Why I love this bird app

It’s the school holidays. While my eldest Adam is in boarding school, his two younger sisters stayed at home all by themselves. Our youngest Asif? We send him to his babysitter anyway. If I was on leave, I would keep Asif at home by my side. It breaks my heart a little every day when I had to send Asif away. But Linda and I had to work and there was nobody to take look after Asif at home. Yes we could ask Mia nicely to look after Asif while we’re at work but we don’t really like to do that. It is not Mia’s or Adam’s job to look after their youngest sibling or become co-parents while we’re away. That is our job. Mia, Adam and Hana’s jobs are to be children or teenagers, doing what children or teenagers usually do.

And when Mia and Adam and Hana and Asif are fully grown up, I don’t expect anything from them in return. I don’t speak for their mother but I don’t expect to be rewarded with anything. If they want to, I wouldn’t mind but I have no expectations. If they’re happy and content in life, that’s good enough for me. That means I did my job to raise them well and to be a good human being. I know that sounds contrary to our stereotypical Asian values but that’s what I believe. I learned that and much more, believe it or not from Twitter. Yes that damned bird app.

As a matter of fact, I learned a lot of things, especially the correct values of modern human life from Twitter. I used to smack my kids or yell at them when they did something wrong. I don’t do that anymore when I learned from Twitter that that’s not the right way to teach your kids. You can teach your kids lessons without being a dick to them. I used to put some expectation and pressure on them to do well in school and exams and to try to get into a good boarding school, you know, just like Adam did. When Mia did not actually get accepted into a boarding school, I was pretty chilled about it because I learned that there’s more than one way for my children to succeed in life. It is not always that straightforward or obvious.

Apart from that, I always try to make my children question everything that they’re been told about and everything that they learn from school or their teachers or friends or the Internet. Never too early to let them learn some critical thinking and not just follow and swallow everything they’re being fed to.

Depending on the crowd or bubble that you follow, Twitter has a way of correcting wrong and obsolete values. And if you try to spread your antiquated or archaic beliefs, someone will always challenge you and point you to see reason. I’ve learned so much from social media and the Internet in general that it literally changed my worldview and my life, for the better. That’s why I love this bird app.

Best TV series of 2021

2021 has been a year of lockdowns and work from home stint so was I able to binge on more shows than usual? I would be lying if I said no. Yes I know Squid Game was a global hit but it wasn't best enough to be included in this list. Why? Because I said so. Without further ado, here’s some of the best TV series that I watched in 2021 in no particular order.


Wandavision



Although still a new kid in the streaming block, Disney+ brought a constant supply of fresh and good TV series. Wandavision is a brand new spinoff from the MCU, set in the middle of the Infinity War, tells the story of Wanda’s heartbreak after losing Vision. It’s an interesting story with lots of twists, turns and surprises. A must watch for all MCU fans.


Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan



Jack Ryan is not exactly a new series from Amazon Prime but I only managed to watch the show now after I signed up for the service. Based loosely on the Tom Clancy’s book (and movie), Jack Ryan is your typical spy/CIA series in a Murrica against terrorists plot. I’m a sucker for this genre so I find this one quite enjoyable.


Young Rock



Will I watch any TV shows or movies with The Rock in it? You bet! This one about the true-ish story about a young Dwayne Johnson is no different. Plenty of amusing and funny moments in this autobiography of the superstar. Available on Hulu.


Upload



What if you could upload your consciousness to the cloud and transfer them to a virtual body in a virtual world after you die? That is basically the premise of Upload from Amazon Prime. Is it all fun and games in the virtual afterworld? How do you manage your relationship with your living loved ones? Watch this series to find out.


The Falcon and The Winter Soldier



I was not convinced that The Falcon would be a good Captain America and after watching this Disney+ spinoff, I am still not convinced. Yes he does possess the strict moral codes that Steve stood up for but I don’t think he has the charisma or legacy that the Capt had. Together with the Winter Soldier, The Falcon fought a bunch of serum-powered terrorist group all over Europe. Still a decent series from the MCU franchise.


The Mandalorian



If you need one good reason to sign up for Disney Hotstar here, it’s The Mandalorian. This Star Wars spinoff took place some time after the Death Star was blown up and the Emperor was defeated. You get to meet another member of the Yoda species who naturally possess great Jedi powers despite being a wee baby. A memorable performance by Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian and who could forget the surprise appearance of the famous farm boy. Honestly, I think this series alone is better than the last three Star Wars movies combined. A must watch for all Star Wars fans


The Long Way series



What if you could hop on a bike ride your way around the world from west to east and north to south and back? Ewan McGregor and his best buddy Charley Boorman did just that. In the first series, the couple travelled on a BMW bike from London to Siberia and then Alaska to New York. In the second series, they hopped on a bike from Italy to Tunisia and then all the way to Cape Town. In the final series, Long Way Up, Ewan and Charley rode a prototype Harley-Davidson electric bike from Argentina all the way to Los Angeles in America. It’s a travel adventure series full of memorable moments and interesting people and places from all over the world.


Sweet Tooth



After The Sick (rings a bell?), half of humanity perishes and some of those who remained started to produce animal-human hybrids. And those kids are totally adorable! Follow Gus’ adventure in this post-apocalyptic series based on the comic book by the same name.


Running Wild With Bear Grylls



In this series, we follow Bear Grylls and select Hollywood celebrities brave the elements and challenges in the wild, from the deserts of Arizona to the frozen arctic of Iceland.


Loki



Another gem from the MCU and Disney+, Loki introduces us to the multiverse which I believe will become the main theme of the upcoming MCU movies. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Loki’s and his variants adventure with the Time Variance Authority.


The Mysterious Benedict Society



If Wes Anderson was to direct a TV series, this would be it. Adapted from the famous children’s book, this series is a cinematographic masterpiece. At least that’s why I think.


Tales from the loop



Imagine Amazing Stories mixed with a little bit of Twilight Zone but more beautiful. This science fiction drama TV series is based on the art book of the same name by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. Only on Amazon Prime.


Hometown cha cha cha



I don’t usually watch Korean drama series but this one is an exception because the heroine is so cute and they make such an adorable couple. The fact that the storyline makes for an interesting love story also helps.


Cowboy Bebop



Prior to this live action adaptation, I’ve never heard of Cowboy Bebop the anime let alone watch them. The buzz surrounding this release got me interested enough to finish the entire series on Netflix and also watched the original anime as well. Critics be damned, I think they did a decent job with this adaptation and was appalled when they decided to cancel this series. Happy now assholes?


Hawkeye



Ending 2021 was the long-awaited Hawkeye spinoff from the Avengers. While Wanda demonstrates her enormous power and capabilities and Loki dabbles into the multiverse, Clint Barton spent most of the series fighting local gangsters on the streets of New York with his accidental sidekick, Kate Bishop. The bar set by the other Avengers series was so high and I can’t help but feel a tad underwhelmed with Hawkeye’s storyline. Nevertheless, any Marvel fans would be hard-pressed to miss this wholesome family-friendly superhero series, suitable to watch during the Christmas holidays.