WHEN my friend first told me about deep-sea diving, it didn’t exactly tickle my fancy. Now this friend of mine lives in a world of his own and has some pretty strange passions. Personally I thought it was silly to risk your life and limb on faraway shores and would have never done it for the world. But he pressed me to try it at least once, and so I thought I would do it for kicks, just to humour him.

The first time I went diving it was in shallow waters, and much to my surprise, it was fun from the word go, though I confess there were moments when my heart stopped. I tried deep-sea diving next and was hooked for life. The magic of the sea had cast its spell over me and I could not have enough of it.

The colours, sights and sounds of life under water are out of this world. Dazzling greens and blues, brilliant reds and oranges take your breath away. And the amazing variety of aquatic life has to be seen to be believed. Ironically, it is at the deepest end of the sea that you feel at the top of the world. And nothing can beat the high that doing something dangerous and exhilarating gives you.

Whoever said that there was paradise on earth, got it all wrong. It is at the bottom of the sea.

Tickle someone’s fancy: to appear attractive or amusing to someone

Live in a world of one’s own: used when someone does not seem to notice what is happening around them and is more concerned with their own thoughts

Risk one’s life and limb: risk being killed or hurt

Not for the world: used when someone will not do something no matter what

Press someone to do something: try to persuade someone to do something

Do something for kicks: do something, usually dangerous, because it is exciting

To humour someone: to do what someone wants to so they will not become angry or upset

From the word go: from the very start

My heart stopped: used to say when you suddenly felt very afraid

To be hooked on something: to enjoy doing something very much and want to do it as often as possible

To cast a spell over someone: to make someone feel very strongly attracted and to keep their attention completely

To be out of the world: used to say that something is so good, enjoyable etc, it is unlike anything else you have ever experienced

Take one’s breath away: to be extremely beautiful or exciting

Has to be seen to be believed: is difficult to believe, but really does exist

Feel at the top of the world: feel very happy

Get a high: feeling of happiness or excitement you get from doing something you enjoy

Get something wrong: make a mistake in the way you write, judge or understand something

A bunny boiler is used to refer to an obsessive and dangerous woman in pursuit of a lover who has spurned her. This phrase had its origin in the 1987 film Fatal Attraction. The plot revolves around a woman, played by Glenn Close, who has been spurned by her lover, played by Michael Douglas. She is, however, still obsessed with him and will stop at nothing to get him back. In one sequence in the film the woman boils the man’s daughter’s pet rabbit. That sequence led to ‘bunny boiler’ being used for a woman who pursues an ex-lover with an almost psychotic zeal.

(Reference: Longman’s Advanced American Dictionary)