By Gabriella Risti Ayu. C
It has been a rough year since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the globe with its contagious virus. The pandemic has forced people to carry out their life inside their houses in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Nonetheless, people appeared to be discovering new yet unexpected activities to occupy their quarantine days. In this article, we have interviewed some APU students about the hobbies they have pursued during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Embroidery
When we think of embroidery, we will most likely be thinking of art curated by the elder generation as it is a remarkable form of art created a long time ago. However, It’s time to get rid of these assumptions, because the era has officially revolted! Who would have thought that millennials and Gen Z would have a genuine interest in sewing those pretty yarns and beads into a very gorgeous artwork?
“My main reason behind starting embroidery was influenced by my mom. She is a fashion designer and one day she showed me all of her fashion stuff, and among those things I saw her beautiful embroidery design." said Lisa Kayastha, a 2nd year APU student from Nepal who has utilized her passion to learn new skills, and indulged herself into creativity.
She immediately fell in love with embroidery. She then watched a lot of YouTube videos and surfed through Pinterest in order to learn the techniques of embroidery.
Collecting House Plants
Since the pandemic hit last year, collecting houseplants has been a highly favoured activity that many people raged over and incorporated it into their hobbies. We all know that plants have many benefits such as reducing CO2 emissions and improving the air quality. The green color symbolises peace and is proven to be a way of increasing people’s wellness and giving a sense of relaxation.
Ninara Uk, a first year APU student from Cambodia, has followed this trend since the beginning of the pandemic.
“It all started with my parents. They love plants and I often observe them planting. Eventually, I started taking care of their plants and the addiction has continued ever since ”, he added.
He expressed that collecting houseplants is one of his favourite leisure times and act as a stress-relief.
Cycling
The outbreak of Covid-19 virus has urged people to pursue a more healthy lifestyle to compete against the spreading contagious virus. One way of maintaining our well-being is cycling, because it is a safe outdoor sport, fun, and proven to strengthen your immune system as it trains your whole body. Bicycles might be seen as a common form of commuting, but its popularity as a hobby before the pandemic was significantly low among young people.
“ I was never interested in cycling before, as I thought it was a boring exercise. The pandemic changed my perspective towards it, as it is a really addicting sport. I get to see beautiful sights, train my stamina and it acts as a getaway from this harsh pandemic year.” said Ezra Jeremy, a first year APU student from Indonesia who has plunged down into the cycling trend.
Indeed, not only does cycling strengthen your immune system, but it also lets us enjoy the beauty of the surrounding scenery .
Video Games
Who doesn’t get entertained by video games? It is a very stress-relieving activity that a lot of people dig into whenever they have some spare time. Since the lockdown regulation stormed over the globe, most people found that video games are a great way to distract themselves from the current pandemic, as it keeps them entertained during quarantine days.
Ryan, a first year APU student from Taiwan, agrees that video games help him to stay relaxed and sane during the pandemic. He enjoys playing trending games on Nintendo Switch like “Animal Crossing”, "Mario Kart" and “Among Us” which are available on both PC and smartphone.
“I like playing online games that have multiplayer features, it helps me to socialize in different kinds of ways.”, Ryan added.
As a matter of fact, playing video games such as ‘Among Us’ and other multiplayer games can be a joyful alternative to stay in touch with your loved ones.
Are there any of these hobbies that you are keen to try? Tell us about your pandemic hobbies in the comment section below!
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