An adventure... except... not.

An update because I must remember to share my love with this place as well.

Setting: One of those typical November days where it's so scorching hot in the morning and co freaking rainy in the afternoon. The thunderstorms are lasting longer and longer with each day (as it inches closer to December), but it is still November-length. Yes, November-length rain. On an average November day.

Event Summary: Going out with Mum to watch a movie.

Detailed version:

We went Vivo today with plans to watch Happy Feet at 1250, or at 1400, in case the tickets have been sold out.

Well, it turns out that so many people went to buy/book tickets that in the end we watched the 1550 screening. Three hours later than originally planned. Ehh.

Of course, one would be somewhat mentally prepared after seeing the long long queue at GV. Lots of people were disappointed though, especially the little kids.

Speaking of kids, there were so many of them at Vivo that I was a bit disturbed. So this is what it's like to be at the newest shopping attraction during the school holidays. And it's not even on a weekend. The parents are using up their leave, I see.

But I'm just really scared of all those screaming kids. In general.

Well not all of those kids were screaming (there were also obedient ones) but I generalise. I tend to do so when speaking about children.

So the two of us made our way through the mob (despite the large areas of supposedly free space) and window-shopped for three hours. We also braved the noisy food courts and ate at three different outlets. It was technically only about 1.5 meals, but hey, three different places to eat three different things, try that next time, won't you?

I originally wanted to visit the pet shop, but it rained heavily in the afternoon. Regardless, we still tried to tour the third level in the heavy rain (but under the somewhat inadequate) shelters. Until the lightning discouraged us.

Something interesting happened. But I need to backtrack a little. Barely five minutes after arriving at Vivo, an alarm sounded. I still have no idea what alarm it was because I couldn't hear a thing announced over the loud, constant blaring of the alarm. It's also pretty freaky to see the metal shutters at the entrances/exits close automatically in response to the alarm. You just wonder whether you should escape while you still have the chance, or risk getting locked in. But as I found out later, the "metal shutter response" only occurred in the basement.

You also wonder "who did what again?".

Or maybe you won't.

But I digress. The movie turned out to be pretty good (which explains the publicity) and I am just so amazed at the whole animation job. That's a lot of black-and-white-and-sometimes-with-other-colours flightless birds to animate. Even with er... cloning technologies. Just whoa. And the water looks so nice... how did they do it? I know the hoppity hopping and all that was done with motion capturing. I think. Still ... *is impressed*

Oh and the entire front part felt like the animated and summarised version of March of the Penguins. Yup. It helps to watch that first. As well as a whole lot of other documentaries regarding fishing around the poles. Or anywhere else, really.

You have reached the end of the entry. If you wish to read the footnote, scroll down. If you wish to leave a message, click on the comments button. If you regret reading this entry, press backspace.

Uh ok. Footnote. I just wanted to say that if you want to watch a popular movie or anything that will probably draw a large crowd, try not to go to Vivo. Why? Because I realised that the theatres are all rather small. Therefore, tickets get sold out really quickly. Unless you're rich enough and can afford the $25 per ticket rate for the Gold Class (which is really, really posh).