Kids and age have made me set aside most of my hobbies.
Roguelikes: more specific than computer games in general, it’s the die and try again challenge of these that I enjoy. Get better as your knowledge improves, not just as you put the time in, or your muscle memory improves.
Bouldering: we live near a bouldering gym by design. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do much of this for the last 7 years. I did give a route a try at a kids activity centre last weekend though, and despite being out of practice I got to the top and hit the musical alarm thing that blared out across the centre - the only person to do so for the 3 hours we were there! Arms were totally blown out afterwards though, couldn’t do a second route.
Travel: specifically, the low cost, low impact kind. Backpacking, hitch-hiking, overland and unplanned, along with couchsurfing where possible, when that was still a thing. I’ve spent years of my life doing this, and wish I still could. Also motorbike touring, when we had motorbikes.
Scuba-diving: over 100 dives, including some in wrecks and pristine reefs as part of conservation surveys. Another thing I haven’t done in years.
Vassal: I suppose programming board game modules to play online counts as a full-blown hobby now I’ve spent so much time doing it.
I got very excited when I saw your Schlenkerla doppelbock check-in, then got very sad that it just further confirmed that I’m the only person who genuinely likes beer that tastes like drinking a campfire.
Too bitter! I like other rauchbiers, like Jack’s Abby’s Smoke & Dagger, although I’m not sure how far out of Massachusetts they get. Fear not - I passed the rest of the four-pack to my friend and they were gone within a week!
I used to be a huge reader (fantasy and sci-fi), but that sorta stopped when I started working as a translator, since now I spent most of my days reading, it just felt like a continuation of my work. I still read, but not nearly as often. I used to be really into comics too, I should pick that up again.
I also used to be a big video gamer in my single days haven’t done much of that over the last few years, though I’m going through Chained Echoes on the Switch and Maryse and I have a game of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (and Luigi Bros.) going strong!
As to what I AM into…
Metal music, mainly power metal and traditional heavy metal (old school and the modern interpretations). No extreme metal outside of a few select exceptions (Amorphis, mainly). I go to shows when I can, and those are (almost) always a good time.
Martial arts in general. Started with Tae Kwon Do (the Olympic style) in 1997, moved on to Yoseikan Karate in 2003 (after a break of a few months due to relocating for work), then Can-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu with a smattering of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2007 until 2020, when COVID put a stop to that. I’ve now started BJJ again and I’ve missed it a LOT. I also follow MMA, although not as assiduously as I used to.
I am at the stage where I am aware of not wasting time what with kids and a pretty consuming job, which most of the time means that I then am paralysed and end up doom-scrolling or playing apps on the iPad …
What do I have left?
Playing 5s football - twice a week with a range of ages and robustness. Still remains nothing like a solid tackle or a (any) goal.
Cycling (once a week). Don’t enjoy the exercise though it is necessary. Do enjoy the benefits of a squad of men actually chatting.
Drinking. Big fan of booze, esp whisky and more latterly rum. And beer of course.
We watch a lot of telly. There is essentially an infinite amount of high quality modern stuff to catch up on. Partial to dark comedy and funny/light musicals, oddly.
Reading. Thousands of books and keep buying, fantasy and sf. But had drifted away. work book club - all sorts of books - has drawn me back a bit.
Music - lots of types and the occasional gig, now ably assisted by son number one as well as Mrs T. Last week saw Sabaton and Aldous Harding within three days of each other. Both great - what a tonal shift!
Amorphis is awesome When they tour in Germany they always have a concert in my city—Karlsruhe is pretty small and most bands I like prefer Frankfurt or Stuttgart.
When I met my partner the only thing he ever wore was Blind Guardian shirts.
I love metal. It is like SFF so much to choose from and so many different subgenres that I don‘t really need anything else. The subgenres I don‘t get along with usually contain „core“ somewhere. Like metalcore, grindcore or thrashcoregrindmetal (whatever I am just making up something)—exceptions apply. I got into metal via gothic metal (Sins of Thy Beloved, Tristania). Like wine, I know what I like and why, but most of the time I can only guess the genre I have my partner for that who seems to be a walking wikipedia for his interests.
I like
playing and watching football
exercise classes with fun music
My favourite music is thumping dance, squeaky pop and haunt pop (lana del rey, roots manuvas Yellow Submarine)
I’ve got back into reading.
Going to the gym for both treadmill work and Yanga water
Videogames
Popular takes on the middle fuzzy boundary between philosophy and psychology.
I tend to like whisky with strong sherry notes, so some of my personal favorites include Aberlour (especially the a’bunadh bottlings but those can be difficult to find and not all are equally great) and Ardbeg (again the special bottlings are the greatest but expensive even before they sell out).
When I can’t decide at the pub or on a limited menu, I always found that for a good “some of everything” whisky that can do no wrong I end up with Highland Park. 18 yo was served at our wedding at our request. But they changed around the bottling of it probably because of availability of vintages and it is a) far more expensive than it used to be and b) we didn’t like the taste as much last time we tried it.
On the Islay side, I find like Bunnahabhain best (after Ardbeg). Bowmore 18 is a treat.
On the Speyside I have always enjoyed almost anything Aberlour as mentioned before. Balvenie (especially Portwood 21) is another favorite. We get the occasional bottle of an older Cardhu because it mixes very well with hot chocolate oO.
Outside those two large areas as mentioned Highland Park and we have always enjoyed Oban.
I particularly favour symphonic metal styles: Finntroll, Nightwish.early Apocalyptica, Stratovarius, Within Temptation. Combination of raw energy and fun with impressive technical chops.
(Then there’s Burzum, which to me is right on the edge of sounding like music at all. and a good way of resetting my mind when I’ve gone off on something weird. Obviously not a band I’d pay for, but there’s youtube plus adblockers.)
I got into metal with Rhapsody’s first album, Legendary Tales, back in 1998. Symphonic metal is near and dear to my heart for sure. Early Nightwish (up to and including Century Child, I’d say) was fantastic. Oceanborn was their peak, for me.
Any particular flavor? I’m an existentialist in my therapy work and teaching, but I really enjoy being frustrated by Lacanian ideas. I listen to and read a decent bit of Peter Rollins and Todd McGowan. Always excited to explore that fuzziness in general.
Probably nothing you don’t know but I got into it listening to Zizek. I like the podcast very bad wizards which is basically those two poles interacting.
Tea - I love tea. I always try different types. I used to be into Rooibos, and now I’m back to Green.
Music: I’m into folk and other soft indie stuff
Video games: I don’t do this much nowadays.
Walking/jogging: as a WFH drone, I need to do this. The Thames Walk by the river is close to me. Very ideal.
Reading: SF/F mostly. Sometimes, the very dry non-fiction ones.
I prefer reading dry books in this topic rather than discussing. The Dictator’s Handbook (de Mesquita & Smith, 2011) and Why Nations Fail (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012) were my faves out of these. I’m also getting a kick out of Huntington’s Clash of Civilisations due to how outdated it is.
When they tour in Germany they always have a concert in my city—Karlsruhe is pretty small and most bands I like prefer Frankfurt or Stuttgart.
I have my partner for that who seems to be a walking wikipedia for his interests.