My Life My Style: Farhat Jamal

Best work moment
Successfully managing the SAARC summit at Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives. Great to have eight heads of state stay on an island at the same time

Books on your bedside
Divine Romance and Journey to Self Realization by Paramahansa Yogananda, Previous Convictions by A A Gill. Also a current copy of The Economist

Massage or workout to de-stress
Workout

Favourite accessory
My iPhone

Designs that have caught your eye recently
Nice and comfortable woollen waistcoats in Delhi

Your IT tools
iPad and iPhone

Your sleeping ritual
Try to be in bed by 11 pm

Best gift received
My very special Piaget watch presented to me years ago

Best gift given
A great party on my wife Kulsum's 50th. It was special

What food items do you like to shop for?
Pasta, cheese and organic food

Newspaper and TV channels and websites you prefer
International New York Times and NDTV/ Al Jazeera English/ Animal Planet.

Where do you like to sit when being driven? Upfront with driver or back seat like sahib?
Seated at the back, occasionally in front when I don't need to work in the car

On a plane, do you prefer to network, sleep or catch up on films and reading?
Mostly reading or on long flights, a film or two

What do you cook on your day off
Indian - mutton or chicken curry with lots of passion - or a good old pasta

Your favourite city?
London and Mumbai

What's your fragrance?
B Minor from Code Deco

You get your work clothes from
Various brands - I like Canali

The shoemaker you trust your sole with?
Church's and Moreschi - if you wear them for more than 12 hours a day, you better invest in good footwear

Your favourite evening wear
Black jacket on most occasions or open collar shirts

What's your weekday breakfast like? And weekend?
Weekday: nuts or papaya/other fruits/ two multi grain toasts with honey/ maybe a cereal. Go desi: some good poha or homemade idli

Your current set of wheels
Toyota

God for you is...
Very private

Favourite cafe
Cafe Zoe, Sea Lounge at the Taj, Mumbai

Favourite Restaurant
Yautcha in Mumbai, and La Piazza and Town Hall in Khan Market in Delhi

Your workout regime
Jog and walk at least three times a week

Your ideal holiday
I must admit that I don't take many vacations but when I do, it is with no agenda - take each day as it unfolds. In India, Coonoor in the Nilgiris

A few of your Goddesses are
Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh. I better stop here

Your favourite motto
Nothing is impossible beyond determination, be sincere, and excellence is the gradual result of always trying to do better. Love your people

Farhat Jamal
Area General Manager, Shangri-La, New Delhi