Hi from Singapore!

[Sherl]

Hi everyone, I'm from Singapore (that's in Southeast Asia, in case you didn't know), and my username is miserere girl. Not really comfortable with revealing my real name yet; hope that's okay.

I think my love for mermaids started around last year, or the year before. I'm an avid reader and totally dig YA mermaid fiction. Other things that contributed to my growing love for mermaids are the "mockumentary" Mermaids: The Body Found, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra's cover of "Prayer" (that song is so oceany, with the harp and Hayley's vocals!), Disney's The Little Mermaid (of course) and any mythology involving mermaids, etc etc. I do love a good story.

I'm not a fantastically good swimmer but have been thinking about getting a monofin and practising with it. My love for mermaids may sound superficial (after all, it's been a long time since I slipped into a body of water) but I'm a Pisces and have been living in the ocean in my head. LOL. That's me for you. I feel that all professional mermaids are really lucky and deserve to be where they are after all that hard work they've put in. Mertailor Eric Ducharme's tails are to die for. I don't own any tails of my own. Yet.

I really hope to find more Singaporean mermaid enthusiasts here. They seem rare in my country, though I've seen oceanstar's post in the pod section. However, I'm also looking forward to meeting many other mermaids from around the world too! ;D

Best wishes,
miserere girl

[AniaR]

Welcome! You don't need to use your real name, most of adopt mer-names :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

welcome to the forum! :D

[Spindrift]

Hey!
I lived in Singapore for a few years, although I am not Singaporean. It's definitely where my mer-journey started (2008). I'll be flying back in January though. What's up?

[Jadestone]

Welcome! It's so fun to have people here from all over the world :)

[Sherl]

Thank you all for the welcome! Such a pleasure to meet you (: AnaiR, I don't have a mermaid name, much less even a tail, but if I had to pick one it'd be Mermaid Miserere (;


Hey!
I lived in Singapore for a few years, although I am not Singaporean. It's definitely where my mer-journey started (2008). I'll be flying back in January though. What's up?

Wow. That's so cool, I can't believe this! Do you have relatives here or something? Just a guess. I'm in the midst of my Cambridge 'O' Level examinations now and seriously need a break, but they're not over yet. *sighs* How did your mer-journey start here? I have no idea how to start mine in a country such as this. I've not gone to the beach/pool in years. Really.

[Spindrift]

I don't have a mermaid name, much less even a tail, but if I had to pick one it'd be Mermaid Miserere (;

Lol looks like you just found your mer-name.

I don't really have relatives there but I come from an expat family so we move around a lot. Because of this, I've lived in a bunch of places around the world. What I meant by starting my mer-journey is that I got into the mermaid deal in SG because that's where I first started designing and trying to build a tail. The condominium I lived in had a pool so finding a place to swim wasn't that difficult. I bet you could swim at Sentosa without any problems though. I also think it'd be an awesome idea to try and swim at the Marina Bay Sands pool haha. And SG isn't that far away from nice beaches in Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand, if the trip is doable.

Oh man. O-levels, huh? Good luck! I didn't have to take them (and I'm in uni now), but some of my friends did and they were freaking out pretty hard about them. I think by joining the forum you're already on an excellent start for your mer-journey lol. Spotlight in Plaza Singapura/Dhoby Ghaut has some really great materials to make tails out from and places like in Little India have great supplies as well. I'd start by getting a hold of a monofin and swimming with it - you know, see if you like it. If you don't they are pretty easy to re-sell. You can also just start designing how you'd like your first tail to look like! I think that's one of the most fun parts :)

[Sherl]

Spotlight in Plaza Singapura/Dhoby Ghaut has some really great materials to make tails out from and places like in Little India have great supplies as well. I'd start by getting a hold of a monofin and swimming with it - you know, see if you like it. If you don't they are pretty easy to re-sell. You can also just start designing how you'd like your first tail to look like! I think that's one of the most fun parts :)

I do agree, and was thinking about Spotlight as I've been there quite a few times but never properly explored it (: I don't live in a condo, so that bit about going to Malaysia or Thailand, I think that might do in a few years' time, I hope! Thanks for sharing how your mer-journey started :D

I do so want a monofin, hopefully for my seventeenth next year. It was a bad idea to bring up Oceanika merfins yesterday, even for a short while to my parents. Asian parents are usually not keen on spending on what they deem "unnecessary" for their kids, unless the kid pays for it. I don't have a job but will try to find one at Gallop Stables in Pasir Ris in December - if they'll accept me. I don't even know how much they will pay me as they're looking for full-time stable hands, not a part-time one.

My mom was like, "I'll never get you one of those (monofins). You can buy your own when you're all grown up and have started to work." She also refused to say why during our brief exchange. But I don't want to sound like a petty daughter here so I'm planning to convince them again after the O levels and ask for a FINIS Wave/Rapid monofin (off Amazon.com - the shipping fee is such a headache for my parents) which is slightly cheaper. And work hard for it. *sighs* The 'rents think mermaiding is ridiculous for me...right now I'd be happy enough to get a yes for a monofin.

[Ashe]

Welcome! And i hope you get your monofin soon!

[Spindrift]

Yeah parents can be tough sometimes. :\ I found that one of the best ways to "haggle" with them is to just do well in school and trade it in as a reward. My mom was a bit different though. If I didn't do well she'd make me run laps and work out. "If you can't be smart at least you can be athletic", haha. My first monofin - a Finis Tempo - my dad gave me as a birthday present. I ended up selling it after I got my big monofins with money I saved up myself. You can also argue that it's an exercising tool and that it'll make you work out and be healthy (once you find a place to swim).

Also Gallop Stables? That's so cool that you like horses. I used to volunteer at the Riding for the Disabled Association at Bukit Timah for years. I compete in uni now, in equestrian. If I ever come back for a prolonged period of time I'd like to try competing in SG. I left SG for uni the year Gallop Stables started to get popularity, I think. I was around when it was still called Horse City. I thought about applying to the stables in SG for jobs, but like... all the stables in SG (Turf Club and that one other one) seem to hire Malaysians so I didn't think I had much of a shot since I wouldn't have been able to work full time.

Good luck on your job app! I worked at Swenson's for fun one summer, and that was fine, but I wasn't really in it for the money and you don't earn that much. I heard Sakae Sushi has better pay though and they're pretty open to hiring younger people.

[Sherl]

Thanks for all the tips, Spindrift! (: I'll be sure to heed your advice. I almost never exercise - I'm always on the thin side (can't seem to gain weight!! GRRR.), which is really bad for my health so that bit will have them sold I think! I just checked out the local public pool rules and regulations; it seems that monofins won't be allowed in pools here /: I did find a local course for learning monofin swimming. Might be the only way out.

I think you're awesome, having worked with the RDA and are now competing. The two things I've really wanted but never done before are horse riding and swimming in the sea...and I've loved horses since I was 11. I've been so sheltered! Have hardly experienced life other than studying. If I don't get hired by Gallop Stables, I'll consider hopping over to Sakae or some other restaurant XD I do love sushi :D But I'd prefer a shot at working with horses.

[Sea Pearl]

Welcome to MerNetwork! Great to have another mermaid join us :)

[Sherl]

Thank you, Sea Pearl :)