For the past three weeks.

Now that the election fever is just something to look forward to in the future, my life has been like a river - it only gets exciting when it reaches the rapids. Here are some of my rapids.

Alvar Aalto exhibition, One Utama.

The layout of this exhibition is the first thing that puts me off. It's like some pameran kempen kesedaran anti-dadah; white walls and halogen spotlights.

Some of the items on display were pictures of Aalto's houses and the ones he designed back in Finland, printed on polyester-like fabric, which had very subtle touches of Modernist / Prairie-style to it. I expected some sweeping roofs and spiralling corridors but that's just because I had an Eero Saarinen vision in mind.

Other interesting things to look at were scaled down models of houses encased within black rectangular boxes, emotions of timber translated into forms of furniture and fluid-like themed glassware.

Random road trip, Hulu Yam-Serendah-Rawang-Klang.

One lazy Sunday, after a heavy buffet breakfast at the club, my mother, brother and I took the MRR2 to Batu Caves and drove on a road leading to Hulu Yam. Along the way, we passed by the Sungai Batu dam and several recreational spots.

Deep into Hulu Yam were very arid bushlands and several rows of old-school shophouses. I thought of checking out this yuppie retreat called Sekeping in Serendah, but didn't get a positive answer from those whom I have asked for directions. We then visited this residential area called Antara Gapi to check out empty houses [you might have heard of this place from watching their vague commercials on the TV].

On the way to Klang was the town of Rawang. I've heard of many people working in KL lives here, and I feel sorry for those who have to commute to KL everyday using the crappy KTM Komuter service.

Several hundred kilometres later, we arrived at Klang, known as the royal capital of the state of Selangor. And all Indians know that it's the place to shop for Deepavali festivities. The shops look really interesting, and same goes to this gallery of the Sultan's possesions, which I photographed while waiting for my mother to withdraw some cash from RHB.

I've seen pictures of the gallery in the newspapers and they look very tastefully-done, but we didn't have enough hours to spend looking at the Sultan's collection of Raleigh bicycles. I'd definitely give it a lurk the next time I am in Klang.

Klang is a town of country's most important seaport. So naturally, seafood restaurants are abundant [but directions from the town to these restaurants are nowhere to be seen]. We had to drive through lonely container yards to get to the seaside. We got to this restaurant but it only opens from 6 p.m. onwards, which was way too late for us to wait.

When you look at seaports in Europe [like Hamburg in Germany], you'd imagine super-nice fishmarkets, trams taking you to a seafront of salmon bars, pedestrian-only streets and scenic jogging tracks by the beach... but Klang is the upside down of all that.

About a forty five-minute drive away from Klang was where we had dinner at South Sea Seafood Restaurant. This was not my idea, but my mother wanted her seafood since that we got none in Klang. Six hours of driving and we end up eating at a place that's fifteen minute-drive away from our houses.

Helvetica screening, Olé Café.

This underrated food outlet in the tourist-friendly street of Changkat Bukit Bintang was the location of the free screening of the greatest typography film ever [but that's only because I've never heard of any other typeface being told into a full-length movie], hosted by Kakireka. I thought there would be like, a hundred movie-goers, judging by its guest list on Facebook but sadly, it was just a small group of graphic designers and perhaps students from MIA. Drats, I thought I could enjoy the sight of trendy design enthusiasts and fanboys who condemn Arial to the max.

Soon the movie started off with a demonstration on the use of... er, the movable type.... thing [my typography knowledge has gone rusty ever since I ended that one graphic design course]. The movie showed a satisfying amount of Helvetica goodness, ranging from the NYC subways signs to the now-bankrupt parmalat [once produced the tastiest juices] to the greatest bag company in the world. I couldn't help but getting my faced steamed from the secretion of excitement juices in my brains from watching the way the bagmaker cuts the tarp and washes it in an industrial washing machine, and spelling out 'HOLLAND' in Helvetica across three messenger bags. There were loads of street scenes, with Freitag-utilising pedestrians, cyclists of Amsterdam, Stefan Sagmeister reminding me how thick his German accent is, amazing type artists spilling a drop of their life on pencil and paper [and not to mention, PowerBooks].... and by watching Helvetica, I am assured that the modern European countries are the best to be in.

After the movie, about a quarter of the audience left, thus missing out on the 'exciting' group exercise of spelling 'Kakireka' in a freestyle manner. I was grouped with some happy people which may have very little in common with my view on typography. Here is our boring 'artwork'.

Some club night and fashion sale, Zouk and Palate Palette.

I was urged to join JK and friends to check out Steve Aoki on the turntables last Saturday night. I had all the reasons to avoid this [way past my ideal bedtime, air pollution coming from other people's lungs, no chance of having intellectual communication with other people, not-that-great club music] but I thought that my I Got Shot was in need of an update, so I paid the RM 40 entry fee and danced about wearing my terrific gas mask and being the most WTF person at the club.

Sadly, no pictures of outrageous clubbers were taken because the room was packed like ketupat, except this one.

The next day, I took some time to see what's on sale at this Junkyard Sale at Palate Palette. Steve Aoki and his Cobra Snake friend were selling stickers, hoodies and t-shirts [just three hours into the sale, they had to go topless because the air-conditioning was 'teh suck'].

I am again disappointed for not taking anyone's picture because all the trendies stayed upstairs where there's hardly any space for photographs.

Seapark Brickhouse.

There was one night when I was searching for driving directions to Sekeping on its official website, and was led to Seksan's latest project called the Seapark Brickhouse, located at the edge of Taman Paramount. I gave it a visit on the very next day, but remained outside of the secretive corner-lot terrace house.

A week later, I invited JK to check out the house at night. We were greeted by a Nepalese caretaker who was watching Hindi music videos on Zee TV. We were free to explore the rooms, and took photographs.

The Seapark Brickhouse aims to be an alternative to hotel accommodation, away from busy commercial areas, traffic and into suburban neighbourhoods where you can smell someone next door cooking salted fish for lunch, maids walking over-styled dogs, kopitiam patrons spending their last years and the old newspaper van honking regularly. Also, a good place if you're up to no good and avoiding the JAIS and getting 'tangkap basah'.

JK and I had a little fun with the bicycles, where I had Skeppshult/Monocle bikes and New York messengers dreams.

Argh. I need to get that foldable bicycle.

We watched some old-school Bollywood movie clips involving cleavages and shaking bellies with the Nepalese guy for awhile before leaving for dinner.

I visited a multi-million Ringgit mansion several weeks back but that is saved for another post because this post is getting too lengthy.

Bonus information: GOOD magazine is now available at the current affairs magazine shelf in Borders, The Curve. It will teach you a way of being somebody who is responsible and aware of everything that surrounds you. For me, I am waiting for it to be half-priced at my favourite back issue magazine stores.