By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: What's the deal with old men and kites?
Don't get me wrong, I think it's nice to see a load of kites in the sky and that, but why is it always old fellas? If some 65 year old man in England was out flying a kite, you can bet your life he'd be accompanied by a middle-aged daughter saying something along the lines of, "C'mon now Dad, it's time to go now, Ready Steady Cook's on in half an hour, and you haven't had your bath yet. We can come and play with the kite again tomorrow, ok?" Out here it's a normal site, they even seem to be kind of professional about it with great big fishing type reels. In fact maybe that's it, maybe it's just like fishing. Still seems a very unusual past-time for an adult. So (before I get back to playing my X-Box) what other past-times that are deemed perfectly acceptable here would seem unusual back home, wherever for you that is?
walking early in the morning and clapping or banging their back against trees, always seem peculiar in some twilight zone sort of way.
mArtiAn:
Yeh, the sideways crab-dance, or walking backwards up hills. And nobody bats an eye-lid. I remember sitting on a balcony once and a lady came riding down the street singing opera very loudly, whilst walking in the opposite direction two builders came along holding hands, and I remember thinking, "And I bet that women's 'not' nuts, and those blokes 'aren't' gay."
Seriously?!? And you had to give that whole scenario of your childhood when you use to fly kites? I don't know why but you know this country is pretty big on kite flying. THey even have some type of kite flying compettions.
What's really strange I would have to say are those guys that do that Taichi in the middle of nowhere so everybody can see them. Usually that's done in a dojo or maybe in your backyard back home not in plain site for everybody to see.
mArtiAn:
I think 'dojo' is a martial arts term, whereas tai chi is.....something else. As I understand it, it is practised outdoors and particularly under trees, because that is where the chi flows strongest.
I always thought flying kites as a childhood thing too, but once me and my roommate flew kites in university, and it was actually still pretty fun.
As for why its a bunch of old guys here, I assume its for exercise. Most old people seem to try to do some sort of exercise outdoors. And I think that is pretty groovy since most of the old people I knew back home were pretty much idle.
mArtiAn:
Well the fellas I saw doing it today didn't seem to be getting much exercise out of it, they were sitting chatting. The only movement was in their jaws and wrists.
Did it ever happen to you that you couldn't do something on time and you had to make up for it later?
Those old guys didn't get the opportunity to fly kites when they were kids, so why not fly it when they are old. It is never too late to fly your kite.
I have been a kit flyer all my life. I make kits, its fun. I once made a specially designed kite (by me) that would fly very high. That was my aim to get a kite up over 3000ft. It would disappear in the clouds. The local airport contacted me to refrain from fly my kits so high. So I had to Quit. I am now 80 years old and occasionally I still fly my kites, its fun, I no longer live near an airport. Franck3
mArtiAn:
Ok, seriously, what makes that wu-maoing? What are you seeing that i'm not?
GuilinRaf:
"Kit flyer"?
You complain that Americans do not know "real" English, but at least we know the difference between a "kite" and a "kit"....
TedDBayer:
How did the airport find you? Did they send out intercepter jets?
I vaguely remember reading either in China or Japan they used to have combat kite flying competitions where the idea was to cut the string of your opponents kite with razors attached to your kite.
Sounds pretty cool.
Scandinavian:
Yeah http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_kite
Combine it with typhoon strength winds and here is a novel idea for a TV show
Hugh.G.Rection:
Interesting, or use those modern kites that are so strong you have to anchor yourself to the ground or you get airborne!
easyrider:
Yeah that was depicted in the Kite Runner I believe (book and film)
mArtiAn:
Actually I had a friend, Dom, in London who had a very large double-kite that you could make twist and turn. It was so powerful that it would drag me across the park at speeds. Great fun. One time a boy of about 12 was hassling to fly it but it was too windy so Dom said no. The kid wouldn't let up so Dom smiled and gave him the reigns. The kid took off, got about 10 feet off the ground and let go, but only when we shouted at him to let go. I've always regretted saying that, I should have just gotten my phone out and filmed him sailing off into the clouds. Imagine the hits on Youtube.
Well, kids are at school, grownups are working so I would imagine that the old guys are the ones that have the free time to fly kites.
mArtiAn:
Well why aren't they in a bar getting pissed, like any respectable senior citizen?
GuilinRaf:
They do that in the evening of course, either before or after the "massage"....
It's always cloudy in China and if a kite is struck by lightning then their iphone can be recharged for free.
mArtiAn:
Finally, a sensible answer. It's all clear to me now, of course.
I've always really been inspired by how active elderly people are in China. It's very important to stay active to keep your mind and physical health sharp. It seems like Chinese people have nailed that.
As far as flying kites.... it's not a hobby I'm into but I understand different countries/cultures have different hobbies. Now sure why it's so popular here but I've never found it unusual or weird.
