Your Opinion Does Not Matter
Before I fell asleep on board the ferry just now, I managed to write this on my phone:
“Turquoise coloured waters,
the sky’s azure blue.
All my thoughts befores and afters
are of you, and you, and you.
I pray for time to fly real fast
cos I don’t know if I can last
without having you here by my side
to calm this restless tide”On board Bluewater 10, Tioman to Mersing, 5th April 2008
Somehow, the above is related to the below:
I know I am NOT going to get Monday blues….
Wa cakap lu. Dah sejam wa duduk sini pakai towel aje. Kalau letak pulut kuning, ayam masak merah, setanggi dua tiga batang, kasi wa duduk bersila pejam mata, mesti keluar nombor ekor.
Bukan senang nak berak walaupun wa antara orang yang tak ada masalah kalau nak berak. Pagi, gerenti seround. Malam sebelum tidur mesti seround lagi, paling tidak pun sebelum mandi petang. Ini semua angkara jadi askar dulu…memang bontot pun kena disiplin.
Tapi kengkadang, berak ni mendatangkan masalah gak. Especially kalau perut jenis tak bersivik. Asal makan aje nak berak. Wa punya cousin ada sorang macam tu. Kalau nak drive long distance, mesti nak kena plan dia punya jalan dan time makan. Kalau tak, memang susah.
Wa punya habit plak….kalau ada tempat baru, mesti nak buat taik. Tak kira apa. Dulu masa idup kat Pulau Pinang, semua feri tu wa dah susun taik. Pulau Undan, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Talang-Talang, Pulau Kapas…semua dah wa calit. R&R jangan cerita la. hampir semua wa dah singgah bikin territory.
Nak melepas ni memang nak kena dalam keadaan yang hampir bersih dan tenang. Wa tak leh lupa masa melontar kat Mina dulu. Dah lah jamban jauh-jauh…limited. Orang ada 3 juta. Semua nak berak time yang sama. Ingat lagi baca mandrem “Kepala Ekor Kepala Ekor… kononnya nak suruh kepala taik jangan keluar. Berpeluh menahan. Sekali kosong aje terus masuk. baru nak menyangkung ada dah arab bangang ketuk pintu suruh cepat. Pundek betul. Tak senang nak berak. Next day bila dah tahalul awal dan nak melontar lagi kat 3 jamrah, terus tak makan. Baru selesa.
Satu lagi bahana ialah apabila tak boleh berak akibat perjalanan terlalu jauh, ataupun tempat baru. Ada la wa punya kawan sorang ni…tak boleh nak melepas bila pergi melawat negeri orang, hinggakan terpaksa balun cili padi untuk menjadi pemangkin kepada proses pencernaan, dan memudahkan proses peristalsis berlaku agar by-product yang bakal dihasilkan dapat keluar dengan mudah. Setakat ni tak tau apa perkembangan kalau ada yang kembang atau masih kuncup.
Takpe la…apa-apa pun, kalau lu tak merokok, lu boleh bawak laptop lu, baca blog posting ni dalam jamban. Gerenti keluar dengan mudah.
It is such a lovely paradise, so why did it rain?
0205.
It’s dark out there but I can hear the sound of waves lapping the shore. Far in the distance are the lights of Tekek. I’m on this hillslope chalet with lush green primary jungle behind me. I stare into the darkness in a northwesterly direction. I’m being melancholic again. Somewhere out there in that direction, hundreds of kilometers away, is the person that makes me happy.
It was that, too, when I was underwater last evening. Things were beautiful and colours vibrant; yet, my thoughts were of her. I saw some pretty-looking nudibranches, I did not even bother to stop to photograph. That was so unlike me. I kept looking at my dive computer, looking at the bottom time, eager to end the dive so I could get back topside.
Strange.
I’m now smiling. I have made it past the mid-week mark. Soon I’ll be going home to her. Soon I’ll be holding her close to me again, smell that hair again, see that smile again, hear her sweet voice again, be with her again.
Yes, I am smiling.
0212.
I woke up this morning and noticed that there was no electricity. As such, I couldn’t shave as the bathroom has no window, and it was dark. I couldn’t see satu benda berdarah. I couldn’t see how much toothpaste had gone onto the brush. Terrible. Apparently the whole island was without electricity for an hour.
Balistoides viridescens.
Beautiful fish, but I hate it.
I was leading a group of divers in strong current, and turned around to count the number of divers. When I turned around to start swimming again, there it was…right in front of me. The sickening smiling face with a false moustache, grinning its Nosferatu-like teeth. It also goes by its uncommon name: Moustache Triggerfish. Otherwise, it is commonly known, among Malaysian divers especially, as the Titan Triggerfish.
I whacked its head once with my camera, then I punched it, before whacking it using my fins. It swam away, and attacked the others.
Twice we were attacked by two different Titans. During the other attack, one of the divers thought that the divers who frantically swam past him were racing to pose for his camera. When they gestured to him using their hands to tell him there was a Titan behind him, he thought they asked him to take more and more photos. I took a photo of him as the Titan approached behind him with its trigger raised. That was the last moment before he was attacked by the little bugger.
Current was strong on the surface, we had to sail to pick up three divers who had drifted away. I called off the next dive because it was getting dangerous.
Anyway, I did not take that many photos that I can share with you today. Certain parts of the training were classified so I cannot post them online. So, please enjoy looking at the ones I took during the last dive.
Dang! I really miss someone.
Evening traffic
Cameraman on the left didn’t know why these guys were swimming so fast away from
And this was his last moment before he was attacked
Doing my deco stop alone…all the rest have gone up
Looking stern at the stern
Sunset for the day
The day started early for me.
Well, real early.
I had a tough time trying to sleep because of the din my roommate was making as he blared away announcements through his nasal tannoy. In the end it was almost 3am that I got to sleep. Then I was awakened at 4am by a text message from my telco about some money-saving deal. At around 5am, I got up again because my mobile phone had dropped from the bed. I must have pushed it off the bed as I had my pillow over my left ear (I was sleeping on my left – must be a newly-acquired habit). Finally at 6.30am, my phone’s alarm went off signalling 30 minutes to get working.
I lay-in bed after waking up my roommate asking him to go to the bathroom first to settle whatever he’d have to settle then, before my turn came at 6.45am. I quickly showered, donned my rashguard and shorts and made my way to the coffee house. Then it was all training discussions over breakfast. I received a call from ASP Rosman, Officer Commanding ‘Bravo’ Squadron, of the VAT 69 (police commandos). I haven’t spoken to him since I left the service and he sounded happy to hear my voice again, even calling me “Commando 69’s favourite son” because when I was in the armed forces, I would always invite them to participate in our exercises; be it for diving or parajumping. He’s asked me to visit him in Hulu Kinta anytime soon.
I went down to see Yusof taking the trainees for their physical training, while I just did some Yoga stretchings. You cannot exercise much before, between, and after dives, for fear of getting decompression illnesses. After breakfast and briefing, I went down with the first group to train them on using the Interspiro full-face mask at 6 meters. A few were comfortable but there were those who ripped the mask of at the slightest problem to equalise. The Interspiro has such high air volume within the mask that it keeps tugging the head upwards; and because it is impossible to pinch your nose when you use one, equalisation can be a hassle…well, not that I have any of those problems. After that I took them to the threshold of their training: 18 meters (although when alone I went down to 27 meters…dark, cold, silent and eerie; meeting “Big Guys” with nasty teeth. Just the way I love it). So for both teams I had to do this.
In the hurry to get the mask off their face, they forgot to secure the nose-piece inside the mask and caused this RM200 odd piece of thing to disappear beneath the waves; not forgetting the fact that one of them managed to destroy a RM4K piece of government-owned equipment due to carelessness.
In the afternoon, after lunch, the other instructors and I, lay down on the coffee house’s floor and slept for about half an hour. Later, a course was conducted on radio protocols, before we headed out to sea again to train these guys on underwater communications.
During the last two dives, I farted underwater quite a lot. Must have been the broccoli with sambal belacan that I whacked during lunch.
After completing the dives, I was on the phone when someone I was talking to might have heard me tell my colleague, “Take him out to sea and make sure he drowns.” It was one of the divers who’s not quite up to par with the rest, and I wanted him to have more dives even though it was getting dark. Yeah, someone has to be the sadistic instructor.
Hmm…I really miss someone badly. Yeah…terribly. 😦
I managed to find 4 nudibranches playing choo-choo-train underwater. Oh, I also remember telling someone that we were also busy playing with friendly sharks. So here are some pics:
Big guy swimming near us
Let’s go closer and see if he wants to play
Ah! He does want to play!
Come closer, baby!
A school of what???
Ooooo…a school of Chevron Barracudas
Someone asked me how is the visibility…well, here’s a pic taken at Labas
Taken at Panuba house reef
Taken at Panuba house reef
Ready to dive
I made this guy gear up and pose for me in the hot sun
SeaDemon’s around???
Hello!
“Hey, bro! let’s see what’s on the left side of this sandy patch!”
My leaking left tank valve
“Hi, there!”
Sunset on Wednesday 2nd April 2008
Today was a bit hectic as compared to yesterday. I have been diving using the Kirby Morgan KM-48 full-face mask. Tomorrow I will have to assist in teaching some 20 members of the Fire and Rescue Department divers to use their Interspiro full-face mask. Most have not used a full-face dive mask and those who have cannot equalise well when they dive deep.
During the administration briefing earlier this afternoon, I emphasised on discipline, teamwork and cooperation. We hid an important equipment that they have forgotten to store in a safe place, and ordered for a full layout of survival kit. Only then did they realise. This time around, they were let off with a warning. The next time, this smiling me may not be so forgiving, and this is sanctioned by their Chief Dive Officer. Tomorrow morning, Yusof is going to take them for some physical training at 7am. I’ll be ragging them underwater at 9.30am. Now, I would love to see who panics underwater when I start ripping off masks whenever they commit the simplest of mistakes. It is my belief that, as lifesavers, they must have a penchant for details and safety. So my job is to instill this into them. No more melayu civil servant mentality when the public look up to them to be saved and so on. However, to be fair to them, they are a good lot. But it is just me as the sickening training officer: the kind who can share sweets with you and whack the back of your head at the same time.
However, I love diving with the wireless underwater communications set. The clarity is superb that I sang songs to the Surface Controller from underwater. However, it also picks up high-pitch engine noise from surface vessels above that I went deeper to avoid being hit by them. Good early warning.
And, oh, the blardy leak on the neck at the base of the left tank’s valve is leaking very prominently. I lose air a lot from it at greater depths. How am I supposed to dive this tank when I do the deep dives at HMS Banka? Hmm…
Let me share with you some pics…ones I have managed to upload using this narrow broadband.
Deja vu
Both were doing something on their respective notebook
Sunset on the first day
Morning on the second day
We were hungry in between dives, so Yoi made us some Koter Anjing Goreng
Communications units
Kirby Morgan KM-48 full-face mask
An Interspiro full-face mask
One of our dive boats – a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB)
Yusof giving an admin brief, Navy style
My twin-tanks set-up with the KM-48 mask
Sunset…it is time to dive
Good guys wear black and dive in the dark
End of another day…
The sea is calm in Tioman now. There will only be two tidal changes today and tomorrow. Conditions will change come Wednesday afternoon when the currents will pick up, making our job slightly more difficult. And with the number of charges exceeding 20 in total, it will be a hectic week for us.
Right now there are three instructors: Nizar (representing the Army, who is my roommate now), Yusof (ex-Navy commando who used to skydive with me – I taught him freefall relative work back in 1995), and I. Tomorrow, Nizar and I will have to familiarise ourselves with the Kirby Morgan KM-48 full-face mask, and try out the wireless underwater communications system. Later in the afternoon, we will have to teach the Fire and Rescue Services personnel radio protocol and underwater navigation. We will be using the compass board members of the special forces use when diving, and not the wrist compass used by recreational diving instructors.
On Wednesday, it will be the Coast Guard’s turn. Come Thursday and Friday the game will get more serious with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police commandos joining in the fun.
And the broadband connection is so slow here that it is almost impossible for me to upload pics from my camera. I’ll have to go to the cybercafe to do it using satellite broadband instead.
Until then, stay safe, play safe, and don’t forget to use rubber.
Haha!
Panas.
Aku tak tahu macam mana mamat-mamat ni semua boleh bekerja dalam kepanasan yang bakal menghangitkan bulu telurku. Aku hanya dapat membayangkan kedinginan meneguk segelas air limau dari sebuah gelas yang bertatahkan serbuk garam dari mana-mana lubang mengair, bukan lubang berair macam ada orang tu kata – tak malu betul (watering hole) yang ada di kota metropolis.
Angin sepoi langsung tiada dapat dirasai kewujudannya di sini, dan dalam keadaan inilah aku mula teringat akan kata-kata Semi Value
(Dengan intonasi Semi Value) “Kerajaan ingin menase-atkann kapadda sumua ra’ayat supaya jangan banyia membuang ayer.”
Of course la apa yang Semi Value kat atas tu tak ada kena-mengena dengan apa yang aku nak tulis kat sini. Kalau Yummy Baby baca ni mesti dia kata, “Bodoh gila, kan?”
Anyway, aku teringat semasa santapan malam bersama rakan-taulan beberapa malam yang lalu. Makanan memang sedap hinggakan Indah Water punyalah seronok dapat kerja yang boleh mengisi masa akhirnya, selain dari menghantar bil-bil bodoh kononnya membuat pembentungan sedangkan sebuah flet di Cheras melimpah-limpah tangki kumbahan najisnya.
Yang menyeronokkan adalah apabila melihat dan mendengar topik-topik hangat yang diperbincangkan oleh ratu-ratu drama yang dikepalai oleh Wanita Berbulu Mata Gam Gajah yang saban kali pulang dari tanah asing dengan tas-tas tangan berjenama yang boleh didapati dengan harga lebih murah di pasar malam Downtown mahupun Uptown.
Kemudian aku lalui lorong-lorong bertar sambil melihat pencakar langit. Tak luka-luka lagi langit sepertimana aku senang tercakar sekiranya dicakari. Tetapi itu semua tak penting bagi ku. Yang penting adalah bagi aku mengharungi satu minggu yang akan datang di dalam air. Rasanya hitam aku akan bertambah walaupun tidak sehitam budak hitam kepercayaan Jejaka Kepala Batas. Cuma aku risaukan kepala aku yang kurang protection…mungkin sekali akan mengelupas kulitnya kali ini.
Hilang hensem aku. Cipet betul.
Well, I don’t know if I have resolved the one issue with my twin-tanks set-up. When I first used it, there was a slight leak at the neck of the valve. When I took it to Pulau Sembilan, it wasn’t there anymore. So this whole week next week I shall test the set-up in more rigorous conditions, whack it to the max and see if it performs well.
Tech diving is different to normal recreational diving. The first difference is of course the equipment that is being used: you carry more than one tank, and always have a decompression gas in your “deco bottle.” You will certainly breathe oxygen enriched air, and unlike the recreational Nitrox (Enriched Air), we carry oxygen mix of between 41 percent to 100 percent, well, I usually carry one mix, and that is the 50 percent Oxygen mix. Before I do my gas switch to this mix, I will have to read the label carefully, and understand what I had written on the label. If I do not understand what’s on the label, chances are I will get Oxygen Toxicity and most probably die….hehehe. Other difference include almost always but not necessarily, diving to depths beyond (deeper) than recreational dive limits; wreck or cave penetration. And you will have to be a self-sufficient diver to dive without a buddy.
Kudinne descending using the mooring line
Me cruising by the wreck
Kudinne (top), Me (center), and Jim (below) during one of the decompressions stops
Me, Kudinne and Jim doing a decompression stop
Kudinne and I with our twin tanks on our back and the decompression gas hooked onto our side
Another mode empoyed for tech diving is the use of the Rebreather. It is called a Rebreather because you will be breathing your own recyled breath. So you must monitor your air’s Oxygen content. If it gets too low, you get hypoxic and you pass out underwater. Not a good thing to do. I am seen in the pics below using a Buddy Inspiration Closed-Circuit Rebreather, otherwise known as the Yellow Box of Death (YBOD). Yes, people have died using this system, but it is still one of the best around.
Prepping the YBOD
Prepping the unit’s controller by inhaling and exhaling
Javier assisting me to open the valves before diving
Yeah, something went wrong with the harness of this unit mid-dive and Javier had to assist me again.
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