Bubbles Doesn’t Have A Hobby

Well, not that I don’t have a hobby but I realized that my hobbies are not really hobbies!

Back in school, when we’re asked what are out hobbies, kids would often reply: reading, watching TV, cycling, swimming, playing badminton, collecting stickers. And that was acceptable.

And when we’re older, many people say their hobbies are watching TV, shopping, playing video games and sleeping.

And according to dictionary.com, a hobby is defined as:

hob·by1

–noun, plural -bies.

1.	an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving.

Besides that definition, hobbies tend to be stuff like collecting stuff or creating things. Like collecting stamps, collecting Coke paraphernalia, collecting comics, making toy car models, painting and photography.

It’s not done for profit so collecting comic books and selling them at a later date doesn’t count.

And it’s also done on a fairly consistent basis. I used to collect stickers when I was in primary school and while I still like stickers and buy some now and then, and I still have some of my old collection, I can’t claim that collecting stickers is my hobby (or due to the high chances that adults would laugh at me but then again if you know me well enough, you’ll know I wouldn’t care, as long as I’m having fun).

If that’s the case then out of the list from school, collecting stickers is the only hobby. What about the other activities? If they are not hobbies then what are they? Interests? Dictionary.com defines interest as:

in·ter·est

–noun

1.	the feeling of a person whose attention, concern, or curiosity is particularly engaged by something: She has a great interest in the poetry of Donne

So an interest is not a hobby but is something you do that you’re interested in and are concerned and curious about. So some examples would be reading poetry, doing charity work, restoring vintage cars, traveling and learning a new language.

And a past time is defined as:

An agreeable activity like knitting with which you pass the time.

That means a past time is not a hobby nor an interest but is something you do to while away time? I would say watching TV is a past time but to some people who make time from their busy schedules just to watch a show, it’s not just a past time. So that makes it an interest. And reading can be a past time too, like when one reads while on the train on the way to work but not at any other time.

And what about diving? Hobby, interest or past time? Paul, Sin Cyn and Kokonut Soldier says that diving is a recreational activity because it’s something fun, we don’t do it often, it doesn’t work the muscles much (even though you’re freakin tired after each dive) so it doesn’t even fall into the ‘sports’ category’.

My conclusion is that the stuff we do when we’re not working, running errands, doing chores or sleeping (I don’t consider this a hobby, interest, past time (okay maybe it’s a past time for some who really have nothing better to do ) nor a recreational activity), it’s usually one of the 4 items.

However, the same activity can fall into different categories, depending on the person.

So for me,

My hobby is errrrrrr.... not collecting stickers …... How about collecting Ty Beanie Babies? I didn’t consciously make this my hobby but I do have quite a few of them. And I do sometimes find out who’s retired and who are the latest releases. Okay so I have 1 hobby.

How about colouring? It’s not as skillful as painting, drawing or sketching but it is an art form of sorts.

Oh! Oh! And making stuff out of plastercine, like the birthday cake I made for Patrick. It is just like sculpturing! Just a lost smaller.

So my hobbies are collecting Ty Beanie Babies, colouring and plastercine mounding. Yay!

And my interest is reading, charity work for animals, watching movies and certain TV series, traveling, learning a new language whenever I travel to a foreign country of which language I think sounds good.

Past time is watching TV, charity work for animals and reading magazines & books.

And recreational activity is diving.

What about blogging? For me, it’s a hobby (I do it fairly often and I’m creating something), interest (I read other people’s blogs to learn how I can better mine in terms of writing style and the actual look and feel) and a past time (sometimes I do it when I’m really bored and happen to be online).

So there you go. My research on definition and examples of hobbies, interests, past times and recreational activities.