In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...

...God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good...

...And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures..."…So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems…And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas..."

~Genesis 1:1, 10, 20-22 (NIV)~

Water - a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H₂O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. It contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight.

(www.dictionary.com)

Water has always been a special part of my life.

When I was in primary school, I almost drowned while playing at a waterfall during Chinese New Year. Thank God my uncle spotted me, and I live to tell the story today.

I was a bad asthmatic. The swimming pool first opened in my hometown when I was 10 years old. My parents jumped at the opportunity for me to learn swimming. Swimming is good for asthmatics. It helps strengthen the lungs & breathing, but it's important to keep warm.

I remember the first time I entered the pool. Unlike other kids who jumped in with a splash, I entered slowly using the ladders. Haha, and the pool was only 1 meter deep :P Ripples of my near-drowning at the waterfall? I can't be sure…hmmm…

Long story short, my asthma cleared up, thank God. And I ended up doing competitive swimming until I finished school. My involvement in competitive swimming played a role in me receiving good and free tertiary education.

Going into college, I was quite sick of the water, having spent hours in a day, everyday, training in chlorinated water. In spite of that, I still went back into the pool every few months just to make a few splashes.

University days, I got back into doing a proper regime when I went swimming once a week. It, of course, was to serve a different purpose. Rather than training for competition, it was just for exercise, keeping fit & healthy, and getting that sense of fulfilment (yes, I have this weird feeling of freedom when I'm in activity, especially in water). Hence, the mileage I put in is only an eighth of what I used to clock in during competitive training days. I've kept to this once-a-week swimming to this day.

As much as possible, I jump at every opportunity to go to the beach, sea, island, etc. Love places like these.

I've recently started scuba diving, and I love every second of it. The anticipation of my next dive makes my heart race. The teeming, colourful marine life that exists down there…so much colour, so much variety, so many different shapes & sizes, it's crazy & just beyond me…the ecstasy of drifting with the current over a reef full of anemones…the thrill of currents blowing at you & shaking your regulator & mask as you cling onto a rock while observing little fish scrambling in the drift…the smell of sea water blowing in your face as you take the boat out to dive…the buddy concept where nobody dives alone & the strong bond that builds because we always watch out for each other…the stories, jokes & laughter after each dive…heck, even gearing up gives me a kick :P

So yes, water :)