Chew Jetty was my home from age five to sixteen — a place where childhood unfolded with the rhythm of the tides and the scent of the sea. After school, I'd rush home to drop a fishing line through the kitchen floorboards, sell bubur cha-cha with neighbours, play stones and jump rubber strings with childhood friends, or sneak a fish or two from passing fishermen’s baskets. Each plank of that wooden platform holds a memory, a laugh, a lesson.

The dragon boat that now stands at the bridge is more than a symbol — it represents the spirit of Chew Jetty. I remember leaping onto fishing boats with excitement, cheering for our uncles as they raced at the Dragon Boat Festival at Gurney Drive. We shouted "jia you! jia you!" with all our might as they braved the sea, bound together by strength and community.

This painting captures more than just a dragon boat — it holds the essence of family, shared history, and the bittersweet passage of time. Some relatives have grown up, moved on, drifted apart. Yet I believe that through love, acceptance, and forgiveness, the spirit of unity can always bring us home.