Former Miss Germany International 2006, Katrin Felton and her husband moved to Phuket in 2011 to realise her life-long dream of becoming a mermaid – yes, you read that right. Now she runs a Mermaid Academy where she teaches others how to become real-life mermaids like herself.
What got you obsessed with mermaids?
It happened 20 years ago when I watched The Little Mermaid at the age of 5. I was so intrigued by the outfits and the way they moved underwater. Living in Germany, I wasn’t close to any body of water so it was hard for me. My father, who was a commander in the police, would never allow me to jump into a pool with a mermaid tail, so for a long time I couldn’t pursue my dream. After high school, I went into modelling then moved to Australia in 2010 and became a scuba instructor. I trained in free diving and practiced underwater modelling.
What makes you a mermaid?
I free dive in the ocean, and I’ve learned how to hold my breath under water for about 3 minutes. I am able to pose underwater and look attractive without a mask! It required a lot of practice but I can now open my eyes underwater without the salt water affecting me much. Once I could do that I got my first tail from the internet – and I knew I could be a real-life mermaid.
Do people think you’re crazy for opening a Mermaid Academy?
It’s silly. I get stupid looks from people. Even my husband; he supports me but even he says, “Honey you can’t become a mermaid.” I didn’t believe it either. I never thought 3 years ago I’d have my own academy or shop. But being an underwater model, it got people interested. They see my photos, videos or performances and contact me. The more people see me, the more people contact me saying, “I want to be a mermaid.” I’d like to share my skills and knowledge with girls from all over the world to make their dreams come true.
What makes a good mermaid?
You should be able to hold your breath underwater for a long period of time, look good underwater without a mask and also have rescue skills. I cannot emphasise that enough. Having your legs tied into a tail can be dangerous if you don’t know what to do in emergency situations. I train my girls to know the ocean. We are not just pretty girls who swim; we are ambassadors of the ocean. I teach them to be role models, to not use plastic bags or participate in shark finning or overfishing.
Run us through one of your workshops.
We have different workshops for children and adults. The Mini Mermaid Workshop is a fun presentation for kids, about the environment, the ocean and also playing in the pool. The Real Mermaid Workshop is a 2-day workshop for adults; I can only train those who can swim 200 meters without stopping. If you pass the qualifications, you can get a certificate and become either a bronze, silver or gold mermaid.
Do you have other mermaid friends?
Yes! There are other mermaids around the world. We know each other and keep in touch through Facebook. “Mermaiding” is growing. I attend a mermaid convention in Las Vegas and they even had an award for the best mermaid! I have an online shop where I sell tails and the bikini tops to a lot of people from different countries. I’m still waiting to meet a merman friend, though!
There is a giant swing in Thailand called Sao Chingcha (เสาชิงช้า) that stands at 21m in front of Wat Suthat temple at Phra Nakhon district.
It was constructed in 1784 in front of the Devasathan shrine by King Rama I.
In 1935, the swing ceremony was discontinued due to several fatal accidents.
The ceremony involved swinging in ever-higher arcs in an effort to reach a bag of gold suspended from a 15m bamboo pole. Whoever grabbed the gold could keep it. But this was no mean feat, and deaths were as common as successes.
The Swing Ceremony was one of the 12 royal ceremonies held in each of the months of the Thai lunar calendar in the Sukhothai kingdom. Originally held in the first lunar month, it was moved to the second lunar month in the early Rattanakosin period at the beginning of the 19th century. The ceremony was a Bhramin new year’s ceremony and lasted for 10 days.
According to an ancient Hindu epic, after Brahma created the world he sent Shiva to look after it. When Shiva descended to the earth, Naga serpents wrapped around the mountains in order to keep the earth in place. After Shiva found the earth solid, the Nagas moved to the seas in celebration. The Swing Ceremony was a re-enactment of this. The pillars of the Giant Swing represented the mountains, while the circular base of the swing represented the earth and the seas.
Thai people believe that spirit cloths can help to repel ghosts, protect their owners from danger, attract cash, build political power, offer good luck, or even help to enhance their sex lives!
These spirit cloths, known as pha yant (ผ้ายันต์),are often framed above doors or mounted on walls in public. Pronounced “phaa yan”, the words translate to “cloth” and “sacred diagram”, and is described in English simply as spirit cloth.
Pha yant are usually printed in black ink from hand-carved woodblocks manually pressed onto inexpensive pieces of white or colored cloth, or simply drawn freehand.
Many older or rural Thais, and even some cityfolk, have one or more neatly folded pha yant in their wallet or purse, hoping it will keep them safe wherever they go. Traditionally, Thais journeying from their hometown on vacation or business would even bring a few extra pha yant with them, especially one which safeguards travelers.
Pha yant can include portraits of exalted people, humanoids or beasts. Sometimes they’re just squiggles and geometric patterns peppered with numbers, letters and secret codes drawn from ancient Sanskrit, Pali, Khmer, Thai and other languages. Incantations encoded along the horizontal and vertical borders can include script which only masters and adepts can correctly interpret. The woodblock illustrations also appear printed on paper and pasted above a doorway facing the street where, exposed to the elements, they deteriorate over time.
Unsurprisingly, some pha yant are designed to work some love-sex-magic, such as a popular illustration known as Maha Saney, which depicts a woman copulating with a horse or other animals.
Believers sometimes rub a pha yant on their head or body, hoping to soak up the spell. Othertimes, people might soak their pha yant in perfumed prayer oil or holy water and allow it to drip upon them to shower in its concentrated mojo. Although we won’t be liable for what you find there, you can also meditate upon a pha yant’s patterns until it creates a keyhole to another realm. The cloth can also be wrapped around a candle and burnt in a ceremony. Freakier rituals include rolling up a pha yant and stuffing it into the mouth of a dead fish while chanting and performing other equally puzzling acts.
If you want to own a pha yant, many Buddhist temples offer them in exchange for a small donation, and each temple’s illustration is unique. Bangkok’s amulet markets sell stacks of inexpensive pha yant in bulk, sealed in plastic bags, for easy distribution.
Some speculate pha yant appeared centuries ago among soldiers who carried the cloth or wore magical undershirts emblazoned with the designs. Their use was quite practical: as protection on the battlefield or to cast crippling spells against enemies.
Learn how to be a Mermaid in Thailand!
Former Miss Germany International 2006, Katrin Felton and her husband moved to Phuket in 2011 to realise her life-long dream of becoming a mermaid – yes, you read that right. Now she runs a Mermaid Academy where she teaches others how to become real-life mermaids like herself.
What got you obsessed with mermaids?
It happened 20 years ago when I watched The Little Mermaid at the age of 5. I was so intrigued by the outfits and the way they moved underwater. Living in Germany, I wasn’t close to any body of water so it was hard for me. My father, who was a commander in the police, would never allow me to jump into a pool with a mermaid tail, so for a long time I couldn’t pursue my dream. After high school, I went into modelling then moved to Australia in 2010 and became a scuba instructor. I trained in free diving and practiced underwater modelling.
What makes you a mermaid?
I free dive in the ocean, and I’ve learned how to hold my breath under water for about 3 minutes. I am able to pose underwater and look attractive without a mask! It required a lot of practice but I can now open my eyes underwater without the salt water affecting me much. Once I could do that I got my first tail from the internet – and I knew I could be a real-life mermaid.
Do people think you’re crazy for opening a Mermaid Academy?
It’s silly. I get stupid looks from people. Even my husband; he supports me but even he says, “Honey you can’t become a mermaid.” I didn’t believe it either. I never thought 3 years ago I’d have my own academy or shop. But being an underwater model, it got people interested. They see my photos, videos or performances and contact me. The more people see me, the more people contact me saying, “I want to be a mermaid.” I’d like to share my skills and knowledge with girls from all over the world to make their dreams come true.
What makes a good mermaid?
You should be able to hold your breath underwater for a long period of time, look good underwater without a mask and also have rescue skills. I cannot emphasise that enough. Having your legs tied into a tail can be dangerous if you don’t know what to do in emergency situations. I train my girls to know the ocean. We are not just pretty girls who swim; we are ambassadors of the ocean. I teach them to be role models, to not use plastic bags or participate in shark finning or overfishing.
Run us through one of your workshops.
We have different workshops for children and adults. The Mini Mermaid Workshop is a fun presentation for kids, about the environment, the ocean and also playing in the pool. The Real Mermaid Workshop is a 2-day workshop for adults; I can only train those who can swim 200 meters without stopping. If you pass the qualifications, you can get a certificate and become either a bronze, silver or gold mermaid.
Do you have other mermaid friends?
Yes! There are other mermaids around the world. We know each other and keep in touch through Facebook. “Mermaiding” is growing. I attend a mermaid convention in Las Vegas and they even had an award for the best mermaid! I have an online shop where I sell tails and the bikini tops to a lot of people from different countries. I’m still waiting to meet a merman friend, though!
Reference – http://underwatermodel.info
Most dangerous swing in Thailand…
There is a giant swing in Thailand called Sao Chingcha (เสาชิงช้า) that stands at 21m in front of Wat Suthat temple at Phra Nakhon district.
It was constructed in 1784 in front of the Devasathan shrine by King Rama I.
In 1935, the swing ceremony was discontinued due to several fatal accidents.
The ceremony involved swinging in ever-higher arcs in an effort to reach a bag of gold suspended from a 15m bamboo pole. Whoever grabbed the gold could keep it. But this was no mean feat, and deaths were as common as successes.
The Swing Ceremony was one of the 12 royal ceremonies held in each of the months of the Thai lunar calendar in the Sukhothai kingdom. Originally held in the first lunar month, it was moved to the second lunar month in the early Rattanakosin period at the beginning of the 19th century. The ceremony was a Bhramin new year’s ceremony and lasted for 10 days.
According to an ancient Hindu epic, after Brahma created the world he sent Shiva to look after it. When Shiva descended to the earth, Naga serpents wrapped around the mountains in order to keep the earth in place. After Shiva found the earth solid, the Nagas moved to the seas in celebration. The Swing Ceremony was a re-enactment of this. The pillars of the Giant Swing represented the mountains, while the circular base of the swing represented the earth and the seas.
Thai people believe that spirit cloths can help to…
Thai people believe that spirit cloths can help to repel ghosts, protect their owners from danger, attract cash, build political power, offer good luck, or even help to enhance their sex lives!
These spirit cloths, known as pha yant (ผ้ายันต์), are often framed above doors or mounted on walls in public. Pronounced “phaa yan”, the words translate to “cloth” and “sacred diagram”, and is described in English simply as spirit cloth.
Pha yant are usually printed in black ink from hand-carved woodblocks manually pressed onto inexpensive pieces of white or colored cloth, or simply drawn freehand.
Many older or rural Thais, and even some cityfolk, have one or more neatly folded pha yant in their wallet or purse, hoping it will keep them safe wherever they go. Traditionally, Thais journeying from their hometown on vacation or business would even bring a few extra pha yant with them, especially one which safeguards travelers.
Pha yant can include portraits of exalted people, humanoids or beasts. Sometimes they’re just squiggles and geometric patterns peppered with numbers, letters and secret codes drawn from ancient Sanskrit, Pali, Khmer, Thai and other languages. Incantations encoded along the horizontal and vertical borders can include script which only masters and adepts can correctly interpret. The woodblock illustrations also appear printed on paper and pasted above a doorway facing the street where, exposed to the elements, they deteriorate over time.
Unsurprisingly, some pha yant are designed to work some love-sex-magic, such as a popular illustration known as Maha Saney, which depicts a woman copulating with a horse or other animals.
Believers sometimes rub a pha yant on their head or body, hoping to soak up the spell. Othertimes, people might soak their pha yant in perfumed prayer oil or holy water and allow it to drip upon them to shower in its concentrated mojo. Although we won’t be liable for what you find there, you can also meditate upon a pha yant’s patterns until it creates a keyhole to another realm. The cloth can also be wrapped around a candle and burnt in a ceremony. Freakier rituals include rolling up a pha yant and stuffing it into the mouth of a dead fish while chanting and performing other equally puzzling acts.
If you want to own a pha yant, many Buddhist temples offer them in exchange for a small donation, and each temple’s illustration is unique. Bangkok’s amulet markets sell stacks of inexpensive pha yant in bulk, sealed in plastic bags, for easy distribution.
Some speculate pha yant appeared centuries ago among soldiers who carried the cloth or wore magical undershirts emblazoned with the designs. Their use was quite practical: as protection on the battlefield or to cast crippling spells against enemies.
Source – http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/12/16/fantastical-worlds-myth-and-legend-survive-magic-infused-thai-spirit-cloths#