First Meetup @ Old Town Kopitiam Cheras

So happens to be the forum title for us to discuss our ongoing meetup sessions in BoardgameCafe.net. Just that it isn't the first meetup anymore :) But that doesn't matter, fact is the group has been having regular meetups there, not only to have dinner and drinks while going heads on playing whatever game that's been brought, but also as a way to 'increase awareness' (heh) of Euro-boardgames (the general term for this genre of games).

ayheng, jack208 and aanemesis on Caylus.

What goes on at the meetup can be found at ayheng's blog at times when he gets to blogging about it, like last week's meetup (we'd even brought our shepherd's crook along but don't think anyone took any pictures of that - quite the LoA we understands but like we tells people, the stick needed walking).

Interesting enough, a friend used the meetup to score some brownie points with his date by bringing her to meet the rest of the gang:

• She gets to see how he spends 'the night out with the guys' - not wasting himself drinking or gambling or womanizing.
• Instead he plays boardgames, so must be quite smart one.
• It paints us in a bad light that the rest of us are hardcore gamers meeting every week while he would have other activities to take up his time too.
• The rest of the gang also unknowingly pushed his stock up with compliments during dinner.

-_-'

However, there are a few things that stop us from making this meetup a weekly affair for us.

We've to make our way from Taman Tun to Cheras. Yeah, this is a bit of a flimsy excuse considering ayheng has to come all the way from Klang. And we actually have the alternative of leaving straight from the office on the dot and heading up the Federal, thus while we'll still be crawling in the jam at least we would be there early. But no...we rather head home first, take a shower, prolly grab a quick bite before making our way via Jln Damansara - Jln Parlimen - Jln Tun Perak - Jln Raja Chulan - Changkat Bukit Bintang - Jln Bukit Bintang - Jln Pudu then onwards to Cheras. We're aware of the other alternatives, we've either gotten lost on them or ended up in a gridlock.

Oh, doesn't help that by passing KL we're tempted to forget about Cheras and stop by for drinks at Changkat BB instead :D

Our BGC meetups goes from 8pm - 6am. Heh. It's basically split into Round 1 and Round 2 - Round 1 being in OTK with the 'lighter' games (games that take anywhere 30min - 90 min) while Round 2 we'll all move on to BoardgameCafe down the road and bring out the heavies (which goes from midnight till morning). While it gives us ample time to play a heavy game - it screws our personal circadian cycle. We'll make it home by 7am and just sleep through the entire Satuday, only opening our eyes when the clock strikes 4pm or later.

Oh, minor gripe - OTK food is NEVER filling! Take last weeks' total consumption: noodles (can't remember what tho), assorted fried platter (bloody small), butter and kaya thick toast, garlic butter thick toast. And since it's a 'modern' kopitiam hangout, the concept of chips/onion rings/wedges doesn't exist.

But if you're ever at OTK on a Friday night on the upper floor, well now you know what our table does.