With the end of November in sight, I thought it was time to introduce a new blog topic: Whatcha Doin’?. It will probably be a bi-weekly topic (depending on my schedule), where I’ll share what I’ve been doing.
In this week’s Whatcha Doin? we’ll look at:
- My favorite social media accounts
- Recent learnings
- Music
- Photography
- Gadgets and products!
…. and much more
I’m going to share what I’ve been up to lately.
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WYD Now?
Recent events have motivated me to return to writing as the end of the year approaches. Currently, I’m aiming for 5-10 new posts by the end of January. I have added a few posts to the Analog Dayz blog, which can be found here. Apart from that, I’m in process of writing about how I failed to cycle 9000 km in 2022. In a future post, I’ll go into more detail about this.
Currently, my mind is occupied with how to follow my passion and live from it. The current idea of how to realize to follow my passion and live from it is to:
- Publish my first photobook either in late 2023 or during 2024.
- Explore more digital marketing
- Set-up online webshop
- Re-design the whole website (Yes, I really hate how it looks now)
- Start writing regularly
The above are small steps that I believe will lead to me getting out of this rat race. I’m a little bit sick of being in a place where I really don’t want to be. Those who feel stuck will completely understand what I am saying.
During my flight from Zagreb to home, I finally began journaling. It’s been on my mind for a while to start a journal. I used to be able to vividly remember situations when I was younger, but now I keep forgetting more frequently, so journaling will help me remember some important stuff. I’ve already found everything for a journal which I will review in the future.
December plans?
Recently I traveled back to Osijek, Croatia to spend Christmas with my family after nine years. All of these years I was spending Christmas in Dublin, Ireland, and this year I finally decide to spend it back home. I’m really thankful that my job allows me to travel and work which is a great perk.
Whenever I go back to Croatia, I have to bring my film cameras. Since I’m planning to publish a photobook, I’m collecting all the pictures for it. In addition, I’m trying to test expired Kodak Color Plus 100 for 35mm and Kodak Portra 100T for 120, which I got back in October. However, it will be tough to test these films with the harsh winter here. Also, I’m expecting a Pentax ME Super lens from Japan.
There will be some traveling in the month of December to Zagreb and Belgrade. I’m traveling to Zagreb for a punk gig and advent. In Belgrade (I might go), I will spend time exploring with my brother. First time in 6 years I will be traveling to Belgrade as part of my December plans. Because of restrictions put in place in the last two years, it was a little bit difficult to travel there.
What I liked most in November
I’m curious, so I’m always learning new things. It’s an obsession of mine. Why on earth do I do it? The simple answer is that I would like to share with you the 5-15 things out of 1,000 that I particularly enjoy. Below you will find What I liked most in the month of November:
My Favourite Songs of the Month
1. Midlake – Roscoe
Midlake is a folk-rock band from Denton, Texas. They were first introduced to me through a skateboard video called Way Out East. Check out this band if you like folk-rock and chill music.
Buy it here: The Trials Of Van Occupanther
2. H2O – I Know Why
H2O is a hardcore punk band from New York City. I remember when I was transitioning from crust/street punk bands to hardcore and straight-edge bands. As a result of buying Spotify Premium recently, this song came up as a recommendation and I instantly remembered how much I loved it. They’re more melodic than straight-edge hardcore bands. If you are a fan of fast music but with positive attitude lyrics then H2O is for you.
Buy it here: Self titled 1996
3. Ululation – Utensil
Skateboarding introduced me to this great jazz band. The LP was featured on Stereo Visual Sound by Stereo Skateboards. As there’s almost no info on this band and it’s probably impossible to find them on vinyl or any other form, Chris Pastras (skateboarder) says somewhere in the commentary of the DVD that they were some chick Dad’s band he was friends with, and she just gave him a tape of the music, and it sounded like it was kind of an offcut thing instead of mass-produced, their record label doesn’t exist anymore, so who knows? Trust me, if you’re a jazz fan, you’ll love this.
Buy it here: Ululation 1987
4. Jawbreaker – Jet Black/Driven
Have you ever overlooked an artist? For me, Jawbreaker was the one. Until 2020, I only knew a few songs from them and never listened to their entire album. By accident, Youtube recommended Jet Black to me, and I fell in love. Until that time, I only knew Fireman song. As soon as I played the whole discography, I considered them one of the top 10 punk bands.
Buy it here: Dear You and Unfun
My favorite Youtube channels
1. Bikepacking.com
Founded in 2012, BIKEPACKING.com is the leading resource for bikepacking routes, in-depth gear reviews, inspiration, planning insight, adventure stories, news, and events. Their Youtube channel and Website contain good sources for planning your first bikepacking trip.
2. The Nine Club
The Nine Club is a show that has skaters talking. Each weekly episode hosted by Chris Roberts with co-hosts Jeron Wilson and Kelly Hart invites you into conversations with professional skateboarders, musicians, actors, and artists that share a common passion for skateboarding.
3. Tim Fitzwater
Tim Fitzwater is based in Northeast Ohio. You’ll find topics like bikepacking, touring, day rides, gear, and more on this channel even though it’s mostly about cycling. Live streams every Tuesday & Thursday from 9-10 PM.
4. Pleasant Green
Ben Taylor, also known as Pleasant Green, is a YouTuber who focuses on scams like Nigerian scams and check scams. Earlier videos are about his adventures in Liberia, and there’s a bonus video about Popeyes chicken sandwiches. Some videos have a voiceover from somebody on Fiverr, and there are some notable incidents. For the scammers, he’s Ben Dover or Benjamin Dover (Bend Over), and he lives in Salt Lake City. Currently, he’s dealing with scams on resell websites and fake phone calls.
5. Pushing Film
Hosted by Hashem McAdam from Melbourne, Australia where he spread his passion for shooting film through regular informative videos including interviews, guides, and reviews.
Fuji GSW690III – Foggy photowalks
The last time I was sick, it took me eight weeks to get better. I felt like I was at my lowest point during this recovery. As soon as I got better, I started going for early morning walks with my Fuji 690 (around 5 a.m.). The photos were taken at some of my favorite spots in my hometown. Hope you enjoy this foggy morning photo walk.
All eight photos were taken on Fuji GSW690III – Kodak Portra 160
Favorite finds of the month
- Bellroy Slim Sleeve Wallet – with premium leather and solid one-handed operation, the Bellroy Slim wallet is a minimalist favorite
- Hama Folder for Negatives – these are excellent ring binders for holding prints and slides as well as negatives
- Nikon Dg-2 Eyepiece Magnifier -You can use this to get your critical focus spot on if you have time to fiddle with it, so it’s better suited for landscape photography. I use mine on Fuji GSW690iii and Fuji G645S.
- Tiffen 46UVP 46mm UV Protector Filter and Urth 46mm Lens Filter Caps – I use these to replace my stock lens cap that came with my Nikon L35AF. The stock lens cap on Nikon L35AF is no longer needed. This is the perfect combo to replace your stock lens cap.
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Conclusion
I’ve really enjoyed writing about Whatcha Doin’? today. I hope you will enjoy and learn something as I did in writing this post. In the previous topic, we touched on my Favourite camera Fuji GSW690III. If you have missed the post you can check it by clicking here.
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Stay Curious!
