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Aloha! A Quick Jaunt Through 5 O Land in 5 days - Part I

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Aloha! When you think of some words, there is no doubt as to the what the word is associated with. And “Aloha” conjures up beaches, surf and of course, Hawaii Five O… Hawaii is a tourist destination that sits between mainland USA, and Japan as well as the rest of Asia, with a population that is as varied as it is in Asia, and a significant Japanese population of almost 30%. You will find fifth generation Japs who no longer speak Japanese and plenty of restaurants, signboards in Japanese and there is certainly a vibe that feels Asian, and yet distinct. It is blended from Asian influx, with Pilipino, Korean and of course Japanese influence as well as the Polynesian background and of course American immersion. Let’s not forget the British aspect too, in fact the flag of Hawaii features the Union Jack in the canton (upper left corner) due to historical ties between the Hawaiian Kingdom and Great Britain. King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian Islands, received a British flag ...
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Stand by Me Doraemon 2 Movie Review

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Doremon movies and cartoons have been around since my childhood and form an indelible part of them, with tales of time travel, gadgets and adventures but more importantly the human connection and this new installment is no different. At the basic level it appeals to children with its unique blend of sci-fi and comedy whilst showcasing a vignette of Japanese culture and life. On a more serious level there is an emotional element which appeals to the adult audience and that makes it another winner. The premise is that Nobi nobita is getting married and younger Nobi goes back in time because he misses his grandma and she wants to see him get married. Then come a series of misadventures and how Doremon uses his wit and his bag of tricks to help get Nobi out of hairy situations created by his blunders. Along the way he grows, matures and does fix the problems like other shows but there is an emotional component that makes you tear up. Highly recommended
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Dept. Q TV series review

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There is something about the way the Brits create crime based TV serials.  The British are very good at creating slow burn, dialogue based thriller TV serials, that actually move quite slowly are mostly dialogue heavy, punctuated with a sprinkling of action, and rather economical use of production sets, but keep you on the edge of your seats anyway and keep you thirsting for the next episode. The Dept. Q joins a long line of such thrillers, that make use of the dry laconic and mostly sarcastic Brit humor,  blend in a few characters that also make use of the lone wolf or buddy cop concept racing agains the clock to solve a crime or save a life or both, whilst facing personal demons.  Although the plot of this series isn't particularly new, the added element of a fish out of water political refugee who has skills, adds the extra sting, along with the exploration of PTSD and a sly inject of possible romance along with the usual 'devil may care' protagonist mixed together wit...
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Delhi part II - The Civil Servant Syndrome... A tale of soap bar delivery

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Got some soap too... They are not immune to the 'civil servant' answer.. Given my limited time there, I didn't have much time to go shopping and the nearby convenient stores didn't have this, but the guy cleaning my room said you can order them from a pharmacy.. So I walked to the front desk and the first man gave the 'cannot' answer, but the man next to him heard and offered to get someone to buy it, for a INR fee. Which was fine, since the soap was about 40% cheaper. I got my soap within half and hour, and kudos to the man And for reference, this other brand at the small mall near the hotel was charging the price for a single bar, haha ​​​​​​​
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A Touch of the Taj, Two Red Eyes and a lot of Driving

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 am writing to you after having survived F1 in a tiny tinny can hurtling at supersonic speeds to one of the great wonders of the world, and at some point I thought I might be really buried there too. My survival is a testament my Lord’s protection and also in no small part due to the incredible driving skills of the man in the photo, plus a healthy dose of luck too I reckon… here is my story: Oh my! Oh dear! These are amongst the milder expressions going through my mind as I watch the driver weave through Delhi traffic, and come within a hair’s breath of the adjacent cars…. I after about one hour on the road,  I have finished my prayers, decided that I should trust God and close my eyes to sleep, not just because I’m resigned to my fate, but I was genuinely tired after  flying the red eye from SIN to Del and also immediately jumping into a hired car bound for the Taj Mahal.   So about half a year back, I got an invitation to received an award in New Delhi and I was v...
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Upgrading The OS On Ancient iMac late 2015 model

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So I recently had to update the OS on my iMac, which I have put off for the longest time as the last time I did it, it didn't seem to go well. The system hung and got stuck, so I used Time Machine to reverse it. However recently I accidentally updated the OS on my iPhone and I was forced to act in order to continue syncing with my phone and the iMac. My iMac is a late 2015 27" model and can be updated up to the OS Monterey 12.7  This has it's benefits as my Mail app has not been syncing my hotmail, and work mail for a while as the OS is too old - 10.14 so it has stopped and even the browsers could not be updated too. So I bit the bullet, and went ahead. First thing in any update, back up your data, so I made copies of my photo library, my music and my work file. Twice. And in different locations, plus iCloud. I have tons of data, photos and music and the photos of my baby are irreplaceable. Then I did the install, which will take about 3-4 hours ev...
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Conclave Movie Review

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Some of us like the action blockbusters but every now and then I'll take a gander and try the slow burn genre, especially when I'm in a plane, since it's harder to get that full cinematic experience with the aid of a tiny bud of a earpiece in economy class with an equally tiny screen. But some movies will bring you in, screen size and the lack of surround notwithstanding and grip you in the throe of a good yarn. That's the ilk of this movie. Now if you like to know about the mechanics of the Vatican City, take a walk over to the Dan Brown movie Angels and Demons instead, which has a certain Tom Clancy feel, in the sense that Clancy books tended to explain everything in great detail. Here, the plot is more about the twists and turns of selecting a new Pope and also the unmasking of the human personality, even in holy men. The corruption of power, pride and egos all seem to overshadow the holy roles they play but at the same time, you also see the ability of men to ove...
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Toyota Land Cruiser Mini

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This has to be one of the most anticipated cars for 2025. Originally slated for a late 2024 release, it has been pushed back and details are still scant, but some pictures and photos have emerged speculating on its size and shape. All very exciting, and it is more than a scaled down Land Cruiser. It promises to bring the retro look, the capabilities and the Toyota reliability reputation to a more managable size and introduce this series to a new buyer pool. ""This suggests that the LandCruiser FJ will use the same Toyota iMV ladder-frame underpinnings as the Champ, albeit with a four-wheel-drive transfer case as opposed to the Champ’s rear-drive platform. With a wheelbase of between 2745mm and 2750mm (depending on application) the Toyota platform is longer than the new five-door Suzuki Jimny XL at 2590mm." So as we await more info on this, I've been doing a lot of viewing of the videos and whilst most are largely AI generated, some shed a tad of truth. But why so lit...
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