EXCITING TIMES IN TENGGOL!

The countdown begins!

12 more days to go.. but it seems like 12 months of wait.

Someone in my office was asking me - why are you going holiday in this times? Don't you know down time is coming? Good question.

Does that mean i should stop eating in decent restaurants and start mamak diet? Does that mean i should take a bus ride to work and sell my car? Does that mean I should cut down on my lifestyle and stop drinking with my buddies and make myself a cup of milo and watch TV to conserve? Or does it mean i should stop using handphone and cut back to pager instead? Yes, i can't deny the fact that some not-so-good-times are coming but it's your attitude towards it that makes the difference.

There are 2 ways to go about it. You can either have the river mentality or the lake mentality. The river mentality means you don't stop giving, you don't stop living, you don't worry about what's happening around you coz it doesn't matter. What matters is you DO your part and good things will happen your way. Believe in God (if you have one) that He will provide and it shall be so. Worries only happen to people who don't believe, or believe in themselves. All the self-help books won't help you change the situation coz they are not in control. The One who created heaven and earth is. Why river? Coz the water is ever flowing, ever giving, ever moving towards something, ever regenerating, ever refreshing, ever in action, they don't stop and worry if the mountain will change their slope angle and they don't flow anymore or worry if there is enough water. They just do their part, nature provides the rest.

However, if you have the lake mentality, if means you shut off, prepare for the economic crisis. And what you prepare, it will come true for you. Ever heard of preparing for rainy days and rainy days appear? It means you live in fear daily, you worry about this and that, you give excuses for every situation and that immobilize you. So when you are stuck in doubt and confusion, you stop taking action and do your part, and the worst thing you fear will happen. lake mentality means nothing goes in, nothing comes out. And the water stinks. I heard some negative colleagues say - oh bad times, sure got retrenchment. Funnily he is the only who got retrenched in the whole office. What you declare will happen, that's the power of your words. That's why motivators keep emphasizing - speak positively and you will change for the good. Speak negatively and you will deteriorate unconsciously.

OK, back to countdown. I'm looking forward to enjoy myself in 12 days time. I like the movie James Bond, not for its special effects and storyline. But rather the character James Bond himself. In spite of facing world extinction/domination by the bad guys, getting blown up, shot at from every corner, betrayed by his allies, sabotaged by his girlfriends, cut off from all known help, he still keep his cool, can still joke at times, always in top form and man, he don't get discourage. He seems to have his answer ahead of him, traveling across borders effortlessly, speaking in 7 languages. In spite of danger, nearly losing his life on many occasions, he still find time to entertain women and fine dine. Man, this is the life i want to live, perhaps not as glamourous, but being stress-free is a lifestyle. And Tenggol is a good place to begin. See you there, if you dare.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

People are a funny lot, or is it just Malaysians? I have a friend who worked in AC Nielson who told me that doing surveys in this country is a total waste of time. People dont say what they mean. They may tell you something on survey that sounds really reasonable and makes sense, and then do something else.
Let me illustrate - some people complain why our country is not like Japan, so advanced or like HK, so happening. But when such advancement comes with high living standards, they bitch about the economy. Or some people complain how come we dont have nice cars ie Lexus, but when Lexus is here, they bitch about the price, fuel consumption, maintenence and so on. So many FMCG products have come and gone based on surveys and none survived actually. The only products still standing are those launched with gut instinct rather than based on hard solid facts.
What am i getting to actually? Well, its' kind of funny coz when we're having a drink and chilling out and we made all kinds of promises that THIS TIME we're going to some island for diving, everyone will thump their hearts and agree, come rain or shine. But when all arrangments have been made, and all arms have been twisted to get the best deal out of this trip, suddenly, other priorities jump to attention. Errr.. maybe next time coz i need to stay with my sick mom; i need to fetch the kids to school, you know, it's their first time; i need to have an operation; i need to apply leave from my nasty boss; i need to buy a new handphone so no budget; i need to support my mistress.. etc. So WHEN is it really a good time?
People, you have to make up your mind coz this attitude is a habit you develop with other things as well, not just diving. This kind of attitude that promise first and excuse later is a very very bad habit. People with this habit dont develop real friends or maybe they dont have any. People with this habit dont go far in their career coz they over-promise and under-deliver. People with this habit suffers from rocky relationship coz they cant decide what to do with their girlfriend, cant decide what to do with their future and cant decide where to eat next. Ever wonder why some people do great things? while the rest follows?
Diving is not just a fun sport. And NO! it's not dangerous, driving on the road is more dangerous especially with Jimmy on it. And NO, you dont need to be a rocket scientist to qualify, childrenas young as 7yrs can do it. And NO! it's not expensive. There are suitable budgets to suit your budget pocket.
So what's the story? When you say, you're going, mean it. There are people who took your word for it and went extra miles for you. SO when you turn them down, you're telling them that they are fools. But dont think you're doing them a favor.. you're selling yourself short. When all have gone and came back and start telling stories, you will wonder why are you denying yourself the chance of adventure.. Diving builds character. Making up your mind is the first step.

Another Divers Bite the Dust

I finally figured out why it is so hard to dive with friends.... its because friends have too much reasons to "fly their kites" :(. I have been making "diving appointments" with friends since last year November 2008.... just to make it a more bright opening for my dive logs this year... purposely put it on April 2009 in order to achieve the best sightseeing underwater... since the cloud is clear and the sky is just nice.... everything had been well-planned with even the best promo we "chopped" from one of my buddy dive centre (poor fella had to accommodate every single shit requests that I acquired) in order to give all my fella buddies the best dive sites with the best offer price and experiences as well....

But shit does happens all the time! After confirming everything which had to do with Mr Agong's signature bills, its the human problems again.... the same old reasons which pulled us away from scuba-diving fun - busy works, tight schedules, other plans and bla...bla...bla... Most of my so-called appointed buddies had to excuse themselves to me for not able to make it this time, maybe next time... and so on.... Is it so hard just to give a break to ourselves for one dive occasions throughout the whole damn year... I mean - u know.... its not that we will be hardcore diving from day 1 to day 365... well, at least, we had to work from day1 to day365 by no means and no choices as well.... but plans always got something ahead as hurdles to them... I am not pissed off but just sympathize to so many people who had the will to dive but only had the guts to die with the dreadful working life... As another riot against my workaholic satanic life, to all my lovely respected clients, Please! No job from 9th to 12th April 2009... because kakidiver is going diving to Tenggol and no phone calls as well... Should anything came up, just take a KitKat and give yourself a break!

Pulau Tenggol Dive Site #3 : Coral Garden

Dive Site: bay on the eastern side of P.Tenggol
Visibility: 45’ (15m)
Maximum dive depth: 60’ (20m)
Minimum dive depth: 35’ (12m)
Current: gentle
Decompression: 3min @15’ (5m)

An image crossed my mind as we descended to our level-off at 45’….we’ve found an oasis on this vast sea of sand dunes! The sandy bottom of the sea seemed to have sprouted a garden of plenty with large Christmas Tree Worms peeping out of their cubby holes in the coral rock, brightly coloured Nudibranchs sliding over corals….like garden slugs, picture snails that have left their shells behind before taking a dip in the water.
There are large brain corals scattered around the area, playing host to motley guests taking shelter, feeding, sleeping and living on them. Barrel sponges everywhere go about their business of filtering the sea and there is, purportedly a 4’ resident grouper lurking under the table corals….happy searching!

Pulau Tenggol Dive Site #2: Tokong Laut (The Highway)

Dive Site: Pulau Nyireh
Visibility: 45’ (15m)
Maximum dive depth: 66’ (22m)
Minimum dive depth: 54’ (18m)
Current: gushing
Safety stop: 3min @15’ (5m)

Many experienced divers cherish this spot for its swift currents - the feel of the rush.(this dive should only be attempted by divers with wide diving experience in open sea conditions).The strong eddy currents on the surface may be a little unsettling but the undercurrent tops it all. Follow your instructor’s instructions carefully or you may find yourself drifting away from the crowd. At certain parts of the route where the current changes course, swim away from the drift for some dive activity. Schools of pelagic fish float by and into a funnel between the large boulders found here. There are plenty of coral trout swimming around the boulders.On calmer days, take a peek under these boulders and you may find a beautiful golden carpet of cave corals. The resident batfishes often accompany divers on the ascent, circling around at arms length. It’s nice to find that these inhabitants are as curious of us as we are of them!

Pulau Tenggol Dive Site #1 : House Reef

(Difficulty: open water and higher)
Dive Site: Western Bay of Teluk Air Tawar (Fresh Water Bay)
Visibility: 45’ (15m)
Maximum dive depth: 60’ (20m)
Minimum dive depth: 35’ (12m)
Current: calm
Safety stop: 3min @15’ (5m)

‘House Reef’ means just that! Suit up on the beach and just wade into the warm bay water. The seabed slopes gently from the shoreline. Approximately 50m(at lowtide) from the shore the floor drops away. This sheer drop spreads across the bay and goes down to a depth of 90’ before levelling off.
As a first dive after a day’s worth of travelling, this is the place to ease you back into life in innerspace. There are innumerable opportunities for encounters with friendly denizens of the bay: loitering turtles, a herd of humphead parrotfish busy shifting dead corals, three footer Napolean Wrasses patrolling the area, juvenile fish taking shelter amongst the corals, rays gliding across the sandy bar.
A wooden sampan lies in its watery grave some 75’ - 80’ below surface, host to a variety of marine life….a moray eel, boxfishes and lionfishes are some of its tenants.This is also a great place to sharpen your skills at underwater photography. There are lots of tiny creatures like the garden eels poking their heads out of their funnels in the sand and the brightly coloured nudibranchs found wandering about the gardens. I am told that night dives in the bay is simply awesome. The night creatures crawl out of their crevices in search of food whilst the active day creatures catch up on sleep. Don’t forget that the spiny sea urchins come out to feed at night and this little creature can cause extreme pain if their spines pierce through skin and flesh. Avoid contact with any surface area until you have scoured the place. There have been sightings of Coral Cat sharks and Pantherfish in the area at night…

SWIM WITH THE SHARKS!

Opps! Err... I mean swim with the crocs. Didn't mean to scare you but there are a few things wrong with this picture.

1. It's not the sea, coz crocs are fresh water amphibia. Real divers don't dive into fresh water unless they're looking for a lost shoe, a lost girlfriend or find someone who decides to stay underwater permanently (you know what i mean).

2. Real adventure don't have cages. So you're right, this is taken from a zoo. For no-guts spineless divers who would rather watch National Geographic than to experience the real thing. Is it dangerous to dive into this without cage? Yes, it's possible. But first, make a will, say your prayers, say 'I love you' to all people meaningful to you, get your best dive equipments (haha, you might only need to use it once) and go for it! Don't worry, your chances are good. Even some dude died from a stringray strike than being bitten by a croc, so relax.

3. Good news! We don't have crocs in Tenggol. But we do have other non-subtle life beings that may prove as fatal - crown of thorns, stingrays, reef sharks, turtles with sharp teeth, aquaman, mermaids, a buddy who'd been below 45m and a sub-zero Russian war submarine.

4. Half the fun of diving is being able to explore - means able to see, touch, feel and experience first-hand the discoveries of the sea and to observe their habitats. In this cage, you can only observe, you can't pet, stroke, feed or swim along with it. So it's not worthwhile, you're better off watching movies or go take a dip at Aquamarine at KLCC. It's for half-retards and brain-dead nerds who substitute a safe controlled environment than the real deal. PS3 should come up with something for armchair divers whereby they wear their suits and virtually pretend they're underwater. This is what i call a 'dry hump'.

5. What happens after - if you survive the ordeal, err, i mean experience, than it's a good time to write a book, or a blog - Swim with the crocs. You can then talk about the many crocs that tried to get into your pants, how you ward them off, how they droll and water their mouth when they see you in a bikini and hey, what am i talking about? OK back to the topic. Blog - yea, tell us how you feel (say whatever, we don't care anyway), how you come close to a monster and live to tell the tale, blog at kakidiver.blogspot.com, tell your buddies till they avoid you, or throw a party coz you literally are born again.

Once again, like an old recorder that keeps saying the same old thing, mark your calenders for April 9-12, 09, Tenggol trip. We leave on April8 if there's no objections and drive at leisure or you can leave on april9 wee morning and drive like Lewis Hamilton, your call. 39days to countdown.