I spent 2 1/2 hours each day till 7:30pm from the time I was 10 to 16 years old to swim laps, sprint & long distance so that I can be on par with the National Swimmers who were training in the same pool and looking back, I don’t even know what all that training was for. The grueling timed laps made us hyperventilate so much, thus increased our lung capacity & reducing our fat content very quickly. I was 150cm when I was 10 years old & by the time I was 14, I was 168cm. In the span of 4 years, I shot up by 18cm and lost the width in the middle. Needless to say, by the time I was over with going for the gold, I was 172cm tall & within the next few years to adulthood, I shot up by another 3cm. These are some of the things that I couldn’t control.

In between the swimming training, I tried springboard diving, became a part of the first synchronise swimming team in Malaysia & got invited to perform all over KL. I don’t know how I got through secondary (high) school with the amount of extra curricular activities I had. Swimming was the anchor sport but then there was tennis, squash, golf, roller skating, jogging, track & field, volleyball & weight training at the gym & the fights with Jack……Oh I played hard. And the energy was boundless. Never had trouble with sleeping.

And with 5 of the 17 cats I had in the past, they trained me to sleep still because they would wedge themselves on top, in between my legs under the blanket each night & you would think that they are nocturnal creatures. I wish I had a camera then to freeze them for eternal reminiscing.

Today, many years on, I’m preoccupied with other things. Work, life, living, issues, other people’s issues, plans, courses, diving & studying for the next level. At every opportunity, I try to relive my childhood & do the things that make me laugh (sometimes at other people’s expense…. ) and amuse myself silly at the thought of their misfits…….

This is Clemence, my buddy at the Instructor Trainer Course. I was bored at lunch. And my phone had this capability…..

This is Kenneth Mok & Tony Tsui in the background. They were the Course Director candidates from Hong Kong…..

And this is William Tong, the Course Director who’s training us!!! My sifu! Wahahahahahaha! He wasn’t spared too…..

On a more serious not, here’s Kenneth, Tony, Clement & the sifu of all sifus, Michael Tong in action….. (I’m seriously in trouble if they read this!!!)

And just prior to my course last weekend, my second boss & Chief Operations Officer, Vincent & the Sales Director, Thomas, took us out for lunch offering me lots of encouragement for the weekend ahead……and they too, weren’t spared…..

Vincent aka Oscar The Grouch (Sesame Street!)

And Thomas who so like to pinch our cookies from our cookie counter…..

So tell me, how on earth do I resist the urge to be a kid again when so many of these opportunities present itself to me??? I failed to fear the consequences of this & my not-passing the exams the first time around, but this surely does not make me a failure at all.

I had the biggest encouragement of all when my Hong Kong film star idol, Mark Cheng, dropped by to have photos taken with us & obliging to sign autographs just before the pool session!!!

Failure, I AM NOT!!! …….*DROOL*…..

In the passed two months, I’d been hitting the books any chance I’ve got, knowing that this would be my make or break point in my career as a dive instructor. You wouldn’t believe this but I flunk the exam. Despite burning the midnight oil, I’ve been juggling my work, the association, the dive conference & my assignments pretty well but heck, it wasn’t just me who flunk, the whole class of four flunk too!!! Though I don’t feel as bad as I should since the retake is in two weeks time, I still can’t believe I flunk! In the PADI examination 6 years ago during my crossover from BSAC, I scored 98% on Standards & Procedures & 95% for the rest of the papers. What went wrong??? The candidates from Hong Kong did a brave thing by retaking their exams immediately & subsequently went on to become NAUI Course Directors. (Congratulations, Kenneth & Tony!!! It’s been a pleasure to work with you!!!!) Clemence & I will retake after a break & I’m going to hit the books till I ace it!!! BUSHWAH!!!

Could it possibly be the distraction that took me away in the pass two weeks? Well, whatever it is, I doubt this distraction is here to stay. Anything that blows hot & cold is inconsistent & never lasting. I had thought it was too good to be true when everything seemed to feel so right & to have everything fall into place but there was just something that I couldn’t well place. Maybe it was trust. Maybe it was intention. Maybe this wind just blows where the fun is & there’s nothing to sustain it here. A thousand maybes but let the truth be told in the beholder for courage is in the ability to be true to oneself. Perhaps words don’t mean much to those who don’t value what’s being said. And what’s being said was said in a haste to get results. I certainly learnt a lot. Much more than what the course offered. The stakes are high when the bounty is great. I’m just happy to learn this before I placed my bet. No doubt, I will place my undivided attention where it’s needed & that’s in ace-ing my Instructor Trainer course on the 16th…!