tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post8446303023709802070..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: Paddling My Canoe off Changi in the 1960’s – Brian MitchellUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-53028814863667504962007-04-13T21:34:00.000+08:002007-04-13T21:34:00.000+08:00Brian - You can pat yourself for your youthful ent...Brian - You can pat yourself for your youthful enthusiasm. I can remember as a kid I wanted to build a floating raft on our pond. It never materialised. I fully agree with Aiyah Nonya's life philosophy - It is better to be safe than sorry, ever remembering that we are typical Singaporeans. However such thinking has a relevance to a Chinese saying: 'Carefullness enable a person to sail a ship for ten thousand years'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-90622406597984546862007-04-12T22:31:00.000+08:002007-04-12T22:31:00.000+08:00Even though my boys knows how to swim, I still do ...Even though my boys knows how to swim, I still do not allow them to swim in the sea or the pool without an adult around. When children plays, they do not notice the danger. They might push someone into the water, etc... Accidents have happen before from this type of incidents.<BR/><BR/>Call me kiasu/kiasi....but prevention is better than heartache later on. <BR/><BR/>Btw, my condolences to you and your family. May she rest in peace.aiyah nonyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595141213078608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-9075719348037301282007-04-12T18:56:00.000+08:002007-04-12T18:56:00.000+08:00Zennow I don't want anyone running away with the i...Zen<BR/><BR/>now I don't want anyone running away with the idea that I carved out that canoe myself - it was bought off someone else ready made! But yes we both swam and canoed in what might be considered today as rather hazzardous waters - although most of our swimming was done in the pool at the club (and from Google Earth it seems that pool is still there or somewhat enlarged)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-66867284096896132552007-04-12T17:34:00.000+08:002007-04-12T17:34:00.000+08:00Brian and his young friends were really adventurou...Brian and his young friends were really adventurous during their youthful days. Making a canoe out of a tree trunk had a close resemblance of red indians making their canoes. However swimming in that particular stretch of sea off Changi could be hazardous even compared today's improved swimming environment. Only a couple of days ago, two young school boys were drowned off a short distance from the Pasir Ris shore. Their deaths caused their parents to be emotionally shattered. Being strong swimmers do make a big difference. When I was a kid, I saw a young lady (age about twenty years old), swimming towards a kelong and back, with ease and style, as though having a routine workout. Nowadays many Singaporean parents send their kids for swimming lessons. This is real investment for their children safety in swimming, not just for winning medals in schools.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-55495449332929783872007-04-12T16:00:00.000+08:002007-04-12T16:00:00.000+08:00Chun Seeyou are right to guess, no life jacket or ...Chun See<BR/><BR/>you are right to guess, no life jacket or any kind of supervision of our canoeing. There is a huge change in the extent to which young people are allowed independence today - certainly true in the UK. Before coming to Singapore I was allowed to roam the streets of South London as a ten year old in a way that would be unthinkable today.<BR/><BR/>Sorry to hear about the funeral, my commiserations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-7631315013108264272007-04-12T13:42:00.000+08:002007-04-12T13:42:00.000+08:00I find that Brian's story is short and simple, and...I find that Brian's story is short and simple, and yet it says so much.<BR/><BR/>We see how different life was in the 60's compared to now. How teenagers spend their time, the kind of initiative and 'hard work' they have to put in in order to have a good time. Also how 'liberal' parents those days seem to be when it comes to safety. No way, I am going to let me son kayak to P. Ubin on a home-made canoe, and without life jacket and safety boats some more.<BR/><BR/>OK, reluctantly, I have to miss out on the discussions for a couple of days. I have to rush off to Ipoh this everning to attend my mother-in-law's funeral. And have yet to submit my income tax returns. My wife is going to nag me for sure for leaving things to the last minute as usual.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-47966300883130237702007-04-12T09:08:00.000+08:002007-04-12T09:08:00.000+08:00Brian, I don't suppose you had a life jacket on wh...Brian, I don't suppose you had a life jacket on when you did that 'reckless' thing did you?Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-44413399715583522902007-04-12T00:44:00.000+08:002007-04-12T00:44:00.000+08:00Johnthat would be a great idea, pity I don't have ...John<BR/><BR/>that would be a great idea, pity I don't have a picture of my old canoe but I am sure a nice modern one with decent paddles could get across in no time! And I gather Pulau Ubin might bear some resemblance to how we remember the main island!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-43718792879755280292007-04-12T00:30:00.000+08:002007-04-12T00:30:00.000+08:00Well, here's an idea for us oldies to relive our y...Well, here's an idea for us oldies to relive our youth. If we can all get together in Changi sometime with some canoes; we could paddle over to Pulau Ubin and maybe bivouac for a night and tell stories of the old days!<BR/><BR/>John HarperJollyGreenPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05829814386239434664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-61283074050799494902007-04-12T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-12T00:00:00.000+08:00Nice post to supplement Chun See's earlier story o...Nice post to supplement Chun See's earlier story on the same subject, Brian. As they say, something old, something new.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.com