Kuah Jenhan - Like This, Like Dad (2025 edition?)

When this show was announced, NGL, I was like, "again"? I remember the last iteration of this when it was in PJLA, and he had to be  in that cupboard for quite some time as the audience piled in. But got a ticket anyway, cos I'm a curious cat. It's also been awhile since I've been to a show in DPAC's Black Box.

Got there around 8 something on Saturday night (I refuse to pay the weekday parking there). There was already a crowd outside. Lucky they opened the doors around 8.10 p.m., cos it was a little muggy outside.  

Merch table was interesting - there was t-shirts, badges, hoodies, and the dish sponge, a reference from his last show. But didn't get anything la. 

So I was all the back at the back, on the regular Black Box seating, while people who paid more were sat on regular chairs. But it was also kinda stuffy where I was at the back, so I kept my personal fan on as long as I could, but it was so quiet otherwise, I felt like everyone can hear it?

Drawer actually worked...

It's mostly the same beats as the last show: his late dad's life story, how his parents Ding Dong and Kenny G (I'll let you figure that one out) met, etc etc. Patrick Teoh was also a part of the narrative. Luckily it's more funny, less emo. Kinda glad he rewrote this. 

If nothing else, I am still tickled with the phrase he used to describe his dad's naughty mag stash they found in the locked drawer posthumously: the "gardening magazines" - the "little bush, no bush, BIG bush..." descriptors slayed me.  

Not the worst way to spend a Saturday night. 

Week 46, 2025

Monsoon season is back, y'all - hot AF days with rainy evenings and nights. 

• Two shows this week: MEW's final tour in its current form on Wednesday, and Jenhan's reworked show Like This, Like Dad to his late dad on Saturday
• First time at Zepp KL on Wednesday
• Managed to unload the free keychains on Carousell and sent off within 24 hours
• Saw Now You See Me: Now You Don't Saturday morning at the Lalaport GSC 

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

I dunno how much of the movie I missed cos I decided to go watch this at the Lalaport GSC. I also didn't know/forgot that morning shows were RM12? Cannot complain about having only spent RM2 out of pocket (no mood to get snacks), and was rushing to get there like a mad woman. Whether I'll remember to watch what I missed later is another thing...

First of all, I can't be the only one that was like, one of these movies is gonna have the "Now You Don't" subtitle at some point. 

• For how long it took for this movie to be made since the last one (almost 10 years), I guess now is a good time as any to have fresh blood magicians in this here franchise. 
• Most Dave Franco's character can do with the cardistry skills is erm, give people paper cuts
• Veronika with a "k"? Really? 
• Either that's one way to kill off Morgan Freeman's character in this franchise, or he's not really dead.. 
• NGL, 'twas nice to see Lizzy Caplan's character back.. she didn't even do press.
• How long did that take Mark Ruffalo, for real? An afternoon? 

If you enjoyed the franchise, you might like this. I thought it was a fun romp.

MEW - The Farewell Shows, Zepp KL

First angmo gig this year.

When it was announced that this iteration of MEW was coming to an end (frontman Jonas is leaving to pursue other endeavors, but the rest of the band are still gonna be playing as MEW?) and farewell shows in Denmark were announced, the global fanbase was sad. I was kinda sad too, but otherwise I was like... "ok lor". Then they slowly announced stops all over the place. If nothing else, I thank them and whoever the organiser was for making the KL show happen, cos I'll be annoyed if I have to go down to Singapore again, even though I would not have minded going to the durian/Esplanade Theatre.

Bought a ticket back in late April (I KNOW!) cos the "premium" seats (first few rows upstairs la, really) were already sold out after the first day of ticket sales. All I know was that I die die did not want to be in general standing area, cos I CANNOT. I REFUSE. So got a "standard" seated ticket like toot suite. 

If nothing else, at least now I got excuse to check out Zepp KL, which I've not been to yet (I KNOW). But the parking situation was gonna be tricky. There was SOME traffic getting there, but that was cos I refuse to play by Waze's instructions, and I didn't want to go around the block to get to the designated entrance or whatever.

Ended up parking at Menara Ecoworld basement parking (eh?) at B4, triggering the Setel LPR parking function cos I forgot to switch it off and it's one of the places that you can use Setel wallet to pay for parking. I'm annoyed cos Lalaport parking was free after 5 p.m. leh. 

Took this pic after the show

After some confusion in the foyer area (there was a LONG line, but it was for folks in the standing area), I saw some signage that tickets in the seated areas are to check in at a different floor (had to check my printed ticket, cos it had been that long). So I went back down a couple of floors (no queue), show them my printed ticket, and got checked in, wrist-banded, and bag checked pretty quickly. The lack of ushers to guide people to their seats was kinda disappointing, especially as a first timer to the venue and when you bought the ticket MONTHS ago, etc.

Sadly, could not find legit merch for sale by the time I got there. Dunno if sold out or what. 

I can't remember if I got to pick the seat or what, but I'm glad past me went with an aisle seat. FWIW, the upstairs seats are ok lah, if too old and short to be standing in the GA area (I did that the last few times they were here, I cannot anymore la)

Show started not long after I found my seat (to be fair, I was kinda late lah, only got there close to 8 p.m.), about 10 minutes past the hour? 

NGL, it was a nice surprise that they brought on Yuna (yes, THAT Yuna) to sing the female part in Symmetry (she confirmed it in her IG stories). 

They played a bunch of tracks from And The Glass Handed Kites, which is my favourite, and not just for the conceit of the album. 

It's like the Best of MEW setlist, which I've no complaints about. 

The view from upstairs. I say it's not bad la.

Edit this setlist | More Mew setlists

I laughed so hard when I saw that the show finished before 10 p.m.. To be fair, it is a school night and I read that the mall (and mall parking) closes at like 10.30 p.m. or whatever, so I get it that people still got school or work and just needed to leave/catch the public transport back at a decent time. 

Despite parking where I parked, it still took me awhile to leave the area. And only got home around 11 p.m.. 

It's nice to leave a concert not more exhausted than when I went in. (I still went to work, okay; had a small bottle of Coke before I got there to make sure I didn't fall asleep at the show, but still be able to sleep later)

Week 45, 2025

One of the coworkers passed away suddenly this week. The week was spent like dealing with that on the employer side of things: checking with SOCSO, EPF, LHDN, etc what to do about it, going to the wake.  

Here's what I found out:

EPF: Nothing special, just remove the name on the online portal... sounds cold, but considering we hadn't done the employer caruman for this person for quite some time now (age reasons; after 75, cannot receive the caruman already, but can collect dividend on remaining savings until age 100)

SOCSO: Just update the resignation date with date of passing on the online portal. Yep. 

LHDN: Had to submit online application for tax clearance letter with employer login. Still not sure what the next step is after that. 

Anyway, committed to attend an AGM on Friday morning, or I would not have minded going for the final send off/cremation. 

Week 44, 2025

• At least I remembered to redeem the complimentary meal at Nando's before it expired. 
• Now I know that I can get money back when I actually return stuff at Uniqlo. 
• Was 3 8 enough to go to Pav Bukit Jalil for product exchange on Saturday.
• Checked out the KLGCC mall on Sunday.

Gajen Nad: Global Malaysian Chindian

Bit of a late post, since this was earlier in the month, so... oh wells. 

Got my ticket kinda late; kinda kicking myself on missing the early bird pricing. But at least I know I not seow enough to drive to Brickfields on a Friday night with the Friday traffic. So I settled for a Saturday night ticket instead. It's been a while since I was last at Shantanand Auditorium, not since one of Jason Leong's shows LOL 

Girl dinner-ed early at home and left around 7 something? Luckily for me, I scored sweet street parking not too far from the Temple of Fine Arts after going the pre-Deepavali congestion in Brickfields (which I kinda accounted for, so I dunno why the organisers didn't? Idk). Until today, I still haven't dined at Annalakshmi, but mostly because on weekends, they only have buffet... 

Was there a little stupid early, but at least I wasn't the only one. Just to kill time, I wasted money on the vending machine Milo (the kind that makes the drinks), which sucked, but at least it was less than RM2, so.. good to know. Never again. 

Doors opened around 8 something, which was a relief cos there was no seating besides the staircase steps. 

It was kinda chilly for where I was sitting. Kinda regretted not bringing something warm to wear. The only other people in my section closest to me were other comics I've seen before, but not recently. 

The show only started, I think, closer to 9 p.m., cos apparently people were getting caught in the Deepavali shopping jam outside? 

Anyway, was nice to see Prakash Daniel as the opening act. I've heard the material before, so I admit I kinda zoned out at times. 

Gajen finally came on stage and his set was pretty amusing. He addressed the elephant in the room that was the weird looking logo he had made that was projected behind him, which seemed dodgy from certain angles, to put it mildly. 

It was fine, the dude works clean. It's a very Gajen set. 

Took me awhile to leave Brickfields after the show cos of the Saturday night jam, so... swung by Family Mart on the way home and the beef mee tarik was not worth it, let's put it that way.