What we say
I'm just going to admit it - I don't "get" Pokemon Go.
When I first heard about the game, I had the impression that the only people who would play it were the ones who had trouble making friends.
Or maybe they were bereft of other hobbies that could occupy their time.
I guess the politically incorrect term would be "losers".
But when the game was released in Singapore yesterday, I started to see the ubiquitous red and white ball appear on the social media feeds of many of my friends.
Oh no, I thought, not them too.
To me, the idea of staring at your smartphone as you wander the streets like the Walking Dead trying to collect imaginary monsters was just ludicrous.
Certainly, there are better ways to spend the weekend, like a visit to the park with the family.
Or a lazy lunch at an outdoor cafe where you can enjoy a conversation with friends.
Then it struck me. Maybe they were doing all that - with Pokemon Go.
One friend took his daughters for a walk through Ang Mo Kio Bishan Park, using the game as a way to explore new places and bond as a family.
Another volunteered to be his daughter's chauffeur as they went on a father-daughter cross-island adventure and had a blast doing it.
Others chose to go pack-hunting with friends for Pokemons, back slapping each other on successful catches and sharing jokes in between PokeStops.
Being a Pokemon fan wasn't a prerequisite for getting hooked - couples, some of whom had never seen a Pokemon before, used the game as a new activity they could do together. (See report on page 4.)
In other words, the game was just another way for people to get together and be people.
How did I spend my Saturday? I took the kids to a martial arts class, got their hair cut, did grocery shopping, then went home.
And while I was doing that, I saw a group of teenagers laughing and discussing where to go next on their Pokemon adventure. Boy, did they seem to be having fun.
So maybe, just maybe, I'm the "loser" here.
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