Watched Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix

Yesterday afternoon, I took the subway to the Redhill area to have a look at the neighborhood in preparation for my upcoming home purchase. This area was recommended to me by my friend, since it’s a relatively short distance away from the Singapore CBD.

I walked around the HDB blocks near the MRT station. The buildings looked of decent quality, but I found that it’s not a convenient area for shopping. There was only one supermarket nearby, and no Starbucks or CBTL outlets which could be my regular haunts. I guess I need to keep looking for a neighborhood that really suits my needs.

In the evening, I continued watching the Netflix series “Anatomy of a Scandal,” all the way until the final episode. This show is about a UK cabinet minister who gets charged with a rape accusation from one of his subordinates. It portrays the proceedings of the criminal trial, interspersed with flashbacks of the minister’s dark episodes in his college years, during which he met the woman who would become his wife. It was a fascinating story, and I’m really glad I watched it.

Netflix is filled with interesting shows, to the point where I can almost randomly select a series and end up finding it of decent enough quality. I believe it’s the same with other streaming services like HBO and Disney+. 

It’s only my guess, but I think that artificial intelligence like ChatGPT is used extensively in coming up with a storyline that grabs the viewer’s attention within minutes and keeps them watching episode after episode. It’s one of the reasons behind the current Hollywood strike involving writers and actors.

While I can understand why they feel threatened by AI, I think they’re putting up a futile resistance, since leveraging modern technology only makes economic sense. Instead, we need to embrace it and focus on areas where humans can truly excel in comparison with robots and machines.

Studying English with ChatGPT's Assistance

Although it’s highly exceptional, I am writing this journal entry in the evening, instead of in the morning like I usually do. The reason is that I anticipate being quite busy tomorrow, since I have an online English lesson in the evening, right after dinner. I’d like to finish writing this entry tonight so that tomorrow I will have enough time to study the versions that have been proofread by ChatGPT.

Typically, I write about 350 words in each journal entry mostly on my own, with the occasional assistance of the English dictionaries on my computer. Subsequently, I get it proofread by ChatGPT and have it rewritten, first in American English, then in British English. I compare my original writing with the American and British versions to identify the areas for improvement. 

What I’ve noticed so far is that my written English is more closely aligned with British English compared to American, in the sense that I get fewer corrections in the former than in the latter. Maybe it’s because I’ve been living in Singapore for a long time, where the local variation of English is mostly based on British English, at least as far as the written language goes. Expressions like “wait in a queue” and “alight the train” are commonly used here, which might sound a bit odd for speakers of American English.

Since my personal preference is American English, I pay closer attention to how my original writing differs from the American version by ChatGPT. Sometimes it gets changed quite a bit in a way that surprises me, but when I see that the British version has largely retained the elements of my own writing, I take comfort in knowing that at least I’m writing English grammatically.

Granted, since I am not an AI robot, it’s literally humanly impossible for me to write in a way that closely resembles the proofread version by ChatGPT. However, I find this writing practice hugely beneficial, because through decades of studying, my English has been set in a certain way, and it’s very difficult to get my particular tendencies corrected without the assistance of artificial intelligence. We are so lucky to be studying English in the age of AI, and I intend to take full advantage of modern technology to become proficient in the language.

Went to Brothers Ramen

Yesterday at noon, I went to the hair salon to have my hair dyed. Since I had bleached my hair the week before, this time I only had to stay there for dyeing my hair only, so I was done within an hour.

Unlike my previous visit, my scalp didn’t feel sensitive at all and the whole process went smoothly. In hindsight, I think the reason why it stung so much last week is that I had combed my hair too vigorously before my visit to the hair salon and over-sensitized the scalp to the bleach. Yesterday, I made sure to comb my hair very gently, and managed to avoid the pain.

Once again, I dyed my hair bluish-green. Although I used the same hair dye as before, this time the color came out more vivid compared to the last time. The hairdresser explained that it was due to the one-week break that I took between bleaching and dyeing, which caused a change in the pH value of my hair, allowing the hair dye to set more firmly. While the vivid color makes me feel a bit self-conscious, I’m sure it will acclimatize within a few days.

Afterwards, I walked to Tanjong Pagar to visit Brothers Ramen, a famous ramen restaurant inside International Plaza. There was a long line in front of the entrance, and I had to stand there for half an hour to get in, but I didn’t mind the wait. This ramen restaurant is run by two Singaporean brothers who got inspired by the ramen noodles they ate during their visit to Japan. I was surprised to see numerous Japanese customers there, attesting to the authenticity of their taste.

I ordered a bowl of ramen with several pieces of chashu pork. The noodles were relatively thinly sliced and a bit on the hard side, yet they were quite tasty. The soup was a thick chicken stock, but since I pre-ordered it half-salty, it came mildly flavored, which was just to my liking. I liked the fact that the soup didn’t leave me with a strange sweet after-taste, which happened to me a few times before at other ramen outlets. Overall, I would give this restaurant an 8 out of 10, and I would most likely revisit soon.

Missing George Michael

I woke up a short while ago after a good night’s sleep. I have nothing specific planned yet for today. I just hope I can spend my Sunday in a constructive way.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the hair salon, where I had my hair cut and bleached. Initially, I was planning to dye my hair also, but due to the fact that my scalp smarted too much during the bleach, the hairdresser recommended that I wait another week before dyeing my hair to give my scalp a rest. I agreed with him and left it at that. Consequently, my hair looks completely blond now.

I have no idea why my scalp smarted so much yesterday, since it didn’t smart at all the previous time. The hairdresser used the same bleaching agent as before, so it must be my own sensitivity that has changed. I can only surmise that my scalp smarted badly yesterday because I was still recovering from the cold I had. I hope it won’t smart so much the next time I do it.

Afterward, I headed to Chinatown Point wanting to have a coffee at Starbucks, but it was too crowded so I gave it up. I took the subway to Bugis and went to the gym for a workout. This time, I walked on the treadmill for 50 minutes and lifted some weights. 

Incidentally, I watched another episode of “Glamorous” on Netflix during my cardio exercise. Unfortunately, I’m getting a bit tired of the storyline, and I’m not sure if I can finish watching the entire season, of which I have four more episodes to go. Since I’ve already watched enough episodes, maybe I should cut my losses and move on to another series, as there is a plethora of great shows to watch on Netflix.

Still on the topic of Netflix, I watched the documentary “Wham!” last night, about the eponymous British pop duo that blasted onto the music scene in the early 1980’s and stayed incredibly popular for years. This film recounts how the duo got started and persevered through their numerous trials and errors before finally achieving great fame. It also documented how the unit disbanded in 1986 at the height of their popularity.

Without a doubt, George Michael’s exceptional talent played a big role in producing their hits, but Andrew Ridgeley was also instrumental in forming their musical style, especially in their earlier years. As a big fan of George Michael, I couldn’t watch the film without feeling a tinge of wistfulness and sadness, especially in the bits where George recounted his struggles with his sexuality. He occupies a special place in my heart, and I will always miss him greatly.

Lonely but Enjoyable Friday Night

Finally, it’s the weekend again! This morning, I slept in until 11 a.m., and now I feel completely recharged. I’ve been sick with a cold for most of the past week. Although I’m not completely recovered yet, I feel almost normal now. Perhaps I’ll go to the gym after I get back from the hairdresser this evening.

Last night, I initially wanted to hang out with my friend, but he told me that he couldn't, because his partner had flown back into town that same morning, and he needed to keep him company. Having no other friends to go out with, I spent my evening alone, but it was enjoyable nevertheless.

Yesterday evening, after finishing my work, instead of going to The Coffee Bean like I usually do, I stepped into the conference room at the office, where I studied some English. The conference room was quiet and conducive to studying.

I love studying English with the assistance of ChatGPT. Typically, I compare my own journal entry with the version that’s been proofread by ChatGPT to find out what’s lacking in my English writing.

I firmly believe that this exercise can help me completely transform my English in a way that was unimaginable only a year ago. Moreover, it’s worth noting that none of my friends or colleagues, whether they are Japanese or Singaporean, utilizes ChatGPT for practicing writing in the way I do, so I’m undoubtedly at an advantage in that regard. This exercise takes considerable discipline and perseverance, and it’s definitely not for everybody.

For dinner, I heated some vegetables and minced pork together in the oven, which is one of my favorite dishes. This time, I put in zucchini, yellow pepper, mushroom, ginger and garlic, and used a bit of salt and olive oil by way of seasoning. The dish turned out delicious as anticipated. It’s very simple but highly nutritious, and I could eat it every day. Apart from that, I also had pumpkin soup, along with yogurt and banana for dessert. Overall, it was quite a healthy and sumptuous dinner.

Loving Glamorous on Netflix

Yesterday, I felt a lot better than the day before, as the congestion in my nose had mostly disappeared after a good night’s sleep. I still had to blow my nose to clear the mucus multiple times during the day, but with much less frequency and discomfort.

Last night, I watched another episode of the Netflix series “Glamorous,” starring Kim Cattrall. This show revolves around the lives of Madolyn and Marco. Madolyn is the female CEO of a famous cosmetics company. Marco is a young gay man who is in search of his purpose in life. One day, he got to know Madolyn quite by accident and started working as her second assistant. Madolyn’s company is struggling with diminishing sales. She and her staff, including Marco, try to come up with a creative idea to turn the company around.

When I started watching “Glamorous” a few nights ago, I told myself that I would stop watching if the show didn’t attract my attention within the first 10 minutes. As it turned out, the first episode was far more interesting than I had imagined, and I kept watching until the end. The characters in the show are all likable, and I’m curious to find out what will happen in their lives in the upcoming episodes. I hope a happy ending awaits all of them.

By the way, here in Singapore, the top 10 Netflix series are often dominated by Korean dramas. They must be really interesting, but I don’t feel like watching them, because I’m not that into entertainment, per se. I watch a Netflix show primarily for language-learning purposes, with a particular focus on English. Sure, I could watch those Korean shows that are dubbed into English, but the genuineness of the dialogs would be diluted somewhat, so I still prefer to watch shows that are originally in English. This makes me sound like a weird man, which I probably am, but I just can’t help it.

On the Mend, Slowly but Surely

Although my cold symptoms are still persisting, I definitely feel like I’m on the mend, in the sense that I’m experiencing less congestion in my nose now. I think I’ll fully recover tomorrow if I’m lucky, in which case I’ll go to the gym for the first time in three years.

This morning, I woke up around 4:30 a.m. due to thirst, and couldn’t go back to sleep afterward. Before finally getting out of bed at 6:45, I listened to a few news podcasts while keeping my eyes closed to rest.

According to the news, there are violent protests going on in the streets of Paris now. I was initially planning to travel to Paris in September, but now it seems like a good idea to switch my destination elsewhere for vacation. Would it be Venice, Vienna, or Berlin? I’m still undecided about where to go.

Yesterday, I had a hard day at work, not because of the workload, but because of my cold symptoms. I had to blow my nose to clear the mucus practically every minute, making me consume lots of toilet paper. Luckily, I wasn’t coughing at all, so I don’t think I’ve transmitted the virus to anyone.

I got off work at 6 p.m. and went to Tanjong Pagar by bus to do some grocery shopping for the coming week, which I couldn’t do on Sunday since I was feeling too weak. Although it’s some distance away from my home, I prefer to shop in Tanjong Pagar because the supermarket there has a wider and healthier selection of food items compared to the one in my neighborhood.

When I finished shopping, I stopped by Starbucks to enjoy a cup of decaf Americano. I studied some English there by transcribing my latest journal entry that has been proofread by ChatGPT into my diary, while paying close attention to what sorts of corrections have been made.

I believe that my English writing skills have come a long way since I started using ChatGPT for proofreading purposes, and I intend to keep doing this practice until I feel truly comfortable expressing myself in this language.

Still Recuperating...

I am still feeling under the weather from the cold I’m having. Yesterday morning, I went to the doctor’s to have it seen to, and he gave me medicines for my sore throat and stuffy nose. The soreness of the throat has largely subsided, but the stuffiness of the nose is still hanging on, making it difficult for me to breathe.

This morning, instead of going out for grocery shopping, I rested in bed, trying to recover. I had a series of nightmares ad infinitum during my sleep, all related to work. Fortunately, I don’t have a headache this time, but my head feels a bit fuzzy and I can’t seem to think clearly.

As a matter of fact, the doctor recommended that I get tested for the coronavirus. At first, I was a bit reluctant to do that, because regardless of the test result, I will still have to go to work tomorrow, so it seemed a bit pointless.

Nevertheless, I’ve decided to get tested as soon as I finish writing this journal entry, because it’s always good practice to know my health status to minimize the risk for myself and my colleagues. If the test result comes back positive, tomorrow I will work in the office only during the morning, and from home in the afternoon.

Speaking of the coronavirus, last October, I already got infected once. On the day that I found out about my infection, I had a splitting headache. After a long night’s sleep, my headache all but disappeared, but I kept coughing for a few days afterward. Up until that point, I had already taken four vaccination shots. I shudder to think how bad my condition would have gotten had I not been vaccinated. I could have suffered from long-running after effects from the virus, or even died, so I’m really grateful for the vaccine.

I will take it easy at home for the rest of the day and focus on recuperating. Maybe I can watch some Netflix shows before going to bed. Although I subscribe to Netflix, the truth of the matter is that I only watch it occasionally on weekends. Since I don’t have a long attention span, it’s a grind for me even to sit through a 90-minute-long movie. The same goes for a Netflix series that comes with around 10 episodes per season. I’d be lucky if I could get through five of them.

With that being said, Netflix is an excellent platform with which to study foreign languages, which is by far my biggest passion. Perhaps I should explore its contents more seriously.

Finally, Signed a Gym Contract!

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose, as my cold is still persisting. It’s a bit of a bummer to have a cold over the weekend, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I will take it easy and avoid engaging in vigorous activities.

Speaking of which, I finally chose my new gym and signed my one-year contract for membership during lunch break yesterday. I’d been meaning to get a gym membership for a long time, but couldn’t make up my mind about which gym to join. I’m glad that I’ve finally gotten this issue out of the way.

Can’t wait to hop on the treadmill again after a hiatus of over two years! Aside from doing cardio exercise, this time I’ll seriously train to build muscle to improve my appearance. I strongly believe that if you want to change your life in a substantive way, you need to put your plans into definitive action, not just talking about them.

Moving forward, I plan to hit the gym at least three times a week after work. This means that I’ll have to cut back on my Indonesian studies, but I’m fine with that, as I’m acutely aware of the time constraints I face as a working professional. As the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Once I establish my workout routine, I should be able to readjust my study plan accordingly.

Yesterday, I spoke with my 81-year-old dad on the phone and learned that his best friend from high school had just passed away. He was the CEO of a real estate company back in the day, and was instrumental in helping my dad acquire his current residence in Japan over four decades ago. Naturally, my dad sounded devastated and inconsolable. There is nothing much I can do, but I’ll at least keep calling him daily for virtual companionship.