Responsible Diving

Ready to backroll, Puerto Galera

As I was on a dive last week with a diver who bumped, scraped, scratched, and killed the coral in his path, I got to thinking about being a responsible diver.  I watched as his fins scraped across a gorgeous soft coral, leaving a permanent scar.  Unfortunately I was unable to grab his fins and shame him.  A diver is taught to streamline their bodies and touch nothing, although many divers still choose to touch the marine life and a few even go so far as to do really foolish things like carve their initials into the coral like a tree.  Some dive masters will poke fish so that the divers can get a show.

In big scheme of things, not a very large percentage of people dive.  So, those who are lucky enough to experience the fascinating, alien underwater world should take it upon themselves to only make an impact on the ocean life in a positive way.

Sea turtle, Apo Island, Philippines December 2012

Three of the simplest things to do (on top of the dive rules of streamlining and touching nothing...)

1. When you see rubbish in the sea, take it with you.  I've dedicated each dive to clean up - it's one of the most simple things to do.

2. Do your research about available dive shops prior to travel - are they eco-conscious or will they do whatever it takes to show their divers a good time?

3. Don't buy coral jewelry.

On a happy note, shark fin soup was recently banned from official banquets in Hong Kong.  It's a great step forward in saving millions of sharks from unnecessary death each year.

Here are a few underwater shots from last week...

Alma Jane wreck, Puerto Galera 

Alma Jane wreck, Puerto Galera 

boxfish, Puerto Galera 

huge starfish, Puerto Galera

End of 2012

Well folks, 2012 has come to an end, thus inspiring me to get to writing a blog entry.  Or perhaps it's the current stomach flu leaving me bored out of my wits and needing to take my mind away from the pain.

A lot has happened in the past six months of non-blogging: meeting Audrey and Jordan in Malaysia for a couple weeks, hitting Singapore, diving in Borneo, meeting my parents in Seoul for a week, catching up with an old college friend in Hangzhou, and most recently- catching up with Bonita and Rachal in the Philippines.

Ideally I'd write a little blurb about each trip to fill in those who rely in this blog for keeping in touch, buuuuut, I just can't do it.  Instead, how about a few of my favorite shots from each place?

Two of my dearest friends, Audrey and Jordan, lugging their suitcases across the beach in Malaysia, July 2012

Pulau Perhentian Island, Malaysia - right outside our place, July 2012

Beautiful Ma with her huge ice cream in Seoul, Oct 2012

Dad enjoying his first legit galbi experience in Seoul, Oct 2012

West Lake, Hangzhou, China

A walk around Apo Island, Philippines, between dives Dec 2012

Our bangka, Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines Jan 2013

Needless to say, things have been quite eventful and I'm utterly blessed and thankful to be living the life I am.  As the years go by and I lose touch with more people, I grow so much closer to others who have stuck by my side.  I have a fabulous support system of family and friends and I am so incredibly grateful for each and every one of them.

I am in the midst of a job hunt for the upcoming school year, so bare with me for news of where I'll take my travels next!

As 2013 kicks off, I wish a healthy and happy year to you all.

A Holiday in the Philippines

Three years ago I experienced my first tropical winter in Thailand and loved it so much, I vowed to spend every winter vacation thereafter in the tropics.  This year, after only 6 months away, I went back to the Philippines for my sunny holiday (it was the only affordable option).  Two weeks of diving and surfing = two weeks well spent.  

Another holiday without taking many pictures: the majority of the time I was in the water or on the beach and not exploring as I usually do.  I find that sometimes I get so obsessive with taking shots and looking through the lens that I can miss out on just enjoying the moment...

With a backpack full of tank tops, bikinis, and rash guards, I left the 20 degree weather in Qingdao and headed to the Philippines. I got more stares than usual and actually had quite a few people taking pictures of me with their camera phones- they were bundled up in their winter finest, and I was in sweatpants, and flip flops, using my sarong as a scarf.  In my defense, I only had a backpack- any sort of boot or jacket would have taken up half the bag.

clown fish, Coron Bay

I met my girlfriends in Manila and we flew to Coron, Palawan (an island in SW Philippines) together for a week of diving. Coron is known world-wide for its WWII shipwrecks.   I was not the biggest fan of wrecks prior to the trip...they tend to have poor visibility, but I have definitely changed my mind after Coron.  The ships were HUGE and really intricate which made it fun (and dangerous, so even more fun) and there was plenty of sea life in and around the wrecks.  The first day we dove with 3 Japanese divers which we thought was cool considering the sites we were diving:  70 years post-war, Japanese and Americans are brought together to explore what their two countries destroyed.  We also got a couple reef dives in, where I took my underwater housing for a spin, and one lake dive.  The lake was actually the crater of a volcano and it had thermoclines reaching up to 100 degrees- a pleasant temperature when in a jacuzzi on a cool night, not when your entire body is submersed on a boiling hot day.  

After Coron, we headed to Angeles for Christmas with Bonita and Sarah's family. We had an amazing home-cooked feast and rested up for the next leg of our journey the following day.

Part two of the trip took us to Baler, Aurora (on the main island of Luzon) for a week of surfing.  The waves were insanely big and strong-way out of our league- but we managed to catch some great rides.  Half-way through the week we made a few friends and ended up hanging out with them pretty much the rest of the trip.  It's always nice to meet people on the road, especially when you don't often run into English speakers (let alone Americans!)

local beach bum, Baler

Overall it was a very successful holiday- the perfect mixture of sunshine, saltwater, and friends to make me feel relaxed and refreshed enough to begin the madness at work once again.

My Resolutions for 2012:  
1.) take advantage of the fact that I live in China and travel within the country as much as I can.

2.) Learn enough Mandarin to survive solo

REVERB

A couple friends are doing this REVERB11 thing, and although I don't usually partake in such activities, I figured this would be fun.  And let's not forget, it's a great way to procrastinate doing my work which is always a priority in my living room.

In a nutshell, REVERB11 is a series of daily prompts given to reflect on 2011 and get pumped up for 2012.  Since I have serious doubts in my ability/desire to write everyday, I'm starting late, and I will be leaving the country in less than two weeks, I can't do it properly but I'll definitely give it a solid dabble.  So, here we go...

A Moment in Time - Tell us about one moment that you lived in 2011 that you will never forget.

Narrowing this down to a few events is easy.  Picking just one, on the other hand, is terribly hard.  Spring in the Philippines was jam-packed full of new adventures and so many of them are etched into my brain for eternity: the first time diving a WWII shipwreck, surfing, backpacking, swimming in caves.   I'm going to go ahead and pick the biggest life-changer to make it a little easier for me: the motorcycle crash.  It affected me a lot more than I let on at the time, and still makes me shaky when I think about it.

Prior to slamming the bike into a cliff face, I secretly believed myself indestructible.  I have a pretty long list of awesome (but dangerous) things that I've done and come out of scratch-free, which was always in the back of my mind.  My first time on a motorcycle was a terrifically-terrifying experience weaving between cars on a Bangkok highway only a year and a half prior to my little incident.

When I think back to the day that Alan was teaching me to ride, I distinctly remember the thoughts running through my mind:  this isn't smart, I should not be wearing flip flops, and I should definitely be wearing a helmet. Buuuut, I'm going to learn to dive a motorcycle...COOL!  I told Alan how in the US, you usually first learn how to drive in a parking lot...he assured me that in the Philippines, learning on the winding mountain road was the way to do it.

The only photo I have of my battle wounds- the worst ones
are bandaged, it's about 1.5 weeks
 later, and it was taken after hiking...sooo dirty, I know.  

I remember it very vividly as if it was a movie I've seen a dozen times...I knew we were going to crash for what felt like a really long time, but in reality was probably only a few seconds.  You know in movies how they say your life flashes before your eyes?  Yeah, that didn't happen.  All I remember was thinking "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" as Alan yelled for me to hit the breaks.  My hands would not budge.  

It wasn't until after we made contact and collected our thoughts on the roadside for a couple minutes that my life did flash before my eyes.  It was amazing to realize how easily I could have killed myself, or worse, him.  Although it wasn't fun whatsoever, it was an extremely necessary wake up call.  I am very, very lucky to have walked away with only cuts, bruises, and a couple broken toes... I am definitely not indestructible and life is way too good to end it from dumb choices.

To solidify my self-taught lesson to not be such an idiot, I spent the better part of an hour with tweezers, a needle and some peroxide digging gravel and plants out of my own body.  I've got some pretty gnarly scars now, but I also have a solid memory to build better choices off of.  It hasn't stopped me from adding more awesome stuff to my list of unforgettables, but it definitely keeps me in check.

The Last American Summer

Those I have seen while stateside know that I ran into quite a bit of trouble leaving the Philippines- bad luck and bad timing at its finest.  To make a long story short, I ended up having to purchase new plane tickets.  Although it hurt my wallet, I was soooo ready to get out of the country.  That being said, I have been on the tightest budget I've ever had to give myself...and I think I'm hanging in there pretty darn well!

When I got back to America after living in Korea, I struggled to answer the question that was thrown at me virtually daily:  "So, how was it?"  There were so many events that happened and people I met that changed my life, I couldn't possibly find the words to answer the way I wanted to.  Now, when I get that question about the Philippines, my face answers for me before any words can come out.  I always have to start with the disclaimer, "I loved the country, Filipinos are the nicest people you'll ever meet, etc..." and then, I just don't know what to say.  To put it bluntly, it sucked.  The experience at my school was absolutely terrible.  The first red flag was when I first got to Angeles City and found out that I had been lied to and brought out on false pretenses.  Let's just say that was the beginning of a downhill spiral that seemed to never end.  NIS was unprofessionalism at its finest: lying, cheating, spitting racial slurs...a great place for children and families alike!

Sunset in Puerto Galera, PI

Okay, with all that being said, I am glad that I had this experience because I did get a refresher on some life lessons that needed to be brought back to my attention ie. trust nobody, go with your gut, stand up for yourself, and money = power, period.

It wasn't all negative:  Bonita, Rachal, and my Early Years Team helped me make the best out of the shitty situation.  Backpacking, surfing, and scuba diving saved my sanity.  Sunsets on the water helped me leave the toxicity of my school behind and enjoy the gorgeous country. I met wonderful people along the way and hope to get back to the PI again once my wounds heal a little.

Sundays @ Eight performing in LA

On to America:

I had the loveliest mini-vacation in Los Angeles staying with Bean and enjoying the cool breeze and sunshine.  I also got to visit with Emil and we were able to go to one of B's dance shows, which was nothing less of amazing!  LA was such a nice, mellow transition from the hair-pulling life I led prior to the visit.

A few days later I headed out to Houston for Audrey's wedding- although we were running around a lot to get stuff done, it was so nice to be able to spend time with the bride-to-be, her family, and Jordan.  I love having the type of friends where we can pick up where we left off like I wasn't away for a year!

Sunrise @ the docks, Myrtle Beach, SC

I was really lucky to have Sherrelle and David came up to visit for 4th of July weekend.  We enjoyed the beach, roller coasters, and fireworks... I definitely wasn't ready for them to leave so quickly!

The rest of my time has been spent in Richmond visiting with my parents, except for the 5 days we headed down to Myrtle Beach, SC.  It's been quiet and relaxing- exactly what I needed.  I've also tried to spend a lot of time smothering Zeppelin, since I won't be seeing him at least for another 2 years.

Packing for China has officially begun...

Surf, Sand, Tequila

I spent another weekend in La Union surfing, playing with friends, and enjoying the ocean...the typhoon missed us, but blessed us with beautiful waves.

We stayed further north than we had the two previous times, which was a bit of a pain.  The only positive:  I had the entire beach to myself most the time I was there...no one on the sand, no one in the water, no one in sight.  Amazing.

The photo isn't too clear, but it is unedited and I think it captures the sunset well.

A lot of my time here has been spent in the water, especially over the past few months, so I can definitely say that I will miss the ocean the most when I leave the Philippines in a few weeks.  I have two more weekends left and I plan on diving and surfing my little heart out.

Spring Break: 3 weeks backpacking Luzon

B and I diving around San Miguel Island, PI

The last 3 weeks Bonita, Rachal, and I set off on a little backpacking trip across Catanduanes (the island east of Luzon) and Luzon (the PI’s main island where I live).  I must say I am so happy to have the opportunity to see more of the Philippines, especially since this year has been a pretty crappy experience for me.  The PI as a whole is gorgeous (with the exception of Manila and Angeles City) and I never once felt like I was in danger.  We made friends and saw amazing sites, so I hope I can keep that in my mind for the next month and a half and end this year on a high note. 

We started our trip in Donsol where Bonita and I finished our PADI Open Water Diver certification.  We did 6 dives in the reefs which were absolutely amazing.  

body of a whale shark

On our last day there, Bonita, Rachal and I swam with whale sharks.  Basically, the boat crew hunts for the whale sharks and when they spot one, you drive to it, jump in, then swim with it for as long as you can.  Luckily we had fins in addition to our snorkels, so it was relatively easy for us to stay in front of the pack and glide with the whale sharks.  I tried to stay at its head so I didn’t get whacked by its tale or a spastic person who couldn’t really swim.  Donsol was great- the people were so incredibly friendly and it was a really nice change of pace to have kids saying ‘hi’ and wanting high 5’s as opposed to the usual pointing and/or asking for money that we experience in Angeles. 

From Donsol we had a 7 hour journey to Puraran, Catanduanes where we spent the next 5 days relaxing on the beach.  We stayed at a family-operated “resort” and had the place to ourselves for the majority of the time.  It was a secluded beach with no tourists, so it was just the peace and quiet we had wanted.  

our hut in Puraran, PI

Our hut barely fit the three of us, our stuff, mosquito nets, and a fan, but it was cozy enough for us to not want to leave.  Even the bucket showers with freezing well-water became comfortable.  Bonita and I attempted to surf a few of the days but our skills (or lack there-of) were no match for the water.  The break was so far out that it took around 25 minutes to paddle out (and in) and the waves were faster, taller, and stronger than what we experienced in La Union a month and a half ago.  The waves ranged from 6-10 feet tall – needless to say I spent more time tumbling underwater than standing on my board.  Considering the water was only 5 feet deep, I think I did a pretty darn good job not smashing against the coral and rocks while the ocean took me for a ride.  All of this is happening during the low season…apparently during peak season, it’s quite common to see broken boards, bones, and spirits.  We took a couple day trips to swim in waterfalls and go cliff jumping and we played volleyball in the evenings.  A few nights we had bonfires with our new friends (nephews of the owner - they work when/where needed and served as our surf instructors/tour guides but mostly just hung out at the beach).  Alan, one of the aforementioned friends, tried to teach me how to drive his motorcycle on our last afternoon in Puraran. We learned after about 5 minutes that I drive the same way I roller skate at rinks: enjoying the ride, then slamming into the wall when I want to stop.  Sparing details, we did exactly that- coming out with a few minor scratches and bruises and a broken mirror.  Next time, I’ll learn how to use the breaks.

Puraran

We made our way back to Manila on Good Friday in hopes of catching the overnight bus to Northern Luzon, but learned that that wasn’t an option. 90% of the country shuts down on Good Friday, but in that 10% still running was a bus to Angeles City. Instead of sitting around Manila until the next evening, we decided to head an hour and a half home, unload our beach stuff, and sleep in our beds.

The next day we were off again.  We stayed in Baguio for the night- unfortunately Rachal sprained her ankle stepping off the curb, and her melodramatic state freaked out a nearby cab driver, so he called the Filipino version of 911. Once the ambulance arrived, they gave us a ride to our hostel, so her ankle saved us a little money...thanks, Rach! J

The bus ride from Baguio to Sagada was not fun.  We were stuck on one of those buses you see every-so-often in the news for tipping off cliffs or brake-malfunctions.  No air-con and windy roads leads to upset stomachs and the family sitting next to me passing the barf-bag amongst themselves.  Sick. Luckily, I was smart enough to take 3 motion-sickness pills, so the road, puking neighbors, heat, and chicken feed in front of me (stinkyyyy) did not bring me down.

Hanging Coffins, Sagada, PI

Sagada was way up in the mountains, so it was a nice escape from the unrelenting heat in we are used to.  Bonita and I met Armin, a young German who was traveling alone, so we decided to do our sight-seeing together and cut down on the costs.  We visited the burial cave, essentially a cave opening with about 100 coffins, and Sumaging Cave which is the largest cave in SE Asia.  It was a gruelingly steep and slippery 40 minute trek to the bottom where we had to go barefoot to keep from slipping.  There was a little swimming hole in the cave so B and I had a dip.  It was pitch-black and 45 degrees…about as pleasant as it sounds.  The next day B, Armin and I went on what was supposed to be an hour and a half hike to a lake that ended up being a 4 hour hike to the top of the mountain/nowhere.  The locals are quite clever to not mark paths and draw very generic maps so that you are forced to pay for guides.  Too bad we learned that lesson after the fact.  After a lunch break and siesta, we set off to see the hanging coffins (above) and an underground-river.  I thought we were going on a leisurely walk, so I wore flip-flops, only to find that it was a 2.5 hour hike.  Surprisingly, the flops only broke once, and I only had to go barefoot for one muddy field.  It was nice to be active outdoors for a few days!

Rice terraces, Banaue, PI

After Sagada we headed to Banaue.  I rode on top of the jeepney to not get carsick/have a better view and I must say that was an excellent choice!  We passed about 8 waterfalls and I had a spectacular view the entire hour and a half.  The rice terraces are breathtaking- the size of them and the science/strategy behind how they were made are amazing.

Altogether the trip was great- the only thing I would change would be to make it longer.  It was so nice to make friends and not talk about school.... and my lungs really appreciated the break from the smog I usually have to breathe.  46 more days, then stateside :D