The Stress-Busting Chef

Kim Jepsen, General Manager, Oasis Lifestyle LLC, recharges his batteries by taking to the outdoors, or cooking a cordon bleu meal, finds Rekha Bala

When the going gets tough, the tough take off in a spirit of adventure. For most people, there is no better stress reliever than the outdoors: the open skies, glittering stars and the welcoming sounds of silence.

Kim Jepsen, general manager, Oasis Lifestyle LLC, is just back from a relaxing weekend at Wahiba Sands, Sharqiyah. His stress-busting menu? Dune bashing, a glorious sunset and lots of silence. “I have to do it again, the serenity out there is totally rejuvenating,” he says, as we sip cappuccino on a bustling Sunday afternoon at Second Cup Café, Qurum.

Work, he emphasises, is priority No. 1. “But it becomes essential to try and find ways to unwind on weekends, especially after one puts in over 10 hours of work on the weekdays.” Its an outdoor streak or impulse, if one can call it that, which has made Kim visit Nizwa nine times, apart from crossing a few wadis too. And, all this only within 10 months of his arrival in Oman. In Nizwa, his interest in architectural structures and building designs is rejuvenated, as he revels in the timeless magnificence of the age-old forts, the lively souqs and the quaintness of the old towns.

On weekdays, however, he comes home to the pots and pans and the smells of his kitchen where he whips up a cordon bleu meal (complete with all trappings) for himself or, on occasions, for his friends. “Like most Danes, I too am passionate about cooking. It is very relaxing to be able to focus on something so creative. It is also therapeutic in a way.” “The response to my cooking has been positive so far,” he adds, with a chuckle, disclosing that one of his business suppliers has asked him to help out with a cookbook.
A foodie to the core, he admits to having tried everything from ‘deep fried grasshoppers’ to ‘mosquito eggs’ to ‘raw whale fat’ — each a delicacy in the countries he has travelled to. Hearing this, I wince behind my cappuccino, wondering if he has any surprise for me. Luckily, Kim declares his fondness for Omani and Indian food.

Relieved, I hastily turn the conversation away from food. “I like reading, especially biographies and fiction. I also draw but a bit. I have also tried to pick up golf.” For Kim, taking time out generally means lounging at home, quite surprising for one who is single and mobile. “I come from Denmark, which is a lot like Oman in the sense that once you finish your work, you go home and relax,” he says.

Calling it a day, Kim offers some practical thoughts on stress and how to beat it. “Stress is one of those things that people in important positions have to cope with. But you should never get to a point when everything is your life is stressed out. You need to ‘reload your batteries’ and try and de-stress yourself.”

Qualifying, he adds that there is certain stress that is part of one’s life. “If I had nothing to do, I would get very stressed. I believe a little stress keeps you on the edge but no stress is not good at all.”

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