Out & About #424 | LunarFest (LAC) + Family Day Things

LunarFest last year was a bundle of cute games that succeeded in engaging kids (and kids at heart alike). The venue was compact, but the activities were festive and exciting.
This year's event took place at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, as opposed to Metro Hall downtown.

​The turnout was incredulous considering the accessiblity of parking and the fact that it had been lumped together with a slew of other Family Day activities.

With the emphasis as being a family-friendly day at the theatre, acitivities mainly comprised of paper lantern-making, Pyeongchang-themed headband cutouts, a mini campfire, and a talent show. Attendees had arrived not only for LunarFest, but a series of arts and crafts activities as well.

​For participants over the age of five and without small children in tow, the event was concluded to be quite lacklustre overall. We had covered the grounds in under fifteen minutes.

​I suggested venturing over to Square One to pass time, as I had made another appointment in the area and hadn't expected to have perused the LunarFest booths in such a short period of time. Oh, how I underestimated the volume of faux-shoppers on such a statutory holiday. Approximately twenty minutes was spent securing a parking spot, while another forty passed before the lineup at Tsujiri neared the cashier. (Ultimately, I wasn't able to purchase my ice cream before my departure.)

Needless to say, Playdium was in an equally tumultuous state.

​Dinner was had at Sushi Tei, where I witnessed a shockingly low turnout considering its close proximity to the chaos that was Mississauga's largest retail area.

All aspects of the meal were short of regular standards, whether it be the several minute delay in acknowledging our appearance at the entrance, the quality of the sashimi, or the general profile of the requested items.
Only two meager portions of banchan were provided, as opposed to the standard trio; the kimchi had been omitted completely during this visit.

​Chirashi Sushi was served in a three-part bento box in contrast to the typical bowl layout. Several varieties of sashimi were presented before me, yet not a single slice emitted the freshness witnessed in their party platters. Moreover, the maguro, contained an excess of veiny bits - too many to be considered chirashi-grade.
Furikake, tofu pocket strips, and limp crab meat topped off the portion of warm Japanese rice. There was no tamago in sight.

​The Cheese Donkatsu was, single-handedly, the worst dish to have ever left Sushi Tei's kitchen. Despite being served with a generous portion of sweet, tangy tonkatsu, the unsliced specimen was the dryest slab of sustenance I have ever tasted.
It had been delivered whole as to ensure that the cheese within would remain warm upon contact. However, this is not to say that the result was satisfactory. Instead of the stringy, flavourful mozzarella used at specialty katsu eateries, the interior consisted of the more economic Kraft Singles Cheddar slices, rendering the overall profile tacky and unnecessarily firm.

Given the delicious properties of the Oyako Don and Katsu Don, I was appalled to have witnessed such a monstrosity at one of my most frequented Japanese diners.

Complimentary Green Tea Ice Cream was provided at the termination of the meal, though it did not manage to relieve my taste buds from the horror of the Cheese Donkatsu. 

​Service was prompt, however not a single member of the waitstaff visited our table unless a hand was raised. I also couldn't help but furrow my brows when a black plastic tray was brusquely slid onto the edge of the table - in a relatively expressionless manner if I must add. The restaurant wasn't busy in the slightest.

​We made our way over to Courtney Park soon afterwards with the intent of catching the 9:00 PM showing of Black Panther. Its popularity was seriously undermined, and the show was sold out at the time of our arrival. The next show at 9:45 PM was "selling fast", prompting us to quickly purchase tickets and wait in anticipation.

By the time we had returned from a brief McDonald's run, the auditorium had filled to 90% capacity. Even after climbing up, then down, then around, we failed to find any openings. (A highly disagreeable hag showed utmost denial at shifting over one seat such that we could be seated together, and even went as far as to forbid her husband from doing so either.)
Eventually, we admitted defeat and headed down to the front few rows. Frankly though, the view wasn't as bad as I had imagined. It was definitely more enjoyable than front row. After two hours though, my eyes were drained from the 3D effects. The odd seating position was another aspect I could have done without.

​Black Panther had achieved tremendous ratings since its pre-release screenings, so hype had gradually accumulated over the long weekend. The story focused on historical and cultural background, specifically in regards to Africa and those in America that possessed African origins. Political themes and the concept of obtaining power through technology was present throughout.
Personally, I really enjoyed the non-battle action scenes (car chase in Busan) as well as the sci-fi elements. The fight scenes inflicted pain to the senses of sight and sound, especially seeing as spears were involved. Occassional bursts of comedic relief aided in lightening the tone of some serious scenes.

​It would have been nice to observe a larger focus on the research aspect of the Black Panther suit (ie. formulation, strongest/weakest features, etc.), though it is expected that not all viewers will retain the same amount of appreciation for technology- and research-heavy excerpts.
Saturation levels and graphics speed were fitting of the movie, though some rotating scenes caused dizziness with the addition of digital 3D.

As a final statement, Black Panther is a lengthy production that warrants watching for the odd humour and action scenes, though it is highly suggested to delay a Cinplex visit until the hype subsides.