TOPICAL JOURNEY

“In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are.”

Ovid

“Hobbies of any kind are boring except to people who have the same hobby. (This is also true of religion, although you will not find me saying so in print.)”

Dave Barry

“Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.”

Phyllis McGinley

“So long as a man rides his Hobby-Horse peaceably and quietly along the King’s highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him – pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?”

Laurence Sterne

“The best way to make happy money is to make money your hobby and not your god.”

Scott Alexander

“When a habit begins to cost money, it’s called a hobby.”

Jewish Proverb

“Perhaps it is a good thing to have an unsound hobby ridden hard; for it is sooner ridden to death.”

Charles Dickens

“A hobby is only fun if you do not have time to do it.”

Leo Beenhakker

“Many a man has cherished for years as his hobby some vague shadow of an idea, too meaningless to be positively false.”

Charles Sanders

“A hobby is hard work you wouldn’t do for a living.”

“My only hobby is laziness, which naturally rules out all others.”

Anon.

“Today is life – the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake

yourself awake. Develop a hobby.

Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep“ through you. Live today with

gusto.

Dale Carnegie

HOBBY (N.)

Late 13c., hobyn, “small horse, pony,” later “mock horse used in the morris dance,” and c.1550 “child’s toy riding horse,” which led to hobby-horse in a transferred sense of “favourite pastime or avocation,” first recorded 1670s, shortened to hobby by 1816. The connecting notion being “activity that doesn’t go anywhere.” Probably originally a proper name for a horse (cf. dobbin), a diminutive of Robert or Robin. The original hobbyhorse was a “Tourney Horse,” a wooden or basketwork frame worn around the waist and held on with shoulder straps, with a fake tail and horse head attached, so the wearer appears to be riding a horse. These were part of church and civic celebrations at Midsummer and New Year’s throughout England.

CHILDREN’S PASTIMES, GAMES AND TOYS

Egyptian children were encouraged to have fun. After their work had been done they could go swimming in the River Nile, play outdoor games or board games with other children, or amuse themselves with their toys.

Some of the outdoor games played by ancient Egyptian children are still played by children now.

Leapfrog, a game which involves bending over so your teammates can jump over you, and viceversa, is still played now. So is khuzza lawizza, a variation on leapfrog where two children sit on the ground with their hands touching. The object of the game is for other children to continue to be able to jump over their arms as they raise them higher and higher.

Another game that is played today is tug- of-war. Egyptian paintings and carvings show children playing the above-mentioned games, as well as children playing soldiers (this was reserved mainly for the boys) and girls holding hands and going around in a sort of spinning dance. This dance was very vigourous, and was in honour of Hathor, a boys’ game was based on cutting trellises for vines. Boys tried to balance on each other to make vine trellises.

Wooden toys were carved for children. There were dolls for children, mostly flat, and clay beads attached to twine for hair. It is not known whether these dolls were made as toys, or made to be put in tombs, to act as a friend for someone in the afterlife. In some cultures when a person dies a small doll that resembles them is made. The doll must be taken everywhere, and looked after just like a real person. Maybe dolls were made to resemble the dead person’s loved one, so that the dead person would have their loved one with them in the afterlife. If a child died, his or her toys would be buried with him or her, especially if the child was considered of the upper class.

Egyptian children also enjoyed painting and drawing. They made necklaces or charms as a tribute to their favourite god.

The phrase ‘Ancient Egypt’ always conjures up pictures of pyramids being built by thousands of slaves, of rich treasures of gold and other precious materials, and of the great kingdoms of the Pharaohs. But apart from the history of great deeds, buildings, mummies and treasures, archaeologists have also discovered a great deal about how the Ancient Egyptians relaxed and spent their leisure time.

One important source of this information has been the remarkable and detailed tomb paintings found on the tombs of noblemen and Pharaohs. For example, most of the tombs of noblemen at Sakhara and Giza show pictures of the dead person with his family, sitting down in a relaxed way, perhaps enjoying the breeze, or being entertained by musicians, dancers or singers. Other tomb paintings show hunting for sport as well as food. We also know that the Ancient Egyptians played many games in their spare time. Egyptian children played games such as leapfrog outside, and both adults and children played board games indoors. Many of their games seem very similar to ones played today.

HUNTING FOR SPORT

A pastime enjoyed by most Egyptians involved venturing outside into muddy marshes to search for – and even hunt – water birds or, in the desert, to hunt other animals. Other forms of hunting were popular through all classes. The Pharaoh Sahure is shown in some of his pictures hunting animals such as deer, gazelles and antelopes. Noblemen captured wild animals, and the peasants chased after gazelle, oryx, oxen, hares and ostriches. The most commonly used hunting weapons were bows and arrows, lassos, and throwing sticks. Going out for a hunt was a family activity. One tomb painting depicts a family sailing through thickets on a boat. The father stood at the prow of the boat, holding a throw-stick to stun a bird when he was close to it.

FISHING AS A PASTIME

Fish was a major food source for common Egyptian people. They would go to the River Nile, the canals and the lakes to fish. Almost certainly, much of the fishing was enjoyed as a break from harder work as well as being a way of collecting food for the family.

MUSIC AS A PASTIME

The ancient Egyptians loved music. Noblemen held parties where women danced and musicians played instruments such as harps, flutes (these were made of wood and hollowed out, with several holes for fingers) cymbals, and sistrums.

LEISURE TIME IN THE GARDEN

Some families, especially noble or high-ranking families, had their own garden next to their house like people do today. The wealthiest families had a pond in theirs, filled with water from the Nile coming through a little channel, and shade offered by palm trees. The whole family could go outside and relax while fan-bearers waved palm-frond fans to keep them cool.

RIVER GAMES

Egyptians loved playing in water, which is not surprising since they had the great river Nile and a very warm climate. A game on the river - which might have been an exhibition contest or a race - consisted of light reed boats being punted in the same direction, while two or three men in each boat - each armed with poles - tried to push their opponents into the water! After they had successfully knocked all the men off a boat, they would either board it, or tip it over.

SWIMMING

Egyptians were very good swimmers, and they loved to do it. One hieroglyph shows a man swimming; this and other drawings make it look quite likely that ancient Egyptians could swim a style resembling the modern front

crawl. Royal and noble children often took swimming lessons, as mentioned in a biographical inscription of a Middle Kingdom nobleman.

PARTIES

Rich families would often have parties enjoyed by everyone, even the children. There would be many guests,lotsofdeliciousfood,andentertainmentprovided by acrobats, performing animals, or musicians.

SENET

A favourite Egyptian board game was Senet and is similar to the modern game of backgammon.

Sources: http://news.bbc.co.uk

LEISURE TIME IN ANCIENT ROME

Most Romans worked hard for a living. Even the rich had little leisure time as they were expected to take part in government and to serve in the army. However, there were several days each year when people took time off work.

On their days off, Romans might watch chariot races, go to a gladiatorial contest or go to the public baths. Some days off work were religious festivals.

Most Romans had a few hours of leisure time each week, and even days off which were not taken up by the most formal holiday activities. They spent this time alone or with friends.

A popular pastime among Romans who lived in or near the country was fishing. Men would sit on the riverbank with a net on the end of a pole or with a fishhook attached to a string dangling from a rod.

Younger Roman men liked to keep fit in case they had to serve in the army. Most towns had an open field called a palaestra where men could practise running, jumping, throwing weights or wrestling.

There were many libraries throughout the empire. Some were set up by the state, others by rich men. Anyone could enter a library to read a book, but the books could not be borrowed.

Gambling was popular with games based on dice or marked counters being played most often. Some Romans lost all their possessions at gambling matches.

Entertaining friends to dinner, or cena, was a popular activity. The Romans thought that nine people was ideal for a dinner party. Richer people might hire entertainers such as dancers or musicians.

When poorer people wanted to entertain friends they would often invite them to a tavern where they could buy food and drink for their friends.

Children had a wide variety of toys to play with. Dolls and model soldiers were popular toys, as were balls and hoops. Poor children had toys of wood, but richer families bought toys made of ivory or metal.

This is an extract from 1000 Facts Ancient Rome by Rupert Matthews

HOW DID THE VICTORIANS HAVE FUN?

During Queen Victoria’s reign big changes took place in the way people spent their leisure time. Bloodsports like bear baiting and cockfighting were banned. With the growth of the railways, people began to travel more and visiting the seaside became a popular pastime. But the railways also allowed local sporting teams to travel and so sports like cricket, football and rugby began to be organised with agreed rules and national competitions, such as the FA Cup. Lawn Tennis was invented in the 1830s and a new sight on the streets of Victorian Britain was the bicycle, in its various different designs.

There were still old favourites such as going to the circus or the theatre but the invention of the moving picture during the 1890s meant that a new dimension was added to theatre-going.

The Victorians enjoyed listening to brass bands and attending ‘spectacles’. These shows included hypnotism or even communication with the dead using mediums! Circuses and performing menageries were also popular, with Britain being visited by some of the most famous of the time including the Barnam and Bailey Circus who frequently came over from America.

The rise in photography and moving pictures meant that people started going to the theatre, not only to enjoy plays and spectacles, but also to watch recordings of sporting events as you can see from the sources here. Sporting pastimes, such as cycling, rowing and horseracing were also popular, and large crowds would often attend sailing events like the Henley Regatta and famous horse races such as the Epsom Derby.

One of the largest events of the Victorian calendar was the famous Great Exhibition, held in 1851. This huge event was organised by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victora, and was held in Hyde Park in London. At the centre of the exhibition was the famous ‘Crystal Palace’ which was built to house the exhibitions of culture and industry from around the Empire.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES FOR FREE TIME AND HOBBIES

to be an enthusiast of something to be actively interested in something

avid to be very enthusiastic about something

outdoorsman a person who enjoys being outside and doing outdoor activities

a buff a person who is really interested in a certain activity or subject

to be a freak of something to like something so much that it is almost unhealthy couch potato a person who sits in front of the TV all day

gamer a person who plays a lot of video games

party animal a person who is always up for a party and usually takes it too far homebody a person who always stays at home instead of going out

to be a regular to be a person who is always at a certain place like a restaurant or bar

a Mr. Fix it to be good with tools and fixing things around the house

to tinker around to casually repair or adjust mechanical items like cars or computers

to be a do-gooder a person who spends free time trying to help others

a social butterfly a person who loves social interaction and is always out with friends

to be an outdoor guy to be a person who is known for liking and participating in a certain activity

Compiled by Tatyana Makhrina

Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The “need to do something for recreation” is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be “fun”.

The term recreation implies participation to be healthy refreshing mind and body.

Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It also excludes time spent on necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education.

The word pursuit also means an activity, such as a vocation or hobby, engaged in regularly.

Amusement: 1. something that you enjoy doing; 2. an activity that is provided for entertainment.

Escapism something pleasant or exciting that helps you to forget about real life and the boring or unpleasant parts of it.

English

30

April 2013

Collecting as a Hobby

Collecting is a practice with a very old cultural history. The Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty collected books from all over the known world at the Library of Alexandria. The Medici family, in

Renaissance Florence, made the first effort to collect art by private patronage, this way artists could be free for the first time from the money given by the Church and Kings; this citizenship tradition continues today with the work of private art collectors.

The fact that stamp collecting has long been the most popular hobby in the world, with over 16 million enthusiasts in the United States alone, is a good indication of how much fascination and appeal these colorful little pieces of

gummed paper exert.

Robert Obojski,

A First Stamp Album

for Beginners

FAMOUS STAMP COLLECTORS

The stamp collection assembled by French/

Austrian aristocrat Philipp von Ferrary (1850– 1917) at the beginning of the 20th century is widely considered the most complete stamp collection ever formed (or likely to be formed).

It included, for example, all of the rare stamps described above that had been issued by 1917. However, as Ferrary was an Austrian citizen, the collection was broken up and sold by the French government after the First World War, as war reparations.

Several European monarchs were keen stamp collectors, including King George V of the United Kingdom and King Carol II of Romania. King George V possessed one of the most valuable stamp collections in the world and became

President of the Royal Philatelic Society. His collection was passed on to Queen Elizabeth II who, while not a serious philatelist, has a collection of British and Commonwealth first day covers which she started in 1952.

Franklin Roosevelt, who designed several American commemorative stamps while U.S. President, was a stamp collector. Late in life Ayn

Rand renewed her childhood interest in stamps and became an enthusiastic collector.

Several entertainment and sport personalities have been known to be collectors. Freddie

Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, collected stamps as a child. His childhood stamp album is in the collection of the British Postal

Museum & Archive. John Lennon of The Beatles was a childhood stamp collector. His stamp album is held by the National Postal Museum.

Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare, or reside only in museums.

COLLECTIBLE COINS

Hoarding coins due to their values goes back to the beginning of coinage, but collecting them as art pieces was a much later development. Coin collecting has a curious name. It is also called the “Hobby of Kings”. Modern coin collecting is generally believed to have begun in the fourteenth century with Patriarch. Roman emperors are known to have coin collections but the purpose behind it is still unclear.

Since ancient times, governments have produced coins to establish a predictable form or currency for their citizens. Thus, Canada and the United States have their dollars, Russia has its ruble, people in China exchange yuans for goods and services, and countries from England to Australia execute trades of all sorts in pounds.

Until not too long ago, the European continent was a happy hodgepodge of different denominations. Parisian croissants were paid for in francs, a glass of good German beer would cost you a few marks, and a Spanish paella could only be had in pesetas. Today the euro reigns over Europe, except in Great Britain, where pounds still exchange hands, and Denmark, which has yet to let go of its beloved krone.

COLLECTIBLE STAMPS

Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by 1860 thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across Europe, European colonies, the United States and other parts of the world.

The first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued by Britain in 1840 and pictured a young Queen Victoria. It was produced without perforations (imperforate) and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the “Penny Black” are quite scarce, used examples are quite common, and may be purchased for $20 to $200, depending upon condition.

People started to collect stamps almost immediately. One of the earliest and most notable was John Edward Gray. In 1862 Gray stated that he “began to collect postage stamps shortly after the system was established and before it had become a rage”.

Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit but later many of those same collectors, as adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and publish books about them. Some stamps, such as the triangular issues of the Cape of Good Hope, have become legendary.

Stamp collecting is a less popular hobby today than it was in the early 20th century, but today it is estimated that about 25 million people enjoy the hobby in the United States, while worldwide the estimated numbers of stamp collectors is around 200 million. Tens of thousands of stamp dealers supply them with stamps along with stamp albums, catalogues and other publications. There are also thousands of stamp (philatelic) clubs and organizations that provide them with the history and other aspects of stamps. Today, though the number of collectors is somewhat less, stamp collecting is still one of the world’s most popular indoor hobbies.

See presentation on the CD.