Hamburg - Day in the Life of a Chippendale

Anyone that knows my older bro won’t be surprised to hear that for the last few months, he’s been on tour in Europe with the Chippendales. They closed out the tour in Hamburg, inviting an easy weekend trip for me and Jerel from Brussels. We weren’t expecting much from Hamburg but it turns out to be quite a lively and scenic city. Canals and bridges abounded - I learned that Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam and Venice combined!

After a late arrival on Friday, we kicked off our weekend on Saturday with lunch at Ami’s regular haunt, a casual cafeteria where you are guaranteed the best bang for your buck when it comes to generous portions of healthy food. We spent the afternoon exploring Hamburg, meandering along the Binnenalster (inner city lake) and past the impressive Rathaus (city hall). Jerel and I continued on to enjoy a chilly panoramic view of the city from St. Nikolai’s church, whose ruins are a WWII memorial, while Ami went to rehearsal.

Ami had arranged for guest tickets to the Saturday night show, known to be the craziest night of the week…and crazy it was. I’ve never seen so many seemingly normal women going nuts – upwards of 600 women filled the venue that night. The crowd was on their feet for much of the show, cheering and shrieking. Fortunately, one of the other two men in the audience (the tour manager) was sitting at our table, which gave Jerel some comfort. He tried his hardest to look like he was on official business as well. The show was a lot of fun, with impressive dancing and music (and abs). To my relief, I didn’t have to close my eyes nearly as much as I had feared… The show also featured a good dose of audience participation, and to my dismay, Ami had ensured that I would be picked as one of the ‘volunteers’. Suffice it to say that I survived, with even greater appreciation for the nerve it takes to perform in front of a big audience.
After the show, I stood in shock as women lined up to take their picture with Ami, or requested an autograph. Either he’s a good actor or the experience hasn’t grown old even after 6 shows a week for several months! After the show, we navigated the bustling Reeperbahn together (Europe’s largest red light district) and joined Ami for his second dinner.

Sunday and Monday passed much the same as Saturday, to the rhythm of Ami’s sleep-eat-exercise-eat-perform-eat life. Katharina (Ezra’s girlfriend) joined us from Berlin as did her friend Jana who lives just outside Hamburg. Jerel returned to Brussels for work on Monday while I stayed behind. Katharina and Jana attended the show on Sunday and it seemed that they also enjoyed it …I caught them posing with one of the other Chippendale’s when I returned to meet up with them after the show in the ‘flirt lounge’. Sunday ‘apres-show’, Ami and I joined some of the guys for dinner, which made for some interesting conversation. Monday, Ami and I passed a pleasantly quiet day, lifting weights at the gym (my pecs are still recovering!) and lingering over lunch and tea. All in all a very satisfying and memorable weekend.

Morocco - Spring Getaway with Bronwyn

After several months of grey winter, Brownyn and I agreed that a spring getaway was in order. We settled on Morocco as our destination, for its warm weather, interesting culture, and easy access from Europe. Upon arrival into Marrakesh, we were initially taken aback by the dusty streets and worn stone buildings, but soon warmed to the city as we began to sample its exotic sights, sounds and tastes.

We spent our first 2 days exploring Marrakesh, a city that seems to never sleep. During the day, we struggled not to get lost as we navigated the maze of narrow streets of the souks (markets) where small shops displayed colourful ceramics, blankets, spices and teas. The bargaining skills that I acquired in China were indispensable, as prices were almost always negotiable. At night, we lingered at the main square ‘Djemaa el Fna, where tourists and locals alike congregated until the wee hours. On one end of the square was a collection of stalls offering freshly squeezed orange juice, dried fruits and nuts, and fragrant Moroccan cuisine, all manned by charming young men determined to convince you of their stall’s superiority. The adjacent courtyard featured an eclectic mix of performers (musicians, contortionists) and vendors (traveling pharmaceuticals, henna artists), each encircled by a rapt crowd.

We began and ended our days at a wonderful Riad (B&B) unexpectedly tucked away down a back alley, featuring elegant local décor, private pool, rooftop views and delicious mint tea…the perfect antidote to the craziness of the medina. The only downside of our accommodation was the mournful daily 5am call to prayer from the nearby mosque.

Next, we ventured to the coastal town of Essaouira for 24 hours of relative tranquility. Like Marrakesh, Essaouira remains very down-to-earth despite the thriving tourism industry – Brownyn described it as a ‘Muslim Santa Cruz’. As native ocean girls, we were thrilled to simply walk on the beach and inhale the sea air. The beach was alive with impromptu soccer games, while sunbathers were noticeably lacking. We also enjoyed exploring Essaouira’s lively port, filled with fishermen selling their catch, as well as seagulls and stray cats eager for a spare morsel.

One of the many memorable parts of the trip was our visit to a Hammam – the Moroccan equivalent of a Turkish bath - where we had the roughest scrubbing of our lives and had buckets of warm water dumped on our heads. It was a lot more fun than it sounds and Bronwyn and I both eagerly bought scrubbers so that we could recreate the experience. We wrapped up our visit to Essaouira with camel rides on the beach, a first for both of us. We couldn’t stop grinning as we climbed the sand dunes, the perfect ending to our Moroccan escapade. We returned to our respective homes the following morning, equipped with tea, spices, scrubbers and more, keen to bring a taste of Morocco home with us.

Bronwyn Visits Brussels - Quel Plaisir!

Last weekend, we hosted the first of hopefully many visitors to the pink room at “chez Jerel et Chana” in Brussels. The lucky guest was Bronwyn, who traveled from London for a short but very sweet visit.

We took Bronwyn on something of a culinary tour of Brussels on Saturday, starting with authentic Belgian waffles (far superior to the North American imposters) served from the Belgian equivalent of a California ‘taco truck’, moving on to gourmet chocolate tasting, and ending with ‘moules frites’ (mussels and fries). Along the way, we managed to take in a good number of Brussels’ main attractions, including the Grand Place, various beautiful churches, and the notorious ‘Mannekin Pis’, which some say celebrates a young boy who saved the city from fire by peeing on it.

Sunday, we opted for a day trip to Bruges, perhaps one of the world’s quaintest cities. This medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and on the surface, seems to have hardly changed since its time as a thriving trading center in the 13th and 14th centuries. It truly feels like a step back in time, complete with horse-drawn carriages. There isn’t much to do in Bruges besides climbing the narrow, winding staircase to the top of the bell tower, strolling through the town and along the narrow canals, and sipping beer (or raspberry Lambec, yum!)…all of which makes for a great afternoon.

Monday, Bronwyn joined me and the other regulars for “Lundi matin RPM” (indoor cycling) at my second home, the gym. Quel plaisir! We then took a brisk stroll to the nearby ‘Etangs d’Ixelles’, scenic manmade ponds featuring an interesting assortment of birds, and where spring fever is in full swing amongst birds and humans alike! We had just enough time to squeeze in some souvenir shopping so that Bronwyn wouldn’t be chastised for leaving Belgium without chocolates (and beer) in tow.

I hope that this blurb helps to entice any potential visitors that are wavering on the allure of Brussels! For more photos please click here.