baking and knitting
'siri, what is a hobby?'
Hey everyone,
A weird thing I realised during lockdown was that I didn’t have any hobbies, well not really, especially since whenever I start playing The Sims my laptop gets even slower.
The biggest lie is that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life. Because work is work, and you will always get tired of work and things that remind you of it.
In 2017, I sat in the gynaecologist’s lil room, very depressed and just going through all the things and she asked me what I do for fun. ‘I write,’ I replied. And what she said next shook me, ‘No, that’s your job.’ Now, firstly, I can’t believe I said ‘I write’ when writing is not fun. It’s like something you feel you have to do sure, but it’s not a fun activity. I probably thought it made me sound smart.
But what I’ve also realised was that my other ‘hobbies’ like watching movies and series, reading, and even listening to podcasts, aren’t really hobbies anymore. They feel a little like work, because they feel like research, or like I’m ticking something off a list. I still love it, but it doesn't feel relaxing or carefree anymore.
So, I needed to pick up some new hobbies and especially things that I’m not good at, things I have to work at so that I can feel like I am getting better or accomplishing things. Therefore I started baking, and the measuring of ingredients and learning more about the process has relaxed me so much. It’s also nice knowing you make what you feel like. I also started posting about it on my Instagram story because I don’t want to only show people the good parts lol, they must see me struggle, and so many people have DM-ed me to give me tips and help me get better which I love.
I’ve made brownies, scones, pancakes, flapjacks and cinnamon buns so far, but please remember my experience before this was premix muffins and peppermint crisp tart.
I’ve also started knitting. This was mainly because my computer freezes a lot and I usually reach for my phone when this happens and my screen time was scary high, so I decided to do something else with my hands. I’m knitting a long-ass watermelon coloured scarf at the moment and hopefully, when I’m done with that I can do something more advanced. But I’m loving the journey.
What hobbies have you picked up lately?
other things that are on my mind this week:
I am obsessed with Julie and the Phantoms, I spoke about it on the podcast this week and talking about it to anyone who will listen ad nauseum. It is such a beautiful show about a girl grieving her mother and finding her passion for music again with the help of ghost rock band. It’s cute, it’s fun and so well-made. You can read the review I wrote for Channel24 here.
With that being said, I’ve also been exclusively listening to the soundtrack of Julie and the Phantoms. Such catchy songs and they are really really good. You can listen to it on Spotify here.
This week on the podcast, Zaid Kriel said I should watch Howards End because I am such a fan of Hayley Atwell and period dramas. And even without having read the book or having seen the Emma Thompson film, I really enjoyed the miniseries. If you like period dramas and Hayley Atwell, give it a shot. It’s currently on Showmax.
I’ve also been a fan of Agents of SHIELD since it premiered in 2013 and I finally got around to watching the final season. What began as a vehicle for Phil Coulson, really become such a brilliantly written sci-fi show, and these characters will forever be my faves. Melinda May forever! The final season is currently on M-City and DStv Now.
what’s ign crushing on:
This week my podcast, Crushing On announced our partnership with IGN Africa, whereby we will become their official entertainment podcast. New name, same content. This week, Zaid Kriel, the editor of IGN Africa podcast, joined us to chat about the new Mulan movie and the controversies around it, that time he met Morgan Freeman, and why he loves gaming. Listen to it here.
