I drove Ken to Tiara for his 2nd swimming lesson. These few thoughts ran through my head as I battled the flies that flew around me, hinggap-ing here and there the whole time:
First thought: That little boy seems to be undecided between swimming and drowning.
My eyebrows raise. Involuntarily. Cough.
5.36pm Ken's gotten the hang of the flippers. He's fast. Really fast. I can almost see the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Nah. His soul. That's what swimming does to you.
5.39pm Lady With Cellphone (all of us had cellphones but...): "No, we'll have the next party before she enters Form 1. I don't want her to get used to having parties." Then no need party lerrrr.
5.41pm The expert-looking girl turned out to be one of those moon-lovers.
(Definition. Moon-lover: Swimmer who looks at the moon a lot when he/she swims the Freestyle)
5.50pm A little boy beat Ken at the Breast-stroke.
5.53pm Waitaminute! That's not the Breast-stroke! That's the Mermaid! Cheat!
5.54pm Little drowning girl swims the Breast-stroke instead of the Freestyle. After some pestering from the coach, she reverts to Freestyle and almost overturns at the 3rd stroke. I smile. And laugh inwardly. (Evilnya)
5.56pm Another big girl does the Freestyle shame.
5.58pm Ah, I see. The yellow tube thing is a float.
5.59pm Swimpool stampede.
6.00pm Paikia-looking duo stroll in. And I mean stroll in. I look at the time and realize it's 6.30's going to be a long time in coming.
6.02pm Goodbye, flippers. Stampede again. The soaring feeling of flying ahead of the rest. Knowing this is something you can do. The desire to be first. Knowing you CAN. I hope the kid at the end of the stampede didn't think so. Cuz that would be sad. Like sadder than never thinking he could excel.
6.04pm Ken came in 3rd. I now recall pro-stampede routines as being mere 'warm-ups', as the coaches liked to call them.
6.06pm As I watch the coach hold back a boy till the last minute of the stampede, I also recall my coach doing that on purpose to spur us on. To encourage the boy's kiasu-ness and for the rest to know there's some wacko kid speeding after them.
6.07pm Paikia Boy has six packs. Little boy touches wall first and squeals, "I'm first!"
6.09pm 6 Packs Boy swimming in the baby pool??? No, that's not him. Thank goodness.
6.12pm I watch Pinky (the little drowning girl) splash her Freestyle across the pool. I watch the coach painfully watch her splash her Freestyle across the pool.
6.14pm Lady With Cellphone: "Printscreen for me. You know how to printscreen or not? Just press printscreen and paste the snapshot into Word. Thanks." Ooo. Think she'd go "ooo, that's me!" if she reads my blog? Doubt it.
6.16pm Gross thought: These people don't have armpit hair yet.
6.18pm Ken swims his first Backstroke. Unfair! =( Note to self: Hands straight when swimming Backstroke.
6.20pm The ever-patient Mr Ng.
6.21pm Little boy does unsuccessful imitation of the Butterfly.
6.23pm Beginner guy gets a thumbs-up from his coach when he kicks superbly. He almost immediately stops kicking, causing a well-justified o_O look on the coach's face.
6.25pm o_O Coach to Beginner class: "If you don't do good, you're going to kick until the end of this lesson. I'm not joking with you. I want to see good kicking."
6.28pm I admire the watziznehm-bird's grace. What? I said grace, not name.
6.29pm Ken's 2nd attempt at Backstroke. He's got it already.
6.30pm I watch the birds soar on the wind and wonder what it's like.
6.31pm Mr Ng watches the little girl beat the little boy and keeps the amused smile. The Beginner class leave the kicking and start Freestyling.
6.33pm Ken Butterflies and does it well!
6.35pm We used to hold on to the wall in between swimming routines. Now they just... squat.
6.40pm Little girl's kicking feet touch her head. Nah. Maybe her flippers are too long.
6.41pm Ei? Past 6.30 d.
6.46pm I miss this life.
6.47pm They'd go much faster if they leave the massive strength at the shoulders and keep it out of the palms. I realize by the cheering that it's a race. That means the session's going to end.
6.52pm I can tell that he's tired. Not dead tired. He'll be dead tired in the car. Little-boy-who-was-beaten-by-little-girl cries. Mr Ng: "Aaron, just now I tell you to cry, you dowan to cry. Now you cry pula."
6.55pm Been-to-ah-moh-country-looking-lady gestures impatiently to somebody in the pool and speaks in a lovely accent that's way to polite for a scolding session: "Are you coming?! I'm waiting!!"
6.58pm I really miss this life. And I feel really uncomfortable about leaving that chair out like that. (Don't ask what chair)
Not my life anymore.
I left it behind.
First thought: That little boy seems to be undecided between swimming and drowning.
My eyebrows raise. Involuntarily. Cough.
5.36pm Ken's gotten the hang of the flippers. He's fast. Really fast. I can almost see the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Nah. His soul. That's what swimming does to you.5.39pm Lady With Cellphone (all of us had cellphones but...): "No, we'll have the next party before she enters Form 1. I don't want her to get used to having parties." Then no need party lerrrr.
5.41pm The expert-looking girl turned out to be one of those moon-lovers.
(Definition. Moon-lover: Swimmer who looks at the moon a lot when he/she swims the Freestyle)
5.50pm A little boy beat Ken at the Breast-stroke.
5.53pm Waitaminute! That's not the Breast-stroke! That's the Mermaid! Cheat!
5.54pm Little drowning girl swims the Breast-stroke instead of the Freestyle. After some pestering from the coach, she reverts to Freestyle and almost overturns at the 3rd stroke. I smile. And laugh inwardly. (Evilnya)
5.56pm Another big girl does the Freestyle shame.
5.58pm Ah, I see. The yellow tube thing is a float.5.59pm Swimpool stampede.
6.00pm Paikia-looking duo stroll in. And I mean stroll in. I look at the time and realize it's 6.30's going to be a long time in coming.
6.02pm Goodbye, flippers. Stampede again. The soaring feeling of flying ahead of the rest. Knowing this is something you can do. The desire to be first. Knowing you CAN. I hope the kid at the end of the stampede didn't think so. Cuz that would be sad. Like sadder than never thinking he could excel.
6.04pm Ken came in 3rd. I now recall pro-stampede routines as being mere 'warm-ups', as the coaches liked to call them.
6.06pm As I watch the coach hold back a boy till the last minute of the stampede, I also recall my coach doing that on purpose to spur us on. To encourage the boy's kiasu-ness and for the rest to know there's some wacko kid speeding after them.
6.07pm Paikia Boy has six packs. Little boy touches wall first and squeals, "I'm first!"
6.09pm 6 Packs Boy swimming in the baby pool??? No, that's not him. Thank goodness.
6.12pm I watch Pinky (the little drowning girl) splash her Freestyle across the pool. I watch the coach painfully watch her splash her Freestyle across the pool.
6.14pm Lady With Cellphone: "Printscreen for me. You know how to printscreen or not? Just press printscreen and paste the snapshot into Word. Thanks." Ooo. Think she'd go "ooo, that's me!" if she reads my blog? Doubt it.
6.16pm Gross thought: These people don't have armpit hair yet.
6.18pm Ken swims his first Backstroke. Unfair! =( Note to self: Hands straight when swimming Backstroke.
6.20pm The ever-patient Mr Ng.
6.21pm Little boy does unsuccessful imitation of the Butterfly.
6.23pm Beginner guy gets a thumbs-up from his coach when he kicks superbly. He almost immediately stops kicking, causing a well-justified o_O look on the coach's face.
6.25pm o_O Coach to Beginner class: "If you don't do good, you're going to
6.28pm I admire the watziznehm-bird's grace. What? I said grace, not name.6.29pm Ken's 2nd attempt at Backstroke. He's got it already.
6.30pm I watch the birds soar on the wind and wonder what it's like.
6.31pm Mr Ng watches the little girl beat the little boy and keeps the amused smile. The Beginner class leave the kicking and start Freestyling.
6.33pm Ken Butterflies and does it well!
6.35pm We used to hold on to the wall in between swimming routines. Now they just... squat.
6.40pm Little girl's kicking feet touch her head. Nah. Maybe her flippers are too long.
6.41pm Ei? Past 6.30 d.
6.46pm I miss this life.
6.47pm They'd go much faster if they leave the massive strength at the shoulders and keep it out of the palms. I realize by the cheering that it's a race. That means the session's going to end.
6.52pm I can tell that he's tired. Not dead tired. He'll be dead tired in the car. Little-boy-who-was-beaten-by-little-girl cries. Mr Ng: "Aaron, just now I tell you to cry, you dowan to cry. Now you cry pula."
6.55pm Been-to-ah-moh-country-looking-lady gestures impatiently to somebody in the pool and speaks in a lovely accent that's way to polite for a scolding session: "Are you coming?! I'm waiting!!"
6.58pm I really miss this life. And I feel really uncomfortable about leaving that chair out like that. (Don't ask what chair)
Not my life anymore.
I left it behind.
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