Learning to Paddle

Dragon Boats Eager to Race

Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races

Along the Aberdeen Promenade

Getting Ready for Dragon Boat Races

Bamboo scaffolding going up for viewing stands along the Aberdeen Promenade.  The Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong will be next week.

Dragon Boat Practice

Dragon Boat Festival

Aberdeen Shum Wan Dragon - Traditional solid teak dragon boat, crafted in Aberdeen, and pride of the Southern Typhoon Shelter.

Our local team is made up of guys who work on the boats and fishermen from around the Harbour.

Our local team, the Aberdeen Shum Wan Dragons in the foreground.

Aslo see Dragon Boats at Rest in the Typhoon Shelter

Dragon Boats At Rest In The Typhoon Shelter

Dragon Boat team training and racing are a feature of life in the Typhoon Shelter.  Dragon Boat crews train mostly in the evenings and at night, and are usually noticed first by their drumming and chants before you see them.  During the weeks and months of training, its impressive to see a new crew  awkwardly going through its first lessons to growing into a skillful and synchronized team paddling with powerful strokes to surge their boat forward.

I have yet to take a good photograph of a Dragon Boat team in action, but it's an intriguing team sport with its own culture that I hope to learn more about.

Wikipedia - For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times such as training the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for practice by drummers.

The Kowloon Kommutin' Sampan Blues

The Kowloon Kommutin' Sampan Blues

Duff Hughes

Looked over Jordan, what's coming from afar?

     coming for to carry me home

an over-loaded train of the MTR

     coming for to carry me home

Mong Kok to Admiralty, a five station hop

     coming for to carry me home

dispatcher comes on, says "Unscheduled stop!"

     coming for to carry me home

"Octopus Card ain't no EuroRail Pass"

      coming for to carry me home

"just jump inside, but watch your a##"

      coming for to carry me home

Doors won't close, please take a step back

       coming for to carry me home

at the end of the ride, it's "Mind the gap"

        coming for to carry me home

 Under the Harbour in this rocking steel tube

         coming for to carry me home

it's standing room only, no way to move

         coming for to carry me home

Then stand in que for the "75"

         coming for to carry me home

 stare out the window until I arrive

         coming for to carry me home

Wanchai's night markets and Happy Valley's Race Track

         coming for to carry me home

til Aberdeen's tunnel welcomes me back

         coming for to carry me home

Look for the sampan that's barely afloat

          coming for to carry me home

Ah Ying coasts slowly in her ancient little boat

             coming  for to carry me  home

If windy and rainy, gauge the waves' chop

           coming for to carry me home

make the leap on the rising, not on the drop

            coming for to carry me home

Dragon Boat racers paddling past

         coming for to carry me home

started out slow, but learning to go fast!

         coming for to carry me home

Junks passing in darkness, yachts in bright light

           coming for to carry me home

they've rounded the sea wall, come home for the night

           coming for to carry me home

Cradled by the Islands, protected from the Sea

            coming for to carry me home

    the Shelter is a refuge for all in its lee

               coming for to carry me home                   

'Watermark' is there waiting, moored to her buoy

           coming for to carry me home

come along side now, give a shout "Ahoy"

            coming for to carry me home

Holding the stanchion as I stand by the prow

            coming for to carry me home

climb over the railing onto the bow

            coming for to carry me home

Train, bus and sampan from my desk to my deck

            coming for to carry me home

the journey is the adventure, I'm not tired of it yet

            coming for to carry me home

Some men dream of home in a castle with towers and moat
coming for to carry me home
for me it's this Shelter, and my teak wood boat
coming for to carry me home

No more verses for now, this is the last

           coming for to carry me home

Aboard 'Watermark' , happy, with Joanna and cats

            coming... for... to... carry... me... home...