It was quite an eventful day when one Tuesday I won a pair of tickets to attend a work shop by the author of the best-selling book: “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”. Since my father was also arriving in the evening on a short visit, and I was planning to take him for dinner to the newly opened Jazz @ Pizza Express in the area where I live.
In Dubai, most people tend to dress up anywhere they go. They are also highly capable of wearing the perfect attire for the event or occasion that they are attending. As I grew up and lived most of my life in Saudi, I always made an effort to dress in a stylish way even when it meant not taking off my Abayah the entire day while I was at work! But living in the fashion hub that is Dubai, is making me realize more each day that my personal style and fashion sense are below mediocre standards. And John Gray’s work shop was no exception to the case in point! I had gone to the mall to have lunch in the food court before going to the venue to collect my tickets, and I was dressed casually in a navy blue sweater with a hint of metallic threads and a pair of black skinny denim jeans. With a star patterned scarf wrapped around my neck in a knot style. Only to discover that my look for the day was more suitable for a rock concert than a relationship expert event 🙂 Most of the ladies were dressed in stylish loose tops and pants, or formal dresses or skirts. I made a note to myself to dress better for the occasion the next time around 🙂
What was titled as a work shop was more of a talk basically. John Gray was the speaker and the audience were there to listen. The talk went on till well after 9, which was longer than the time specified on the ad. Nevertheless, John shared with us some interesting scientific facts about both genders. They would help us in understanding the sometimes vague behavior of men or women. Let me share with you some notes that I took during the talk:
- Men never do anything that they don’t have to do. That’s why, if you need your man to do something for you, don’t ask him what he would like to do, tell him exactly what you want him to do. You need to word it in a clear request form, such as saying: “Would you do this for me?”.
- The reason men go to their caves (isolated space/room) is that scientifically when a man relaxes his muscles while staying awake, he rebuilds his testosterone levels. The more stressed he is, the more he needs to go to his cave.
- Working women tend to have high testosterone levels, which lead to stress. That’s why they need more of the oxytocin hormone to suppress the high testosterone in their bodies.
- Suggested words to tell your man to make him feel good from time to time are:
- You’re right. And say it with a smile.
- That makes sense.
- A good romance and communication style are super oxytocin producers. A powerful phrase that a man should keep repeating to his woman is: “You do so much for so many people, let me give you a hug.”
Honestly speaking, although I found the relationship tips and scientific facts that John explained quite useful, I must admit that I found more insights and revelations about men and their ways of thinking in the book: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. By Steve Harvey. You can find a link to the book here.
Moving on to my meet and greet dinner with my dad…I was excited to find out that the famous Pizza Express chain have opened up a new jazz-themed branch in my residential area: Jumeirah Lakes Towers. Not on the side where I live though, but still close enough for a chilled dinner with friends or family.
I found out from the waiter that they had a soft opening only three and a half weeks ago. But this was their official launch. They had multiple artists perform on their cozy yet lively stage. The pianist (Nathan) on that night was from South Africa. He enchanted the crowd with his cover of Carlos Santana’s “Maria, Maria”….I actually have videos of the performance, but I need to figure out how to post videos to this blog before I can share them with you 🙂
A lady singer from the Philippines did a great performance of the all-time favorite love song “How do I live”. We enjoyed other classics such as “Quando” and “Sway”. The atmosphere was buzzing with life, the staff were very friendly, the food was superior with fresh and excellent ingredients, and the pizza was light and yummy with gourmet toppings.
I was informed by one of the staff at the lovely pizza joint that they will be playing live jazz music every night of the week. As it’s part of the concept of this particular branch. Jazz@PizzaExpress is located in JLT, Dubai. Perfectly situated at the promenade level by the lake, and below the Movenpick Hotel in Cluster A. And as the friendly staff will tell you: “you will hear the music as you walk by, so you can’t miss us!”. 🙂
