Fishing

I went fishing today. It's not something I'd ever tried before, for a couple of reasons (short attention span, no friends) but I had a chance to take my sons fishing and they were keen to try, so we got up early and went out on the river by Hoi An, with anther father and son, a guide and a cheerful boatman with leathery skin and bright yellow teeth who at first glance appeared ancient but was probably about my age (which varies, of course, as some of you know).

We motored out along the river into the estuary, cast anchor, then the guide and the boatman baited our hooks and showed us how to cast. I got my line into the water, then, predictably, after about a minute could feel myself getting restless. What happens now, I asked, and the response was that just sit there for a couple of hours and maybe we'll get a fish. It reminded me of why I've never been keen to go fishing. I have acquaintances who do it, and they always say that the whole point of it is precisely that it's so boring. It gives you an excuse to do nothing, that sort of thing.

This is just plain ridiculous. I don't need an excuse to do nothing; I'm already very good at it. And if I'm going to spend some time doing nothing I'm much more likely to do it in on my couch with a magazine and the tv on, rather than on a small smelly boat halfway up the Hoi estuary on a hot sunday morning.

We didn't get any fish either, but that's not the point.