I've been wanting to post this but it kept slipping my mind.
For the first time in 2 decades, I flew a kite. It was last Saturday when we went to Marina South and flew one. The first one was kind of disastrous. The kite went straight for a short tree nearby. I managed to free the string by tugging real hard.
We got a second kite and flew that one. The first couple of tries were not successful, in terms of keeping the kite airborne for more than 10 minutes. Eventually, we succeeded in getting it up and away. It was exhilarating to see it soar in the sky.
For some reasons, my kite flew for distance instead of height. Perhaps it had to do with my controlling. The sky was a tad crowded anyway, so flying for distance was probably a smarter choice. It was a fun experience. It requires a fair amount of concentration, focus and a certain degree of skill. I bet many grown-ups would say it's child's play. My rebuttal would be: try it for yourself and you will find yourself using the muscle groups that you thought never existed. Furthermore, if it's really child's play, it's more ridiculous if an adult can't do it.
My neck and back ached form the prolonged periods of standing and gazing up in the sky. I think that would be something all beginners face. As time passes, I would not need to look at my kite so often. I would use my feeling and experience. Just like typing. How many proficient typists look at the keyboard while typing?
We lost the grip somehow and the kite went loose. I managed to get it back the first time. It was really flying away fast. I could barely catch the string. The second time, after a flashy but failed jumping attempt, I lost it. Man! I should have stuck to the step-it-and-grab-the-string method. The jumping-and-grab-string method works, provided I have excellent eye-hand coordination or uncanny good fortune.
Maybe kites are meant to be flown and let go. The act of getting it up in the air elicits an extraordinary sense of achievement. However, when the moment comes to letting go or reeling back, it puts me in a dilemma. On one hand, I want it to go. Soar and explore the heavens beyond. On the other hand, I want it to stay because I have invested so much effort into raising it up into the sky.
I guess many parents can relate this to their children. There will come a day when children leave their parents. The parents would want to see their offsprings leading productive lives but at the same time, the unwillingness to part is evident too. We all have to accept the inevitable and difficult choices in life.
Let's switch to a lighter note. We had dinner at Makan Parade on Sunday. It was located at the basement level of Parkway Parade. We had steamboat and grass jelly. Both were great and the wonderful taste? They remained virtually unchanged. We had been wanting to eat there and our patience paid off!
The revamped place looks more up-class now. I realised shome shops were no longer around. One Indian sundry shop, one Chinese sundry shop and one selling watches. I felt kind of sad that they are gone. I bet they used to be some sort of landmarks for the old Makan Parade. Imagine the sadness of having to part with the stallholders and shopkeepers who have become your friends through strong relationship bonding. It makes me feel like crying. I suppose they will get on fine. Somehow, the Makan Parade has lost some of its nostalgic touch.
For the first time in 2 decades, I flew a kite. It was last Saturday when we went to Marina South and flew one. The first one was kind of disastrous. The kite went straight for a short tree nearby. I managed to free the string by tugging real hard.
We got a second kite and flew that one. The first couple of tries were not successful, in terms of keeping the kite airborne for more than 10 minutes. Eventually, we succeeded in getting it up and away. It was exhilarating to see it soar in the sky.
For some reasons, my kite flew for distance instead of height. Perhaps it had to do with my controlling. The sky was a tad crowded anyway, so flying for distance was probably a smarter choice. It was a fun experience. It requires a fair amount of concentration, focus and a certain degree of skill. I bet many grown-ups would say it's child's play. My rebuttal would be: try it for yourself and you will find yourself using the muscle groups that you thought never existed. Furthermore, if it's really child's play, it's more ridiculous if an adult can't do it.
My neck and back ached form the prolonged periods of standing and gazing up in the sky. I think that would be something all beginners face. As time passes, I would not need to look at my kite so often. I would use my feeling and experience. Just like typing. How many proficient typists look at the keyboard while typing?
We lost the grip somehow and the kite went loose. I managed to get it back the first time. It was really flying away fast. I could barely catch the string. The second time, after a flashy but failed jumping attempt, I lost it. Man! I should have stuck to the step-it-and-grab-the-string method. The jumping-and-grab-string method works, provided I have excellent eye-hand coordination or uncanny good fortune.
Maybe kites are meant to be flown and let go. The act of getting it up in the air elicits an extraordinary sense of achievement. However, when the moment comes to letting go or reeling back, it puts me in a dilemma. On one hand, I want it to go. Soar and explore the heavens beyond. On the other hand, I want it to stay because I have invested so much effort into raising it up into the sky.
I guess many parents can relate this to their children. There will come a day when children leave their parents. The parents would want to see their offsprings leading productive lives but at the same time, the unwillingness to part is evident too. We all have to accept the inevitable and difficult choices in life.
Let's switch to a lighter note. We had dinner at Makan Parade on Sunday. It was located at the basement level of Parkway Parade. We had steamboat and grass jelly. Both were great and the wonderful taste? They remained virtually unchanged. We had been wanting to eat there and our patience paid off!
The revamped place looks more up-class now. I realised shome shops were no longer around. One Indian sundry shop, one Chinese sundry shop and one selling watches. I felt kind of sad that they are gone. I bet they used to be some sort of landmarks for the old Makan Parade. Imagine the sadness of having to part with the stallholders and shopkeepers who have become your friends through strong relationship bonding. It makes me feel like crying. I suppose they will get on fine. Somehow, the Makan Parade has lost some of its nostalgic touch.
posted by hg @ 21:03
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