Quick Courses to Kickstart a Hobby

A hobby or a pastime is something you do for fun and enjoyment during your free time. It not only relaxes but enriches your mind, your experiences, and your overall quality of life, as well.

According to a blog called Local Adventurer, four types of hobbies will help add meaning to your life. First, a hobby to bring in extra money. Second, a hobby to keep you fit and strong. Third, a hobby that serves as an outlet for your creative streak. And fourth, a hobby that will help the world be a happier and saner place to live in.

If you’re wondering how best to spend your weekends and free time, or if you feel that it’s time to look for new ways to relax and ease your mind, we’ve got you covered. Well, almost. We’ve put together a list of classes, workshops, and clubs to try around the metro. Although by no means comprehensive, we tried to include a variety of hobbies for various interests, preferences, and persuasions. Whether you’re looking to pursue a hobby for extra cash, fitness, creative expression, or to add meaning to your life, here are our picks.

Birding

The Philippines is rich in natural resources and wildlife, and we are living in one of the best places to go birdwatching. Relaxing and fun, birdwatching brings you close to nature… even in the metro. So, why don’t you consider weekend birdwatching as your new hobby?

Check out Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. Birding since 2003, this club will welcome your birding curiosities as a hobby, while letting you learn about nature and the environment, too. You can even indulge your geeky, scientific side by helping contribute to creating bird lists and records. In 2003, for example, the Club discovered bird species such as the Oriental Pratincole and Black-Crowned Night Heron in the South Reclamation Area.To get you started, you may want to visit the Club’s website, which contains the Club’s brief history and activities, some birding basics, bird checklists, bird photos, and trip reports.

Coffee

Ordering your favorite cup of coffee at your favorite café is probably a part of your daily routine by now. But why don’t we elevate the level of our coffee appreciation through coffee workshops?

A place to try is the Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia (BCAA). Affiliated with The American Barista & Coffee School (ABC’s) in Oregon, you are assured of professional and quality education about coffee and the business of making it. Take part in roasting and cupping classes, as well as Coffee Quality Grading certification classes (Q Grading Classes). What’s more, BCCA also has Tea Appreciation facilities.

Wine appreciation

If you’ve casually dabbled in wines via picking up whatever looks nice at the Wine and Spirits section of the supermarket, why don’t you finally enroll in a wine appreciation class to formally learn about wines once and for all?

Check out Wine Education classes with Wine Story Academy. Organized by Wine Story, a store that gathers the finest and rarest wines from France, wine education classes aim to help you enjoy your vino by helping you get to know it more. From the basics of wines up to expert-level knowledge, Wine Story Academy is the premier place to learn about wines because it is an approved program provider of the Wine & Spirit Education Trut (WSET).

Language  

As the world becomes smaller, knowing English and Filipino may not be enough to keep you competitive. Knowledge of another language may be an advantage when it comes to employment prospects, communicating with others, and when simply traveling around a foreign city.

Learning a new language is, therefore, a worthwhile hobby to pursue. Not only will it add to your knowledge repertoire, but it will also keep your mind fit and agile. Nowadays, a lot of people are learning Asian languages such as Korean, Japanese, and Thai, mainly because of pop culture. Still, others are learning Bahasa Indonesia and Chinese. To kickstart your language learning journey, check out the Ateneo Center for Asian Studies, UP Department of Linguistics Extramural Classes, as well as class offerings of various embassies in the Philippines.

Crafts

If you love working with your hands, a good hobby to explore is crafting. Whether it’s calligraphy, soap-making, leather crafting, or woodworking (or any other craft in their extensive list), Craft MNL has a class for you. Check out their website.

Art

Whether you’re young or old, a little bit of art brings color to your life. It’s never too late to start with art, especially at Young Artists’ Studio, which offers classes for kids and adults throughout the year. It offers workshops in painting, drawing, coloring, animation, comics illustration, fashion illustration, as well as fashion design and illustration.

Although these are usually group classes, introverts or those who want more attention while learning can opt to enroll in one-on-one classes or home classes.

Cooking

Nowadays, people learn about cooking pretty much through YouTube. Some even learn through video games. But nothing beats being mentored. Learning by doing. That is, holding the ingredients yourself, slicing and dicing them, and making these ingredients come together. Back of the House has interesting cooking workshops whether you’re alone or in a team. These include Cook-Wine-Dine workshops, Parent-Child Cooking, Korean Dishes, and Kids Summer Workshop.