Television
I don’t watch TV anymore. Some people find it strange when I tell them so. Their jaws drop as if I’ve just said I won the lottery (I’ve never tried betting either).
I stopped watching TV when I was in college. I lived in dormitories which were quite all right and pretty comfortable for me. We had “TV areas” that had the most uncomfortable seats, though-- hard, wooden, stiff-backed, uncomfortable seats. The only instances I watched TV were those when I could not make it to the UAAP Cheerdance Competition (I was a UP Pep Squad sort-of groupie). I do not mind the discomfort when I am cheering for the UP Pep Squad, or laughing at our opponents. The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is one those times you feel really really proud of being a UP student. My friend Mich once wrote about our war cry (“UP Fight”) “Fight what?” and I could not blame her.
After our first month at our new place, my rommmate and I sold our television set. She does not watch TV either. Not watching TV has allowed me to do so many things: read more books, exercise, and cook. If I need to know current events, I just check online newspapers. Besides, I do not experience those horrid instances anymore wherein I see a decapitated person in the evening news while I’m having my dinner.)
Not watching TV has also made me oblivious to “celebrities” around me, which sometimes creates a communication problem between me and a friend.
Illustration: Tomato Kick, UP Village, around 11 PM
Friend: (Incredulously) OMG OMG. Can I take a picture?
Me: What? Why? What are you talking about?
Friend: You know…Chad…of PDA…he’s right behind you. OMG!
Me: What’s PDA? (I am shameless when I’m with my friends. I do not pretend knowing what they are talking about when I don’t. I know PDA as in the device or PDA as in public display of affection. I figured she probably meant neither of the two.)
Friend: Pinoy Dream Academy. That’s Chad from PDA!
Me: I don’t watch TV. I don’t know him.
Friend : Is that his girl friend? Is it rude to take a picture?
Me: Yes, it’s rude to take a picture.
Friend: (Sad face.) Oh. Actually I saw him the other day in Eastwood. The person I was with pointed out that he was with his girl friend. I think that’s his sister.
Me: Yeah. Maybe. Hey, they’re wearing identical Chucks. Purple Chucks. (My brain: Is he gay? Maybe not.)
Friend: OMG. I think he recognizes me. You see, I really stared at him in Eastwood. Can you please stay there? Don’t leave. I don’t want him to see me.
Me: Pull yourself together.
There are times when I wish I have a TV though. During the weekend the typhoon Frank ravaged our province, I received phone calls and SMS, asking about my family. They all started with, “I just saw it on the news.” My reply was, “I don’t watch TV”. After a few seconds of confusion (i.e., “You don’t watch TV?!”) and they explain how my province is among those hit the hardest by “Frank”. I called my sister but her phone was dead. I could not reach my mother’s phone either. I panicked. Finally, I was able to reach my father. Apparently, they all ran out of batteries because there has not been any electricity). I should have thought of calling my father first. He’s the one who least uses his phone so he probably should be the last to run out of batteries in such cases. Nota Bene, Lorie, in case it happens again.
I stopped watching TV when I was in college. I lived in dormitories which were quite all right and pretty comfortable for me. We had “TV areas” that had the most uncomfortable seats, though-- hard, wooden, stiff-backed, uncomfortable seats. The only instances I watched TV were those when I could not make it to the UAAP Cheerdance Competition (I was a UP Pep Squad sort-of groupie). I do not mind the discomfort when I am cheering for the UP Pep Squad, or laughing at our opponents. The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is one those times you feel really really proud of being a UP student. My friend Mich once wrote about our war cry (“UP Fight”) “Fight what?” and I could not blame her.
After our first month at our new place, my rommmate and I sold our television set. She does not watch TV either. Not watching TV has allowed me to do so many things: read more books, exercise, and cook. If I need to know current events, I just check online newspapers. Besides, I do not experience those horrid instances anymore wherein I see a decapitated person in the evening news while I’m having my dinner.)
Not watching TV has also made me oblivious to “celebrities” around me, which sometimes creates a communication problem between me and a friend.
Illustration: Tomato Kick, UP Village, around 11 PM
Friend: (Incredulously) OMG OMG. Can I take a picture?
Me: What? Why? What are you talking about?
Friend: You know…Chad…of PDA…he’s right behind you. OMG!
Me: What’s PDA? (I am shameless when I’m with my friends. I do not pretend knowing what they are talking about when I don’t. I know PDA as in the device or PDA as in public display of affection. I figured she probably meant neither of the two.)
Friend: Pinoy Dream Academy. That’s Chad from PDA!
Me: I don’t watch TV. I don’t know him.
Friend : Is that his girl friend? Is it rude to take a picture?
Me: Yes, it’s rude to take a picture.
Friend: (Sad face.) Oh. Actually I saw him the other day in Eastwood. The person I was with pointed out that he was with his girl friend. I think that’s his sister.
Me: Yeah. Maybe. Hey, they’re wearing identical Chucks. Purple Chucks. (My brain: Is he gay? Maybe not.)
Friend: OMG. I think he recognizes me. You see, I really stared at him in Eastwood. Can you please stay there? Don’t leave. I don’t want him to see me.
Me: Pull yourself together.
There are times when I wish I have a TV though. During the weekend the typhoon Frank ravaged our province, I received phone calls and SMS, asking about my family. They all started with, “I just saw it on the news.” My reply was, “I don’t watch TV”. After a few seconds of confusion (i.e., “You don’t watch TV?!”) and they explain how my province is among those hit the hardest by “Frank”. I called my sister but her phone was dead. I could not reach my mother’s phone either. I panicked. Finally, I was able to reach my father. Apparently, they all ran out of batteries because there has not been any electricity). I should have thought of calling my father first. He’s the one who least uses his phone so he probably should be the last to run out of batteries in such cases. Nota Bene, Lorie, in case it happens again.
posted by Lorie at 8:42 PM
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