Wednesday, December 16, 2009

we dunnit!

While in Phuket the other day, a receipt fell out of the Open Water Diver Course manual which we had brought along.

It was a receipt for the registration fees which we paid to enrol for the OWDC with Lynette.

See the date?

And two years later...

... we completed our Instructor Examination on 13 December 2009.

In the weeks leading up to the IE, I have tossed in bed at night asking myself, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

I knew I wasn't alone.

Next to me, he probably was thinking the same. But in the dark, neither voiced our stress because we had gone to bed angry at each other after having fought over some Physics or Physiology question in our attempt to study together as two civilized adults.

On good days however, we supported each other well. When he needed help on his theory, I did my best to explain. When I doubted my in-water skills and demonstrations, he walked me through the steps and assured me I was fine.

With it all over now, I can safely say that the Instructor Development Course (IDC), which culminated at the Instructor Examination in Phuket last week, was one of the craziest things I've done, one that is so freaking stressful, yet has brought about an amazing sense of fulfilment.

It has been three days since we returned from Phuket, and I am still reveling in the high of the experience. Not just the exams in Phuket, but everything... right from the day we took our first breath underwater, the trips we made, the courses we studied for, the internships we did, the day we went for our IDC Orientation with our Course Director, and eventually, our last evening in Phuket where we were absolutely exhausted, but so darn pleased and happy.

The course and the exam may be over, but the adventure is just about to begin.

Who knows what the days ahead will be like?

Who knows what kind of an instructor I'll be?

But if my mentors are anything to go by, I think we'll be great! :)

Thank you Richard! Thank you Lynette!

And oh, thank you to my ex-boss and current boss for letting me take so many off days to go on trips.

Heh.

Posted by Doreen at 4:39 pm

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

unexplained

I live in Puchong.

I left the house at 9am this morning, wanting to get to Damansara Utama by 10am.

Not a big fan of the LDP because it's a 2-lane highway, I opted for the Jalan Kelang Lama route, which will eventually lead me to Federal Highway, and then onto the Kerinchi Link.

Come 9:30, I was making no progress and would never get to DU by 10, made a U-turn and headed for the LDP.

Once I turned onto the LDP, I teared at the sight of what was proably a million cars queueing up to pay RM1.60. There was no way to get out of it. Finally it was my turn. I paid, took the U-turn and went straight home.

I wasted an hour of my life going nowhere.

I've been asking everyone, 'What is the cause of this morning's congestion?"

"Raining lah!" they all tell me.

Posted by Doreen at 5:48 pm

Thursday, September 24, 2009

spoon gripe

I have a problem with them plastic, disposable spoons.

When used to eat noodles, the spoon can only hold 6 strands of meehoon and a tiny, tiny sip of soup.

They give me these spoons when I buy mixed rice too. And for rice, the spoon holds about 10 grains of rice and my piece of sweet and sour pork rolls off when I try to bring it to my mouth.

Then, there was this once when I ordered Xiao Long Bao from Asia Cafe, and they gave me these spoons as well. The diameter of the dumpling, of course exceeded that of the spoon. But skillfully and gingerly, I managed to cajole the piece of dumpling to balance on the spoon and en route to my mouth, the bugger rolled off and landed splat onto the floor. RM 1 per dumpling OK! *sobs*

Sigh. I just want a proper spoon to eat with lah!

Posted by Doreen at 2:24 pm

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

quickie #386

Wet and cold today. In the subzero room, my fingers froze over the keyboard. A new place will tell new stories.

My wet hair is wrapped in a bundle of towel that is sitting atop my head. The shower was lovely, thank you very much :) My feet is propped up on the glass table. The Starbucks paper cup, emptied just moments ago.

It's moments like these that I indulge in during such hectic days.

Posted by Doreen at 10:02 pm

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

exercise & fats

Oh yay!

Exercise makes you fat!

Now all I need is to go have my fats re-programmed.

Thank god I haven't started the gym membership yet.

Posted by Doreen at 11:08 am

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

teachers

Best news this week!

"Are you free tonight?" asked my Course Director when he called.

"Tonight cannot lah. Tomorrow also cannot. But we're OK for Thursday and Friday," I said to him.

"Cannot, Thursday to the weekend I'm not free, then I leave to Tioman on Sunday," he said.

My heart suddenly felt so light, and I smiled to myself.

"Oh lucky you, get to go to Tioman!"

He mumbled something about nobody wanting to go; therefore he has to do it.

"Then I'll see you all next week lah!" he said.

I smiled to myself and went 'YAY!!!!!' under my breath.

"OK lorr...." I told him, trying to sound disappointed.

"Promise me you all will study ah!"

"Yes Richard, we promise to study".

--------------------------------

I've only had one teacher who scared me so much.

My tuition teacher from my primary school days, she was so fierce she made my mom look like a kitten.

And now, after all these years, the second one is in the form of my Course Director.

Posted by Doreen at 5:44 pm

Friday, August 14, 2009

glimpses

Glimpses of this and that.

Of immense satisfaction when a newly certified diver asks me questions about equipment, upcoming trips, and the Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

Of hurt and heartache when a friend hurled at me words of injustice.

Of glee when the said diver told me, "During our last dive, I finally got buoyancy figured out lah! Felt so comfortable underwater!"

Of disappointment at self because I wanted everyone to have a memorable and kickass Open Water trip, like the one I had.

Of happiness of being in the water every single time. Visibility may suck, sun may not be up, but daaaaamn, it's so good being underwater.

Of anger because some people refuse to understand that when it comes to diving, fun and safety go hand in hand.

Of determination because I am not giving up.

Posted by Doreen at 11:25 am

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

photo log

For lack of proper update, here is a (narcissistic) photo-log of the recent SWV trip.

Full compilation of pictures here.

Posted by Doreen at 3:20 pm

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

RIB 7K

During our recent trip, we dived at Si Amil and Denawan islands.

Both these islands are nearby each other, but a 45 minutes boat ride from Mabul, where we were staying at.

The beautiful Denawan

Like Sipadan, these islands have a "security post" at the jetty, where the Tentara Laut DiRaja Malaysia are based to protect us, and our waters from alien invasion.
While doing our surface interval at Denawan, a military boat docked.

We soon found ourselves on it! Of course we asked Mr. Army Men for permission first lah!

It was hillarious! I mean, it's not everyday you find yourself riding on a military boat, no?

The seats, we had to straddle as though horseback riding. And there are even stirrups where we can slide our foot into!

Some people even went to try out the "driver's seat".

Alas, that wasn't allowed.

And he was gunned down.

Question - what does RIB 7K stand for?

We thought it might mean Rubber Inflatable Boat.

Posted by Doreen at 12:14 pm

Thursday, July 30, 2009

to laugh or cry?

Something happened recently.

I thought about it long and hard - should I post an entry about what happened? And have such a traumatic experience etched in my mind (and this space!) for a looooong, looooong time?

Well, I guess I'm here now.

So I got home from work as usual one evening. We were going to head out for dinner at the mall, so I thought I'll quickly use the toilet. I took off my pants, and also my panties, and left it on the floor in the bedroom. Bathroom floor was wet you see.

After I finished my business, I slid the bathroom door open and SCREAMED so loud the neighbours probably thought I was being murdered.

Standing in front of me, was the man's brother.

Remember how I had my pants and undies on the bedroom floor? Yes, I only was only dressed in my top.

I slammed the bathroom door shut and turned beetroot red.

So the man went to interrogate his brother. I refused to come out of the room.

"I wanted to let you know mom's on the phone, and thought it was you inside the bathroom!" said brother to man.

"Hello? My pants and pink panties were on the floor outside the bathroom!" I told the man.

"But your bedroom door was opened!" said brother to man.

"I definitely closed the bedroom door! I was going to take my clothes off you fool! Maybe it didn't close properly and inched open!" I whined to the man.

The man thought it a funny incident.

Funny - yes lah! But MY GOD. I've never been so embarassed and humiliated. I had no panties on OK? *cries*

This is FAR WORSE than having my bikini top come undone without my realization and then me surfacing from the pool or sea, baring my titties to the whole world.

"OMG, he saw your kueh?" asked my best friend when I texted her almost immediately after that.

"Yes lah! I had nothing on, except my top!"

"OMG, did he see your hair?" she asked then.

"Thank god no hair! Shaved a few days ago!"