get wild

ok.  let's face it, it isn't getting any cooler in the emirates anytime soon... what are we going to do to beat the heat?

the obvious answer is air-conditioning people, but if you must go outside, your best bet for survival involves WATER!

i recently hit up the slides at wild wadi waterpark in dubai, my favorite was the burj surj!

NO other water park has this view:

found it!

have you ever met someone that doesn't love pizza?  right.  that is what i thought. 

abu dhabi has all your standard fast food pizzas... pizza hut, papa john's, il forno (which is pretty legit for take away)... it has some hotel restaurants who's pies are worth a shout out... prego at beach rotana, frankie's at fairmont... and even one "street" restaurant with delicious egyptian pizzas...

BUT by far the best pizza i've found in abu dhabi comes by the meter at a place called Spaccanapoli in the Crown Plaza. 

more, again.

looking for a way to get in shape?  i've found a new form of torture for you that will definitely do the job!...it is called boot camp kids, and i had no idea what i was in for. 

the one i signed up for is by Lion's Fitness.  you can usually find deals on GoNabit or Cobone

 

boot camp.  just some hardcore name for another fluffy aerobics class, right?  think again.  seriously, channel Demi Moore in GI Jane.  

let me give you a better image.  the class is on the beach taught by a Syrian dude named Mohammad that actually was in the military.  You will do more situps, push-ups, squats and lunges than you ever thought possible in one hour... and when you are done with those prepare yourself for sprints up and down the beach with a 10k sandbag belted to your person... now, start running. 

after the first class you might say "never again", but now i am a little addicted.  

with the outside temp ramping up by the day, i am thinking i need to move it inside, but what will i do without a drill sargent? 

a few from dusseldorf

about a month ago i went to dusseldorf, germany to meet with an amazing bath + kitchen fixture company called grohe.  this was my first ever trip to germany and definitely won't be my last! germany agrees with me :) 

here are a few from dusseldorf:

 skyline + rhine

 some ghery.

cool floating restauraunt + footbridge

a view from the top of that pointy thing in the first photo :)

number 2: you can see my hotel in this one and media harbour

hyatt regency, i highly recommend!

nice breakfast to start the day...

pretty branch sconce in the ballroom

  pretty baroque Schloss Benrath

 ahh fresh veggie market!

 flowers too!

and alas, some time for shopping on the Kö (Königsallee)

i made this

 

looking for something to do around abu dhabi? try the sushi making class at Soba in Le Royal Meridien!

color me clean

i am never one to shy away from color, and just recently i was in Dusseldorf, Germany (reviewing bathroom fixtures for the project i am working on) and happened upon these little gems in the Grohe showroom:

Grohe has been adding color to people's bathrooms for a couple of years now, and they just keeps adding colors (they just released an earthtone range as well) and bonus: they have a handy plus/minus button for water conservation.  pretty + smart = love 

i find myself telling people that i'm not a "pink" person quite often, but for some reason my actions have been to the contrary lately, and i brought home a pink one... 

you know good design when you see it, you know because every time you see it you can't help but smile :)

inside out

there aren't enough words to tell you how amazing this person is! JR
24 minutes, just watch it!

want to be part of his project? http://www.insideoutproject.net/