Scuba Diving - August 8th

"yo man, you see that?"


"let's have some fun~"


"i can do this"

-___- (i lose......)

Bo-Han

Cool Guy (where the hell did the hand come from...?)

Yu-Jie (pretty and cute)

and me

Tai-Cai (黃台財) and his daughter. it was Tai-Cai who introduced us to this great diving school, and it had been also him who helped us contact the school and buy boat tickets. more than that, he is a wonderful father! thanks to Tai-Cai!

one shot at the beach

wrong size of the head cover (look at my face....almost disfigured!!)

do i look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies? (certainly......)

Ninja

Ninja and coach

I’m so thankful that the weather’s been lovely since we landed on Green Island. Today we did three tanks. Though the first one I didn’t manage to maneuver my body very well, sometimes drifted here and there, the second one was totally different. I was able to float in the water without feet touching ground, it was a huge success for me!

We visited a special international diving site called “big mushroom”, which looks really like a huge mushroom, where we fed fishes with fish bought from the super market. It was so special because I had never been so close to a large crowd of fishes before, I was pretty surprised that they’re not afraid of human!

Scuba Diving - August 7th

In the ship. Cool Guy was really cool, among us he was the only one feeling totally alright (and sleepy...)


the ship was pretty waving


Landing!!! (Yu-Jie was still feeling dizzy)


eugene.......

the wonderful place we spent our nights. thanks to Greenisland fire department

Bo-Han was still uncomfortable from long distance standing and non-sleeping

eat and drink were a must before going to the class

the place we learned scuba diving

20 minutes before our first dive. everybody was intently preparing for their equipments

Bo-Han and Monster the coach

yeah~ that was me~

one of our pretty classmates. i told her she's pretty and she agreed to take the photo with me

Shoot…it’d been a torture since last night! We bought non-seat train tickets as there were too many people going to Green Island and Lan Yu Island. I was fortunate enough to have been able to sit and take a nap by the gate. The train did stop of course, and I was awaken and had to stand up at every stop so people would not be blocked by me; yet the other three friends were not that lucky, they kept standing all the way through the 6 hours journey through the midnight! It was not until the last hour we had seats available…

Actually the train didn’t travel all the way. It stopped one station ahead and we were told the technicians had to change some mechanical parts. People were a bit pissed off about this but not for me because I was totally enjoying my sleeping on the real seat.

We arrived at Tai Dong station at around 6 am and the cab had been waiting for us already. Feeling worried by the unexpected parts-changing-thing, we hopped on the taxi soon and the driver knew it too so he drove as if driving a Formula 1! (which was horrible!)

As all the tourists were delayed by the train, the first ferry was awaiting us so we were still able to take the first one. After getting in I put on my lenses and quickly brushed my teeth, soon after the ferry set off. Jeeze…wind was breezing, wave was strong, the ferry was not as big as the Lomprayer ferry I took last year when I was on the way to volunteer on Koh Tao Island. It was up and down and felt totally like a roller coaster! Probably 20 minutes later my stomach started feeling upside down, I rushed to the washroom with a vomit bag and got ready. There were people much earlier than me, and their facial expressions were written “VOMIT, SHUN AWAY”.

“Good, I’m not gonna get close to you, you have your turf and I stayed by the sink, we are well apart so the smell wouldn’t get to me. “ thought I. However…the smell doesn’t but sound DOES! Immediately the first “Grrrrrrr…..Huh grrrrrrrrr” shot out from not only male washroom but also female’s, which created some kind of atmosphere around that area. I COULDN’T BEAR IT ANYMORE! I made my first “Grrrrrr” too but nothing came out. At this time I thought of a movie scene in which people seal their mouths with a paper or plastic bag and then started breathing in and out. I did the same and great it did help a little bit. Before long I decided that vomiting would be probably the most efficient way, so I reached my index and middle fingers deep in my throat and then “Grrrrrr”, but again, nothing came out…

“This is weird”…I thought at least I had something to vomit out but no. probably that was because I didn’t eat anything after hopping off the train I guess. So again and again I reached my fingers in and then “Grrrr”ed until our ferry arrived one hour later. The guy called “Cool Fella” in our group is a firefighter and he seems to have experienced this many times, he said he almost fell asleep; Bo Han did feel bad but he stood at the gate all the way; the girl Yu Jie in us had already vomited in the washroom so when we landed she looked totally awful. Me? I don’t know, picture says everything.

After landing we rushed to the scuba diving school and checked in immediately. One coach gave us a ride to the firefighter’s accommodation where we will spend our nights. Then at 10:30am we gathered, filled some forms, were taught with some essential tips about putting on goggles, getting water out from the goggles, assembling all the gears and wearing them on. We dived with the first oxygen tank at 1:30pm, and then the second at 16pm. The first one was just a trial and hand-on thing, but the second one we went to feed fishes toasts and that…was…AMAZING! It is sooooo different under water than on land. Seeing fishes slipping by and eating toasts were just special, and I loved to see my bubbles floating up too. “Thank God. This is what I have wanted. Thank You Lord! After such a long hard work days THIS is just what I need!” I thought to myself. I love scuba diving!

Cool Fella didn’t like scuba diving at all, even he is already an advanced diver. He said the scuba diving training is a must being a firefighter, and the skill is used on nothing but looking for dead bodies. Searching for things in dirty unclear water is difficult, so they usually feel them by fumbling. The first few times he and other firefighters were searching for dead bodies which suddenly popped out right in front of their faces! Shooot!!! Goosebumps fall off just by thinking off that!

It’s 6:49pm now. At 8:30pm we are going to have on land class. Looking forward to it!

Scuba Diving - August 6th

weather didn't look good for riding


ready to set off


Taipei Main Station



sitting on the floor


Bo-Han and Yu-Jie, my wonderful diving partners


Cool Guy, his name is Cool Guy, a firefighter and professional scuba diver, but he didn't want to do scuba diving with us as this reminded him of his duty of looking for dead bodies of the drown


Ready to buy train tickets


before hopping on the train


dawn, photo shot in Tai-Dong

10:13pm
Finally I’m at Taipei main station waiting for my colleague Bo Han and two of his friends. Why said FINALLY? I’d been super stupid and crazy busy today because originally I planned to ride to Tai Dong and meet the folks at Fu Ji harbour, I brought with me all the stuff I need: clothes, camera, laptop, sandals, swimming trunk, sun tan oil, sun glasses, and skin care lotion for sun burn, and got ready to set off from the office; but those stuff except for my ID card and thumb photos which are for enrolling the scuba diving class and the certificate. Although a colleague who earned his certificate last year told me it would be no harm to send these stuff after coming back, I still decided to fetch them just because I don’t like to go without things well prepared. Anyway, the stuff sounds light huh? They’re awfully heavy! When I started up the engine it started to rain lightly. According to my past experience it usually rained just in this area, and I was more confident than I thought that it wouldn’t rain as soon as I got out of that area. So still, off I went.
Shi……I was wrong…
From west to east I had to go through the spine of the island. it was on the spine that light rain turned to shower. Different than before, this time I brought my laptop with me so that I can jot down something funny and memorial immediately for my blog. As there was no shop and convenient store from which I could buy rain coat, I decided to turn around and got back to the city, it was after riding for over 20km. Darn!
But anyway, I’m now here at the station and still as excited as months ago when the plan was made!

10:28pm
Gathering time! I guess they should arrive already. Better turn off my laptop.

song time

"everything i do, i do it for you" by Bryan Adams

first time i heard this song was in my first grade of junior high, from the trailer of the movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", featured by Kevin Costner. i have deeply loved this song ever since then.

there are many romantic songs, but in my view Bryan Adams' is the best. he has a nice, attractive, sexy and unique husky voice. another singer also with a husky voice is Rod Stewart, but Bryan's is relatively more lively, Rod's indolent.

anyway it's just my opinion. click the link below and have a listen to "everything i do, i do it for you"

-------------------------

lyrics from http://www.lyrics007.com/Bryan%20Adams%20Lyrics/(Everything%20I%20Do)%20I%20Do%20It%20For%20You%20Lyrics.html

Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

lifeguard

one month lifeguard training finally ended yesterday. though i'm still not sure whether i will be a lifeguard in the future, i have learned so much during the past month.

the first saturday of the training pastor called me and in our conversation he expressed he doesn't agree with my absence for lifeguard, which he thinks is less important than God's thing; but this morning when i saw my swimming kits (swimming cap, fin, breathing tube, snorkeling goggles and new goggles given by our chief coach), i was glad i made this decision. who knows when the skills will be useful in the future? who knows when i might use CPR skills? (well, of course i do not wish the CPR skills being used but that's just an in-case-thing) also the swimming partners i have in this class are great guys. they are still very young, but their lively spirits have refreshed me so much from my job and...from this complicated world maybe. yesterday was our final test, and after the test we had three swimming competitions and everyone was just crazy excited as if their adrenalin was shot up high! haha! in my swimming life i'd never felt so happy before!

this is what God has given me.

after the test we are going to do our interns four times and then be qualified as a real lifeguard, that will be when our responsibility starts.

followed by lifeguard training is scuba diving class. looking forward to it!

swimming cap and goggles. i was so thrilled when i was given this gift! i had been considering to buy a pair of new goggles! thank you, coaches!

(for more information please go to the blog of 台北縣救難大隊 or 板橋智樂游泳池)

time to let go

after so many years i finally have come to realise that it is probably hard for everyone to be understanding. i remember when i was a small child the adults always taught us kids to learn "standing in another's place" or "wearing one's shoes", but nowadays it seems just a WORD for me, because not many people even adults can successfully achieve this.

i think it is time to let go. not anymore will i ask others to do this but to ask myself to achieve this. i myself should understand that "understanding" could be a difficult thing for some. but, as i said on facebook, "if there is someone who understands you, stands by you, comforts you when you're down, encourages you when you're not so sure, treasure him/her, don't take them for granted, cuz you can never be luckier to find such a person in your life", if you have found such person, treasure it, treasure them back.

i know

i know God will give me the desires of my heart
because He knows me more than i do
i know God has the best in store for me
because He created this world created me, and He loves me so much
what are laying ahead i have no idea
i just know God is leading me toward them

however
i know i am responsible for learning, being obedient, repentence, and faith,
because they are my parts

it's been hard recently
but i know God is with me

i'm still waiting
never will i give up

Trinity

i posted this on my facebook note last week...
========================================================
title: why are some Bible verses missing in NIV and some other versions?

i was translating some materials for the church and found Matthew 17:21 is missing in NIV, yet Chinese version has this verse. so i googled and found there are many other more in the missing lists (or being put into Notes); yet they're not missing in King James Version. don't understand how so?

Revelation 22:18-19 (NIV) say,

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

if so, then who on earth has the right to take those words away? is this changing God's words?

---missing list, found on www.jesus-is-lord.com---
Matthew 12:47, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 21:44, Matthew 23:14, Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 11:26, Mark 15:28, Mark 16:9-20, Luke 17:36, Luke 22:44, Luke 22:43, Luke 23:17, John 5:4, John 7:53-8:11, Acts 8:37, Acts 15:34, Acts 24:7, Acts 28:29, Romans 16:24

==========================================================
i have been asking some friends, and they have kindly replied me with their precious opinions. one friend gave me a link which is on NIV's defend, and the context of it and some other websites which depict more historical background as well as his view about God and human helped me learn that actually NIV is the one which is translated more accurately, carefully, and directly from Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek languages than KJV which was done in 7 years with over 50 scholars (hundreds for NIV). the achievement of it had been most likely influenced by government, for me it means KJV can't be as accurate as NIV.

by the way, KJV was done based on a manuscript around 1500AD, yet the ones NIV was based on were over 1000 years older, the answer can't be much clearer!

all of this made me rethink about Trinity (God, Holy Son and Holy Spirit). what i've made sure are:

1. Trinity was from the Latin word "Trinitas", the birth of it was originated from the discussion about the characteristics of God, Holy Son and the Holy Spirit. afterwards people chose it for explanation;

2. Jesus didn't have clear discussions or instructions about Trinity the word;

3. throughout the history, politics had had great influences over religion and given "Trinity" stronger standing place, in another word human "selected" Trinity.

until today i couldn't understand since Jesus didn't teach Trinity, then why people keep using the word.

then what will i do?

i believe God, i believe Jesus, and i know Holy Spirit has been working in me; yet, i don't believe human mind. how dare people who tried to define God's characteristics with their limited knowledge, just like human try to define the whole universe with only some equations and rules?

i think i will not trust Trinity this man-made word unless God reveals it to me.

I LOVE SUMMER

now i was here again at the starbucks on yang ming mountain. today everywhere was scorching, and it felt great to enjoy a mug of latte in this peaceful place. suddenly i understood one thing: with all the dull feeling i had had during the past weeks, what i need is just a simple life like NOW: no need to worry about duty, it doesn't matter where i'm at. what had been in my mind all the time were just about "job is boring", "life doesn't change at all", "no freshing and new stuff comes up." how on earth can i get used to this UNCHANGE while change is my favourate?
but, situation's been a little different since friday:

a new idea went into me about how to improve bumper's assembility by introducing structure of arch bridge. cool huh!? that was wisdom of ancient Chinese, and i'm really excited about applying this into car part!

also, family around me, which always comforts and strengthens me up;

church friends are nice, like James and Bi Jing who love motorcycles as well, and we have so much to talk about motorcycle! Bi Jing said to me today that she so much wants to try on the rear seat of my bike. they mentioned about a 400cc hippie motorcycle they had in thailand years ago, but James said now he doesn't have much gut to ride as before. lol!! Pancho is a nice guy too. he loves sharing and is caring for people. also Tony and Nelson and pastor and Justin...i believe God has finally answered my prayer request of having spiritual brothers =)

lifeguard training, which starts today, is one of the plans i have been looking forward to. coaches said there are gonna be a lot to learn, such as CPR, techniques of saving and taking drowning struggling swimmers ashore, and probably, most likely we will have chances to ride jet ski!!! awesome!!

talk of lifeguard, this morning i had a test which is on condition of finishing 400m in 12 minutes (the poster said); but before the test the examiner cut it down to 200m within 6 minutes and i couldn't understand why until the starting of the test: many swimmers are actually not that good at swimming! as for me, i had been nervous since last night to the point that heart almost at my mouth; but today after the test, to my surprise i was the fastest swimmer of all, and i was chosen as second leader in our squad. what an honour, yet i wasn't expecting that!

another plan i have is purchase a big bike as soon as my savings insurance ends its term. this has been my dream all the time, and it's about time to make it come true.

below are two bikes off which i can't take my eyes


KAWASAKI Z1000 (picture from www.kawasaki.com)



SUZUKI B-KING (picture from http://www.suzukicycles.com/)

6 more days to go

before swim test.

there is going to be a swim test on this coming sunday before the beginning of lifeguard course. each swimmer has to pass the test by finishing 400m in 12 minutes (100 freestyle, 100 breast stroke, and the other 200m can be chosen by swimmers). today as usual i went swimming and after finishing 1200m, i tested 3 times how fast i could do. first was 9 minutes, second and third were 8 minutes, well, i think it should be no problem then. but i will keep testing and get myself used to the speed and force i have to make. of course the faster the better.

by the time to leave, i jumped out of water and was ready to change. i passed by the smaller pool aside, made a spur of the moment decision to jump into it. there was no one but me in the kid's pool. it felt wonderful! knees half-bent, my whole body emerged with my head above water surface, looking at the other side and recalling when i was kid i always started from there to here, recalling the first time i learned to emerge myself in water, remembering the first time i choked and it felt terrible and scary. that was the most peaceful moment i enjoyed after all these years.

somehow, i miss my childhood life.