Hobbies and Interests

[Dirty Duck]

I've never stuck with hobbies and I've decided to change that recently.

So when I was 19/20 I taught myself to juggle when I worked on the produce department at Sainsbury's. 3 ball cascade and a few variations. A few weeks ago I decided to pick it up again. If I imagine Sisyphus happy, then juggling is beautifully Sisyphean.

I've been doing pretty well, got consistency with a few of the 3 routines and my 4 ball fountain / synchronous fountain have improved, however it turns out I've been using objects far lighter than what's advised, 45g vs 130g, I only found this out by chance on Sunday using someone else's props so I'm looking forward to seeing any progress in the coming weeks. Also going to a meetup tonight which should be fun.

Curious to know how many people at the juggling meetup are circus folk. Report back, Wayno.

This reminds me I got a kendama for Christmas after being mesmerised by some dude's doing it at Bangface festival last year. I've made 0 progress with it and Bangface is in 2 months so I feel I've dropped the ball (har har) a bit.

I've only spoken to a few people but no circus folk. Out of the 20ish people here tonight I'd estimate like 5 of us are actually juggling. A lot here, the majority, infact, are doing like "flow" stuff, staffs and balls on string which I'm confident would be on fire if we weren't indoors.

Were they welcome to the juggling meetup or is their being there a bit of a pisstake? Why are they co-opting juggling spaces?

[Blueblob]

Oh hell yeah juggling represent, such an easy and quick thing to pick up. I swear my entire school got caught up in juggling phase way back when

@Wayno did you ever try battle juggling? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like, you juggle pins whilst trying to make everyone drop theirs, obviously a niche activity but good fun

[Departed]

I used to be a stage actor and director. I did a lot of local theater before COVID. Before that, I did a lot of crew for indie movies and whatever movies were being shot in the Bay Area. I was a blood covered corpse in the movie Contagion over 15 years ago and I still have never found any of the shots I was in. My first love was always movies and acting which I guess kind of ran in the family.

These days, I've been really fascinated with painting. I find myself visiting art galleries to see what sort of things local artists whip up and to see if I can be inspired by any of it. The main image that keeps coming into my head is fire and horror with something normal and nice at the center. A sort of mental image of the world today just being an absolute disaster but holding onto that bit of normalcy and niceness we can maintain in our own little worlds.

[Wayno]

Were they welcome to the juggling meetup or is their being there a bit of a pisstake? Why are they co-opting juggling spaces?

In their defence they outnumbered us and therefore contribute more towards renting the space so they get a pass.

@Wayno did you ever try battle juggling? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like, you juggle pins whilst trying to make everyone drop theirs, obviously a niche activity but good fun

No but it sounds incredible. I do eventually want to move on to clubs but my living situation dictates I'm limited to balls for the foreseeable due to ceiling height.


Picked up a a set of flashing led balls recently, I love 'em. Still struggling to adapt to different weights in the props, though.

[Wayno]

I'm going to my first juggling convention tomorrow, in York. It's called Chocfest because this conventions gimmick is free entry if you bring homemade chocolate cake which is then judged later on. I'm surprised how many conventions there are throughout the year. There's long weekend one in Newcastle next month. The British Juggling Convention is a week long around Easter and there's the European Juggling Convention in Slovenia in August I'm seriously tempted by. I'll see if anyone at my meetup is going.

I'll take pictures of anything interesting. Juggling thread? Picking my unicycle up after work today, hopefully.

[Dirty Duck]

I'm in York today weirdly enough, Wayno. Far less remnant jugglers than expected based on your post. How was it?

[Wayno]

I'm in York today weirdly enough, Wayno. Far less remnant jugglers than expected based on your post. How was it?

Once I got to York I was gutted it never dawned on me to book two days and spend today in the city itself. I'll do thst next year.

Overall it was fun, glad I went. The workshops weren't for me, but it's not something I can complain about as they're put on by people in their spare time for free. Got to meet lots of new people, hope to see some again.

I get I was in a large sports hall with people juggling, hooping, uncycling and going round on stilts but I still didn't expect to see someone just chilling strumming a loot.

Spoiler:

[Dirty Duck]

I'm in York today weirdly enough, Wayno. Far less remnant jugglers than expected based on your post. How was it?

Once I got to York I was gutted it never dawned on me to book two days and spend today in the city itself. I'll do thst next year.

Overall it was fun, glad I went. The workshops weren't for me, but it's not something I can complain about as they're put on by people in their spare time for free. Got to meet lots of new people, hope to see some again.

I get I was in a large sports hall with people juggling, hooping, uncycling and going round on stilts but I still didn't expect to see someone just chilling strumming a loot.

Spoiler:

I'm sure you saw some on your way to the convention but it's a very nice looking place. I'd never been before. Is it hosted there every year then?

Lmao it's good that even in a place full of parlour tricks there's room to be surprised-was he any good?

[Wayno]

I did see some but I headed straight to the venue so I couldn't take it in. How did you find it? And yeah it's every year, in fact it's been going 29 years! I'm genuinely amazed by that stat.

I didn't get to listen, unfortunately. I spotted him, snapped him and he wasn't there much longer after. Probably juggling to be fair.

[Dirty Duck]

I did see some but I headed straight to the venue so I couldn't take it in. How did you find it? And yeah it's every year, in fact it's been going 29 years! I'm genuinely amazed by that stat.

I didn't get to listen, unfortunately. I spotted him, snapped him and he wasn't there much longer after. Probably juggling to be fair.

Very quaint place-buildings leaning over and nearly touching each other above cobbled streets and the fact that it regularly floods high enough that certain roads and businesses have to close is very funny to me. Apparently it gets a lot of Harry Potter tourism as part of it was filmed there? Routinely disappointed that that series is our only major modern cultural export.

Damn the big 3-0 for chocfest next year then. Must have been some great chocolate cakes over the years!

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Nice segue-way into the fact that I have to make some chocolate soon for my girlfriend for Valentines as I do it every year and it's the only way we celebrate. I wouldn't say baking is a "hobby" of mine but I do enjoy it and should maybe do it more (I'm not sure I can call what I make her for valentines baking anyway tbh, it's more just melting chocolate and assembling ingredients). Anybody into baking got any recipes to peddle?