The Fascinating Addiction

Some say I’m into it too much while others would say that I’m just trying hard to be into it. Yet there those who say I’m sucking the fun out of their addiction that makes the conversation less interesting while there others who say it’s funny to see me getting into a new hobby.

 Well, it’s true that once I get into a new hobby I feel a sense of security that kinda gives me that feeling of confidence and high self-esteem. It goes to the point when the curious boy in me would try to be in the know.

A few years ago, I was soooo into anything Korean. The pop culture of that country really fascinated me that right from the start I got hooked right away. I would download KPOP songs, watch Korean drama serials, and tune in to Arirang TV 24/7 (when we still have that channel from our cable). Eventually, my interest to anything Korean was no longer on a coffee high and I ended up “just” watching dubbed Korean soap operas.

Then there goes that sudden feeling of fascination again with the whole “dubbing” thing. It started when our cable started carrying HeroTV, which airs Japanese animes dubbed in Filipino. That channel would often air short segments that show the behind-the-scenes works of dubbing programs by voice actors.  It didn’t take too long before that interest fizzled out like dried fruit.

One thing funny with all of these is that I really feel that kind of ease just thinking about them. There would be occurrences that I would have daydreams fantasizing myself either being a dubber of a soap opera or some VJ hosting a Korean pop music program in Arirang (Think “Pops in Seoul”). You know the feeling, right?

The latest hobby I’m into Is watching US daytime soaps, those television dramas that shows people talking and yapping and walking around in a darkly-lit room an hour a day. It started with “Guiding Light”, a show that have been on the air for almost three-fourths of a century, followed by “As the World Turns” which has 50 years to boast about, and One Life to Live, about 35+ years and still going strong. I’m not really there for the outrageous stories of sex, fantasy and b!tching that most soaps have been focusing on, especially the suspension of disbelief with regards to the sudden aging of certain characters. I watch US soaps for the melodrama and realism that some would actually feature, in addition to the action and sense of excitement whenever a storyline is given faster-paced and a heart-breaking resolution.

A hobby never really died out of fashion, it just keeps a low-profile knowing I won’t be high on such for much longer. I still love Korean dramas but not as much as before, I am still curious with the industry of voice acting because I could actually make a career out of it someday, and as long as I am still satisfied with how stories are well-executed with US soaps, I’ll continue to watch them for sure.

As I conclude this entry I’m still thinking of another one to write about very soon. :)