a part of ‘Unbridaled’, a book published by the global Austrian crystal brand, with revered couture veterans Giorgio Armani, Vivian Westwood and John Galliano, among others. The collaboration demonstrated his ability to participate in an international market.

Having recently completed his sixth season at Rome Fashion Week, Rami is sure to continue dazzling us all with his unique style of women’s evening and bridal wear. In Rome, he has built a reputation as a fashion ambassador for the Middle East as his collections are always demure with an Arabic sense of glamour and modesty.

With Rami’s personality and his creative genius, I can’t wait to check out his new collection and would encourage fashionistas of the region to get to know him and his fabulous team….I will warn you though that you will be charmed to the core once you get talking to Rami.