Ride the waves

Clifford Pier (the white low lying building with the tirangular pink roof) looks almost the same as I knew it from this angle. So happy to go on a river taxi ride with my friend early this year. The weather was perfect and there were no irritating taped commentaries like those rides for tourists. We took the taxi from Jiak Kim to Marina Bay Sands, and then back again to Jiak Kim.

MY DAD had a rather adventurous spirit. One day, as we were walking past Clifford Pier (it might be a Sunday afternoon, I couldn't really remember), he suddenly had a brainwave and wanted to take a sampan all the way to Kallang Park.

We were stepping onto the boat when mum noticed that there were ominous black clouds in the horizon, where presumably, the sampan man would be rowing towards. Dad poohed-poohed away her concerns and we hopped on board.  Sure enough, just as we were in the middle of the sea, little raindrops began to fall. The waves were rocking the little sampan quite a bit.

Passing cloud, Dad said. But the raindrops got bigger. Mum insisted that we turn back. The sampan man said we would be reaching Kallang Park soon. But Mum was petrified and told the sampan man to row towards the nearest land and let us out. Sampan man said the nearest land would be Kallang Park.

So since this boat ride, each time Dad suggested another sampan ride, Mum would give a very firm NO.

View from Marina Bay.

Interesting sights from a different perspective. Also brought back some memories for my friend. She remembered that one of her first jobs upon getting her A levels, was to work for a little Chinese company with office in one of the godowns along Singapore River. She was doing accounts for the company. The pay was miserly. The hours were long.  The boss was grumpy and naggy. And she had to climb this narrow wooden staircase up and down several times in a day.