Finding a Better Routine
The least eventful reality show ever, a magical trilogy, mascots and cutting alcohol out of your routine.
Hello,
Happy New Year! Finally, the year from hell is over! But we have a long way to go before things are remotely normal again, and the U.S. vaccine rollout is not exactly going well. And as always, January — cold and unforgiving, at least in some parts of the world — could be a very long month. So that got me thinking about creating continuity through a routine.
During the pandemic, one of the ways I’ve kept sane is by getting into regular habits, which includes some form of exercise every day (usually yoga or a long walk), going to bed at around the same time every night, and getting into a series (either books or TV) that I continually look forward to.
Watch
Getting into a really long series that you can watch continuously during these bleak days can be helpful as a part of a routine. For me, that series is Terrace House, a Japanese reality show on Netflix and one of my biggest pandemic obsessions. I don’t even remember how I found out about it, but once I started watching, I couldn’t stop. Four out of the five seasons are on Netflix, although the network removed a bunch of episodes from the most recent season due to a a terrible tragedy involving one of the cast members.
Basically, the idea is this: three men and three women ranging in age from their late teens to 30s are chosen to live in a gorgeous house together. They each come in with some kind of objective, either to meet someone they can date or some vague professional goal. They leave the house when they feel they’ve met the goal, or because they’re unhappy, or because they got rejected, and new members replace them. The show follows the dynamics of co-habitation and dating between the housemates. There’s also a celebrity panel that comments on what’s happening several times during each episode.
While some of this sounds like other reality shows, there are key differences: filming is occasional, rather than continuous, and cast members live their daily lives, including going to work and school. And very little actually *happens* most of the time.
There are valid critiques of the show but in spite of its problems, it is incredibly, inexplicably soothing to watch.
As a result of the daily exposure to Japanese, particularly conversational, real-life use of the language, I started learning Japanese (すごい!), and I’m working on a running vocabulary journal. It’s also been something to keep me going. (P.S. I recently confessed all of this during an interview with a Japanese newspaper reporter about some of my past work, and I’m very curious if it will make it into her story.)
As I began to run out of new episodes, I took a break for awhile and started watching Midnight Diner, also a Japanese show on Netflix. This is a scripted show about a man who runs a Tokyo diner that operates late at night, and the show follows the characters who hang out at the tiny restaurant. Part of the action takes place on a very small set and in some ways feels like watching a play. It’s melodramatic and I sense there’s something lost in translation, particularly the humor, but it’s entertaining in its own way. One thing I really enjoy is that at the end of some of the episodes, the actors do a little bit where they show you how to cook the dish that’s featured in the episode.
Read
It’s been really helpful to get into a series of very long historical fantasy books, and the Daevabad trilogy did the trick. It takes place partially in the eighteenth-century Egypt and partially in a magical world based on fables and characters from Islamic and Middle Eastern traditions. The plot revolves around a woman from the human world who suddenly finds herself among mythical figures. The first book, City of Brass, is my favorite, and has been picked up for a Netflix series. All three books do a very good job transporting the reader into another world. (Bonus: I got these from the library so I could read physical books instead of e-books before bed.)
If you work your way through those three books and still want more historical fantasy fiction involving djinns, try The Bird King.
Follow
Are you familiar with Japanese mascots? It’s a whole thing. I recently started following Mondo Mascots on Instagram and Twitter and I’m very glad I did.
I also recently started following a Japanese artist named Gaku on Instagram who does Thai-style carvings of fruits and vegetables that are mesmerizing.
Do
A few years ago, I quit drinking for health-related reasons. It ultimately boiled down to the fact that even in small amounts, alcohol ultimately made me feel worse for longer periods of time than it made me feel good. Why would I make myself feel bad when there are so many external forces that could do that? It wasn’t easy in pre-pandemic times, given peer pressure and how many social interactions revolve around drinking, but I’m so glad I did it. I feel better, I sleep better, my skin’s clearer and I’m healthier. I’m also relieved I made this decision well ahead of the pandemic, because I can see how tempting it could be to slip into a drinking routine in quarantine.
I imagine how difficult it would be to quit now if drinking is one of very few escapes available, but alcohol is likely making you feel worse. Even just cutting back is a good first step. Plus, all the cool kids are doing it.
Until next week,
Rachel