Making the Switch

It had been a 6 month wait and a couple of months back, we put in our order. Last night, we got the call. Our Nintendo Switch had arrived.

We walked to the store to pick it up and the boys had been trying it out last night. We were surprised at how small the unit it. Definitely one which you could carry around with your anywhere. It also came with a dock - to connect to the TV - and a hand controller where you could attach the “Joy-Con” those small bits with controller buttons which you slide at the side of the tablet.

The unit came with a couple of games, Zelda and Switch 1-2. No other games were available as yet. Idlan was looking forward to Splatoon 2. That may be coming in a couple of months time. Zelda looked gorgeous though. The fact that you could just take the tablet out from the dock and continue playing seamlessly was something new.

Too early to give a verdict but with the list of games to be launch, this system was going to be a winner! Sleepless weekends ....

Engagement

One of my cousin got engaged last Sunday and I was asked to tag along during the trip to visit the girls’ house in Cheras. I started my rounds early that morning so that I could make it in time as the event started at 10.30 in the morning. I drove to Ampang first to pick up my parents before turning around to join the rest of my relatives.

It was then followed by an early lunch and by noon, I was already at my Mum’s place at Bukit Antarabangsa ready to get on with the rest of the Sunday. I had an Uncle coming from Muar as well as Penang. And with he ceremony finishing early, they were able to take a relaxing drive home.

The wedding would be in April, in Kuala Terengganu and Anita was keen to go. It would be likely that we would be taking the van there along with my parents. We would then spent a couple of nights there since the boys would still be on their Easter break. Earlier today, I managed to sort out my leaves as well. Looked like at system go at this point ....

The Pulp Never Dies

Of the movies I had seen in the last 20 or more years, there had been a few which left an impression on me. Forrest Gump was one of them. And Pulp Fiction was another.

Looking through my Netflix, I found out that it was available in Malaysia. The uncut version of it. Hence I could watch and listen to the dialogue in all its glory. Mind you, I actually bought a copy of the script since I found it that intriguing. It would just not going to be the same if it was censored.

I watched it while waiting for dinner earlier and the way Tarantino weaved his way through the storyline was truly masterful. The pacing, the cutting, the story arch were just perfect and everything just fell into place right in the end .... A true modern classic!

Strangely Intriguing

I had been hearing some great things about Stranger Things. It had made a highly acclaim debut on TV and there was plenty of buzz about them during the Emmy earlier this year. Over the last couple of weeks, I managed to catch the episodes on Netflix, and I must say that I was impressed.

The thing I like most was how atmospheric the whole series was. It really transformed me back to the 80s, during my school days. The music, the colour palate, the clothing were just spot on. And the storyline was not half bad either. Watching it in 4K and surround sound was great

I managed to complete the finale last night and it left enough intrigue to lure me to watch the second season. I believe that would be coming in the middle of 2017 ...

Next up for me would be to have a binge on "Westworld". I only managed a couple of episodes while it was playing on ASTRO. Hopefully I can get them through Apple TV.

Rags to Riches

RUANG - which was the Urbanscapes House from last year was fast becoming a hub for the creative lot in the middle of the city. The location was great, it had ample space and very accessible made the place an ideal setting for exhibits and events.

This weekend, I was able to catch a photo exhibit hosted by Kenny Loh and Born in Malaysia at the second floor of the venue. It was the final day of the event and Kenny himself was there to welcome the visitors. I spent close to half an hour looking through the photos and they were certainly eye openers.

Ample space and great lighting ...It was basically an exhibit about the lives the immigrants in the KL inner city, how they cope with life hear, their struggles behind the scene. Each photos carry its own story, some happy, plenty are sad but fascinating none the less.

KL was becoming a hotpot of South and Southeast Asia, with he evidence being obvious everywhere. The city was fast becoming divided into quarters with each migrant population occupying their own space, displacing the locals essentially. The days when we congregated at Kota Raya and Puduraya were long gone now. There were now the territories of the Filipinos, where they congregate each weekends at the nearby church. The Nepalese were now occupying Medan Pasar. Bangladeshis and Indonesian had also established their hub.

In the next generation, the current locals may be displaced out of the inner city at the current rate. The stories and pictures just illustrated how those migrants struggled here as well as some success stories in the mix. Most of them were here to make an honest living, and I second them. My worries were the Africans who were similarly making inroads to the capital, mainly occupying the suburbs. There brought with them their own cultures and problem ....

The exhibits were well thought off and I would definitely be coming back should another instalment of the series came to fruition. I must admit that one of the photos brought tears to my eyes. It featured a Chinese family business about to be closed down as time evolved. It was originally opened by a migrant whose children had since called Malaysia their home. The shop were finally closed after being in business for a century. I snapped that particular passage below ....

I was lucky to be able to make it back to the LRT station before it started pouring ...Kenny alerted me that it was about to rain outside when I said goodbye, good luck and looking forward to more to come. I made it to the LRT station just in time before the rain fell ... A great Saturday afternoon it was ....