Your mates have flown home and you’re left in Abu Dhabi. You want to make this year your best Christmas ever. What to do?
A week before
It’s not too late to book a festive break. Here are three to choose from.
Vienna’s Christmas markets: Three nights at the four-star Boltzmann Hotel in Vienna, Austria, is Dhs4,200pp.
Beaches in Cyprus: Three nights at the four-star Lordos Beach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus, is Dhs3,150pp.
Historic trip to Jordan: Three nights at the five-star Movenpick Resort in Petra, Jordan, is Dhs3,650. Return from Amman.
Prices are based on travel from Abu Dhabi on December 23, returning December 26. The offers are based on two people sharing a double or twin room. Prices include breakfast, air fare and private transfers. The hotels may change to one of a similar standard. For terms and conditions or to book, visit www.travelcounsellors.ae/atanas.kyutchukov (02 449 6014).
The night before Christmas
You’ve got your tree, you’ve collected the turkey – now you just need stocking fillers.
Make a last-minute trip to Marks & Spencer to pick up everything you’ve forgotten until now. Buy stockings for Dhs40 and a Santa sack for Dhs125, then fill ’em with chocolate coins (Dhs8.50) and chocolate sprouts (Dhs18). While there, pick up six crackers with finger puppets inside or eight make-your-own crackers, both Dhs40.
Need presents for unexpected guests? Liquid salted caramels (120g, Dhs44) will be a crowd pleaser, and you can’t go wrong with a mandarin, clove and cinnamon candle (Dhs55). Wrap in wrapping paper (8m, Dhs30) and add gift tags (six for Dhs7). Pick up a toffee pecan brûlée cheesecake (Dhs36, serves six) as a stand by dessert. Corner of Airport Road and Sheikh Zayed 1st Street (Electra),
www.fotouhalkhair.com (02 681 1130).
On the morning
The presents are open and now it’s time to set the table. Want to impress? Then learn from the experts. We spoke to Peter-Paul Kleiss, service manager of Bord Eau at The Shangri-La Hotel, who has been in the service industry for 11 years. If anyone knows how to set the perfect table, he does.
‘Plates should be far enough apart to give guests sufficient elbow room. The main dinner plate should be in front of the diner. If this is plain, place a cloth napkin on top with a ring keeping it in place.
‘To simplify the setting, avoid displaying utensils that won’t be used. To the left of the dinner plate is the dinner fork. Next to that is a fish fork, then a small salad fork, depending on what starters you’re serving. Diners should find a small bread knife adjacent to that, with a side plate on the other side. If the dinner plate has a pattern you’d like to show off, place the napkin on the side plate.
‘To the right of the dinner plate is the dinner knife, followed by a fish knife, soup spoon and salad knife – so diners start with the outer cutlery first. The cake fork is above the plate pointing right, so at the end of the meal the waiter can easily move it into position to the left of the dessert bowl. The dessert spoon should rest above the cake fork, pointing left, for the same reason. Name cards should be above this.
‘The red grape glass is the biggest glass on the table, so that goes above the dinner knife, at 1 o’clock to the name card. The water glass is below this, also above the dinner knife. The white grape glass is to the right of these, forming a triangle. A bubbly glass is beneath the white grape glass, above the fish knife. A cup and saucer is next to this.
‘Flowers should be in the centre of the table if four or more are seated, or in the corner by the wall if two people are dining. If two people are dining but there is no wall nearby, the flowers should not obstruct their view of each other or the room’s focal point, such as a pianist or sea view. Candles should be placed beneath the flowers. Condiments should be in front of these.
‘For groups of six or more, have more than one of each condiment so diners needn’t stretch for them or ask for them to be passed.’
Afternoon
Party on: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without party games. So let the games begin…
Pass the parcel Okay, so this one takes some preparation. Wrap a present in several layers of wrapping paper. Write challenges such as ‘Eat two mince pies in a minute’ or ‘Unwrap ten gold coins in 30 seconds’ on slips of paper and add small gifts like sweets between each layer. Form a circle and pass the present around to music – when the music stops, the person holding the parcel must remove a layer and do the challenge.
Charades An oldie but goodie. Simply act out a well-known film, book or song title using gestures – no speaking allowed.
Make a snowman Divide into teams and wrap uncle Harry and aunt Mary in toilet paper instead. Decorate with ten black pre-made bows – two for eyes and four for the mouth and coat buttons. Fastest team wins.
Santa beard relay Divide into two teams. On one side of the room put two bowls of cotton balls. On the other side the teams line up and smear Vaseline on their chins, cheeks and upper lip. A team member from each team then runs to the bowls of cotton, sticks their face in and returns, then the second team member goes. After five minutes, the team with the most cotton balls on their face wins. Lots of laughs to be had here.
Gift wrap race Teams of two. Each team must wrap a present and add a ribbon and bow each using only one hand each. The winner is the quickest team – and no gaps are allowed.
Mystery stocking This one’s for the kids. Fill a stocking with items of various textures (a Santa beard, a carrot, a Brussels sprout) and get them to guess what each item is without looking.
Santa limbo Two people hold a string of tree lights horizontally. Everyone else lines up on one side of them with pillows strapped to their stomachs with a belt, like Santa’s big belly. As festive music plays, players take turns dancing under the lights as they’re lowered.
Boxing Day
Okay, so after 25 days of over indulgence it’s time to assess the damage.
Nutritional therapist Laura Holland from www.beutifulyou.co.uk is based in Abu Dhabi. She says, ‘Research from the Office of National Statistics in the UK and British Heart Foundation suggests 85 percent of us eat three times our recommended daily calorie intake on Christmas Day, bumping up our calorie consumption to 6,000. Christmas dinner alone is 1,000 calories, while cheese, mince pies and chocolates all add up.’
To burn 6,000 calories, the average man will need to do:
14 hours 30 min walking at a medium pace
10 hours 20 min jogging
8 hours 5 min basketball
7 hours 15 min cycling at a fast pace
The average woman will need to do:
34 hours 20 min hatha yoga
12 hours 20 min jogging
8 hours 40 min swimming at a fast pace
7 hours 10 min cycling at a fast pace
Sign up for an eight-week triathlon training programme with Haddins gym, which is suitable for beginners and semi pros. Haddins will prepare you for a 750m swim, 22km cycle and 5km run from Sunday January 5. Dhs1,600 non-members, Dhs800 members. Email michael@haddins.com. www.haddins.com (02 403 4233).
