KOTA KINABALU: Instead of continuing to work as a teacher for a private primary school here, Nic Allen Jose settled for his childhood dream of becoming a 'mermaid'.
The 26-year-old from Kota Belud said he started to believe and became fascinated with the mythological creature after watching Walt Disney Pictures' animated film, The Little Mermaid and local actress Maya Karin starring in 'Duyung'.
"The dream of 'becoming a mermaid' started when I was 5 years old, and my mother often questioned my mermaid-related collections and fantasies.
"But when a friend told me about the opening for a job as a mermaid in Sabah, I was also in disbelief until I went for the audition and made it," he said when met at Rainbow Island Resort off Pulau Sepanggar near here, yesterday.
While donning a full mermaid costume with a giant clam prop behind him, Nic was also singing 'Part of the World' (a soundtrack from The Little Mermaid) and attracted island-goers to take pictures and videos of him.
"To be honest, I am actually a very shy person, but once I am in the costume, I am totally immersed in the character and so happy when others are also excited to see me," said the graduate of theatre performing arts from Sultan Idris Education University.
Apart from that, Nic's employer had also engaged a mermaid instructor to teach him the necessary skills to 'live' in the sea.
Nic said his choice of working full time as a mermaid, instead of in his former jobs as an educator and telemarketer, comes with a lot of criticism, especially the stigmatisation that mermaids are only for women.
However, he added that the profession makes him happy and has helped him earn legitimate income to support himself and family members.
"As I am a firm believer that mermaids really exist, thus it does make sense to have the 'Adam' version of the creature.
"Therefore, I hope that I will also have a 'female mermaid' colleague in the future."
