friends

the finale for the hit sitcom friends was screened in singapore monday. it was a series that spawned 10 years and fired the imagination of many across the world. it was popular with a generation of views because a series that dealt with the angst and issues of twenty-somethings. i think it played a huge role in the whole sit-down-to-chill-at-a-coffee-joint culture that i myself am immersed in.

for years as a teenager, i struggled to understand the issues and the humour. not because it's american, but largely because it was out of my league as a kid -- comparatively at least. but now when i am in my twenties, ironically much when i kindda really 'need' it, it's grinding to a halt.

it is natural end. all good things must come to an end. but i see this as a closure to something that remained close to my heart growing up -- the television phenomenon called situational comedy or the sitcom; and also the demise of the drama series.

in the nineties, sitcoms took on more than a comedic role. it became drama. and drama is life. this is replaced by the current media fascination with reality television. reality television series like survior, amazing race and american idol, cost much less to produce, yet draw in the ratings and this the advertising dollar -- those frequent advertisements on american idol and now singapore idol, is no coincidence.

felicity fired my imagination when it came to college life. it made me want to go to the states to pursue my university education. i was lured by its promise of a liberal education. of diversity, of practical education with its field trips and of a different culture. which i reckon would have gone a long way in making me less uptight. but due to a largely financial reason, i am doing college in the local university instead.

the practice, with its old stellar cast, together and ally mcbeal, fired my legal consciousness. my sense of justice. and ironically helped me decide that a legal career was not one that i should bother with. the long hours, those moral decisions. nah, i'll give it a pass.

and who can forget the television show, ed and gilmore girls -- 2 shows which showed the quirky side of american life and culture. the 70's show and whose line is it anyway? gosh. don't you feel the onrush of adolescence nostalgia already?

it's a sign of the times. a reminder that people do grow up. that twenty-somethings do morph into thirty-somethings. that in the meanwhile, i should make the most out of life as i know it to me. ciest 'la vie.

in other news, i just pissed a female course mate off. i told her that she was beginning to sound like a nag. because she keeps telling me not to stress myself so much everyday i see her online.

yes. i can see vincent sniggering -- what? clement who always nag tells people to stop nagging. r-i-g-h-t...

thing is while i don't mean to piss her off and i am sorry i did. i am not sorry for meaning what i did. i mean -- thank you. but you don't have to keep reminding me to stress myself. especially if i am doing nothing but watching soccer. i know i am not the most not kan cheong person around, but the fever last week has made me realised a lot of things.

ah well. at least i now know how vincent feels when he tells me to stop nagging.