Young professionals on a quest for collectibles

The Americana Encyclopaedia explains that “people pursue hobbies for many reasons but mainly for fun. Hobbies are relaxing and offer a change from daily routines.” Many people collect things as a hobby and finds it cherishing. Some of the traditional collection includes rocks, stamps, or old coins. However, there are some hobbyists who have a passion to collect dolls, stuffed animals, spoons, medals, postcards, antiques, music recordings, or vacation memorabilia. This week we decided to discover what our young professionals like to collect.

Preetee Jogessur-Rughoonauth: “I collect coins and stamps”

Educator in English, Preethee most cherished hobby is collecting stamps. It all started when she joined the Mahatma Gandhi Institute and discovered the stamp collection of her classmate Aashna. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"15527","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-26104 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"679","height":"382","alt":"young_Preetee"}}]]“I marvelled at the designs, colours and information one could secure from these amazing pieces of paper which conveyed a part of history. I gradually realized that this hobby was a reflection of my interest in history, geography, art and world cultures. While helping a colleague with his own collection of coins, I was encouraged to have one of my own. I already had coins from different parts of the world and some ancient local ones. I just had to get a coin album (existence of which I was unaware). My niece visiting China brought one for me. Thus I was embarked on an even more thrilling journey of coin collection,” she shares. She possesses a coin as ancient as 1882. “Colleagues and friends added coins from Asia, Africa and Australia; my globetrotter friends Priya, Deepa and Shashi enriched my collection. My brother Vishal, who works on a cruise ship, is a treasure house of coins to me, adding coins from far flung destinations like Aruba islands, Columbia and Martinique Isles. Particularly sensitive to arts and world cultures, stamps and coin collection remain my window into foreign lands and history. This hobby keeps me active, inquisitive, expands my knowledge of places, events and offers multiple social opportunities to me. I feel proud making my students touch coins from different continents as they are repositories of history. This is further an artistic legacy I want to leave to my daughter in this high tech world,” she adds.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"15528","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-26105 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"389","height":"389","alt":"young-pro-sharmeen"}}]]Sharmeen Sheik Dioumone: “I have three entire collections”

23-year old Sharmeen Sheik Dioumone is in the accounting field and she likes to collect books. Since the age of 10, she has started reading and hence the book collection. Currently she has three entire collections. “Reading provides me with the means to discover and travel through the world. I am happy reading about characters. One can learn a lot about life and different kinds of people. It renders our minds creative,” she highlights. Sharmeen’s favourite author is Danielle Steel and her favourite book is “Loneeagle”. “It is an inspiring book and one of the best love stories.”            

Bibi Mushiirah Abdool Carrim: “Shells of all kinds”

20-year old is currently working as a secretary and likes to collect shells of all kinds. “As a child, I used to see my maternal grandmother collecting shells and the way she used to arrange them was immensely beautiful. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"15526","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-26103 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"659","height":"394","alt":"young_mushiirah"}}]]They were also used as decorations in the house. I was really inspired and started collecting shells whenever would I go to the seaside. Sometimes, I would go really far from the eyesight of my parents just to collect these amazing shells,” she adds. Once the shells collected, she would wash them thoroughly and put them in the scorching sun to remove the sea smell. “I would paint some of the white ones, giving them an absolutely natural and I would arrange them in my room like a decoration. Shells collections helps me to relax and to be more patient with people. From the first step, that is choosing them on the beach to washing them, to coloring some of them and to finally arrange them in a beautiful way in my room, you need to be very patient. While applying colors on them, you need to be as slow as possible and avoid doing mistakes mainly with the smaller ones, so that they don’t look ugly. Shells are like glass, you need to take care of them, if they fall they can break and lose their beauty.”

Deepak Maunthrooa: “Fridge magnets from various parts of the world”

Deepak is in the education sector and he argues that collection as a hobby can indeed be an interesting activity. “I am sure that many people indulge into some sort of collection; mine is more related to the collection of stamps, coins, notes and magnets. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"15525","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-26102 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"651","height":"438","alt":"young_deepak"}}]]I have a collection of fridge magnets from various parts of the world. This craze cropped up well after my craze to collect stamps and coins, which started when I was in secondary school. They are the ones who first aroused my curiosity, before I embarked upon this collection whole heartedly,” he says. When asked why he collects fridge magnets from various corners, he states : They provide me with the feeling of travelling to various countries, without having actually been there! It further enriches my curiosity about other countries and their cultures, things useful to me as a General Paper Educator - to my students as well. Sharing my passion with my school and tuition students has seen quite a few of them embracing the hobby of stamp collection, coin collection or magnet collection. They view these are more ‘productive’ than collecting stickers or not collecting anything at all. On top of the magnets I have myself acquired during my trips abroad, I do have relatives, friends and even students who expand my collection by bringing magnets from places they visit abroad. Having students abroad for their university education is also a means to enlarge my collection of magnets, stamps and coins. Our minds need some rest and escape at times, and my collection helps me with this.”