Sparing Time and Producing for Ourselves,Our Family

STRESS AND HOBBIES

I believe stress is the cause of many ilnesses. Dealing with issues other than one’s profession has a therapy effect. Let’s say, you take the same route to home everyday. If you follow a different path one day, your brain gets tired less. Hobbies play important roles in lessening the stresses of humans. You become skillful and have a lot of information by the time on issues that you deal with.

If your hobbies are “do-it-yourself” kind then certain amount of economic benefits may also arise. Most workers that you take home to fix something ( and most of whom seem reluctant at first) ask for too much money for the job to be completed. If we can do those jobs ourselves, we at least save the money that would othervise be given to them. We would also feel moral pleasure, pride in ourselves by doing it. Also our self-confidence increases. Another important aspect is the fact that hobbies help ourselves keep away from bad habits. I have been dealing with ship modelling, carpentry and “do-it-yourself” stuff. Ship modelling had taught me to work with sections of maps, “ reading a map”, not to waste anything , to paint and to polish. I see ship modelling as part of “ do-it-yourself” activity. I describe myself as a person born in 1964 in Uskudar, has an accountancy profession but always curiously thinks ways of creating projects for all people in “do-it-yourself” activities. A bit of ship modelling ( bit of carpentry, photography and amateur journalism have become my way of life. And finally, my hobbies have become my job since the beginnig of 2003. Good bye my profession “accuntancy” which has exhausted me enough.

My grandfather’s workshop always seemed very interesting to me when I was young. Excellent smell of pine, sound of tools, and strips of woods which I asked my grandfather to cut for kites....My dreams have come true as the carpenter’s shop in our garden when I was young had great effects on me.I at least had a hobby workshop.Small huts that I construct from boxes always pulled down on me and I used to start doing them again without paying attention to my mother’s laughters.I believe the milks that my grandmother has fed me with had an stubbornness effect on me.:-)) My father used to always repair stuff and I watched him.I continued my observations until I graduated from Kabatas Trade High School,and made some small things.I had started to buy my own hand tools.

I used to do some of my small works in our balcony.We would not get along with my mother well when she wanted to hang out the laundry.We were both right I continued to do my works during my university and post-graduate studies.Then I rent another house when I got married in 1998.I tried to convince my wife that I wanted to use one of the rooms in the house as a workshop,but it didn’t work.She said that the house would be covered with dust and grime,that stuff like that shouldn’t be done at home.She completely opposed to the idea.

Finally I started to use one of the rooms in my office which I had rent between 01/08/1994-09/03/2001 as an accountant office.But it didn’t take me long to realise that the room has become insufficient form me.Then my father has given me one of the two shops (50 m2 ) under the building which he has constructed at Yukari Dudullu Mh. Nato Yolu St. Sirin Blv. No: 11 Cayironu / Umraniye ISTANBUL. I was able to move at the end of June 2001, after having repaired the floors and windows. My father has also been using the other shop for some other stuff. Finally, I had my own workshop as a result of my father’s and grandfather’s influences after 10 years of systematic efforts. Now, one of my biggest dream is to help my son (d.o.b. 01/08/1999) and my daughter (d.o.b. 05/08/2003) to be a do-it-yourself’er. The first thing that I have done to my son when I took him out is to have him smell the strips in my workshop. I also would like to state that I introduce all the tools to him as if I am giving a seminar about them. Next is my daughter. If we think from a wider angle, all humans born as a do-it-yourself’er. If this fact can be improved consciously then it may turn first into a hobby and then to the life style.

SPARING TIME AND PRODUCING FOR OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILY

To do that we should firstly control our life styles.We have become the slaves of many factor in our lives.Especially,in big cities,we have become mechanised and got away from nature and and natural life.In addition to becoming humans full of stres,unhappiness we have also become a solely consuming society.One of the factors that triggers all these negativenesses is TELEVISION.By accepting everything that the TV provides us as true,our production capacity and dreampower have declined.Even though we feel that we control TV by zapping,reality is the other way around.First thing to do is to watch the others.Therefore,we would have enough time for ourselves and our family.I don’t very much watch TV.My time is scarce and I have too many things to do.I like listening to radio when I work.I spent most of my time reading boks of my interest,collecting information off the Internet and then trying to apply all those information into practice.I see myself as an R&D (Research &Development) person.And finally,person who produces becomes happy.Instead of being a sole consumer,you will also produce and be a great example for people around you.One of the reasons of our country’s economic problems is the fact we consume more than we produce.What I produce I consume accordingly,if I have not deserved more then I should be satisfed with what I have.This is my motto for life.

Benefits of do-it-yourself activities :

1.Firstly you will do the fixing,repairing and making goods yourself and since you will not be paying any fee for labour,you will have some economic benefit.Then you may sell the goods that you produce to people who like them.

2.More importantly,by examining everything from a different aspect,you can analyse the details easily.

3.When “do-it-yourself” has become your motto,you become more positive,patient,and a person who gets more pleasure from living.This would also have a positive effect in your private life.Since your brain will be busy with do-it-yourself activities,your will keep yourself from bad habits.

4.You will become a good rubbish collector, ,you will collect even a small wire on the road when walking, thinking that you might need it later.

5.When you see that things that you deal with have connections with some other issues,you will also want to learn about them.

6.You will make new friends.

How to improve do-it-yourself activities ?

1.By directing your children to hobbies and arts when they are young.

2.By reading books and magazines of interest and getting information off the Internet and having support and info from related institutions and associations.

3.By conducting seminars and conferences at school and public education centers on the related issues.

4.By couraging activities provided by exhibitions,and museums.

5.Available applications posibilities(very important)

6.By increasing the numbers of construction and building markets.

Difficulties of do-it-yourself activities and my reccomendations :

Location of application : one of the biggest difficulty. You might have to use a suitable room in your house , if you do not have one specially designed for this purpose. You need to consider facts such that there will be some dust and noise , thus you will need enough space for your work. Yoıu shouldn’t work until late to not to disturb your neighbours.

Tools : You must have the basic tools tools for your application. You should put them in order to find them just when you need them. It took me about 10 years to have all my basic tools due to my insuitable budget and I still have some missing. If you also have problems with your budget I suggest you share your tools with some of your friends who also have the same hobbies with you. Also by doing a team work you will be able to complete the job sooner.

Technical, theoretical and practical information : If you do not have the sufficient technical, theorical and practical information, then learning-by-doing methods will not help you to go very far. Of course you may learn some. But you should choose to do the best. When I have some issues that I do not know I try to find people who may know and ask their advice. Try to complete your application according to suggestions and reccomendations. If possible you may also ask for a practical help. I have obtained a lot of help from my teacher Mehmet OZKASIM ( ) and I still do. Also I got some from wood latheman as to how to do a lathe. First, he showed me couple of things and then given me the pen and said “have a go”. My work on lathe, which started reluctantly at first, continued with complete excitement.

I am doing modules such as, work desk, computer desk, medical wardrope and bookshelves all myself. Then people close to me purchase the ones that they really like and then I start doing them again. Firstly, I measure the module that I want to do. Then I have the tools cut at BAUHAUS ( , where I can call a great do-it-yourself market.

After ironing edge-bands with an old iron, I cut the excesses with a basic tool and after emerying I assemble them by using a fibreboard screw.

You may also do this type of needs. Come on, get to work! What do you say to do your workbench to start with? Please click on to see a basic workbench sample photo.

SHIP MODELLING

Ship modelling means hobby, art and culture. For instance, improved ship modelling techniques, story of the models, plans that were made and/or used researchers, scientific studies and all other resources make up the culture of this, which at first starts as a hobby and becomes an art as the experience and the quality of the products increase in time. Modelling is one of the keys to read, learn, patience, and getting more pleasure from life.

Yours sincerely,

Mehmet SALIHOGLU