(my brilliant feet saga continues!)
I just got back from two weeks of pure bliss.
It all started with a business trip to Abu Dhabi, a city I had never visited before. I can't exactly say that I have now visited it, as I saw nothing of it, except for my hotel, and the hotel where my conference was held.
From Abu dhabi, I took a cab to Dubai, where I met up with a lot of friends I had not seen in a while.. great times, some rosé in the sun, red at night... enjoyed their company and made sure to intoxicate myself with enough alcohol to sleep through the night on my flight out... back in Abu dhabi a few hours later, Joe and I took our plane to the land of chocolate, great watches... but more importantly, in our case... SNOW !
This was the third year my friends and I met up in Zermatt but I must admit that this year was the best, by far !
The snow was perfect, the food was to die for, the weather was sunny, sunny, sunny and sometimes sunny ! My brother Marc was with us and that in itself was wonderful. Marc is just 19 and we are only now able to really connect.. and that we did !
Marc I am so happy that you came with us, I hope we will get many other chances to travel together and discover not only new places and people ... but also each other!
I also met a few people in Zermatt that I hope to stay in touch with, Edwin, Dario, Cindy, Polly, Foxy, Fabienne... I shall see you all next year .. if not before ! I think we should show you around the middle east and the GCC... Kuwait where ay shi lounge awaits you, Dubai ... and Beirut of course! come have a taste of OUR joie de vivre !
From Zermatt to London, for three days of rest, more good food... old friends... and new friends that I truly hope to see again.
From London, rush to the airport and barely catch my flight.... to Belfast ! interesting place, not the most appealing I must say, sad in some respects... It was rainy, windy, cold... but the reason I was there made it all irrelevant... I was finally, after many years and numerous attempts, going to see Dave Matthews in Concert !
And so I did, Dave was there without his band, without drums or saxophone .. without keyboards or electric violins.. Dave was there with his guitar.. in a small auditorium of 2000 people.. accompanied only by Tim Reynold, another musical Genius.. the concert was labelled "An accoustic experience", and it WAS an experience ! It went on for 2 and 1/2 hours, during which the world outside, with all its ups and downs... disappeared.
Next day, flight back to london for one more night, quick stop in Lebanon, a night of Texas Hold'em with friends (bit of pocket money made hehe) and I am now back in lala land, ie Kuwait !
Photos are below but I would like to share a thought with you, If I may... I guess I am inspired by all the things I have seen, lived and felt during my trip.. please bare with me.
Our lives are often filled with negativity, whether it affects us directly or indirectly. We are the daily witnesses, if not victims of wars and killings.. greed, lies, betrayals, abuse, mistrust and what may.. we spend a lot of time waiting, worrying ... about work, family, love, the future... we dwell on our past... and in the process, we tend to overlook what matters.
We tend to forget that life is truly wonderful, and our world is filled with much more beauty than ugliness.. much more love than hate... much more people worth knowing than people not worth wasting time on. It is up to each one of us to seek the good in our lives and embrace it, to recognize what matters and what doesn't.
I am now convinced that In the end, whether we spend our life miserable or happy is entirely up to us.
Here are just a few photos of the Zermatt trip. If you want to see all of them click here
Getting ready to go down a red slope... on sleights! was soooooo much fun.
Marc Joe and I.
Nibal, Ralph and I
Phil, Moi, the Matterhorn and I.
Gary and Wayne Jamming at plus 2500 meters.
Marc
Meeeeee :)
Zum See, a must try in Zermatt.
Last stop before the Village: Champane, Salmon and caviar bar on the slopes.
Ever seen someone sabre a champagne bottle... with a ski? ;)
Strait off the slopes, Apres ski at Papperla Pub.
Foxy (in the back), Fabienne and Cindy.
Dario, Foxy, moi and Edwin
:( bye bye Zermatt... see you next year !
