It paddles in the family at Pasir Ris Park

My aunt has been pestering me for the pictures of my nephew (Yang) kayaking. Yang enjoyed his paddling so much that day at Pasir Ris Park that he refused to get off the kayak despite repeated pleas. Just coming to 4 years old, he seemed to know the enjoyment and happiness that come with being on the water. Immediately as if by instinct, he knew the purpose of the paddle and the action of pulling the blade across the water. He wanted to paddle himself but still doesn't know how to turn. He wanted the full length paddle but could only hold one. One thing that does not come naturally to him is balancing. Put him on the kayak and he will toppled over. We must tell him to use his 'backside' to balance himself, and not be leaning over !

The previous evening, I had been visiting around Pasir Ris Park by kayak. There are two small rivers, and one of the nicer ones to paddle into is Sungei Api Api, right into the public housing estate. A mangroove river, one can easily see monitor lizards, variety of water birds, fishes, anglers, and the odd crab catcher. I chatted with one of them (he was in a real beaten up kayak), and he proudly related that crab catching needs lots of knowledge of tide and crab behaviour. And most important of all about crabbing in Pasir Ris - learn to read the territorial markers of other 'crabbers'! Face all sun-beaten but very happy that he cycled to Pasir Ris every other day to catch crabs. The sea, he said was a place he can't bear to leave for too long.

Not only Yang paddled that day, but almost ALL the males in the family eventually decided to try it out. Yang's dad, who lost his spectacles the last time he tried out a kayak, was particuarly apprehensive. But he had no problems with the Feathercraft Java, as it was very stable and easy to paddle. My brother who was a kayaker himself in junior college, paddled like a pro-competitive kayaker with aggressive posture and high paddling angle.
Even my dad, who had been quite a vocal critic of my expeditions, took up the paddle and went a round, although he did capsized executing a 90 degrees turn. Wah, he thought he was driving a car ! At the end of his round, he did said that he enjoyed it and that there was 'nothing difficult' or 'dangerous' about kayaking. Hmm...

As for Yang it was a joy to paddle with him. Once on the kayak, his full concentration was on the primal beat of the paddle on the water. But his attention never held too long. He was more intent on getting away from it all. His parents were worried enough not to let me take him 'too far out'. Yet Yang wanted to go further, pointing to there, to the ships, to Pulau Ubin 6km across the straits, to anywhere except going around in circles near to the beach. Each time the kayak turned to complete the circle, he squealed and pleaded to be taken further.

Well perhaps there is still this child inside every kayaker, and each time we see the water the child inside us will squealed and pleaded to be taken away from it all, just somewhere please.