First Movie Date

Last Sunday, I went out with my family and my in-laws to Mall of Asia (which was Raja's and my first time) for a movie... it has been like this ever since; my in-laws are movie buffs and so are the kids, so everytime we go out, it's like a field trip because there's about ten to sixteen of us (sometimes with cousins in tow) watching altogether. One big happy family. hehe! But there're times too, where we split up and watch different movies then just meet up after for coffee and go home. This was one of those days... but only a tad different. We took Raja to see his first movie. COOLNESS!

We had initially planned on seeing Pirates of the Carribbean II or Lady in the Water but I couldn't shake off the thought that Raja was going to watch a movie on the big screen for the first time without us, so I changed my mind and told Najah I'll be watching The Ant Bully with her,Raja and Kazim. Shortly Hamza followed suit. I knew it was bound to happen... besides looking like peas in a pod (Raja's looks exactly just like Hamza when he was a baby), those two are joined at the hip. *sigh!* Bye-bye Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly, bye-bye Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas... guess we'll see you when the DVDs come out!

The movie wasn't so bad. It was really made for kids. Kazim was behaved throughout the whole screening; it was his fourth time. Somehow I couldn't concentrate on it though; I kept looking beside me... I was watching Raja watch the little ants and little Lucas on the big screen. He was chillaxin' on his Abi's lap, happily sucking on his "dee-dee" and watching intensely. He seemed to take in the whole thing--the giant screen in front of him, the sound system, the hundred or so seats of the cinema, the blue light lining the stairs--everything was new to him, and he seemed to enjoy it. He was a behaved little angel for the first hald of the movie. Yep, the first half only. The next half was CHAOS. UTTER CHAOS.

Well, I guess it was an exaggeration. It wasn't really like that. You can't hold a one year and eight months' attention the whole time, he's bound to get restless and distracted with other things around him. So, for the second half of the movie, Hamza would get up then down the stairs, seat themselves on the de luxe section where few people were watching and then go back up to get his "dee-dee". He wouldn't go to me, so he was with Abi the whole time (let me reiterate: they're joined at the hip). We joined them downstairs when the movie was over.

It was a good experience for us. At least we know our kid's not a monster inside the movie house. I've gone to theaters where there are kids who whine and are loud and kick the backrest of the seats (hate when that happens) and the parents look helpless and embarrassed. But I can't make a conclusion on a first experience. Besides, he's just a toddler, it's too young to tell how he'd be like when he's older. I just hope he doesn't grow up to be like that. I be so embarrassed that I'd probably leave the theater with a bag over my head. Heehee!