Some feelings can be subconcious; you know coz you feel perfectly fine and do perfectly idiotic things.

I just realised that we DON'T have the dive trip dvd. We were supposed to have bought it.


Darn. Maybe I should do as my mum said and write to Mark.


Somebody break Cupid's bow; he plays with it too much. I'm starting to hallucinate.


I'm getting less sick!! Can I go to work?


Results are coming out. Why don't I feel nervous?


Oh yeah... I'm neurotic/psychotic/idiotic.


I'm so -otic-y.





[Insert I'm dreaming of a white christmas music]
~I'm dreaming of a white manta~ (like I'll ever see one)


I want icecream.

The best moments in life come to you; just make sure you don't miss it.

I'M BACK!!












Don't look so disappointed. At least try and look encouraging. I just got back and I'm sick. Not only that, but I'm "landsick" as well. S'funny, I never get seasick, only landsick.


Anyway, about my trip:




M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M Y F I R S T M A N T A P R E T T Y M A N T A G I A N T M A N T A B E A U T I F U L M A N T A U P C L O S E O H M Y G O S H M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A S W O O P I N G O V E R M Y H E A D M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A F O U R S W O O P S M A N T A M A N T A H A L F T H E D I V E O H M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A M A N T A











Okayokay... Let's start from the beginning.


Day 1: 17 Feb

Woke up 3:45 morning, boarded a Tiger Airways around 7am, went on a biking/cycling tour and quit halfway due to very very sore hands. Checked into a hotel for about 4 hours before checking out and checking on to the Colona VI liveaboard. Most customers got there on the longboat. I was among the last few so I was on a inflatable dingy. Weeeeee!


Total of 13 divers (excluding DMs), 2 divemasters (1 German, Jan and 1 Brit, Mark), and 5 Thai staff. I GOT A CABIN TO MYSELF nyuknyuknyuk.


By the way, the bathrooms were first class, and every cabin had one. I thought I walked into a hotel.


In "Team Singapore" (christianed by Mark), 7 pple in the same dive social circle, including 3 doctors, 2 lawyers, 1 accountant and a brat (ME!!). In the other group, 4 Germans (inclusive of a married couple),1 Dutch and a Brit. A very pleasant hippee Brit, might I add.


By the way, the Colona VI is one of the best liveaboards I've been in.



Did I also forget to mention the the DMs were hot and humourous (especially Mark)? Sorry girls, they're older and both are attached (Mark's married). Guess you won't be interested in the rest of my trip.


Mark led Team Singapore, and Jan (pronouced Yahn) led the European team.



Day 2: 18 Feb


First dive day! Pretty cool. The coolest part of the day, however, wasn't under the sea; it was on the surface. Two turtles came up, and I was feeding them bananas. The first bite nearly got my finger though. After that the bigger one kept trying to eat my toe. Marcus (The hippee Brit), joined me afterward. Later, we found out that they liked watermelons better (by then only the bigger one was left, and still trying to eat my toe. I must have looked like a watermelon). Anyway we ran out of bananas.


It was so cool!! I got to stroke the turtle shell. I was thinking this was a great birthday present from the divine powers that be (in my case... Thank you, God!).


Mark was estatic that Team Singapore didn't want to do night dives. Mark also put on a terribly obscene porn video (The Euro Tour) on for the evening. Spent that time on the grill deck looking at stars instead.



Day 3: 19 Feb and my birthday!!


Ran out of decomp time, so T (the medical lawyer), my mother and I stayed out of the sunset dive. Then we saw a manta flipping on the surface! So we all went chasing after it on a dingy. Unfortunately, we didn't catch up. It ran away. After that I did something that nearly cost me the rest of the trip. As the divers were coming up from the safety stop, I dived down to greet them. That sort of busted my right ear temporarily for the rest of the trip. With the combination of the flu bug that was manifesting itself, my left ear followed the next day. Not a very good birthday...


Movie of the night was Dodgeball. Didn't watch it either. Up on the grill deck again, where my mother finally taught me how to know when I really found the Orion's belt. She pointed out Orion's club and the four stars surrounding it. Much easier to see anywhere else but in S'pore, really.



Day 4: 20 Feb


Sat out the entire day coz I couldn't get air in my ears. After asking about my ears, Mark said, "On behalf of myself and the crew, I'd like to apologise for the behaviour of your ears. The crew is doing everything they can to rectify the situation. Are your ears any better?" I felt like socking him (in jest).


Mother decided to try water pressure as a remedy for my ears. The sunset dive I only managed as far as 5 meters. At one point, I was 3 m below surface, and air couldn't get in or out of my ears, so neither could I go down or up. Screamed when my mum tried to pull me up. A very slow ascent was required. It gave me squeaky ears, which I guessed, and my mother confirmed, was air squishing its way out of my eardrums, a sign that my ear was clearing a weeeee bit. It's really a strange experience to hear your ear squeak like that.



One of the dives (which I also did not participate in) ended with strange referances to the word "seahorse", which Mark cheerfully and enthusiastically offered to show his to everyone on the next dive. Thankfully he never did.


Day 5: 21 Feb



Stayed out of the first dive. Regulator leaked, so I had to loan.


Subsequent dives on the trip all successful, except that my descent had to take nearly 10 min and my ascent had to be very careful. Much easier when I had a mooring line to hold on to.


My ears began draining, ie, I used up a lot of tissue paper.


Leopard shark!! Blue spotted rays!


Where's the whale shark? Boo...


Movie of the night: Monty Python's The Holy Grail. Full of British humour and very very lame. I know AC pple will love it.



Day 6: 22 Feb


Team Singapore abandoned Mark during one of the dives, giving him a minor heartattack. I actually noticed that Mark was swimming one way, and everybody else another way. Was going to join Mark for safety's sake (as well as to continue admiring his golden locks floating in the water *ahem*), but mother called me over. After much deliberation, I abandoned Mark too. I think the rest of the Singapore team were laughing away.


Due to the fact that I was unusually comfortable underwater during this trip, my mother was more relaxed, and I begun to see what Mark meant by my mother being out in the blue.


I should mention that Team Singapore (this particular group of inane divers, anyway) has very distinctive features. The divers are all easily recognisable either by choice of colour/mark of dive gear, by profile or by diving habits (usually against diving codes or general diving procedure). Also, we tend to be VERY spread out over the reef. Our idea of a buddy system is, if I can see you, even out in the blue, I don't bloody care what you do. It's the main reason our DMs usually get minor panics.


In any case, Mark figured that (other than me, coz I was a relative newbie and not longsighted, ie, I could see miniscule things), no one was really interested in nudibranches and weenie tiger cowries, something he always poked at during dive briefings. I was the only diver to respond to his ringing bell, exception being when he rang his bell so hard it had to be something spectacular.


Was up on the grill deck with Marcus and Menno (the Dutch) that night after watching Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Talking about Orion's weight belt and the druken boat opposite us, which started bar dancing.



Day 7: 23 Feb-- Last dive day.


We were diving at Elephant Head, where Mark had "demanded" that he would show us all nudibranches and we would be appreciative. Unfortunately for him, something was to come along that would render all uninterested in nudibranches, including Mark himself.


That something was a manta ray; a divers dream. My first manta, if you haven't already figured it out. (The one flipping on the surface doesn't count. I barely saw it; it was in a far distance)


It was more than 2 meters long on wingspan, and, I'm guessing unlike most other black mantas, had a pretty white pattern on its black back.


And what a show off of a manta it was! It came round 4 times, occupying the last half of the dive (the first half had some lovely swimthroughs). And instead of being threatened by approaching divers, this one actually slowed down for pple to catch up before speeding off again. On its third swoop, I swam along side it such that we would meet at a point, then I watched in drunken stupor (ignoring the fact that it was hard for me to breathe when I faced upwards) as the manta eyed me for a little bit before flying over my head.


Like, wow. Magnificence.


This one seemed very familier with divers though. Not afraid of us at all. Like it wanted to play chase or something. T had 2 manta movies with about 15 shots of manta, which everybody from both dive groups wanted to download. He and S (accountant) were joking about loaning the camera chip for 1000 baht.


Like, wow. My first manta. My belated birthday manta. For half the dive, no less.



I forgive it completely for being 3 days late.


Wait... There's nothing to forgive. It was a manta!


I must have done something really good to impress the Big Guy up there.



The following dive was back at the first dive site. Pleasant place, but still no whaleshark. Sigh. It would have completed the trip nicely.


All of us were given a dvd of the trip. Some very scandalous photos were taken between Mark and the S'pore wives on board, then we were booted off the Colona VI on a long boat, which surprisingly, could fit all of us this time. I nearly went for another dive though.


Checked in to a hotel, then I got very landsick. The rooms had internet service! But I was still landsick.


I realised I'd left my AC towel on the Colona VI. Oops. Sigh. Started to realise I might really be badly sick.


Day 8: 24 Feb


Homeward bound! ... And still sick and landsick. My voice got completely shredded.



So I've taken leave today and tomorrow as well. My voice isn't as shredded as yesterday anymore. Ears starting to clear a bit. Can force air in, but sound is still off, and I can feel liquid in my left ear. My right ear just feels clogged. They're still draining. It's really disgusting.


My thanks and gratitude to those who sent me Happy Birthday smses on my birthday. One I recieved from jfzmwz on that day and two more I didn't recieve till 23 Feb due to lack of reception on the sea. Sorry I didn't reply. Too fasinated by everything else going on around me.








Oh, I got some photos of Mark and Jan! Girls! You want? Mark has these big blue eyes and really long lashes too.

In some cases, it really doesn't pay to think too long.

*Sung enthusiastically and cheerfully to the tune of "My Bonnie lies Over the Ocean"*



~My dive boat lies over the ocean...
My dive boat lies over the sea...
My dive boat lies over the ocean...
Where I in that dive boat will be!~


~Fins~~ packed, oh
Passport~ check!
My BC and wetsuit will soon be on me!
Mask~~ packed, oh
Logbook~ check!
And soon I'll be under the sea!~


~My body lies under the ocean...
My body lies under the sea...
My body lies under the ocean...
No need to send sharks after me!~


~Watch~~ m'back, yes
From~~ th'deck
(Applause when the triggers are after me)
What~~ th'heck, just
Wring~~ m'neck,
Then send in the triggers for me!~~




Diver talk:
-Fins}- If I need to explain this, you reeeeaaally need to get out more.
- BC/BCD=> Buoyancy Control Device}-That vest thingy that divers wear that usually has a lot of stuff hanging on it, including the tank, and can be inflated/deflated at will.
-wetsuit}- think a black matrix spandex outfit. Standard ones are much thicker though. Some people prefer thin ones, almost like swimsuits, in tropical areas (these tend to be more colourful). Generally keeps out cold and stings and keeps in excretions and secretions (too much info?). Less common and more expensive are drysuits, which, as the name suggests, keeps the covered areas COMPLETELY dry, and is a great deal warmer than wetsuits, therefore more often in use at higher latitudes.
-Mask}- Refer to Fins.
-Logbook)- A diary of dives.
-Triggers}- Triggerfish. A very unique, very scary and unmistakable breed of fish that has rabbit/buck teeth, and, when threatened (ie, about to attack you), has crazy eyes, and can draw blood. Smaller triggers aren't so aggressive, and sometimes travel in schools. The most feared are the Queen Trigger and the Titan Trigger (I had the honour of doing my advanced course during their nesting/breeding season. Thankfully, my instructor was also the only person in our dive group to ever dare "sword fight" a trigger). Commonly known are the Clown Trigger and (surprise, surprise) the Titan Trigger, which is one of the largest triggers, as suggested by the name. A dive pal once had her mask cracked by a ramming Titan Trigger.









Yes, yes... *ahem* will be missing from Friday, 17th of Feb for a full week. On a dive trip. (And my birthday falls in between... wow!) So...... Emails or replies to tags may come in late, yah?


And if you're disappointed that I didn't email a poem to you as I usually do for a trip, well, I've been feeling less than inspired lately, so please don't REALLY wish those triggers on me. They're scary. I'd love to take a closer look, but I don't want to be fish food.

Some of us have strange inclinations. Leave us alone.

• YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAYAYAYAY YAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
  I was baking cheese straws. SUCCESS!! See, this is why I love baking.
  

1. I get to mix "gross stuff"* together. (*refer to bullet 2)
2. I get to put my hands in something squishy
3. Something nice comes out of the squishy stuff

Gives me so much satisfaction, especially since I get to do all this without annoying pple saying stuff like, "EWWWWwwww... That's so uncivilised/childish/barbaric." Instead, pple go, "Wow!", coz not many of them fancy cooking (ie, they can't cook for nuts) [okay, I exaggerate. But you know what I mean].

Work is tiring, despite the fact that it's only 4 days a week. And it makes me want to bang my head. But I still love work. I love making children smile, and I love it when they need me to hold them, and I love it when they trust me enough to tell me little things that mean nothing to us and everything to them. I love my job.

Ooooooooooo... I see a lot of ripening mangos hanging off the neighbours' tree. My room has a fantastic view.

A resident cobra has just been apprehended. I never saw it, but apparently it was familier around humans. It stayed in the garden stalking excessive frogs and toads, and my mum would've left it alone except that it got too close (to the house) for comfort. My dad came home one day, took off his shoes, turned around to put them on the shoe rack only to see a cobra staring at him, before taking its sweet time to crawl away. It got caught yesterday. The surest sign is the sudden bold appearance of the amphibian army.

Following that (plus the discovery of tons of centipedes in the garden during the snake hunt), my mum has purchased two pairs of Phua Chu Kang yellow boots.

I want to see that cobra.

Practicality versus Image: It's a tougher choice than it should be.

Okay, pointless stuff out of the way first:





DO YOU LIKE ME OR ARE YOU SCARED OF ME?? Suddenly there's this new, careful, calculated distance between us.





Why do I get the sense that this new distance has something to do with the impending Valentine's? Even if, by some strange coincidence, I'm right about that and it is, does it make you nervous because you like me or because you know I like you and you're not comfortable about it?


If you don't tell me soon I'm so going to dig the 411 out of you with my bare hands.






Okay, now that that's over, let's go back to the usual, self-conceited, vain, arrogant and thick-skinned blogger that I am.





The Red Sea ferry incident... it's a bit strange. I heard from one of our diver buddies that apparently, they built the ship with more levels than normal, shifting the CG. But wouldn't that have been taken into account during the building of the ferry? Seems an unlikely factor.


Also, according to the Newpaper today, the Captain was a blumering idiot who tried to cover up and put out the fire and blew things up instead. Supposedly leapt off the ship like a real hero when the ferry started sinking. Believable, but still doubtful. What happened to training? What happened to standard procedures? Was this Captain really merely a blumering egoistic idiot?


It's really, really strange.





Going shopping for two-pieces!! Tomorrow!! Elusive two-pieces. That will be soooooo much more conveniant on a live-on-board. I've survived with normal swimsuits before, as my mum reminded me, but they are undoubtedly a real hassle when a girl needs to use the bathroom. Which was why I was always the only female diver in a normal swimsuit while every other auntie divers (no offense) were in two-pieces. But my bloated lower abdomen poses a challenge.



I should go cut my hair soon. About a good 5 to 7 inches.It'll be easier diving too, though a long ponytail would serve my mum good purpose when she tries to pull me away from triggerfish or something.

Everyone loves image; it's how they lie to themselves before everyone else.

I just looked at some doctored photos posted on Teacher L's blog (yes! He has a blog! Everybody, together now: *gasp*), and er........ they all looked a bit er.......

.......... Let's just say I've lost a bit of appetite.

Oh, on friday, after epidermal consultation and before work, I was wondering around Paragon, and I saw Mark Lee!! Our resident tv beng! And he was looking (no offense) really beng that day. Spiked yellow hair (was that a yellow stub I saw as well?), green t-shirt and bermuda shorts, if I recall. Wearing glasses.

Though tempting, I didn't go up to bother him, coz I don't think he'll appreciate the attention very much.

Okay, okay... actually, I'm not that kind. The morbid side of me wanted to go up to annoy him a little, but the enviromentally induced sense of morality and occasional selfless thinking forced me to abandon that thought.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I ADMIT I WANTED TO GO IRRITATE HIM BUT I MISSED MY CHANCE. Plus it would severely compromise any vague possibility that I could go audition at TCS. Also, I think he wasn't very happy that I was staring.

I look horrible in a two-piece. The top half of me looks okay, but the lower half of me looks absolutely horrendous and disgraceful. ARGH. But a two-piece is more practical for a live on board in dive trips (I mean it)!! But I certainly can't walk around the boat looking like a pretty troll in a lady's swimsuit! I seriously look obscene.

Isn't there a two-piece with a high waist? Or a long top?

No, no, no, no and NO. I do NOT want mini bikinis.

I need to hit somebody. Pass the stick.