Setting Off!

After a not-so-quick stop at Johor Premium Outlet, we were finally ready to set off. It was filling up time for the MPV and the boys' tummy. And a quick drink for Daddy. Toilet breaks were done, and InsyaAllah we should reach Gombak by Maghrib. Let's go!

Legoland First Impression

Let's get the bullet points out of the way first;
Legoland was expensive
Legoland was hot
Legoland was not as big as I initially thought
Away from school holiday, it was easy to get around
Legoland would be bigger in the next few years with the adjoining development
Did I mention that Legoland was hot?

How expensive? Without the discount - child enter free with a full-price paying adult - it could easily cost us around RM120 per head. We got further discount with MyKad, and still I paid more than I thought I should. Or at least what I thought as return.

The park was divided into 7 smaller areas, themed around some popular Lego games. There were a mediaeval area, the Lego City area - these two areas looked the most developed. Others were pretty basic - the Technic are only got a single attraction thus far.

Right in the middle of the park was the Miniland, where replicas of world's famous landmarks were built from Lego bricks. Very interesting. Some of them had moving parts which by the press of a button, visitors could interact with them.

There were roller-coasters of course, but with the kids on tow, we only took the basic rides. Idlan tried the usual boat ride and the famous City Car Driving School to ear his driving licence. As the place was quiet on the day - as school had just opened - getting everywhere was easy. The only enemy was the searing heat.

There were plenty of stalls and restaurant to stop for food and drinks. The problem was, some of the items were ridiculously expensive. We had a RM10 food discount voucher when we bought the ticket, but that could hardly cover the dessert. The service at the restaurant was quick as most of the food were pre-prepared and bought as a complete meal. Seating area was unfortunately limited. I could see this as being a big issue on busy days.

The layout of the park was pretty easy to understand and the park map supplied at the entrance was helpful. The park could do with more shaded rest area and some misted fans. The heat was was intense and my back was sunburnt within half an hour.

Outside the park, there was a hotel and a water park being built. Those as well as a new shopping mall which was only half opened when as of yesterday. Parking was outside this mall, and to get to the entrance - only a single entrance opened - you had to walk about half a km from your parked car. There was no rail or regular bus service from JB City from what I've read. However, there were taxis seen at the mall, charging passengers through their nose for the services.

When the park opened, I was hoping to see some Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbeans feature as Lego had toys made for the franchise. But there were not much here. Maybe in future iterations. The other disappointment was the lack of exclusive Lego items on sale. Most of the toys sold here could be bought in KL. As for the T-shirts and other memorabilia, again nothing fought my eyes. The boys bought some toys for their cousins and for themselves at the exit, but again, nothing special here.

Would we come again? Maybe I would in a group. It seemed that the rides were not very interesting form my children, but that might change if they were there with their friends and cousins. The main put off would be the entrance fee, the hot sun and the crowd if they were to come during school holidays. Personally, in would like to find out a bit more about the coming attractions. As it was, it would take me a lot of persuasion before returning.

JB Bound

I could only escape from work after 5, racing home to be able to leave by 6. Everyone was already set to leave, the luggage already in the trunk of the MPV. All I had to do was change, get all my personal things into the car, and JB here we come!

Traffic was light all the way and we stopped at Ayer Keroh for Maghrib and a quick bite. We finally checked in into our hotel room, Thistle at 10.30. And the room was great. It was actually an apartment unit, and excited the boy actually helped us unpack while waiting for room service.

The journey was smoother than we expected although we had the usual commotion in the car. That was predictable with the two boys. Excited with the spanking shiny hotel when we arrived, they became hyper again. And this continued until well past midnight.

As usual, Daddy had to sleep at the living room. Luckily, the sofa was generously big and we didn't have to ask for an extra bed. The sofa, plus an extra blanket did me nicely. And the boys were still jumping around when I dozed off. Boundless energy these kids!

Wii U

Over the years, the only game console we had in our household was the Nintendo Wii. We had PSP and iPads of course, but we were talking consoles here. We never bothered with PlayStation, but we loved our Wii. When I was in the US, the Wii U was released, but I want sure if the games and consoles were compatible in Malaysia. So, I gave it a pass.

But when I found a unit being sold during our trip to Plaza Damas, I just couldn't say no. We went straight to buy it.

It wasn't a local unit, so, it needed a step down voltage unit. I was pretty sure it was a North America set from the voltage setting, but it worked fine. The Wii U was definitely an upgrade from the Wii. The graphic was better, the games were more sophisticated. It can still play the original Wii games and some of the peripherals were still compatible.

The console also came with a small handheld display unit called the Gamepad. It connects seamlessly with the console via Bluetooth, and it required a separate charger. So, I had to get a couple of step down transformers to play the game.

I bought the black 32GB unit, which came with a game called Nintendoland, which showcases what the Wii U can offer in terms of gameplay. I also bought a couple of extra games for the boys.

After playing for a couple of times, the unit appeared more responsive, but I just wished that we had a bigger TV. The one we used for games was an old CRT TV. It was good enough, but not HD! The sound was also pretty basic from our setup. I was sure we were yet to explore then full potential of the Wii U. At this time, the games were still limited.

But from what I explored so far, it certainly retained the same charm as the original Wii. If you loved the Wii as a casual gamer like us, I was sure you would love the Wii U. Adventure time!!!!!

Happy 2013

Happy New Year all. I had been busy in the last couple of days and was not able to do much blogging. Hopefully I would have some time to rest tomorrow - the New Year's Day.

Anita had some plans for tomorrow lunchtime. We would probably go out for lunch with my in-laws for lunch, possibly in Kuala Selangor. Some seafood, and hoping that the shop there would be opened. So, time to reflect and put 2012 to bed. And together, let's welcome 2013. Happy new Year!