The Intercontinental Hotel Barclays New York City Welcomes Etihad Airways

Answered prayer, I just checked my schedule today for my New York (JFK) flight tomorrow and to my surprise, no more Garden City Hotel and instead, Intercontinental Hotel The Barclays at111 East 48th Street, New York City.

InterContinental The Barclay New York is ideally located off fashionable Park Avenue at East 48th Street in the heart of midtown Manhattan's East Side, with New York's most exclusive Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue shopping, fine dining, Broadway theaters, the Chrysler Building, world-famous museums and the business district all nearby.

The hotel is conveniently positioned steps from major corporations, within minutes walking distance to the Rockefeller Center, the United Nations and Grand Central.

InterContinental The Barclay New York welcomes Etihad Airways, a luxury business hotel in "the city that never sleeps." Minutes away from LaGuardia and JFK Airport. The Barclay Hotel was the most luxurious hotel built by the New York Central Railroad and one of the most glamorous and elegant hotels near Park Avenue.

Visit the United Nations, Wall Street, Broadway Theater or take a stroll in the world-famous Central Park! There have been a number of famous faces visiting The Barclay New York Hotel over the years. Because of its proximity to the United Nations, nearly every major head of state has visited the hotel, including President Ronald Reagan, Francois Mitterrand and Nelson Mandela. The Barclay Hotel has also been the home away from home for such celebrities as Bette Davis, Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway



The hotel has 686 luxurious guest rooms and suites, all beautifully appointed with a wealth of modern amenities for a comfortable and relaxing stay. Rooms with facilities for the disabled are also available.

Dining facilities offer a choice of New American cuisine at the hotel's Barclay Bar & Grill, while Room Service is available for guests wishing to dine in the privacy of their own room.

Complimentary Wireless Internet Access in our Lobby and the Barclay Bar & Grill.

InterContinental The Barclay New York hotel's exceptional banquet and meeting facilities include 18 elegantly appointed function rooms, which are perfect for hosting from 10 to 300 guests for business and social gatherings of every description. The in-house audio-visual department offers a comprehensive range of equipment, and the hotel has a 24-hour Business Center, which is well equipped to fulfill business requirements.

The hotel's leisure facilities include the 1500-square-foot Health Club, featuring state-of-the-art fitness equipment, together with an array of massages.

Oh I can't wait. Nevermind our very interesting and very polite guests! No more rushing at the Subway to see the beauty of the city. I love New York, I will always will!

Yemenia Airways Crashed Into Sea

Yemenia Airways crashed into the Indian Ocean near the coast of Island nation of Comoron.

The plane, carrying more than 150 people, was en route to Moroni, the capital of Comoros, from Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

A reconnaissance plane spotted traces of the jet in waters off the town of Mitsamiouli, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said Tuesday.

"There were no sign of survivors," he said. "There are a few bodies floating and there is a lot of debris floating around."

The crash took place as the plane approached the Hahaya airport in Moroni. The plane tried but failed to land and then performed a U-turn before it crashed, Nadhoim said. Officials did not know why the plane could not land, he said.

There were 142 passengers and 11 crew members aboard, Yemenia Air officials said.

Nadhoim offered another figure, saying there were 147 passengers.

Flight 626 left Sanaa at 9:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) for what was expected to be a four-and-a-half-hour flight. The airline has three regular flights a week to Moroni, off the east coast of Africa, about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) south of Yemen.

The crash occurred about 1:30 a.m., Nadhoim said.

Most of the passengers aboard the Airbus A310 were Comorans, an official at Sanaa's international airport told newsteam around the world.

An official at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris said there were also 66 French passengers aboard.

There was no indication of foul play behind the crash, the official in Yemen said.

Yemenia Air had used the jet since 1999, on about 17,300 flights, Airbus officials said. The company said it would assist in investigating the crash.

"The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident," the company said in a statement.

The crash was the second involving an Airbus jet in a month. On June 1, an Air France Airbus A330 crashed off Brazil while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France. All 228 aboard are presumed dead. The cause remains under investigation.

Let's offer a moment of silence and prayer for the souls and their families on board flight 626.

The September Issue

Calling All Fashionistas And Urbanistas! Strike A Pose... Vogue Vogue Vogue!

The real "The Devil Wears Prada" will come to the big screen as it comes to its US theatrical release on August 28, 2009.

This documentary film features the life of Anna Wintour and how she turned the US Vogue in its peak. Her former personal assistant Lauren Wiesberger wrote this best-selling novel, yep, you're right, The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda Priestly believed to be Anna's.

It was shown last January 19 at the Sundance Film Festival which won the Grand Jury Price for excellence in Cinematography, Kudos!

Noted that the September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine weighed nearly five pounds, and was the single largest issue of a magazine ever published. With unprecedented access, The September Issue, directed and produced by R.J. Cutler, tells the story of legendary Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her larger-than-life team of editors creating the issue and ruling the world of fashion.

I really can't wait to see this film and I wish I have Bangkok this month, I will try my luck in Jakarta... Wish me luck!

Inside My Bag

Yes I am still having a blog-lag so just to make a blog today, I took a photo on what's inside my bag. I usually have 5 city-cum-carry on bags to choose from depending on my mood.

I bring it when I go out to shop, window shop, layovers and chit-chatting with friends to carry my must-haves.

So just for today, I used my LV Damier Graphite Tadao. Inside it is my LV Monogram bag organizer to stuff my I-Phone 3G and a spare mobile phone for roaming, headphones, Keys, LV Damier Graphite Multiple wallet, moleskin pad where I jot down addresses and contact numbers in case my mobile phones get lost, parker pen, my plastic bag for my Moisturizer (Biotherm), Lip balm and Eye Lift from Skin Doctors and a perfume. And of course my Green Tea HP Orange flavor to keep me in shape.

I also bring my sunglasses (YSL) and wayfarers (Rayban) for concealing my eyes ha ha ha, my HP Mini-note 2140 just in case I need to get something in the web (very small and handy) and my Canon's point and shoot camera which I used for a quick snap on current events either on the road, inside the mall or just spontaneous shooting. Some post-it and my fresh mints from Icebreakers.

I usually carry on with me my mini-umbrella bought from Penny's for 1 pound only in case it rains or the sun shines roughly but I didn't include it in the photo.

That's about it... so What's in your bag?

Of Sale.Diet.Shopping

Nothing much to do during summer time here in the Land of the Ghazal, either you stay home, get bored, eat and eat more until you get fat, so fat you want to vomit or get out and be burned by the heat of the middle-east sun or shop until you literally drop.

As for me, I am trying my best not to eat rice anymore because it really fasten my way to obesity. So I tried to starve myself again, which is very bad. I just drink water, coffee, push-ups, instant noodles, surf the net, watch movies and drunk myself infront of my tv.

As for today, my dear friend Tata wanted to go to Marina Mall so I told her I'll come, she will have her manicure and pedicure thingee first, then I'll run some financial errand. I called Kuya Carlos and as usual, he came late due to road re-constructions. Went to Al Fardan and Mashreq, then MEB. Tata is still having her pedicure so she let me go to AUH mall.

I was famished! Because I had only coffee and Lucky Me for brunch. Wow ei! As usual, after my usual trip to ZARA, I ended up with a plastic bag and minus 275 AED on my precious wallet. Stressed from this activity, I wasn't able to help myself to order my favorite broasted chicken in the world ha ha ha and feeling so guilty afterwards for what I've done. Vomit, Vomit, Vomit says my crazy mind. I didn't of course and instead walk endlessly.

Tata didn't came because her feet were still stuck. So I went back home, watching taped episodes of ASAP '09 as of this very moment. Getting bored again. What to do?

(Sigh)

From Off's To The Return Of The JeddahY

I only have few flights this month of weddings, and I tell you I am anticipating drought cum next month. Waaaahhhh! Nonetheless, I thank Thee for letting me save some bucks for the rainy days which by the way taking over my wet road for a couple of months now.

During the times that I had no flights which means the whole month, I was able to sleep less, worry about my Zit breakouts, download music, enjoys my new netbook, my new DSLR and the rest were my old stuff. I did a lot of cleaning of all sorts.

Merci for Marie Therese for letting my old curtains back. A few more arrangements in my room and it will be Oh so perfect!

I had only a few flights this month, total of 4. I was removed from my BEIRUT fligt and my 1st New York standby, well I was not called. So I only had 428, 101, 323 and my favorite 313.

313 stands for JED or return of the JEDDAHy. I love this flight... well, to give you an insight why I loved this flight, emphasis on the loveD are the following;

1. Boarding takes forever, how cool is that?

2. Noice cancellation headsets for a 2 hour and 20 minutes flight

3. Two choices of Hot meals, bar service and coffee and tea

4. Very hip passengers from our neighbouring countries of Jakarta, Manila, Malaysia

5. Uber-hail-fellow-well-met couthie Pakistani and Indian

6. Landing cards and health cards and immigration cards

7. No alcohol on board

8. Heaver-than-air handcarry luggages

9. Stale smelling

10. Umra flight and families who wants to stick together even in a short flight

Though this flight is good, I wanted to do New York, eventhough 4 times a month, kill me with these flights. Especially that Ramadan is coming by August, wow, Jeddah flight will be more exciting... Yahuhuhuhuhu! And I have one more by the end of July.

Well, I'm not complaining. It's perfect because with this flight, I can sleep for 24 hours after.