Just a few weeks ago Alaska asked me to go for the Open Water Diver certification with her. Going diving was something that has never crossed my mind, but because of the importance of trying new things I decided to go ahead with it.
“The more situations you expose yourself to, the higher the chance of finding what really sets you off on the inside. This is the same as the concept of heuristics – it refers to the process of continuously searching to find the optimal solution to a problem. In a matter of time, the process of trial and error will eventually lead you to your real purpose which clicks within you.” (via Celestine Chua)
Now I don’t regret. There’s something so very addictive about diving- it can be so tiring when you’re doing it but once it’s over you want to do it all over again. There’s just something about arriving on the jetty at 3 am and walking along in the darkness, seeing the shapes of the surrounding highlands loom above you, Something about sitting at the side of the boat dangling your legs over the water and watching the fish come up, and sitting atop the boat with good company watching the sunset.
Some things I gathered from the trip:
1) If you have the opportunity to learn something new, do it! You’ll always discover something new about yourself you didn’t know previously. I’m not the sporty type but I realized it’s something I really enjoy 
2) Being a good teacher. Being a teacher/coach in work/church to some degree, it makes me more sensitive to observing others when they are in the process of doing so. From Derrick, I observed the balance between making sure that what needs to be done gets done, while allowing the participants to enjoy the trip. How he also shared personal experiences so was very real to us. How he was really approachable and clicked with all sorts of participants, making anyone feel instantly comfortable with him. Regardless of whether they were mainly Mandarin/Hokkien-speaking Singaporeans or Australians or Russians. From Shao Mei, I learned two of the most important traits of a teacher is being approachable and patient. Thanks for keeping such a watchful eye on us all! You guys really have a gift for teaching/coaching and thank you for making our first diving experience so very awesome 
3) People people – I am grateful for the bunch of Singaporeans we met on the bus and eventually grouped up with for being so incredibly entertaining the whole time. I learned from my new friends about genuine friendliness and being inclusive to all, and trying one’s best to get to know someone even if you have nothing in common. It’s a very selfless thing to put aside your comfort zone and put yourself on the line to talk to someone you are different from- something I definitely have to learn to do more.
4) Enjoying the moment – I have a tendency to worry about random things and forget to enjoy what is going on presently. This was something I could have done more especially when these sorts of great experiences don’t come by that often.
5) Being grateful - no injuries on the trip, a time to see God’s wonders down under- if I feel grumpy about things, I will look back on this trip as one of the many things that reflect God’s goodness. <3
More photos under the cut!
Anyhow, I will probably get down to working on the May 2006 one next week, so do check back again.
