first 2 weeks of Sept

Guess what we did in just the first 2 weeks of Sept?

Yes, SCUBA DIVING! 

We compressed our entire PADI Open Water Diver Course in just 2 weeks! 

For the the first week, we had theory classes at night after work from 7-10pm on Monday, Thurs and Fri.  N theory exam on Friday itself!  Basically, we cramped all the knowledge in within a week and took the exam.  The PADI text book was like a science text book, about 1.5cm thick!  I even skipped a few lunches to study at Starbucks man! Passed of course with flying colours 46 / 50.  We need 35 to pass.  Surprisingly, Darling and I got the same score! 

The PADI course table.  Open Water Diver is the basic cert to dive with a buddy in the sea. 

One of the requirement was to swim 200m and thread water for 10mins IN THE SEA.  Waves, STRONG waves.  Unlike swimming pool where u know u have the bottom to stand if u r tired.  But THE SEA is a different story altogether.  

It was my first time swimming in the sea.  

During the confined water training, we did it at a beach where it was about 1.5m deep.  We kneed down on the sand to learn our basic skills, such as mask clearing, weight belt removal, out of air, removal of BCD.  

After, was lunch. yummy. super hungry. 

Now time for swimming.  Luckily i did that after lunch, not at the end like the canto class.  Took our google and jump into the sea to thread water.  10min feel like 15 or 20mins.  But i know it was only 10min cos the coach was checking his watch. 

That's how they say, if you are dreading what you do, it feels like ages! 

I was bobbling up and down, trying to extract every ounce of energy from my muscle to keep afloat.  Thinking to myself that better if he let me swim lah.  

Then swimming came.  The coach took a buoy out to about 50m distance, and we do 4 laps.  Oh man! #(&$(@&$)@##$!@%&(%%^!

WTH! Its not easy. Not at all. 

Few thoughts went through my mind.  

''If i just let myself go just abit, just a tiny bit, i will drown. but i can't drown, so keep swimming c'mon."

''I am seriously using my milk suckling energy to swim this lap.''

"Cmon Fanny, use your subconscious to swim. You can do it. You are reaching!" 

As i swim, waves hit my face, i need to thread water abit, shake the water out of my face and continue. 

Till the end, my fingers cramped.  Did you fingers ever cramp before?  Not crazy painful, but what a hell must i have gone through to get my fingers cramp right? 

All's well, luckily. Thanks to universe! U know after defeating a flaring dinosaur dragon, u are beaten, clothes tattered, and can only manage a weak smile.  Ah, that's me. 

Excuse me, not this dragon ok, not so weak.  

This then is the flaring inferno dragon i fought!

Phew! The dragon drop dead after i shoot that arrow into his left eye.  He can't see properly, banged on a tree and fall into the burning fire he himself created and died. 

The end.