Simple Activity, Immense Pleasure - Kite Flying
Thanks to 25hourmaid, she really motivates us to try kite-flying in present time. I used to make kites with my siblings eons ago and flew it from our 6-storey high HDB (first generation flats without lifts type) from our kitchen window. It was a great time for me to bond with my siblings as I hardly played with them due to a wide age gap except during such moments. I remembered fondly that we used to draw pictures on the kites but most of our kites were oblong in shape, easy to make, thread and fly in minutes. Everything was simple yet pleasurable. 
Recently I relived this pleasure with my child at Marina Barrage after being inspired by 25hourmaid's trip there. All her sharing brought back fond memories for me and I decided that my child should have such memories captured for herself when she grew up like me. Though grossly over age to be seen flying a mermaid kite.....I still went ahead to do it with my child.
Apart from enjoying the euphoria of family togetherness, the feeling of pulling and tugging at the strings and bending forward and backwards felt so much like the parenting journey. Everything has to be done with the right touch at the right time. Pulling too tight constraint the freedom to soar higher but letting go at the wrong time caused it to nose-dive into the meadows. There was a lot of synergy required between us to get the kite into the air as well. It was quite a good form of physical exercise too as we needed to work against the wind.
Times like this, I relived another thing that I have hardly done since we become more and more modern as a society. PICNIC!! We used to spread anything on the grass verge and could sit there all day long, eating and having a swell time as a family. Perhaps the sun was kinder then and the sunshine felt good for growing kids like me. Now we avoid the sun at all costs, as if it would plague us with skin cancer immediately. Well, we had a modern picnic setting with the state-of-the-art picnic mat 
..a good disguise to keep a modern-day child happy. At least she got to feel what it was like having a picnic in the open vast space. Her previous zoo trip, they had lunchboxes next to the lion's resting place, indoor...so outdoor dining other than alfresco, picnic was something only found in story books!
On top of that, we caught the lovely sun-setting behind the Singapore flyer, it was a pictureques sight!!
We derived great pleasure from this all-in-one experience in a 2-hour family outing, simple outing but immense pleasure. Try it!
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Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for sharing :)
beautiful photo. nice
beautiful photo. nice picnic basket
your picnic looks good.
your picnic looks good.
We bought the kids to West
We bought the kids to West Coast for kite flying on Monday 9 Aug. Unfortunately, the kite refused to fly up! I wonder if the price of the kite makes a different? Or maybe we are just not skilled enough. The children were a bit disappointed. But they have fun with the Go Kart riding in the park. So it was still a fun day for the children.
Personally I find that the
Personally I find that the wind factor is very important.
If the wind is intermitten, then the kite may get up and then fall down. So the ability to feel and harness the wind direction will help to keep it in the air. However if the air decides to be really still.....then the kite will not go up at all. That is why kite flying is fun....alot of things to understand in the process.
cheers.
ksi
I totally agree with what
I totally agree with what ksi said, that's why Marina Barrage is a good place to fly a kite! Haha, PUB had better pay me for promoting Marina Barrage!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Hey friend, if they have a
Hey friend, if they have a star chart for the public like that in the KKH for their staff, you should have a place on the chart!! *thumbs up* :)
cheers.
You talking to me? Your
You talking to me?
Your words so abstract, making this poor maid blur blur! How come suddenly move from PUB to KKH?
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Yes talking to you....sorry
Yes talking to you....sorry I assume you know KKH as well as I do....kekeke
In KKH they have this star chart for their star staff pasted very hugely on the wall, cannot be missed....so I was thinking aloud if PUB has such a chart for their public service people, you will definitely be on it lor...
cheers. :)
Hi ksi Haha, I guessed as
Hi ksi
Haha, I guessed as much that you were talking to me, but just wanted to be sure, that's all. ;)
Thanks for the clarification! At least now I know why you associated PUB with KKH.
You are right, I am not familiar with KKH at all and I am lost whenever I am there, not that I go there often, but enough to get me lost amidst the numerous buildings. In fact, since young, my boys do not go there for their medical needs.
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Go kart riding
I've seen people riding on these four wheelers but how do we get the rental? Can't see any shops nearby. We parked neat the Mc D.
Try to go Marina Barrage to
Try to go Marina Barrage to fly the kite. If it doesn't fly up, that means the kite if no good. We got a kite at marina Barrage and it flew very well.
Hi smum I don't think it
Hi smum
I don't think it is the price of the kite that matters, problem more likely due to the wind direction and maybe user not used to how the kite behaves yet. My friend used a 'cheap-skate' kite at our last outing at Marina Barrage, but her kite was up in the air for a long time.
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Not yet
Hi ksi,
No, not yet. 25hourmaid reminded me abt the National Day hols. But its top priority now. Am planning an outing during one of the wekends soon. Will update if it pulls through
Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read - Mark Twain
Don't make me wait until
Autumnbronze, don't make me wait until my neck becomes long long like the giraffe, okay!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
My family just got on the
My family just got on the hobby of kite flying too! Great outdoors activity for the whole family. My ds can run freely, having great fun sweating out while my dd who is more "niang", will sit at the picnic mat , watch and munch as she's afraid to get in contact with the grass!
As we live in the west, we will go to west coast park or the boon lay park (opp boon lay mrt). Its better to fly kites on the weekday though as the crowd at both parks in the weekends can be a little overwhelming. But in any case, we always bring along our scooters and bicycles along for the kids to play.
This kite flying hobby is a definate weekly activity for my family and I really encourage all to join in the fun too!
Hi 5 Yerdua, it is a very
Hi 5 Yerdua, it is a very healthy family activity indeed on a weekly basis.
I think these are the things I remember of my childhood too....not the classes I have attended :P
Post your pictures here occasionally to boost the "kiting sport"
cheers...
My dear girl, you make me
My dear girl, you make me shy only!
Mentioned my nick not once but twice, like as if I contributed SO MUCH to your kite enjoyment like that! 
Anyway, like I said in the thread, glad you and your kid had fun. Yes, kite flying is a good way to relax and to bond with our kids.
Talking about that, looks like it's time for yet another kite flying trip to Marina Barrage!
Thanks for the reminder!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
No need shy, dear
No need shy, dear friend....if not for you,....my inertia to get there would have been so much higher. I am so glad you have overcome my inertia and enjoyed ourselves so much. :)
Thanks again.
Haha, still won't take all
Haha, still won't take all the credit for the fun you and your kid had at Marina Barrage today!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Oh friend, did I tell you I bought another kite?
Unfortunately I could not get a fierce looking one, sold out, I ended up with another sweet one..
Will post it another time.... :)
Nope, you didn't tell me
Nope, you didn't tell me about your latest kite! Haha, looks like you are getting hooked on kite flying!
I have seen two very nice kites at Giant Tampines, a huge puppy face and another of a goldfish with a long tail. Husband is eyeing that, but I said NO!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...
Beautiful pictures, thank
Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing ksi. Remembering that my Dad used to help us make our own kites, especially red and white ones on National Day *love* I love that they brought back "old time" hobbies that families can do and enjoy together,
Duriz, the red and white
Duriz, the red and white kites sound cool indeed... Creativity is best when we are at play......
cheers.
Awesome
ksi,
Thanks for sharing.
The photos are really awesome
Now I will def make plans to go to Marina Barrage dur the National Day long weekend.
Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read - Mark Twain
Hi Autumnbronze, Hope you
Hi Autumnbronze,
Hope you are at kite flying this long weekend.
I agree with Yerdua, this can be a weekly family event. Not necessarily at Marina Barrage only, I found quite a few places in the heartland areas where the vast grass land is not used for housing development yet......better use them before there are buildings standing on them... :)
Alamak, autumnbronze, you
Alamak, autumnbronze, you mean you have not put your plans into action? Haha, then you had better make it fast and hop onto the kite flying wagon before it flies off!
But seriously, a word of advice though. Think it may not be that good an idea to go to Marina Barrage during the National Day weekend. One thing is that lots of roads are closed due to the NDP and another, chances of finding a good shady spot is minimised due to the expected crowd there on that day. Go and read the thread. I gave some tips there and I am sure ksi can agree with me that finding a shady spot there is very difficult if you do not go there early.
Cheers!
maid to 3 men and a dog ...