Certified

Woohoooo! I am now a PADI certified scuba diver!

My first boat dive at Tioman Island totally blew my mind away. It was almost a spiritual moment when I looked around me and saw this huge but beautiful coral formation before me and sea life teeming EVERYWHERE! Under corals, in anemones, guarding territories, hunting, hiding, playing, resting... all seemingly oblivious to us humans in these strange get ups, hooked up to even weirder contraptions, bobbing along and observing them. I saw so many amazing things that it really felt as if I was exploring a whole other world.

I've never felt more at peace and as serene as I did while scuba diving. Admittedly I had my doubts when the boyfriend suggested that I join the course... You see, I've always had problems "switching off" and the thought of going underwater and only being able to hear my own breathing really freaked me out. Yeah, I'm not a fan of yoga. But once you descend underwater you can't help but be in awe of the beauty surrounding you that all doubts simply melt away.

Thanks to the instructors and divemasters of Orca Blue (Faizal, Jalil, Feroz and Bad) for being extremely patient, helpful and pretty darn entertaining! Thanks to Faizal, I'll never look at another sea cucumber the same way again. Hehehe. Big smooches to the boyfriend for not only getting me the best birthday gift EVER but for organizing everything and wrangling all 11 of us to get our knowledge reviews, exams & pool sessions done on time. My boyfriend rocks!

In summary of this whole experience: my back aches, my ears are still feeling kinda blocked, my tan's uneven, my blisters from my fins are sore but I'm totally addicted to scuba diving. I can't wait for my next dive!