Don’t Grumble, Give a Whistle

I’m going to start off with the TV this week, because variety is the spice of life.

Past: Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

This well-known show is absolutely delightful. It’s a story about the trials of childhood–and adolescence and middle age and old age–where danger comes from within as well as without. By turns silly, serious, joyous, and mournful this show is much, much more than children’s fare (as is so often the case). We live in tricky times, it’s true, but I believe Aang can save the world.

Present: Bates Motel (2013- )

Set in a quasi-period/quasi-current time, this show imagines a life for Norman Bates (of Psycho fame) in high school. It’s dark and scary, as you’d expect, but also connects with me not because I’m also an insane murderer, but because it just is great. If you’re into mysteries that loom frighteningly and slither insidiously, this is the show for you.

Anyway, on to the substance for this week. Some news: two of my parental units are visiting from that distant locale–home!

They’re visiting for about two weeks, traveling around the country with a few days in Dublin on either end. It’s a fitting visit, as this coming week marks the longest I’ve been away from home, just shy of six months. It’s not an overly long time, but it’s still nice to see them. I’ve been helping them see the main sights of Dublin. We’ve managed to cover quite a lot of ground, I think. They’ve just left this morning to drive around the country a bit and will be back for a few more days in Dublin before heading home. I finally made it out to Howth (Hoh-th) with them, something I’ve been meaning to do since September. It’s a lovely place, 10/10 would recommend. The lovely Rachel was kind enough to show us around and act as general tour guide/conversationalist, which was much appreciated.

It’s been wonderful for them to visit (I hope they’ve enjoyed it too). We’ve been able to chat and see sights and just hang out and it’s been lovely.

Anyway, I wanted to say a little something about the EU referendum today, because it’s kind of a big deal in a lot of ways. No, I’m not British, or even European, but I reject the idea that that prevents me from having an informed opinion. While I would refrain from weighing in on, say, Taiwanese elections that’s more to do with how uninformed I am than the fact that I’m not Taiwanese. I feel like I have a pretty good background to say something on this issue and that something is that remain is the best choice. To backtrack a bit, if you aren’t aware, there is a referendum today in the UK on whether or not to remain in the EU or to leave. It’s a massive deal–not just for the UK or the EU but really for all of us. One way or another, if you’re British, please please please do your research and vote if you haven’t already. I’ve done a lot of reading and thinking about this and I can’t even vote. So if you can, you should. Democracy is, like, the point of it all, yeah?

If I, as a non-European non-Brit can’t weigh in on this issue, I will at least leave you with one thing. Because a Patrick Stewart homage to Monty Python is about as British as you can get. So I’ll leave you this week by encouraging you to watch this video and by reminding the rest of us that, whatever we may be told, it is selflessness–not selfishness–that makes the world go round. Or, at least, makes it worth the ride.