What's nice about this year's birthday?

Answer: I'm on my way to obliterate my fear of water.

The day before yesterday, I had my first official swimming lesson at the Panasonic sports complex.

Swimming lesson? But you're a diver, you say.

Well, that may be so but really, swimming and diving are two different animals. There are plenty of divers out there who can't swim. They feel secure in their diving gear, but without it, well, they can swim a little but not very well.

I thought that wasn't right.

Which was what Tuesday's lesson was all about.

Coach Dolphin Lee made us swim breaststroke, a bit of freestyle swimming and corrected our kicks and strokes.

But the highlight of the evening was when he took us to the deep end of the pool -- and told us to jump!

"Get onto the numbered platform and jump," he said.

You mean, jump as in... JUMP? Into the water?

Yes lah.

My girlfriend, who was taking the lesson with me, and I hesitated.

"You go first," she said.

Fuck!

I got onto the platform. Mulled over it.

Coach was already waiting in the water.

"Ok, one, two, three -- jump!" said Lee.

Nothing happened. I was staring at the clear water through my goggles, still mulling over it.

I will come back right up, right? I asked Lee for some assurance.

Some kids sitting nearby started laughing at me.

Fuck, kids laughing at a grown up man. I have no way out of this!

So. Secured my arms over my chest, looked straight ahead and took one step forward like in diving's giant stride. Splash!!!

Bubbles everywhere. Reached the bottom of the pool in an instant. Kicked a little. Got back to the surface in no time, with a smile on me face.

Yes! I did it!

And for some reasons, water treading feels a lot easier after you have overcome that fear of jumping.

After a few more jumps, I had pretty much overcame my fear for the deep end of the pool. Can't wait to jump again next week. Hee.

Happy Birthday to me.