Vignettes
I wonder why dogs dont smell like poop after they take a dump. I mean, they don’t wipe their asses or wash up afterwards. Why don’t they stink? If a person didn’t do either, then by jove, you’d know that person had taken a dump. Is it anatomy? do butt cheeks play an integral part in this equation? I was pondering upon this question a few weeks back because of a little lesson in perspective: One dark evening, I had just come from the bathroom (i washed, of course) then went out in the yard to play with the cats. Subsequently, I got into my car to go visit Feliz. While driving, I noticed that the car had a distinct aroma. Man, I really hoped and prayed that I had accidentally stepped in cat shit, because the alternative would’ve been worse. Can you imagine my relief when I DID see cat shit on my shoes after getting down from the car. See? There’s my lesson in perspective: How often are you gonna hear someone say that they were happy to step in cat shit…
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I can’t believe I just sat through another viewing of Kevin Costner’s The Guardian … for the singular reason of looking at their fins. Through the magic of slow-motion and zoom, I can say with 95% certainty that they were using jet-fins. After going through two other sets of fins, I’ve finally settled on jets. Granted, I still have to see the big difference between them and my old Planas - those fins were great for frog-kicking and for overall control underwater. My open water testing for my Jets have yet to come up with definitive results - after all, when I went soloing two weeks ago in Anilao, there was hardly any current. Maybe someday, at a different site, a different day.
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Speaking of those fin tests: officially did three solo dives two weeks ago. Max depth was 22.5 meters, longest dive duration of around 40 minutes. Granted, I was able to manage a previous "solo" dive last Dec 30 at Mayumi, but just meeting my minimal requirement for a loggable dive - 20 minutes at a minimum of 20 feet in open water - and during that time there were a lot of snorkelers within easy visual range, so it really wasn’t as solo as it seemed. But these last three dives were different: during the first dive, I was the only one in the water. And it was great.
I’ve attempted solo diving before in Calatagan, but staying within my comfort zone, I was unable to pass 3.5 meters, and less than ten minutes. The poor visibility, unfamiliar dive site, plus surf conditions led me to thumb that dive. This time, since I was diving a very familiar place with very good conditions, I felt that I was ready. Of course I was also trying to save spending an additional amount for a DM per dive, so I was out of the pier quickly and into the water before anyone could complain. I found myself in the classroom area of Dive and Trek and decide to just re-do old dive plans - swim to the bat cave and back, then a little tour of the sanctuary. After getting over my initial apprehension, I started to appreciate everything around me. I didn’t have to look out for anyone else, I didn’t have anyone else silting out a site or slamming into coral. It was just me and the fish. It was great.
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Oh yeah. Happy Easter.
