Nada Al Ghowainim, Author at Undefined Declarations

My Hong Kong Trip – Day 2: Victoria Harbour and the Festival of Lights

After a quick online search of Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions, I was ready to make a trip to the first of those destinations: the famous Victoria Harbour.

I found out from my research that the best place to see the Victoria Harbour is from the Victoria Peak, and the promenade in East Tsim Sha Tsui. Upon checking with the hotel staff, it turns out that I can easily walk to the promenade from Nathan Road. So, I head out for my first sight seeing trip and walk along Nathan Road until I reach the end of the road and eventually find my way to the promenade.

It was in the afternoon, and you could see people doing various sorts of activity at the walk. Some were exercising, others were fishing, lovers were strolling around and conversing. Teenagers were hanging around. And at the end of the walk, a group of young aspiring musicians were sitting on a bench experimenting with their guitar. Many tourists were also tagged along the walk taking pictures or drinking coffee at Starbucks. The brave ones were sampling the popular local snack: deep fried shredded squid! And you would also see the occasional mentally-disturbed person talking to himself as he walked along the water front.

The daily laser light show “Festival of Lights” starts at eight pm. Which means that I had extra time to kill before the show. That led me to walking around the neighborhood and exploring the surrounding streets and what they had to offer. As I said in my previous post, Hong Kong is a small city and it’s relatively easy to find your way around its streets and nooks. I also had time to eat a quick dinner at the uber chic “Monster Sushi”. It’s quite funny how I came to find that place.I was asking the lady at the information counter of a mall about the availability of a food court, and she replied that there isn’t one, and that there are only restaurants available. While standing there, I heard two random people asking her for directions to a sushi place “Monster Sushi” within a few seconds of time, which made me think that this must be the best place to eat at in this mall. Of course the reason that the name stuck in my head is that the words to the name of the restaurant were the only words that I could understand from a Chinese sentence!

I’m glad that I took that as a sign to where I should go for dinner, as I was highly pleased with the quality level of my salmon and California rolls at Monster Sushi. The decor was hip and sleek, and the place had a good vibe to it 🙂

In fact, I had enjoyed my time at Monster Sushi so much that I had to quickly run back to the promenade to see the main attraction of my day: the festival of lights….and had missed a few minutes of the show since I was late.

The show involved different colored laser lights coming out from the towers at the Hong Kong island side, and moving in a coordinated way. There was classical music (if I can remember clearly) in the background for the duration of the show.

Now coming from Dubai, where we have the Dubai Mall fountain show – where the water from the fountain moves along with a different track of music every time – I must admit that I wasn’t slightly impressed by the festival of lights at Victoria Harbour. The harbour itself is worth checking out. At night, the skyline looks more beautiful and is worth taking a few pictures of. But the show in my opinion was below average. More so if you don’t like being in a huge crowd of people.

As I walked back to my hotel, I saw lamp posts advertising about the new year’s eve fireworks at Victoria Harbour, and I figured that this must be the place to see the NYE fireworks in Hong Kong. I made a note to myself to ask my friend about it the next time I see her.

Did I get to see the fireworks at Victoria Harbour on NYE? Wait for my NYE day post to find out 🙂

Ecstatic about T Emirates!

I’ve always believed in the theory that the Universe helps bring our goals closer to us, and that we naturally attract to us and into our lives the things that we mostly desire and work towards achieving. What happened last night at the World Luxury Expo only proved that notion of the Universe even more and now I have stronger faith and trust in the Universe and GOD!

I was sitting in Johnny Rockets (the American burger joint) waiting for my lunch when I saw an sms from a friend asking me to join in attending the World Luxury Expo at the seven-star Bur Al Arab hotel. The message mentioned that we should look sharp as it’s a VIP invitation-only event at a highly glamorous location. When I considered the time that I had to get ready, the other errands that I had planned, and the time it would take me to gulp down my mini burgers and fries, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make it on time, and might make my friends run late. However, my friend’s persistence made me change my mind and decide to skip the dry cleaners trip, eat half of my meal and head out as quickly as possible to get ready in time for my glamorous night in town.

While in the car, my friend told me about a magazine who will be at the event, and I thought that it would be a good idea for me to approach them and give out my business card. As we got there, my friend went to the magazine’s stall and I followed minutes later. Only I wasn’t sure where it was located…So, I was in the second level of the exhibition, not sure where to look. I ask a lady about any magazine stands and she replies that she has no idea. As I stand there slightly confused, I glance the logo of the magazine that I have been dreaming to join for the past six months on the projector screen! Yes, I had been exchanging e-mails with the Vice President of that new magazine since he announced on Linkedin that it was coming to the UAE. And it has already been six months, believe it or not! But since he was traveling a lot and had been busy, we didn’t get a chance to meet in person.

My heart beating so fast, I saw my friend heading down to the lower level from the other side of the floor, and so I ended my conversation with that lady explaining to her that I found out where that magazine is. (To make the story clear, the magazine that my friend was heading to is not the same one that I had been dreaming to join for the past six months). I walked towards the area where my friend was, and eventually found the magazine stand for the magazine that my friend was communicating with earlier. After a few minutes of networking with the lady at the stand, filling out a form to receive a complimentary copy of the magazine to my door step, and asking her desperately if she knew where the “T Emirates” magazine stand was and her replying with “no idea”, I was ready for my next challenge: finding the “T Emirates” magazine stand in this two story compressed space venue. I had a feeling that I was close, but the lady’s answer of not knowing where the other magazine stand was brought doubt into my heart. How could she not know about another magazine’s stand in this small exhibition? Are they really here or are they just advertising on the expo’s screen?!

As I walked towards the end of the hallway approaching the stairs to go down, I was about to head in the opposite direction to look in the rest of the floor in case I missed it earlier and since there seemed to be no more stands to look at, (and was also planning to take the other stairs down to meet my friends), I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the stand for “T Emirates”! I immediately went up to the ladies at the stand and explained to them how I had been contacting the VP for the past couple of months…I was pleased to meet with the Assistant General Manager and to get her contact details to send her my CV and cover letter! At the end of our conversation, she took a picture of me with the preview copy of the magazine, and I ran down the stairs like a child who found a piece of candy and was roaming the venue looking for my friends to tell them my exciting story!

The most interesting part of the story is that I wasn’t even planning to attend the event. Unless my friend had insisted that I join them. And another remarkable fact is that I randomly met one of my friends from last night at a University alumni event last October, when I was looking to network, and have approached that lady friend who was standing alone in that event to start a conversation!

I guess the Universe does work in our advantage at all times. We just need to give it time to reveal to us its miraculous ways!

Leaving you with some images from our magical night at Burj Al Arab…

An Evening of Art at the Brownbook Headquarters

When I saw an announcement on the Brownbook magazine facebook page about an event that they were hosting at their office in DIFC, I was determined to attend.

Brownbook is a magazine that covers a wide range of topics within its Middle-East region focus. As stated on their web site: “Brownbook takes on the task of reintroducing the Middle East to itself.”

The event consisted of two parts: one was the outdoor screening of the Brownbook Urban Series. Which is a showcase of video documentaries about prominent and inspirational individuals from the region. The second part involved a talk about an artist’s work and a presentation of his pieces.

As I was walking into the office, I almost tripped on the cable that was at the entrance to the ultra sleek and modern interior of the Brownbook office…I guess I was too excited to be that close to my dream career in lifestyle journalism! I loved the minimalistic approach to the design of the office. As well as the canvas paintings reflecting the UAE’s culture, decorating the walls.

What I didn’t predict was the fact that there was no one from the magazine team attending the event! Please correct me if I am wrong.

At the beginning of our meetup, we did a round and introduced ourselves and gave a bit of information about what we do…and as the majority of the attendants were from the art industry or somehow related, I found myself in an unforeseen situation. Not that I didn’t want to be there, it’s just that I wasn’t expecting an evening of pure art discussion.

Although I didn’t get to network with anyone from the Brownbook team (or any other publishing professionals), I am glad that I attended and that I can say that not only have I been to the magazine’s urban and cool office in DIFC, I have also had a discussion about art at their conference table 🙂

Now since my dad is in town, this happy go-lucky story must have a different twist to it. When I told him about my evening at the Brownbook hosted art discussion, his reply was: “so it was useless.” Or something similar.

I explained to him that he does not see the long-term vision of this event. The fact that I went out there and made an effort to attend an event and networked with others, and exchanged some business cards is a valuable experience in itself!

That although this time I didn’t get to meet any contacts from the industry that I am trying to get into, I must keep moving and continue what I am doing. Maybe on another occasion, I will meet a valuable contact or source of information that will lead me to the next step in my journey.

My dad was always obsessed with results. Unfortunately, that’s not the way that life works. It’s not magic! you have to put in a lot of time and effort in order to get the tiniest result. That’s when he said: “yes, it’s a mature market here and the competition is big.”

While my dad is focused on the destination (me getting a full-time role at a company), I have learned that I must enjoy the ride and take the time to go through every experience and develop and grow and learn from it.

I believe that the journey of self-development is an endless one. Whether you are working on your career, relationships, finances, or any other aspect of your life…you must continue to put in the right amount of time and effort if you want to improve your life and personality.

I am highly grateful for the opportunity that I have to experience a new way of life, to meet new interesting people, and to continuously develop and grow as an individual.

We all have personal spaces and limitations that we set for ourselves sometimes that could use some expansion. So get out there and make an effort to break a personal boundary at least once a week. You will be delighted by the freedom and positive energy that will replicate itself back on you.

My Hong Kong Trip – Day 1: Exploring the Neighborhood

The fact that my friend who lives in Hong Kong couldn’t host me at her home because she had guests staying wasn’t a good enough reason to stop me from completing my booking and plans for my much-needed short getaway from the city of Dubai.

It was my first trip to a far-eastern country, and my first trip for leisure that I make on my own. As a teen and a twenty-something year-old Saudi girl, I always faced rejection and disagreement from my parents when I opened up the subject of traveling alone to visit friends in other countries, or even traveling with friends from my own country. The answer remained the same over the years. It was: “No way, are you crazy?” and the like.

The years passed by…I remained calm and silent. But I never forgot about my dream to travel the world alone or with friends. I never lost my passion…it was just suppressed and hidden for a better opportunity and moment in time. I knew that I would be able to do as I wish one day. I just held on to my dream and remained patient until the right time came. I never take “no” for an answer in anything that I want in life.

My dream of traveling was delayed until the day that I would be financially independent and would be living on my own. So far, I have managed to move out of my parents’ house and live on my own. However, the goal of being able to support myself hasn’t worked out yet. Due to it being tied with my career change goal. Which is a story for another post 🙂

I must admit that I have worked hard on my career change objective, and continue to work on it. It has been more of a learning experience than a destination to get to. The journey to my new career path included a lot of self-development and valuable life lessons that were essential for my personal growth as an individual. And I’m enjoying every bit of my journey now, more than I did when I first started out.

Then I read a book that said that on your way to achieving your goal and in order to make it happen, you need to start doing the things that you would do had you already reached your goal. And in following that advise, with the fact that I desperately needed a change and a getaway from the lovely city of Dubai, I found myself at the Emirates Holidays office on Sheikh Zayed Road booking a holiday package to Hong Kong!

My lovely travel agent has helped me greatly in making the suitable flight and hotel bookings and other travel arrangements. Even warning me about areas I should avoid when sightseeing in Hong Kong. We later found out how much we had in common and became friends immediately!

I arrived to Hong Kong late at night after a seven-hour flight from Dubai. The fact that both my Saudi credit cards were declined was the first surprise that I had in my trip. Thankfully I had enough cash on me as a tip from a friend in Dubai, who advised me on the amount that I should take with me for my daily pocket money.

I spent a considerable amount of my first day trying to find the local pharmacy and grocery store, and to get a local SIM card for my phone. Which proves difficult when most of the people outside of the hotel don’t speak a word of English. I was staying at the Novotel in Nathan Road in Kowloon. Which means that I got to experience the real city, with its struggling faces, its homeless beggars on the streets, its disabled elderly, and under-privileged youth.

Later I discovered that I must learn how to eat using chop sticks if I wanted to survive! And that I need to find the way on the streets on my own with the help of the hotel map since only a few people will be able to communicate with me in English. Thankfully that wasn’t a major problem as Hong Kong is a small city and it’s pretty easy to find your way around its streets and neighborhoods.

While walking down the street that was recommended to me by a hotel staff for finding good local eateries, I was beginning to panic after going through the street more than once and not finding a place that served food that I was familiar enough with. However, my fear diminished as I stumbled upon a sushi bar that served salmon rolls and other Japanese food at reasonable prices. It was my first day in the city and I wasn’t sure if the cash that I had on me would be sufficient for my whole stay. I wasn’t familiar with the currency or how expensive sightseeing and eating would be. Therefore, I opted for a simple choice of two types of sushi rolls for dinner, accompanied by a traditional hot green tea.

As I left the sushi place, I made a note of it and its location in case I wanted to eat there again one night. But I never made it back to that low-profile yet cool place. I was too busy discovering other areas of the city.

After dinner, I had a walk through the nearby Temple Street night market, before continuing to explore my neighborhood and walk down the main road: Nathan Road. Where as a tourist, you will be approached by people trying to sell watches, hand bags or tailor-made suits and dresses. In addition to the occasional local foot massage place flyer handed to you.

Next time, I will be telling you all about my visit to the first of the top tourist attractions in the lively and bustling Hong Kong….

Feeling Stressed? Have a Pizza Like Me!

When I’m feeling stressed, I tend to eat more. Unlike others who might loose their appetite when they’re feeling down or going through tough times. I guess I am one of those who try to find comfort in food in a failed attempt to hide their anxiety and uneasiness.

To give you an example of the things that make me stress, I am currently stressed about the fact that I still have a lot of work to do to promote my personal blog and increase traffic into it. Or to simply add the essential buttons and modify its layout to make it look more professional. At a later stage, I would like to try to get income out of it somehow. And although I am a graduate in Business Information Systems, with a couple of years work experience in IT support, I was never into IT or technical stuff…Therefore, I might have to ask for technical help in taking my blog to the next level. Actually I have to…I managed to somehow loose the login button on my blog’s homepage right after I tried to add some widgets on the side bar!

The picture you see at the top of this post is a collection of takeaway menus that I have accumulated over time in my cupboard. Since most restaurants distribute these menus on flat doors….Now the funny thing is, that I rarely order takeaway. Maybe more in the recent period since I was following my neighbor’s advise in “putting myself out there” and “stop hiding in my apartment”! So I didn’t get to work on my cooking skills as much as I would like to, since I need to put more time and effort into my goal, and cooking and especially washing dishes afterwards does take up time!

When one of my friends was visiting one day, she was amused by the pile of menus I owned and then said: “just put it with the pile” when we found a new menu outside my apartment door as we were leaving!

Tonight, it is Friday night. And despite wanting to share my home delivery dinner with someone special just like every single girl out there, and despite getting that feeling almost every single time that I decide to order dinner for home delivery, I am thankful for having great friends in this city. It’s true that, while some live on the other side of town, or might find it difficult to commute, or could be working even on Fridays…we all share one thing in common: we are all struggling to survive in this dynamic and highly fast-paced city. Most of us (including me) are also busy in trying to establish ourselves from scratch and become financially independent. Hopefully, the next time I decide to get a meal delivered on a weekend for dinner, I will try to arrange it early with friends.

My Napoletana pizza had less anchovies than what I expected. But I managed to accommodate that loss with some leftover anchovies that I had bought from the deli about a week or so ago. I must admit that the supermarket deli anchovies tasted much better and were far juicier than the anchovies used on my pizza. They weren’t as salty either.

Although under stress, I assure you I only ate half of the medium pizza I had ordered. The rest will be taken care of on a different occasion for sure.

When my food order had arrived, and after opening the door for the delivery man, guess what I saw on my door mat?

Yes, believe it or not, it was a new delivery menu…for another new pizzeria in town! and of all the names they could have chosen for their eatery, they chose to call it:

Romantico

How insulting is that! 😛

My Chilled December Beach Day

I was chatting with a lady from my building’s floor who had just gotten back from a day at the beach, when I realized how big a deal it was that I haven’t been to the beach in the two years and almost nine months that I have been in the city. Our chat took place some time in May if I’m not mistaken. She was greatly surprised when I had told her that I had never been to the beach since I moved here, but have been to it in the past during vacation trips to Dubai. I explained my current beach apathy by the fact that I grew up in this region, and have always had the luxury of the beach (although rarely went to it even in Saudi), and so to me, going to the beach didn’t sound like a newly exciting way to spend my day. I was never fond of the heat, or the warm sun rays, or the usual humidity associated with this region’s weather. Most of us GCC nationals are strong fans of the cloudy and rainy London weather. Whenever I tell a British person this fact, they consider me mental.

So when I found out from a friend that the next day (my planned beach day) stood a chance of rain, and when I heard on the radio that the weather forecast was cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, I feared not! You would think I would consider changing my plans and postpone my long-lost beach day? Of course not. To me, the cooler the weather is, the merrier. Who wants to melt in the Dubai sunshine heat? Not me, I assure you.

The weekend day spa package I opted for meant that I could easily spend the whole day at the recent winner of the 2012 World’s Leading Family Resort award, five-star beach resort; Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa.

My spa package included a 60-minute massage, a complimentary lunch buffet, and pool and beach access…as was noted on the resort’s web site. When I called to book my eccentric beach day, I was delighted to find out that I also get to use the wet facilities (steam room, jacuzzi, sauna, and experience showers).

I arrived to the beach at 10 am and chilled on the sun lounger while taking in the tranquil and beautiful view around me. I went to ask the lifeguard about the safe swimming area, not knowing that the water would be too cool for a swim, and that the most I would do was walk along the shore and get my feet washed up in some cool sea water.

After reading a few pages from my book, and getting a few rays of sunshine and vitamin D, it was time to head to the spa. As the ladies timings were from 9 am till 2 pm. Once inside the wet facilities room, I immediately jumped into the jacuzzi. I just love hot tubs! It’s been a very long time since I’ve soaked in a hot tub, and the water temperature in this jacuzzi was just right. I had stayed there for about 25 minutes or so before reading the guidelines board on the wall that clearly stated: recommended maximum jacuzzi time is 15 minutes!

I did follow the rest of the health and safety guidelines for the other facilities though. I went into the steam room for around 5 – 10 minutes, then took an experience shower (which is a blast of ice cold water hitting your body from all sides in addition to a big shower burst from the top). The very-aptly named experience shower will truly give you an experience that you won’t forget! The sudden and strong bursts of cold water would lead anyone to scream their heart out…while I on the other hand, simply got into a spell of loud giggles and laughs. I must say it was an extremely enjoyable and memorable experience 🙂

After the experience shower, I went into the sauna room and carefully closed the door behind me. Then I started having terrifying thoughts of being stuck in the high temperatures and dying from suffocation because I couldn’t manage to open the securely-closed door! This meant that my sauna time didn’t last long as I wanted to give myself extra time to figure my way out in case I got stuck in the heat and humidity. After that, I went into the steam room once again since it was recommended that you repeat the steps three times…with an experience shower after each heat treatment. I only repeated the cold blast shower once, at the end of my fun spa facilities experience.

By the end of this amusing pampering experience, I was starving and so ready for my package-inclusive lunch. Although there was only one type of soup available at the buffet, there was a huge variety of food to choose from for the main course. A burger station, a Thai curry station, and my favorite: an outdoor barbecue station with all types of seafood and meat.

After my heavy lunch, it was time for me to hit the sands again. I went for a brisk walk along the water in an attempt to help my body digest the heavy meal I had just gulped down at the spa’s restaurant. And to be in a better state and mood for my one-hour European massage treatment.

Needles to say, the massage treatment done by my super friendly therapist was one to match the spa’s first-class quality level and exceptional service.

Adding to that ultra-soothing and relaxing massage treatment, I was directed to a lounger seat facing the beach and offered my tea of choice (chamomile) and a selection of cut fruits on a stick. If that wasn’t enough, a highly comforting warm pillow was placed around my neck and shoulders for an added touch of luxury and comfort. As I drifted into pure relaxation and meditation mode, it was already past sunset. I was greeted with darkness as I made my way out the superb spa. I had even missed the locker deposit staff’s shift, and their window was now closed! Thankfully, I managed to get my stuff out of the locker and collect my deposit from the hotel’s reception.

I still had an hour before one of the pools closes! the water was heated and I still had access to my locker. The only set back was the fact that I had just done a muscle tension relieving massage and didn’t want to risk any harmful effects caused by the bad combination of cool breeze and my warm body which is covered in oil and tension-releasing massage gel.

As I felt the relatively warm pool water with my hands and grooved to the funky 80’s music coming from the nearby night spot, I made a note to myself that I must make another trip to this stunning resort and beach, which makes for an outstanding mini getaway from the hustle and bustle of the daily city life.

Not my Cup of Tea!

Sweets and Snacks Middle East is an exhibition that was held at the Dubai World Trade Center exhibition hall between the 19th to the 21st of November.

I went along with my dad who was visiting at the time. I only had time to write a post about it now. I think this is partly because I didn’t find the exhibition or products displayed interesting enough for my taste. I wasn’t even planning to write a post about it until the time when we were about to leave and I saw the only interesting object at the hall; a Santa and other chocolate figure sculptures! Yes I know, they’re not that interesting either. But when compared to everything else that was on display in that space, these figures truly stood out!

I guess I had higher expectations for an exhibition with the name “Sweets and Snacks”. I was hoping to sample and maybe purchase some gourmet and unusual sweets and snacks. The rare types that you wouldn’t find at your local grocery store. Authentic Japanese crackers maybe? But sadly, the majority of the companies that were present had similar items on display. Mainly commercial, unhealthy, and low-end sweets and snacks.

I don’t want to sound arrogant, but that’s just my personal opinion of the fair.

But I can’t complain much, as I did get some free samples of a nice selection of flavored tea from Hong Kong. Who thought you would come out of something healthy from a sweets and snacks exhibition? 🙂

Jingle the Night Away!

Living in an international city means that you have a cosmopolitan mix of multiple nationalities, cultures, and obviously religions. It’s always exciting and interesting to learn about other cultures and societies. Since we are currently in the festive season, a Christmas festival was held at Dubai Media City for the first time this year. Who doesn’t like to see beautifully-lit and decorated Christmas trees, wonderful gift ideas and gift sets, and happy children going around hugging Santa and taking pictures with him?

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, sharing the season’s joy with others and embracing the holiday spirit can be a fun and rewarding experience.

I had mostly been to the area of Media City where the festival was at during day time. So seeing the wonderful brightly-lit skyline at night from a close distance was a scene that I had to take a picture of. My friend and I had a stroll around the different kiosks before sitting down for a meal at the wooden benches and table at the grass. Being able to sit outdoors and enjoy the cool breeze is a luxury to be taken advantage of, specifically in Dubai where the summer season could last for up to six months in a year.

Luckily when we arrived, an English band was playing traditional Christmas melodies, as well as funky classic and new hits. Bright red and green spot lights brought life to the stage, and a selection of festive images were displayed at the back of the band.

Parents danced along with their little kids as we all sang along with the band and enjoyed the lively ambiance.

Other artists continued to entertain the big ethnically diverse crowd at the festive stage till it was closing time for the chilled and joyful festival…

Soulful Jamming Under the Stars…

Having grown up in this region, I have always been a huge R&B and soul music fan. So when I heard that Macy Gray; the super cool American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer and actress is coming to town, I was ecstatic and made a trip to the other end of town to get my tickets before they were sold out, and to guarantee my attendance.

The venue was packed with fans of the singer or folks simply wanting to have a good time in the garden where the stage was set up. Me and my friends were lucky to find a place to sit near the stage and shared a delicious and juicy burger and hand-cut thick fries. The weather was pleasant for a night out and the atmosphere was just right.

Macy entertained us with her usual slick groove and ultra cool vibe. She and her back-up singers were simply fabulous…they put up a casual, yet highly fascinating performance, filled with soulful moves and creative ways to engage the fun-loving crowd.

Famous for her deeply appealing witty style and character, the singer graced the stage in beautiful outfits. One of them a sparkly sequined red dress from the 60’s era. The second was another charming vintage number with chiffon and a stunning layered puff to it.

After performing a good number of songs, Macy and her band said their good-byes to us, leaving some of us wondering if this was a joke and the rest screaming out for “more”, before she came back on stage once again to perform her famous international hit single “I try”. The hit sparked a huge burst of life and energy in the crowd, as we were all singing along to the top of our lungs:

I try to say goodbye and I choke
Try to walk away and I stumble
Though I try to hide it, it’s clear
My world crumbles when you are not here

You can sing along too by playing this link:

To Macy – the soulful diva with the warm distinctive voice – and her lovely band:

Thank you for the epic performance, positive vibe, and most importantly; for the powerful and strong messages supporting world peace, love and personal freedom.

Disappointing Neapolitan Pizzeria!

When I heard about a new pizza place opening in town, I made sure to make a trip to it the next time my dad was visiting…Since he’s a big pizza fan and I’d rather not pile on the calories by myself 🙂 Brandi Pizzeria is an Italian (obviously) restaurant chain from Napoli, Italy. Their wooden-fire pizza is famous for its thin crust and juicy topping. Now that description sounded great when the waiter had explained it to us. Wooden-fire made pizza is the main reason that I decided to take my dad to the new Italian eatery. As although he loves his pizza, he is still a fairly health-conscious man who makes an effort to watch what he eats.

We shared a mixed salad for a starter. The portion was big, the vegetables were fresh and made for a colorful and bright plate. Since we were quite pleased with our starter, we were looking forward to trying the authentic Neapolitan pizza made by the restaurant’s Italian chef who has flown down all the way from Napoli! We went for the vegetarian pizza; my dad’s favorite and the healthy choice that I got used to splitting with him 🙂

The thin crust and juicy topping that was promoted to us as the signature Neapolitan style pizza translated into a soggy crust and topping that was too heavy for the supporting crust which led to a type of pizza that you couldn’t hold in your hand to enjoy eating, but had to resort to using a fork and knife to be able to eat it properly! The taste was also average, nothing special about the ingredients or seasoning used.

Another disadvantage for the novel pizza spot is its isolated location. The restaurant is situated in a detour in the mall where passers by would not be able to see it unless, they were on their way to one of the shops or restaurants in that strip of the mall.

Would I go back to Brandi Pizzeria and possibly give them another try? I highly doubt it, unless they open a terrace (which I don’t think is doable) or do some changes on their kind of lifeless and gloomy decor and space.