The Gili Islands

Well it has been awhile since I have last posted and I have a few extra moments so I thought I might shoot off a quick entry.

At the moment and for the next 6 weeks I will be here in the Gii Islands just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Three Islands make up the Gii's: Gili Air, Gili Meno, and the one I am on Gili Trawangan. I am here to do my Dive Master course!! Exciting!! I have been diving this past year to get here and have finally arrived.

The previous week leading up to today had been a complete gong show. I needed to get a 60 day visa for Indnesia prior to arriving here, as they only give you 30 day non-extendable visas.

My Dive Master program will take atleast 5 weeks to conplete, so I needed the longer visa. To cut the story short, I was supposed to have had a visa sorted out through a travel agency in Bali. The lady I dealt with sorted everything out for me, supposedly. All I had to do was send her a copy of my passport, easy right? Well I did that and she sent my visa to be processed in Jakarta. A few days later she said it was complete! Yay!N'T. She had the visa office in Jakarta send a cable visa to the Indonesian Visa office in Taipei and all I had to do was pick it up. Last Wednesday I got an email saying I had to go up to Taipei to process everything, it takes 3 business days to process, meanwhile I am suppsed to be leaving on Monday!
Ok long story short again...hehe..Visa wasn't there from Jakarta, thank god I had copies of everything I needed which worked out. Got a rush service on the visa for small fee, picked up my visa Monday morning, then went to the airport. Boarded my flight at 6:30pm and arrived in Denpasar, Bali at 11:30pm Monday night, there isn't a time change from here to Taiwan.

Caught a taxi to the boat pier, not listening to anyone that there wasn't a boat leaving until 6am. Got to the pier at around 1:30am, and found out that the ferry to Lombok runs 24 hours a day and there was a boat leaving at 2:30am, perfect. Took the ferry across(3 1/2 hour ride), trying to catch some sleep between the hagglers trying to sell me peanuts all night. Dozed off for 2 hours and woke up arriving on Lombok at Lembar the port on Lombok. Next, caught a taxi up to Sengigi where boats head to the Gili's from there. Got on the 9am boat, tired......and arrived at my new home for the next 5 1/2 weeks, Gili Trawangan!!Phew. Found the dive shop I had contacted about doing the Dive Master program with, and sorted out some accommodation for the next few weeks.

I started my program today offically, and have been busy reading and diving. The people here are fabulous to say the least. A guy from Calgary finished up his DM program at Manta Dive, where I am at yesterday, so I will be the only slave so far for the summer here. I was also able to take in a graduation ceremony for a dive master at another dive shop where the DM does a snorkel test. Basically, the DM sits in a chair, they put mask and snorkel on him/her and attatch a funnel to the sorkel. If you have ever witnessed a "beer bong" that is basically what it is.

Reading, diving, running around the island, meeting new people everyday, soaking up the sun and the beautiful weather while being on the beach is my life for the next little while. It has only been a few days here so far and I am realy loving it here.

I'll try and post some pics soon.
Thats all for now.
See you later.

Random Thoughts

I was browsing through my pics today and I found an old folder. It was from when I was back in Canada. Reminded me of all the people I left when I came to Taiwan. Sometimes I feel like I've been a bad friend because I haven't tried harder to keep in touch. I mean the phone is always there, the emails are easy, and yet I just don't feel like I have the time.

I feel so out of touch with everyone from back home sometimes. I call home and have the feeling of an outsider, on different wave lengths. Even to my own family. I just really feel like I have found out who I really am as a person. When I was back home I was always trying to find the time to try different things, like yoga, or just something random off the broken record. Here in Taiwan, I have the freedom to do anything I want to, I love it.

And when I do talk to my friends back home, the feeling I get is that of someone who did something bad and avoided others and is now trying to get back in touch and reconcile. I dunno why. I left Canada with perfectly good relationships with no bad blood with anyone. Then again, maybe I am just thinking too much. I guess everyone is doing their own things. It was just so much easier when I was younger with less hassle, less drama, just kids being kids, run run run eat eat eat sleep sleep sleep, repeat.

I do miss people, I am just happy at where I am. I think if I had to pick just one person that I missed most, it would have to be my little bro Johnny. Johnny is a big time up and coming hockey superstar. He was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, and has been in the minors for the past 2 years gaining invaluable experience before making the jump to the big show. I admire him for all his efforts and sacrifices. He is a great hockey player and my best friend. In the summers is when I got a chance to hang with my little bro. We would literally be together everyday. We did everything together and sometimes I miss that. I am really happy for him and just can't wait to see him. This pic is from Stampede a few years back, what a gong show. My older bro Sam was so wasted that he took the Queen of the Stampede home, thanks to Johnny, dirtiest player in the game. haha.

Just a random though for today.
I always have these casual conversations in my head, and how I would share them. I find that when I am running on the treadmill is when I daydream the most. Random ideas, like how I could possibly work for Tiesto. Or how I would open up my own tea shop back home. Or, coming up with ideas to make millions. I wish I could capture all my thoughts. As soon as I step off the treadmill, it is as if I had been unknowingly beamed to another time and universe. When I come back down, I am back to reality. Cwazy. That's all for now... Stay tuned in next time for....I dunno trying to be witty, no dice. I got nothing STOP

Days go by......

Herrrro, it's me. Again. What's new. Well quite few things on the go at the moment.

First off, I decided to stay for a wee bit longer, AGAIN!!! Financially speaking, it just wasn't the right move. I mean my plan was to get my Dive Master in July, go home in August and start school in September, in Kamloops. Quite a full plate. Plans just never work out, well for me at least. I'm just not the best planner, money-wise or time-wise, etc.... So well I will be here for a wee bit longer.

Second, is the Dive Master program. I am hoping to head off to the Gili Islands this July. The DM internship program takes at least a month or longer to complete, so I want to head off at the beginning of July, and finish around 5-6 weeks later, so until latest.....mid August. I want to be back for the new school semester here with a new job set in place, more on that later.

I have been in contact with Joe Cooperman, Dive guru of Taiwan Scuba, he lives across the street from me. I 've been inquiring about this DMI for months now, and have kind of been following an outline he gave to me to achieve my goal of completing all the prerequisites for my DMI. So this past weekend I went over to his house for another installment of "Dave asks Joe a million questionsathon" about this final leg of the DMI. He completed his Dive Instructor training on Gili Trawangan at Manta Dive, and has suggested that I do my DMI there as well. He says it is awesome, he knows the people, he has contacts there, so I'm going to trust him as I have nothing else to go on. Plus I have heard from other divers that the Gili's are absolutely amazing.

As a bonus, after completing my DMI, Joe said he would hire me to go on his diving trips he organizes on the weekends. That wouldn't mean getting paid in cash, but going on these trips, guiding and gaining experience, while having all my expenses paid. Deeeecent! I think that t would be a greater asset for me going into the adventure program, with experience as a dive master, rather than just having my certificate saying that I am one with no experience.

Next on my check list is......Oh ya new house.
L and I went and signed our new contract for our new bitchin pad. We have lived in foxhole/cockroach infested shanty long enough. We have been paying a mind boggling 5000NT, ha a mere $175.00 Canadian dollars, per month for rent for the past 2 years for our place. Now we are moving into a 2500 square foot beaut! A little pricey for Taiwan standards, but split between 3 people, it works out to 6000NT each. We move in on the 10th of June, exciting!!

Next, me.
Just me.
I joined a yoga studio here in Taichung a few months back called California Yoga. I had previously attended the yoga classes at the gym I go to, which was fine for awhile, but it grew old, hence the move to CY. I love it. I feel great, and I'm noticing improvements in my flexibility and in strength. It is really amazing what some people can do with their bodies.
Also, I have been running for quite some time now. Now that I wll be staying a little longer, it will give me the opportunity to run in the Taroko Marathon in November. I am planning to run the 1/2 marathon as it will be my first competitive run. A friend of mine here gave me a number for a guy here in Taichung who trains for marathons/triathalons. I am going to call him up and see if I can train with him for the November marathon. I feel that in order for me to be able to successfully complete and compete in the run, I need some guidance from someone who has done this, plus it will add a motivating/competitive factor which has been lacking in my workouts due to my independent training.

Oh and today I met a foreign guy today in yoga that has a golf academy, who runs in the mountains near Taichung on the weekends. I chatted with this him and he offered to allow me to tag along for his mountain runs. He has a car, so could pick me up. Deecent! Just adding alternative training methods.

Finally, work.
I have been working at a school called Sesame Street for the past 2 years. I have been taking it up the hoop from them knowingly, like a deer in headlights. I am finally putting my foot down. Enough is enough. I just cannot continue to make pennies when there are sweet-well paying jobs out there. I mean I love the school, love the kids, I just need a change. I have an interview tomorrow at one the "SWEET" jobs available. I am pretty excited as I definitely need a change in jobs, and more moolah. I have taught at a number of schools, teaching various ages and levels, so I have the experience. We'll see. Crossing fingers, toes.......

On a side note, if any of you out there find my lost money tree, I am looking for it to answer my economic issues. I am putting my name out, making phone calls, trying to get another sub job until I head off, I just need a little more dough to make all my present dreams come true.
Oh and my kitty is sporting his new mohawk! True punk rocker! He loves it.
Cheers.

The Perhentian Islands

So ya it has been awhile since my last post, but whatever I've been busy.....ha.
Anyways here is another installment for all my avid readers out there.

Just writing this blog reminds me that I should write a bit more, just a'lil bit. I have this mindset that I don't really have anything to write about, but really I do.

For all of you who don't know, I am and have been working on aquiring my Dive Master. Why you say? Well to sum it up quickly before I start an incoherent ramble.......When I head back home to Canada I'd like to enter in an adventure tourism program, and for one of the areas of the program you have to be masterful in one aspect of outdoor education. The only experience in outdoor educaton that I had prior was well.... none.
I am in Asia surrounded by some of the best dive sites in the world, so it was a no brainer for me to which outdoor speciality I would attain, prior to entering the program.

Which brings me to my next point. Last week L-bomb and I ventured off to Malaysia for a week long getaway. Before we left Taiwan, L and I had picked the Perhentain Islands to go to. I have coordinated my visa runs this past year with my diving excursions. The visa run before this one (March, 2006) I went to Koh Tao, Thailand which is an amzing treat if you ever end up there, I'll have to save the details for another session, another excuse to blog.

Anyways........back to Malaysia. K, so we flew into KL on Sunday, caught a domestic flight to Kota Bharu, gong show, and were in Kuala Besut (jetty for boats to Perhentians) by night fall. No boats leave for the Perhentians at night so we found a room, rested up, and caught the first boat in the morning.

The Perhentians are compiled of Perhentain Kecil (Small) and Perhentian Besar (Big). We chose to stay on Kecil, which is more of a backpacker destination rather than Besar which caters to the resort crowd.

We arrived early Monday morning, and I started my EFR (Emergency First Response) course within an hour of stepping foot on the isle. I had checked on the net for dive shops and chose Coral Sky Divers. I left L to fend for herself, but I knew she would be ok as she is an experienced vet.

Met the other student for my EFR and Rescue course, curious George from Singapore. Good guy, took awhile for him to grasp the concepts being taught, but persevered. I found EFR pretty easy, maybe because I found it to be more commonsense, and I had taken a CPR course a few years back in college.

The next day I started my Rescue course. Lots of reading, watching videos, and excercises and scenarios. My instructor, Rory, asked us to read every night and complete the knowledge reviews for the chapters, which would help us to understand more of what and why we were doing everything. So, I was reading before breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. For the 3 days during my Rescue course I never really got a chance to hang with L, which was kind of shitty, but I knew that I came there primarily to get my courses done. I found that because I did all the readings, I was able to perform better in the water during the scenarios and exercises, while C.G. had some difficulties completing the tasks at hand. I felt as though I had done all this before, or maybe I was just a fish out of water.

After three long days I completed the Rescue course!! It was definately more intensive than the open water and advanced open water courses, but I really enjoyed the challenge. I enjoy being in the water. The whole scuba experience feels so natural to me.

So, now I am a certified Resue diver, cwazy. My next trip will be to attain my Dive Master!!! I have been souting out a few places but am seriously looking at doing my DMT in the Gili Islands, in Indonesia, Gili Trawangan to be exact. The DMT course will take at least one month to complete, so it will be a long one. But from everything I have heard about it, I'm extremely excited and raring to get my feet wet again. Deeeeee-Cent!

You can check out the pics here.

Tiesto in Spring Love 2006, Taipei

For the past 2 months there has been a big build up to April 15th. This past Saturday saw one of the top DJ's in the world take control over Nan-Kang 101 in Taipei.

When I first came to Taiwan I had never heard of Tiesto. I had always liked Trance music, I just never came across Tiesto. Ever since that day, whenever it was, that I stumbled upon a Tiesto track, I've been in a state of trance since.

I went out and purchased two of his albums, "Parade of Athletes", and "Just Be". I have been literally abusing the tracks since they came into my possession and driving the people around me crazy since. Furthermore, I bought 2 of his DVD's live in concert. You might think it is a little wierd to sit at home and watch a Trance DVD, but when you hear and feel his music that this artist produces I don't think you would question it again, or maybe it's just me. Some people meditate, I listen to Tiesto.

So, for the past year and a half I have been meditating with Tiesto on my portable music device, wondering when I might ever get the chance to see a live performance. There isn't a day that goes by where I haven't raced with his tracks on my headset.

Well about 6 months ago I signed up on Tiesto's website to receive his newsletters. 2 months ago I got the quarterly update from Tiesto.com and almost shit a brick. The man was coming to Taipei on April 15, 2006, promoting the release of his new album "In Search of Sunrise 5: Los Angeles" in Spring Love 2006 put on by theLOOP Production. From that day on I had been looking forward to this concert and spreading the news to whoever I came in contact with. Most of the people I told didn't give two shits, but I gathered a crew of 9 followers together to partake in the festivities. So, Leah, Angela, Lisa, Lindsay, Ruth, Holly, Jen, Trevor, and I all met up in Taipei this past Saturday to experience Tiesto to the max.

When we first arrived at Nan-Kang 101 in Taipei, the venue, the anticipation was almost exploding out of me, I just could not wait. After passing through security and receiving my pass in, we walked into another world. I was completely blown away by the energy this place was emitting. I had never been to anything like this before, so I really didn't know what to expect, but this was something I could have never imagined. The venue was set up like a movie theater, where there was a balcony that went around the entire perimeter, in the middle was a massive dance floor, and up front was where the DJ booth was setup. It was as if this place was built for this concert.

The place was packed and was just pulsating. Thousands of people, blue glow sticks coming at you in every direction, music that made your heart race, lights flashing. The energy was intoxicating!!

There were a few local DJ's that kicked off the night, with a few performances from a fire thrower, to laser boy who was magically carried and manupulating beams of light as if he were from another world, and some guest vocalalists. Oh the suspense!!! At around 1:30 Tiesto spun the party into high gear. The night after that point was as if someone had fast forwarded time. The life he put into the crowd and the unity on the dance floor was absolutely amazing to experience and see. Apart from all the people who were too fucked to even stand, I have no complaints. I felt as though I was in another world at another time, and that the music had opened me up and had control over me. He spun for over 3 hours manipulating the crowd with every beat. I have never felt so ..........I don't even know what the word is taken over, or possessed. I cannot really truly explain the way I felt that night except that I was completely consumed. If I had to put an exclamation point on this mountanious night, I'd have to say it was when my favorite song "Adagio for Strings" came on, it was empowering. I don't even know how to explain it, I get tingles even thinking about it, as I am listening to it right now, I LOST MY MIND AND ALL CONTROL. I was as close to the stage as I could have gotten, and I gave it my all. At the end of the night when he was finally done, Tiesto came to the front of the stage to shake the people's hands and I was right there. I made sure that I was able to shake his hand, and when I did I gave it a squeeze to let him know how amped I was. I turned around after that and let out a yell, it was complete. I wish I could find the words to properly exlplain it all, but hopefully one day you get the chance to experience Tiesto. I cannot wait until the next time I might be able to experience this masterful artist of the turn tables. Until then I will keep his tracks pumping and my heart beat racing from the energy it gives me.

Click this link to access all the pictures from the concert.