It’s amazing the power that food can have. Everyone who knows me knows that I love food, I love cooking it, eating it and sharing it. Today I was feeling pretty low, not really sure why, I guess we all feel that way sometimes. However, I think you notice it so much more when you are not around the people you are close to and the places you know.
So that’s how I felt before going to meet some FH clients for lunch today. The lunch was at the Shangri-La Hotel and what a place it is, simply beautiful. I met with three of my clients and they were all charming, very friendly and really good company, not always a combination you have at a client lunch!
The food was every bit as fantastic as the hotel. It was a self service buffet with an inexhaustible range of choices from Moroccan food in beautiful tagine pots, to a choice of 6 Indian curries bubbling away in large pans, a large selection of fresh sushi, Arabic foods, and a counter for western-style foods, which included something that looked like shepherd’s pie. The smells and choice were almost overwhelming. I tried to fill my plate with as much as I could without looking greedy. Thankfully my fellow diners seemed to have had the same idea. It was all beautifully cooked. I had Moroccan lamb, chick peas, rice and a chicken curry, with some fresh salad – gorgeous!
If that wasn’t impressive then the deserts selection was even more spectacular. It was like a scene out of Charlie and the chocolate factory, and I felt like the tubby kid that just wanted to eat everything! The focal point for the deserts were three milk and two white chocolate fountains and gathered round them were plates and plates of sweets of all different colours, cakes with frosting, cakes with chocolate, fruit cakes, there were puddings, meringues, ice cream and sorbets. I could have spent the rest of the afternoon there working my way though it all and still not made a dent. There was even a guy who made fresh crepes. I had a little bit of everything, including a crepe filled with caramel ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce. Thankfully no one seemed to mind me returning to the table with two plates!
The food combined with the company and the surroundings totally lifted my mood and I felt good all afternoon. The power of a meal is truly immense.
In other news Abu Dhabi has read my blog and has sent a memo! My hotel room and taxi today both had no air con! It was roasting, way too hot! My office was also a lot warmer this afternoon, I even had to take my jacket off for the first time and was drinking water by the bucket load. I now miss the air con! I've been taught a valuable lesson by someone, somewhere who clearly has a master switch to all the air con.
And finally, I decided that I could easily develop an unhealthy relationship with the treadmill that would probably lead to me killing myself trying to go faster and faster. Also, I remembered that I hate treadmills and there is no substitute to running outside, so I manned-up and braved the streets of Abu Dhabi. There is, thankfully, a lovely long stretch of promenade that runs along the sea front here and it has cycle paths and walk ways, a perfect place to run. Getting there is a little tasking, as you have to work your way through 1.3 miles of the concrete jungle/building site that is Abu Dhabi. Combined with drivers who care little for red lights, pedestrians and runners getting to the Corniche, as it is known, is an achievement in itself! It was just after 7pm when I left for my run and the outside temperature, according to the hotel, was 30c. It certainly felt it, but it was great to be outside running again. I managed 9 miles and true to my nature really pushed it once I was on the Corniche even managing to get up to 7 minute per mile pace, which I thought was quite good in the heat. Eyeballs out, dripping with sweat I pounded the pavement hard, so hard that again I was drawing looks from people around me and even an Arabic comment (I don’t know what) as I overtook a man on a bike! I felt great when I got back to the hotel. I lost close to 2.5kg in weight in just over an hour of running, which gives you an indication of how much I sweated (nice). I didn’t touch the bottle of water I brought with me until half way and I had turned round to run back. When I poured some of it over my head it was as a warm as shower water. I’m already looking forward to doing the same run tomorrow.
Right, I’ve rambled on for long enough. I’m off to bed. Tomorrow is Thursday, which is Abu Dhabi Friday. Not sure there will be any crunchies though…
So that’s how I felt before going to meet some FH clients for lunch today. The lunch was at the Shangri-La Hotel and what a place it is, simply beautiful. I met with three of my clients and they were all charming, very friendly and really good company, not always a combination you have at a client lunch!
The food was every bit as fantastic as the hotel. It was a self service buffet with an inexhaustible range of choices from Moroccan food in beautiful tagine pots, to a choice of 6 Indian curries bubbling away in large pans, a large selection of fresh sushi, Arabic foods, and a counter for western-style foods, which included something that looked like shepherd’s pie. The smells and choice were almost overwhelming. I tried to fill my plate with as much as I could without looking greedy. Thankfully my fellow diners seemed to have had the same idea. It was all beautifully cooked. I had Moroccan lamb, chick peas, rice and a chicken curry, with some fresh salad – gorgeous!
If that wasn’t impressive then the deserts selection was even more spectacular. It was like a scene out of Charlie and the chocolate factory, and I felt like the tubby kid that just wanted to eat everything! The focal point for the deserts were three milk and two white chocolate fountains and gathered round them were plates and plates of sweets of all different colours, cakes with frosting, cakes with chocolate, fruit cakes, there were puddings, meringues, ice cream and sorbets. I could have spent the rest of the afternoon there working my way though it all and still not made a dent. There was even a guy who made fresh crepes. I had a little bit of everything, including a crepe filled with caramel ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce. Thankfully no one seemed to mind me returning to the table with two plates!
The food combined with the company and the surroundings totally lifted my mood and I felt good all afternoon. The power of a meal is truly immense.
In other news Abu Dhabi has read my blog and has sent a memo! My hotel room and taxi today both had no air con! It was roasting, way too hot! My office was also a lot warmer this afternoon, I even had to take my jacket off for the first time and was drinking water by the bucket load. I now miss the air con! I've been taught a valuable lesson by someone, somewhere who clearly has a master switch to all the air con.
And finally, I decided that I could easily develop an unhealthy relationship with the treadmill that would probably lead to me killing myself trying to go faster and faster. Also, I remembered that I hate treadmills and there is no substitute to running outside, so I manned-up and braved the streets of Abu Dhabi. There is, thankfully, a lovely long stretch of promenade that runs along the sea front here and it has cycle paths and walk ways, a perfect place to run. Getting there is a little tasking, as you have to work your way through 1.3 miles of the concrete jungle/building site that is Abu Dhabi. Combined with drivers who care little for red lights, pedestrians and runners getting to the Corniche, as it is known, is an achievement in itself! It was just after 7pm when I left for my run and the outside temperature, according to the hotel, was 30c. It certainly felt it, but it was great to be outside running again. I managed 9 miles and true to my nature really pushed it once I was on the Corniche even managing to get up to 7 minute per mile pace, which I thought was quite good in the heat. Eyeballs out, dripping with sweat I pounded the pavement hard, so hard that again I was drawing looks from people around me and even an Arabic comment (I don’t know what) as I overtook a man on a bike! I felt great when I got back to the hotel. I lost close to 2.5kg in weight in just over an hour of running, which gives you an indication of how much I sweated (nice). I didn’t touch the bottle of water I brought with me until half way and I had turned round to run back. When I poured some of it over my head it was as a warm as shower water. I’m already looking forward to doing the same run tomorrow.
Right, I’ve rambled on for long enough. I’m off to bed. Tomorrow is Thursday, which is Abu Dhabi Friday. Not sure there will be any crunchies though…
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