Fishercouple

I went swimming this morning after dropping True off for his SATs. It was delightful. A school of Stripeys, a kind of little fish that are normally darting around the shore, gathered around me like excited and confused puppies, tapping at my fingertips in hope of finding something there to eat.

The swimmers were all elderly, the hardiest of beach goers, who come early in the morning to take an aquatic constitutional. They are regulars and call cheerfully to one another while they go about their routines - some doing invented calisthenics, slapping the water with their arms, for example, or one guy who would submerge and then pop out of the water and clap his hands over his head like a child. The average age is 80, but I feel closer to them now than ever, on the eve of my 59th birthday.

As I emerged from the water, I noticed a fishing skiff just outside the swimming perimeter that had pulled up and was selling fish to anyone who came by.

I couldn't capture the couple with my phone camera, but they were likely in their 70s. The boat was well used, with a seine net piled high in the middle.

One of the earlybird swimmers had waded out and was helping those on shore to buy, running cash out and returning with fish or crabs.

A woman showed me her purchase - a few pompanos fresh from the sea.

Another woman bought blue crabs, after a shouted discussion with the man on the boat about whether to buy males or females. He advised that for steaming, males or best. The woman explained this to me as she paid because all of the conversation was in Cantonese.

It was a nice scene. I'm determined to learn to cook fish or crabs fresh from the sea so I can buy off the boat one morning and fix a meal at home.