Picture discussion - kah mun (17)

This picture depicts a man holding a fishing rod and was in the midst of throwing it out to the lake. The background is one of rural settlement. It consists of a blue lake, hill and an isolated house on the other side of the lake. The weather is also perfect. I think this place might be located in China as this scene is typical of a chinese rural environment. And I also spotted willow trees in the distance, also typical of a chinese environment.

From the long-sleeved clothing of the man , I can see that the weather is chilly, though not so freezing cold as to actually turn the water in the lake to ice. From the simplicity of his fishing rod, I can tell that the man might not have the financial means to buy a better grade one. I think the man might be a villager from around that area, and he might not be a fisherman. If he is one, he should not be leisurely fishing here. So, fishing could be a leisure activity for this man to pass his time.

For this man, going fishing could be the most fun and ideal for a villager. Spending the day peacefully and quietly could be a typical practice for them. The man might not expect to catch any fish, but if he does, I think he would be elated and would bring it home just in time for his wife to cook it for dinner.

From the curved railings the man was leaning over on, I could guess that the man might be on a tourist attraction. Being a rural village, they have no need for railings. But for a tourist attraction, they need to set up railings to ensure the safety of the tourists. Without the railings, a tourist might get pushed into the water if there is a big crowd in that area. This point is reinforced by the presence of the big light lamp behind the man who was fishing. That might be used at night to bring light to the attraction.

In the background, I spotted another person on a raft in the middle of the lake. I think he might be a fisherman or a seller selling his wares to tourists. He might also live in the wooden house on the other side of the lake. I reckon he might not be so well off, therefore every money he earns is vital to his livelihood. He might also have a family he has to provide for. To sell his wares, he had to be out on the lake the whole day, under the sun. Whatever money he earned might have gone into buying food to eat, purchasing basic necessites and of course, wares to sell the next day.

I can see a contrast between the man who was fishing and the man who was on the raft. The man who was fishing was able to afford to spend his time on leisure activities while the man on the raft had to spend the day looking for fishes to sell or persuading tourists to purchase his wares. Apparently, the man who was fishing was better off than the man on the raft.

This scene is very peaceful and slow-paced, unlike Singapore, where life is mostly fast-paced and stress is common. Being in this place would calm me down and relax myself. But I would not be used to such rural lifestyle, having spent most of my life living an urban lifestyle. This place is also very scenic, what with the winding magnificent blue lake and the glassy slopes of the hill. And not forgetting, the peacefulness and serenity it brings to me.

Written by: Seetoh Kah Mun

3H (17)