The excitement of being a student again…

It was orientation week. Having gone through so many sec 1 orientations in my sch, I was totally hoping the student association would not require us to shout and chant cheers and get water-bombed from all directions. In NUS, this kind of exciting thing was somewhat similar to Rag and Flag day, which I didn’t attend. Thankfully, it was only the hostels that had that kind of orientation ice breakers. The hostelites walked into the auditorium wearing personalized head bands, baby bibs, sun shade-kinda left over paper plate caps, etc signifying which hostel they were from/which group they were from. Its an identity-forming tactic I must admit. Makes ppl feel like they are together. And if anyone failedto do so, their face would be drawn with face paint. Anyway, the official orientation wasn’t as such. It was an information session, mostly common sense ones and things to do, which you would have already done if you had read the instructions in the email and actually done it.

At some point, the guy in charge asked, “so who here is under 25?”

And I opened my eyes wide… no no no…. don’t ask the next question!!!!!!

I looked around and like 97% of the students put up their hands. Crap!

“and…. Who here is above 25?”

Piece of shit!

I almost hung my head as I raised my hands, and then decided, there’s nothing embarrassing abt being older, and so I looked around to see who else was above 25. Well, about 15 out of 400?

The guy I was sitting next to and had been chatting with couldn’t believe it.

“you are above 25!? How old are you?”

“well, you guess..”

“26?”

“no.”

“27?”

I shook my head.

“well you cant be older than 28?”

I shook my head. And said my real age. Honestly speaking, still feeling a little embarrassed. He had just turned 21. L L L L L

Anyway, I toured the campus with the post grad group and I chatted with a number of them. And I think I made friends with this german girl who seems nice. And chatted with this german guy who speaks in scientific terms… (damn it…. I should have studied the animals I saw while diving. Instead, I just saw them in a layman’s world.) so he talks abt lionfish and giant clams and spawning sea cucumbers and im just starting to worry abt how little background knowledge I have on all these things.

Anyway, market day arrives (where clubs and societies put up booths, and other Queensland/Townsville companies publicise their cause/programs) and I signed up to be in the mailing list for some stuff. I hope I get time to volunteer cos im not sure how busy I’ll be and I cant ascertain yet what busy means to the aussies. I also need to get my rescue dive certification if I want to do the module on Scientific Diving and Diving Physiology. And for my rescue certification, I need to have my CPR and first aid certification (which I have, but its outdated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and get my oxygen provider certification (which would be good to get anyway). I should find out how I can get out of doing the course all over again. I am CPR AED certified and a AFA lecturer afterall. Argh!!! i also need to get on the JCU Dive register so that i can help with research of other projects.

ive got an interview to attend on Saturday, and I hope I get it cos then that will be the first volunteer thing I will be involved in. if i do, i’ll be the most excited person in the world!!! its the Great Barrier Reef HQ Aquarium and boy, would i love to be involved in its programs!

so, that about sums up what happens this week. and things are going ok so far. next week when lessons start, that will be a huge thing. so… will update when i can!

goodbye from me for now… and Poppy!

ps: i miss singapore food! and my mom’s cooking! and cheap kss canteen food!

 

“at least i didnt get decompression sickness”

“shit happens” people say.

but when shit happens to you, it’ll feel like all the shitters in the world aimed their shit at you. :p

once again, this is a delayed post.

the trip to Puerto Galera (PG) ended with mixed feelings. fully organised by the Tattooed Smoker. while the ppl at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort were fantastic, i screwed up quite a bit. i was fine on all the dives except the ones on the 2nd day. Unfortunately.

on the 2nd day, we took a 1 hr boat ride out to Verde Island. Water was real choppy that day. so after my first dive, on the boat, i fell seasick and fed my breakfast to the fishes. the 2nd dive was interesting. currents were strong. so strong that we were told to hold on to something. in my fear that i might just be carried away by the current, i became desperate and wanted to hold something. and the result ended up in 3 of my fingers getting scratched by the coral i didnt managed to hang on to. the current was that terrible. after we surfaced (really choppy waters, like the kind you see in movies), we realised that our boat was the 3rd one away from us. i finned with all my might, reached the first boat, tried to get past the second boat but i got so tired, i hung on to the rope that tied the 2 boats together. bloody dangerous thing to do! the boatmen from both boats were shouting at me to let the line go, but i just DIDNT WANT TO LET GO! honestly, i wished someone would just airlift me past the 2nd boat to the 3rd boat. eventually i found the courage to let go. and finned my way to my boat. on my way in, i knocked my mask onto the bamboo pole which stabilises the boat (which didnt help much cos the boat was rocking at least 1meter high!. argh! anyway, we had a BBQ lunch by a lonely sheltered region in the beach. food was fantastic with lazy beach dogs hanging under the table for any food we might feel like throwing to them. seemingly, doggies like the smell of plankton on our wetsuits! haha. the 3rd dive’s current was even worse than the 2nd dive. so terrible the current that even when i finned with all my might against the current, i was still moving in the direction of the current. imagine that the bubbles from our regulators was not going upwards. it was moving diagonally downwards! strong current! i hardly could snap any shots. we ended the dive in 19 minutes. sucks to be down for just 19 minutes. already feeling terrible, i thought going for the fluorescent dive would perk me up. so all packed and geared up, i went for my very first beach dive. i thought the current was so strong again, but alas, i lost the fin on my right leg. and i didnt even know it until i surfaced and the DI asked where my fin was. OMG! we ended the dive and my DM has to use all his energy to drag me back to shore cos its just impossible to do any dive without fins. i was so embarrassed. and i felt stupid. on the whole, day 2′s dive trips made me feel like shit.

“shit happens” said the Tattooed Smoker who patted my head.

urgh! that day, i felt really horrible.

anyway, the rest of the dives were fine. especially day 3′s dives. they made me feel so at peace, and pleasured that i managed to experience what i did.

at one point during the night dive, we saw this fire urchin moving in one direction, and as we looked further, we saw 2 more isolated fire urchins moving towards the same direction. looking further, we saw 4 fire urchins congregating at one particular place. i stopped videoing the movements of fire urchins and realised my camera was not going to do any justice to the beautiful sight of gathering fire urchins. and i realised that i might not be able to show the world what i saw, but at least i got to be fully involved in the moment.

i smiled all night long. nice live band (not the best, but good enough to chill) complimented the cold night by the beach.

this dive trip was fantastic. apart from a few instances where i realised im not ready to take the rescue diver course. BUT I NEED TO, so i’ll get it done after a few more dives in aussie.

overall the trip further enriched my experience as a diver. i thought i was happy being a follower, but during this trip, i realised it is impt to take over as a leader when time comes. i didnt need to at this time, but Tattooed Smoker (who is a DM in training) had to take over on one occasion where a pair of idiot-divers refused to follow instructions to move up to surface and instead stayed below to take photos. caught in between, i didnt know whether to go up or wait for them. Tattooed Smoker signalled to me to go up and do my safety stop while he went down to tell them to come up again. they still stayed down. and then he took over at the surface while the DM went down to get them. (idiot divers).

so, if/when the situation calls for it, i cant lead, then that would be bad. so, im not going for the rescue dive course just for my module, but also because, its with rescue diver certification that you know how to deal with situations like these and lead the group.

the trip also was my first wreck dive trip. and it was fun going in and under wrecks. my bouyancy control has definitely improved. i now know how to stay where i want to stay and go where i want to go. comes with experience i think. but i still need to figure out how to work with currents.

anyway, enjoy the pictures and videos.

Dive trip @ Small La Laguna Beach, Puerto Galera, Philippines.

Numerous Scorpion fish

Lion fish

Cushion star maybe getting ready to spawn

Numerous nudibranchs, but i totally screwed up the photographs trying to go all macro on them.

macro focus on wrong animal! haha

saw 2 sea turtles

acorn worm cast

pipefish? or pipefish look a likes?

saw a number of sea kraits!!!!

and weird sea creatures

lobsters

giant clams

sea stars

hermit crabs

entering one of the wrecks

checking out a school of giant trevallys

and the boats along a jetty… all the boats were as such

and here are some of the videos:

fire urchin moving

nudibranch moving

sea turtle moving away

batfish checking me out

octopus changing colour

coral spawning at night!

fanworm opening up

anemone feeding

 

moving on to the world’s largest island

“open your arms to change, but dont let go of your values”

Dalai Lama

today, im in a new country, making this island my home for the next 1.5 years. as exciting as it has been, im also going to start missing home soon. having to take care of myself. but i should be fine.

change in environment tends to bring changes in a person’s attitude and personality. sometimes a quiet person is forced to become act more extroverted in a new place, which makes the person sometimes adopt different personalities in front of different people. i guess in a way we are all victims of split personality.

im not sure how my stay here will be, but im looking forward to experience the changes in my lifestyle. LTs, assignments, projects, presentations, lab work and late night studying will be my pattern for a while.

and im gonna make the best out of thie S$80000 experience!

 

off to the next chapter

i am nervous.
i am full of anticipation.
i am eager to start anew.
i am anxious.
i am worried.
i am cautious.
i am hoping i’ll meet nice ppl.
I am hoping i’ll make some good friends.
i am wondering if i can still analyse new information.

but, still, today is the first day of the rest of my life, and i’m going to take in the moment because its not too often i get to do something like this. “this” is dedicated to me.

look out for updates on my experiences and learning.

remember, life is too short to have regrets. time will just pass you by and before you know it, you might look back and wish you had done something/pursued your interests/made some changes/etc. so dont wait. Go, live your life. =D

goodbye Singapore,

and take care everyone!

 

there’s a thunderstorm in my stomach

as the date approaches, i cant help sense a feeling of doom. no, im not depressed. and everything on the aussie side is settled. but still, you know…

as of last night, the weather report in my tummy is as follows:

lightning risk: cat 5
Wind speed: swirling at 100kn
rain: thunderstorm
flood: potential risk of hitting heights at mouth level

so i spent a while wondering why im so freaking panicky abt leaving, and all along i thought it’s because i was worried abt being all alone in a foreign land. but you can always bank on a good night’s sleep to clear your mind and make you realise that the apprehension is because you dont want anything to happen to anyone you love while you arent around.

mom made chicken curry last night, as per my request, and while it wasnt her best, all i could think of was that someday, i might never get to have her cooking my meals.

would it be too selfish of me to pray that i die before anyone else i love dies?

this whole week has been great. mom’s been smiling, ive not argued with her, things are light hearted at home. and i know that, while we arent the kind of family that openly expresses our love for each other, we do things that are symbolic. honestly, i think things are going to be more strained at home while im not around cos no one talks to each other without going thru me. well, except mom-bro.

so, a visit to 2 temples in the morning made me sit in devotion, where i thought of Amma, and said, “you know everything.”

so while everyone is blessing me to stay safe and pray that nothing untoward happens to me while im away, im praying that nothing untoward happens to my family while im not around.

Dear Amma, please be with them.

(ps: and in the event something does happen to me while im there, i just want to say that i love my mom very much, i wish my bro all the best and i hope my mom and dad can find happiness.)

 

what defines you

“Your thoughts become your words
your words become your actions
your actions become your habits
your habits become your character
your character becomes your life”

 

planning my meals

little did i realise that while im spending time with family and friends, i forgot that there’s a whole bunch of food that im gonna miss! so, heres the agenda.

mon breakfast: nasi lemak
mon lunch: chicken rice
mon dinner: somewhere outside with family
mon supper: chinese rojak

tues breakfast: mee siam
tues lunch: crispy seafood noodles
tues dinner: mom’s cooking (havent chosen the menu yet)

wed breakfast: prata
wed lunch: hokkien mee
wed dinner: mom’s cooking (fried chicken wing, chicken curry with white radish and brinjal, long beans, cabbage)
wed supper: carrot cake

thurs breakfast: prata
thurs lunch: mee hoon goreng
thurs dinner: mom’s cooking (havent chosen the menu yet)
thurs supper: satay

fri breakfast: homemade sandwich
fri lunch: mom’s cooking (mushroom with potato, french beans, greens)
fri dinner: mom’s cooking (puri with dhal)

if you were leaving Singapore forever, what local dishes would you have before leaving? (just in case i missed out one of my fav foods… )

 

Dive Pulau Hantu

2 sundays ago, i went for my first dive in Singapore waters. ppl always say you cant find anything in singapore waters and ive always argued otherwise having done some intertidal stuff and seen many many many creatures on our shores.

but, well, i now understand why ppl would say such a thing. the visibility in hantu is beyond terrible. we had to use a torch light on a bright and sunny day. akin to muck diving. but still, that doesnt mean there’s no marine life in singapore.

i only managed to take a few pictures during both my dives and i must admit, if i go often enough, i’d probably get used to manouvering in hantu waters. the best thing abt the trip?

i saw my first seahorse! and it was just pretty. amazing. it looks like such a delicate creature, so gentle:)

here are the other pictures, and i apologise for the blur shots. i realise my macro function is not good enough.

filefish

flatworm

dont know what fish this is…. might be a frogfish?

nudibranchs

and some eel looking thing which someone said might be a large worm? i dont know… it looks like a snake body with a fish head…

check out hantu bloggers for better quality photographs and evidence that there definitely is marine life in singapore. you just got to give it a change. you wont find the kind of 30m clear waters around, but, poor vis means less predators hang around, which provides quite a good hideout for alot of other creatures… so… yes, i shall check out hantu one more time when i come back in 2013.

 

i could smile all night long

stars aplenty, the sky looks polluted. what a magical ending to a splendid day.

and top it up with my kind of music with my kind of live band with my fav kind of atmosphere

words cant describe enough.

 

excitement over, im now quite anxious

perhaps things might have been cleaner if i had resigned. but i didnt. and now im facing the music.

with the new year holidays over, the uni has been emailing me stuff and i have been in contact with various branches of the uni. fixing on-campus accommodation and waiting for their reply is nerve wrecking. cos if i dont get a room allotted, i will have to go back to finding off-campus accommodation. i have to wait till mid jan to activate my computer account. and until i do that, i cant enrol into my modules. i havent booked arrival service, i havent gotten my visa because i waiting for my passport to be renewed. and the best part is, i dont even know when my leave starts.

reporting to work has been mundane enough for me to feel like this is just stupid and redundant. and it doesnt help that i have jealous ppl walking by saying, “you very free ah”. or when i ask ppl out for lunch, “some of us actually have work to do you know?”. you mean you usually dont find free periods to eat meh?

well, of course im free. ive not been deployed. but im not the one who requested to report to work. given a choice, i’d much rather not earn the salary for the first 2 weeks and stay home to settle my stuff. so stop patronising me, you green-eyed ppl. its not what i asked for. its just the way the system is.

i have also already been paid for january. now i have to liaise with yet another dept (finance) to return them as deemed necessary. thats adding on to unnecessary paper work.

ive started packing my room and that marks the reality of me leaving. suddenly im wondering if im spending enough time with everyone. its not an overnight camp or a 1 week holiday. i will be gone, for quite a while. and the reality of that is slapping my face every single minute that im not occupied with something to distract me.

what do you do when you have a few weeks left with your family? i was worried abt how my family is going to handle it. but now im worried abt how I’M going to handle it!

conveniently, the ability to stay in a state of denial is growing. ever so often, i dont wish to face up to the fact that i will be alone in a foreign state, with no friend to turn to. living independently, while being a refreshing idea, suddenly makes me fearful.

AT said, “you scared for what! wah lau! 1.5 yr got no government. you can do whatever you want. stay out however late you want. no need to answer to anyone” and i thought, “ya, i should be excited uh”. but the truth? its freaking me out that i have to handle everything myself. what if i make no friends and have no one to turn to? what if the ppl i get to know are cunning and evil ppl? how will going to the common kitchen in every level be with strangers? meeting strangers in the toilets. meeting strangers in class. meeting strangers in the library. where will i work? what will my hall residents be like? wild undergraduates or mature post grads?

it appears like i dont have enough time to mentally prepare myself just cos im constantly worried abt my leave date. haiz… and blabbering abt this isnt gonna make things better. its just that i was hoping that going away would be alot smoother and planned. rather than unplanned like this…

i hope my leave matters get settled soon and i can stop reporting to work so that i can sort out my other issues.

time to get back to doing miscellaneous things. ciao!