Consistently Contradictory

Thats the one thing you'd realise if you keep up with my blog.

The previous post certainly sounded like my moanings about being single or the possibility of remaining so. Yes, to a certain extent. And yet there was a tinge of wanting to embrace it with gusto, so as not to be paralysed by it.

But not too worry, I'm not blogging about it because its foremost in my mind. I just thought it'd make good discussion.

I'm merely letting you into the tussle that I face over every decision. Every day.

Boy is it tiring being me.

Singularities

I've resorted to watching Oprah Winfrey reruns on Starworld. I miss cable. Renee Zellwegger was being interviewed on her "latest" movie, the third installment of Bridget Jones' Diary. Goes to show how long ago it was.

In usual Oprah style, she managed to find a real life Bridget Jones, not that it was too difficult to find Bridgets in our day and age. So finally Oprah had to ask, "Why do you think you're in such a situation?" Not the smartest of all questions Oprah, or so I thought.

However, I was honestly wondering the same thing. How do women, relatively attractive, well educated, end up in such a predicament of being 34 and not married. A status that would have been frowned upon even a decade ago, but is now becoming increasingly popular. By choice or circumstance? [I'm sure many would maintain the former just for the sake of our egos]

Not that marriage is a current issue I'm grappling with [thank heavens no], but the real life Bridget's reply was simply, "I think its because I'm too independent. Financially or otherwise. I love to go out, do things etc etc" Then it slapped me in the face. So was I. [not financially, but on my way to it I hope] But hey, I've got a decade before it becomes an issue.

So my uncles weren't kidding when they said the ceaseless activity I'm packing in this summer did scare people away. But what was I supposed to do? Sit around and mope? Hope that Prince Charming falls through the roof and declares an undying love and admiration for me, and the ride off into the sunset? Only in Disney movies. [And even then Pixar is doing a better job depicting reality. Think Shrek.]

I suppose jam packing my schedule is only as a response, so as not to end up a moping spinster when I hit 30. If it does happen though, at least I'd have had experience living a life.

Interestingly so, I reckon many girls my age still take it for granted that they will "somehow" end up married by age 30. And only when they close in on the big three-o, they suffer Ally Mcbeal like moments, and gulp down the reality of maybe remaning single for a longer than imagined time. Maybe I'm forced to take in this possibility much earlier, when everyone else around me, especially those attached, are allowed to shove this issue aside, for the time being.

In recent meetings with girlfriends, this topic inevitably comes up. Especially amongst us female doctor wannabes. In this case the excuse would have to be circumstance. Having barely begun our journey into medicine, and we already had to confront this sacrifice involved. I'm not ready for it. I don't think I am.

I'm not as independent and strong as everyone makes me out to be. But how else would I be able to survive being away from home, studying medicine overseas and coping with the wreck my life is. Hmm.

I think that would resonate with many single girls.

[just for an endnote: sorry guys. i suppose this is a girlie problem. maybe we can address the male situation another time. but i think we are in more dire straits. i'm biased of course]

I'm Diving In ;)

What does a baboon and a tomato have in common?

6 new awesome friends
5 exhilirating dives
4 embarrassing tan lines
3 days of sun and rain
2 silly boat cannonballs
1 very toasted Eda
dozens of insults and loads of laughs later....


we became certified open water divers! wooot

To be entirely honest, I never thought I'd make it, due to my sheer lack of activity in general. And considering my lacklustre performances during PE classes throughout my academic career, if you'd predicted me scuba diving, I'd have given you a very strange look.

But having done it, the thrill doesn't come as much from the things that you see down below [not that it isn't exciting], but from having overcome a challenge which I wasn't confident of handling. So whether it was teaching an old dog [okok I'm not that old] new tricks and mastering new skills involved, or being sporty for once in my life [though I'll never be able to shed the nerd image] or conquering a childhood fear of the sea; its a serious sense of satisfaction. Not to mention roughing it out and going back to basics for 3 days [oh how my neck hurts from that hard pillow].

The rewards are indescribable. At the verge of sounding cliched, its really exciting to be able to experience an entirely alternate universe, such a surreal feeling. Even though we didn't get to "see much" as many other divers would put it, no turtles, stingrays, bumheads or triggerfish [thank goodness], the fact that we had the privilege of SEE-ing the underwater world, was quite a thrill in itself. I just hope that I'll never forget the sheer awesomeness of this simple fact, even after going for more dives. [anyone for more?]

That being said though, it was really God's grace [thanks for everyone's wee prayers as well] that I got to meet a bunch of really nice people on this dive. If not for them, my experience would have be completely different, and I would really not be -this- excited about diving. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that if I had a group of people I couldn't relate to as well as this fantastic bunch, I'd just stop trying to dive altogether.



So here's a fat shoutout of THANK YOU to Adam, Wan Ho, Kevin, Celine and my [extremely patient] buddy Kenneth for making my first diving trip so memorable and so excellent! I seriously wouldn't have survived without all of you. Honest.

Now that I've got my feet on more or less solid [not sandy] ground, and after feeling the boat rocking in my sleep, the next question is... anyone up for doing advanced? ;)

Diving - Mini Photo Journal

I know I don't usually do this, but hey, I don't have to go to work, and I like to savour the experience. Plus I'm pretty bored at home, and I don't wish to touch my pharmaco textbook.


Our Dive resort... Atlantis Bay.
It took us a good 4 hours on a dinghy slowboat to get there.

By the time we arrived, most of us were sunburnt. Even desperate measures throughout the rest of the week were not sufficient to rescue our toasted faces. Although it made for fascinating photo moments ;)


Poor burnt Kenneth attempts to salvage the situation by slopping on the sunscreen. Too bad buddy, gotcha there!


Wan Ho wasn't spared from the sun either, and it wasn't just his face that suffered =/


We were taken under the wings of the ever so cool dive instructor, Shafe. [the guy with the bandana obviously; the sun would have been disasterous on his gleening head ;)] I seriously thought his name was shave, because he has the hair (or lack of) to go with it.


Sometimes I wonder how he put up with us. Meet the entertainers of the gang, me and my long lost brother, Kevin (shudder).
Providing endless amounts of silliness, giggles and just slapstick stupidity for entertainment. And yes I did canonball jump off the boat, TWICE, and land flat on my face in the water just for an adrenaline rush. Plus it provided jaw dropping entertainment and side splitting laughs.



That aside, still managed to find time off diving to climb the intriguing rock formations along the side of the resort. Caught some misty views of the bay at dusk.


Yup thats me still monkeying my way around.


And it was back to business again, getting briefed by our instructor Alex, who was younger than the entire group, except for me. Yes. Me the baby. =/

So this is us starting to rig up... well most of us.

Stop acting silly Adam, get to work.

Ok now Kevin, stop slacking off. =P


The guys who taught us all we know, which isn't alot, yet. We wouldn't have been alive without them, the ever so seh instructors, Shafe and Alex.


And without whom I personally would be in trouble as well, my buddy, Kenneth, both of us burnt to a crisp.

So there you go. That was the diving trip. =)

Really glad I plunged in.
In more ways than one.