Category: Retail Therapy

BIG BOYS TOYS – BETTER THAN BEFORE

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With His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum - chatting about cars, travels etc

I have to say that apart from meeting and catching up with His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum (Admire him for his great work with the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre), my biggest fascination at the Big Boys Toys exhibition has to be the multi-million dirham luxury mobile home. Big Boys Toys is the region’s premier lifestyle event and features exclusive products and services for the man who ‘wants it all’. From limited edition super cars to personal aircrafts and luxury products never before seen, the show had essentially all desired items in one ideal location at Atlantis.

Going back to the multi-million dirham ultra-luxurious mobile home, the ‘eleMMent’ Palazzo. The eleMMent Palazzo, by Marchi Mobile, is a mobile palace for the elite. The expandable pop-up flybridge lounge is fitted with multiple bars overlooking two floors that contain a master bedroom with an integrated bathroom and a couch that can be converted into bar furniture at the push of a button.

A programmed central control provides all important information at a glance, with set-up and dismantling being executed by a touch screen panel. An added security feature allows for remote video access, via an additional control unit, of the exterior and interior, and also permits to pre-set the lighting and temperature.

Naturally diva cant go to a show like this and not talk about cars. Middle East’s own exclusive Nissan GT-R VVIP, with a 0-100kmph in 3.6 seconds dazzled with 24-carat gold-plated aspect panels, grill, and the exclusive VVIP badges, while exuding awesome power in look and aspect.

Another debut, the ‘Hulme CanAm Spyder’ named in honour of Denny Hulme, New Zealand’s only Formula One World Champion and double CanAm Champion, is not for the faint hearted. It is a unique car for those with a desire for performance, F1-type exhilaration and style. It is a true driver’s car powered by a hand-built, supercharged, 7000cc, Chevy V8 engine, providing amazing torque and tractability.

A definite favourite among the extreme sports enthusiasts and recreational riders is the Dual Tracked Vehicle (DTV) Shredder manufactured by BPG Werks. The DTV Shredder is the first true crossover vehicle for action and power sports. A combination of tank, skateboard and motocross bike, it is the first year round, all-terrain vehicle and it fits in the trunk of a car. With the DTV Shredder, the outdoors becomes the personal playground.

Last year I met with an interesting inventor during a visit to the Palace of Sheikh Hamad in Abu Dhabi who had the most amazing helicopter for personal use. I must write about this guy at some stage as I remember him giving me a CD with his company information. This year I reckon the guys at Artaaj did an awesome job as always. Well done Raha and heaps of thanks to Tareq and His Highness for making the visit even more interesting.

 

Pearls: Forever Fashionable

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People close to me know that as an Islander, I adore pearls and am being constantly bugged by friends about this awesome book I recently added to my library on this oh so cool gem. So imagine my delight when Kristin Mahan of GIA sent me this awesome piece on Pearls prepared by experts from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). I can finally take care of all my pearl collections the right way. Naturally, i couldn’t wait to share this with you and all credit for this goes to GIA including the awesome image of the Tahitian Pearl earings….I hope GIA sends me a cool story next on Fijian pearls……enjoy:

Pearls: Forever Fashionable

A jewelry store’s pearl counter is a fascinating place. These enchanting gems have represented beauty and perfection ever since man discovered them in ancient times. They have been the subject of countless tales of history, beauty, myth and elegance.

The Arabian Gulf was the world’s first source of natural pearls and remained so for centuries. Natural pearls from the Gulf are notable for their transparent and high-lustre nacre. Together with pearls from the Red Sea and the Strait of Manaar, they have been referred to as “oriental pearls” and are highly valued.

Part of a pearl’s appeal is its organic origins: It comes from a living animal, a mollusk. And because pearls are slightly porous, they warm up against the skin as they are worn. The wearer and the gems become one.

The exciting array of pearl choices available today can be overwhelming. When you combine the variety of colors, sizes and shapes with metals and other gemstones in rings, necklaces and earrings, the possible combinations are practically endless.

So before you set off to buy pearl jewelry, you should understand the basics. Are you looking for natural or cultured pearls? Do you know what to look for in terms of size, luster and color? What price range are you interested in? How are some pearls treated to enhance their appearance? These are all good questions to consider before you begin to shop.

A retailer who knows the types of natural and cultured pearls that are available and the factors that determine their value will be an invaluable resource to you as you explore pearls.

In the meantime, here are some basics to get you started.

Pearls are natural or cultured and grow in mollusks that can live in either salt water or fresh water. They are made up of layers of calcium carbonate most popularly in the form of nacre, a natural substance produced by pearl oysters that coats the inside of the animal’s shell. This beautiful, lustrous nacre is the very essence of a pearl.

Natural Saltwater Pearls
Natural pearls are extremely rare. The Arabian Gulf is the most important source for natural pearls – 70-80 percent of all pearls came from there until the 1950s. The island of Bahrain was a centre for trade with northwest India and what is now the modern Middle East. A 4,000-year-old pearl was uncovered in 1989, and excavations at the ancient Bahrain’s Dilmun settlement have confirmed that pearl fishing has been going on for at least 3,000 years.

Natural, saltwater pearls from the Arabian Gulf come from the Pinctada radiata and Pinctada margaritifera. Persian Gulf pearls range in color from white to dark cream and tend to be more yellow than those from the Red Sea and Strait of Manaar, whose characteristic colors are very light yellow, cream and very light pink. The Red Sea also produces some pearls in darker hues that range from intense pink to light to dark violet.

Natural saltwater natural pearls are also found occasionally in Baja California, Venezuela, Myanmar, China, Japan, India, French Polynesia, Australia and Africa – the same regions that have cultured pearl industries.

Salt Water Cultured Pearls
If you ask someone to describe an Akoya pearl, they will most likely describe a white, round, lustrous gem cultured in Japan and China in Pinctada fucata (martensii). Most akoya cultured pearls are white or cream and some have hints of rosé (pink) or green. The akoya oyster is relatively small, so it doesn’t usually produce a cultured pearl larger than 9 mm. Natural pearls from Pinctada fucata (matensii) are extremely rare.

Tahitian cultured pearls have only been on the market since the 1970s and come in colors including eggplant purple, peacock green, metallic gray and grayish blue. The mollusk that produces them (Pinctada margaritifera) is native to French Polynesia and is farmed there and in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

South Sea cultured pearls come from one of the world’s largest pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which produces cultured pearls that can measure 15 mm or larger. They are farmed in Australia, Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia. While South Sea cultured pearls occur in other colors, silver, white and yellow (sometimes referred to as “golden”) are the most common.

Freshwater Cultured Pearls
Cultured pearl farmers in China produce the overwhelming majority of cultured freshwater pearls. These cultured pearls vary widely in color and are generally more affordable than salt water cultured pearls. Sizes are comparable to akoya cultured pearls, with a range between 2 mm and 13 mm, although larger sizes are now available. Fascinating new cultured pearls from fire balls to soufflés have been emerging from China in a dramatic array of colors.

The chief cultured pearl-producing mussel in the U.S. is the “washboard” M. nervosa. Only a small fraction of the total number of freshwater cultured pearls produced come from the U.S.

What to look for when picking out pearls
GIA, the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and gems, created a pearl description system, in order to evaluate the quality of pearls. GIA’s 7 Value Factors include Size, Shape, Color, Luster, Surface, and Nacre. Be sure to ask your sales associate to go through these with you.

Size: As with other gems, a larger pearl (measured in millimeters) is typically more valuable. The larger the pearl, the more rare and costly it tends to be. But fine quality pearls can be small, and low quality pearls can be large, so a pearl’s ultimate worth depends on how it combines the complete mix of value factors.

Shape: While round is the most familiar shape, pearls come in a parade of forms (round, near round, oval, button, drop, semi-baroque, baroque). No matter what its shape, if a pearl is or symmetrical, it will be more valuable than one that’s irregular.

Color: A pearl’s color is a combination of its dominant bodycolor, overtone, the subtle colours that seem to come from within the pearl, and orient, the “play of color” you see when the pearl moves.. Cultured pearls display a broad palette of subtle hues, ranging from warm (yellow, orange and pink) to cool (blue, green and violet).

Luster: The intensity of light reflected from or just below the surface of the pearl, its luster, contributes the most to the beauty of a pearl. The effect is an inner glow from the heart of the gem. A pearl with excellent luster will look bright and shiny, while one with poor luster is dull and far less valuable. Fine akoyas tend to display a bright, mirror-like gloss. Other pearls tend to feature a softer, satiny luster.

Surface: A completely clean pearl is a rare treasure. Since rarity influences value, the prices of such pearls run extremely high. The number, nature, and location of surface characteristics (abrasions, bumps, chips, cracks, etc.) can affect the value of any pearl. Numerous or severe surface irregularities – such as chips or gaps – can threaten the durability of the pearl and cause it to break or peel and considerably lower its quality and value. If a surface characteristic is minor and located near a pearl’s drill hole, where it’s less noticeable, it will detract less from the pearl’s appearance and ultimate value.

Other value factors can minimize the effect of surface characteristics on a pearl’s worth. If the pearl is large and highly lustrous, for example, these pluses can outweigh a slight surface characteristic or two. In fact, excellent luster makes some surface characteristics less noticeable.

Nacre: Nacre is the very essence of the pearl itself and nacre thickness does affect the value. Quality cultured pearls have ample thickness to allow the pearl to display its beauty.

Matching: The uniformity of the appearance of pearls in strands and multi-pearl pieces is called matching.

How to Care for Pearls
Now that you’ve gotten your pearls, you should know a few things about taking care of them.

To retain their beauty, they need a certain amount of moisture, which is why you should avoid storing pearls in an airtight or overly dry environment, such as a bank safety deposit box. The human body conveniently provides just the right amount of moisture. Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store.

Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat. Perfume, makeup and hairspray contain ingredients that can eat away the nacre, permanently dulling it. Many cleaning products contain chemicals such as ammonia and chlorine, which can pit gold alloys and quickly damage pearls. Chlorinated swimming pool water is also hazardous. Avoid wearing pearl jewellery when cleaning the house or doing yard work.

The best way to clean your pearls is with a soft damp cloth, ideally after each time you wear them.

Are you ready to learn more?
Consider taking a course to gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating gem. GIA offers an online pearl course in its gemmology eLearning curriculum that you can take from the comfort of your home. It’s a fascinating look at the world of pearls, including their origin, how they get to market, and the GIA 7 Value Factors used to describe their quality. Or, you can choose to take a one-day instructor-led GIA Pearl Grading class where you’ll learn to evaluate the quality of freshwater, South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

To find out more about pearls and GIA’s pearl courses, visit http://www.gia.edu. See image courtesy of GIA.

A taste of Wilbur Smith

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Most successful people talk about how they got where they are with a perfect balanced life and you feel like kicking their guts because the reality is that you often have to give up a lot, make a lot of compromises etc before tasting success. Which is why I like the South African novelist Wilbur Smith…..he is honest about what he gave up in his interviews and despite his success, is known to be very patient, gentle and down to earth. And what I most admire and I hope to god I become like him one day is his ability to move on. Trust me….I’ve tried but I get so attached to people, places, situations that often it is to my own detriment.

I read about Wilbur Smith sometime around 1997/98 and thought very differently then. Now, having had a taste of all kinds of people, their motives, often dishonesty over the course of the last year or so, I actually would love to be like him and be able to compartmentalise my life into components, have the ability not to forgive and move on to my next project and make it work without owing anything to anyone. At first I felt it was thoughtless that such a brilliant author could cut off links with his kids, forget the names of his ex wives but having delved more, I realise that perhaps his ability to not put up with any nonsense in his life has worked in his favour and he has been able to focus and come up with successful books by following his dream and passion for writing by cutting out everyone who didn’t have the same passion and vigour for creativity.

Most of all, I admire this third wife (Danielle). Men can naturally be not very nice creatures as we all know with their drinking, cheating and philandering and often need a decent woman to break their bad habits. They can also be gullible as I have discovered recently when they are drunk or irresponsible when their priorities and focus is less on productive work and more on dodgy sabbaticals with equally dodgy people or I’ve even come across vagrants who don’t have money to eat but will sell their soul for sex and alcohol. So it was certainly heart warming to read about Daniel, or Dee as she is known, who apart from being Wilbur’s muse, researcher, editor was also able to get him to give up smoking, change his looks, travel the world and become more open minded about the world than he already was. I wonder if there are women left these days who are able to shape men this way for the best or help them become better people.

Anyway,,, for now I am ashamed I still have not read A Sparrow Falls, When the Lion feeds, The Burning Shore and The Sound of Thunder. The next time I have withdrawal symptoms of reading something offbeat, I will turn to Wilbur’s work, his life as an author, where he gets his inspirations from and more on his favourite books. If you have any of his books in your library, let me know as he is the next author I am spending my time on for leisure reading. I would love to meet him in Cape Town to see what his next book is all about and how he gets his characters so perfect in the way he portrays them.

Warrior for a few days

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I promised a friend (an ex breast cancer patient) I was going to touch on the story of the pink printed scarf I wore over my little black dress recently. I have plenty of these scarves but as I am not a morning person, I tend to assess my mood and throw whatever comes my way in the wardrobe that does not need ironing. I have never planned what I will wear a day ahead hence there are days I can be corporate, bohemian, casual, naughty and totally offbeat but hey….I tell myself that if people around me have issues with my style then they can take a hike and they certainly don’t deserve to be around me at all….its a diva code!

Going back to the pink scarf…..this was another initiative of the good people at Ford who happened to be at the ‘Bras for a cause’ fashion show where they had a henna stand with amazing symbols we could have on our body. The funky printed pink scarf to wear around our neck or hair is part of Ford’s sponsorship for ‘Race for the Cure’…an initiative to raise awareness of the fight for breast cancer.

Hence I became a pink warrior for a day…dressed in a slinky killer black dress + an eyecatching scarf from `Ford which I wore a number of times as as I breezed through Dubai in a top of the range All New Ford Explorer. (I am still getting used to the fact that this car changes the station, temperature ++++ at my every command. Now if only I could get a guy who would jump to my every command as soon as they hear my sexy voice)

When I mentioned to a friend about being a woman warrior, she immediately thought I was referring to Leonardo Vecchiarelli’s Grande Transizione, which is a cycle put together like an armed battalion. There are pictures of women warriors, dressed with the keen eye of a samurai preparing for battle but inspired by oriental empresses. Hidden amongst these females is a single male figure – the artist himself. Isn’t that every man’s dream??? This was the artist who I later discovered is behind some shoots of world class magazines. I digress and will leave you to find more about the mystique behind his work yourself!

So…as encouraged by my friend, I am now supporting the Race for Cure by buying my t-shirts, scarves what have you from Warriors in Pink online instead of shops. It feels good!

Take your time with Art – An evening with Miro Persolja

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Most people who know me well know I’m a sucker for good art and design – I’ve missed a number of sumptuous fine dining to walk around galleries at DIFC and Al Quoz and that is an ultimate sacrifice knowing that I am a connoisseur when it comes to good food.

Tonight I gave up a traditional Kim Chi and Korean meal hosted by the Korean Consular General at the Grand Hyatt to go to the Burj Al Arab to see the art of Italian artist, Miro Persolja whose name I heard about plenty in the art circles and in particular from Dipesh’s dynamic team. (I did pop in to say hello to the Korean team minus the dinner and with no regrets because Miro’s work was awesome)

As I walked down the stairs of the Al Falak ballroom at the Burj al Arab, I noticed a man in a suit with a long white flowing coat looking as regal as one can look regal. There was an air about him that he owned the place and without asking anyone, I knew that could only be the artist whose work along the corridors upstairs  left everyone in awe.

Miro describes his work as beyond form, beyond tale and is attracted by a symphony of light. The lights at the Burj tonight brought life to his work which I can only describe as an explosion of colors and its a borderline between painting and sculpture, mosaic and stained glass – each piece conveyed through vibrant light and colour.

I had an interesting chat with him tonight on his inspirations that come from nature. I am pretty sure I’ve convinced him to go to Fiji Islands for his next round of inspiration and his team have promised me a mind blowing Italian meal the next time I set foot on their soil.

Miro draws colours from breath taking colored sunsets to the serene colours of the alps. I loved so many of his art pieces tonight….the more subdued ones of course without the glitz. My favourite pieces include the Oro Tagliente (mixed media with crystal dust), I grandi bottoni which is with crystal dust and gold foil and Senza Ali with the horses. While his paintings cost mostly over 100,000 dirhams, it is worth every penny.

I have the most beautiful catalogue of his latest work if anyone wants to have a look…..it was a short evening as I left by 8.30pm but one that was well worth the visit. 

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.

What’s my passion?

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Funnily, I have been asked this twice this week. It seems that I have such a zest for life, people think I see excitement and thrill in everything that crosses my path so it’s hard to figure Fijianchick out – as I fight a bout of flu that has made my usual sexy voice go to pot, I thought I would respond in detail on word as I nurse my vocals back to its sexy self.

I agree being hard to get figured may be a pain to some but hey, it does keep peeps on their toes….afterall, my husband has not been able to figure me out for 15 years and possibly reckons I’m the most unusual and mysterious person on the planet. And yet, for some odd reason he still hangs around and wants me in his life in one form or another (mysterious or not)

So what is my passion? I love the tapestry of exotic coral waters and am drawn to the magnificence of the Coral coast’s shoreline of private beaches and waters. (Where else can one go skinny dipping and feel totally at one with nature in total privacy??? ).

I LOVE MUSIC….its my all time passion. Be it bellydancing, salsa or hip hop. My favourite has to be reggae but not too fussy on that end.

I love the inspiring scenery of the highlands, tropical rainforests (just to be able to wake up to it as I did my entire childhood). I like the fact that my home town is probably one of the best kept secrets in the world and that materialism, despite the many 5 star hotels has not touched the lives of the people in my community and we still appreciate nature in its raw form.

Its obvious I love the sea…I was born with the sea at my doorstep and found it had a calming effect on me just looking at it from the windows of my home every morning.  My dad had this bizarre habit of walking around the house every morning pausing every once in a while to take in the view of the forest, the sandhills in the distance, the Sigatoka valley, the town and the sea as he got ready for the day. I guess this had a profound effect on me and my likes and dislikes as well. Afterall, I am a daddy’s girl and since we are both hard core Pisces, we have very similar outlook in life about living simply and finding joy in the simple things in life.

I am extremely passionate about my daughter and her outlook of life and the world at large. Being a clued in kid, she helps me see things from different perspectives and I am not ashamed of the fact that at times, she has had better ideas than I could ever come up with – it makes me proud that she stands up to me as well on things she believes in and the fact that she is highly principled. (I was prepared for this eventuality when she finally came out of me after 8 hours of extremely painful labor born as a Scorpio and a double dragon under the Chinese signs – OUCH!

I was born with a travel gene and very passionate about discovering at least one country a year – I have kept this up for 14 years now and have explored over 97 cities in 22 years. Travelling is in my blood so I guess that is another of my passions.

Food – most of my excitement comes from the joys of discovering, eating, cooking and trying new things. I love cooking and find it therapeutic. After being editor of 3 issues of Menus of the Masters, I took a vow to continue experimenting fine dining with an element of exquisite surprise in taste and presentation. Naturally my favourite restaurant is ‘The Edge” for obvious reasons but as a lover of Japanese food, Nobu, Okku and Zuma feature high on my list of awesome venues.

Another of my big passion is books – there are mini libraries in every corner of every home I have including the bathrooms. Even my house in Spain has books I left behind even though I hardly spend time there and I’m in the process of filtering books through to my Fiji home. Luckily my daughter shares my passion for reading so hopefully she will not hate me for the fact that 85% of her inheritance will be books since Kinukinoya and Magrudy’s take all my salary.

So….the sea, the highlands, my daughter, travelling, food, books and music is my passion – if you were hoping to see your name on the list, perhaps its time to start striving towards impressing Fijianchick. Maybe in a few years time, you could be the next big thing I would be passionate about!