I’m sitting in the hospital room I’ve been in since Tuesday and can’t even begin to explain how bored I am. Let’s chat about anything except politics, I could use some distraction.
I collect hobbies and may even know something about your hobbies. What do you like to do?
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I literally just this week picked up a kit for carving 印章 (those Chinese seal stamps) and carved my first one last night.
I botched it.
Thankfully it’s really easy to erase and start over. 🤣
That’s awesome. Sounds like a fun thing to do
That is pretty cool! What do you make them from?
There’s some special stones used for most chops that are durable, yet paradoxically easy to carve. (Not entirely dissimilar to soapstone, but without the soapy feel.) I’ve got about a dozen practice stones, each of which is probably good for at least a dozen attempts to get a proper image on them. That’ll last me for a while and when I reach the end that when I decide if I want to continue or not.
Are they expensive? I don’t think I’ve seen one irl
The kit I got was the most expensive of that particular vendor’s starter kit family and it cost me about 105RMB (15USD). It comes with everything in this picture—original left, (bad) translation right. (Click through to see full size with readable translation.)
It’s not a top-quality kit, obviously, at that price. A top-quality set of chisels alone would be more than five times the price of that whole set, but for beginners it’s absolutely fine. The weird rubber stamps are basically a way of getting an image onto your stone for practice. Anything that’s not red after you do your impression is to be carved down. I don’t want to have to learn carving while I’m learning Chinese calligraphy, so that’s a bonus. Loads of these kinds of rubber stamps are available for both direct use and for practising seal carving, and practice-grade stones are about 0.25USD each. (High quality chop stones can exceed $20 for the size range displayed here and can exceed $600 for the more esoteric stone types in larger sizes.)
And if I decide I enjoy the hobby, I’ll upgrade the components over time.
Very cool! And definitely wise to build up before investing.
I’m sitting in the airport lounge in Accra after spending a week here in Ghana.
I’ve taken so many pictures and I think this has been a life-changing journey. Before this, I used to write daily, but whether from aging or just fading desires, I’d all but stopped writing anything in the last few years. This trip has renewed my fervor for writing again, so I’m just excited to pursue my lifelong hobby writing just because I can once again.
If you’ve got nothing else better to do, I made some daily posts in an old-fashioned blog I’ve kept for a while: https://kaitco.wordpress.com/ (Maybe skip the post where I wallow in depression from Tuesday… 😅).
Tell me about the jollof rice!
I am in love with jollof rice!! I feel like that’s all I ever want to eat for the rest of my life! Haha!
Try a Cajun dirty rice sometime, it’s the only real competitor.
A week is such a short time! I love to travel, but I have to admit, Ghana wasn’t really on my radar. What’s the story behind the trip (if you don’t mind sharing)?
About 20 years ago, my grandmother built a house in Ghana near Cape Coast as a sort of legacy for her children, grands, and great-grands. It’s been on the list to visit while she was still here and also while my dad was still here, so this has been a very emotional journey. My grandmother used to spend about 9 months out of the year in travelling particularly in Africa because she always felt that it was our “true” home.
My aunt goes every other year, and I finally had the time and the means to go. It was a very fulfilling trip because this was our family home, and I was with some of my cousins, too. A week is a short time, but there is so much to see and to do, that even 3 months wouldn’t be enough time. I got a wealth of experiences though even in this short time, and now I can plan better for the next time I come here. ☺️
That’s a great story! Do you travel often?
This was only my second international trip. I travel on average about once a year for work though and occasionally see family in New York and Atlanta areas.
I love to travel any chance I get and New York is one of my favorites.
What is the plan for the next trip?
Well, I’m buying a house in this hellscape market, so this will likely be the last personal trip for a while outside of anything for work. 😅
I’m trying to get a trip to India done, though, for work, but Romania and Dubai may also be work options.
Oof, good luck with the house hunting!
Those are all on my list to visit already, especially Romania. I visited Prague recently and I can imagine how amazing Romania must be.
I’m a newbie in photography. Just got a second hand Fujifilm X-S10 and Sigma 18-50 lens a few weeks ago, making time to go out and explore new places is now the harder part haha.
I love taking pictures, but I’m too lazy to carry my camera around, so I usually just end up using my phone lol
Yeah, that’s also an additional effort lmao. That’s why I was quite firm on not going full frame when choosing a camera. Weight is king after all. The Olympus OM5 and even the EP7 were also quite tempting to me before I got the XS10 (maybe they still are). So small!
I’ve been really interested in pre-colonial american history recently amongst other ancient societies. I even wrote an essay recently on the origins and meaning of the cave motif in Olmec altar thrones. In short, I believe it materially comes from the fact that the Olmecs had only relatively recently left cave dwellings and temporary housings to form the first cities in the Americas. However it also served the purpose of legitimizing the power of the Olmec rulers as caves were very religiously significant. Other mesoamerican mythologies viewed caves as a place that is close to Xibalba, the Mayan form of underworld. Xibalba was viewed as a place like earth that resided within the primordial sea through which the middle world (viewed as a creature drifting in the primordial sea) floats. Xibalba was full of people and creatures which could be communicated with and even bargained with. The shaman-rulers of Olmec society would likely consume hallucinogens and/or deliriants like Datura and then either enter or sit at the entrance of the cave to communicate with Xibalba. Knowing the effects of Datura and plants like it, this had to have been an incredibly unpleasant and probably terrifying experience. I am doubtless that the feat was considered brave. Anywho, the Olmec rulers would have a cave carved at the front and center of their throne, often with someone standing in front of it or exiting it. Fun fact: Sometimes, likely after or slightly before the death of that ruler, their throne would be turned on its side so that it is vertical and carved into what may be the face of that ruler. You can still see the scar of the cave carving on the side of the head for some of them. Here’s some pictures!
pics
I also love the Incans but I know less about them. Their textiles are wonderful though.
pics
That’s really interesting, is it just a hobby, or your day job also?
Just a hobby really but I am taking an art history class and thats why I wrote the essay. Wish I could get paid a decent living to write about it though
How did you get into that? This isn’t a very common hobby!
Honestly it was a natural progression. I got into marxism which means I got into history. So I binged a lot of history youtube and found I really enjoyed pre-colonial American history, especially the Maya. For a time I scratched that itch with youtube videos, podcast episodes, and documentaries but eventually I came to a point where videos were repeating themselves and I wasn’t learning much new. Now, I am a physics major so I read a lot of textbooks and a lot of research papers so I am used to sites like JSTOR and have access to them through my school. So now I spend some of my free time reading about these cultures.
Plenty of alternative sites if you don’t have access though ;)
I’m a sucker for anything non-European in history and folklore. (I don’t dislike the European stuff, just that I’ve been exposed to it all my life so it feels “ordinary”.)
Me too! The unfamiliarity is exactly why I find pre-colonial history so fascinating.
Living in China my own time sink for this kind of stuff is obviously Chinese. 🤣 But before I came to China I was always intrigued by the central American civilizations.
I also have a bunch of hobbies. D&D (well, roleplaying in general, mainly Pathfinder 2e these days); video games, primarily the Age of Empires franchise and survival crafters like Raft, DST, and Factorio; triathlon, as well as running and cycling as separate sports; photography; and music (I play piano, clarinet, and saxophone).
But perhaps the most unusual/unorthodox of my hobbies is fencing. I did sport fencing back in high school, but these days it’s HEMA. Historical fencing based on texts & treatises written during the historical periods. Using weapons that are more familiar historically accurate than the weapons you see in modern fencing. But with modern protective equipment for safety. I do mainly rapier in the Spanish and French styles, as well as some sabre.
Ayyy Pathfinder 2 gang
Been a little over a year since I started actually playing it, and nearly 2 years since I first bought the CRB. It just feels so much better than 5e did, and I still haven’t even been able to really take advantage of it, since I’m playing a published D&D campaign that I’m porting over to PF2, which limits how much I can take advantage of 2e’s encounter and adventure design. Excited for the opportunity to eventually run 2e completely on its own merits.
I’ve been part of a Strength of Thousands campaign for the past year or so. Incredibly fun adventure path for PF2.
Wow, it seems we have a lot of hobbies in common! That is, along with the rest of my family lol.
I played D&D for a long time, eventually my (now adult) son got into it also and still plays. My choice of games is Civilization 4 these days.
My SO does triathlons, at least she did before all the health issues. I ran in the military and have come to find I loathe running. So I just tag along for moral support.
I’ve just recently started getting into photography a little more, and I love music. I used to play the sax as well (baritone), but it’s been a long time.
Fencing is great and such a workout! My whole family has done fencing at some point and my kid was in a team in college.
We also surf :)
Oh damn, nice! I basically skipped Civ 4 just by chance. Huge amount of Civ 2: Test of Time when I was younger, touched on Civ 3 for a little while, and then Civ 5 is my 7th most-played game in Steam.
I was on alto. Definitely miss playing in big band.
Civ 4 will always be my fav. Did you see Civ 7 comes out in a few months? I can’t wait to try it!
I did see that it’s coming out soon! The different ages thing seems like a really neat idea.
But tbh I don’t play it a whole lot recently anyway. Never played 6, and haven’t even played 5 since around when 6 came out
5 and 6 both sucked, which is why I still play 4. You aren’t missing anything.
Oh, I really liked 5. The switch to hexes and the removal of death stacks were pretty huge changes, but also excellent for the game. I’m a bit sick of Firaxis’ tendency to release fundamentally unfinished games that only get completed once DLC have come out, though.
How are you doing now?
Hanging in there. I’m literally watching someone sleep. Contemplating a nap here as well.
How’s life treating you?
I’ve been doing good but slow due to the holidays.
Work is slow, you mean? What do you do?
I work in a branch of the local news or town law that registers and highlights peoples’ good deeds and contributions (think criminal records in reverse).
That sounds fun, unless you don’t have many good deeds :)
That’s the nice part about the whole thing, that there is some faith in the idea that there is potential good in everyone, in such a way that counters the intended idea of criminal records that unceasing shame deserves to be applied to those who do wrong. A large percentage of clients are people with quasi-ruined lives and we challenge that.
We need more of this in the world!
I recently went down a tornado rabbit hole on YouTube and holy crap they are wild!! Some of the videos are so beautiful and some take the style of a true crime documentary that tracks the growth and path of destruction. Would recommend lol.
It’s pretty wild seeing the path they leave behind. Just seeing a straight path right through houses, but only hitting the one in the middle is crazy.
Great post !
Thanks! I really needed the distraction :)
My wife got me a drone for an early Christmas present. Been flying it and I’m scared it’ll kick off another string of expensive hobbies. Also why the hell is DJI so ahead of other drone manufacturers. So if the US bans DJI, I’d have to build my own or pay more for less.
I bought my parents iPhone 16 pros since their phones are getting old (not really they have Pixel 6s). They’re Asian so even though I put them on pixels, they clearly want iPhones. Hope this will get them through for 5+ years. But I know if I don’t upgrade them, I’ll never hear the end of, my phone is slow, my phone is hot, my phone can’t take good photos.
My mom takes so many photos on her phone and always complains about the pixel phone, however IMHO pixels take better photos than iPhones. So either she’ll complain or she’ll complain. She’s rarely super happy about anything. But since she got what she wants, she can deal with the consequences.
Sorry for a little bit of trauma dumping lmao
Shameless plug
https://pixelfed.social/i/web/profile/593007045638062285
I also have an Instagram (but I’ve stopped posting there so I can be more active in the fediverse)
I have been interested in drones, but also was worried about the price lol
As for the rest, I happen to be a fan of iPhones, especially for older generations. Source: my mom refuses to anything other than some flavor of android.
Yeah iw as hesitant too. But with DJIs house insurance, I can fly a little more recklessly. Price is high but the vantage points you get is really nice. Plus the certification process is easy.
I feel like the UI for apple is much easier than android. So overall I think it’s a net benefit for my parents.
Hope you’re doing better now! Sounds like no fun. I’ll send good vibes your way! 🙏
I enjoy gardening, cleaning/tidying things up, vacuuming, basically making everything look neat and fresh! My parents fondly remember that when I was little, I would randomly clean the bathroom and they would always remark how they knew I’d cleaned it because they could see the reflection of their faces on the tiles. I write from time to time, mostly short stories that would fall under the definition of creepypastas or horror short stories.
I also love drawing, here’s some of my work! No AI is used in my process, and you can look at the progress pictures I’ve uploaded to get a gist of my technique!
I’ve used Paint Tool SAI 1 for as long as I’ve been drawing digitally, and I honestly wouldn’t settle for anything else! It’s very lightweight and also old, but it’s a very good app for drawing.
Doing better, thanks, not out of the woods yet.
Your art is pretty amazing!
Glad to hear! Take it easy and be sure to rest up as much as you can! Also thank you so much! I’m glad you like it!
Does your hospital room have one of those 0-10 pain scales? I hate those!! I’m so bad at them! I need something more objective so now i use 4 wakes you up and 7 makes you teary/cry. For 10 they say ‘worst pain imaginable’ so i always think it’s like my arm was ripped off and I’m in a car fire with shards of glass. Nothing has ever been a 10.
Shattered my thigh once. Didn’t hurt too much. Until they moved me. That’s my 10 now.
Nothing else has gone above a 7 since.
I have experience some of what I’m told is the worst pain possible. Kidney stones, migraines that hit like cluster headaches. I wouldn’t rate any of them a 10 because I’m always like… I could definitely feel more pain. Kidney stones are unmanageable pain, but it’s not sheer agony shrieking through every nerve constantly.
Like you could rip off my arm and that would fucking hurt unimaginably, but then you could always pour salt on it after.
Basically you don’t rate pain at 9 or 10. At that point you are unintelligible and someone rates it for you.
I rated it at 9 once, “Wanna know the difference between 9 and 10? I can still control the swearing at 9!”
I had a kidney stone get stuck and infected, the pain was so severe I vomited in the doctors office. “OK, surgery at 5, 5 work for you?”
I get debilitating migraines also, so I can relate.
I’ve heard stories about kidney stones and it sounds absolutely horrible.
This one may be more to your liking.
Mine:
Bear or ninjas! 🤣🤣
It does! It’s especially difficult when they wake you up at 2am to ask.
That is a really good system, it’s going into effect immediately :)
Out of interest, how does one “collect hobbies”? What does that involve/look like?
Basically, I get into a hobby and I do it until it is all encompassing. Then right about the time I get to where you really have to grind to the next level, I lose interest.
Cool. If you would, can you give an example?
Geocaching is one and Ingress another.
I was a hardcore geocacher for about 3 years until I realized I just wasn’t into it anymore. I played Ingress for a few years as well and just kinda burned out.
Ooh I used to love Ingress. Back around 2013–2015 I played a heap of it. Jumped on briefly a few times in the time since. It was a much more well-crafted game than Pokémon Go.
Resistance or Enlightened?
Enlightened. Initially it was just because I looked around my immediate local area and everything was blue, so I figured there’d be more to do with Enlightened. Then I came to realise my city outside my neighbourhood was overwhelmingly green, but we had a really great friendly local Enlightened community. When they moved away from Hangouts and G+ into Telegram I mostly lost touch.
In retrospect, the not-so-subtle political allegory with Enlightened being progressive and Resistance conservative is not lost on me either lol. Not that the meta-plot was especially important anyway.
How about you?
I was also Enlightened. I had a great time, but found myself feeling less and less involved with the community until finally just wasn’t into it. I got to level 15 and then had 0 interest in grinding to 16.
