Just dive it!

I did it! And I have a certificate to prove for it too! 

Was actually planning to take a diving license in the Philippines, but after a very dampening response from the boyfriend, who wasn't keen to spend 3-4 days of his holidays learning how to dive, I settled on just the introductory dive. It wasn't such a bad thing, as I do have my fears from not being able to swim. I actually can do some swimming underwater, but I just can't tread water no matter how hard I try. So that still amounts to "not being able to swim"...hrh. I also still remember how I was so hyped up before my skiing trip in 2006, thinking that I would be able to ski through powdery white snow effortlessly once I've been taught the ropes...hah! But see what happened to me up on the ski slope? That would mark my very first and last attempt at skiing. So it was good to just discover what diving entails before I commit myself.

I have to admit though that I was really unconfident during the pool training - couldn't breathe properly through the mouthpiece, and wasn't sure I was able to equalize. I was also shivering uncontrollably from the cold. At a certain point, I thought I was going to give up, and not go into the sea. But with more practice, my confidence grew and it was really awesome being able to breathe normally (almost) underwater! And guess who opted out of the open dive eventually? He complained of dizziness and decided to miss the opportunity of his life. Poor thing though as he'd forgotten to take his motion sickness pills before the course. It was pretty disappointing not having him as my diving buddy...

So that left me with three Chinese people from Hong Kong, my handsome Swiss Korean instructor (forgot to take a picture with him....damn!) and even cuter Swiss dive master. 

From our boat, we flipped into the water backwards one by one - me last and I was wondering if there were any other gentler way of going in because it was freaky dropping into the sea like that! We descended slowly with a rope until we reached the sandy bottom. And after everyone has gathered, we moved on slowly, and before I know it, when I looked below, there was nothing but bottomless depth that goes way way down. The sea was such a deep blue that I'd never witnessed before.

In all my fear, nervousness, and straining myself to adapt being underwater, I wasn't really able to enjoy seeing the marine life (had a much better experience snorkeling actually). Besides, it all ended in an instance, or so it seemed to me. I was rather sad that I'd to leave the world that I'd only just acquainted myself with...

But I'll probably be back again...