It's Freddie Highmore's Birthday!

I don’t relish the idea of watching medical dramas. The thought of all the blood and slicing and focus on gore-covered organs is nauseating and instantly off-putting. Nobody is literally beautiful on the inside, in my opinion. This is the main reason I chose to stay ignorant rather than submit to the mass hysteria that spread like the plague with series like House and Grey’s Anatomy. Medical dramas were not for me, thank you very much. I would happily go through life without watching a single one, without willingly inflicting such suffering upon myself.

Well, that’s what I thought until I saw the promo for The Good Doctor.

It looked very interesting, as most trailers do, but what caught my attention was the lead actor. There was something so familiar about him. Freddie Highmore.

I get very excited on unexpectedly seeing someone familiar onscreen. The excitement is directly proportional to how much I like someone and, often, the amount of time and energy spent in finding out who that someone is and where I've seen him/her before.

So, I figured that since they were airing the first two episodes of what seemed like an interesting show which happened to star someone I knew when he was "yea high", I had to check it out. Since it would be on TV, they’d probably censor some of the gory stuff with the careful precision of doctors cutting open patients. (I’m kidding, I know TV doesn’t care to be subtle about censoring)

Well, they did not edit out gory bits. But apart from that, the series is lovely. I'm not sure how different it is from other medical dramas - a gifted doctor who isn’t quite understood by most people shows up at a hospital and makes you wonder how many people who died there could have been saved if he'd been there before. There are some surgical procedures that are shown in excruciatingly graphic detail, but everything else is quite pleasant to watch, although it's often quite emotionally heavy.

There are lots of lovely characters, including gentle, kind Dr Glassman and sweet, spunky Dr Brown, but Shaun Murphy is quite possibly the most beautiful character I've seen on TV in a long time (or, quite possibly, ever). I may be a little biased since I already love Freddie Highmore, but he makes Murphy instantly likeable, and everything about him feels authentic. He reminds me of a high-functioning autistic student I had - the incredible elephant memory, the visualisation of places as maps, the attention to detail, the discomfort with physical contact, the repetition of words and phrases when upset, and so on.

Murphy is so adorable and simple he'll make you laugh and cry, often at the same time. I love that part in the pilot where he talks about wanting to make lots of money so he can buy a TV (and his TV is, in itself, pretty darn adorable). One of my favourite moments on the show so far is when he says he likes Hershey because "Lea is there". Hits you right in the feels.

The Good Doctor is moving but not depressing, and I love it (/him) enough to watch every single episode despite all the blood and gore. Kudos to the writers and everyone involved in making this. And thank you, Freddie Highmore. You're awesome. Here's to many more wonderful characters. Happy birthday.

(Good?) Mornings

It's 7 A.M. and the sun says, "Surprise!

I'm here once again to push you out of bed."

I crawl out reluctantly, rubbing my eyes,

Already angry and half drenched in sweat.

Not even awake but I'm starting to smell.

This is no good morning; this morning is hell.

I stumble about – it's so bright I can't see.

My things simply aren't where I know they should be.

I've tripped a few times and I just skinned my knee.

Why must all the furniture bump into me?

Great, dropped my toothbrush. Well, isn't this swell?

What is a good morning? All mornings are hell.

But somehow I plod through it all in a daze

Until I take one little sip from a mug

And like every other day, I'm still amazed

At how this coffee is so much like a hug

The universe sends you to make you feel whole,

To give your day meaning by touching your soul.

Bitter and sweet, maybe just a tad sour,

It fills my senses, it fills me with power

The way I have always trusted that it would,

And suddenly this hellish morning is... good better.

So, if you must say good morning to me,

Make sure it comes with a mug of coffee.

Presents?

It's that time of the year again when almost everyone is anticipating presents. And I can't think of presents without thinking of this scene from 30 Rock:

For those of you who didn't want to wait for a video to load (although that's a short clip totally worth watching) this is basically it:

Dotcom:    Hey Trey, we just picked up your birthday party invitations from the printer.
Tracy:        Wait, What is this? "Give to charity please. No presents."?
Dotcom:    Yeah, that's what you told me to put on the card.
Tracy:        No Dotcom, I said "give to charity? Please, no! PRESENTS!"

Haven't you wondered why people talk about the two things like it's an either/or situation? You have people who spend absurd amounts of money on things they don't need (although anything must seem practical after the gifts baby Jesus was given) and others who act like they're sacrificing everything by buying stuff for less fortunate people instead of for themselves.
However, cynical optimist that I am, I like to think it's because awesome people don't talk a lot about their presents or how much they're doing for society, or both.

Christmas to me usually means music and food and family. The whole wrapped presents under the tree affair doesn't excite me much, partly because we don't have a tree and partly because I like to get presents when I need them. We're not a family that gets new clothes and stuff just because it happens to be festival time or someone's birthday. Besides, I have very specific and limited wants that no one seems to get. Presents never happen.

Okay, that's not true; we get presents when we get presents, and the more unexpected the timing, the better. I was simply thinking of one of my favourite lines from James Valentine's Jumpman series. It's been several years since I read it, so these may not be the exact words, but it went something like this:
The past is gone, the future is unknown, and the present never happens.

This character in the book explains how, for example, when you consider the idea of the present being now, by the time you've said or thought "now", it's already in the past. Like you're reading this now. It's already happened. Mind-blowing, come to think of it.

So, Christmas is upon us and I shall enjoy it. Doesn't matter that I won't get a present. Not presently, at least. Or now. Or now. Well, you get the idea.
Have an extraordinary merry Christmas!

My Beginning

Originally published on: 22/02/2011 - Remember the date.

Birds flying high, you know how I feel

Sun in the sky, you know how I feel

Breeze driftin’ on by, you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day

It’s a new life for me

And I’m feeling good

-Michael Buble (because I like his version best)

IT’S MY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :)

Random fact: this background theme (Dusk) was launched on this day five years ago, so I had to use it. I might soon change to something else, though. Something more bright and happy. This one’s really pretty, but it’s too dull. I was hoping I could create my own template, but apparently I can’t do that, unless maybe I pay for it. Bummer.

Ah, it doesn’t matter now, because it’s such a wonderful day :)