Learning How To Swim

When you live on an island or on a peninsula, you are not only near water, you are surrounded by it.
"Water. water. everywhere" - my Ancient Mariner!
People who grow up around water can swim - it was a Given, Right?

I remember seeing very young children "diving for pennies" at the wharf - an entertainment for tourists. Some of those children made a fair living out of this.

At that time, HK harbor was not so polluted, and most of the beaches were pristine. People engaged in water sports. The rich had yachts and the not so rich could hire big Launches (boats) for the day or by the hour.
There were, and still, many what we called "water people" or "boat people" who lived and died on the water. They seldom came on shore. You could see toddlers perched on the edge of those boats without a care in the world, and if they did fall into the water, they could swim.
There were Sampans and motor boats.
There were small launches, which we called "Wala-wala", which served as water-taxis.
And, there were Junks, those Chinese flat-bottomed ships with battened sails. The word Junk came from Portuguese Junce and Dutch Jonk. The Portuguese were the earliest traders and settlers in HK. Years later, when I was in Sintra, Portugal, visiting the city, I realized how much the Portuguese influenced HK - the  steep curving roads, the stone walls, made me feel like I was back in HK.  

Coming from Shanghai, though we were near the mouth of the River, there were no beaches.

Now, in HK, we university students sometimes would go on Launch Picnics, and have a day out at sea. (I did have to take my seasick pills). We anchored near the beaches but we did not dock. Most of us would jump off the boat for a swim. The "boys" would often pick up us girls and dump us into the ocean - it was one of the games they played. The water was so clear, you could see the bottom of the ocean, but it was still deep.

My mother said that if I were to go on any of these outings, I needed to learn How To Swim. So, she employed a Channel Swimmer to teach me. 

Well, I am really afraid of water. I panic if I cannot touch the bottom when I am in the water. But, I had to conquer my Fear if I was to go on Launch Picnics. Right?
So, for months, I went to my Swimming Lessons.
My poor teacher, he did not realize what he was getting himself into.
I was practically unteachable.
I may look somewhat graceful, but I am a Klutz - I had no sense of  co-ordination.
We both tried to do our best.
I did learn how to dive - he literally pushed me into the water, I had to survive. HELP!
I Did learn to dive, to surface, to Float (Big Success!), and to do back-strokes. In other words, I managed to survive, so I could go on Launch Picnics!

I never really learned how to swim.

Did I tell you that my father nearly had a heart attach when he knew that I had a swimsuit and I went swimming? 
It was just a modest one piece deal, really, Father.