Sports, hobbies and activities

[SaM_4000]

I've been doing a lot of long hiking around the countryside lately in groups.

It's funny you mention hiking, I actually went hiking this past Sunday!
We had a good little adventure, in which we managed to underestimate a trail and get a bit lost. The track mentioned it was 3.5km, would take between 3½ - 4hrs, was rated difficult and recommended for experienced hikers only. Of course in typical Aussie fashion my mates and I looked at each other and said "She'll be right!" There was no way in our minds that this hike would take anywhere near 4hrs!

Well, we started off going down the trail, which was more steep then any of us had visualised in our minds; we were following the markers to keep us on track and after about 1½hrs we finally managed to get to the bottom of this gorge. Once at the bottom there were no makers and plenty of limestone rocks/boulders which we went along for around an hour before deciding that we might have to turn back! As we realised that we didn't have a clue if we are on the right track and it was around 4pm by this stage.

Anyway, long story short the whole trip took us around 4½ hours and my legs(quads) are killing me right now because going back up the trail was brutal... Even still it was actually quite a fun experience and am disappointed we didn't get to finish the trail properly. I think I might try and go hiking more often.

I really enjoy art and history and visiting galleries and museums as well, had some good dates there too.

Also went to an art gallery this past weekend, though I think I might be a little immature to visit the galleries sometimes. I just find some exhibits ridiculous like for instance; a bunch of sticks on the floor in a "circle" just shouldn't be considered art in my opinion. I also find "the invisible painting" to be quite silly... I like stuff like this though:

Spoiler: boy on scooter

I used to play basketball

I also used to play basketball! I was trying to get back into it last year but gave up after a few of my mates that I had been training with moved too far away, so I kind of lost interest. Anyway, do you follow the NBA at all?

 

[BlueMue]

I play Darts but on a veeeery irregular and leisurely level. The interest mostly comes from a friend of mine, who is also the only one I can play against, expect for the computer.

Had initial interest in throwing things at a board after playing Shenmue. Yes that was the first thing where the game really influenced me. As a result I got an electronic dart board as a gift a while later. I didn't play with it very much because it was dishearting how much worse than Ryo I was. I had a dark life tucked away in some dark corners for years and years but since last year I have it hanging on the wall and ready for action.

 

[Araviel]

@Bambi started bouldering with a friend, gone twice now, going once a week. I'm sold, it's so much fun! A good work out, great crowd, get to use your head and get some beatings. It's awesome. We will progress to rope climbing but no hurry, bouldering is challenging and time flies.

 

[Bambi]

@Bambi started bouldering with a friend, gone twice now, going once a week. I'm sold, it's so much fun! A good work out, great crowd, get to use your head and get some beatings. It's awesome. We will progress to rope climbing but no hurry, bouldering is challenging and time flies

Nice! One of my mates was into it in a big way a few years ago, I went along with him a couple of times and even though I'm completely the wrong build for it I still had a good time, got a good workout out of it anyway.

 

[Jeff]

I was in Central Park today and decided to rent a bike which was funny considering I haven't ridden since I was 15 and being out of shape for this. I went about five miles but gave up and now I'm sitting on the floor of Penn Station for my train home. ?

 

[Mr357]

I'm into cars. I like just about anything from the 80's and 90's, even certain minivans or incredibly bare bones "eco-boxes." I've owned two 1993 Mazda RX-7's and I still have the second one. Awesome car, but it's only for the mechanically inclined (unless you've got really deep pockets).

 

[Araviel]

Oh, and I'm into chess. Play in the local chess club, became a board member (lol) last year and joined our district board as well. Play in tournaments. Miss more gals though, only female player in the club, for some reason the girls in the youth club don't bother sticking to it which is a shame. Thinking of doing a course in chess judging, so that I can join tournaments as a referee. Play on the chess.com app if anyone here fancy a game some time.

 

[shredingskin]

Playing guitar, composing, writing and game development.
I also have a brewery.
Anything outside that and I don't really care much.

 

[Truck_1_0_1_]

Typical Manc. Got a season ticket, go to gigs, still smoke, take drugs, drink far too much etc (ended up in a bush Sunday night, think I went garden hopping for some reason, lost a pair of £80 sunglasses, ripped the fuck outta my clothes on fences n nettles, and my arms are full of scratches n grazes)

Basically I regularly make a nuisance of myself and live to regret it. Better than dying and not bein able to regret it though.

If you're not a Manc, you're a wank!

Oh, and I'm into chess. Play in the local chess club, became a board member (lol) last year and joined our district board as well. Play in tournaments. Miss more gals though, only female player in the club, for some reason the girls in the youth club don't bother sticking to it which is a shame. Thinking of doing a course in chess judging, so that I can join tournaments as a referee. Play on the chess.com app if anyone here fancy a game some time.

I was Chess captain for 4 years (3 years, officially) in HS and I still play on my phone daily; I ADORE chess and came 8th in Ontario, my last year of High School. We too, only ever had 1 or 2 chicks in the club, but for the first 3 years of HS, there was a chick (and a snotty guy) from a rival school that came first in second, every year. Dreading that we needed to play them once more, they didn't show up that year and I came 2nd in municipals! Then 3rd in regionals and 8th in Ontario, to cap off what was by far, my best year for Chess.

I may take you up on that game

As an extension, I love Shogi as well and I've gotten fairly good at it, but not nearly as good as I am in chess (still can't win in Yakuza titles, but I make it pretty far into the match with my important pieces still intact and attacking).

I'm into cars. I like just about anything from the 80's and 90's, even certain minivans or incredibly bare bones "eco-boxes." I've owned two 1993 Mazda RX-7's and I still have the second one. Awesome car, but it's only for the mechanically inclined (unless you've got really deep pockets).

Skyline R33 GTR is my favourite car of all-time and when I finally accrue enough funds, I will import it.

RX7s are awesome; is the '93 model the 3rd generation of the type? The cool-looking one? I like the second gen myself, but it doesn't look as fast and sleek as the third gen.

Aaanyways, aside from chess, my hobbies are (not in order of most popular/time spent):

- Tropical Fish: I used to have an 86 Gallon tank with Central/South American Cichlids; my biggest Green Terror was 10 inches and looked absolutely staggering, at his best. I could pet him and feed him by hand. Shattered when he died.

Haven't kept a tank in almost 5 years, though when my fiancée and I get out own place after marriage, may start it up again.

- Baseball: My first true love of the sporting world, I am a massive Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves fan (have been practically my entire life) and a fairly large Yakult Swallows and Hanshin Tigers fan. I've attended over 300 games in my life and I am at my happiest, around a baseball field.

- Formula 1: My second true love of the sporting world. Have lost touch with it a bit in the past few years, but still am an avid Sauber fan (how many Italian-Canadians can/would say that? lol). Benetton was my first team, but since their merger with Renault, that was the end of that.

- Video Games: Don't need to elaborate on that lol.

- Travel: Travelling is a passion of most, but even just going into Toronto (I live just north of it) is enough travel for me, as I love to immerse myself and learn, learn, learn, experience and engage. Headed to Italy for my honeymoon in 2 weeks!

- Film: Being that I took a bunch of critical-thinking cinema courses in University, going to the theater (cinema for you non-North Americans!) is a great pastime of myself and my fiancée; yes, we will pay 40 dollars just to see a film at the theater, with the ridiculously high concessions and all that :$

Reading: Not as much as I used to, but I LOVE a good book :). I've always liked historical things (autobiographies by sportsmen, topping the list), with the odd novel thrown in (The Dirty Dozen, Silence, are among my favourites).

Writing: I write quite a bit (as this post can attest lol), mainly of the review variety. As my gaming has ramped down, so have my game reviews, but I am still writing good chunks of text for Trip Advisor. I'm seriously thinking about writing a screenplay or two (or three), just to satisfy my writing bug, even though I have no clue on where to begin in terms of format, as I've never written a screenplay in my life; I have an idea for an original story, an adaptation of the game Combat Cars for the Genesis (seriously; I think I could get something good out of that barebones title :)) and since I was a kid, I've always thought that Final Fight would make for amazing film (even though that story is basically Streets of Fire lol).

Fishing: Saving one of the three best for last. I try to go fishing as much as possible and it is the only place other than a baseball field, where I am at my happiest. Went out this past weekend and it was slow, but this year has been a good year:

Sorry for typing so much, lol :$

 

[Mittens2317]

In light of reminding me @Truck_1_0_1_, I felt it imperitave that I make you all aware that my sunglasses survived and were found in the back garden.

If any God has ever tried sending me a sign they're real, that was it. But they can still get fucked for allowing me to get in that state in the first place.

 

[Mr357]

Skyline R33 GTR is my favourite car of all-time and when I finally accrue enough funds, I will import it.

You've got good taste. The R33 is generally considered to be underappreciated and overshadowed by the 32 and 34. Hopefully that helps you out and keeps the price down! Just keep in mind that the '95's will be legal for import to the U.S. in 2020, so prices will likely peak early into that year.

RX7s are awesome; is the '93 model the 3rd generation of the type? The cool-looking one? I like the second gen myself, but it doesn't look as fast and sleek as the third gen.

What do you mean? They're all cool-looking!
Yes, it's a third gen aka "FD" aka "FD3S." My first one (seen below) came in an awesome color called "Montego blue." The one I have now was originally silver, but under a previous owner was repainted "Titanium gray." They're wonderfully fun cars and I always get tons of (sometimes unwanted) attention when I take mine out.

 

[Truck_1_0_1_]

You've got good taste. The R33 is generally considered to be underappreciated and overshadowed by the 32 and 34. Hopefully that helps you out and keeps the price down! Just keep in mind that the '95's will be legal for import to the U.S. in 2020, so prices will likely peak early into that year.



What do you mean? They're all cool-looking!
Yes, it's a third gen aka "FD" aka "FD3S." My first one (seen below) came in an awesome color called "Montego blue." The one I have now was originally silver, but under a previous owner was repainted "Titanium gray." They're wonderfully fun cars and I always get tons of (sometimes unwanted) attention when I take mine out.

I know! Super overshadowed and super underappreciated; I like that they're slightly wider and I enjoy their light configuration at the back better, despite them being similar to the 32 and 34... I will admit though that the 34 looks like a fierce beast lol.

In Canada, I've seen a few here and there and out west (Calgary), I saw even more when I lived out there than I have back here in Toronto, so hopefully prices will remain lower up north, here :)

And yes! lol I agree, that's why I like the second gen, because its super cool-looking! But it's boxiness and straight lines, place it more in the late 80s spectrum, I feel, whereas the 3rd gen is all curved and sleek and sexy lol.

Yours is (was) wonderful, what a superb car!

Super jealous

 

[Araviel]

@Truck_1_0_1_ nickname is Tiangou, come at me!

Just to brag, won tonight in the fall club tournament. So that's 1 win and 1 lost, 7 to go. My best is 4.5 points where I won a book on chess I just haven't read yet. ?? hoping to square that or even better beat it, but we have good players and well, I just can't get around to read up on theory.

Also, picked up squash again last week, now scheduled for a once a week thing with a former colleague. She kicks my ass, but it's still fun! Such a good work out and gets really competitive.