Tuning into TV in other countries

Clarence was fucking right. When I first saw that part in True Romance when the young lovers are about to ride off into the sunset with a shitload of cash, Clarence is all for the idea, mainly because he wants to see what television looks like in other countries.

Sometimes you feel seen in a movie; sometimes you feel like you're in the spotlight of recognition; and sometimes you just totally agree with everything somebody just said. Fuck yeah, Clarence, I thought then and think now, that sounds great.

We only had two channels when I was growing up, and you would hear about cable and satellite TV overseas, and America had, like, a hundred channels. Man, I had to see that for myself someday.

So when the lovely wife and I did hit the road and travel around the world, there was always some down time in the hotel room before we headed out to the next great sights, and I was always fascinated to see what was on the local stations.

Sometimes I would end up with a surprising connection to home, and other times I was just happy to find the one channel in Egypt that played nothing but crappy old action flicks. (I also saw the Seven Year Itch while waiting for our tour to start in Cairo, but it was the most frsutrating thing I'd ever seen, because they cut out all of THAT scene.) And it didn't matter where you go in the world, there always be lots of Seinfeld.

I also always tuned into the the local news, just to see the strange little focuses on other things that never make it across the world. Fucking love it.

Now we're all watching the same streaming channels now, all across the world, and it's not really the same. But I'll still be tuning in the next time we're in some foreign hotel room ,getting out of the sun and putting on the tube. I just want to see what it's like.

And hell, maybe I'll get to see The Gallows Pole that way.