Relax - Swimming with sharks

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Not many people can boast about swimming with sharks.

But this shark tale was a reality for local actor Adrian Pang. And it is one of the best memories of his family holiday last December at Club Med Kani in the Maldives.

Luckily for Pang, the nurse sharks, which he said were about half a metre long, were harmless.

Said the 46-year-old: "(They) occasionally swam up near the water's edge and every time I spotted one, Iwould plunge into the water and swim right up close to it.

"They are more afraid of you than you are of them and they are so quick that we had no chance to snap photos."

The co-artistic director of theatre company Pangdemonium said that the week-long holiday was to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Pang, a Club Med ambassador, had also been to the Club Med resorts in Bintan, Bali, Sahoro in Japan and Cervinia in Italy, among others.

But the beach resort in Maldives remain one of his favourites. For Pang and his family, it was also a trip of many firsts, especially for his sons Xander, 12, and Zachary,13.

"It was the first time I took my two boys scuba-diving, which they absolutely loved.

Joked Pang: "It was amazing just being able to be in crystal-clear waters among the marine life, exploring ancient wrecks - and I'm not referring to myself - and seeing Zack's and Xander's excitement."

The Pangs also went dolphin-spotting and were lucky enough to get up close and personal with some the marine creatures.

They even spotted some giant manta rays and chased them, said Pang.

The family of four also went for a day tour to the Maldives capital Male, where they visited mosques, shops, markets and eateries, and also picked up some history of the islands.

Male is about 20 minutes from the resort by ferry.

Pang was particularly impressed by the graciousness of the people who lived there.

"They lead a very relaxed life," he said.

The family also managed to squeeze in some deep-sea fishing.

"You should have seen the size of the one that got away," bragged Pang, riffing on that old angler joke.

So what exactly did Pang let slip from his fishing rod?

"It was a 12-foot long (about 4m) barracuda.

"We fought with it for a while, but of course, being civic-minded," he deadpanned, "we let it get away."

The fishing expedition also served as bonding time for Pang and his sons, whom he had always promised to take fishing.

Almost a year on, Pang is still far from done swimming with sharks, although not literally.

He is rehearsing for an Pangdemonium production titled Swimming With Sharks, starring himself, George Young and Janice Koh.

The play, which is on from Sept 20 to Oct 7 at the Drama Centre Theatre, is a psycho-sexual comedy that dives into the complexities of office politics, set in the "fantasy world" of Hollywood, in which Pang plays a movie producer.

Pang also stars in writer-director Ken Kwek's short film Sex.Violence.FamilyValues, which opens here Oct 11.

He added about the family's Maldives trip: "My family and I enjoy ski holidays, but for beach ones, this is one of my favourite destinations.

"This one was special."

Tickets to Swimming With Sharks are available at www.sistic.com.sg. Fill up a feedback form after the play to win a trip to Club Med Kani in the Maldives. There are two pairs of tickets up for grabs.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some of the best diving spots in the Maldives include Banana Reef, Sunlight Thila, Nassimo Thila and Okobe Thila.

Some are known for their unique shapes. For example, the Banana Reef, also known as Gaathugiri, gets its name from its shape. Another diving spot, called Kuda Haa, is shaped like a two-humped camel's back.

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