Apropos of Nothing

I confess – I am a serial hobbyist. 

I have been in and out of hobbies since I realized that I couldn’t sing. I am the only one in the family who cannot carry a tune.  This is a disaster if you grow up among people who love to sing-along to whatever is playing on the radio-cassette player (which was turned on for 20 hours a day). Having been shushed quite often for singing off-key, I found a way to stump my siblings and parents by being the expert in song lyrics. I wait for that precise moment when they are just making-up the lyrics (or just humming to the tune) and then I belt out the exact lyrics with the right diction albeit the wrong note. This vindictive streak fueled me enough to fill at least two notebooks of the lyrics to most of my father’s favorite country music, 60’s, 70’s and the 80’s hits.

Then I moved on to collecting poems, oratory and declamation pieces. By this time, I had access to my father’s typewriter. I typed-up “I am a Filipino” of Carlos P. Romulo from memory in triplicates (I don’t know why).

One lazy summer, I finished a cross-stitch project.  It was a throw-pillow cover with a big sunflower on it.  Seeing that my interest won’t last, my aunt allowed me to make bigger stitches and I omitted the leaves.

Together with my two sisters and our father’s indulgence, we hoarded an impressive collection of hair ornaments (clips, ribbons and ties of various kinds).  The only price we paid was that we were not allowed to have short hair until the age of consent.

I also had a decent collection of key chains. Almost everyone in my extended family and close friends had contributed to the collection. I never made use of even one key chain – I never had to keep a key until I went to college.

As soon as I could compose a letter, I subscribed to this pen pal service that is advertised in Liwayway magazine. It was both for international and local pen pals. The international stamps proved to be too expensive and the local pen pals are too lazy to write back.  I ended up corresponding with a former neighbor who relocated to Cebu. Her mom visits us often and hand-carries the letters to her. I also got to know my only godfather through letters. He lives in far-away Manila and writes long letters in fine script. His daughter also wrote to me in her kindergarten script. I finally met him and his family when I came over for university studies.   

Later in high school, I got into crochet and made a huge shawl for my grandmother.  It was the hippest thing she ever owned.  The color is neon green. (I wonder where it is now.)

There were only two other hobbies I remembered in high school.  One was writing really bad poetry and editorials for our school paper. Another one was collecting insults to be used indiscriminately against anyone who dares to cross me. The insults were in English because students get fined 25 cents every time we speak the dialect.

In college, I watched TONS of movies. Molave Dorm is just a stone’s throw away from the Film Center (now Cine Adarna).   I subscribed to a monthly pass and posted in my room is the monthly schedule of movies. I watched (sometimes dozed through) most of Shakespeare’s plays in film.  I went through a library of black and white movies (so romantic!). I got introduced to indie films from all over the world (lahat papatulan). I fell in love with Akira Kurosawa. I watched “The Lord of Rings” in animation (wherein Sam and Frodo looks like the same cast for Snow White’s dwarves). I watched uncensored (it’s a free university) art/porn films (your debate) until my stomach heaved. I consumed too many obra maestra that in my head the stories are all scrambled and lost.

Some people have lifelong hobbies.  I am yet to find mine. I should have just learned to sing.

(Coming soon – probably in 2007 – More hobbies)

This entry was posted on Friday, November 10th, 2006 at 3:48 am and is filed under Musings&Mutterings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.