would like to ask you a few questions first: When you mention your hobbies, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? What do you do to pass the time when you're bored? How far can you go for your own interests and hobbies?
Maybe you have various answers in your mind. Some time ago, when a friend shared his late-night wine list and book list, there was a book that really poked me.
Behind this "Cloud Collector's Handbook" is an organization called Cloud Appreciation Society (Cloud Appreciation Society). The main activity is a group of cloud appreciation enthusiasts photographing clouds and classifying them into categories. It sounds boring and pleasant.
I did a random search, and it turns out that there are so many people in life who have developed various associations that look boring but are actually fun because of their hobbies. If you have ever complained that life is too boring, why not take a look at the other side of life.
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Cloud Appreciation Association: Without clouds, life would be extremely miserable
Access method: Pay a fee to become a member on the official website
Let’s start with the Cloud Appreciation Association. I think most people will have the experience of looking up at the sky and casually taking a picture of the sky. Don’t believe it, if you look through your mobile photo album, there will always be one or two “sky movies”.
I used to be addicted to shooting the sky. I like this series very much. There seem to be different stories behind different clouds. Not to mention the ancient practice of "looking at the clouds to know the weather". A knowledgeable person can tell whether it will be sunny or rainy tomorrow as soon as he looks up.
The Cloud Appreciation Association, which is obsessed with taking pictures of the sky, was founded in 2005. The main activities are concentrated on their official website, and the purpose is very simple: watch clouds, take pictures of clouds, and share clouds . Such a simple thing has persisted for more than ten years and has gained more than 40,000 members in 165 countries and regions around the world.
You can see other people's "casual photos of the sky" on this website every day.
has colorful clouds.
Picture source: Patrick Dennis
There are clouds looking down from an airplane.
Photo source: Sue Gemmel
There are also flaming clouds at dusk.
Image source: Lauren AntanatisHow about
? Are you ready to become a member of the association?
It is very easy to become a member. There is a big Buy Membership button on the official website. Just pay the membership fee of 17.5 pounds and the registration fee of 10 pounds. Each member will receive a certification certificate and a cloud badge. Members can also receive an "cloud email" every day. In the email, there will be photos of the cloud or a short piece of popular science knowledge related to the cloud. The reading time does not exceed 30 seconds; of course, you can enjoy 10% off when shopping in the website store. discount.
Premium members have higher membership fees and enjoy more benefits: free audio courses, joining online meetings, 15% off online shopping, etc.
commemorative badges
But the Cloud Appreciation Association does more than just take photos and share them. There is a management team of 5 people behind it. The main task is to browse the works uploaded to the website every day, select "Cloud of the Month" (Cloud of The Month) from them, and also make simple evaluations. The evaluation of
is not just a casual talk, but to popularize its uniqueness and do simple science popularization through this cloud. I will excerpt a "cloud review" for everyone to taste.
Clouds are expressions on the atmospheric level. They reveal its emotions, they can be read as the expression on a person's face. While this phenomenon, known as a "ring arc," won't reveal much about meteorology, it must be the happiest of all cloud optical phenomena.
The colors of this smile in the sky are brighter and purer than the colors of the rainbow. They are caused by sunlight striking ice crystals, like the ones discovered by Paula Reed (Member 35,934) above Bellingham, Washington, USA. These crystals are not at the level of cirrus clouds, but in a mid-level cloud phenomenon called cavitation or streak holes.
When you see this cloud with a smiling arc, and then see the popular science behind it, will you have a deeper feeling about this phenomenon?
Therefore, the Cloud Appreciation Association is currently doing another cool thing: popularizing science. They have launched a related app that introduces more than 40 types of clouds and teaches you to identify each cloud in the sky and the cloud knowledge behind it through pictures uploaded by users. In the future, when you look up at the sky, you will no longer feel that the starry sky is too bright. It's too far away to be recognized.
In addition, the background data collected by the app will also help NASA calibrate the atmosphere detector of the Ceres satellite. The hobby of casual photography can actually promote the development of science and technology. Isn’t it particularly fulfilling?
Now the Cloud Appreciation Association is gradually opening offline activities (called Cloud Appreciation Association Sky Party). For example, this year the association is organizing members to go to Finland and Lundy Island, and next year they will return to Canada to encourage members to relax and enjoy nature in a natural environment. Looking up at the sky in the environment, at this point, I already want to join!
Every friend who browses the official website can see the official "Declaration" of the Cloud Appreciation Association. I think this is also the life philosophy that each of us should have:
"We will say to everyone who will listen, look up and marvel at Short-lived beauty, and always remember the life in the clouds. "
Image source: Simon Lawrie
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Bird Watching Association: You can wait a whole day for a bird
Access method: Register as a member, some activities require fees
One time I was An interesting thing I discovered while visiting my sister in the United States.
On university campuses, I often see people standing still and looking up at the sky: this is an action that is extremely easy to imitate, so I stopped and looked up.
Later I realized that this group of people were watching birds. They ambush the birds in advance according to their habits. When the birds appeared, the crowd suppressed their cheers for fear of scaring the birds away. Someone had prepared telescopes and SLRs early, which is kind of cute when you think about it.
This kind of bird watching association not only exists abroad, but also has two large organizations in China: China Bird Watching and Hong Kong Bird Watching Association . China Bird Watching Network can register as a member online, while the Hong Kong Bird Watching Association needs to send personal information to the association for registration before registering. General activities are only open to members.
Compared with the casualness of the Cloud Watching Association, the Bird Watching Association is much more serious and rigorous: they organize regional bird watching activities on a regular basis. Take the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society as an example. From April to July this year alone, it will hold 10 outdoor bird watching activities, ranging from half a day to one day. Well, in addition to bird watching, it is also a good way to treat cervical spondylosis.
Every Wednesday and Friday, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society also holds bird watching activities in Hong Kong Park and Kowloon Park .
Picture source: Hong Kong Bird Watching Association Forum
The association will also hold indoor lectures and invite some more senior members to talk about their bird watching experiences.
I also "lurked" on the forum of China Bird Watching Network for a while and found many interesting posts.
For example, the top post in the forum asked " How did you embark on a bird watching journey? " This post has existed since 2009, with more than 10,000 replies. Many people came here because of the knowledge in biology books. Then they become interested in birds and other wild animals; some people have kept birds as pets at home since childhood, and gradually want to learn more about birds; some are die-hard fans of "Natural History Magazine" and "National Geographic Magazine" and yearn for the outdoors. and adventure.
Picture source: China Bird Watching Forum; Little Bird of Paradise (Indonesia)
Through the persistent observation of "bird watching fans", the forum has published many "bird watching guides", such as "Beijing Olympic Forest Park Bird List" , "Beijing Bird Illustrated Book", etc. Beijing's Olympic Forest Park, Botanical Garden, and Yanqing Wild Duck Lake are all good places for bird watching.
Red-tailed Thrush
Recently it happened to be the 38th "Bird Love Week" in Guangzhou. The organizers of the event announced a number of good places to watch birds: Nansha Wetland Scenic Area, Haizhu National Wetland Park, Baiyun Mountain , Liuhua Lake, etc. . I knew before that Sun Yat-sen University is also a good bird-watching resort. You can easily see twenty or thirty species of birds in the South Campus. Currently, more than 160 species of birds have been recorded.
Yellow-browed Flycatcher (South Campus of China University of Science and Technology)
Fans of Shanghai can go to Botanical Garden, Gongqing Forest Park , Daning Greenbelt and other "bird paradises" where more than 40 species of birds have been recorded.
Bird watching may seem niche, but it is actually one of the most popular outdoor leisure activities in the world. I think it is similar to the Cloud Appreciation Association in that it encourages everyone to get out of the house, look up and see the beauty in life, and get closer to nature. Of course, the Bird Watching Association also plays a very important role in the protection of endangered birds and wild animals. Because of their love, they become more cherished.
Bird watching is something that requires patience. To get started, you need to prepare a good telescope (either a single or binocular). If you look carefully, you may have more beautiful impressions of the world.
Picture source: China Bird Watching Forum; Wenniao
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Food Association: Fried chicken, beer, and pizza can all save the world
Access method: Register as a member on the official website or set up your own association
It seems that when you love something to the extreme, You'll want to form an association to maintain it.
For example, no one can match the enthusiasm of the Japanese in establishing associations for food. For the food they love (or to spread a certain culture), the Japanese have established many associations. Some associations have grown into a company, others have just a few people (there are even associations with just one president).
However, once an association is established, the Japanese will become extremely serious, not only updating the official website in a timely manner, but also holding regular offline activities.
For example, the Japan Tangyang Association (equivalent to the Japanese Fried Chicken Association), they adhere to the concept that " Japanese fried chicken can change the world ".
Although the concept is mediocre, it is very actionable. They not only designed their own fried chicken mascot:
but also made a Japanese fried chicken map, marking the locations and ratings of fried chicken restaurants across Japan (according to taste, Fried clothes, chicken portion) Rating:
It is not easy to become a member of the Fried Chicken Association. In addition to registration, you also have to pass a small test. I looked at the questions and it is not difficult. You can come and see for yourself. Are the fried chicken nuggets full of enthusiasm?
asked: What region does the "Tang" of Tangyang fried chicken now refer to?
A: India
B: China
C: Spain
D: South Korea
Q: What meat should be used to make fried chicken?
A: Chicken
B: Chicken thigh
C: Chicken breast
D: Oil
There are also many Japanese people who love beer registered in the " Japan Beer Culture Research Association ". The official website interface is just a big cup of beer.
Want to become a beer expert? Must pass the beer test! The
exam is divided into levels 1-3, with level 1 being the most powerful. After passing, you can get a certification certificate.
But this exam is not just as simple as doing questions online. I saw that the association has set up exam rooms in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka. Each exam lasts 1 hour, except for multiple-choice questions. There are also essay questions! The topic involves the history of Japanese beer, beer raw materials and various production methods; Level 1 candidates also have to write a short essay: As a beer lover, how do you promote beer culture? The question of is also really difficult, so I chose to drink a few more drinks.
However, many izakaya owners will take the exam for this certificate. Next time you go to a Japanese izakaya, you can check if there is a certificate from the Japan Beer Culture Association hanging on the wall. The following store is in Saitama.
There is also a more "strict" association - Naples Pizza Association (AVPN) (Naples is Naples, Italy). Want to join? You have to have an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria.
The purpose of the Neapolitan Pizza Association is to defend the orthodoxy of Neapolitan pizza and at the same time spread the "correct" method to the world. To a certain extent, AVPN is quite old-school.
If you want to become the inheritor of authentic pizza, you must first pass the AVPN regulatory review and submit complete review materials. The association will send people to visit the restaurant to see if it meets the standards (for example, whether you bake the pizza in a manual oven and whether the dough ingredients comply with regulations of consistency, with or without water cheese), it takes approximately 60 working days to qualify.
For some picky customers, this certification is still very important. A total of 777 pizzerias around the world have obtained this certification. Currently, there are only one store in Shanghai (The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo) and 9 stores in Taiwan. It seems that the pizzerias where you usually eat cannot be called authentic Neapolitan pizza. . But maybe for most people, delicious food is enough.
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In fact, it is not particularly easy to formally register an association in China. It requires a certain amount of influence and membership to pass relevant approvals. Therefore, many people will go to Hong Kong to register an association and then return to the mainland to hold low-key activities. In addition to establishing an association,
joining an association or finding a group of like-minded people to start amateur activities is also a good way to solve the boring life and is worth a try. Explore more of the beauty around you~
By the way, if you want to pass the time without leaving home, "Green Book" and the classical music in it are very good, let's listen to it together~
