Beautiful halcyon days! Sun in full splendor. Blue skies. White fluffy clouds. Cool breeze. Perfect! How we want to hold on to this kind of days. But alas! Life is not life if it stays this way. The livingness of life, as I have realized it, is change. Nothing stays the same. Even our bodies change every second. In my readings on zen (a product probably of my fascination with the aesthetic sense of Muji, and the underlying concept of practical minimalism) I am beginning to understand (just beginning, mind you) the concept of detachment in zen Buddhism.
Many moons ago, my romanticized version of this idea of non-attachment that I very cursorily read of, was to be somewhat of a hermit and not be concerned with the world. But later in life, as one goes through the myriad experiences through the years, and after a bit of study into the metaphysical, I realized that, perhaps, one of its meaning is accepting that the only thing that is permanent in life is impermanence. It meant that, although this gorgeous sunset is happening here and now, the sun will set eventually, and inexorably. Then other events will occur. Like moonrise or rain or a star-filled sky (or starless). An infinite number of different things. So, there is no use to resist these changes. Or to be attached to what is now. The more we go with the flow, or you could also say let it be, the less stress we have. Although, what I have learned is that “going with the flow” does not mean a passive attitude. We still have to deal with what is confronting us here and now. Like a pebble in your shoe which you remove so you can walk more comfortably. None of this “grin and bear it” or“tiis” attitude. Or being irresponsible either.
Of course, this is easier said than done. I still struggle. A lot. But the few times I am able to get this going, I feel the difference. A sense of relief descends calmly on me. Like soft snowfall that envelops one. A feeling of being in a cocoon, safe and secure. But, mind you, only for now. Expect things to change once again. But be glad. This means one is alive and open to the many different wonders of life.
Speaking of the many wonders of life – I highly recommend that you add to your viewlist for this ongoing pandemic (on second thought, with or without the pandemic) the BBC documentary series of David Attenborough entitled “Our Planet” on Netflix. It is an 8-part series. Watch it with your family or with your friends. It reminds us of the majesty and richness of our planet. Excellent cinematography. An immersion in nature, albeit virtually, but wonderful for consciousness. Right from the comfort of your home. Whenever I need upliftment, this series is one of my go-tos.
Another documentary on nature which never fails to make me marvel at the beauty and grandeur of the planet earth is “Untamed Romania”, a one episode film on the forests of Romania. Also on Netflix. This was an eye-opener for me as the only thing I knew about Romania before watching this bewitching documentary was Transylvania of Count Dracula fame (or should I say infamy?). It is noteworthy to know that the production was funded by a popular supermarket chain in Europe in cooperation with the government of Romania. What a laudable project. I trust more films of this nature will be available to the viewing public. NHK of Japan also has some outstanding films on nature and science. It is unfortunate though that they are not readily available for viewing to the public at large. Wait a minute. I am just reminded of some Disney Nature films that I have watched which are excellent. One of them is Born in China. I really loved it. It used to be in Netflix but lately, I have noticed that it is not part of their offerings anymore. I trust that they will extend the contract. Or perhaps, it is now in the streaming site Disney +.
More on interesting content on TV and other streaming sites – check out the series “Succession” on HBO. 2 seasons as of now. Season 3 still coming as production was delayed by the pandemic. Very interesting. Extremely for me. From my scanty research, the story may have been loosely based on the Murdoch family – the media and entertainment giant that owns Twentieth Century Fox, The Wall Street Journal, among others, and has expanded into Asian networks and South American television. Riveting! The perfect series to watch after the ABS-CBN shutdown. Gives one an idea of the workings of the business empire of people in the media, entertainment and hospitality world. I could not stop watching. A total of 20 episodes – 10 episodes each season. Take note. Succession is on HBO which is on Cravings. Not really sure how this works. But I search for it under Cravings and under Cravings are several sites, one of which is HBO. Put some excitement in your stay at home life. Watch this. Can’t wait for Season 3. I understand it has won several awards like the Golden Globe and others.
On to more mundane, day to day life content on TV and online – Am still watching the KBS drama series “Once Again”. Am loving it. I can really relate with this. So Asian. So wholesome and endearing. I miss the “old” Lee Min Jung though. She seems to have lost some of her charming, slightly naughty insouciance like she had in her past dramas “All About My Romance” (2013) and “Cunning Single Lady” (2014), 2 of my faves. Maybe being married to Lee Byung-hun changed her consciousness. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part. But all in all, “Once again” still cuts it for me. I trust there will be more of this kind of drama series. It reminds me of “My Father is Strange” (2017), another KBS drama series that I was hooked on when it was first aired. I found some parts overly mawkish and long drawn out but in toto, very endearing. A feel-good-about-life drama. I love happy endings.
In fact, I am such a happy ending freak that many times, before I even start to watch a series, I will first do a fast scan and check out the ending. As far as I am concerned, I consider it a waste of my time if it does not have a happy ending. Especially if it has 50, or worse,70 episodes! Chinese period dramas are this long. An exception though, is the The Rise of Phoenixes on Netflix. I mean that, although it had a sad ending I would still go on to watch the 70-episode (yes, 70 episodes and no happy ending) TV series for 3 times. Incredible production values and production design. From what I have heard (and read) there was an outcry for a 2nd season because people from all over the world who watched this drama series were disappointed with the ending (sorry for the spoiler but millions still watched. That’s how good it was). Just like me. Sana nga there will be a 2nd season! I will be one of the first to be online to watch it. You can count on it.
On this happy note – let us enjoy the rest of lovely summer weather and soak up the sun and fresh air! While following health protocols, of course. You know, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what you think. I am sure, there are things that I can learn from all of you. It doesn’t matter if it is about what I wrote about or not. I guess this is a result of watching talk shows where the talk show host hardly ever gives the interviewee a chance to really air his views. Sometimes I get the feeling that the talk show host should not have interviewed anyone at all. He or she should just have interviewed himself or herself. Wouldn’t that be funny? Maybe, the host can just place a mirror in front of him/her.
While watching this kind of host, even his or her questions are mostly leading questions. One gets the sense that he or she has already decided on a slant for the interviewee to follow. I have been in this TV business for many years but I only really scrutinized lately how devious and annoying some talk show hosts are. Not all of them though.
Till next time —
Tessie O. Taylor
Comments/feedback welcome: taylorteresita@gmail.com