I always wanted to learn swimming (apparently its compulsory in schools in many countries). One reason was the cool elegance of women when they wear swim suits. I assumed that it was swim suits which was the source of this elegance and not women wearing it. I made enquiries at the government swimming pool. An hour of swimming classes/swimming time just costs Rs.10! I felt that it would be criminal not to learn swimming when our government is being so generous! May be one of the last bastions of sircari generosity. Just before entering the pool I had to go through a security post at the entrance. I asked the security man whether they have women trainers here. He said there is one but it is not necessary that she will teach me. But I could ask her anyway, he said. Strange man, I thought.
There were two trainers standing beside the swimming pool. A man and a woman. I met the woman trainer who told me that I could buy swim suits from Parthas ( a popular textile shop). Also if I wanted to cover more (She pointed at the women who were in the pool who were not showing not even a drop of skin!), I could buy innerwear from a sports goods shop near Statue Junction.
So off I go to buy swimsuit in the evening with my sis in law. I bought a swim suit. I tried the swim suit on at the shop. I didn’t feel elegant at all when I looked at the mirrors which surrounded me in the trial room. Oh shit! I thought. I am top heavy. My legs do not suit the suit. They need to be more … what.. elegant. So basically, I went and bought the inners and tights as well. No skin showing for me, please. Kerala is bad. Men are bad. So I won’t show my body. I rationalized to myself. When I reached home, my mother commented that you could have bought a burqua instead of so many pieces of clothing. That would have solved the problem!
Morning 9.45. 9.45-10.45 is ladies’ time. I wear my swimsuits…in the dressing room of the pool. A woman who must be in her sixties wearing knickers and a loose blouse showed me where to change and also asked me to wet my body before I get in the pool. I felt ashamed of my layers of clothing. But she is old. I told myself. I went to the pool. There was a man with a long pole in his hand. He asked me to get in the pool. The woman trainer never turned up. He asked me to take a deep breath and breath out into the pool. I did it a few times. There was a girl and a woman who were trying to paddle. I seem to have impressed the trainer with my breathing out. He said that I could begin to try to be in the water. So I leaned on the poolwall and threw myself into the water and tried breathing out into the water by immersing my whole body. After a few times my mates marveled at my ability to trust water. They commented that I am a natural. One of them was water phobic. She was yet to breath into the water like I was doing even after a month of training. I felt good after a long time about myself. Man..I am so brave.
Later I discovered that the pole in the hand of the trainer is to poke my body parts when he wants me to immerse my head or if he wants to point out that my body is going stiff which he says is sure to sink one. That is, if any part of one’s body goes tense or stiff, that will bring one down and will not help one to float.
