Capitolo 1: Nautical baby

I think my mom gave birth to me in the ocean.

You know those water births? Some said it is less painful. Heck, I don’t know; I’m not even married yet, let alone having a child. Anyway, HEY, I’m not going to talk about water births here.

Yes, one day I just went blank and this thought popped up in my head:

I think my mom delivered me in the ocean, underwater. 

I always feel I have a special connection with the sea. Holiday time to the beach always excites me. That feeling of having your feet buried within the soft khaki sand where you get a ticklish sensation in between your toes. And then getting your feet soaked up by the breaking waves. Hmm…what an experience worth killing for.  

The truth is, I was born in a hospital. And no, I wasn’t raised nearby a beach, or by the sea. I’m a pure uptown girl. I wonder where do I get this nautical-dependency (does that word exist?) from..? My father loves the sea. I guess I inherit it from him. Even though he was raised in the foothills of the mountains in North Sulawesi, he considers himself a sea person.

“Yeah I get it, you’re a sea girl. So what?” Hold that thought.

Apparently, my love for the sea has never been channelled in a self-indulging way. Okay, I confuse you. What I’m trying to say is that my love for the sea had never produced anything meaningful for me. I hadn’t done anything that could stand as a proof that I have a special relationship with the sea. It’s like you’re telling people you can’t live without your doll, but you never caress, hug, or even touch your doll.

Well, I’m afraid of the ocean. I’m worried of its vastness and depth. Somehow it’s trying to pull you into its uncanny and mysterious depths. Everything down there seems otherworldly. Nevertheless, there’s always a chunk of me that longs to discover what’s down there (PS: I’m easily fascinated by those Nat Geo, Animal Planet, other nature TV Channel series that showcase underwater animals et cetera and PPS: I once dreamed of becoming a #censored# marine biologist #censored# ).

The opportunity of a lifetime came in one Saturday morning. It involved a brief convo between a father and a daughter.

Dad: Hey, a friend of mine is a scuba diving instructor. He offered a diving lesson with a rather cheap deal. Interested?

Me: Yes!

Dad: Pack your swimming gears. Let’s go to the dive centre.

Me: Unh.

(Brain goes into IS THIS REAL mode. Symptoms include shock, stationary state, and tongue-tied)

Continue on the next post . . .

* capitolo is an Italian word means chapter
** all pictures in this post belongs to me.