A thing for swings

I love swings. There is something liberating about just flinging yourself into the air with your feet dangling, and watching the world spin around you.

I remember going to the neighbourhood public playground with my sister when we were both young, and the swing was probably my favourite structure. (Another fav was the merry-go-round) In those days, playgrounds were simple. They were built on sand. Structures were mostly made of metal and coated with a layer of paint. Usually there was a slide, a swing, a merry-go-round, a see-saw, a monkey bar and a few spring riders. Of these, the swing seems to be the one that is usually broken, perhaps because of rusting chains? We would go to the playground in the evening, when the air was cooler and run around for a hour or so, before we had to return home for dinner.

But as we grew older and entered primary school, I think the town councils (or whoever was in charge) began upgrading public playgrounds. For some reason they replaced the sandy playgrounds with those with rubber padded floorings, and perhaps for safety, swings were mostly taken off. In their place we have plastic all-in-one structures, which were still fun but never quite provide the same excitement as a simple swing.

I've missed them ever since, and everything time I spot a swing, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic and excited.

Which probably explains why I was quite thrilled  to find a swing — actually two — at a chalet resort on Pulau Ubin last week. I was there with some colleagues for an news-gathering exercise as part of our basic reporting course. "Wow, a swing!" I blurted out. My colleagues probably didn't notice. For a moment I just left aside what I was supposed to do — speak to the guy who runs the place — and just stood there gazed longingly at the swings.

I would have loved to jump on, but work beckoned. 
© Lin Zhaowei, 2010.

You may have noticed that one of my top 10 photos from my year in Japan was of a swing. Maybe I should do more work on this theme.

As I wrote this, a song came to mind. Sixpence None The Richer's Kiss me. I quite liked that song when I was in secondary school. The second stanza goes:

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

Breezy. Just like those days on the swing.

It's funny how some old songs seem to be more meaningful when I listen to them again these days.

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PS: For those interested in reading more about Pulau Ubin, I found a blog written by a guy who has been visiting it regularly to chill out and take pictures. While it's a not a serious archival project per se, it makes for a good introduction to many of the personalities, stories and attractions on one of Singapore's few non-urban escapes. Click here to check it out.