My hobbies:

I suppose these aren't all just hobbies, but also things I keep myself busy with. If you're up for any of the things listed here, drop me a note. I'm always eager to do the stuff here.

• Activities I still try to involve myself with -
  • the Arts: This is quite a vague term, and perhaps, a gross simplification of such a broad arena. I greatly enjoy theatres (live plays and performances), musicals, operas, art museums, ensembles/orchestras, the list goes on.
  • Chatting: I consider this a hobby, since it occupies a large chunk of my free time. This is not chatting on the computer (as the term would imply for tech savvy people), but rather, having sensible conversations that have a certain intellectual or emotional depth. Nothing beats having a cozy chat over a cup of coffee by a fireplace on a cold evening. Up till about five years or so, I was an extremely quiet person. Thanks to P, who helped me become a more effective communicator, and for bringing out my hidden thoughts and feelings.
  • Collecting: Till about 8 years ago, I used to collect computer software. I have to thank BK for getting me started in this. I have a collection of about 1200 disks. I stopped, since it just got too expensive and fruitless (computer software gets constantly outdated). At about the same time, I shifted my interest into collecting music. I have about 200 casette tapes. Then, a few years ago, I shifted to compact discs. Currently, I have around 400 compact dics in collection.
  • Cooking: We all have to eat. Preparing what we are eating can sometimes be fun, specially when done with friends.
  • Eating Out: Believe it or not, I consider this a hobby. I can spend a lot on food when the occassion warrants. I enjoy eating out and exploring different restaurants and cuisines. I used to do this quite frequently (at least five times a week). Lately, I don't do this as often (since it does get expensive). When I travel, however, exploring the restaurants and the local cuisine is always part of the agenda. Favorite restaurant cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Quebec City, and Tokyo.
  • Promenading: There are some stuff whom, at first sight, makes my heart melt. Nature, cute kids (well, all of them are cute), and quite a few cute animals are among some of them. I love nature. I love the mountains, lakes, and the seas. I enjoy walking around nature or parks, and having fruitful conversations along the way. Other times, it's quite enjoyable to be merely with onesself. Promenading around the bright city lights can be a lot of fun too. I guess it depends on my mood.
  • Shopping: Shopping may seem to be an expensive hobby, but who says you can't go window shopping, and enjoy watching people who have money buy the stuff you dream of buying yourself? At worst, you can go around planning which things you'll buy when the right opportunity arises.
  • Social Dancing: I'm not good at dancing at all. However, I love dancing the waltz, since I really enjoy Strauss. I originally got inspired to learn social dancing from watching my parents do it on the few occassions they get a chance. It looked unappealing at first, but I have to thank P and J, for being so patient in teaching and practicing various dances with me. Recently, I tried to learn Swing (Jitterbug); it's a lot of fun.
  • Sports / Physical Stuff:
    I enjoy playing all these sports. Whenever I get the chance, I try to play all these. I've played some of these in a competitive environment (If you know me, you'll never guess which ones). For most of the other sports here, however, I play it just for fun (mostly because I'm not good at them anyway).
    • Aerobics - I have to thank M for introducing me to this, and for pushing me to try it. Thanks to K, who made sure I made it to those late afternoon sessions. Incidentally, to date, I still don't understand why males are a minority in this activity. It's a great way to build endurance. I took a stab at learning how to teach aerobics. Teaching this stuff is much more difficult than what it appears to be.
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bowling
    • Cycling
    • Hiking - I love nature. Hiking allows one to get in touch with nature's beauty, in addition to getting a great workout. I enjoy exploring pristine mountains, lakes, and beaches. Hiking allows one to accomplish such.
    • Kickball (cross of soccer and baseball)
    • Kung-fu
    • Skiing - skiied at Crystal Mountain {in the Cascades, just Northeast of Mt. Rainer, Washington, USA}, Mount Baker {in northern Washington state, USA}, Stevens Pass {in the Northern Cascades, Washington, USA}, Snoqualmie Pass {Snoqualmie area, Washington, USA}, Kirkwood {in the Lake Tahoe area, close to Nevada, California, USA}, Chicopee {Kitchener, Ontario, Canada}, Glenn Eden {Milton, Ontario, Canada}, Beaver Valley {Markdale (Collingwood area), Ontario, Canada}, Bristol Mountain {Canandaigua (Finger Lakes region, central area), New York, USA}. I have to thank T for teaching me how to try to ski.
    • Racquetball
    • Running - Thanks to S, my "personal trainer," who was there for encouragement and to make sure I get help, in case I ever collapsed during those crazy 45 minute running and endurance training sessions. These days, I don't like running as much anymore.
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis - One of my recently adopted sport. One night, T was bored, and dragged me along to play tennis. From then on, I kept on trying to play (though I haven't gotten a chance to spend as much time in the court as I wanted to).
    • Volleyball
  • Travelling: I love travelling. Well, to be more specific, I hate commuting, but I love exploring places. Spending 20 hours inside an aircraft is not exactly fun. However, the exploration and fun that comes with travelling often makes the commute worthwhile. Favorite cities/countries are: Chicago, London, Monaco, Montreal, Paris, San Francisco, Switzerland, and Tokyo. Part of my goal in life is to visit 80% of the countries in this globe (around 120 countries?). I'm about 10% of the way. Each country visited fostered, within me, a deep appreciation for this world we live in. Furthermore, such travels strengthen my awe and faith in our Creator, whose omnipotence is revealed in the splendour of His creation.