Passion Lost

 

I just finished watching the Indy 500 on television.  I have to say that there was a time in my life when that was really important.  There was a time when I looked forward to it all week.  There was a time when I planned my snacks for the big event, like I do for the Grey Cup.  That time seems like a long time ago.  I guess it just doesn't capture my imagination like it used to.

I still like motorsports.  I dedicatedly watch the British Touring Car Championships.  I love the speed and the technology.  When I write like that, it is hard to understand why the 500 just doesn't do it for me.  I can hardly understand myself.

I am not going to repeat those oft cited 200 laps of left turns.  Those never made sense to me before, and they aren't going to start now.  I also am not one of those people who watch for crashes.  Thankfully safety technology has cut down on the fatalities in auto racing.  Sadly, they have not been eliminated entirely.

Maybe it is the commentary.  Despite the in car views, telemetry and abundant stats, I find some of those racing comments like nails on a chalkboard.  I don't blame the commentators entirely.  I blame them (and all commentators) for relying on cliche and hackneyed expressions, but I know that some of those are directed at less than knowledgeable and casual fans.  In this great high tech, high bandwidth TV universe, couldn't we have a secondary channel where they didn't state the obvious, didn't speak to me like I was five years old?  Let me choose, I might surprise you.

2013: A Year in Hobbies

The most popular place in Tokyo to spend New Year's Eve--in Nanoblocks (fitting isn't it)

 

 

Despite what people might think, Christmas is not necessarily the greatest time for hobbyists.  Yes, Christmas brings the potential of much wanted presents for the hobbyist.  It might also bring a good boxing day sale (as it did in my case) but that doesn't mean there really is time to actually do anything.  Christmas is so full of stuff that the real hobby season may not begin until the start of the new year.

I know there are people out there who had planned and executed their Christmas shopping and preparation by September.  Those people probably have had lots of time to play with trains or build model cars.  Based on what people on my favourite train site are saying, there seems to have been lots of time to improve their models and run quite a few trains.

I have not been blessed with too many vacation days--yes, I am that guy.  They guy you see marching off to work like some lemming every morning while you are still in your PJs enjoying that first cup of coffee.  While this may sound like sour grapes (and at times it is) I was still better off than the people around here who didn't have power until Christmas day.  Even if those people had the day off, they couldn't have run trains or powered an airbrush.

 

The new year is upon us, and I should take stock of the --in terms of hobbies.  Life has been pretty full, but I'd rather focus on what this blog is supposed to focus on.

• I have enjoyed blogging and while this blog's readership has been growing slowly, the blog that I set up to help my students' English has done remarkably well.  I have even done a good job of preparing and working ahead, so I don't need to panic the day before a lesson is supposed to be published.

• I have reconnected with the Nscale.net website and have enjoyed their advice and stories as part of my effort to build my n scale train layout.

• I have built and painted several models, and can feel good about my improvement in these areas.

• I have spent time running trains and have reignited my passion in this area.

• I have come to love Nanoblocks, but hate that they aren't as readily available as their big brother Lego.  While they are popping up at toy stores, they soon sell out and restocking seems to take months.

• My passion for reading allowed me to read 44 novels this year.  While this is by no means a record for myself, I think it isn't too bad since for a quarter of the year I had my head buried in ESL methodology books.

• I found time to do a few Jigsaw puzzles, but wonder what to do with them after they are built.

• I have watched far too much YouTube, but I am happy that the few things I have posted have seemed popular.  Though, honestly, I am not sure why unboxing the Statue of Liberty Nanoblock kit is so popular.  Maybe one of you could watch it and let me know.

• It hasn't been a stellar year for practicing Japanese, but I still feel good about my ability.

In my next blog, I will look ahead to the coming year and what joy it may bring.   Thanks for reading.

 

 

Car Dreams

It may sound corny, but one of the things I want to in my life is build a Cobra replica car.  Knowing my track record with such projects, I should just work hard, save my money (maybe win the lottery) and just buy the thing.  The project would probably take too long and too much space in the garage.... but I just can't let go of the idea.

Why the Cobra?  That and the 1967 Mustang are my two favourite cars.  It probably isn't a coincidence that Carol Shelby had a hand in both of those cars.  They are both beautiful cars.  It also isn't a coincidence that neither of these cars is suited for Canadian weather.  If I had them (and could afford the insurance) they would both be summer cars.  That would mean having them and my winter car....and people say money isn't a solution.

I came close to buying the 67 mustang once.  I went to look at it with the hopes of purchasing it, but the owner, despite making the appointment, didn't stick around to show it to me, or even talk to me.  I guess he didn't like the cadence of my voice over the phone.  Luckily the car was parked outside his house (not a great option in winter in Canada).  His neighbour talked to me about it, but he didn't give me the hard sell and I was able to leave with my money in my pocket.  Realistically, it wouldn't have been a good purchase.  I was in the middle of my studies and within a 16 months would be off to Japan.  I didn't know that at the time, but it is funny how fate works out.

I have never been close to that car again, but I still think about it.  I have seen them build those cars on various TV shows, and every time I have been a little envious.  I really need my own TV show.  They could let me build my dream car and document my mistakes (and probable injuries) for everyone to see..... I had better start working on my pitch.

In England, there is a car company called Caterham, which allows you to build one of those funky roadsters you see in British TV shows from time to time.  It comes as a kit and you assemble it.  It sounds like a dream, except that I watched those guys from BBC's Top Gear get fed up and argue constantly about it.  They said that you might get satisfaction out of building it, but everyone else around you would go completely bonkers.  Of course, according to the video you can buy it assembled for an extra 2000 British pounds.  I am not sure what would be best.

Winter seems to have started early this year (there is snow on the ground), so I guess I had better put off the idea until spring...or I could just let it nag away at me all winter.  Such is the life of a dedicated hobbyist.

Limits

When I tell people I have a lot of hobbies they mostly ask what they are and leave it at that.  The more adventurous ones might wonder how I can afford it.  Funny though, no one wonders where I keep it all.

I have written a couple of blogs about storage, but that's common to all hobbyists.  We've all got tools and supplies and various other equipment.  It takes up space, but most of that is "out of the way" or stuffed into a closet.  There is always room for that stuff.  What nobody really stops to consider is what do you do with the finished products.

If you have a hobby that results in some finished product, you might want to display it.  In some cases you've got to display it.  Sure, you can give some of it away--some people do crafts that turn into Christmas presents.  But, how many times do your family and friends want that stuff?  If it is a quilt, you probably don't mind having six or seven of them, but how many wool sweaters do you want?  How many hooked rugs do you need?  How many paint by numbers can adorn your walls?

Okay, some of these crafts are beautiful.  Hence the reason I wrote that you've got to display them.  Sometimes these crafts are so integral to your life that everyone expects to see them on display at your house.  No problem there.

I, Jack of all hobbies, however, have so many hobbies, and do not often produce things of display quality.  What do I do then?

Limits.  I have limits.  There are only so many of one thing that I can have before it needs to get pared down.  If I make a good car model, it usually displaces a model I am less happy with (though some parts end up in the parts box for that diorama I am going to do someday).  I've only go so much shelf space, and the better models make the bad ones look rather poor.

New magazines displace old ones--or more likely, deluxe editions of books put out by these magazine publishers displace the magazines.  Realizing that they had me paying twice, I read the magazines at the library and only buy the books....but this is a topic for another day.

Train stuff....well, I can always make more room for train stuff.  I am into N scale, and that doesn't really take up  a lot of room.....besides, you've got to have priorities, and you've got to rationalize.

Take my latest puzzle.  I did it because I liked trains.  I thought about putting it up over in the room where there will be a train...but then I realized that wall space was at a premium, and I had already done a couple of other train puzzles that I thought were better than this one.  So what could I do?  Despite my pack rat nature, I am going to pass this puzzle off to someone else who will have to figure out what to do with it once they are done.

No time to Blog

In two short weeks I will have the chance to blog again.  However, the road between here and there is very long and filled with many obstacles.  Be patient loyal readers and the king of nanoblocks will return.





Thank you for all your patience.

Things Get in the Way

Life gets in the way of hobbies.  There, I said it.  Most of you were thinking it, but you didn't want to say it.  It isn't the adult thing to do.  Hobbies are supposed to come after everything else in life, not the other way around.

Perhaps that is true......but I don't always think that way.

In a perfect world my hobbies would be my job.  There would be a way for my hobbies to support me, and fund themselves in the process.  By the way, if you think that is what this blog is for, you'd be partly right.  Someday, someday far in the future, I might have enough readers that this blog makes money..... but that isn't the case right now.  Right now, this blog is more like writing practice.  It would be wonderful if it became more than that, but I don't know if or when that will ever happen.

Besides that necessary evil called work, life is full of things that take the hobbyist away from the hobbies.  Household chores, inside and out, are a huge impediment to getting down to hobbies.  If clean clothes and dishes are not a big priority, perhaps some more hobby time could be squeezed in.  Of course, here in the Great White North, if you don't shovel, you won't be able to leave..... perhaps that could lead to more hobby time.

Most of you, have other responsibilities that eat away at hobby time.  If not responsibilities, there are other things to get in the way.  Today is the Daytona 500.  Anybody who likes modeling cars, might want to watch the race.  Take those hours out of the hobby time.  It has been said many times, something's got to give.

I want to hear from anyone who reads this blog.  How do you set aside time to pursue your hobbies?  What gets in your way?

Hobbies on Television

Why aren't there any hobby reality shows?  When you get right down to it, hobbies seem to be poorly represented on TV.  It seems to me that there is an opportunity for some kind of program on television.  Why isn't there one?

The way I see it we certainly could have shows about making models.  There is such a diversity of models out there that every week could be quite different and reach quite a diverse audience.  One week on airplanes,  (both military and commercial) one week on cars, one week on military models, one week on science fiction, one week on trucks, ....you get the idea.  They could build dioramas, showcase different techniques and materials--and just like those annoying "flea market type shows" educate us with some history.  In Japan, they have a show like this.  It is called Plamotsukuro.  It is amazing to watch.

I would love a show about the hobby of trains.  At least, in this area, there are some programs devoted to real trains, but there isn't enough about model trains.  I don't think it would be difficult to come up with some good programs about building, collecting, and running model railroads.

Of course, there are so many other hobbies out there.  Rather than have a show of people buying stuff hoping to sell it for more, why can't we see the passion of people who aren't in it for the money.  Those shows are on the history channel, purporting to be real, and dishing out relevant historical information.  I think a show about hobbies could do that just as well.

I would think a show about different hobbies could easily find a sponsor.  With Christmas approaching, wouldn't there be a demand for hobbies and toys?  Wouldn't people like to see things that would occupy them on those dark winter nights?

If you're visiting a television channel or network website, don't hesitate to let them know that a program about hobbies would be appreciated.  I certainly will be doing that, as soon as I finish typing this.

Dusting Incidents

As a modeller, car collector, stuff collector, train collector, and general hobbyist, I struggle with a way to display my stuff.  Sometimes it is because I have too much stuff to display.  Sometimes it because I can't find the best way to showcase what I have.  Of course, sometimes it is because, besides myself, nobody really wants to see my stuff.

You might wonder why I need a display case anyway.  You have to realize that the biggest enemy of the hobbyist is dust.  Actually dust is the second biggest enemy.  In reality the biggest is the person doing the dusting.  Thousands of models, toys and collectibles are damaged and destroyed each year in dusting related incidents.  The only way to avoid it is to keep the stuff away from the dusting brush.  The best way to do that is to safely encase it is some display container. 

the dream

Certainly I would love a beautiful, French provincial oak display case that was more furniture than anything.  Sadly, the financial requirements for that go way beyond what I can afford.  Second best would probably be something from IKEA.  Though not as financially draining, it does require using an hex key.  Usually, I have to settle for something plastic.  It is functional, but classy it is not.

the reality

There are quite a few things I would like to put in display cases.  I would love to display my trains.  When I am not using them, it would be fantastic to put the in a nicely made display case on the wall.  Even when I wasn't running them, I could admire them.



I certainly would love to display my car and military models.  At present I have them in plastic display cases that are stored up high in the hobby room.  They really can't be seen, they are just kept from getting dusty.  Of course, I am not sure any of them are really worth displaying.  However, someday, I will build some that will be good enough to show people.

a cool idea



 would make me cry during lockou

I would love to put my Toronto Maple Leaf stuff in display cases.  I've got cards, jerseys (yes, that is plural), pucks. coffee mugs, glasses, bobble heads, key chains, and coasters.  Of course, if there is no hockey this year, such a display my bring me to tears.

I am pretty sure that my Japanese mini car collection would look good displayed.  It would look better if I could work in some of the boxes too.  I will have to research that one a bit more.

I am sure all of you out there are facing the same dilemma.  All I can say is good luck, and hope you can protect your stuff from the reckless dusting brush.

Early September Progress

Progress in any hobby is well earned.  I have been working on a few projects lately--multitasking you might call it.  The weather has been good, so I really haven't wanted to spend much time indoors doing hobby things, but I have managed to make some progress.

a shot of the kit and body parts
 

Here are some Wheels from Jacques Villeneuve's ride.  They turned out pretty good.  I have not always had really good luck with tires.  They don't always fit well, but these were awesome.

This kit is relatively easy to build.   It cries out for some super detailing, but I am not really up to the job.  In addition, this kit is a decal nightmare.  There are so many decals that I will have dishwasher hands by the time I do them all.

 

I am also working on my train buildings.  Not having made one before, it is a bit slow going.  I am not sure I chose the right colours, but I am satisfied with the first attempt.  I certainly learned the necessity of masking when doing this project.  As you you might be able to see, some areas did not turn out perfectly.  As it is an N scale building, this is quite small.  I probably should have put something beside this so you would have gotten a better idea of the scale.

I still need to do something to highlight the grout a little.  I should probably do something to make the widow frames stand out as well.  Of course it still needs windows, a view block, and general assembly.

looks okay from a distance

You can also see my progress on the 289 Cobra.  I had finished most of this a long time ago, but hit a stumbling block.  I had originally painted the body blue, but had to use oven cleaner to get that paint job off.  I decided on black because it was much more forgiving.  Overall this one has not turned out as good as I hoped, but it is nearing completion.

I am a big fan of the cobra.  It represents, my top five car model dreams.  In no particular order I want to someday build really nice examples of

1966 Mustang Fastback

1957 T-bird

Cobra (289 or 427)

32 Ford Roadster (with complete photo etched parts)

Alain Prost's McLaren from a championship season.

 

Of course, I have lots of other model dreams that don't involve cars.  They involve trains, planes, boats, castles, and a whole host of other things.  I may not get to do them all, but now my optimism is quite high, and I believe I am going to try.

Now you know where things stand.



A Need for Speed

Okay, I admit it.  I love car racing.  There I said it.  I have come clean.  I know what you're going to say.  I have heard it all before.  I know all the jokes about going around in circles.  Say whatever you want, it won't affect me.  I know what I like, and I am comfortable with that.  I told you people at the beginning that I loved cars, so really, this shouldn't come as a shock to you.

one of my "to do list" models

Generally speaking I prefer either touring cars or open wheel racing.  So, yes that means I sometimes have to get up very early on a Sunday and watch the races from Europe.  It also means I must scour the internet looking for races that are rarely broadcast on TV channels I get.  A cable channel devoted entirely to fast cars sounds wonderful, but why did they have to put it in the top tier TV package.  How I long for the day when I can choose the 15 channels that I watch and pay about $1 for each of them.  Quake in fear cable companies, that day is coming

What spurred this blog topic was my local paper.  Every week they have a car section and the reporters get to drive a whole bunch of cars that I never will. This week one of the reporters went to a racing school that is located a reasonable distance from my house.  In between fits of jealousy and rage, the fire, the desire, the urge (perhaps it would be too cliché to say the drive) for this hobby was reignited (maybe if I had an editor he or she would want me to use puns like, it got my engine started.... perhaps it's good for all of us that I do not have an editor)

I love the look of these cars

I guess there is a speed demon lurking in most of us.  I love car chases in movies, and I love the roar of the engines.  I have fantasized about racing Porsche 911 down an empty highway, foot to the floor.  These thoughts haven't surfaced for a while (I guess that is what life on a commuter bus does for you) but this newspaper article did it.

So, I did what anyone who had an internet connection would do,  I googled it.  Then of course reality set in.  They have long and short courses.  They have a cool track, great facilities and Van Diemen Formula cars, and a cool program.  The pictures are fantastic and the lust for speed is boiling in my blood.  Everything is perfect, except that to go to this racing academy I would have to give up eating for the next two years.  I grant that it would be worth it, but somehow...... after two years without sustenance, my body would be too emaciated, and I probably wouldn't have the ability to turn the wheels.

vintage and cool

Reality is cruel.  It gives passions, dangles them in front of you, and then watches as you vainly jump for them--it is like playing monkey in the middle with two taller older brothers.

I could write a letter to the editor, hoping to wipe that smug smile off the reporters face, but what good would that do.  It isn't his or her fault exactly (I was too angry to check if it was a man or woman), but my frustration level makes me want to lash out.  I probably won't feel better until I get my own dose of speed.

Just in case somebody wants to know.  Currently, my favourite kind of racing is The British Touring Cars, followed by Endurance Racing (most notably the 24 Hours of LeMan) and then the Australian V8 SuperCars.

Cars, A Passion, Even in Miniature.



I was visiting  a friend for a bit of beer and movie fest kind of night.  I noted that his children had quite the collection of toys.  In fact, his son had a huge toy car case--it probably held 100 cars.  I checked out his collection of cars, and was impressed by the size and choice of his cars.  The fact that he still played with them, despite his love of his iTouch games was also commendable.

I think toy cars are cool.  I had a fun collection when I was a kid.  Most adults with a love of cars would tend to aim for the pricier, highly collectible large scale die cast cars that are ubiquitous these days.  I am not one of them.  I might like to build car models, but I only have one large scale die cast car--I got a Shelby Cobra as a gift one year.  I do love it, but I would rather have a Pocher kit of it to build.  When I think of it, I am sure part of the attraction is that most of us will never get to drive their "dream car."

cool subjects and box art

I enjoyed Hot Wheels and Dinky cars as a child, but I am not really into them as an adult.  I check them out from time to time when I am in a toy store, or a department store.  Nothing seems to grab me.  However, when I am visiting Japan, I always check out the Tomy brand of miniature die cast cars.  Of course, anyone who has read some of these blogs before knows I am a real mark for things Japanese.  However, I am not sure it is the Japaneseness of these products that really appeals to me, or just the overall exotic nature of them.

I love everything about them. 

Maybe it's the packaging.  I mean the box is cool.  I am not really a fan of the North American blister package.  The Tomy box has either a cool picture, or an artistic drawing.  If I were a collector ( by which I mean, looking to make a buck) the boxes themselves would be collector's items. I think it is much cooler opening that box than tearing the blister pack apart.

Maybe it is the subject matter.  Despite the widespread embrace of public transportation, there are a lot of cars in Japan.  Among them, there are a lot of cars which will not be seen outside of Japan.  That kind of uniqueness appeals to me.  Some of the subjects re odd,  but there is also a blade runneresque quality to some of these cars--science fiction come to life, that makes them cool.

a box, stickers, and a cool Lapin

Maybe it is my connection to Japan.  My collection is small.  I bought most of them at a Don Quixote discount store in Chiba.  The price was probably around 125 Yen--which means that these cars probably didn't appeal to Otaku culture in Japan.

a limited edition

A funny thing is that I have never heard of a group of people collecting these cars.  Maybe they do, but maybe this is one of those things that seems so much cooler by an outsider than someone in Japan.

this one is pretty cool, but the packaging?

I have seen some of these cars available at the Pacific Mall in Markham.  The price was a whopping $10 each.  Needless to say I didn't buy any of them.  I would love to expand my collection--I know a purchase service in Japan if I really want something, but I will probably wait until I visit Japan again to augment my collection.  Besides, as anyone can see, I have enough hobbies to tide me over until that vacation.

Lost Marbles

Did people used to play marbles?  Really?  I don't want to doubt a whole generation, or generations for that matter, but did they actually do that?  I tried it as a kid (I think I still have the marble someplace) but wouldn't have really called it a success.

A quick search on the internet does indeed show lots of beautiful marbles.  I could see how the different patterns would appeal to someone.  They would have appealed to me, but my cheap bag of marbles came from some discount store and they all looked the same.  The pictures make them seem marvellous, but that wasn't really my experience.

Another quick search of the internet brings up incredible pictures of kids playing marbles, diagrams of kids playing marbles and more than one oil on canvass painting of kids playing marbles.  Granted most of the clothes look like something out of Gangs of New York, or Once Upon a Time in America--but that is probably because nostalgia for those eras is stronger than nostalgia for the 1970's--and we should all take comfort in that.

I also came across a whole pile of websites devoted to the rules of marbles.  So, I must conclude, albeit with a touch of incredulousness, that people did in fact play marbles.  I will even go so far as to say that a small number of people probably still play marbles today (It wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a Japanese association for this, but I am not going to search for it.)

So what happened?  Did it just die away?  Did it put up a fight?

I guess things change.  That means that someday kids won't play with hockey cards.  Who's kidding who, kids don't play with hockey cards anymore.  They put them in perfect acid free binders, organized and stacked neatly on shelves in hermetically sealed rooms.  Though I never did put them against my spokes I did bash the heck out of them on walls, floors, and any other hard surface.  Since I never had Gretzky's rookie card, I am not losing any sleep over it.

What other things are destined to die?  The 8-track and the cassette are dead.  The Drive-In is almost gone.  DVD rental is almost gone.  CD's are clinging by a last thread.  I suppose one day, even the iPod will disappear.  I hope we will always have plastic model car kits--though maybe the material will change.  I hope we will always have model trains.  I hope we always have RC cars.

As for now, I just lament what is gone.