2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Back in February I signed up to a 10Mbps connection with WiMD and just over 3 months have passed since then so I figured I’d post a second impression. For those of you who missed my previous posts, WiMD is a local wireless internet provider that uses technology similar to WiFi and WiMAX except theirs works using the 5 GHz wavelength.

Since installing WiMD I got rid of all my other internet connections and have put all my trust in them. That might not sound like a big deal but you have to consider the fact I live my life online and if I don’t have access to internet I start experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Ok maybe that’s a bit extreme but you get the idea.

So how’s the connection speed 3 months later? Browsing websites everything is still super fast, pages load instantly and there is no lag of any sort. Downloading torrents I also don’t have any issues, if I let it download without any limitations it can easily bypass 1,000Kbps. YouTube on the other hand is horrible with WiMD. I’m not sure what exactly is the problem but I can stream an HD video from Vimeo instantly but I can’t watch a non-HD video on YouTube without having to wait ages for it to load. Running speed tests has also provided me with vastly different results than when I first started with WiMD. When I last ran the speed tests 3 months back I was getting results of around 10Mb/s, this time around I was having trouble getting half that. Check out the results below:

But really if it wasn’t for the YouTube issue I wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary. My biggest issue really is the YouTube problem since it’s ridiculous to have to wait for a low res video to load on a 10Mbps connection. I’ve already contacted support and they told me they’re working on a fix for it and I trust that they are. The speed test results have dropped considerably and what gets affected by this the most is downloads from a single source like say downloading an update or video from an Apple server. Since most of my downloads take place while I’m out of the house or asleep I’m not affected by this but I’m sure it does other people.

The best thing about WiMD and something I make great use of is the upload speed, it’s fast! What this allows me to do is upload files onto the server a lot quicker compared to my previous DSL connection. Nat takes advantage of this the most since she spends a lot of time emailing her clients large files and what used to take her a couple of hours now takes around 20 minutes.

But, like I previously mentioned, I’ve given up all my other internet connections including my very reliable DSL connection because I trust WiMD. I know they’re busy right now working to fix whatever needs to be fixing so I’m not concerned too much. They’ve just started catering to consumers recently and I know for a fact they’ve been overwhelmed with subscribers so it’s only a matter of time before things get back to normal. I’ll have to wait and see but so far I have no regrets signing up with them. They’re the best available option for me right now.

If you’re interested in a connection you can call them on 22475841 and 22475842 or visit their website [Here]

Update: Turns out the problem was the connection from my house to the tower. It’s been fixed and new speedtest results are posted [Here]

While in Geneva we stayed at a hotel overlooking the Geneva fountain called Beau Rivage. It’s an old hotel that dates back to 1865 and I doubt the general look of the hotel has changed much since then and that’s actually what I loved about the hotel.

It’s a very posh hotel and you feel that as soon as you walk in. It’s not Dubai style posh where everything is gold and shiny, it’s a lot more understated here with pastel pink colored marble pillars and ceiling decoration that dates back most likely over a hundred years. Of course the fact that everyone speaks English with a French accent doesn’t hurt.

The hotel is 5 floors high and my room was on the 4th floor which was great since I usually prefer the higher floors since they’re quieter. Once I walked in I was amazed at how big the room was. I think it’s probably the largest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in and it was beautifully decorated. I’m not really into this classical style but it worked really well in this case. The room was decorated very tastefully and I had 2 large windows that were bringing in a lot of natural daylight and more importantly I had an incredible view. I also had a fireplace, a real one not just for decoration. No idea if they actually use them in winter (I doubt) but the idea is great. Each room in the hotel is also individually decorated so no two rooms are the same.

The hotel has a couple of restaurants including one that has a Michelin star.They also have a bar with a really great outdoor seating area that also overlooks the famous Geneva fountain. I didn’t pay for the room but according to the rate card, my room rate was 1,600CHF a night which is around KD480. The hotel is located walking distance from the main shopping streets and is also just a 15 minute ride from the airport without traffic. It’s definitely one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in.

This is too funny. It seems Kuwait Airways hands out DVD players with a bunch of DVDs to Business Class passengers because the planes built in entertainment system doesn’t work. Check out more pictures on Omarker’s blog [Here]

I’m back in Kuwait now and I’ve got a bunch of things lined up to post about my trip to Geneva. I’m trying to sort through all the photos I took and once I do hopefully by tonight I’ll have a few posts up. In summary though it was a very educational trip and I got to meet some great people be it the guys who were with me from Kuwait or the AP people in Geneva. Just to give you a preview though I’m going to be posting about the hotel we stayed, a post about the restaurants I got to try out while there and of course a post or two about our visit to Audemars Piguet. So stay tuned.

Lakeland, the UK kitchenware store is now open in Marina Mall. I haven’t passed by the shop yet but the blog 965 Malls did and they have a ton of pictures up of the place. Check out their post [Here]

Is there a place in Kuwait that sells Roomba vacuum cleaners? I used to have the original one back in 2003 and it had cost me over KD20 to ship it with Aramex back then. Today it would probably cost more than double that amount so I’d rather get it locally if available.

One of my favorite workout supplements at the moment is Jack3d. It was recommended by Fahad since after a 10 hour work day I usually arrive at the gym drowsy and tired. Jack3d is a pre-workout supplement which you’re supposed to take 20-30 minutes before you hit the gym. It’s incredible, usually with most supplements you don’t feel any results until you look at the long term picture but with Jack3d you feel the difference from the first session.

Basically what Jack3d does is give you a lot of energy and one that lasts the full workout. I usually take two scoops but today I decided to take three since I had around only 5 hours of sleep and a really exhausting long flight and needed whatever energy I could get. The result? I kicked ass at the gym today, I lifted all my weights, didn’t feel sleepy or tired and also was barely resting between sets. I was giving it 110% for the full hour which is incredible considering how exhausted I was all day and I had even forgotten to take my asthma medication.

If you’re looking for a pre-workout boost I highly recommend Jack3d. I got mine from Results in Souk Sharq for KD22. You can read more about Jack3d [Here]

I’m currently at the Abu Dhabi airport awaiting my flight back to Kuwait. I’m going to miss the view from my Geneva hotel room window. Goodbye blue skies with big white puffy clouds.

Last June I posted about Magnolia Bakery opening in Kuwait but I didn’t know where. But, Magnolia Kuwait recently opened a twitter account and according to their latest tweet they announced they’re opening in Hamra Tower. I’m not sure when they’re opening but since the mall is now open I’m guessing its ASAP.

I finally understand why people say Geneva is a boring place. There doesn’t seem to be much to do here and everything closes early. But, right now that’s exactly the place where I want to be, somewhere really chilled out where I can relax. It’s so peaceful over here with no traffic or crowds. While walking in the supposedly “busy” Geneva shopping district it really wasn’t busy at all, kinda like Avenues in the middle of the week.

The sky is so blue and full of fluffy clouds. I’ve got a slight neck pain right now and it’s probably because I spent most of the day walking while looking up.

Today was mostly a free day with just a dinner that was arranged for us in the evening at Le Lion d’Or. Tomorrow on the other hand is going to be a full day, we’re going to be waking up at 7:30 for breakfast and then heading to Vallée de Joux to visit the Audemars Piguet museum followed by the main Audemars Piguet building where they make all the watches.

I’m posting a lot of pictures on Instagram all day long so make sure you keep checking instagrid.me/mark248am

I flew Etihad Airways to Geneva via Abu Dhabi and honestly I was kinda disappointed, mostly with their airport. For some reason I had the impression that the Abu Dhabi airport was going to be huge but it wasn’t. There were a bunch of high end boutiques like Hermes and Rolex plus a decent amount of restaurants but the problem is they’re all squeezed into a very small place. The business class lounge was also pretty small with low ceilings and it filled up pretty quickly with barely any room to sit. Food was good plus they have a spa but there wasn’t much space in the lounge to chill out.

The flight from Abu Dhabi to Geneva was pretty comfortable but that’s because I hadn’t slept and it was already 9AM by then. The Etihad business class is slightly claustrophobic since it looks like it’s divided into cubicles but unlike British Airways for example, the space didn’t feel bright or big. But, my seat folded into a flatbed which is all I cared for. Service was also friendly and the bathroom had a window (I love that).

I just checked in to my room awhile ago at the Beau Rivage. The view is amazing (pictured above) and the weather is fantastic. I’ve got a ton of emails which I need to catch up on but since I only have 4 hours before we’re all off to dinner, I’m going to use this time to try and do some shopping instead.

In a few hours I’m heading to Geneva courtesy of the watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The local dealer is sending some of their customers to the main Audemars Piguet headquarters in Switzerland and I was lucky enough to be invited as well. I’m a huge AP fan and I’ve always wanted to visit the Vallée de Joux area (pictured above) where all the prestigious watchmakers are located so this trip should turn out to be amazing.

Once I get there I’ll be getting a local sim card so I could continue to post pictures on Instagram whenever I find anything interesting. As usual you could follow me by adding me on instagram, my username is mark248am or you can check out my pictures with your web browser by clicking [Here]

According to Abo Flan, a second Hungry Bunny branch is opening soon and this time in Egaila. I still haven’t been to their Jahra branch because I thought it was far but Egaila is even further. [Link]