Hobby

It's been more than a while since my last post, about 4 weeks in fact, maybe more. I've just been sorta lost in the buzz of life back at school and the like. This will probably be more of an update post, I wish I'd have the time to talk about other things but I don't quite have the luxury. Maybe in a couple week's time I would.

So in the time between my last post and now, I've expanded my pen collection to include a TWSBI Eco, Jinhao X750 and a couple more Platinum Preppies. I won't talk too much about them lest this turns into a pen review post instead of an update. I'll just say that the Eco is by far my most interesting pen and the X750 writes better than I expected for a mere 10SGD. I'd seriously recommend the X750 for anyone interested in getting into fountain pens. It may not be a Safari or Kaweco but hey, if you don't decide they are your thing, it's just 10SGD and it writes comparatively similarly to a Safari. Plus it doesn't have the weird section.

I've also joined the NYP Kendo club. I'll be honest in saying that I am not particularly interested in Kendo as Kendo but rather more interested in Kenjutsu. But hey, Kenjutsu just isn't as prolific as Kendo and for now, it will serve my purposes, which is a way of testing my tenacity, keeping fit and letting myself free, in the sense that I get to get in touch with my more primal side. So far I can only say that I have been much discouraged from staying, economically it is rather costly, and it also takes up roughly 10h every week from my free time. I won't say it is a test of my time management because honestly, I'm not making it so and let's be honest, I can't manage my time and I don't bother to, that's just not who I am. As for my fellow juniors in Kendo, I can only say I am highly disappointed by them.

I could tell that some of them totally have no knowledge about anything at all, and yet they are talking as if they know a lot. I've heard one of them say a shinai is a weapon. No, no it is not. If they wanted to make it a weapon, they would have made it out of solid wood instead of bamboo staves that can flex so it makes the hit hurt less. That among other things that have quite escaped my mind. I just wish they wouldn't claim to know stuff that isn't true.

Is it fair to extend my expectations to strangers as well? Given that I am also an inexperienced Kendoka, am I hypocritical if I say they are subpar? I've only attended about 5 trainings so far, and in that 5, what I have seen has only disappointed. It is a dojo, a place of respect and yet, many are laissez-faire in their bearing, standing improperly, holding the shinai improperly, using it as a walking cane, mind you, leaning on it for support and even 3 weeks into the CCA I am still seeing it. I shall not go on before I make the rest of this paragraph solely about this. Let me move on to their kiai, which is a sort of battle cry before we attack. And now, what's the purpose of a battle cry? To show your strength, courage and will to fight. It is to intimidate your opponent and demonstrate your prowess. When they kiai, a small child might start laughing. And I don't mean the girls' kiai. Of course theirs wouldn't be as strong, I am talking about the guys'. Seriously, it's just that weak, they don't shout during the warm-ups either. Absolutely deplorable.

Moving on to the strikes, they all hit, I mean tap, with the absolute lightest touch. It's not just the girls doing it, now it might be that they aren't as strong, that is fine, but even guys are doing that, what the fuck? I had a guy barely hit me for every strike he made. I don't even. And so many of them are afraid of hitting and getting hit. Then let me ask you, if you are not a warrior at heart, then why did you join the fight? It might be better for you to sit at home in front of your fire with a book in your lap than in the fields of battle in front of your enemy with a sword in your hand. And yes, I know that's no longer what Kendo is anymore but that was what it was about when it was born, a way of training for war without using steel.

But I will say that I do like the sensei actually, he does have a passion for the sport. I quote,

"I don't want finances to get in the way of you learning Kendo if you have the passion." 

Now, I've never seen someone so dedicated in getting people to join that he's willing to go out of his way to talk to people and see how much of a discount he can help us get for our gear. It's really impressive and he's certainly got my respect.

And as you may have noticed, these are my latest hobbies, however, as I have stated in my previous post, I have expensive tastes and so far that has proven true. Kendo is likely to cost me 800-1000SGD and my pens aren't all that cheap either (though surprisingly cheaper than Kendo, as it turns out). I think I will continue with Kendo though, I do quite enjoy it actually.