Singapore's first mermaid school is well on its way under the direction of professional performer and enthusiast Cara Nicole Neo. More popularly known as Syrena, a name evolved from the term siren, she candidly says that everyone in the school is a little 'weird'.
The school's website cites that the school is open to both children and adults. Each class has an approximate duration of 1 hour per day and will allow students to learn both the culture and the skills of mermaids. Students will have classes on the history and mythology surrounding these creatures. They will also have classes on what the school regards as mermaid corework, which pertains to developing breathing skills that will be useful in swim training.
These classes hope to benefit the body, mind, and soul of each student. Besides the fitness and muscle toning aspect of the training, classes are also designed to encourage bonding among the students so that they may find their own 'pod'.
According to CNN, Syrena wanted to create a community of shared interest when she began the school. This interest is acknowledged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"Magical female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago, when modern humans gained dominion over the land and, presumably, began to sail the seas."
The NOAA however clarifies that no compelling evidence of mermaid existence has ever been discovered. This statement was made in the wake of a particularly persuasive episode of the Animal Planet called 'Mermaids: The Body Found'. The show claimed that remains of 'aquatic humanoids' have been discovered, yet this same claim was later on debunked as a hoax.
Although the school has no official accreditation, the Daily Star reports that it does have a solid syllabus of four stages where bronze is for beginners, silver and gold, and platinum for the more advanced students.
