My [Current] Best Friend

My baby sis used to tease me when I was back in Malaysia that I spend a lot of time with my best friend everyday after work, the TV. I have a new best friend here in Macao. We just got acquainted on Monday. Since then, I have been returning home and spending 2 to 4 hours with the idiot box in my living room.

I am a movie buff, and I acquire most of my language skills and information input from the broadcasting media. With my new TV, I am able to receive up to 69 free channels with a few repeating themselves. However, close to 95 percent of them are in Chinese. Most of them will be in Mandarin, maybe 3-5 in Cantonese, and a few in Hokkien, Taiwanese, and other Chinese dialects. I have only 3 channels that suit my palate: TVB Pearl, ATV World, and "Hollywood," a channel that shows really old Hollywood movies.

My expectations for the local TV were rather low; in fact, I just got the TV for entertaining my guests (if they come). I am content with my PC but I think I am spending a little too much time in front of it. I think almost 80% of my hours awake are spent in front of one. I was planning to get a DVD player and start watching box sets to maintain my English and Japanese. But, I was rather surprised to find that they do show a rather good selection of series on TVB Pearl and ATV. ATV covers most British of Discovery Travel and Living programs, whereas TVB Pearl airs some of my favorite series like Heroes, House, CSI. ER, Lost, Monk, and others (even though they are in the earlier seasons). I have no complaints. But for me to enjoy these shows, I have to stay up late. This might not be a good idea since I have to be at work the next day, as experienced last night staying up watching House till around 1am. I am so sleepy and tired right now. (Yawn!)

One day left to the end of the work week. I look forward to the long weekend. Even though I am here in Macao, I will be following the Japanese calender and enjoying a day off on Monday for Coming of Age Day.