The Shanghai skyline from Four Seasons Pudong infinity pool
I’m quite relieved to report that I had an uneventful Saturday morning trek to Newark. Yes… New Jersey, again! I’m a United mile whore… what can I say? I plan to use my two system-wides after making 1K this year to visit my Jetsetter in the Australian countryside in 2014. I half packed last night, which who-the-hell-knows when that was at this point, considering it’s now dinner time in China on Sunday. I was in bed at 20:00 hours on Friday (I am trying to get fluent with the rest of the worlds’ translations in weather, english, units, etc), and was up at 06:00! The only downfall of my flight was the unbearable breath of the poor sucker next to me, who, apparently likes to talk to himself. His laptop revealed Chinese powerpoint but with words like neutron and m-t atom, makes me believe he’s probably one of those really smart bad-breath people. It IS as bad as the ‘Bad Breath Brothers’ from Cabo. Remember them!!? 🙂 I don’t think they were the sharpest tools in the shed though. :/
The other noticeable observance is the fidgety-ness of the Chinese people. Please let me preface this entire trip with the blatant fact that I am anything but racist. Though, an observer at heart I remain. I remember watching a documentary on the regiment (and success!) of the Chinese culture and one segment in particular, where at certain jobs they have group stretching sessions. That’s what being on the plane was like! Funny. No, not funny ‘ha ha’ I am a beautifully compassionate and respectful soul! I absolutely brushed up on my respects for the country and even brought gifts! Which yes, I will present with both hands and a small head bow. It’s the least I could do for the insistence on being 100% pampered the moment I arrive. How bizarre is this: the General Manager of Asia’s #3 hotel, who I met in Vegas for 3.7 minutes, had me picked up at airport arrival, in their house Rolls Royce, and dropped at a completely unrelated hotel, and I am not even meeting with them until Monday!
Hard to tell from the photo, but I’m currently in a bit of a slumber at the Four Seasons infinity pool, with a glass of wine, which overlooks the Shanghai skyline, particularly Pearl Tower. I thought it would have been more lit up at night. I purposely didn’t sleep much on my flight so I’d be well exhausted tonight. My airport greeting was over-the-top so nice but then when the General Manager of my hotel came to greet me at check in and saw the Peninsula Rolls… he called with a 90-minute massage scheduled shortly after. I know it’s the Four Seasons, and I’m in a cosmopolitan city but still… not everyone speaks perfect english, so communicating preferences is just more challenging. Jena just completely dialed me in and yet the spa wouldn’t give me anything to sign for, and tips are considered offensive. Luckily I stocked up on Francois Payard from next door to JG’s for several ‘just-in-case’ thank you gifts. It’s gone over well so far. I’d say China already is a huge success!
I am not sure what type massage I was given, think it was just the jet lag massage, a mere 90 minutes but she used this hot Chinese herbal medicine cloth thing on every body area at the end, which was to die for. I did a bit of research in the last few days, to be sure I’m up on etiquette, and was under the impression things would be on the more conservative side here. So when they showed me the locker and disposable panties, I opted to wear them, whereas I’m usually pretty comfortable in the buff. Not quite sure why I even needed them as Jena definitely moved her hands around and tucked the silk overlay into them to get down to my um… well, close to that very last spine bone that is just at the top of ‘cheeks’… the coccyx I think. Then she did this whole ‘cover my nipples’ thing and did a full tummy massage plus the sides of my breasts even. I don’t care what anyone says… don’t judge me, it was one of the best I’ve ever had… and I live well beyond modesty in that realm, after my Turkish bath. For my friend who has FOUR naked men crawling up his wall, I think the spa has the same guys!
Oh! Armani Boy: I’ve got dinner in Hong Kong on the 116th floor… what floor is the restaurant (that you never took me to) at Burj Khalifa?! x
I’ve gone through my 4.5 years of testimonial emails to sift through contenders for my new kick ass website. Will be sending some of my lovelies permission requests, or if anyone has anything angelic-like and witty with praise for me and Envizage, now’s the time to send it over! Contract revisions are also ready for edit. Blog is up and will be the next project for a web designer who brought me to tears upon opening her first few concepts. Speaking of published blog, are you all following www.lizcostello.com!? It’s not that complicated and these tedious emails could be a thing of the past! 😉
I’m quite excited for this week. It’s difficult to explain but my brain is always working in the future and there is just so much coming up. I think it will be fascinating. I hope I get some jogger time in. Given NYC doesn’t necessarily expect me up until about 08:00 or 09:00 hours which is flip time for me (12 hours time difference), I plan to self-spin and run daily. If Dubai has self-spinners then Shanghai and Hong Kong must as well! I have no meetings set until lunches so I’ll be up early, I hope. It is inevitable though, I predict I will get a phone call from a particular London client in a panic needing to get from the UK to some random place (like Tokyo), like tomorrow, and back by dinner time with the family. 😉 Or something like that.
No doubt I will manage just fine. Especially considering the day that Peninsula lavishly scheduled for tomorrow, after this amazing, relaxing and gorgeous entry to Four Seasons.
I like it here!!! A lot.
