tioman - season 2

yeah.. this is season 2..

why?? let me tell u a story.. barely a week after that first trip..i was again 'pancing-ed' to yet another 5N6D trip to tioman. it didnt take much to make me say yes.

we started our trip on thur's nite. instead of tg gems, we went via mersing.

well, i tried to stay awake during the whole journey as mr B volunteered to drive mr blacky but i was mentally drained by then due to work which is really giving me the migrane i so not needed. and i fell asleep anyway. we arrived in time. which is good.

the only qualms i have abt the trip was that i was already dark from the first trip.. my skin has yet to go back to its normal tone.. and im adding some more tone on it..

see what i mean?
it will take alot of fair & lovely to get me back into that pre-tioman tone..

ADC was surprised to see me back.. hah!

while mr b went straight to do his OWC.. i went with the fun dive group.

first dive.. everything went wrong.. you know how it feels like jatuh tangga & then ur head banged against the corner of the stone wall.. well, less drastic but similar concept.

first.. i cant descent... i deflated fully.. breathe like i usually did.. i was still up on the surface.. while everybody was already down there looking up.. f*ck. this is just not making any sense.. one of the DMT.. lets call him mr A pulled me down.. that is already an embarassment enough.

but the show has to go on..

then.. half way through - current came. mind you.. it was not even strong. not like the one in che-beh. my bcd was fully deflated.. and yet up up and away i go..

ya.. it sucks!! me truly not liking the first dive.

2nd dive.. i used 3 weights.. which is wierd.. coz all these years.. i'm only using 2 weights and its more than enough.. 3 was too heavy last time.. maybe i gained weight hah! damn..

oh well.. the 2nd dive.. i was still trying to get the hang of it.. arggghh..

by the 2nd day.. things were much better. not 100% perfect yet.. but better.

so.. imagine 5 days of being under the sun..

you cant even begin to imagine how dark i am now..
but to tell u the truth.. it was worth it.

see for ur self.

a close up picture of my descending .. not a pretty sight but still..

a view from the top - see the sun streaming down? cool huh..

kinda looks like diving in an aquarium, kan...

one of them favourite pictures of mine. bat fish kept on following me.. apparently.
nice ha..
this was me fighting the current. mr b even with the current, still managed to take pictures. bravo bravo. i had to swim so closely to the corals so i dun have to fight so much. half way through.. i was too tired to even fin. i literally feel my body or rather my feet - shutting down.

but as they, it aint over until the fat lady sing.
basically.. i cant stop..

finally, we reached our pit stop.. this is me doing whatever during safety stop..

well.. i truly had fun. did a total of 8 dives.

thats about it. since this post has been in my draft for quite some time now.. im just gonna post this as it is.. i was thinking of adding more pictures from my camera.. but.. malas la..
its a diving trip for G's sake. u dont need to hear stories about me having lunch/ dinner or my other activities - all that kan..

:P

last but not least.. thank you buddy for pancing'ed me into this trip..
and congrats on your OW cert.

season 3... coming right up.. errrr...
lama lagi..
hehhe.

tioman - season 1

this is where we started our trip.. the plan was to meet up at 930-10pm.. of course.. always always remember to add malaysian time..

coz thats how WE do it.

it was a big group.. we convoyed from KL to Tg Gemuk... about 5-6-7 cars? im guessing here.. i didnt do a head count or car count.. for that matter..

this is us waiting for the ferry..
group photo is always almost a must do.

see the pass.. ??
by the way.. if u squint.. u can see me at the background.. hhehe
penting tu..

this one no need of squiting.. see my big head ..

having slept most of the way [which btw.. thank you vincy for driving :)] ..i managed to look slightly better than bida (*ugly).. though my back hurts.. and yes.. my face bit bloated there coz had to take that pil which postpone that time of the month..

its a girl thing. sucks big time..
bloated i tell u.. bloated..

bikini bod all gone down the drain.. not that i have one to begin with.. still..

finally.. boarding time.. thats our ferry to tioman.. mcm dejavu pulak.. feels like only yesterday. though it has been over a year ago...

the best thing about going to hols with big group is that you have lots of friends around you all the time.. but the slack part is that.. time order makan.. tunggu berjam-jam for one miserable order.. itu pun kalau sempat..

coz.. not much time u know.. dive lagi penting..

this is the scene of the crime..

yup.. thats me essembling my gear.. me & my buddy vman took our advance open water cert. no exam.. all exercises are done in water.. so its almost like fun dive all the way..

i loike.

my latest ms pinky is put to test. she passed with flying colours.
though i kinda need to get a new booty..
its too low for this atomic fin.

im not sure whats happening here.. everybody gather around this small confined place.. took group photo yg tak jadi.. i just had to hold on to something..

air finishing. bouyancy out. u do the maths.

having diving out of the way.. u can always play beach volleyball. while enjoying the sunset..
or u can tonggeng like this to check if got ghost or not.. which i now confirmed dont have.. at least i didnt get to see one that time.. which is a good thing..

not that i wanted to see one anyway..

of course - being away from the mainland and reality.. u need to loosen up abit. mental wise in particular. drink & dive is almost synonym. as long as you can control and able to get up the next day, drink all u can. who's gonna stop you?

but better dont. coz susah if hangover..
not siok that.

this is some part of us layaning screwdriver.. and talk kok.. cant really remember the topic of conversation.. my brain usage is almost zero. which i like. hehe..

while u are at that & by 'that' i meant the drinking session.. bbq-ing is a very good idea.
pusas.. as said by the people from the tanah below the angin :)

anyway.. it was too short of a trip..

but yg penting and to cut long story short.. i got my advance cert..

rescue coming right up.. errr.. not so soon la..
but soon enough.

:)

introducing another ms pinky..

about a year ago after taking my OWD cert.. i found myself without any gang to dive..

my then dive buddy was busy with other activities..

so was i actually..

as usual - life takes over..
work - mostly.
sleep...

not to mention i was on one holiday after another.. some impromptu.. some pre-planned. but still no diving..

until 2 spots were made available (*due to some cancellation i think.. thank you for cancelling whoever you are btw*) at the very eleventh hour for a diving trip to sipadan..

i jumped at the chance..

obviously.

i 1st asked a possible diving buddy.. mrAhem.. but he just had a back operation.. so diving even in the far future is bleak i have to say..

i then asked a not so possible not-diving buddy ... as this mrAhem2 cant swim nor float to safe his life.. but life again gets in the way.. or probably its just me he said no to...

i then asked VSK.. hahha.. mind you.. all are done simultaneously.. so... whoever said yes first will be in.. if all 3 said yes.. then all the better.. i'll just make up stories to whomever yg i dun want...

hahaha..

so.. needless to say.. im able to re-activate my abandoned hobby.. VSK is taking her OW.. so's GKC.. both i've been trying to convince that its another world down there... when actually its just all water.. a salty water.. heheh...

well... the point to this story is that.. now that its on again.. and im taking my advance very very very soon.. me thinks its a good reason to invest another diving gear..

see my new fin??

ms pinky2.. nice kan.. got split split.. recommended for ladies..

yeah... simply only they put in the recommendation.. cost about RM4++/-

the best thing is that.. it matches with my mask..

click HERE...

saw??? kan.. apa sia bilang.. :D

on the downside.. im very the miskin now..

whatever it is.. hope everything goes well later.. not just me.. but also VSK yang dunno how to swim/float.. eh.. which one already ah??

hmmm.. lama lagi.. 2 weeks to go bebeh!!

i need to get away from here.. FAST..
i cant breathe here..
so any reason to get the hell out.. is always a good reason.

p.s.
be gone. stay gone.

from mabul with love.

people said a picture paints a thousand word.

so.. im gonna tell my mabul-sipadan story with pictures.
and a few words..

woke up around 630am. the plan was to be at the jetty by 7am.
by 830am, we were still having breakfast.. of course..

this is part of us. 6 divers & the rest are snorkelers.

1st dive @ sibuan

without wet suit.

yup.. i now know how it feels like to dive in your bikini.
which is super-great. easy. ringan.

cold?? at times..

but, this is m'sia la.. where got cold one..?

with my diving buddy - mr vincy.

thank you buddy for taking the time to turn left / right to check whether im still around :) much appreciated.

and thank you for bringing your underwater cam.
me likey!!!

havent been diving for more than a year. surprisingly, it is true what people said.
it is exactly like riding bycicle.

*though i dont really know how to cycle*

its the terminology. not literally.

2nd day dive @ sipadan. this time got wet suit.

mesti tu. im preparing to meet up with mr sharky. dive master promised me.
"sure got shark one... confirmed!!"

and im not meeting mr sharky looking all meaty.

after seeing the first mr turtle - they tend to appear everywhere. the biggest i've seen was almost as big as me.

and mind you, im small. so, try not to be too impressed.

and yeah.. a li'l bit of exageration there.. but then again - you'll never know.

somehow, they are just beautiful underwater. especially when they swam away from you going towards the deeper end. it takes every muscle in me not to hang on to their shell (is that what you called it??) and follow them lepaking somewhere else..

ahh... little nemo.. its one of them favourite of mine.. u can almost see them everytime u go down.. sure one.. and it never ceases to amaze me. they look friendly. playful.

cubuk-cubuk. tapuk-tapuk. how do you beat that?

well.. if u r not a diver.. there's nothing to stop you from snorkeling. ALMOST as good. but not quite.. just dive already people!

sibuan island. the underwater may be *not that good* but the island is as beautiful as you can see here. the water is as crystal clear. the sand is as white and supersoft.

the bollywood should film here and make the hero & heroine rolling rolling here.

u dont get to go these kind of beaches (ok island) every day. so, when u do have the chance - enjoy every minute of it.

jump like orang gila.

or just rendam there... while u contribute to the masin-ess of the sea.. :)

or just main siram-siram..
*oh my sig*

or just cam whore all the way..

back in uncle chang, where we stayed during our times in mabul, when u do find a free day where u r neither diving nor snorkeling at the various dives site.. either YOU jump..

or.. they'll make you jump..

lepaking with new friends wouldn't hurt either.

or just take a walk under that very very super hot sun..

there will be a lot of paparazi waiting.. so, remember to look your very best...
in case kena candid..

and witness one of God's great creation..

and when the night comes.. just chill..
smile at the camera..

enter frame every chances you get..

the sun will rise again.

and at the end of the day.. you'll realised that you may have made friendship that could last forever.

coz.. no matter how high you get..
you'll always have one thing in common..
you shared mabul once.

and for that.. always look back.. coz u'll never know..

the places you left behind could always be that one place that you may want to go back to one day.

till one day.