Booking Through Thursday | What Else Do You Do...

Okay, even I can’t read ALL the time, so I’m guessing that you folks might voluntarily shut the covers from time to time as well… What else do you do with your leisure to pass the time? Walk the dog? Knit? Run marathons? Construct grandfather clocks? Collect eggshells?

Visitors to my blog would already know I spend a lot of time doing yoga. I tried to maintain a 5~6 days a week practice, but when I signed up for WoYoPracMo back in January, I have managed to keep up with a daily practice.

I've been trying to get back to running recently. But right now it's the monsoon season - and it's been raining frequently. So, I've been running just a little.

I used to run (and swim, and hike, and camp) when I was in school. The school did not have a running track, so we always ran outdoors and had fun doing it.

I dislike the treadmill.

I am something of a film-bluff. Among my friends are connoisseurs of European (mainly French and Italian), Chinese, Korean and Japanese cinemas, so we spend a lot of time talking about films of all sorts - and gossiping about actors of course. In fact, I always run into people I know at the local film festivals, some of whom I ONLY meet at the film fests.

While I enjoy films from all around, I guess I have a particular fondness for quirky, indie productions (eg. films like Juno). But I am not an expert in any genre, more a "generalist." And I would watch ANY movies as long as my favourite actors are in it - such as Tilda Swinton, Gerard Butler, Ellen Page, Parker Posey, Lena Headey, Rachel Weisz, Lili Taylor, Helen Mirren, Johnny Depp, Patricia Clarkson, Hugh Jackman, Jodie Foster, Christian Bale - okay, too many to count. I have recently dropped Angelina Jolie from my list of "must watch" actress, because she has gone all funny since she married Brat Pitt.

I have too many DVDs at home, all of them fighting for space with my books and CDs.

I am not above enjoying Hollywood productions, but I am increasingly cynical about how formulaic a lot of Hollywood productions have become, and how they often water down a good story for the sake of appeasing public sentiments.

I also watch plays. I try to support local plays, local drama companies - but watching a play is often more expensive than watching a film.

I'm into music, which would again explain the frequency of the music posts on this blog. I spend a lot of time just listening to music. People call it "lazing around doing nothing", I call it "quality solitude". I can't pin down what genre I am into - I guess I'm into punk, alternative/indie rock - although I have been known to pick up a few country, blue-grass, jazz and classical CDs once in a while. I adore the music of Patti Smith, Sleater-Kinney, Rachael Yamagata, kd lang, Sarah Maclachlan, the Pixies - and once again, too many to list.

When I can, I go for gigs, or concerts.

I think the cello makes the most beautiful instrumental sound in the world.

I spend too much time online, trawling the net for the latest entertainment news. But ironically, not enough time refining my blog posts. My posts can be so much better if I bother to do more editing and re-writing. ;p

A lot of these past-times are often done alone, I realise.