Time For a Swim?

Another week has gone by. Nobody called, no job offers. Why not I call instead of waiting? I looked through the newspapers and saw an advertisement for swimming teachers. For as long as I can remember, I was able to swim. Maybe I can teach swimming part-time while searching for a full-time job? I was tired of waiting, so I picked up the phone...

Swim Centre (SC): Hello.
Me: Hi, I'm calling about the ad in classifieds about teaching swimming.
SC: Uh-huh...
Me: I am interested and want to know more details.
SC: Are you interested to learn or to teach?
Me: Teach.
SC: How many of the four styles of swimming do you know?
Me: I roughly know all.
SC: What do you mean by roughly?
Me: Er ... can swim... can move lor... How to describe over the phone?!
SC: Okay, then you come and show us.

With that, I was told to report at 1830 hrs on Saturday, 6 August 2005 for an interview. Cool. I have never been to a swimming interview before. I was quite excited, below is a log of my Sat:

1030 hrs: Wake up, prepare for badminton and swimming interview, eat breakfast (2 slices of bread)
1245 hrs: Leave home, take bus followed by train then walk to badminton hall (West)
1400 - 1600 hrs: Tiring but fun badminton session
1600 - 1700 hrs: Eat "lunch" (glutinous rice balls)
1700 - 1800 hrs: Take train to North
1800 - 1830 hrs: Walked 20 mins from train station to pool
1830 - 1900 hrs: Observe how existing teacher teaches students
1900 hrs: The Interview - swim all four styles, one lap each
1915 - 2200 hrs: Learn how to teach breaststroke
2200 - 2300 hrs: Debrief
2300 - 0030 hrs: Took bus then train then bus again home (East)

Here is the interesting part: I did not swim well for front crawl and back stroke in my interview which I was asked to swim one lap of front crawl and on lap of back stroke. I was much better at my one lap of breaststroke. Suprisingly I was able to swim ONE LAP of butterfly stroke!! I was so shocked that I did not realised that I had passed the interview.

Immediately after finishing my ONE LAP of butterfly, the teacher began to teach me how to teach breaststroke. For almost 3 hours, I was learning how to teach breaststroke. After that, I almost could not get out of the pool because it was so cold. If you ever swim at the night, you will know what I mean. The water was cold and the air was cold. I was shivering the moment I entered the water at 1900 hrs (7pm). The constant wind across the pool made it even colder.

At about 10pm, after a warm shower and finally out of water in dry clothes, there was a debrief session...

Teacher: Do you have any question?
Me: When will I know if I have passed my interview?
Teacher: ... (Eyes wide open, mouth open even wider) ... Actually I HAVE already taught you how to teach and you can start having students and start to teach swimming!!
Me: Me? (Pointing to myself) I can start to teach? I passed my interview?!
Teacher: Yes.

Yipee! I am a swimming teacher now. Of course I need to go through a few more sessions of training before actually starting to teach but YES!! "I've got the job!" Time for a swim? Definitely =)