Ironic Contradictions

Well, since I quite like the setup here in terms of being able to blog as well as review, and since I also liked the 30 Day Challenge I want to at least continue writing one post a day. Just to help me continue my writing habits. So, since I have nothing else to post on I figured I'd write a post about ten other things that I, as a booklover, also quite appreciate. Tomorrow I will post on twenty things that Aussie Melbournians love.

Top ten things (in some semblance of order) I do apart from reading

10. Right at this moment I'm revisiting a childhood craze of mine. No it's not owning pets or asking awkward questions of the parents. I am referring to Lego and the collecting of that Lego. I admit that part of this revisiting of this craze stems from another thing I love apart from reading (number 3 on my list) so I cannot tell you why I got back into this craze. However, I must admit that I quite like how advanced the look and feel of Lego blocks have come since even 10 to 15 years ago when I was first finding a love for it. While the ever popular Star Wars characters still exist they've also added another fictional love of mine in the Superheroes characters...

9. Coffee. I'm not a tea drinker (and yes I hear the sigh from any British followers I have) but I will drink more traditional Asian teas if they are offered. But coffee remains one of my things to do. I'm not yet addicted to the point where I need a cup a day, but as a student and as a part-time worker it's something that I need every so often to help me stay awake. It helps that Melbourne has some fine coffee (much better than that watery stuff I tried in the States I must say...) And I say that there is nothing better than an Iced Coffee right after having done some physical labour.

8. I guess this leads me to number 8: work. It's a tough gig, but someone's got to do it. Right now I'm waiting to get through to the end of the month to go holidaying up to the Gold Coast (which is our) but in the meantime I have to work at my job in Hungry Jacks, doing overnights and the odd daytime/evening shifts to make burgers, salads and wraps for those of us who wish to eat nothing but fast food. And while it wrecks my bio-clock, it pays alright...

7. Working also leads into, no not playing though I do plenty of that, studying. At the moment I'm not studying but when I am I'm studying hard to become a teacher of English and History and maybe I'll go one or two steps further to end up gaining higher degrees...who knows?

6. Board games are one hobby I love because it means I have something to beat the family at. Card games are also much loved in the same kind of vein of things I do. I'm not too shabby at poker, Monopoly is a relationship killer and games like Battleship or Risk are just my cup of tea um...coffee?

5. Cricket is something I do during the summer, it's a team building exercise, helps keep me fit and healthy and I meet interesting people because of it. It can be a tough sport, but then sport is tough and a challenge. I also enjoy basketball, but I've not joined any team. Though I have plans with another friend to do so.

4. I confess I have no musical ear like some do. My two years younger brother is a guitar prodigy according to one mutual friend who knows that how far he has come in learning the guitar in one year is not natural. In fact learning quickly is a skill in our family. I learn quickly, he learns quickly, the other two siblings learn quickly...but anyway, what I do love is listening to music. Whether it's some of my movie soundtracks, some pop, some rock, some alternative...anything but the really mainstream modern music (well okay I get into some of that like Imagine Dragons is a new favourite of mine) but I tend to go for lesser known bands. I also have a love of musicals, and love it when one comes into town that is perfect for me to go to.

3. It's become the essential geek thing to get involved someway in video games and I am quite geeky in that sense. But I also like to think of myself as somewhat sophisticated - but maybe one day I'll become a vampiric recluse. Anyway, yes I'm big on video games. I love the aspect of them that immerses you in a whole new world. I particularly love Lego video games (been playing Lego Marvel Superheroes and loving it!) and platformers (I'm a big Nintendo fan in terms of their quality of games: Zelda, Mario, Pikmin, Donkey Kong etc.) and I've been playing a fair amount of Rayman Legends too. Some other recent favourites include Assassin's Creed (history aspects) and Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City.

2. If there's one hobby I do regularly with friends it's the good old hang out, watch a movie and then discuss it while snacking on something afterwards. It's a great way to bond with people who have similar interests and provides a great way to discuss things (much like how you can discuss books with people you know). This year alone I've been to see The Hobbit, Wreck it Ralph, Monsters University, Pacific Rim, The Wolverine, Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, Star Trek into Darkness, Gravity, Thor 2 and most recently The Butler which is more cinema trips than any year before. Of course I've also watched a heap of other movies on DVD and stepped up the television show watching: recently I've been getting into Agents of Shield, rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender with the siblings and watched season 1 of Legend of Korra and season 7 of Doctor Who.

1. The top spot goes to the ancient art of communication, that's writing and talking for me. It's the one thing I do more than anything, though I often have the bad habit of being scatterbrained or of overexplaining things. It's part of my personality and I guess you take the good with the bad hey? Right now I have a plan to do with writing a story, speaking of communication, that has to do with superheroes and mythology meeting and Gods being reborn into new bodies but different identities and so on...