PADI IDC update - one week report
It’s been 7 days since I arrived in Koh Samui, and I have to say that the time has gone by quite quickly. I’ve never really felt bored, and my time has been pretty successful I would say. On Thursday I completed my EFR: Care For Children course, so that’s 2 exams taken and 2 exams passed. The EFR course was more of a practical course than an academic one, but I passed it and they all count. Met a few more people, including 3 guys who’ll be taking the IDC with me, and they seem like great guys. It is going to be a lot of work, but none of us are in any mood for making this course an unsuccessful one. I’ve also got to know a couple of the incumbent instructors here, and get on with them well. 3 of them are doing a visa run today (i.e. leaving the country and them coming straight back in, so that their visa is renewed), but I’ll probably catch up with one or two of them tomorrow.
I didn’t know what to expect of Koh Samui when I came here, but it probably isn’t what I expected. Not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but the number of westerners threw me a bit when I got here. I like to think I’m integrated pretty well into my work and community in Japan, and feel very at ease being surrounded by Japanese people. To be suddenly immersed into a place where it seems like there are as many foreigners as Thai people is a little daunting. In Japan, I unconsciously filter out a lot of the Japanese conversations going on around me, and my ears tend to prick up when I hear something said in English. Here it’s a bit of an overload on the senses. English conversations going on all around me and my head is trying to listen to and process them all. Plus just seeing and being around all these westerners is a really strange experience. I don’t think I felt like that when I came back from Maldives, even though I was more isolated from numbers of foreigners than I am in Japan. Maybe it’s just a combination of being in communities away from westerners for 3 out of the last 3 and a half years.
On a related note, I was watching Lost In Translation on one of the cable TV stations in my room before going out to dinner a couple of nights ago. I was hearing the Japanese and could feel a smile coming onto my face. It is going to be so hard for me to leave Japan and Okinawa next July, and will take me some time to adjust I’m sure. I feel really settled in Japan, and it’s just unfortunate that there’s not really the dive instructing work for me, even though there would be the opportunities for me to teach English out there for a while.
OK - reflecting time over for now. Going to watch some Thai boxing tonight which should be a very interesting experience so I’m told. Will take my camera and try to take a few piccies that I can tag onto the end of this blog entry. And after the boxing I might head into Chaweng for a couple of late-night drinks. Here’s the point where most people who know me well will be choking on their green tea! Yes - this is David Webb saying he may voluntarily go out to bars and a club! You are not reading the blog of some imposter trying to be me (despite someone still trying to steal my online identity… not good). Can’t really explain it, but will try to give reason for my madness as soon as I can.
Right - it’s now Monday morning and I’ve only a very brief paragraph to add. The Thai boxing on Saturday night was pretty good, especially one of the mens fights. One guy was good, but his opponent was even more impressive. He did a roundhouse kick that Chuck Norris would be proud of. Unfortunately, he did this when his opponent was on his knees; opponent was knocked out cold, Norris was disqualified and the crowd were happy. The womens boxing was interested - the fighters were girls who worked at the bars surrounding the ring. The quality of these fights, unsurprisingly, was not too hot, but it was entertaining all the same. Then headed out to a couple of bars in Chaweng. Got back in at about 5am after a fun night (as you can see by the pics). Take care, and dive safely.
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Glad its all going well, keep up the reports.