Finished my science training - I am now certified to perform surveys. Yay, I'm useful now!
Watched The Martian. Book is much better.
Watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
The tree I planted last week is no longer alive. I think our puppy, Coral, ate it. Or maybe the chickens that roam our front yard pecked it to death.
If it was Coral...okay, she's cute, I can't stay mad. If it was the chickens...well, I eat their cousins for lunch everyday, so I'd say I still have the upper hand.
Read Unbroken. After reading about Louie Zamperini's struggles, I feel like a pussy for ever complaining about anything, ever.
Made a hypothetical rugby team out of my housemates. We'd certainly lose any hypothetical games we played, but we'd sure as hell beat them in marine biology trivia.
Pushed a boat into the ocean.
I shaved.
Practiced my Matrix moves underwater.
Cleaned our toilet for the first time in 6 weeks.
Kieran and I got red, white, and blue Team America team polos made. Professional, sharp, and 'Merican. Everyone's jealous.
I swam with Zoe again (turtle).
I figured out how to do decent time lapses on my GoPro.
Got the most ridiculous haircut of my life.
Won Dick of the Day for my "Travesty of a haircut." They think they're so clever.
Video Recap
Zoe!
Team Uniform
The entire base is jealous
My stay here is officially half over. 6 weeks has gone by...like nothing. I'm convinced we're living in a wormhole and time doesn't move correctly here.
Or maybe spending close to two hours underwater every day does something to alter the passage of time. Physicists, get on this please.
(I've been reading and watching a lot of SciFi stuff here, so wormholes and time travel are on the brain)
To be fair, this place isn't exactly "real". Like I've said before, this place is temporary.
It's like the Island on Lost: We're all here for different reasons - known and unknown - with no real concept of time. Minus the random polar bears.
Each "day" here only feels like a portion of a real day, and each week feels like a day or two.
If I were still in school right now, I'd already be struggling with midterms by now.
Even looking at my blog entries for each week, it feels like I wrote them a few days ago, instead of over the last 6 weeks.
Due to my apparent time slippage, it has come to my attention that I have grown a bit out of touch with the rest of the world (America).
For example:
I didn't know the World Series was going on. Apparently some Royal people Met someone? Go Peyton Manning.
I have only seen ONE 49ers Facebook post so far this season. Jarryd Hayne is the only reason I even read it.
I have no idea how the Oregon Ducks are doing.
I have no idea how the Raiders are doing. I know they beat the Chargers last week, which I bet Dad loved.
I only get Rugby World Cup results and quick highlights. Not enough internet to actually watch a game. For me the final is at 11pm on Saturday, so my plan is to find an internet cafe on Sunday and watch the replay. GO ALL BLACKS.
Presidential nominations - no idea, thank God.
Hurricane hitting the Philippines? Didn't have a clue.
Typhoon hitting the Philippines? I only knew from concerned friends/family asking if I was okay.
I forgot it was my birthday until I was wished Happy Birthday by my fellow countryman.
I haven't heard a Marketplace segment from NPR in 2 months. How are Chinese labor conditions? How's Greece? Does the intro music still slap the bass hardcore?
Apparently Mexico is getting/got nailed by a typhoon?
It's pretty amazing how many things stop mattering when you simply stop doing them. I haven't once worried about about whether the clothes I'm wearing match, if there will be traffic on the way to work, if I have any missed calls...
It's liberating.
The day of the week hardly matters anymore. Saturday night is trivia and karaoke night, and Sunday is hangover day. Everything else is diving, chores, and reading.
Not using my cell phone is a big change, and I love it. Not that I was great at checking it in the first place, but now I don't do it at all and I LOVE it.
I sit down to check and read emails once an evening, rather than my phone bothering me every time one pops up.
There's no longer that annoying pressure to check your phone in case someone needed to get ahold of you. If someone wants me, they can send me an email and I'll
check it later that evening. Since I'm across the world, what difference is a few hours?
I use a free version of Facebook that doesn't use any data, so I get limited feeds that largely exclude pictures. It's great for 49er-proofing my life, helping me avoid pictures of peoples' breakfasts, and escaping peoples' thoughts on politics.
Huge relief.
In other news, I haven't had a sandwich in 6 weeks.
Going cold turkey from video games is tough.
Going cold turkey from turkey sandwiches is brutal.
Things I miss:
Being surrounded by people who agree that America is the greatest country ever, ever.
Sandwiches.
My bed.
The Hogs Den.
Unlimited internet.
Fast internet.
Dare I say...Comcast....?
Traffic lights.
Peanut butter cookies.
Dual monitors.
Notice I said "things" I miss, not people. Last week was sappy enough to last me a while.
Things I don't miss
Doing real work.
People posting their artisan breakfasts on Facebook.
Seeing a mirror every day.
Not being able to wear rugby shorts 24/7.
Being politically correct.
TV.
Flushing toilets. There's something so personal, so intimate, about physically pouring a bucket of seawater into the toilet after finishing your business.
Responsibility.
Barwest.
My haircut:
Following the theme of my traveling - doing something different - I decided to get a sweet new haircut.
I figure I've been here six weeks and will be here for another six, so why not immerse myself? Plus, it's not like I have to go to work the next day..
I never got a good disgusting rugby haircut in my time at Sac State, which I have always regretted. It's time to remedy that.
And if it turned out to be disgusting (disgustingly awesome), then who cares? Who am I impressing out here?
I walked into the barber shop, the Filipino barber asked me in broken English:
Barber: What would you like, friend?
Me: Make me look Filipino.
Barber: Haha, you sure, sir?
Me: Yep, like you.
Barber: You serious, sir?
Me: Very. Just like you, but blonde.
Barber: Okay, so undercut?
Me: I don't know what that is, but let's do it.
Almost every Filipino here has an undercut hair style, which means short buzzed sides and long on the top. I believe the undercut is common in the US too, but I'm so out of the loop with that stuff, I have no idea.
As he shaved and cut my hair, I couldn't stop grinning at what I saw in the mirror. A dumb white kid in a foreign country, with a bushy, red, unkempt beard, smiling at himself because he has no clue what kind of haircut he's getting.
When he finished, I looked in the mirror (for the 2nd time in 6 weeks) and absolutely loved it.
It's ridiculous.
As I headed out the tiny door of the tiny shop with a beaming smile, I stopped, turned around and asked, "Can you do racing stripes?".
I'd seen the kid in front of me get lines shaved into the side of his head, which seemed pretty Filipino.
I wanted it.
After a minute of translating and hand gestures, he asked, "Oh, you want lines?"
I turned to the kid waiting to go next and asked him, "Lines? Yeah?"
He laughed and said yes.
I asked him how many lines to get.
He kept laughing, and said three.
I got three.
As I walked out of the barber shop, my motorcycle driver and diving partner, DuDong, busted up laughing. He then proceeded to inform me that three lines means "I love you."
Icing on the cake.
Proper disgusting
I have discovered a new mathematical proof, and am awaiting approval from the AMA (American Math Association).
It goes like this:
Given:
Knowledge = Power
America = Power
Then, according to the Transitive Property:
America = Most Powerful Knowledge.
Team America boasting its physical prowess.
You can tell my content is light for the week when I write an entire paragraph about a haircut and create a proof about America's awesomeness - to be fair, it is always worth reminding people.
This week's been a ton of diving and science stuff, which in itself is exciting, but makes for some pretty dry writing.
Apparently David Attenborough is the Chuck Norris of Biology films outside of the US.
Playing barefoot basketball is not easy on first-world feet.
Lord of the Flies makes you think too much.
Parrotfish make islands.
Wounds do not heal in the tropics.
Germans have a tough time pronouncing the "th" sound.
Filipino doctors go by their own schedules. CPT is a thing here.
Planting a tree. With Coral's help
Things that happened this week:
I read Lord of the Flies.
Our team was invited to a Filipino birthday party. The birthday girl turned 1. There was beer and Hello Kitty cake.
I had cake.
Played a basketball game barefoot against the local police. The entire town came out to watch. We lost, 15-13. They had shoes on, we did not. Rematch imminent.
I got really big blisters from playing basketball without shoes against the local police.
Saw another turtle!
Had a campfire with marshmallows.
Went to the doctor again (I'm fine)
Got pizza again!
I passed my last science tests!
I turn 25!
Our running water shut off for 5 days
Our electricity has been incredibly unreliable. Would not recommend for hire.
We found a moth the size of my head.
I planted a tree.
Team Germany (Lea and Tine) made me donuts for my birthday this morning. They know I'm an American and I have missed donuts dearly. Then the whole gang surprised me with them at breakfast. Incredibly touching, guys.
DONUTS!!
Captain Cake Beard
This week's entry is a little different from the past few. I had a few days off from diving due to an ear injury, and I did some thinking.
It takes a different tone - a little more thoughtful than usual, and very honest.
Bear with me, I've been reading Lord of the Flies this week. This shit may get deep. Piggy.
"Why are you here?"
That's a damned good question.
I get asked this quite often.
My standard answer is: "To shake things up."
While I think that is a decent description, it isn't very satisfying and makes me sound like a middle-aged divorcee.
This week I've decided to come up with a better answer. It's something I've been pondering for a while, but now I'm finally sitting my ass down and doing it.
So why am I here?
Not a WHY AM I ON THIS EARTH, "here". That would be ridiculous.
More of a why am I traveling, why am I in the Philippines, "here".
It's not a unique question to ask yourself, but I think it's one we all try to answer at some time or other.
On the surface, I say I'm here because I want to see the world and give back while I do so. Surveying coral and fish in the Philippines sounded good.
Easy answer, sounds good. Done.
And it's true, that is what I want to do.
But there has to be more, right?
Expanding horizons is another easy answer to give, and it's not wrong. I do want to see what life outside the US is like.
Again, a decent answer, but one that's still not quite telling the whole story.
I'll admit: I want cool stories. I want to have some cool tales to tell when I'm older.
And so far it's working!
I guarantee a flying sea snake would not have attacked me at the dinner table in Carmichael, California.
I wouldn't get to feel my heart pounding as I surface from a dive with waves crashing around me, tossing me to and fro like a ragdoll, if I were playing video games back home.
There is also something to be said about proving to yourself that you are cultured and interesting. I think this is an aspect as well.
So, interesting stories and pretending to myself that I'm cool.
Narcissistic yes, but that can't be the full story.
So, what else?
Marine Biology isn't a particular calling of mine, so that's probably not it.
I don't have a lifelong pen pal that I finally decided to come visit.
I don't have some tragedy or heartbreak I'm escaping.
I love my life back home. My family, the people who have come into my life, rugby...
I wasn't missing anything.
A lot of people would kill to have the life I've had so far. Stable, secure, blessed with a good family... what else is there?
I had a promising start at a great company, with people I enjoyed.
I don't think I'm running from anything, except maybe premature maturity.
So I think the real answer is: I had to.
I've had a wanderlust building inside me for quite some time. It's an itch that I haven't been able to shake for some time now, and I don't think Sharper Image has come out with a WanderLust Itch Scratcher yet, so it's time I scratch it.
When I was 12 I dreamt up a fantasy of moving to Australia and being a mailman for a few years. A walking mailman, to be clear. More social.
While a bit odd, it's indicative of an underlying desire to get out there and do something different.
I fear the mundane. More than snakes, more than anything.
The thought of being another run of the mill guy in his mid-twenties with no world experience scares the hell out of me.
I'm 25 and I JUST got out of school. My entire existence thus far has been preparing me for this "life" thing. Unfortunately, a "good life" is often misconstrued to mean "career".
What's the first thing college grads think about after walking across that stage?
Starting a career.
School for 20+ years and then...career. Where is the life part?
Are you telling me that I go straight from school to work? Seriously? From one routine to another?
I'm not ready for that.
I'm not ready. Listen to that. Is there anything more selfish than running halfway across the world simply because I'm "not ready"?
I realize that I've been selfish my entire life. However, before it was usually under some sort of supervision - school, sports, work, love life, etc.
The ability to be utterly selfish, to be responsible to nothing and no one, that is what I crave.
To finally be in full control of my own destiny. (Call me a sorority girl, but it sounded good)
I've got more rugby to play, more stupid jokes to make, more cereal to eat for dinner, more... more irresponsibility.
So why couldn't I do all of that at home in California?
It's the wanderlust.
There are 3 people I can blame for the wanderlust.
Papa Haugen: Dad was barely 20 before he came home from Vietnam. Then he spent his 20s traveling the country as a deep sea welder and pipefitter, living with his buddies in a motorhome,
and eventually working on nuclear power plants scattered across the nation. He met my mom in Washington during one of those jobs. And he had a sweet red corvette.
If I can live up to half of this man's awesomeness, I'll be thrilled. Let's face it, one quarter would even kick ass.
Dan the Man: He left home in Israel with a VW van and drove around Europe during the 70s, picking up hitchhikers to help pay for gas along the way. Straight baller.
Mo Nasseri: He came to the US from Iran without knowing English, decided he'd become an engineer, then met a beautiful blonde American woman and the rest is history.
The stories these guys can tell are some of the coolest you'll hear in your life. These three men exude confidence like nobody's business, and I believe some of it stems from the fact that they got out there and lived a little. I don't think any of them ever planned to become family men, but that's what they've all become - and from all accounts, they are one of a kind.
This is the kind of living I'm talking about. Getting out and seeing some stuff, taking risks, all that cool stuff people do in movies.
Eventually there will come a time when I am no longer able to be selfish. Frightening though it may be, it will come.
I think when the time comes, I will embrace a career, along with the routine and security that come with it.
When it's time to have a family - when I'm damn good and ready - I think I'll love it.
But how do you make commitments when there's some place you'd rather be?
I guess I'm kind of getting ready for life, just in a roundabout way.
By avoiding responsibility and routine, I think I'm trying to satsify that inner twelve-year-old's desire to explore and adventure, and shoot BB guns.
Hell, I may even build a fort. Why not?
What if I never took this chance to be selfish and focus on myself?
How can I expect to ever get married if I'm not ready to give up myself? What about kids?
Maybe being selfish while I still can is an important step towards adulthood.
I know what Sacramento Travis is like, but how much of myself is influenced by the people I'm around, the comfort zones I've built.
I want to see which part of "Travis" stays constant.
Sort of a nature vs. nurture kind of thing. Kind of.
One thing's for certain; I'll never have another time like this in my life.
When else will I be able to sit on a lawn chair 15 meters from the beach, in the Philippines, and write about why I'm there?
I don't have work projects, I don't have papers to write, I don't have any deadlines.
My biggest responsibility today was to sweep and mop a floor.
Amazing, right?
There's a part of my brain that nags me and continuously asks, "How is this sustainable?"
The answer is, it's not.
I justify my traveling on the basis that it's temporary. It will serve its purpose, and then I'll go home.
This is my recess. I work hard through the morning, go play and get rid of all that penned up energy, so then I can come back inside and work with a clear head.
In case the video doesn't work, this is here to ensure brownie points are awarded
So I've been here a month now. Seriously? I've been living on a beach for a month? It feels like I flew out of San Francisco last week.
I still can't shake the feeling that this is all just a week-long vacation and that I'll be going home in a few days. But it's been a month...
Certainly doesn't feel like it, but I'm pretty sure my calendar has no reason to lie to me.
Here's a an overview of what this past month had in store for me.
In one month I have:
Become a certified Open Water diver.
Become a certified Advanced Open Water diver.
Become a certified Rescue diver.
Learned tons of stuff about fish
Learned tons of stuff about coral.
Ridden in a motorcycle side-car (lifelong dream)
Won every argument/debate I've been a part of
Broken lots of stuff
Dive Computer
Hard Drive
Phone
Diving mask
Headphones
Made friends
Made enemies
Completed 36 dives
Forgotten how to phrase a proper American question
Picked up the word "proper" and use it profusely. It's proper shameless.
Have not played a single video game. Life record.
Survived an ear infection
Continued to miss the Rugby World Cup
Grown my beard out. No picture yet.
Lost 15 lbs
Discovered Mango floats
Weekly Video Recap
This week was a bit difficult to document. I was out of the water for half the week due to my ear infection, and the other half I was engaged in nonstop training/studying. So I was either really bored, or really busy. Neither of which are great blog material.
Nevertheless, I have a knack for rambling, and have done so below.
Things that happened this week:
My trike driver added me on Facebook. (Trike = sidecar motorcycle taxi)
I had tea made by an English person.
Finished The Martian
I had pizza again! (but it was Shakey's Pizza so..)
I took a shower indoors. (hotel room).
I found Trolli Sour Gummy Worms!
My secret/private bathroom was unfairly requisitioned for living quarters.
I got my visa extended.
I became a certified Rescue Diver.
A flying sea snake attacked me. True story.
I watched Pitch Perfect 2 while writing this.
Watched every episode of R. Kelly's hip hopera, Trapped in the Closet.
Went diving in my sweet camo boonie hat. America style.
Two new Filipino scholars joined us, Dexter and Achassi. Welcome, guys!
Two very unfortunate things happened to me this week.
1: Everyone found out about my fear of snakes.
2: My secret bathroom was stolen away from me.
Below you will find a description of these unfortunate events.
#1. My fear of snakes
Yes, shocker, I know. How can Travis - the definition of manliness and bravery - have an instinctual, primal and very rational fear?
It's true. I can't control it. Leave it alone.
I hear you asking, "But Travis, how did everyone find out about your fear?"
Well.
The other night a large sea snake (very venomous, very lethal) crawled up next to our porch. While most of the volunteers gathered around to spectate and help scare it away, I responsibly stayed back and kept a lookout for everyone else in case any other snakes came around..
From on top of a bench. Ten yards away.
However, this responsible and very rational behavior was not what outed me.
As the snake retreated to its lair, it was found to have a nest with multiple baby snakes.
You'll notice I did not say how many baby snakes there were. That is because I don't know, because I never went to look.
I responsibly stayed in my lookout position on top of the bench. Twenty yards away.
My lookout behavior began to clue everyone in.
Group: "Travis, come check this out. There are babies, it's a nest!"
Me: "Oh yeah, that's totally cool. Let's celebrate a nest of deadly reptiles in our front yard."
Group: "Yeah, but they're so coo - ...Wait, are you afraid of snakes?
Me: "Umm, maybe."
Group: "Really? How Afraid?"
Me: "Well, I'm standing on a bench really far away. Take that as a good indicator of my fear level."
Group: "Hahaha, come face your fears."
Me: "Nope, @!$# that."
You see where this is going. Ever since this encounter there have been many false snake sightings solely for my benefit. One volunteer even tried to scare me in my sleep, but luckily they were thwarted by my restless sleeping habits.
Unfortunately, this was not the end of my snake trauma.
The day after the snake sighting, our base manager found the snake's long, gross, shed skin out in the yard. For some strange reason, someone decided to hang the snake skin up on display inside the building. I wasn't a fan, but whatever. I can deal with that. Dead skin can't hurt me.
Then on Friday night at dinner time, in a vicious act of nature, the snake skin came loose in the wind. It floated across the room, and out of the 13 people eating dinner at the table, it decided to land on
-you guessed it - me. Right across the back of my neck and shoulders.
After the initial reaction of being startled by something touching me, I realized it was a snake (skin) and proceeded to freak the hell out.
In a very masculine voice I yelled out, "AAHHHHHH!!!!"
Keep in mind, this is at a dinner table with 12 other people present. Twelve other people who are not afraid of snakes. Twelve other people who are not afraid of snakes but think it's verrrryyy funny that I am.
The laughter went on for a solid 2 minutes, while I slowly recovered from a near heart attack.
Scarier in person
Dad, I'm sure you're proud.
Ladies, I bet you're impressed with my sensitive side. Bravery is overrated, right?
After the snake attack, it was time to vote for Fish of the Day. In complete disregard of my feelings, the damned sea snake skin won Fish of the Day. It then went on to be Fish of the Week.
It got off on the technicality of being a SEA snake. Bullshit if you ask me.
Event Number Two: I had my private/secret bathroom stolen from me.
Each room has a bathroom in it and one of our rooms was unoccupied for a few days, so I quietly made use of its facilities. Why should it go unattended?
It was like a little vacation, my home away from home.
And then it was stolen away from me.
Gone. One fell swoop.
Just because someone wanted to live in the bedroom. What a waste.
Then when it was found out what I had been doing, I was unfairly awarded Dick of the Day for my antics. Punishing a man for seeking peace and quiet is downright un-American.
I only had the bathroom to myself for 3 days, but it was glorious while it lasted. Short butt sweet.
In other news, Filipino drivers are INSANE.
We all know a certain stereotype in America about how a certain racial group drives. Maybe their blinker is on for 2 miles, maybe they merge without warning, or maybe they drive incredibly slow. Let me tell you right now, Filipinos do not belong in that stereotype.
In the past week I have had to make two long distance trips for various errands, involving several modes of transport, which has given me a solid dose of Filipino driving.
My observations:
I haven't seen a stoplight. Not one. Not in the city, not out in rural country.
Every 4-way intersection is either a roundabout or a straight up free-for-all.
Every road is two-lane, there are dogs running everywhere, and horns are constantly beeping.
Because the roads are two-lane, every vehicle is constantly passing, weaving in and out, and honking.
I've constantly got one hand on the nearest handle and the other shielding my face from the impending car crash.
Amazingly, our vehicle doesn't crash, and we're somehow safely back in our lane.
A quick beep of the horn is used to tell someone you intend to pass them, and then you just do it. Regardless of the massive bus in the oncoming lane.
A quick beep of the horn is also used to alert people to your presence so they don't walk into the road. Which is fair, because the road is the size of a big sidewalk.
Types of Transport:
Bus: Pretty typical bus, just way more bumpy and crammed. The money collectors do not wear a uniform, so the first time one of them came to collect my bus fare, I was slightly confused as to why a stranger was demanding money from me. Since then, I recognize the guy and give him my money promptly. It costs me the equivalent of $4 US dollars for a round trip to a city 2 hours away. This includes bus fair, personal sidecar service, and a light snack of my choosing. Not bad
Jeepney: Jeepneys are like something out of Mad Max. Complete with crazy paint jobs, people hanging off the sides, and ornate metal additions on the front, these things look like badass death machines. They are like a mix between a bus and a large van, but extra badass.
Just needs a guy shredding an electric guitar on the front
When the inside is completely packed full, there are often people hanging on the sides, off the back, or sitting on the roof. If it rains, they throw a tarp over the people on the roof and keep rollin'. As I've said, Jeepneys don't take no shit.
I do not recommend cramming in with a mountain backpack stuffed to the brim with groceries. They'll make you sit on the tiny little wooden bench in the middle, and your tailbone will hate you for days afterward. Plus, some weird little 4-year-old kid will repeatedly stroke your leg hair, probably because he hasn't seen a hairy white person before and wants to know if you're actually a person or a polar bear.
UV: This is essentially a van with bench seating that manages to pack 18 people in. There are little wooden seats that are placed inside to accommodate extra seating.
This seating would be super illegal in the States.
The entire time, you get to sit shoulder to shoulder with Filipinos who probably don't appreciate your American body taking up more room than theirs.
(You can't cage them!)
Trike: This is a motorcycle with a covered sidecar attached attached to it. They rock! I plan to play the old Batman cartoon theme music next time I ride in one.
Trikes are usually pretty slow, but they are a nice way to get from one part of the city to another. And did I mention, Sidecar!?
There's also a bicycle version of the trike, but it just feels so...slave-like. I just feel bad the whole ride.
Motorcycle: I won't insult your intelligence, you know what a motorcycle is. However, you may not have seem them utilized like they are here.
They are the dominant form of personal transport from what I've seen, especially out in the rural area we're in.
They are outfitted with extra footholds so additional passengers can fit on, and it's quite common to see 3 or 4 people on one motorcycle.
And of course, no helmets. (Mother, I can hear you nagging from here, so just stop it)
Where we are, motorcycles are also the common vehicle for delivering goods. The way they manage to stack things on these tiny bikes is quite impressive.
They are the modern day pack mules - hard-working, loud, undersized, and die often.
I even saw pigs being carried in huge wooden saddlebags once! The picture below is our beer delivery for the week. All our food is delivered in a similar fashion.
Motorcycles rock.
In all, the transport here is pretty exciting and always keeps you on your toes. Gone are the days of a boring 20 minute ride to get groceries.
Did I mention SIDECARS?!
It's safe to say this has been one of the better months of my life. I've met great people, learned a lot, and I rode in a sidecar. Gold.
I have two more months of this before I ship off to New Zealand, and I look forward to every second of it.
To those back in the States, take a big bite of a cheeseburger for me.
This week is focused on the people here on base. I'm a bit lazy this week, so my content is a bit limited.
(Actually, I've been preoccupied with reading The Martian, which I started reading on Wednesday.
It's damn good. I don't know if the movie is out, but if it is and you've seen it, keep it to yourself)
So I'll give some brief - my version of brief - updates on the week, then the rest will be mini-profiles about each person I live with.
Happy? Sweet.
Things that happened this week:
I found a Pizza place in a city 2 hours away from base.
Passed some tests.
Failed some tests.
2 volunteers are leaving for home.
Played Shooty Hoops - drained goals like Tiger Woods.
I cut open another coconut and drank its insides.
Went to a Filipino hospital (only an ear infection, relax Mom)
My hospital visit cost $4
Bought a new hard drive - Now I can store GoPro footage and steal other peoples' TV!
Painted part of a boat.
Ate pizza!!!!
Miscellaneous tomfoolery.
I got dick of the day for forgetting my chores
Ate Pizza!!!!
A Filipino woman called me Prince Charles. Prince is almost King.
Here's a quick little clip of my activities.
Updates:
So far I've lost 5 kilos in my 3 weeks here. 5 kilos is 11 pounds. But the scales here aren't American, so I don't know how much I trust them...
Running and diving every day is finally working off some of that extra poundage from a summer of no rugby.
Also I can't snack 24/7 here, which is cruel and unusual punishment, but it has its upside.
I've managed to get an ear infection so I'm out of the water for about 5 days. Which means lots of reading and pretending to blog.
(The team here has been nagging me constantly about getting my blog up this week because they know they're featured in it. So the way I get them to leave me alone is to pretend I'm working on the blog)
This week's activities were once again dedicated to further training in coral/fish identification. I'm slowly progressing. Slowly.
It's not a good thing if everyone cheers when you pass a test.
When I finally pass a test on the first try:
Bossman: "Hey Travis, after your test retake, mind helping us paint the boat?"
Me: "I passed the fish test on the first attempt. I'm done"
Bossman: What?? Seriously?
Me: Yeah
Bossman: Hang on, are you being serious right now?
Me: Yeah..
Bossman: Wow!
All the while, the entire porch is laughing at me.
Lessons Learned:
The Purge is a terrible movie.
Filipino buses are not made for American men, especially not American men with large backpacks.
800mb of data a day is not enough to properly watch the Rugby World Cup.
I'm not great at painting boats.
Orange soda is better in the US
Filipino hospitals are nothing like US hospitals
Marine Biology is still hard
Pizza is even more incredible when you've been craving it for 3 weeks.
So, this week is about the people I'm surrounded by. A group of us came up with some questions to ask everyone, and then we proceeded with the asking of the questions.
Questions I asked:
1. Where are you from?
2. Why did you come here?
3. Favorite color?
4. What do you think of Hogs?
5. What do you miss most about home?
6. Favorite Sea Creature?
7. Who is the most annoying person on base?
8. What are your thoughts on watery oatmeal?
9. Favorite part of living on base? (Besides diving)
10. Should Travis shave his beard?
My favorite part of these little interviews was question #4 asking everyone's opinion of Hogs. They don't know the real meaning, so the answers are pretty hilarious. Have a read.
Tine:
1. Where are you from: Greifswald, Germany
2. Why did you come here: To gain some practical skills alongside my studies
3. Favorite color: Green
4. What do you think of Hogs: Cute
5. What do you miss most about home: Body contact, with my friends. Everything included.
6. Favorite Sea Creature: I like the feather stars, because they come out and walk at night
7. Who is the most annoying person on base: Zack
8. What are your thoughts on watery oatmeal: I like it. I prefer it with milk, but water is ok.
9. Favorite part of living on base? (Besides diving): Sunsets and Saturdays
10. Should Travis shave his beard: No. No way.
Tine is one of our two Germans. She is very passionate about conservation efforts, and makes a significant effort to only buy orgainc/biodegradable products and such. She's also a vegetarian, and is the only vegetarian on base who REALLY sticks to her code. She is quite generous and really enjoys helping people. She has helped me on my chores more than once, and never says a word about it.
Alvin:
1. Where are you from: Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, Philippines.
2. Why did you come here: First for my future career, and marine biology needs diving. And for the fishing department.
3. Favorite Color: White
4. Opinion on Hogs: Big and yummy, delicious.
5. What you miss about home: I miss my dog.
6. Favorite sea creature: Barracuda
7. Most annoying person: You!
8. Thoughts on watery oatmeal: I never eat it.
9. Favorite part of living on base: Saturday night - for the karaoke and the drinks.
10.Should Travis shave: No, it's nice.
Alvin is one of our two Filipino students here on a scholarship paid for by our organization. He's a bit quiet. but when he decides to speak, he can be quite funny. I also like Alvin
because he and I are the farthest behind in the science training, so I always have a buddy to comisserate with. We are simply taking our time and
REALLY learning the material. Alvin also taught me how to say "breakfast" in Visayan - the local dialect - which is pronounced "Mama-how," which sounds a lot like
Mama Haugen. Mom and breakfast. I always knew there was a link.
Janvie:
1. Where are you from: Malitbog, Southern Leyte, Philippines.
2. Why are you here: For the scholarship.
3. Favorite color: Blue
4. Opinion of Hogs: They're slutty.
5. What do you miss about home: My bed.
6. Favorite Sea Creature: Sharks. I really like sharks.
7. Most annoying person: Travis!
8. Watery Oatmeal: I don't like it. Like, I don't like it.
9. Favorite part of base life: Food. I like the food. Except breakfast.
10. Should Travis shave: Definitely not.
Janvie is the second of our Filipino scholarship guys, and he's even quieter than Alvin. However, after finding out he thinks I'm the most annoying person on base,
it's quite possible he's just quiet around me because he doesn't like me. Not to fear. I will win him over with my goofy boyish charm and winning smile.
(A certain Seinfeld episode comes to mind.)
If not, he leaves in a week, so I'm sure I'll get by if I can't win him over.
Janvie is quite clever and has been passing the science tests quite quickly. Maybe he can tutor me and I'll use that time to win him over.
Shrimp:
1. Where you from: Napantao
2. Why did you come here: I was stolen in the night.
3. Favorite Color: Red
4. Opinion of Hogs: They taste good. I love Hog in my tummy.
5. What do you miss from home: He misses his siblings.
6. Favorite Sea Creature: Crabs. Tasty, but hard work.
7. Most annoying person: Tata (our chef). He's Filipino and always acting all brown.
8. Watery oatmeal: I don't like it. Not as tasty as crabs.
9. Favorite part of living on base: The slops pit.
10. Should Travis shave: No, I love fur. Humans should have more fur.
Shrimp is our racist guard dog. Weighing in at a solid 17 pounds, he is one tough badass. He spends most of his time in the slops pit (where we discard our food scraps)
and being thrown, mopped, poked, chased, pulled, and pestered by Joe.
Elena:
1. Where are you from: Luxemburg, Switzerland.
2. Why did you come here: I was here in 2006, but this time I joined because Yann got the position as the instructor.
3. Favorite Color: It changes, during life it can mean so many things. Right now, I'm very much into green and blue. All colors are amazing.
4. Opinion of Hogs: They are quite intelligent, but can create a big mess.
5. What you miss most about home: Music festivals, definitely.
6. Favorite Sea Creature: I really don't know, but I guess Whale Shark.
7. Most annoying person on base: There is no annoying person on base.
8. Watery oatmeal: I miss the breakfast from 2006. We had porridge with REAL milk.
9. Favorite part of base life: Being together with everyone.
10. Should Travis shave. No.
Elena is probably the sweetest person on base. She's always willing to lend a hand, wish you luck, help you study, and sing on karaoke night. She is engaged to
Yann, our scuba instructor, and has come here with him while they travel together. She is very knowledgeable about the marine life here, and is incredibly passionate
about it. She made french toast the other morning to break the normal breakfast routine, and it was amazing.
Zack:
1. Where are you from: Gold Coast, Australia.
2. Why did you come here: Wanted to travel and get experience in Marine Biology.
3. Favorite color: Sapphire
4. Opinion of Hogs: I think they're wild.
5. What you miss most from home: My dad, my mates, and quality scotch.
6. Favorite sea creature: Nudibranch
7. Most annoying person on base: Adam
8. Watery oatmeal: I'm not into self-inflicted torture. Buy cereal and milk. Or go hungry.
9. Favorite part of base life: The company and Saturday nights.
10. Should Travis shave:
Zack - "Is America a state of Canada?"
Me - "You mean the United States of America?"
Zack - "Yeah."
Me - "We're talking about #1 here, right?"
Zack - "Yeah."
Me - "No, we're not a state of Canada. Gross".
Zack - "There's your answer."
Zack is a bit of a character, to say the least. He's one of our Aussies, and is a constant source of entertainment/noise.
Zack is a regular nominee for Dick of the Day, and his antics often win him the title. If there's ever a moment of silence, have no fear, Zack will break it up with a
mischevious laugh or inappropriate comment.
On a serious note, Zack has something like 4 degrees in science, knows a ton about marine biology, and loves Nudibranchs - essentially a sea worm.
Dude knows how to have a good time, and still manages to be a good diver/biologist. I'm sure I have plenty to learn from him.
Shannon:
1. Where are you from: Perth, Scotland.
2. Why did you come here: Basically to get work experience, in the tropics.
3. Favorite Color: Pink. No, green. Green.
4. Opinion of Hogs: Pumba is pretty cool.
5. What do you miss about home: Cheese.
6. Favorite Sea Creature: Porcupine fish.
7. Most annoying person: Joooeeee
8. Watery oatmeal: Porridge is only good in Scotland. It sucks in the Philippines.
9. Favorite part of life on base: Puppies. Especially Coral, she is my favorite and I love her more than Shrimp.
10. Should Travis shave his beard: No.
Shannon is our Project Scientist and is in charge of analyzing/presenting the data we collect on our surveys. She's a smart cookie,
has her Masters in Marine Biology, and is quite passionate about her work.
She's also passionate about her Scottish citizenship and her Cholula brand hot sauce. It's Cholula brand, so it's kinda meh, but I can't fault her for ignorance since she
hasn't had Sriracha sauce before.
She has an irrational hatred of our new puppy, Coral, and makes sick jokes about Coral meeting an untimely demise.
She's the team captain for our trivia team, and takes it VERY seriously. She really hates losing. Unfortunately, ever since I showed up, we haven't won a game...
Shannon is also the person I argue with most about properly spelling words. It's yogurt, not yoghurt. Color, not colour. And center, not centre. Silly UK people invent a language
and can't even spell it right...
Olly:
1. Where are you from: London, England.
2. Why did you come here: Bad luck.
3. Favorite Color: Red.
4. Opinion of Hogs: Delicious with an apple in their mouth.
5. What do you miss most about home: Lamb Dhanzak. To be clear, he pronounced the "z" as "zed".
6. Favorite sea creature: Juvenile Spotted Drumfish
7. Most annoying person: As the field base manager, I cannot have any form of....alright, Charlie.
8. Watery oatmeal: Better than boiled eggs.
9. Favorite part of living on base: The beautiful views.
10. Should Travis shae No.
Olly is our Field Base Manager, which means he's the head cheese. His voice also doubles as the meal bell, which is producing some mildly concerning
Pavlovian associations in my brain. Olly keeps everyone in check and makes sure we don't kill each other, while still treating us like the adults we are.
Besides being incredibly well-versed in all things marine, he's also getting his degree in Physics (I don't remember exactly what kind, because it's a complicated
name I can't hope to remember.) He creates our weekly trivia quizzes and I believe he takes joy in watching us squirm trying to answer his difficult questions.
Joe:
1. Where are you from: Zaragazo, Spain.
2. Why did you come here: Umm.. escape real life.
3. Favorite color: The color of an English forest in Summer. It's a very particular green.
4. Opinion of Hogs: Sorry? Good hunting. I imagine they are amazing to hunt.
5. What do you miss about home: A nice gin an tonic.
6. Favorite sea creature: Shark. Any shark, I'm buzzin.
7. Most annoying person: I love him, but Shrimp when he barks. Coral's not annoying, she's just shit.
8. Watery oatmeal: I walk to San Fran every week to get milk. That answers it.
9. Favorite part of living on base: Sunshine.
10. Should Travis shave: Yeah, it clashes with your hair.
Joe is our Science Officer, has his Masters in Marine Biology, and is in charge of teaching/training us in how to be useful on surveys. He's also the most animated person on base, and damned hilarious.
He's born in Spain, but has spent most of his life in England, and has a pretty strong British accent.
I think it's Joe's phrasing and terminology I've been unconsciouly mimicking. Ironically, he talks like a Southern California surfer, using words like rad, gnarly, and duuuuuuuude.
Joe spends 10% of his time doing his scientific duties, and the other 90% of his time playing with our dog, Shrimp.
Joe sings a song describing whatever he's doing to Shrimp to the tune of "Spider Pig."
Some of Joe's songs include:
Mop dog: Mop dog, Mop dooog, he's a mop dog, mopping the floor.
Parrot dog: Parrot dog, parrot dog, he's a parrot dog sitting on my shoulder
Spinny dog: Spinny dog, spinny dog, spinning the dog, cuz he really loves it.
(as I write this, Joe is telling a mosquito to "piss off, you flying twat."
Yann:
1. Where are you from: Bienne, Switzerland.
2. Why did you come here: To get 4 months of relaxation.
3. Favorite color: Yellow.
4. Opinion of Hogs: They have too many kids.
5. What you miss most about home: Bread. Real bread, Americans can't understand it. The cold. Skiing.
6. Favorite sea creature: Manta Ray
7. Most annoying person: ....long pause. I reckon it's Olly.
8. Watery oatmeal: Has no taste.
9. Favorite part of living on base: Seeing the water every day.
10. Should Travis shave: No, I will have more fun with it like that when he does his Divemaster.
Yann is our scuba instructor here on base. He's been a scuba instructor in various places around the world, and I don't even want to know how many dives he has under his belt.
He's got a sly sense of humor and never misses a chance to rib me for being a lazy/bloodthirsty American.
He has assured me that he actually likes Americans, but has problems with American politics. Seeing as how I feel the same, no problems here.
Yann charges a chocolate bar every time you're late for a dive, he has to provide you with extra weight, and other miscellaneous screw ups we occasionally make.
Lea:
1. Where are you from: Berlin, Germany.
2. Why did you come here: To meet people interested in Marine Biology.
3. Favorite color: Dark Green.
4. Opinion of Hogs: They make it hard to be vegetarian.
5. What do you miss most about home: Sauerkraut, my cat, and flushing toilets.
6. Favorite sea creature: Whale shark
7. Most annoying person: Zack
8. Watery oatmeal: Better than toast with scrambled egg and hot sauce.
9. Favorite part of base life: Coral (the dog)
10. Should Travis shave: NOOOO
Lea is our sweet little German girl on base. She's 18, and is often seen offering a piece of fruit or sharing her coconut with anyone nearby, without any prompting.
She's our best student in the marine science work, and has helped me study multiple times - because I suck.
She also helped me invent the title "Captain Feuer Bart" in German which means Captain Fire Beard.
Apparently I've been pronouncing her name wrong, but I have given up trying to say it correctly because it's impossible.
Her English is quite good, and one of the reasons she came here was to work on improving it.
Due to the slight language barrier, I think Lea keeps a bit quieter around us than she would at home. However, she makes up for this plenty with her facial expressions,
which are often better at saying "no, stupid" than words ever could.
Beneath her innocent exterior, she has a bit of a darker sense of humor which shows itself during Cards Against Humanity. Hopefully we get to see more of it in the coming months.
Adam:
1. Where are you from: Higham Ferrers, England.
2. Why did you come here: To get my Divemaster.
3. Favorite color: Black
4. Opinion of Hogs: I think they taste good.
5. What do you miss about home: Being able to eat at any point in the day.
6. Favorite sea creature: Great white shark
7. Most annoying person: Zack
8. Watery oatmeal: I could live without it.
9. Favorite part of living on base: Seeing the sunset every day.
10. Should Travis shave: Just the neck.
Adam is an 18 year-old from...well, kinda all over the place. He's an English citizen but has lived in Switzerland and the US for a number of years, and I'm not sure
which nationality he claims. He's really into the NBA and knows more about shooty hoops than I do. He's got a Blake Griffin jersey, which it turns out is not the name
of a famous golfer, but in fact the name of a famous slamma-jammer in the NBA. He can ALMOST dunk, and we're hoping to find a hoop around here that is conducive
to a good dunk show.
Adam is also always willing to share his TV/movies he brought from home. More than once he's shared some movies with me, often going out of his way to do so.
Charlie:
1. Where are you from: Tumbridge Wells, England.
2. Why did you come here: Conservation experience.
3. Favorite color: When I was little, it was yellow. So yellow.
4. Opinion of Hogs: I like them. I like to eat them, but I'd also enjoy them as a pet.
5. What do you miss most about home: My dogs, cheese and fruit, nudity, being able to be nude in my own room, washing my hands right after going to the lou instead of fucking about and .... (inane chatter)
6. Favorite sea creature: Reggae shark.
7. Most annoying person: Coral, the little wanker.
8. Watery oatmeal: You know what, actually......not bad. No seriously, like, I add evaporate milk which makes a huge difference. (more chattering)
9. Favorite part of living on base: The fact that I can walk around in a towel all day.
10. Should Travis shave: You know what, I never really noticed that you had one. (5 minutes later, "I don't think your beard is that distinctive, really. I just don't really notice it")
Where to start with Charlie....
"Charlie is the most beautiful woman I've met in my life. How I do not quiver when I'm next to her, I do not know. Taaaanks."
- Dictated by Charlie, as she tries to read my blog over my shoulder as I write it.
Charlie might be the biggest/most fun personality on base. She's the kind of person who's always wearing a smile and laughing and cannot be phased no matter how much shit people give her.
She's the person who pretty much asks to be picked on because she takes it so well. She's like the team punching bag, but a bag that laughs and giggles when you hit it.
To be fair, Charlie can dish out the trash talk rather well, so she's not completely defenseless.
Charlie often says your name twice in a sentence. Just now in an effort to suck up and improve my description of her she said, "Travis, have I ever told you how
handsome you are, Travis?"
As I write, Charlie is naming off a list of qualities she hopes will eventually work their way into my blog. They will not make it here.
Charlie is the epitome of grace and proper womanhood.
The above sentence is a complete lie.
After dinner, you can always count on Charlie to to pick apart the chicken bones and get every last bit of meat, cartilage, etc.
She is a complete goofball, and her British accent adds to her goofball charm.
Again, as I write, Charlie is reading my last 2 blog entries and pretending to laugh, hoping it will buy her some goodwill on this post.
Charlie is leaving us this coming Wednesday, and after knowing her for a brief 3 weeks, I can say it will be a huge loss.
Josh:
1. Where are you from: Gold Coast, Australia
2. Why did you come here: To become a Divemaster, and learn more about marine conservation/biology.
3. Favorite color: Maroon
4. Opinion of Hogs: Have you ever head of pigging? Aussies go hunting for wild boar with just a knife.
5. What you miss most about home: My church friends.
6. Favorite Sea creature: Humpback whale, it's what got me into Marine Biology.
7. Most annoying person: I share a room with him. Zack.
8. Watery oatmeal: Avoid it at all costs.
9. Favorite part of base life: The relaxed environment
10. Should Travis shave: He could use a good trim, definitely needs to get rid of the neck beard.
Josh is on Team Australia with Zack, and is possibly the most genuine guy on base. He helps out on chore times even when he's not assigned to them, offers help
for just about anything, and is always giving advice. Back home he spends a lot of time with his church group doing good deeds and other stuff that helps people.
Josh also introduced me to Milo cereal. Milo cereal is essentially a chocolate flavored, Captain Crunch knock-off, and it's damned good. Compared to the watery oatmeal,
Milo is basically prime rib. Zack and Josh also team up every Friday morning to make pancakes, which is probably the most noble of all their actions. Mainly because
it saves me from watery oatmeal.
Kieran:
1. Where are you from: Washington D.C. America. USA. #1
2. Why did you come here: Experience in conservation.
3. Favorite color: Blue
4. Opinion of Hogs: Bacon
5. What you miss most about home: Pizza
6. Favorite sea creature: Killer whale
7. Most annoying person: Definitely the roosters outside our window.
8. Watery oatmeal: It's actually growing on me. It makes me feel healthy in the morning. Good fiber.
9. Favorite part of living on base: Intercultural discussions. Linguistics, politics, culture, jokes about America.
10. Should Travis shave: Never.
First of all, Kieran's American so...great guy.
Second, he backs me up in my assertions that America is nothing short of a gift from god and breeds the best human beings possibly.
Third, and perhaps more importantly, he sets a more responsible American example for our foreign housemates.
(I've asserted America's greatness and #1-ness so much, I think people are starting to think I'm an egocentric nut. Or just an American)
Kieran and I are roommates, and when together we are aptly named Team America. He's my workout buddy cultural-reference-deciphering-buddy.
Kieran is an EMT in his previous life, and has lived in Austin, Texas and New York. He's quite intelligent and shows me up in trivia night quite often.
We have a strict "stand your ground" - America - policy in our room regarding spiders. If a giant spider invades our personal space, we reserve the right
to annihilate it. Same goes for cockroaches.
So that kinda sums up the group of maniacs I'm living with - I say maniacs with love. This blog in no way captures the real essence of these guys, but it will serve to give a basic and broad introduction. Hopefully everyone here on base doesn't hate what I wrote and conspire to drown me. That would suck.
The reality of all this hasn't quite set in yet. It all has that temporary feeling of a vacation, or a dream that feels eerily real but you know you're going to wake up soon.
I'm in what country? Doing what now? Without unlimited broadband internet access?!
Some things that happened this week:
Dropped my external hard drive with all my GoPro footage and TV shows. ($90, sentimental value, and hundreds of hours of entertainment)
Scuba mask fell off my gear and shattered on the concrete ($85). It's a bit leaky now.
Dive computer was not sealed correctly and flooded on my second dive. Dead. ($270)
Failed some tests.
The sun came back out.
Fell asleep in the sun.
Lost trivia night
Just a tad leaky
Went scuba diving - which, to be fair, we do every day but it's still awesome every time.
Split a coconut with a machete and drank its goodness.
Passed some tests
Won quote of the day
16 of us, plus 10 villagers pushed a big ass boat onto the beach
Saw a Sea Turtle
Went for a night snorkel. Super cool.
Boat Push. Great for the calves.
Jokes and tragedies aside, it's still amazing here and I'm starting to figure out the routine.
Here's a general overview of what my weekly life looks like here on base.
Monday-Friday:
Early morning:
Team America - myself and our other American - go for a run/workout with our British ally, in which we conquer our fitness like champions. 5k runs, hill repeats, circuit workouts - all are conquered.
Our Gym
Our Olympic Barbell
Breakfast:
Breakfast is at 7am which also serves as our wake-up call. Breakfast usually consists of hard boiled eggs, toast, plain oatmeal made with water, and a banana.
Ways to spice up watery oatmeal:
Avoid it and eat cereal instead
Add maple syrup
Dump in loads of sugar
Add bananas
Add mangos
Try not to think about doing the exact same thing tomorrow morning.
Milk is a rare commodity around here, and can only be bought on an individual basis on special occasions. Cereal is a treat, even plain corn flakes.
AM:
After breakfast we clean up, get our chores done, and ready our dive equipment for the day. First dive is usually at 9-10am, and ranges anywhere from 30 mins to an hour.
If we aren't diving, it likely means we are in the classroom learning to identify fish/coral. Monday we started our first written test of 50 questions on substrates and hard corals, and a score of 90% was needed to pass. I failed with an 86%, an 88%, then passed with a 95%. You see, my brain is used to operating on sweet American air with extra Freedom in it, and it just hadn't adapted to the less democratic Filipino air yet.
Lunch:
Lunch is typically served at 12 noon and we eat it. Fried chicken and rice is a good bet, with some steamed vegetables.
PM:
See AM, add a few hours, and you've got it.
Only major difference: Beer fridge opens at 5pm.
Dinner:
Dinner is served at 1800 hou- ... No, no. 6pm. America.
Fish, mussels, fried chicken, pork, chow mein, veggie option, etc. It's a bit random each time, but always a good showing. Quite good.
After dinner announcements are made, we nominate and vote for the fish sighting of the day, Dick of the Day, and Quote of the Day.
Dick of the Day is exatly what it sounds like.
Evening:
This is usually free time. Here are common evening activities:
Arguing with the British about how to properly pronounce/spell the same word in English because... well because America.
Playing with puppies. We got a new puppy named Coral, and she's roughly 4 weeks old. She's an adorable little trouble maker, and holds her own wrestling against our other dog, Shrimp.
Shrimp is about 15 pounds, and we don't know his breed. He is spoiled rotten, as he has 16 different people to entertain and feed him their dinner scraps.
Coral is similarly spoiled, with 16 people fawning over her disgustingly cute puppy antics. See the video below.
Studying marine biology stuff.
Reading.
Sleep.
Saturday:
Saturday is like the weekdays, except for the evenings. Since we don't dive on Sunday, Saturday night is our night to get twattered (cool British word for shitfaced).
First we play an intensely competitive trivia game that often ends with hurt feelings and a few insults.
Then we walk to a karaoke bar which consists of a hut, benches, karaoke machine, and a pool table. And bottles of rum for said twattering.
It's a great time for everyone to unwind and let loose a little bit, and inevitably sing along to a Red Hot Chili Peppers song or two. Good stuff.
Sunday:
Sunday is just like any other Sunday I'd spend in the US - hungover. Since we don't dive on Sundays, our Saturday nights often drag into Sunday mornings.
Wake up, scrounge up some food, somehow end up back in bed, rinse and repeat.
I tell myself I will get my personal chores done on Sunday - laundry, personal hygiene, eating, you know the drill - but somehow most of my task list gets replaced by
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, napping, and writing blogs about how I don't do my chores.
My neck beard is getting out of control. I swore I'd trim it but I don't have a mirror and...yeah, see above.
Sundays are quite nice because we don't have any planned work/activities, so we get the day to ourselves.
Go for a snorkel, take a trip into town, catch up on some reading, etc, do as you please. It provides a nice break for everyone to decompress and detox, quite literally.
When you dive multiple days in a row, you need a day to let the nitrogen levels in your blood drop back down so you don't reach unhealthy levels and essentially poison yourself. Yep, I'm basically living a life of danger and adventure.
We are left to our own devices for food on Sundays, which can actually be quite cool. Groups of volunteers often band together, pull out their secret stash of goodies, and make some pretty great food. (As I write this, one of our leaders has sat down next to me with mashed potatoes, veggies, and chicken made with a red wine sauce. My choice of corn flakes is starting to look a bit weak).
Sunday night is movie night, where we bring out some cushions and project a movie on the wall. This week's choice was Wreck it Ralph.
Movie Night
Lessons Learned:
Marine Biology is incredibly interesting.
Marine Biology is not easy to jump into with a Business degree.
Marine Biology is difficult.
Marine Biology will probably not be my career.
Hard Drives are not frisbees.
Pepsi is better than Coke.
Bottled Pepsi is better than bottled Coke.
Foreigners pay more attention to American politics than we do. Kinda embarrassing.
Anyone with specific questions, suggestions for making watery oatmeal better, or anything in between, feel free to leave a comment or leave me a message on Facebook.
