Up a paddle without a creek
Over the weekend I was at Vivocity before heading to a lunch party at 
the silly girl's place. As I was walking through the sprawling complex, I saw this teenage couple walking in the opposite direction. They were both dressed in a singlet, bermudas and track shoes, with the guy carrying a haversack. The funny thing was: the guy was also carrying what appeared to be a dragon boat paddle, and brandishing it as he walked. OK maybe not brandishing it, but he was certainly carrying it as though he was auditioning for Storm Riders II; you know, like
...except that instead of a sword, it was a paddle.
Over the past few months, I have been noticing all these guys carrying dragon boat paddles in the weirdest of places: in Takashimaya, in Raffles City, even in the Airport. I saw this whole group of guys come into the BK at the basement in Suntec City-each carrying a paddle and plonking it against their seats as they went to order (what, were they trying to paddle in the fountain?)
What I wonder is: since when has a dragon boat paddle become a fashion accessory? The paddle on its own is useless without the dragon boat itself, and you certainly can't carry the dragon boat home, so what use is it carrying the paddle around with you? It's not even like a billiards cue which is also useless at home, but which you can bring to different billiards centres.
TRIVIA: Some people know that there is actually a special term referring to the fear of the number 13: triskaidekaphobia. But did you know that there's also this term 'hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia'? It refers to the fear of the number 666.
I asked a friend about this and he quipped that it has been something he has noticed it as well; he mused that what the guys are trying to portray is the image associated with dragon boaters. Apparently it is not enough to appear tanned, toned, and have big biceps. You need to carry something, a weapon of war, to indicate your status as a dragon boater. After all water polo players can carry their water polo balls, and ruggers their rugby balls, so the dragon boaters need to carry something too.
Is this why paddles have become a fashion statement? Simply because dragon boaters want to have something to wayang along with the other 'elite sports', and now it's cool to be seen carrying a dragon boat paddle in the middle of town far from the nearest water body? What next? Maybe I should sling a bundle of climbing ropes over my shoulder or carry an ice-axe the next time I walk down Orchard Road. I think I'm going to give Khoo Swee Chiow a call to see if he's going to dispose of any of his old axes any time soon....
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observations;
social commentary;
trivia
the silly girl's place. As I was walking through the sprawling complex, I saw this teenage couple walking in the opposite direction. They were both dressed in a singlet, bermudas and track shoes, with the guy carrying a haversack. The funny thing was: the guy was also carrying what appeared to be a dragon boat paddle, and brandishing it as he walked. OK maybe not brandishing it, but he was certainly carrying it as though he was auditioning for Storm Riders II; you know, like
...except that instead of a sword, it was a paddle.
Over the past few months, I have been noticing all these guys carrying dragon boat paddles in the weirdest of places: in Takashimaya, in Raffles City, even in the Airport. I saw this whole group of guys come into the BK at the basement in Suntec City-each carrying a paddle and plonking it against their seats as they went to order (what, were they trying to paddle in the fountain?)
What I wonder is: since when has a dragon boat paddle become a fashion accessory? The paddle on its own is useless without the dragon boat itself, and you certainly can't carry the dragon boat home, so what use is it carrying the paddle around with you? It's not even like a billiards cue which is also useless at home, but which you can bring to different billiards centres.
TRIVIA: Some people know that there is actually a special term referring to the fear of the number 13: triskaidekaphobia. But did you know that there's also this term 'hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia'? It refers to the fear of the number 666.
I asked a friend about this and he quipped that it has been something he has noticed it as well; he mused that what the guys are trying to portray is the image associated with dragon boaters. Apparently it is not enough to appear tanned, toned, and have big biceps. You need to carry something, a weapon of war, to indicate your status as a dragon boater. After all water polo players can carry their water polo balls, and ruggers their rugby balls, so the dragon boaters need to carry something too.
Is this why paddles have become a fashion statement? Simply because dragon boaters want to have something to wayang along with the other 'elite sports', and now it's cool to be seen carrying a dragon boat paddle in the middle of town far from the nearest water body? What next? Maybe I should sling a bundle of climbing ropes over my shoulder or carry an ice-axe the next time I walk down Orchard Road. I think I'm going to give Khoo Swee Chiow a call to see if he's going to dispose of any of his old axes any time soon....
§ Technorati tags:
observations;
social commentary;
trivia