Not Your Normal Light

I have been reading about Hue for a while now but never came across it in Malaysia. I told Idlan during our trip back to Penang the other day about the light system, where we can change colour using the computer, phone or iPad. He was naturally interested.

Last weekend, while Anita was doing a bit of shopping after we went to the school exhibition at Mid Valley, Idlan and I walked into Machines, the shop which sells Apple stuffs. Then, Idlan spotted it. The starter pack for Hue lights!

It didn't take much to convince me to buy one. The next step would be to get a light stand for the bulbs, which we did at Jaya Jusco next door.

The starter pack came with three bulbs and the base unit. Once at home, I connected the base unit to my Wifi base station and after some configuration and button pushing - there was only one button on the base unit - plus a quick app download on my iPhone, I was up and running.

It certainly is fun, but not exactly for use as a main light. We got the three lights installed at the lounge at my apartment now, set into candle light mode while we were watching TV. I have since downloaded an app on my Mac Pro which became the main controller. The base unit can control up to 50 bulbs, so there was plenty of room for manoeuvre. I was still trying to figure out a way of making the lights flick when I receive emails. That would require another app I think. More on that later ...

What's with all the Wau

What's with all the Wau? : The decorations were up at all the main malls in town. Compared to previous years, I didn't have much time to explore them. Work schedule got in the way. In fact, since Ramadan, I didn't have much time to take my cameras for spins.

Armed with my iPhone, I had a look around when we were at Mid Valley last weekend. The theme was kites or 'wau', and there were plenty of those on show.

Vote for this one?The whole foyer was full of them

At one of the areas, there was a competition for the most beautiful kites. And they were gorgeous ... and expensive. Wau also being the symbol of MAS did bring home some poignant reminder of the two recent event plaguing the national carrier.

We looked around for quite a bit, and the usual stalls were about. Anita did some shopping there while Idlan and I ventured around to other shops. Irfan refused to come. He stayed at home with his grandmother.

Settling In

After moving into the apartment on Monday afternoon, only last night that we managed to get most of the stuff unpacked. We planned to stay here for the rest of the week, before returning to Gombak for Raya. Then we would go away for our Penang trip before returning to the apartment for another week or so, until the school holidays were over.

The boys had been up all night yesterday, and prying them out of their room was a nightmare. We went out for a spot of dinner last night at Pavilion, and that was after some shouting. I suspect Irfan especially had been up at this hour playing with his console. He was stirring when I left for work this morning.

I also planned to get my office in order. A bit of clerical stuffs to catch up here and there. It would be a night in tonight, unless Anita had a different idea.

The unit also needed some plumbing work. On Thursday, a water valve would be installed at our floor to reduce the water pressure. It had been causing a lot of leakage in the last year, and it was about time that the management do something about that. The main bathroom was still without hot water after the last bout of leak, and my maids bathroom also needed fixing. Hopefully all of that could be sorted out while we were in ...

Private Schools Fair

Anita had circled this date in her calendar since a couple of months back. Even though Sri Utama was not that bad, we felt that the place was slowly losing its charm, especially since Idlan's close friend moved out of Setapak at the beginning of the year and switched school.

I also personally felt that there were not enough emphasis put on co-curricular activities and the amount of homework were at times ridiculous. There were also too many assessments for my liking when children at my boys age should be enjoying education. They just didn't get the chance to explore their interest.

Since the beginning of the year, there were a few clubs opened. Idlan seemed to enjoy his drama class and badminton lessons. But still, the homework were becoming a drag ....

It didn't hurt to explore other options and that was what we did today.

The fair entered its third year this time around, but compared to last year, it was palpably smaller in both scale and prestige. A few of the elite school did not even show up. Most that were there were on the fringes, and possibly in the same league as Sri Utama in terms of aspirations and vision.

We left the place almost empty handed, with the only institution which left us with an impression was Epsom College. A couple of issues, it was in Sepang and the tuition plus boarding fees were damn expensive. We could afford Yayasan Saad with the same amount.

We might be exploring the place more for secondary school in a couple of years time. In the meantime, it looked like my boys would be staying at Sri Utama, unless we come across other alternative. I was still asking Anita to consider having a look at Park City International School right next door to the Medical Centre. The place looked rather nice ....

Holiday was Sorted

For the after EId break this year, we would be going back to Penang. But this time, rather than staying with the relatives, we decided to lay low and stay at a hotel in town. We decided to spend most of the time indoors - if there such a thing.

The initial plan was to get a room at Batu Feringghi, at one of the beach resorts. But while browsing, Anita discovered a converted old Colonial mansion which was now a hotel. No arguments. We did the booking this afternoon ....

If would be smack in the middle of Georgetown. I have never been to this hotel before, so hopefully the hype were true .... Fingers crossed!