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/span>JP/Indah Setiawati Actor Marcel Chandrawinata, who shot to fame in the romantic film Alexandria (2005), recently played Panji in Pupus (Vanish).

Marcel, the twin brother of Mischa and the younger brother of Putri Indonesia (Miss Indonesia Universe) 2005 Nadine Chandrawinata, is working to turn his hobby of diving into a business.

Whenever I have spare time — say a week off — I will fly to Papua to visit Raja Ampat. I love diving, and I am developing this hobby into a business so I can earn some money while having fun.

The business has been running for two months has gotten good feedback from divers coming from foreign countries such as Italy, and reservations are fully booked until August!

It’s easier to sell Papuan diving sites to foreigners rather than to Jakartans, because local people think twice before spending big money to go to Papua, usually choosing Bali as a diving destination, which is closer.

This is understandable. Yes, diving in Raja Ampat is a bit expensive. A one-way flight to Papua can cost Rp 3.3 million (US$386.10). The recent plane crash in Papua has also dented local people’s interest even more.

However, despite the high cost, I can assure you that Papua is one of the best diving destinations in Indonesia. I have checked out all the diving sites in the country and settled my choice on Raja Ampat.

Actually, this country has many beautiful diving sites. Take Selayar and Manado in Sulawesi as examples. They also offer good diving sites, but again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I believe every diving spot has its own character. I love watching big fish instead of micro scenery. It’s easier for me to enjoy underwater scenery with big fish because I don’t have to force my eyes to look at small objects.

You know, I don’t wear my glasses when I am under the water. My choice is different from my older sister’s and father’s. They love to see small underwater objects because they liked to take pictures.

Talking about my sister, I have to concede that my diving experiences have not surpassed hers. She is willing to travel 12 hours on the road to reach a diving site. I still don’t want to take such a long and difficult journey because I don’t like waiting.

Looking back, I never foresaw that I would like diving, much less make this hobby into a job. I started to pay attention after Nadine started learning so much about the sea and the islands in the country when she became Putri Indonesia.

My other sports hobbies are playing badminton and soft gun. My younger brother and I like to play badminton at a sports center near our house in Bintaro. Our friends call us Duo Kembar (The Duo Twins). If we have some extra spare time, we will play soft gun in Bumi Serpong Damai in Tangerang.

My hobby when I was a little boy was completely different. I used to like sucking my left thumb until I was five or six years old. One day, my brother accidentally got my thumb clamped, so I could not suck it. It’s no problem because I decided to suck his thumb to replace mine. This seriously happened. You can ask him.

— As told to Indah Setiawati