Live To Dive Chapter - Nudibranch

Sakuraeolis Nungunoides

To divers, apart from the excitement of sighting whale shark, manta rays or other big fishes, we are often attracted to nudibranch, for their vibrant & striking color in the sea. It belongs to family of sea slugs, it is a snail-like creature without protection of shells and it feed mainly on sea anemones.
So beautiful and eye catching look just like diamonds in the rough.

Love to be served with colorful food on my plates, I thought it'd be awesome to put it on sushi and serve it to my friend when I first saw them during my dive!

Nembrota lineolata

There are up to thousands type of nudibranchs exist around the world, to each color, pattern, size and form.
While it requires professional camera, underwater housing and gears to capture these tiny loves (some as small as a grain of rice), I've gotten some photos from my personal bangla who carries a Hermes into the sea with him.

I still couldn't afford them pricey toys, but investing in a GoPro with its wide angle capability allowed me to show off  none others but the one and only limited edition underwater creature , mii awesome selfie.

Having said that, "You are what you eat.".
That doesn't mean you will turn into a potato or tomato if you're chewing one now.
But this cute little love under that almost every diver would love to see and capture, seem to have taken the statement very seriously.

Hypselodoris Tryoni

Nudibranchs are picky eater, they eat only one kind of prey or two. They spend approx 3-5 hours daily on munching inactively. Instead of getting sick or died from their food, they stores these poison in their body and absorb the color, making it look like a moving snacks for fishes. Yes they are tiny, but they are not defenseless, not at all!

While most of them are harmless to human, it's bright colors stands a beautiful defense shouting at its predator saying "Once bitten, considered sold!" Awesome shit.

Taringa Halgerda

Seeing a Whale Shark.

So, I ended my last dive for 2014 in Redang during it's closing season and coincidentally, I'm there again for it's opening season, just last weekend. Consider it a break from my work before GST's happening. 

The island was no doubt, packed like sardine on the first day of our arrival, due to school holidays. But it gets better on second day onward as people starts to leave the island and head back to the reality.

Arriving!

As a diver, I usually do not mind about the stay I'm getting as long as it's clean (not easy), and providing hot water and CLEAN, again. 

We stayed at Redang Bay, same resort as our last visit and surprisingly, they had the whole resort renovated! They now have more vendors surrounding the resort including a chill out bar, mini market, dessert shop and even a Taiwanese chicken chop stall, great stuff to kill time.

I personally think they provides kinda good packages including accommodation, food and dive packages (if you're a diver) at reasonable prices.

So, keep calm and gear up. Did I mention that I've got a beautiful birthday gift from T? A new BCD in my favorite red. Perfect timing for me to test it out before our Anilao trip in April.

My new set of gears. 

Anyway, I can mention many unforgettable and beautiful moments under water. But there's one dive that mark my most significant dive till date -- I saw a whale shark ! 

I was getting bored throughout the entire dive as there were nothing much to see, and my ass were freezing was all I can remember. While the few of us were doing safety stop at 5m before surface, i saw it swam gracefully passed us! I swear to god I thought I was dreaming for the first 2 sec before I alert the rest!

Not that hard to spot me under the water, really. 

In case you don't know,
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest known extant fish species. - Wiki
It is NOT a whale.  They are harmless to people and usually indifferent to divers.

Image taken from Google. 

Well, it was a juvenile whale shark but it still counts! WHALE SHARK, geddit ?! 

Many were surprise that we saw it in Redang as it is definitely not a hot spot for it. We did not manage to capture any picture as it happened too random to our surprise. But boy, it definitely set a new milestone for my dive journey.


The sea, 
once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. 
- Jacques Cousteau



To summarize the trip, view video below:

 

Till my next dive in two weeks time,
L

Dream of Sinking Ship

It was me, you, friends and family.
I dream of a sinking ship. I was terrified and there's nothing that I can do about it.
I watch as the wave hits. We were going down.

There I was, million feet under the sea watching the ship....

It certainly feels strange and creepy.
Like many others, I immediately went to Google about it.

The water symbolizes both the mind and the soul and the culmination of those two things into what we call emotions. The water is basically a metaphor, in our dreams, for our own emotions, and a boat is our own ability to cross through those emotions and to navigate our own feelings. 

If you dream of your boat sinking this is a sign that you need to try harder in the future to control the way you feel. You have not been able to handle yourself the way that you should. Even though sometimes it can be a good thing to express your emotions, when you see a boat sinking in your dreams this is a sign that what you have been doing lately is not the good or constructive kind of emotional expression. You have gone beyond the realm of mere expression and these are now being translated into outbursts. You simply cannot keep control of yourself any longer.
More:http://www.gotohoroscope.com/txt/dream-dictionary-boat-sinking.html

More:http://www.gotohoroscope.com/txt/dream-dictionary-boat-sinking.html

Did I went outta control?

I don't know. The bad temper always hit. 

Toothache killing, 

grumpy xin.  

Promises.

Here I am, sitting in a cafe having some lone time on a peaceful Sunday.
Dad called yesterday saying that he felt as if he has one daughter lesser nowadays. As much as I wanted to go back but, to think of the mayhem might happened later just doze me off.

I usually handle all personal & work stuff using company's laptop and here I am,
typing from my own. Found some photos that's stored in desktop and flipping it through.
I thought of this day, last year.
No friends, no money, no home, no job, depression, lost.
It amazes me how did I walked through the days.
I don't remember how did it happened. From negative to zero to positive.

I don't deny things happened, they all happened for a reason.
It taught me well, to be strong, to be tough, good enough to be myself.
Well, people paid heavy price to get this far, the best option is to make it count by moving forward.

That was then, this is now.
Living in a society where promises are made like they're made to be broken.
I have promised myself a huge one since last year and it is due in approximately two months time.

Time is due soon and I can't wait to see it.

xx,
L.

Fifteen Hours.

Not sure whether it was because of the rising pressure from work, or any build up little issue back home is bothering me. I rant, I rage easily, I then start thinking too much - negatively.

I want to talk. I need to talk. The repeating dream every night, it is driving me nuts.
In a office that is full of products, in a bed that's filled with papers, and I was running in a jungle made from numbers. Eyes are everywhere, mostly staring with disagreement.
It must be the year end thingy.

Well, one more week.
Ending the year end sales meeting, just another week to go - for the very little details to be done for closing. I want this to be over quickly!


I think I should go for a real shopping spree to kick these nonsense off.

15 hours till year 2015, tic toc.
L.

Ending 2014, Making WithLouise Alive!

It has been a while since I last blogged.
Well, the last post was more than a year ago. I guess I forgot about it until Pagan asked me for it.
It's not that my life is dull or extremely eventful, it was ... normal. Twenty Fourteen has been a good year to me.
A roller coaster ride from life experience in work, friendship, family, finance and everything that gave me a shock but thank God, I survived it.

Imma gonna be random as I type.
Random events, random stories, random jokes, anything that run across my mind now.

I've learn that people come and go. I've learn that you are only strong because you've been weak; I even have the thoughts of putting a tattoo to it so that I do not fall again.
I've learn to start from zero, literally. Climbing up was tough but it was all worthy. I'm grateful that I met wonderful peoples and have amazing friends that never judge during my tough time, and the helps and encourages advises I get.

I've gained 10 kgs in a year and that puts a frown on my face! But now that I'm back to normal, I then come to realization that, isn't everything supposed to be this way? Things will be back to normal no matter how terrible, horrible it went.

Speaking of the weight gained, I discovered a way to lose weight that caters all you alcoholics out there. Good news? More beer!
I changed my diet a little by cutting carbs (once a day, usually breakfast), normal lunch (without carbs), and beer for dinner! In 3 months, I threw 7 kgs outta window! Now, do not tell me anything that says beer is fattening or highest calories among all alcohol. The fattening part comes from your supper, or any snacks that you're holding on your hand now I assume.

And that, puts me back to cooking. I love cooking. I love baking. I love the smells in the house whenever someone's cooking. For this I've started a small business, selling food in a jar. Mainly healthy bites or upon request for client's occasions. It feels great to look at the little jars of happiness.
On a side note, a couple of friends started their own business too! It certainly feel good to see friends around growing their hobby or interest steadily into business (I always agree to doing what you're liking is best thing to grow). The little effort that comes from everyone to help, the ups and downs.

I've quit the alcohol industry and got myself a job in a FMCG supplying company thanks to Christine. Instead of helping the lost souls now, I'm supplying happiness products! I love my job. I no longer need to stay up till late for work. I no longer need to drink for drinking. I'm enjoying my drinks just like how I used to be! I love the hangout sessions with friends instead of visiting different pubs and clubs days and nights. I'm spending more time at home with the love ones. I'm healthier, I guess.  >.<

I'm back to diving, the silent and beauty in the sea still fascinates me like mad! I still travels, but it is subjected to the availability from work. I shall post up some photos sometime soon.

Ok, that's too much typing. I think I should spend more time here, again.
Now, its about time for a beer.

Till then,
L.