When we got home, we tried to find something to watch on TV. While we have satellite, of the hundreds of channels we receive, only about 10-12 are English and most of them are news. We will have our CNN fix though during the US election which should be quite interesting!
We ended up watching 5 minutes of an Amharic soap opera which are like Spanish telenovelas, Tamil and Hindi TV serials/soaps, or according to my roommate Mary, Greek soaps. Much like the Tamil and Hindi TV soaps, there was lots of melodrama, over-the-top crying, shouting and much large gesturing. There was no loud or dramatic music or slow motion scenes which are a staple in Tamil and Hindi TV soaps. In terms of makeup and fashion, everything felt very Michael Jackson era circa thriller – think big hair, big makeup, big shoulder pads - it felt like those clips of Spanish telenovelas you see sometimes on Ugly Betty (I think Betty’s father Ignacio watches them religiously on the show). As my Amharic improves, I might try tuning in again…..likely not….but you never know. I always used to hear from my French professor at the University of Saskatchewan that the fastest way to learn a language or perfect your pronunciation is to watch television in that language. So, who knows?
Finally, we ended up watching the last part of a movie from the 90s starring Cher and Ryan O’Neal (I even forget the name now). Like I said – slim pickings on the TV front, which really is good for me – it means more time for me to get caught up on some reading. I don’t know if I mentioned this in a previous post, but my office has such a wide collection of fiction – there is some Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, some Chinua Achebe and whole collection of Agatha Christie. This also gives me more of a chance to explore some classes after work. I hear there is a Yoga class close to my house and I really want to do some volunteering. I will keep you posted on my search for extracurricular activities!
