If there’s one thing I am thankful to my ex for, it’s introducing me to the sitcom Friends (no, persuading me to wear short skirts and sleeveless tops doesn’t count). Although in retrospect, maybe the thanks should go to his roommate. Hmm…

I absolutely love Friends (despite the association). I tried watching (reruns of) other sitcoms, like Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Malcolm in the Middle, and Will and Grace, but they just don’t crack me up like Friends do. Well, Will and Grace is also great, but there’s a certain limit to how much of Jack and Karen I can take.

Who are my favorite Friends? Hands down, Monica and Chandler. After watching my first few episodes, I felt myself drawn to Monica. I could totally relate to her, and sometimes I can see myself in her character (charing!). I wasn’t fat in my younger days, but I felt I was fat “in essence” (if ever there’s such thing) or the proverbial fat girl. I had a lot of issues with myself and my body, and was desperate to fit in with my schoolmates. Monica followed Rachel around during high school partly because Rachel was popular. I didn’t follow anyone around, but I did place several semi-popular people on a pedestal.

Monica had an older brother that their parents seemed to favor, so she turned to food to fill her need for love. I have a younger sister much prettier than I am, and my parents sometimes expect too much from me, so I turned to books and pets for comfort.

Monica grew up to be a perfectionist and a neat-freak. I’m no neat-freak (you should see my room – it’s a total mess), but there’s a hint of a perfectionist in me. I could be too hard on myself sometimes, and I would hate myself for ages when I screw up a task or a project or whatever. I’d go almost berserk (honest!) if something isn’t going the way I planned it.

Monica would sometimes boss her friends around, but you know this is because she really loves them and thinks she knows what’s best for them. I could get bossy, too, and I’d like to think this is actually because I really care for the people around me.

And Monica is also one of the normal, average kind of woman when it comes to dating. She’s not ugly (hell, no!), but she’s not a bombshell either. Guys don’t just fall on her lap. She sometimes had to get the nerve to ask a guy out for a date, unlike Rachel who claims she’s never done that yet. (It’s weird because Courtney Cox, who played Monica, initially auditioned for the role of Rachel, and Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, initially auditioned for the role of Monica.)

Chandler is such a witty, funny guy. I liked him even before he and Monica hooked up. He has the makings of a nut case because he had a dysfunctional childhood (his parents divorced because his father was gay and later became a transvestite) but he turned out to be a relatively normal person. I also like his sarcasm, his mannerisms, and the deadpan delivery of his punchlines.

I think Monica is lucky to have Chandler because she can feel totally secure with him. Chandler isn’t the type of guy who would cheat on his girlfriend/wife (as compared to the track record of Ross and Joey). And have I mentioned he’s such a witty, funny guy?

The best thing about this couple is that they decided to adopt instead of going through fertility treatments and artificial insemination. Sometimes, an infertile couple has to realize that maybe having a biological child isn’t for them, and that they would be more blessed if they welcome an unwanted/abandoned baby into their home. (Hmm… Phoebe was the surrogate mother for her brother’s triplets, Rachel got pregnant and Monica adopted. The writers covered pretty much everything. :D) Or, it was already the last season and they didn’t want any loose ends, so Monica and Chandler had to have kids as soon as possible. Fertility treatments take years to work and artificial insemination is for lesbian couples, so adoption was the only way to go.

I think I'm rambling already so I better stop here. Basta, I love Monica and Chandler, and I love Friends. I'm dreaming of having a Friends VCD/DVD collection and then holding a Friends marathon for a week. :D