Everything I watched when I randomly had tonsillitis last month
Picnic Journal Issue #14
Welcome to a special instalment of my newsletter that you didn’t know you didn’t need…
… where I justify spending 1,000 hours watching Netflix by poorly writing about it on my Substack newsletter. Here are some of the things I watched last month (I left out some of the trash that I actually watched to appear more sophisticated).
I had tonsillitis for most of February. It was really bad and I wondered if I’d ever feel healthy again. Maybe I should have spent more time resting than worrying. I’m healthy now thanks to some grape flavoured medicine, and I’m back to my good old anxiety-ridden self again. Side note: my husband and I went to IKEA last week and bought a rocking chair, just thought I’d share that here because it seemed relevant (it’s not). Now, on with the shows.
What I’ve been watching
Here’s the TL;DR list:
Juvenile Justice (KDrama, 2022)
The Big Short (Film, 2015)
Margin Call (Film, 2011)
The Tinder Swindler (Documentary, 2022)
Twenty-somethings Austin (TV Reality Series, 2021)
Don’t Look Up (Film, 2021)
3 million hours of YouTube videos
I watched all of this but still haven’t managed to find the time to watch Encanto
1. Juvenile Justice (2022)
Good lord, can someone pass me several thousand boxes of tissues while I cry myself to sleep thinking about this show? I actually watched this show last week post-tonsilitis but it needed to be included on here because it is a literal masterpiece. Kim Hye-su was so powerful in this show, and her lips are just so iconic that you can’t help but take in every sentence she strings together. Please watch it and please don’t use audio dubbing, it’s a criminal offence. Subtitles are the only way to watch foreign films and TV.
2. The Big Short (2015)
This is probably my favourite movie ever and I make a point to watch it several times a year. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling are so incredible in this film and I love their chaotic douchebag Wall Street energy. As a millennial who was barely literate during the 2007 global financial crisis, watching this film helped me understand what actually caused the GFC. I’m pretty sure I had to study it in high school but this movie did a better job of explaining it. As entertaining as this film is, it knocks down my faith in humanity several thousand notches each time I watch it.
I also paid $3 to rent Margin Call (2011) on YouTube. Another great film about the GFC. Is it too much to ask Penn Badgely and Zachary Quinto to be in another film together? I don’t think this is an unreasonable request.
3. The Tinder Swindler (2022)
Give me a pyramid scheme, a swindler, an MLM, a Ponzi scheme, give me any of them, all of them, any time of day and I am THERE. I live for this kind of content. Netflix, do us all a flavour and keep these documentaries coming. Also, be CAREFUL out there. Question everyone and everything and if something seems fishy, document it, ask for help, get a second opinion, run into the nearest convenience store, ask a kind stranger to pretend to be your long-lost cousin on the street etc.
4. Twenty-Somethings Austin (2021)
Loved this show. I was so excited to watch these twenty-somethings chase their dreams in a city I know virtually nothing about. Just kidding, it was infuriating to watch and I don’t recommend it. My fevers were coming and going at this point and it was either watch this or listen to my inner thoughts before trying to fall asleep with nasal congestion. Was really inspired by the two at the front of this pic who had such a lovely friendship by the end of the show (I can’t remember their names though lol, hope you guys are well).
5. Don’t Look Up (2021)
Because I’m an Adam McKay fan (okay, but who isn’t?), I had to watch it. But I wasn’t that impressed. Amazing cast and director but… I felt like the story was all over the place. It wasn’t really for me and I didn’t really care about any of the characters when the world was crumbling around them (sorry, should have prefaced with a *spoiler alert*). I also cannot remember anything specifically interesting or good from the film to write about in this paragraph, so that says it all.
What I’ve been watching on YouTube
Asian Boss: Interview with a former elite North Korean spy
This was a really interesting interview. I suggest that you watch it if you want to hear about a North Korean’s perception of South Korea and his escape.
Jonathan Pie: 'Boris Johnson Is a Liar' | NYT Opinion
Was my medication playing tricks on me or was this video hysterical?
I went down a Theranos rabbit hole
I watched approximately 45 videos about Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes in the month of February. The whole story fascinates me and also gives me a lot of motivation and confidence for my future entrepreneurial pursuits. It also makes me feel a bit queasy to think about all of the people who were misdiagnosed by one of their blood testing machines. Imagine having the audacity to put a fully assembled iMac into a dishwasher and telling people it can get your work done 45 times faster than a standard computer. It doesn’t make any sense but it’s essentially what Thernaos tried to do with blood testing.
The Behaviour Panel
I became obsessed with these guys during my bout of tonsilitis. They examine the body language of criminals and psychopaths and… Megan Markle? I’ve started noticing their ‘Chaff and redirect’ technique everywhere.
Sailing La Vagabonde
I’ve watched these guys for years but I recently rewatched their short series where they helped Greta Thunberg sail across the North Atlantic ocean in 2020. I can’t believe there are people out there just sailing the world and not living in a house, going to work in an office every day. It’s not really something I’d want to do but it’s so COOL seeing how they live their lives.
What I’ve been reading
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I know I’m late to the party… but I think I had forgotten how beautiful and magical a book could be. I actually don’t think I’ve felt this happy and excited to read a book in a long time. Where the Crawdads Sing was detailed, heart-wrenching, hilarious, vivid and unlike anything I have read in a book before. I wanted to savour each word, each sentence, each period and exclamation mark. I wish I could read this book forever and that it would never end. I highly think that you should consider reading it if you need a book to bring you back to life. Or you can just wait until the film comes out.
Recent YouTube Videos (Yeah, I’m a YouTuber!)
Married life in Korea Vlog
January Monthly Vlog / Books, Muji Haul, galleries and daily life in Seoul
Thank you for reading. Have a great week and don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and give a thumb’s up. Really helps out my channel.
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