Whenever I am in London I always make a stop in Automat, its one of those places that I am familiar with and always enjoy. They have just been consistent over the years, they never really disappoint, a very simple menu, salads, burgers, and a few pastas and in my case the most important being the Mac & Cheese.

The Mac & Cheese is just a perfect combination and not too heavy, I love taking a bite off the top of the baked crust. With the burger there which is also pretty damn good, I didn’t know what to eat, and I always like to start off with their Chicken Ceaser Salad, it just tastes so good and refreshing. You have to book sometimes to eat there, the place gets packed.

Link: Automat

The last week has been hectic, I had to travel for work for a few days only to find that my emails and things in Kuwait piled up when I got back. But as usual when I’m in Dubai I take full advantage of what ever movies were playing but due to the lack of time I only managed to watch 3 of the 5 that I wanted to watch and one of them was sadly a waste of time.

The last few weeks were pretty good, I got into a rhythm of finishing work, and family events as well as getting the right amount of online time and slowly catching up with my RSS feeds. But just those few days of distortion totally messed up my routine, even the gym routine, I tried eating healthy but that wasn’t happening due to the amount of popcorn I was having.

Not blogging was annoying since I wanted to get as much done as possible, but even sitting at the computer was a luxury I didn’t have while on the go. Even when I managed to slightly catch up on my RSS feeds a few weeks back, that number shot up again because I didn’t have time to read through any of the feeds.

Traveling to Dubai for the day is one of those fun things that we do every once in a while, and this time we rented a C-Class Mercedes from Sixt Rent-A-Car so that we can drive where we want to and I can get a bit more familiar with driving in Dubai. One of the hardest things is driving the speed limit because I don’t know what are the thresholds for the speed cameras in Dubai, in Kuwait its around 15 kph above the speed limit, so I kept braking every kilometer and I wasn’t sure what some of the cameras might look like since they install new kinds every day. The experience with Sixt was a bit annoying even though we got a brand new very clean car, the whole process was annoying.

• When we booked and spoke to them we discussed all the points with them so everything was clear.
• They mentioned we would pick up the car right away from Terminal 3 with no delay, turns out they didn’t have a station in that Terminal only in Terminal 1 so we had to wait 30 mins to get the car in the heat.
• We faxed them all our documents prior to arrival they said they would need nothing else, then they asked for a copy of my credit card and they needed to charge it over the phone, just as we got the car so that was another delay.
• After we got the car and sorted everything out the guy wanted us to drop him close to Terminal 1, which I thought wasn’t bad but it was unprofessional
• The last part they told us we could drop the car off at Terminal 3, that was before we went to Dubai. When we were in Dubai they told us that we have to drop the Car in Terminal 1 and then get dropped off in Terminal 3 which was a major inconvenience and a huge waste of time.

The car was perfectly fine but the whole process was ridiculous and unprofessional, not something that I would expect from a professional rental company in Dubai. I have rented from these personal companies in Dubai before, they would get the car ready for you at the airport door, you sign off and take the car right away, this could be for any type of car, a regular Landcruiser or an German four door. I don’t think I will be using Sixt in Dubai again.

I love food, there is no question about that, and I thought about all the most memorable places to eat in the region that I would want to eat again. So this list came together as I was getting hungry at night, and I think I want to visit them sooner rather then later. This is why I have a problem dieting, I love food too much to stop eating.

UAE

• Zuma – It’s in Dubai and its going to open in 2012 in Beirut, and I’m a big fan of their amazing food
• Hakkassan – Just opened in Emirates Towers
• Caramel – DIFC really tasty and great selection
• ToroToro – South American Steak Dining
• Le Petite Maison – Always good food
• Meat Co – Always a good place to eat
• Cippriani – Abu Dhabi – Amazing food, seriously delicious
• The IVY – Just like London

Kuwait

• OFK – Can’t get enough of their food!
• Slider Station – Those sliders hit the spot
• Prime & Toast – Large Menu & its Open 24 hours
• Q Cafe – Really Tasty Food
• UpperCrust Pizza – Damn good thin pizza

Beirut

• Zinc – Very good steak & always a buzzing place
• Le Stay – Trendy French Cuisine
• Momo’s – Fusion Morrocan Cuisine, love the place
• Muneer – The best Lebanese restaurant, really damn good food

I have been thinking about Comic Con in San Diego for the past decade I’m honestly not happy that I didn’t go while I was in the US. Then MEFCC came to mind when I was traveling in Dubai for a quick business trip, and it was a few months ahead, so I went booked it kept waiting for it to come around and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was excited.

I got the VIP Tickets which basically means you get to go early before the crowd and skip a few lines or go to the shorter lines. What was great is that you get to meet a lot of Artists and Publishers, then there were so many comics and manga available but it was a bit of a mess trying to figure it out. I liked seeing all the different kinds of models available there and it was hard resisting the urge to buy anything, I picked up one Street Fighter Comic Book from there which I was looking forward to reading. Kinokuniya & Jashanmal had a strong presence at the Comic Con with a lot of books and comics.

What I liked was meeting a few artists from Top Cow which is a publisher out of California, picked up a few pieces from them. Then the top floor which was very cool highlighting local talent, and there was a lot of local talent. Then there was the a few model makes who can make pretty much anything for you which is very very cool. There were quite a few actors who were there from different movies and tv shows which is very cool and you could get access to them, I didn’t have time since I was on a schedule. Overall the whole thing was very organized, a bit on the small side but a lot of fun, my hat goes off to them for doing something like this.

Be warned there are a lot of pics! Enjoy

I know that there are certain general stereotypes of every different country in the Arab region and certain countries dislike some people more then the others but I always had the delusional thought that we were more on the liked scale like Bahrainis or Emaratis, but turns out I was very wrong. We were in Dubai for the weekend for MEFCC or simply Dubai Comic Con which was a lot of fun and I will be posting pics later. We also went out with some friends to a few places and for dinner a few times, and they all live in Dubai and one of the questions we asked them is who they disliked the most from the Gulf Nations, and surprisingly Kuwait was the first to spring up. Even after several questions it seems that Kuwait is first then Saudis second which shocked me. I always thought Saudi were first, then Qatari, then us, but turns out I was completely wrong. There seems to be general dislike for Kuwaitis in Dubai which I didn’t think was even there, never even thought about it, they say we are snobbish and think we are better then everyone else in the Gulf, and that we are very rude. Even the receptionist asked my friend where he is from when he was checking out he said he is Kuwaiti, she said that is surprising, he asked why and she said that usually Kuwaitis are angry and rude to her, she was from an Eastern European country. One note Omanis are one of the most liked in the whole region as they are very polite and nice to everyone and I have to agree they are very nice people.

Are we really that bad, is our whole population that rude to the rest of the world that we develop that sort of reputation. I always thought that we were liked and we treated people well to a degree. Some of ours friends say Dubai is great because everything is fine and you can have fun nobody would bother you as long as you don’t get into an altercation with a local, but Kuwaitis don’t leave people alone and we are rude. I was honestly very embarrassed to hear all that, and they said it to us in the nicest way, this is some of our good friends and a few people we met for the first time.

Link: Flickr

London is one of those places I really enjoy going to, there is always something to do, and this time around I didn’t have enough time at all to do what I want. The weather couldn’t be any better, very cold and sunny the whole time I was there, four days is just not enough to have fun in London and I always want to stay there longer when I get there.

My Usual Simple To Do List:

• Waterstones Bookstore
• Phoenix Palace Off Baker Street (Chinese Food)
• Harrods Pizzeria
• Movie @ Apollos
• Movie @ Vue Cinemas West End
• Bike Store To Check Out Some Gear
• Harrods
• Walk In Regent Park
• Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet is one of my favorite stops in London and I tend to spend hours there roaming about. I literally can’t help but stay there for hours, they have a fantastic comic book and science fiction section in the basement which you can really get lost in. As usual at the end of my trip I ended up eating at the Caviar House, it really hits the spot and for about a decade it was always my last bite to eat while in the airport. For some reason I like taking my time at the airport, gives me time to check out the books in WHSmith.

Just before GulfRun I had a quick business trip that came up and had to take off to Amsterdam for 42 hours, two longs meetings and heading back to Kuwait. Luckily we had some time to spend sight seeing and walking around, and the first thing you notice is that everyone is on scooters and bicycles in Amsterdam, they even have their own roads.

I was surprised how much they speed but being neighbors with Germany I should have kept it in mind, they were flying down the highways and our taxi was flying which I honestly enjoyed, they knew how to drive. One thing to keep in mind, always use official taxis and not the mini-cabs which are random cars just to be safe. We checked into our hotel which was very nice and luxurious, the rooms were a bit small but the atmosphere was amazing. We went walking right away since our meeting was the next morning in The Hague which is about 25 to 45 minutes away depending on traffic.

We started walking from 3 pm until 12 am, you literally can’t help but enjoy walking in such a cozy city. We kept walking from alley to alley and walking around these canals. To my surprise a lot of shops close early in Amsterdam, most of them close by 7 pm which is rather early so after that we would go somewhere to eat and there were a lot of very nice places to check out.

The flower section was amazing, it was honestly beautiful seeing so many kinds of flowers and I know that a lot of flower shops in Kuwait import their flowers from Holland which have huge flower farms and it is a beautiful view. Then there is the cheese and they do love their cheese, lots of cheese shops all around. The one thing that surprised me is all these french fries shops and mayo, thats all they sell and their are people waiting in long lines for them.

What I found surprising are the Dutch themselves, I just had a mental image that they would be the same as the Germans, but I was very wrong. The first time me and my colleague held out a map someone came over and ask if we were lost or looking for something. They really wanted to help us when we were just looking at the map to get our bearing and to figure out where we are going next. The whole city is beautiful and I honestly really liked it and thought about coming back again to really check it out. There were so many bicycles and scoots around it was ridiculous, they rang their bicycles bells and honk their scooters, and they expect you to jump out of the way, it was hilarious.

I knew that illegal substances were legal in Amsterdam but it was very different knowing it and seeing it, specifically smelling it. You can smell the Marijuana a mile away, you get a whiff of it every once in a while and sometimes in front of cages that you don’t expect, you would think they would be dingy places but they turned out to be very nice cafes with people smiling and blood shot eyes which looked hilarious. Then there were the stores they were right on the main street, I thought it was a jewelry shop only into turned out to be designer store which sold drugs, it was hilarious they had so many different names and presented in nice lighting.

It reached a point where I had to double check if I was buying a normal muffin or if it was laced with something, maybe just a little bit too paranoid but I didn’t want to eat something I shouldn’t. Then of course there is the red light district that you could see a mile away. They are open about their rules and regulations about where these places are, and you can see people walking around. As expected the Dutch don’t care too much for these entertainment drugs as much as people would think, its mostly tourists who are smoked up and chilling in the cafes.

It is a very interesting city and there is a lot to it that I didn’t have a chance to see, and I really loved their highways, people were speeding normally and the police weren’t harrassing them. Turns out in Holland the policy is very anti police, so they aren’t as abusive as police officers in the US who have a lot of power so people seem to be more relaxed around them and speed a little. And I want to rent a scooter next time around and zip around town.

(Check Out The Pictures Below! There are ALOT)
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This has been one very hectic week with a lot going on with work, family, and other activities. Recently I had to take a quick trip to Amsterdam which is the first time for me. There was an urgent meeting that I had to attend and so we took off a few days later after confirming our meeting. I didn’t know what to expect from Holland but I was looking forward to it.

Traveling for work doesn’t always gives you the chance to look around much. But for a frist time visit I am sure I am going to repeat it as I have found the Dutch to be very nice and always helpful when I open a map and have no clue where I am. I haven’t seen so many scooters and bicycles in my life, it was -1 outside and everyone was on a bicycle or scooter, and I was wrapped up in as much clothing as I had but I loved walking outside in the cold. This city just felt so cozy walking around, we literally walked around for over 5 hours in every direction getting lost and find our way, I have a lot of posts coming up but when I sort out the pictures since I took a lot of pictures.

New Years is around the corner and its not really hitting me because I have a lot of work to do I’m trying to make sure that I get it all done. So it doesn’t feel like a huge vacation to me, but a lot of people took time off during this time and are making the best of it. To my surprise everyone is heading to one of two directions, UAE or Beirut, and the flights are packed. The schedule for Christmas & New Years is crazy there are so many flights and they are still fully booked on most flights in each day. Beirut is booked up to 105% and Dubai is booked up to 100%, the occupancy rate on these places have gone through the roof. And the thing that Beirut and Dubai are doing is that they have a minimum 4 Day booking for New Years, so you can’t just come and go stay a night and come back. Its these crappy marketing ploy that they kept pulling in Dubai back a few years ago that drove me nuts.

Bierut

• 5 MEA Flights
• 2 Kuwait Airways Flights
• 2 Jazeera Flights

Total: 9 Flights

UAE

• 4 Emirates Flights
• 2 Jazeera
• 2 Kuwait Airways
• 5 Fly Dubai
• 3 Etihad
• 2 Air Arabia

Total: 18 Flights