I’m baaaaaacccckkkk!
You just can’t keep me down. After a forced absence for over a week, I am happy to report I am back and typing again. I would like to come up with some exciting reasoning for my site being taken down… something like a wrangle with some ultra right-wing nationalists. Unfortunately, the reality is much more boring. The whole deepstop.com site was hacked by someone who obviously had nothing better to do, and the webmaster had a hell of a time recovering it all. But he managed it, so a big thanks going to Andy at www.yorkshire-divers.co.uk for sorting it all out.
First of all, just had an event at work which really takes the proverbial biscuit. Japanese teacher came over and told me the school was making a sign and wanted to know the best way in English to say “No Trespassing!”. Thought this a little strange and asked why they wanted the sign in English (unless, as a school, we want to educate people even through warnings). The reasoning is because of this horrifying event. Apparently a military jeep had the audacity to get lost on Okinawa’s wonderfully signposted roads (if you have been to Okinawa you can imagine the sarcastic tone that was said in). In an attempt to go back in the right direction, the jeep turned into a school parking area and turned around. I can hear you all saying “And…” but that is the end of the story. Jeep turned around and went on its way. It should also be noted that there were no students at the school at the time (although I don’t really think that’s too relevant to the story anyway). So now, apparently all schools are quaking in fear that one of the smog-belching carriages that transport those foreign armed savages around will decide to turn around in their car parks, and are trying to make signs to deter them. Now I don’t know about you, but even if I see a “no trespassing” sign, if I need to turn around and that seems the best place, then I will spend a couple of seconds turning around there. Have seen plenty of Japanese tourists doing that at Japanese and American bases after making a wrong turn. So I told them the translation and they went away very happy. Nice to know the school budget is being spent on things that make a difference!
But anyway… onto other things. On Saturday and Sunday I finally got back into the water after far too long out of it. 2 dives at Sunabe Seawall and 1 at Onna Point through the weekend were great. Saw a cuttlefish (my favourite sea creature by far), the biggest lionfish I have ever seen (it’s body must have been 60cm/2ft without the fins), and a turtle. Plenty of other stuff too and it was good to be back under the waves. I would have done more dives but was a bit knocked out by sunburn after accompanying the 3rd years on their annual beach trip on Friday. First self-inflicted sunburn of the year… Spring is definitely here.
Probably won’t be in the water this coming weekend though as I’m going to be preparing for Sunday. On April 27th I will be taking part in the HKS Okinawa Drag event. For those of you that don’t know me (and those who do), that doesn’t mean I’m going to be donning women’s clothing for the day! It’s actually a car race up at Nago Circuit and I’m really looking forward to it. Have been doing some work on the car and hopefully it will perform pretty well. How well I don’t know, but as long as I can drive it home and don’t have to be towed then I’ll be happy! It’s not a circuit as such - the drag race is a simple race along a straight. Usually, drag races are measured over 1/4 mile (about 400m). However, Okinawa doesn’t have a stretch of road that long without a traffic light(!) so at the circuit we are racing only 150m. Quite pathetic but you do what you have to. Will be sure to report about my success/failure on Sunday.
And I look forward to a Spring and Summer of entries from the Land of the Rising Sun that will grab your attention. Take care and dive safely.
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