childhood TV memories

i just found out that the actor who played Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World is the younger brother of the actor who played Kevin Arnold (from The Wonder Years)!

then the memories of other TV shows i watched in my childhood flooded back - does anyone else remember any of these "classic" late 1980s-early 1990s sitcoms about American High School like Saved By The Bell, Parker Lewis Can't Lose or Teen Angel?

nostalgia is kicking in.

The Wonder Years

i caught an episode of The Wonder Years today that my mom taped for me due to hers and my curiosity (we'd heard of the title but never watched it before) and was emotionally blown away. it is a beautifully narrated and filmed series where Kevin Arnold, the youngest son of the Arnold family recounts memories/episodes from his childhood (aka Wonder Years).

the episode i watched was episode 13 (in season 2) titled 'Coda', where Arnold looks back at his childhood decision to give up playing the piano even though his teacher believed he had so much natural talent simply because he was afraid of failure. the lines were well-written, the acting so compelling (so much was said in between the lines through the eyes and body language of the actors) and i felt so overwhelmed at the end of the episode. i even think the episode got me right from the beginning in the opening lines:

When you're a little kid... you're a little bit of everything. Artist, scientist, athlete, scholar. Sometimes it seems like growing up is the process of giving those things up, one by one. I guess we all have one thing we regret giving up. One thing we really miss... that we gave up because we were too lazy... or we couldn't stick it out.

no wonder it (the episode) was nominated for an Emmy.

intrigued, i read up on the series and after going over the synopsis for the final episode, i felt a tinge of sadness, nostalgia even.

if only TV these days made you feel so engaged with the characters. but for now i'm definitely going to try and catch as many episodes as i can.

God bless reruns!

i would like to throw this question out to the virtual world...

how is it possible to get hooked on a drama set during the Warring States period about some feud between the Kingdoms of Chu and Han? (considering we all know that in history Qin comes and eats them all up sooner or later...)

i've asked this question to my Dad and brother who both seem to love this show on Channel U and basically (since I posed this to them in the middle of an episode), they were too absorbed in the fictional plot to provide me an answer.

then again before this they were hooked on that drama about the Qing emperors, which according to my brother, a History graduate, completely throws facts out of the window (albeit rice paper-lined. hur hur hur).

little gestures that say a lot

work has been winding down - which means i now have time for a weekday social life! catching up with friends is such a wonderful experience. there's just something about chatting face to face over good food (good and affordable xiao long bao, i should add) that beats just talking online.

as Ave and i had dinner today, we came to a realisation that we're older and have become more sensible and less idealistic. and it IS a nice feeling. to think that a few years ago we'd be aghast about turning into adults in the conventional sense.

and yes, you do realise how much some people mean to you and how you can see that in 20 years time you'd still be as good friends (or even better).

"Hi, my name is Adeline. I am a Heartland Shopper"

i should have seen the signs coming. considering how i enjoyed shopping in Coventry and Leamington Spa much much more than in Birmingham City Centre. or London (horror of horrors, i hear you cry!)

yesterday my mom and i went shopping. but we were sick of the crowds in Orchard Rd. so we hit Parkway Parade. and some damage was done at Marks & Spencer (quite a bit actually).

and in the evening after dinner, we decided to try shopping at Eastpoint. we've lived in Simei for about 13 years and Eastpoint was/is hardly the place you would find a lot of nice stuff to buy. but i bought a dress (the jury is still out on a jacket i saw) and shoes. not just any shoes... but Bata shoes. aka Buy And Throw Away shoes, which equal to "why bother buying in the first place" shoes. but hey they are very comfy, look nice and were affordable! what's not to like?

seriously, i surprise myself everyday...

family bonding time

is watching Amazing Race on TV together for 2 hrs.

it was a nice feeling that we all sat around for the first time in days (!!) and were all doing something together. it made me realise how much i missed my family.

relief!

it's a nice feeling - having an event go well. and when your bosses agree too...

especially after all the hard work and super long hours.

was speaking to one of my colleagues today, asked her how she rated her past year at the firm. "ups and downs" was her reply. i guess that's what it is really. lots of ups and downs. but so far i'm enjoying work - even the tedious and mundane. which is a good thing. and at least there are ups and downs. rather than the kind of job where you countdown till 6pm when you can finally put an end to the boredom.

have been swamped with projects but am looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. after the 16th i'll get my social life back. phew. :)

happy birthday Dad

the reaction i always get when i tell people my dad is turning 53 this year is, WAH YOUR PARENTS ARE SO YOUNG!

then i mention that my my parents got married when they were young - my mom was 23 and my dad 26. and the rabbit from the hat? that they were dating for 7 years before they finally got married. THAT usually draws the most WOWs.

i think my parents were/are poster-kids for PAP family campaigns...

i must have looked under 12

because when i went to the pharmacy today to buy Clarinase, i was asked how old i was.

and why would they ask? it's Clarinase!