It seems the older one gets, the faster time goes by. Or is it the less one bothers to keep track of it, the faster the weeks and months pass.
Did some kayaking this summer. Well, twice. More than none.
Spring and summer truly did go past in a blink of an eye and we are already deep into autumn, at the footsteps of the dark dip of November onwards.
The covid pandemic is still among us, but probably the worst case scenario of deaths in Finland is now avoided thanks to the vaccines. Still a long way back to any normal, then again changes in society happen constantly in this busy world anyway.
But enough of me trying to be a great thinker.
A visit to Nintendo gaming
What I’ve really been doing in my free time is watching movies and playing video games. I’ve been a PlayStation user ever since the first console Sony released (although I’m still stuck at PS3), but for this autumn I decided to take a tourist trip and borrowed a Nintendo Wii U with Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
I was curious to try out a video game that seems to have scored perfect scores in so many publications, just to get a feel what makes it so special. I’ve only scratched the surface so far (maybe 10-15 hours in), but I do have a sense that it is a very well balanced game of adventure and exploration in a beautiful open world. Not sure how long the plot will keep me interested though. Time will tell.
Back to the movie theatres
After a year hiatus, I finally found myself back in the movie theatres and saw Dune and No Time To Die (I wonder how many these days actually visit a movie’s official website). I enjoyed both movies, although the latter I saw in a IMAX theatre and I still don’t understand why some people rave about it being the only true way to experience a movie. I just got my neck aching being so close to the screen and wondering why the picture quality was so jerky.
Dune was as good as I hoped even though it didn’t really blow my mind away. I haven’t read the books so I think the ones who did got more out of it. Great acting, nicely slow pace and great sceneries nonetheless. Maybe the sequel in five years?
Before seeing the newest Bond I watched all the previous Daniel Craig starred Bond movies (I’ve only seen Casino Royal in full). I was pleasantly surprised there was a story arc between them (something very rarely done in this franchise) and the gentle reminders the hero is a killer (something I’ve always wondered why it is totally okay in thousands of other films).
Of course, at heart the movies are still about exotic locations, furious chases, beautiful women, over the top bad guys, crazy gadgets and Bond saving the day despite the odds. A formula that simply works.
No Time to Die however to my surprise addressed many of the issues I had with the previous ones and so I felt it was maybe even the best Bond movie ever (despite it still having Bond clichés). Great closure for the Craig Bond version’s story arc.
So it was nice to see movies in the big screen after watching so many at home. Speaking of movies watched at home, Farewell Amor is worth a mention of a story of Angolian immigrants in New York, but not about immigration but the challenges of a family coming to together in a new home after being apart for so long. Warm, thoughtful and even introducing two music genres from Africa, this gets my thumb of approval.
Nothing much more to add at this point. Well, there still is that climate change going on, but there are tons of people who can write about that better than I can. I’ll stick to the simpler stuff like I did on this post.
A photo from Central Park in Helsinki. I liked it, so I’m sharing it.