List five things you do for fun.

We all have our hobbies and interests. I recall the first Shohoku practice in the Slam Dunk anime series. Akagi, the incumbent captain ball, asked Rukawa of his hobbies. He mentioned eating and sleeping. Sakuragi let out a snort, as ‘those aren’t hobbies’.

Akagi then instructs Sakuragi to introduce himself. He was enumerating his interests when Akagi cut him short.

‘Stop right there’, he said. ‘I wasn’t asking’.

Anyway, here are my top five hobbies.

1. Reading books. All my subscribers will know that I’m big on books. I especially fancy top-notch crime thrillers and biographies. Mitch Albom’s latest was last text I finished. I’ve read a third of Roland Lazenby’s Magic. I’ve also winnowed about the same for Einstein’s Secretary. Commencing reads is never an issue. Lately, finishing them that has become the problem. There are simply not enough hours in the day for me to knock back these epics.

The Magic book is 530 pages and has an inordinate amount of interviews. This has become the author’s style. Meanwhile, Secretary is about the same length. There’s still 300 pages to get through. I only have a fortnight to crest this mountain. So far this year, I have yet to finish a book but it’s not for lack of trying.

2. Streaming. Since July 2019, I’ve been a Netflix subscriber. I’ve watched and reviewed lots of shows and movies on the platform. Among them are Halt and Catch Fire, Breaking Bad, Parks and Recreation, You, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, The Good Place, City of God, and many more.

You could add shows to your watch list and get recommendations based on your viewing activity. There’s also a separate Downloads section where you can catch up on the media that you’ve saved on your device. If you’ve downloaded consecutive eps of a show, there’s an handy option of deleting and playing the next instalment. On your home page, there is also Continue Watching where ‘the show must go on’. Netflix also offers the day’s Top 10 series and movies, making bingeing even more undemanding. You also get notified whenever there’s a new drop that you may like.

Aside from NF, the SBS app has been cool. They have more documentaries and world cinema picks. There’s also no monthly fee and yes, you could watch the news live. SBS is a good addition to your average NF dose. Heaps of material isn’t on NF. Though the navigation isn’t as painless as NF, they’re constantly improving to work out the kinks. You’ll get dizzy at all these options at your fingertips. See also: stiff neck.

3. Online Shopping. I buy my stuff from various websites. At the top are Myer and The Iconic. This year, I’ve made two orders with the latter. I grabbed a Polo Ralph Lauren LS tee, which is made in Turkey. This marks my first designer jumper. My most recent order included two sets of shorts, including one pure linen one from Marcs.

In the past few months, I’ve gotten a green organic cotton PJ set from Myer. Last December, I also purchased a canvas Converse mid shoe in green. Before their Boxing Day mega sale, I picked up a poodles printed sheet set from My Store. It arrived before Christmas. More recently, I nabbed a Converse hoodie and an LS tee from the same label. I also purchased a medium Tommy graphic logo LS tee, which is also Made in Turkey.

Occasionally, I order from David Jones. I already mentioned my Veja shoes which I bought last month. I also grabbed a plain bamboo tee and check bamboo pants from them. The latter is a good fit. I like Temu’s cheap prices. I’ve made several orders with them. See also: my leather case for my brand new Moto G84. It’s just as reliable as a similar leather case from my older Oppo. I had purchased the latter from Gadgets4Geek. When I tap my Opal card on the reader, it works like a charm. Credits to Ma for discovering this site.

We also have an eBay Plus subscription, good for both your average and hard to find items. In the past year, I’ve ordered 3 large Fritos packs, toothbrush refills, Peter Alexander sleep tops, various music CDs, shoe polish, and The Brown Bunny. We used to pay the monthly fee as we missed out on getting a year’s worth of eBay Plus for free. This year, we got an annual subscription for $4.99.

Aside from this, we have DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. With hundreds of restaurants, they’re our go-to for food delivery. As they say, getting three deliveries in a month would offset the monthly charge. We also have a yearly OnePass subscription, which gives you a range of benefits. Part of this is free delivery on selected products from Target, Kmart, and Catch. I’ve nabbed linen blend shorts and linen pants, more pyjamas, notebooks, a digital weighing scale, yet more Cd’s, and modal clothes.

4. Keeping up to date with the news. I try to catch the evening bulletins to be in the know. I’m interested in local, national, and international news. When I was younger, I read the dailies. After the front page, I’ll take in the Inquirer’s editorial section. The papers remind me of today’s newsrooms. Much like the free to air channels, they have the same headlines. They usually cover the same crimes scenes and drug busts.

I’ve noticed recurring themes on our screens. In our state, the construction businesses are all going bankrupt. The supermarkets are not passing on the savings to loyal customers. Hence, the cost of living crisis is emptying everyone’s piggy banks. This past year, interest rates kept rising, meaning no relief from the landslide. There is some light though, with predictions of looming rate cuts. The same could be said of inflation, which means more reprieved dollars. Meanwhile, housing prices continue to soar. The government must do more for frontline workers, although a recent wage rise would help.

On my iPad, I have the Flipboard and CBS Sports apps. I keep tabs on sports news and world headlines. My favourite NBA teams are Memphis, the Dubs, and Boston. All three teams boast a winning tradition. The Grizzlies have Ja Morant, one of the league’s most electrifying cagers. The Dubs have Steph Curry, undoubtedly the Association’s greatest shooter. Finally, the Celtics boast the countless championship banners on their rafters, though their last came in 2008. Yeah, they also field Jayson Tatum, the reigning All-Star MVP. Jaylen Brown is the league’s first $300M athlete.

5. Music. This might be a very unlikely pursuit, as I don’t appear to be musically inclined. Contrary to popular belief, I’ve always had an ear for the harmonious. As a kid, my ma wanted us to learn the violin. I wasn’t as good as sis, who was beginning to come into her own. While in Manila, my parents also bought an electric organ. Again, I didn’t warm up to it. During first Friday mass, our school always had a great selection of hymns. At this time, I served as an acolyte.

iTunes was a real game changer. The store revolutionised the music industry and democratised playlists to the common folk. Aside from plucking tunes off the store, I also imported my CDs. I have a large CD collection but not as massive as others. It’s getting to be unmanageable. I have been told not to nab any more Yuletide CDs, as we have enough. Regardless, many were the days where I’d listen to music while on the train. I found it soothing. Aside from my wallet and keys, my iPod Touch was my most unstinting companion.

These days, on my PlayStation, I listen to CDs. I don’t use it for gaming, Netflix, or for watching DVDs. I have hits from various periods: from the sixties onwards. Most of my disks were bought new, including recent buys from JB. While CDs were the rage years ago, the industry has gone digital. Spotify and Apple Music are the norm. Vinyl has had a resurgence. Yesterday, when I dropped by JB, one lass bought a single vinyl record for $79.95. Instead of hoarding CDs, the trend has been offloading them.

’Different strokes for different folks’

Some people shoot aliens for fun; others bake cakes. While athletes swing golf clubs in their leisure time, I look at clothes and listen to music. I loved playing board games and teasing out crosswords. Nowadays, I try to learn more from NF and the news. I have transitioned from print to online reports. Anyhow, I’ve always been a voracious reader.

In a recent Aussie NF series, Eli Bell is stunned to find that his father has turned his house into a whole library. Heaps of old reads tower over the place. There’s barely any room to walk. He asks Gus, his older brother, if their dad has read all those books.

‘Possibly. He spends all his money on books and booze.’

Eating a balanced diet is consequential. You wouldn’t want to have a massive heart and a minuscule noggin. To paraphrase a quote, ‘Five heads are better than one’.