Work Life - Millionaire Fair $1m mobile !

How much does your mobile phone cost? $100 ?
Or did you spend $400 on the new slick iPhone ? Cool ey !

Well, this mobile is a "cool" $1 million ! Diamond studded beauty.
I just had to see if it "really" worked, so I called mum :)

Welcome to MOSCOW

Just as fast as you change your jumper/sweater inside out, Moscow has changed from rags to riches to become the most expensive cities in the world. So how appropriate to hold the exclusive Millionaire Fair in Moscow.

I'll take you on a journey from "riches to rags" ... from attending the Millionaire Fair to the back-streets. ENJOY ! :)


A true intro-video will popup here mid December, but for now enjoy these clips of the Millionaire Fair... including the official welcome of "Bred Pitt" !? Seriously !
Bill Gates, Sharapova, Steven Spielberg, and wait for it...Bred Pitt !
They frantically changed the sign after I pointed out the "slight" (massively embarrassing) mistake. See for yourself... and more videos to come !

Welcome to MARBELLA !

Marvellous Marbella ! ... Port Banus, the not-so-secret hideout of the Rich & Famous.

I was invited to live on my good friend's luxury 46" boat for 2 weeks so I'll share my Marvellous Marbella experience with you here :)

Marbella's famous Port Banus is like Monaco's sister (no, not Monica, Monaco). With it's Ferraris, Bentleys, and rare model Mercedes convertables driving through the narrow one-way street with its trendy pubs on one side and luxury boats moored on the harbour on the other side, it's a tight squeeze, but the only way one can drive to their boat. Believe me you wouldnt want to drive down this narrow street past Sinatra's bar after 10pm ... ya never know who's subtely holding out a key against your car ey !! Sinatra's bar located on the corner of the long narrow street is so jampacked that there are 5-10 times more spilled out on the street & harbourside in front, forcing cars to "crawl" thru, giving posh car owners a chance to "show off" their toy. And thats just the start of this narrow portside street lined door to door with cafes, restaurants, and bars. The street that runs parrallel, the so-called "1st line" backstreet livens up after 11pm and doesnt die down until at least 5am !

In Marbella, like most of Spain, you dont go out drinking earlier than 12. Restaurants are empty until 7pm, and you'd be pressed to find a seat during peaktime around 10pm. The usual routine is to go for dinner around 8 or 9pm after your evening siesta, then 12 hit the bars for a drink or 2 , or 3, .. or 10 vodka-redbulls ! The bars party on until 5am, but most hit the nightclubs from 2am. If its a weekend you'll probably get home just before sunrise around 6am, then sleep until what in the 'normal world' we call lunchtime.

Here's a few tips if you ever plan to sail down to Marbella :)
Meet your friends at Sinatra's bar or any other along the strip like the Mumbai bar, grab some dinner after 8 or 9, then stopby La Habana after 11 for a round of Vodka-Redbulls. If its a weekend, hit The Suite after 2am, then the famous Olivias after 3 or 4am until 6am, and if the redbulls havent worn off yet, you can still party on hard at Dreamers 'from' 6am. Anytime earlier than these times in these top-class clubs is useless. Or visit the newly opened The Panjia; its absolutely stunning and oozing with class ! You may need an invite or know someone depending on the day, but your breathe will be taken away ! Checkout the pix.

After a hard weekend of partying, most trendy guys 'n hot gals hit Nikki beach on Sunday afternoon until late. A picture tells 1000 words, so check out the pix & video too ! Silver champagne buckets next to your sofa-bed propped in sand, openair Egyptian style curtain cabins, lots of loud dance music, and 'hot' people 'chilling' out ! :)

One of the highlights was the dolphins swimming next to the boat. If you go at a fun speed for dolphins and you play the right music, (yes dolphins DO have a taste for music), they'll have a great time swimming and jumping the seas next to you ... but I think we have an even better time watching the dolphins, anyway both sides love watching each other ! Check out the video. One of the beauties of boating.

The term "boat" can be quite decieving, in fact we had an interesting conversation about this with my good friend Martin, who invited me to stay on his "boat". A "boat" could actually be as small as a rowboat, or as large as the Prince of Arabia's massive 100ft "boat", which really looks more like a ship ! But a "boat" is actually classed a ship if its longer than 100ft. Martin's 46foot cruise boat has 3 bedrooms, 2 showers/toilets, living & dining room, kitchen, and a cool upstairs deck for parties, and a suntan area on the front to chill out on. Hidden vodka & gin bottles popped up in all sorts of places making good use of space :)

Anyway more about life living on a boat in hip Port Banus coming throughout November, so stay tuned :)
It's awesome, so if you're ever heading Marbella way, let me know & I'll make sure you hit the right places.

1 picture tells 1000 words

so here's 10,000 4u :)

Family dinners & home life, sardine-can taxis, market mania, "hotdog" sellers & nut stands, street prayers, mosques sprinkled with satellite dishes, mountain-goat men, Old Town Morocco Fes, Meknes, 'n more ... Videos to come during November each weekend :)
"A Video tells 1000 pictures !"... JD

Travel Life - Donkeys

Well aside from the "city" modes of travel by bus, taxi, train, there are the donkeys of course!

BTW, never, and I mean never, call anyone a "donkey" in Morocco! Its the lowest form of humiliation! Slave labor. Poor animals, they're so cute :)

Work Life - The Fruit-man

No market can go without their fruit-man right. So you see not everything is different about Morocco :) Just the price perhaps at about 1 Dhm per piece (10 cents). The "modern" fruit-man handing over the change.

But what's UNIQUE about this 2nd fruit-man is that he has made zero changes to his storefront from the old days. He's in his 60's now and has been working hard in his fruit shop since he was a kid ! ... No kidding ! excuse the pun

Work Life - The Olive-man

"Location Location Location" takes on a new meaning here with the Olive men.
Its "Perfection & Placement" ! Lovely work.

You wont find a hole in his perfect Olive layout. So many varieties and tastes. I almost felt sorry buying some as it would ruin his artistic layout.

I'll own up, it was the first time in my life I saw where olives are grown ... nope not from the ground but on trees ! :) They actually almost glow with their half white leaves. Morocco is definitely not short on olive trees, as looking out from the train they line the farm fields most of the way, a lovely sight.

Work Life - The Water-man

All that walking around the markets makes you (VERY) thirsty ... welcome to The Water-man !

Dressed in his vibrant red costume, ringing his bell and offering cold water from his goatskin bag for a tip. Usually 1 Dhm. These Water-men are all around town but usually in busy markets adding a bit more color not just water :)

Check out the 1min video.

Work Life - The Chicken-man 2

WALLA ! Chicken ready to take home ... just it's not breathe anymore ... still twitching maybe but definately not breathing ! Sorry...

Still wanna checkout the video ? coming 1.11

Work Life - The Chicken-man 1

Ooh nooo, my last breathe...the chicken's last breathe that is...
So sad but reality...yep this is how we ALL get our chickens, just we in the western world dont SEE behind the scenes (thank god or I'd be living on a fish diet).

Step 1) YOU choose your cute chicken
Step 2) THEY cut its neck (aaarg...)
Step 3) THEY squeeze it thru their cutting & peeling machines ...yep grinders !
Step 4) THEY clean up the blood 'n stuff (still hungry ?)
Step 5) YOU take it home for dinner ! YUM !?

Home Life - Zzzzz

Noone has any bed or bedroom !
You sleep (or nap) Anywhere, Anytime you like!

Most nap immediately after lunch and dinner...and since they dont have a bed they just drop whereever their eyes were last open :)

Most houses have courtyard style rooms, with a huge space in the centre and sofa-like places to sit 'n snooze around.

Getting tired ? Yaaaawn...zzzzz

Ritual Life - Ramadan-Fast>>Feast

Ramadan is the fasting period for all Muslims lasting 1 month where you cannot eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset (except your own saliva if you get desperate). NOTHING ! The toughest part is not drinking all day, not even chewing gum is allowed! Once the sun sets there are calls to prayer slowly chanted from the mosque sirens around the entire city like a humming cloud blanket to signal that the sun has officially set and all can 'break' their 'fast' and enjoy their feast - "break-fast". Yep, "breakfast" at 6pm! Most families gather at home from 5pm (I guess mouths drouling over the thought of FINALLY being able to eat or drink something, especially DRINK), but also to chat with the family around the table in preparation for the "breakfast", also to at least get home, as there is no way you will find a taxi or bus from 30min before this feast time - it's a deserted city for a short whil, everyone scattering home to their caves :)

With my sister, who is working there for 6 months, I visited the lovely "Mustafa" family who lived in the centre of the old town of Meknes and a very typical and traditional family of 7. The husband arrived after the "breakfast" at 8pm as he celebrated with his 2nd wife where he lives Monday to Friday and lives with his first wife on the weekend. Men are allowed up to 4 wives (if they can afford to support them all equally with their own house, food, and living expenses). Not a bad concept for men ey ! :)

So what happens during Ramadan dinner ...oops, "break-fast" ?
Come visit the Mustafa family for the Ramadan feast on the 4min video !

As Ramadan is a festive celebration with friends & family, I was also invited to my sister's friend's family - Samira & Rashid (a Peter Sellers from Pink Panther look alike!)
From their rooftop view of the entire old town of Fes came the humming sound of prayers from the Mosque sirens while we watched the Sun set, then came down to break the fast & "feast"... DIG IN !

Oh, forgot to tell you, you eat from the same big plate in the centre & ONLY with your hands (right hand only, as your left hand is for toilet bum washing. Nope, noone uses toilet paper, only tap water in buckets). Oh sorry, good appetite ! :)

Welcome to MOROCCO !

JD in "aMAZEing" MOROCCO !

"aMAZE-ing" Morocco ! - one hellova timeslip experience back to the 8th century, with its amazing maze of market alleyways even locals get lost in; a land with more satellite dishes than kitchen dishes; and amazing hygiene habits where you wash your aaah...backside with your lefthand & eat with your righthand. A highly Muslim religious culture where pre-marriage sex & lifetime alcohol are taboo & poison, where men & women mix like oil and water; yet an amazing culture with a deep sense of community where nearly everything is shared among family... even marriage !? ... it's prefered to marry-in to your cousins ... as one big happy family.

Marhaba Morocco ! ... Welcome to Morocco ! (2min)