After paying ￡20 for my racing red ukulele(尤克里里琴) at a music shop, I turned up to the “Ukulele Hootenanny” at a club near Liverpool Street. The host came and tuned it for me. I went to get a drink and was about to start playing when the little man approached again and said, “Let me tune that again for you.” He took it and returned minutes later saying, “I’ve tuned it, but it won’t be worth it—use this one instead.” He handed me a racing red version of a more expensive ukulele that I happily fumbled(摸索) with on the night.

You can cover the basics online and come along expecting to be able to play the most commonly used chords(和弦). Just don’t expect to fluently flip(弹) between them without any mistakes—that is easier said than done.

What makes this hobby unique is the fact that the ukulele is not seen as a “serious” or “proper” instrument, and so it attracts those more likely to be picking it up for fun. That night’s crew were a random collection of around 30 people ranging from 20 to 60, with various shaped and sized ukuleles and various levels of ability.

We sat around a table, with two song books in front of us. The “leader” called out a page number as we flipped through to a well－known Johnny Cash or Queen tune and did our best to keep up. Later on we got to haggle(争论)—a Lady Gaga here, an Eric Clapton there.

But the part I enjoyed the most that I wasn’t expecting was the singalong. Everyone sings, and as no one cares about your singing abilities, people have a lot of fun with harmonizing, and putting on a heavy Southern accent even if it’s not a country song. What resulted was a hobby with a unique mix and thus one of my favourites: cheap, social, learning a skill, and above all great fun.

I woke at 4 a.m. in a black hostel room, my eight roommates all still sound asleep at the early hour. I stepped outside without being noticed, forced a cheese roll into my mouth, and headed to the Kaikoura dolphin-watching tour office.

With more adrenaline (肾上腺素) than I had experienced when jumping out of a plane, I put on my flippers (脚蹼) quickly and got ready for the adventure. The moment I dove off the water, I was shocked awake. No amount of coffee, tea, or sugar has ever given me such a strong wake-up. It turns out that the ocean is freezing at 5 a.m. before the sunrise. Don’t be scared off by the temperature, though, because 5 a.m. is when the dolphins are most playful!

After a little while, I was face to face with a wild dusky dolphin! At one moment, it jumped up high into the air while the next it dove deep into the water. It made strange whale noises to draw the attention of more members of the group, including a tiny baby dolphin no bigger than a cat. What impressed me most was that the baby dolphin came close up, swam around playfully and kept looking at me with those black glassy eyes, seeming most interested in this strange fish-like creature that kept getting twisted (缠绕) in her own flippers.

The sun rose, warming my back as I continued to struggle with my flippers among the most graceful animals in the ocean. It was the most beautiful sight, as the dark blue of the ocean turned light greenish-blue, brightening our swimming companions for the early hours of the morning.

The practice of swimming with wild dolphins is banned in the North Island, where the species of Hector’s dolphins are in decline. But in Kaikoura, the practice is quite common and actually helping to increase the dolphin populations.

By supporting this adventurous experience, you’re supporting dolphin protection.

Everyone wants to look wonderful when they dress up for a big event, but occasionally, we all need a little help. Luckily, Ariel Chu has a fairy grandma on speed dial!

The 23-year-old from Australia, finally found the perfect evening dress for a big work event on the horizon. The only problem was that her perfect look, a black slip dress with complicated patterns (图案), cost over $500. Thankfully, her 86-year-old grandma, Ama, has stepped up in the past to make clothes for Ariel when her budget was too tight to get what she needed.

After sewing (缝纫) for 65 years, Ama does amazing work, so as soon as Ariel showed her the picture of the dress, she knew she could handle it! “This is not the first time my grandma has done this – she always makes clothes for everyone. Just show her a pattern or design and she will make it. She once made me a coat for school because my mum couldn’t afford a new one,” Ariel explained. “You could hardly tell the difference down to the stitching (针脚) of the school symbol that she made by needle and thread only.” This time was no different!

Ariel charted the dress-making process and shared a video online to share the impressive end result. Her post quickly went viral because Ama’s masterpiece looks perfect! Her granddaughter couldn’t be happier and is looking forward to wearing her beautiful new dress as soon as possible!

It doesn’t even matter when the dress makes its debut (首秀) because Ama is loving all the attention Ariel’s video brought on. Strangers from around the world have been sending her sweet messages of admiration, and she deserves each and every compliment!

Who needs a big bank account when you have a talented grandma in your corner? Great work, Ama!