Feel free to discuss other hobbies and interests here. For some it might be a spot of gardening or relaxing with a cup of tea and Countdown, for example.
Personally I play the guitar and read, I have been playing the guitar for almost 20 years now and was in several bands as a teenager.
I like reading the classics and a recent favorite was the first book in the saga of Remembrance of Things Past by Proust (Swann's Way) and like reading books on creativity, (creative writing etc.) as well.
@Draco_V_Ecliptic
Playing guitar sounds like a great hobby, I was always intrigued at the idea of learning an instrument but sadly never had the patience.
I'm into reading, cycling, board games, table top games, painting miniatures, chess, weight lifting and indoor bouldering (climbing without ropes). It's been a while since I've done any bouldering though, best avoided during a pandemic.
@Draco_V_Ecliptic My brother's currently building his own guitar. My instrument was always the piano, and I also briefly dabbled with a drumkit in my youth.
I fence, and occasionally swing a golf bat. I'm also trying to turn my writing hobby into a career.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I was pretty big into motorbikes, but in the past couple of years I’ve replaced it with cycling which I am really enjoying - 80% commuting miles but I get up looking forward to it these days and it’s a great way to unwind straight after work, I am doing 55-100 miles a week at the mo 😇
I also used to do a lot of video editing, I’d like to get back into filming/editing at some point in the future. I also want to try painting Warhammer again 😂
And I am trying to get into gardening a bit although that’s on literal ice until the Spring.
And finally, I’m not sure if this is a hobby, but I’m on a bit of a mission to learn as much as I can about Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth and all the lore. It’s a good escape from the real world right now.
@kyleforrester87 I'm very interested in The Lord of the Rings books, I've read the Hobbit and started The Fellowship of the Ring, but lost the motivation to continue with that particular saga. Would you say it's worth going back to finish it?
"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray
@Draco_V_Ecliptic it’s quite hard to recommend that you keep reading it if you’re not enjoying the first book as it just gets less and less like the Hobbit, and darker and more complicated as the books continue. I did read it once when I was a lot younger, just before the first movie came out actually so I guess I was around 12? I made it to the end but I remember not enjoying huge amounts of it. This time however, being older and having seen the movies, I really enjoyed say..80% of it?
There is, for me at least, way too much time spent describing certain environments, which sort of causes my brain to switch off because I can’t visualise it. In those instances, having seen the movies was a massive win because they did such a good job of designing all of the main locations, so you can just kind of glaze over the 5 pages describing the colours of the leaves in Rivendell and think about the movie sets. Maybe the book would have benefited from some more pictures!
Faramir wound up being my favourite character in the book - he’s incredibly wise and measured, and they totally ruined him in the movies. And they didn’t do Merry and Pippin justice either, reducing them mostly to comic relief.
@kyleforrester87 the LOTR books can certainly be hard to follow at times, not just the environment descriptions but also when a character is introduced. Something along the lines of Faromir, son of Eomir, son Theomir, son of Doromir, son of Loromir, son of etc. You can get a whole lineage sometimes, that might be more in the Silmarillion though. Have you read that book? It really gives you a good in depth and mostly entertaining history of middle earth from all the way at the beginning!
@ralphdibny yeah sure, it doesn’t help that many characters have several names too 😂
I read a little bit of Silmarillion but I couldn’t get on with it. I also read a bit of the Book of Lost Tales but I had the same problem. So, I’m watching a load of these videos:
With the intention of giving those books another go afterwards. I’m hoping that I’ll get a lot more out of it if I am already knowledgeable going in, a bit like watching the movies before reading LOTR.
@kyleforrester87 I haven't but it's on my Wishlist, I may be interested in exploring the world of Middle Earth in greater detail if I finish the novel(s) anyway, I think it would definitely be worth getting that or something similar.
"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray
@kyleforrester87 haha nice! I think a good tactic for the Silmarillion is to skim over the page long lineages. Even if someone struggled through it, there's no way an exhaustive list of a certain characters ancestors is going to sink in. Still read it but just skim until you get to the good bits which is the actual stories.
Watching the movies first definitely helped me picture and hear the characters in the books. I wasn't that interested in reading them until after I'd seen the films. Overall though, I thought the books were a lot better because they are basically like the extended-extended editions of the films!
The Silmarillion’s lineages are honestly what it’s like reading the Bible.
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. 6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: 7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
One of my interests is that I like watching cycle sport events, like the Tour de France, but also the Vuelta and Giro right now. Looking at the forum topics, that is definitely not close to being a popular sport on this site.
Also, I really am into modern and contemporary art.
I’ve become more interested in spectator sports recently. I use to exercise, but I’ve not been good at that lately. I’d like to get back into jogging, cycling, or swimming, although I’m not good at any of it.
I’ve discussed my casual interest in history and science. I really like museums. I also have a fleeting interest in sociology and psychology. I don’t care much for what makes an individual tick, but rather what makes us collectively behave the way we do.
I’m a horrible cook, but I enjoy trying new cuisine. I’m the guy who has to try everything on the menu, rather than stick with the same dish every time.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
I attempt to make music with various drum machines, samplers and synths; and I love cooking, especially for other people as I am a show-off at heart.
I used to love reading but I have to read a lot of formal reports and research pieces for work, so I've found over the last few years I've barely touched any books at home.
I used to love running but not possible these days. Now I stick with the hill walking. I also play the bagpipes and I've just started trying to learn the guitar. Love history, documentaries and animal programs. During lockdown I started sketching again but very rough as I've not sketched for over 20 years. I am also trying to improve my lack of cooking skills, to be honest this isn't going well.
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Topic: What Are Your (Non-Gaming) Hobbies and Interests?
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