I've always been somewhat fascinated and horrified by public swimming pools. On the one hand, they are a rich canvas of characters set against a pastel backdrop of colour. On the other hand, the idea of squeezing into cold, clammy lycra in front of total strangers really kind of freaks me out. As a child, I was forced to take swimming lessons and had a near-drowning experience in the deep end of the pool. I remember looking up at the parent viewing area as I sank, and seeing my father running back and forth in a panic, locked behind plexiglass. Even then, I remember thinking the whole experience was funny.