"GRIS" short hands on review...!

It has been a while since I have updated my blog, The COVID-19 has bought me a large quantity of extra time stuck at home and it lulled me back to Video gaming which I was lost in the sands of time in my life. I haven't been playing games for almost ten years to be exact and I picked up a copy of Skyrim and completed it. I loved every bit of it since I was a fan of elder scrolls from my teen years. Then I moved on looking for titles that would fit my current state of mind, age etc, then I stumbled upon this beautiful work of art.

I have been playing games since I was a child and there are quite a few titles that truly captured my heart. "GRIS" is the latest addition to my list. I don't want to tell you much because it will definitely ruin your experience with this fragile, beautiful, and dreamy masterpiece. I rather call it a playable piece of art rather than a video game.

The music, the visuals, and all those movements are like it is in a deep state of meditation. It definitely gives the feeling of being lost in a "Wong Kar wai' style masterpiece.

This is a kind of game I would love to play right now because it perfectly fits my age and mood....!

Last I would like to thank the developers for taking the time to make this game a reality and I hope to see more like this in the future.


#lifelonggamer #gamer #meditaton #art #arthouse

KZ - ATR amazing sound for a small price

For past few years i have been very enthusiastic about audio equipment. Especially the amplifiers and Headphones so i have done some research and learned quiet a lot about this subject and also bought several sets of earphones for my personal use.

I use to own a pair of Xiaomi Piston 3 for almost two years and they finally broke, the cable came out near the mic and remote control end. They were pretty good sounding but for me they never sounded good as they say in reviews. but for the price you can't ask for more.

Then i needed another pair so this time i ordered a pair of KZ - ATR from ebay after going through few reviews. I never really expected much but soon as i put them on i was surprised. Seriously they sounds so good and made me wonder if i have really bought a 8US$ headphones from ebay?.

I am not a audiophile and i don't have the luxury to be either but when i hear good sound i know it sounds pretty good. These KZ - ATR are amazing that i bought another pair for my wife as well. They are bassy and very warm sounding, perfect for listening to music when you want to relax. I keep playing blues guitar and female jazz songs often when i want to relax. They simply sound so good it made me wanna do further research in to KZ products.

I have already ordered KZ ZS5 and soon as i get them i will write about them. If anyone is thinking whether to go for a KZ - ATR or not. Think no more... you can't have better sounding earphones for this price. Go for them... you will love every bit about them...

Only downside i came across these earphones are the tangle prone cable. It feels rubbery and kind of sticky cheapish...

Changing rear shock absorbers of a motorcycle do make a huge difference in comfort sector!!

I decided to share my experience with the world so i thought i'd write a blog post hoping it will be useful for anyone who is having a problem with motorcycle shock absorber just like myself. Back in last January (2017) i found my self without a motorcycle since motorcycle prices in Sri Lanka had been sky rocketed to maximum possible prices i was unable to afford one. When i was going through the second hand market i came across this wonderful little machine which do all that i need. Only downside i had about it was the engine capacity since i was used to bigger displacement motorcycles and it was only 125CC. I went in for a test ride and it completely changed my idea about the Honda CG125 (Front Disc , 5 Speed model with electric start). It had wonderful torque to it and it is what we really need for traffic congested roads. Fuel economy was also unbelievable and i got the Honda reliability as well. I should't forget to mention the awesome thumpy stock beat of the classic push rod engine was very appealing to me since i love the good ol' machines than new ones.

After riding the bike for couple of months i began to suffer fatigue and back pains due to rear shocks. That's what i believed at least. They were just single action shocks that had kept idle for more than three years before i bought the bike.

Stock Shock absorbers when i bought the bike

These were the stocks after removal

I've been doing research online and kept asking around experienced mechanics regards to this matter and they said adding new nitro gas shocks will not do any different. Some of them ask me to find a better roads to ride on which is ridiculous because i am not working for road development authority of this island. I upgraded the seat cushion yet it only helped a little.

I tried a new pair of single action oil shocks and didn't make much difference so i thought what they are saying is true. One day me and my father went through the whole concept of Gas Filled shock absorbers and decided to buy a pair that would fit my bike.

With a doubt in our minds we went to the nearest motorcycle store and bought "Gabriel Double Action Nitros Gas Shock absorbers" which comes for "Bajaj Pulsar 135". They were inverted model which will perfectly fit my bike after little modification of the top rubber and bush.

New Gas Shocks after installation

Guess what!!!! the motorcycle had complete changed the way it performs. I tried riding it with pillion on and not a single issue, no harsh pot holes. The new shocks did make a wonderful difference. If you are one of those people who are suffering from the same issue and wondering about will it make a difference then hear me...

"GAS FILLED NITRO SHOCKS DO MAKE A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE IN RIDING COMFORT AND YES!!! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD ROADS BY YOURSELF TO GO TO THE CITY"

I hope this article will be useful for those who are on the fence like my self. Especially the CG 125 owners who is suffering from back pain and pot holes.

Where is HERO IMPULSE in Sri Lanka?

It had been almost 8 years since the initial release in India. The Hero Impulse has never been available in Sri Lanka for some unknown reason. I have been questioning the current HERO agent who is "ABANS" and yet they gave me no straight answer. I tried all possible ways to approach them, facebook, emails, through local dealers and all they say is "we will inform you once it is available". Guh!!! once it is available i will definitely know it my self even before the local agent gets it because i have been really enthusiastic about this motorcycle since it's initiation in India.

Why?

well because there are tons of reasons why we should have "Hero Impulse" in Sri Lankan roads and zero reasons why NOT!. It is build for off-road (in my book bad roads) which we have plenty here in this island. We don't have a properly powered affordable off-road motorcycle to buy from a trust worthy brand. Yes we do have XR125 (not powerful enough), Demak 150 and 200 ( we don't know about these machines, Royal Enfield Himalayan (have to sell a land to buy it, too expensive).

So why not HERO IMPULSE? It's 150cc and powered by the beloved CBZ Extreme (extreme) engine which pumps ample power to fuel consumption and will be ideal for our roads , bad roads and no roads. :D

The whole purpose of writing this article on my blog because i want this to be heard... those who wants to buy this bike just like my self please just go to FACEBOOK and tell HERO MOTOCORP SRI LANKA to get it down. It's not much to ask right?,

Please feel free to post all your valued comments,

Demak Motorcycles in Sri Lanka ( Demak D7 125 )

I've been wanting to write a little about these machines for last few years. I've been seeing them on roads and showrooms for a while yet i never been had a chance to ride one of them. Well you can't write about what you don't know right? but recently i had a chance to take a test ride of this cute little machine in a near by second hand motorcycle shop. It is called "Demak D7 125CC". Even the machine i rode was in very bad condition, i had managed to jot down few points to write about it on my blog. I am sure if it was a new machine it would have been great fun. Since the motorcycle i rode was pre-owned and treated very badly i cannot write any information about the performance or how it feels to own a brand new D7. What you are about to see is not a review... it is just how i felt as a rider when i rode it and what i think about it.


Looks,

It looks very interesting because it has the modern-retro cafe racer stylish look (Which i love). D7 is stylishly equipped with round headlamp instead of the more modern diamond head sharp edged headlamp. It comes in four different eye catching colours. Blue black white and red. They have flame decals on the tank sides and fitted with round rear mirrors to enhance the retro styling. Personally i like the way this machine looks.

Engine

After a close inspection of the motorcycle, i figured out that it is been powered by the same motor that powers Honda CG125. You really can't go wrong with that right?. Yep it is powered by the same super reliable push rod engine along with 5 speed transmission. It gives ample enough power to cruise through the roads as well as to escape the city traffic. Since this engine does comes with push rods instead of OHC, it ads more simplicity to the engine as well as durability during absence of regular maintenance. Best thing about this engine is ample availability of parts. If something goes wrong after five years of hard riding, nothing to worry, it is based on a ultra reliable time tested engine by Honda.

Other stuff... :D

I love how the bike sounds... the exhaust note is very thumpy just like those classic honda CG 125's. It has that beat we all classic bike lovers love to hear. Bike is also equipped with Alloy-wheels so use of tube less tyres will be an added advantage. It also have a glowing digital speedometer which looks very nice during the night rides. Seat is quiet comfortable but for larger riders, it will be difficult to carry a pillion. The Demak D7 also features kick start and Electric start which could be very useful if the battery dies. It also has front petal disc brakes and rear drum brakes which is pretty much standard these days on commuter class motorcycles.

Conclusion

I must say i loved the machine, i'd like to own one if i could, just to have a fun ride around the town. This is a great commuter and i believe it will give nearly 50 KMPL in fuel economy ( based on CG125 Honda 5Speed which has the same engine ). This looks like a cafe racer but no where near a real sports bike. D7 is an awesome commuter with styling. If you need performance and high speed riding, you definitely need to go up on Demaks latest offerings like Skyline GT etc.

I would like to write more about these Demak Motorcycles in the future... just ride them and write about how you honestly feel. Nothing like a professional review... but a more down to earth rider experience kind of thing.

One day excursion to the down south with Dilmah Tea group

A pilgrimage to the cloudy heavens of hindu gods.... The Ramayana Trails

For past few years i have worked on many types of tours as a licensed national tourist guide lecturer but i have not worked for a pilgrimage before. A week back i was contacted by a company called "Royal Holidays" to do quickly attend to a tour which starts on the same day night. I took up the challenge of getting ready and even more they have mentioned that it is a 16 pax tour which consist of a group leader and it is a pilgrimage to all significant hindu temples. it was called "Ramayana Trails". Sri Lanka is a buddhist country but it is also famous for it's monuments related to "Ramayana Legend". A historical yet mythical story written by "Valmiki" envolving sri lankan king Raavana and indian king Rama who fought over a beautiful damsel "Seetha". Even though i am a stranger to this, it was an age old connection between sri lanka and india even way before buddhism was introduced to sri lanka. Everything revolves around this Legend. Even with little understanding i took up the tour to heavens... to meet the hindu gods. Siva Temples, Hanuman Temples, and Vegetarian foods all the way. It was a amazing experience seeing parts of this island which i have never seen before.

The beautiful Water fall named after the Sri Lankan King "Raavana" is called "Raavana Falls" which resides in the heart of "Ella" city. It was such a sight to see it full of flowing clean water after endless raining. The central mountains of Sri Lankan never fails to take my breath away, I always have a feeling within me that my soul belongs to the misty cold mountains that rain never stops.

The most amazing part of the tour was eating 100% Vegetarian foods in all three meals which is quiet strange to me yet it really bought light upon my soul. Giving me a good night sleep having to think that i have not killed anyone for my food today. The south indian cuisine is entirely devoid of meat products but it tastes extremely good with spicy, savour flavor. All the 16 tourists who came bangalore were strict vegetarians and i was suprised. No wonder... there legend speak of a demon king named Raavana who lived in Sri Lanka and i am sure we are his minions. The most unforgetable food i had was in Pure vegetarian restaurent up in the mountain on the way to "Hanuman Temple of Ramboda" which is called "Anapurna". Food was amazing so as the magnificent view.