Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit


For some reason I’ve been considering taking up some kind of hobby, being the practical sort welding is top of the list right now, but I have neither the location or expertise in Japanese to carry that out now. So…


Categories: Memories.

/ 18 Comments

18 comments

  1. sushidog

    Just to clarify my “not too intellectual” comment, I think hobbies are most useful when they are completely different from what you do for a living, or what you do most of the time. I crochet because it uses my hands, not my brain, and do t’ai chi because it’s physical, not intellectual.

    Reply
    • neilh

      Yes, I think thats where my current problem is, because, years ago, my hobby was messing about with computers. 10 years on thats more like making a living, not a hobby at all.

      Welding was high on the list because I want to make a clock, one of those huge things with little rails on which balls roll taking various routes and making various noises on the way. Obviously before I do that I’ll need somewhere to put it and an ability to weld and bend metal.

      But beyond that I’m a bit stuck for ideas, I could experiment with video camera and/or soundscaping, but thats back to the technology field.

      Another possibility was to be a tour manager, but I don’t (yet) know enough bands to make that really feasibly.

      Reply
      • sushidog

        Well, I’ll happily teach you to crochet when you’re next in England…
        How about photography, of the old-fashioned sort? Messing about in darkrooms is ace, and slightly magical.
        Or you could take up Japanese cookery? It would be a good use of your time while you’re over there, and an excellent way to win friends and influence people when you get back to the UK! Plus you get to play with sharp knives, and eat nice food.

        Reply
        • neilh

          Not sure crochet is quite my thing. Photography would just annoy me, all that processing and darkness just doesn’t give the instant gratification of a digital snap. Cookery wouldn’t be a bad plan, except I don’t eat fish (which makes the whole diet thing here a bit, erm, interesting) – perhaps I could find a cute Japanese girl who would teach me how to cook without fish? Hmmm…

          Reply
      • jarkman

        Clockmaking mostly doesn’t need lots of space or dangerous or filthy processes. A bit of lathework & soldering, maybe, but you can do those in a bedroom comfortably enough. Could you fit the clock of your dreams into those limits ?

        Reply
        • neilh

          No way, the clockmaking I have in mind requires space, the smallest of that genre I’ve seen is around six foot long, four feet high and one foot deep, is driven by a geared down electric drill and contains something like 30 balls. If I can’t make something bigger and better than that I’m not playing….so it’ll have to wait if for no reason other than getting it onto the plane.

          Reply
          • jarkman

            Ah. Yes, I see what you mean. I’d misjudged the scale of your ambition…. :-)

            Well, when you get back & get started, let me know if I can lend a hand. I’d love to see the result!

            Hm. What else doesn’t take space ? There’s always jewellery. Does that appeal ?

          • neilh

            Yeah, I’m trying to line up some ideas for when I return…perhaps do some background reading or something. I’m gonna have a couple of months of not doing anything when I get back (well, apart from driving around seeing everyone I didn’t see all year – where are you based? Have I met you?), so it’d be nice to have an idea of something to do with it…

            Jewelry doesn’t really appeal, since I’ve got no sense of style. That said, I guess I could hunt out gawdy-second-hand-tat jewelry, which would give me an excuse for it not looking any good.

          • jarkman

            South Wales – half an hour from Bristol. And HiRez, who is our closest connection.

            Drop by on your peregrinations, if you get anywhere near here. I can show you a range of tempting wastes of time if you’re in the mood.

          • neilh

            Back around May or June, depending how the work goes…will aim to pop by and see some of your constructions when I’m back.

      • jonnytuna

        hmm… there’s a guy at work who collects the little plasic lids to drinks bottles. He originally started it to annoy someone, but has really got into what is probably the most boring hobby imaginable.

        Reply
  2. evilmandykins

    you could also learn about katana ( japanese swords) and collect the sword guards. some of them are just amazing…
    or perhaps a nice beanie babie or two… *grin*
    you could also see how many odd japanese bands you could collect by going to various lives…

    Reply
    • neilh

      Yeah, I haven’t really clicked with the live scene here, its too weird, everything kicks off at 5pm and I can’t find the venues for the bands that sound interesting (theres a hall called the ‘Meguro deer ringing mansion’ not far from my office, but I can’t remember the Kanji so haven’t found it yet).

      Am going to see next week, I hope.

      Reply
  3. mr_flay

    To elaborate on my answer to question two: The Japanese have a form of knife-throwing called shuriken-do. This involves tiny dart-like knives, sometimes with flights, and originated with the small knives that sat in the hilts of traditional katana (I think – could be very wrong about this). Anyway, from my online research, it appears to be a completely different method from Western knife-throwing, and looks like fun. It is not to be confused with shuriken-hinai, which are the more famous throwing stars. It’s a hobby I’d get into if I had a garden and a supply of shurkien-do, neither of which are prominent in Shepherd’s Bush….

    Speaking entirely selfishly, I think you should take up finding a cure for the common cold. And get a move on!

    Reply

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