Bugs on the Battlefield

The northern provinces of Thailand are home to the traditional sport of beetle fighting. Once the rainy season comes and wild Rhinoceros Beetles are full grown, residents of these areas wake up early to hunt for their little black champions, which could possibly be destined for fame and greatness. Maybe? No? The purpose of these fights stray from gambling and enter a new and quite untouched field: entertainment. It’s not about the money, but for the fun of it. So grab your beetles and and throw them into a fight where they can have personal gain too. If they win, you get the self-satisfaction and they get the female. Now, what’s a better prize than that?

It’s All “Fur” The Good Looks

A camel? Sure! Elvis Presley? Totally! A mashup of each main character from the Dreamworks film trilogy “Madagascar”? Creepy, but go ahead! Thousands of people across the globe are now involving themselves in pet grooming, and taking it to the next level. Who’s to say your four-legged friend can’t be a panda or a pirate? Some of the most outrageous designs can be the best, winning competitions and the prize money.

Time for a “Change”

You’ve probably heard of stamp and ticket stub collecting, but what about penny collecting? It’s not interesting enough if it’s just a collection of plain old copper pennies, though. These coins have been mashed and smashed into an ovular shape, similar to the of an egg, and bear small impressions. Pressed pennies! I must admit, they are quite fun, but I can’t imagine being a collector myself. But it seems like an affordable hobby to have if you plan on travelling the world.

“Momma, My Shirt Has a Wrinkle”

This hobby is by far the most intense but hilarious I have yet to discover. I mean, it requires such skill and derring do, but the fact that, of all things, ironing is the goal is a little difficult to believe. What if one day you just opened your closet and pulled out a shirt just to see a wrinkle and your first thought was “oh, a little fold? I better go climb El Capitan!” I mean, I am fully supportive of having productive hobbies, but this does seem a bit overboard. Well, I guess whatever floats your boat– even if that means riding the rapids to press your favorite shirt.

Are You in the Mood?

It’s always interesting to watch a good voice impression, but what about an animal impression? Some people spend years upon years just trying to get it right, and sometimes they do. Competitions are held to determine who’s moo is the most realistic, and the winning prize can range from a cow costume to one grand, sometimes even both! Maybe the prize outweighs the lost dignity?

I highly suggest against taking up some of the above hobbies, such as insect cage fighting and insane pet grooming. But if you have the passion to copycat a cow, be my guest! I think I’ll just stick to my little corner, taking interest in drawing and reading rather than jumping off of a cliff just to smooth a pair of pants.