Melita - No more lies

^^ Click Play.

Here I am once again asking myself why no service provider in Malta is prepared to treat it's long standing customers with some form of respect. 

As some of you might know, Melita have recently launched their Fibre powered service in Malta, which means that higher speeds can now be had in Maltese households. Prices were released and the general feedback I got from those that subscribed to their services was generally good. 

So I did what any self respecting geek would do - I drooled my way to their webpage after due celebration and looked up tthe speeds on offer. I would like to go for the 100Mbps service but I know that it would really be a waste of money. The 50Mbps service is simply not worth it as it's the most expensive per Mbit of the 3 offers. The third offer is the 25mbit/s service which is the one that got on my nerves. 

As you can see from the following screenshot, Melita are offering the service at 18 euros per month for the first 9 months of service, after which they will revert back to 30 euros per month as is currently the price of the 20mbit/s service. This doesn't cost me any worries, after all it would be cheaper than what I'm paying now for 9 months and then only reaching the same price I have now. 

See anything amiss ?

So I called, smiling about the new service I'm about to purchase only to find my hopes sorely dashed. Little did I know that I would be once again bitch slapped in the face by the greediness of Melita. Apparently, the service will only be given at the cheaper price of 18 euros per month to new customers of Melita. Current customers will get charged the full price immediately with no "welcome to the new service." 

Delving deeper into the T&C of the 25mbit/s service, I find this jewel:

2. This Offer is valid to new Melita Internet subscribers who subscribe to a new Melita Internet connection and existing Melita customers subscribed to 5/5+2Mbps (“the Customers”) who wish to upgrade to 25Mbps for a minimum initial term of 24 months

So, new customers that are currently not paying anything to Melita and customers which were using the cheapest possible service from Melita get to save more money for 9 months, while I have been paying 30 euros a month for the past 3 years and instead get squat. It's not like I'm getting a cheaper installation or anything - I still get the privilege of paying Melita 40 euros for installation of the service.

In summary, Melita: Learn to respect your long standing customers that have been paying their bills every month and help to keep your company running. Remember that without your customers, you're nothing.

People interested in getting the new fibre service: Research well what you're buying into...remember you're signing a contract that has very stringent clauses about how and when you get to leave (the only reason I recall, for which you can leave the contract involves changes to the T&C of said contract and even then you only have 30 days to leave).

Info taken from Melita.com on 13/7/2011

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty..

Consumerism and product branding is all the rage nowadays. Hardly a day passes by that a new and unexpected product gets slapped with a familiar face to encourage people to buy that particular product.

The Hello Kitty phenomenon is one such example. Created in Japan in the 1970's, the image of the cute female white Japanese bobtail cat has since found itself slapped onto anything.

Quoting from Wikipedia:

"Although mainly aimed at the pre-adolescent female market, the Hello Kitty product range goes all the way from purses, stickers and pen sets to toasters, televisions, clothing, massagers, and computer equipment. It has a cult-like following among adults as well, especially in Asia, where Hello Kitty adorns cars, purses, jewelry and many other high-end consumer products. ... Examples of products depicting the character include dolls, stickers, greeting cards, clothes, accessories, school supplies, dishes and home appliances."


The branding fever has arrived in Malta quite some time ago but new and creative ideas on how to use the popular figure still astound me every day. The first one is the recent announcement by Banif Bank Malta of the newly release Hello Kitty VISA cards. I do have to ask, What was wrong with the standard coloured VISA card ? It's hardly a fashion item that you'll be showing to the world around you; Also, as long as it allows you to pay quickly an efficiently, do you really care which cat there's on it ? I guess I hoped that the people who were actually old enough to use a VISA, would actually have gotten over such a childhood fancy.

Your money quick and easy - Now with 20% more cuteness!

If using your VISA card as a fashion statement wasn't bewildering enough, I came across a different type of showing off - One that shouldn't. That's right, Hello Kitty Sanitary towels and panty liners are here. 

Just a sample package, to entice your hello kitty fetish center

If the VISA card branding was useless, this definitely takes the cake. How liable are you to show off your Hello Kitty pantyliner while you're wearing one ? Even more to the point, who would want to see it ? I don't claim to be a professional in the matter, but from all the adverts that have been shoved in my face during my 23 years of television viewing, I have always gotten the impression that women on their period wanted to have a solution that would minimize, if not eliminate any inconvenience related to their menstrual cycle. Adverts frequently emphasize on how comfortable, invisible and for how long you can wear them without anyone knowing. Damn, I've seem commercials that tell women they can go to a BBQ, roller blading or mountain climbing thanks to the peace of mind offered by their brand of hygiene products. 

In conclusion - I don't get it, I don't understand it and frankly I don't want to know if you do. I fear too much the sight of a Hello Kitty, covered in blood and looking like the latest scene from CSI. 

ULTRA THIN RELIABILITY

Oh Lord, Lord Nelson...

I kinda wanted to write again and it seemed fitting that I should dust off this old blog and give it a go again.  Either way, not much has changed with me - I'm older, losing hair fast and still playing WoW. I'm also engaged now, which brings us to the subject of this post.

Asking your significant other to marry you is a big step, especially when you choose to pop the question on your 5th anniversary. The night must be planned down to the last second. You need a romantic place where to set the mood, a cute little speech to recite as you're going down on bended knee and a question to ask that is both bold and charming but never bordering on the cheesy. It all must come together in one beautifully orchestrated plan that is sure to get the answer you want.

Ofcourse once all this has happened, you need an equally brilliant place to have a meal and here is the crux of this whole story. You want a place that is quaint, homely, romantic and yet reasonably priced (Remember you just spent 1k+ on a diamond ring). I got a tip from some friends at work to check out Lord Nelson in Mosta as they had had good experiences with it. A little birdie also told me of the existence of 1 particular table in this establishment that is situated on the first floor right in the balcony and which offers great views of the Mosta parish church with it's beautifully lit dome.

That balcony, is where it all happened..

I called and booked and was extremely lucky to find that this particular table was infact still available for booking. Anyways, fast forward a few hours and we're at the door of Lord Nelson and we're warmly welcomed by the staff there. We were a bit early and so the restaurant was still empty; Still, the staff greeted us cordially and led us to our table.

Striking

(This visit happened a few months ago, but this was the only restaurant I thought was worth my while to write about. Details are sparse for a reason)

The menu is not huge and well balanced. For starters, I chose the quail dish, which came with a honey based dressing, assorted grilled vegetables and a phyllo pastry bun. It was exquisite. My SO ordered a soup (that's all I remember), which was delicious, smooth and creamy and plentiful enough to feed a small army. Presentation in both cases was nice, clean and functional while still showing off the food in the best way possible.

The view is that nice, yes

Our main courses were fillet of beef for myself, cooked rare, crusted with pepper corns while my SO ordered a veal burger. Beef was cooked perfectly and (I know this is a bit of a cliche`) every bit melted in my mouth as I was eating. The veal burger was also interesting and consisted of a veal patte` topped with sauce, bacon, tomatoes and other veggies laid over 2 slices of  bread. All this accompanied by fries (IIRC).

Service also receives high marks in my books. Servers were polite and helpful while also being non-intrusive. After all, the last thing you would wish to interrupt a romantic conversation would be a loud waiter that intrudes for no reason.

So there it is, my appraisal of Lord Nelson; I heartily recommend this establishment to anyone seeking a nice meal in peace and quiet.