Perfect Day

By Tyler Brûlé



On Wednesday the good people in charge of handing out Nobel Prizes awarded Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien of the US and Japan‘s Osamu Shimomura the chemistry prize for research that has allowed them to exploit luminosity in sea creatures. As I read this news I wondered if it might be time to add a couple of new Nobel categories. As the TV blasted rolling news about the Japanese stock market index Nikkei being down nearly 10 per cent, I thought a Nobel award for responsible banking would be somewhat timely. As I shuffled back and forth across my hotel room from bedside to a TV tucked around the corner out of view I thought that a Nobel design prize wouldn’t be such a bad idea either. Then, while drying off post-shower, I mused about a prize that would combine a variety of disciplines to be given to the team of researchers who could crack the elements required to create a perfect day.

While my academic credentials are rather thin, I would venture the following 20 elements to at least provide a framework for the Nobel Prize for a Perfect Day. My day kicking off at Copenhagen’s Hotel Nimb made for a good start – oddly placed TV apart.

1. A morning without Sarah Palin.
The day’s already off to a stunning start if you can watch or listen to a morning news bulletin and not have to endure the folksy banter and shrill tones of Governor Palin.

2. Good hair.
A bad hair session can spoil not just your day but even the rest of your week. I’ve found that no matter how many days I’m behind on a haircut Shiseido’s Uno hair wax can sort out the most complex hair issues.

3. No shaving.
Hitting the right day in the beard cycle (when whiskers require zero attention) buys an extra five minutes time.

4. A sure-fire look.
My failsafe ensemble, from the floor up, involves Pierre Hardy desert boots, Tabio socks, briefs from ACNE, well-worn chinos from Incotex, shirts from MCR, a cashmere cardigan from Zanone and a light loden blazer with silver buttons from Tomorrowland.

5. A coffee that works.
The people in the kitchen at the Nimb know the science of making an excellent cappuccino – not too fluffy, not too thick.

6. A big, blue, perfect sky.
What’s better than a sunny autumn day when the sky is huge, the sun warm and the humidity low?

7. 16° Celsius.
This temperature allows you to bundle up but also strip down if you’re more active. It also ensures people are not too frosty or crabby.

8. Elegant ladies on bikes.
In Copenhagen it’s wonderful to stand back and watch well-dressed women glide by on classic bikes with big baskets and high handlebars.

9. Handsome gentlemen on bikes.
See above but replace the lady with a sharply dressed Danish man on a lean, exquisitely engineered city bike.

10. Arriving at your first meeting five minutes early.
This tends to ensure the rest of the day will run to time.

11. Arriving at your meeting and having your projector and laptop function flawlessly.
This tends to ensure you’ll actually gain years by not having to endure the stress of getting the Epson, Mac and connections to all behave.

12. A perfect pitch.
I’m convinced people achieve an extra 25 per cent of bounce in their step when a pitch meeting goes to plan.

13. A second morning coffee to rival the first.
This needs no further explanation for those who have an energy lapse around 11.30.

14. Receiving a hot tip.
I’m not sure if it’s only journalists who thrive on a juicy tip but the little whisper I received after a conference on Wednesday afternoon will soon be showing up on some well-designed newspaper or magazine’s pages.

15. Having an attack of office envy.
Copenhagen is the ideal venue for rethinking the way you work. Why haven’t more companies discovered the delights of Montana shelving systems and affiliated work stations?

16. Good lighting around the clock.
It’s at this time of year that the candles come out in the afternoon and Denmark starts to get cosy as the daylight hours fade.

17. A quiet lunch of perfect proportions.
Every capital city deserves a branch of Copenhagen’s Royal Café and its signature dish of smushis – think sushi meets traditional Danish smørrebrod. Washed down in silence with your favourite paper is just the way to prep for more meetings.

18. Being fully charged.
A quiet moment of relief when you gaze down at your assorted electronic devices and none are flashing red.

19. An invitation to dinner at home.
“Would you like to join us for dinner at home? We could always go to a restaurant but we thought you’d enjoy something home-cooked and easy.” The most beautiful words ever spoken to a weary traveller by my friends Rud and Lo.

20. Dinner at home with business opportunities for dessert.
Just the thoughts a boy needs for an inspiring, restful sleep.