What with getting my laptop busted and being under house arrest for a good part of the month due to a cyst that would be removed sometime next week,I wasn't able to accomplish much recently. I wasn't even able to join my friend on our one-week Ilocos tour that I became so distressed. :( (Of all the times that I could be sick, did it really have to be during the week of the trip that I was so excited about and was meant to be the highlight of my year?)
While at home, I got a head-start on watching (and listening!) to different shows.
Elementary is a US series adaptation of Sherlock Holmes (played by Jonny Lee Miller) set in the modern era. Unlike BBC's immensely popular Sherlock, Elementary finds the world's most famous detective solving cases in New York, with the help of his companion, Joan Watson (Lucy Liu). After the 24-episode first season, I daresay I favor this version more, not only because Watson was elevated to being more than just a sidekick but because the relationship between her and Sherlock was among the most multi-layered, complex, believable, and ultimately the most enjoyable development I have seen unfold. This, and the really great twists and deconstructions of the characters (not the least of them is Miss Hudson being queer) makes Elementary a great show that dared take the story of Sherlock Holmes to more than just crime-solving. (Gosh, I love Lucy Liu. And Natalie Dormer.)
Horrible Histories is a children's educational show based on the books by Terry Deary. Regardless of its target audience, the show is pure brilliance that can be enjoyed by all ages. As the title suggests, it features the gruesome, bizarre, and more often than not, ridiculous moments and customs from the different peoples and periods in history. With the hilarious sketches, absurdly catchy songs, and modern retelling of various historical anecdotes, it's impossible not to marvel at the genius of the actors and the production crew. I'm still catching up on the fourth season, while the fifth and final season aired this year (what's with shows that end just as I am discovering them?). There's no other way to describe the whole thing other than really awesome. Haha.
Another awesome stuff that's been occupying my attention lately is the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cannor and voiced by the amazing Cecil Baldwin, Welcome to Night Vale is a free (!) twice-monthly independent podcast that mixes the elements of horror, science fiction, comedy, and even a touch of romance. Told in the format of a community radio show, the horrific events in the desert town of Night Vale are part hilarious in the matter-of-fact and cheeky manner the host, Cecil, tells it, and part disturbing in its existentialist pessimism meanderings. Aside from the supernatural and intriguing events and characters, the show's weather portion features awesome music as well. Seriously, I've made it a personal mission to spread the word about Night Vale so that people will join me in ordering shirts and other products to support and help finance this show. Imagined readers and fellow starers of the void, go give it a listen and learn about Carlos the Scientist, Old Woman Josie and her angels, Dana the Intern, and the awful Desert Bluffs, among others. It's utter brilliance!
I also ended up being in my annual Hogwarts mode--re-reading the books and watching the movies, even wasting time again at Pottermore. I really have no idea when I will outgrow this. I'm not even sure if I really want to, not with the new material coming with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the movie which will be written by J.K. herself.
So yeah, the good lot being stuck at home makes me do. While it is fun and relaxing to stay at home for two weeks, I was almost relieved that I can finally go back to work. :))
