We closed out 2014 with the story of a real-life cat burglar, a feline fiend that ate its way through US$1,100 of gourmet fish products at Vladivostok Airport’s duty free shop – well in excess of his purrsonal allowance. Now word reaches The Moodie Blog of an equally talented animal, a beagle by the highly
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Miscellaneous
Starting all over again
Two days into 2015 and I’m in my first airport departures lounge of the year. What took me so long? Heck, there’s only 357 travel retail shopping days left to Christmas. This is my first airport experience of 2015 but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. I’m sipping on a Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn
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Let auld acquaintances never be forgot
Well I guess I can’t let the criminal deeds of a Siberian cat burglar be my last contribution for 2014 so I’ll sign off The Moodie Blog here, the 101st of the year. Tonight, like many of you, starting not long from now in my native New Zealand, I’ll be signing off one year and welcoming
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Breaking Mews Alert: Apawling crime committed in Siberian duty free shop
Shock news reaches The Moodie Blog of the purrfect crime – a male cat eating his way through US$1,100 of gourmet fish products after breaking into an airport duty free shop. And no, I’m not kitten you – this is a true story, an absolute travel retail catastrophe. According to The Siberian Times, the “gourmet
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It will (not really) be lonely this Christmas
Try to imagine A house that’s not a home Try to imagine A Christmas all alone That’s where I’ll be Since you left me My tears could melt the snow What can I do without you? I got no place, no place to go It’ll be lonely this Christmas Without you to hold It’ll be
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Taking the independent route at JFK T4
The broad, open spaces of the Retail Hall at the new-look JFK Terminal 4 As the only independent operator of an airport terminal in the USA, JFKIAT is used to thinking differently. That’s underlined by the transformation of Terminal 4 at New York JFK – a project where phase one opened in May 2013 and
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Miscellaneous
Throwing a smile to Lucy
“I’m sick of having needles stuck into me,” Lucy told them. “I don’t want to be prodded and poked any more. I want to go home…” – From ‘Throw me a Smile’ by Colleen Mortzou If you’re looking for a different kind of gift for someone special this Christmas, or if you just want some
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Discovering the human touch behind Pandora
I swallowed a moon made of iron They refer to it as a nail I swallowed this industrial sewage, these unemployment documents Youth stooped at machines die before their time I swallowed the hustle and the destitution Swallowed pedestrian bridges, life covered in rust I can’t swallow any more All that I’ve swallowed is now
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Mastering time and making the final carbon footprint
I’m nearly on the home strait. My final trip of a long year, much of it spent extending my carbon footprint to the size of a jet-setting Yeti. Abominable behaviour I know (which reminds me of the tragic tale of an Irish friend who died after deciding to slash his carbon footprint by cycling to work instead.
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Encountering a splendidly human touch at Dubai Duty Free
“Good afternoon Sir. Wow, you are someone very famous! It’s so nice to meet you.” The greeting was as warm as it was unexpected. Meet Roland Santos Gripon, a young man from the Philippines who is today manning the Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises and Millennium Millionaire prize draw desk. Was this a case
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Sizing up the odds at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup
I’m holed up in The Moodie Report’s interim Dubai bureau, the stylish Dubai Duty Free-owned and operated Jumeirah Creekside Hotel. And later today, I hope to be holing out in style at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup, which tees off this afternoon. More of that in a moment. I flew here via that
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All fired up for the real Dragons’ Den
Nid wy’n gofyn bywyd moethus, Aur y byd na’i berlau mân: Gofyn rwyf am galon hapus, Calon onest, calon lân. Calon lân yn llawn daioni, Tecach yw na’r lili dlos: Dim ond calon lân all ganu Canu’r dydd a chanu’r nos. Tomorrow my autumn sporting odyssey continues, and I am (literally) back on familiar ground.
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Celebrating a quarter century’s achievements in style
I’m at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, en route to Hong Kong and then London, my head a little tender after a wonderful King Power International Group 25th anniversary party and concert last night. What magnificent hosts King Power were and the concert in the exquisite Aksra Theatre was a fantastic mix of top Thai artists and