Wendy is a hero to me. Besides being a super beautiful, kind and successful woman, she was bold. She adopted a boy when she was 32. In her words, “I just didn’t believe it will happen to me. I dated so much but nothing happened. I knew I wanted to be a mom, so I won’t wait.” At the age of 38, she met the now husband Jeff. Within a month since they first met, Jeff received the news to be relocated to Hong Kong. Wendy gave up everything that she has build in US and moved to Hong Kong too. Now she just gave birth to their first kid, a cute baby girl.
When I caught up with Wendy over a coffee, we shared what’s our favourite TV. “I really like Madame Secretary.” Wendy said. I looked suspicious, “I think all American political TV shows are dramatic patriotic propaganda.” “This one has some good contents. I particularly like this one because it shows no matter how perfect a decision may look like there are so many compromises behind. ” Wendy assured me. And because it’s recommended by Wendy, I went to check it out regardless all my horrible memory of Designated Survivor and sort of. I texted Wendy later that week, “I started to watch Madame Secretory. It is good.” What I didn’t told Wendy was I finished all three seasons. I was binge watching TV dramas back then. I felt a bit insecure to tell people that part.
Madame Secretary was still pretty ideal, but without all the dramatic gestures and eye-rolling story-lines. On top of Wendy’s insight, I think it also sent a positive message — we somehow got our perfect result by swallowing all the imperfect options.
To balance my inactive and addictive TV watching behaviour, I signed up for a few trail races. My most hated thing about all these races was their unbelievable early start. For this one in Lautau Island, I had to get up at 2am and caught a shuttle bus at 3:30am. My running partner Lilly was also on the bus. I was napping like most people did, but clearly Lilly took the chance to scan the cute guys. She later sent me a bunch of photos of guys napping or stretching at the starting line. Creepy, but very entertaining.
Besides that little fun, it’s pretty simple on the trail. You shut all the troubles out of your mind. You can only focus on your steps and breathing. Once you finish it, you forget all the pain and suffering but only the pride and joy. I forget if I read it somewhere that you can clear your mind on the trail. I doubt it. I barely got a breath to think of the problem. The trails help you escape your problems but not solve them. Even the peaceful mind and joyful relieve are temporary. I suppose my reservations about ultra started there.
While quite a few people do choose ultras as their therapies, I choose TV shows. I do believe watching TV makes me clear my mind, at least gives me some good inspiration. I can’t believe I just typed that — what a loser to preach watching TV is more helpful than running trails? But I will still organize and share the TV shows that I’ve watched (besides Madame Secretory) during this break below. They are all gold.
House of Cards — I was a late comer for this huge show, but I used the shorted time to catch up. I watched the entire six seasons in a few weeks.
Silicon Valley — This one is so good and real. Hilarious too. Aren’t the reality hilarious?
Narcos — I watched the whole three seasons and realized the best entrepreneur stories that I’ve ever read are not from the biographies of Elon Musk or Richard Branson.
The Good Fight — I followed this show from The Good Wife. The Good Wife is probably my all-time best lawyer show. But the end of Good Wife is still a little disappointment to the awakening of female consciousness (I suppose the TV show title already explains) . While The Good Fight follows that spirit and holds nothing back.
Sex Education — Don’t dismiss this one because of its name. It’s very mature and very funny.
Casa Papel — I tried to watch more Spanish TV shows for my Spanish learning, yet I found it extremely challenging to find a show within my drama tolerance, until this one.