“What about a TV? Have you bought it already?”, asked my colleague.

“I’m not getting one,” I replied.

“What??!?!”, he said incredulously.

“Well, I hardly watch TV and I’m ok as long as I have internet access. Even when I was living in Hong Kong, I hardly switched on the TV that my landlord had placed in the flat,” I said.

“How can you live without a TV? What if you have friends over?”, he asked in even more wide-eyed disbelief.

“If I have friends over I would be chatting with them and not watching TV!”, I said.

This was the short conversation I had with a colleague last week while waiting for our food to be heated up in the microwave oven in the office kitchen. I’ll be moving into my own place soon (yay!) and he was asking about the progress of my preparations towards the move.

I know two friends, one in Hong Kong and one in Sydney, who don’t have a TV. Like them, I don’t see the need to have one so I’m not getting one. I know the friend in Sydney watches Netflix on his laptop and he doesn’t see the need to watch it on a bigger screen. Unlike him, I don’t intend to subscribe to Netflix or any streaming service. Somehow over the years, I have weaned myself off TV, to the point that I don’t follow any drama series, sitcom or programme anymore. If I’m using my laptop at home, it’s usually because I’m working on something or reading up on a subject. Otherwise, I would be keeping myself busy by reading a book. The other things I would do at home are sleep and cook. That’s it.

I find that I don’t enjoy watching TV. It’s too passive an activity and I’m just getting fat sitting on the couch. I’d rather be spending my time outdoors and moving around. I’m so sick of being stuck indoors while at work that I’d rather not spend my free time being stuck indoors again. But I don’t mind watching movies occasionally and I do enjoy watching movies on the big screen, especially for big action, superhero flicks. I like that movies are essentially stories – which I love – with movement and music.

In any case, a TV doesn’t have a place in my home. Which is good because I’m also saving money and space!