I”ve been watching Asian Dramas for quite some time now. I began on YouTube with “My Heroic Husband”, it was light and amusing. The next series I watched was more dramatic, Snow Sword Stride. I was hooked.
After struggling through several series on YouTube, I took out a subscription with Rakuten Viki, and haven’t look back. After a year I renewed the subscription. The most recent series watched was The Red Sleeve, an historical drama based on true events, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The next series has yet to be selected.
I watch the Asian Dramas in their original language. I only understand a few words, and rely totally on English subtitles. I am so accustomed to viewing with subtitles that a few times I’ve walked away from the screen to do something, and was shocked that I didn’t understand the dialogue.
Another pastime I enjoy is reading. I was gifted the means to purchase a Kobo some years ago, which provides me with much of my reading material. I originally joined the Kobo subscription service, but found that I had already read the books that were of interest to me.
I cancelled the Kobo subscription, and tried borrowing books from the library with mixed results. It was fine as long as other things in life didn’t come up. But life is life. Often I would find the book expired before it was completely read. It would be taken out by the next person on the waiting list, and too often I found myself on the bottom of that waiting list.
I decided to try to purchase books from Kobo, my third experiment in obtaining reading material. This has worked out rather well so far. I wait and purchase books on my wish list when they are on sale. So far I’ve been purchasing books for $0.99, $1.99, and $2.99. An advantage to Kobo purchases is that I can review the first few pages of the books before purchasing, to see if they interest me. For the cost of a few months subscription fees, I have a collection of interesting books that I can read at my leisure.
On the Kobo I began with the two volumes of the historically based Shogun by James Clavell. I found it well written and very interesting in parts, but was repelled by the cruelty and violence. Although the violence may have been realistically represented in the book, particularly in relation to the ruling classes, its depiction does not entertain me. I doubt these depictions were included in the actual writing of Will Adams, the real life protagonist of the books (Blackthorne in the books).
Most recently read is the book Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett. It was light and enjoyable. Right now I am reading Five Little Indians by Michelle Good, hoping to enjoy it, time will tell.
Another form of entertainment, that Attila and I enjoy together, is jigsaw puzzles. We have setup a card table in the living room, with a extendable lamp overhead, on which to work on our puzzles. We collect them from auctions, yard sales, and thrift shops. Our table accommodates 1000 piece puzzles, our usual choice. Sometimes the puzzles are colourful, easy, fun, and quickly finished. Other puzzles are much more difficult, such as one presently on the table. It is mostly dark colours that are difficult to distinguish in artificial light. Every puzzle begun has been completed.
Attila and I also watch streaming entertainment, usually for about an hour in the evening. We subscribed to Apple TV and have found many of their productions amusing. For example the Ted Lasso series was light and fun, despite the stereotyped female characters.
These are the things that are purely entertainment.
We are also entertained by our own life. Attila is endlessly curious and experimental with his garden. I am endlessly entertained with trying to stay alive, preserving healthy food, cooking healthy food, and attempting to stay active. I am also kept very busy accomplishing a long set of exercises, prescribed for me by several physiotherapists I’ve seen over the last few decades. Attila and I walk two miles every day, with some exceptions, such as right now, as we are not walking out of doors due to the extremely poor air quality from forest fires.
Oh yes, and I like to write, as you may have gathered here.
Worldly
Weather
ORANGE WARNING – AIR QUALITY
4:48 PM EDT Thursday 16 July 2026
Impact Level: High
29°C°F
Date: 6:00 PM EDT Thursday 16 July 2026
Condition:Smoke
Pressure: 101.1 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 29.2°C
Dew point: 12.2°C
Humidity: 37%
Wind: NNW 24 km/h
Humidex: 33
Visibility: 10 km
Quote
“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1807 – 1882