{"id":3476,"date":"2007-05-04T09:13:34","date_gmt":"2007-05-04T01:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stevepeer.net\/wordpress\/?p=60"},"modified":"2007-05-04T09:13:34","modified_gmt":"2007-05-04T01:13:34","slug":"cartman-i-miss-you-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stevepeer.com\/blog\/cartman-i-miss-you-for-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Cartman: i miss you, for now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometime the realities of my life in China, and my former life in Canada contrast, and the drastic differences hit home.<\/p>\n

Language, food, people, customs, and traditions are as different as Macs and PCs. Once upon a time I ate potatoes. Now, I eat rice (which I used to hate, but now gleefully eat. I\u2019ve been assimilated). The differences are too many to list. One drastic difference struck me recently like a cold slap in the face:<\/p>\n

\"tele.jpg\"<\/p>\n

I miss American television.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, American television. With the exception of Trailer Park Boys and 22 Minutes nothing produced in Canada is worth watching.<\/p>\n

Two Hong Kong televisions stations are viewable on my apartment set. Both offer standard fare, albeit six months behind the North American and British schedules. I watch randomly, when allowed. I work evenings and often forget when a series I was interested in is being broadcast. And my wife is a remote hog, who flips between Korean soaps, true crime programs, and snake documentaries.<\/p>\n

My first year here I bought what every newbie does: A DVD player and a towering mountain of discs to accompany it. By the end of that year I was bordering on 500 DVDs, neatly dumped into a large plastic tub, many still in their plastic wrappers. For 10 kuai ($1.25 US) you can never buy too many.<\/p>\n

Movies, mindless entertainment, got very old. I bought a computer and became obsessed with other pastimes. I still buy DVDs, many of which I don\u2019t watch, but plan to should I ever become unemployed, ill, or have a great deal of time requiring me to be immobile on the couch.<\/p>\n

Last spring I was granted the opportunity of watching season 17 of The Simpsons<\/em>. After a single episode I realized how much I missed this animated treasure. The 20 episodes were visually consumed in three days. I laughed out loud, and cried when there were none left to watch. I was forlorn.<\/p>\n

<<\/p>\n

p class=”right caption”><\/object>
\n\"WATCH<\/a>\"FIND<\/a>
\ni am kenny’s father<\/p>\n

A fortnight ago I acquired some episodes of South Park<\/em>, the current season. I hadn\u2019t seen the series in years and thought one or two might make me giggle.<\/p>\n

I was more amazed than I had been with The Simpsons<\/em>. I devoured the episodes, found season 10, and ravenously consumed the 22-minute treats like a lapsed dieter at a cheap buffet.<\/p>\n

Watching television programs via the computer doesn\u2019t have the same feel as viewing it live. Like masturbation, it\u2019s a solo pursuit. There\u2019s no water cooler discussion about The Amazing Race as I am the only one involved.<\/p>\n

There is no one to ask, \u201cDid you see (insert name) last night?\u201d I try to explain the jokes and witnessed innuendo to coworkers. They smile and put up with my stale recollections.<\/p>\n

Yes, I miss American television and the culture that surrounds it. I miss pizza and 24, as I weep over former evenings of chicken wings and NYPD Blue.<\/p>\n

This will pass. Cartman will become a memory, a well-like and distant friend, like my real-life\u00a0pengyous in \u52a0\u62ff\u5927\u3002<\/p>\n

Alas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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