scuba diving instructor currently living in Pattaya

18 years in china, 17 years in singapore, 8 years traveling since 26 Jan 2015.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To know some new friends

Interests

Food, especially seafood!
Football, Man Utd fan.
Diving, padi diving instructor.
motorbiking, through countries.
Hiking, fishing, almost all kinds of sports.

• diving

Music, Movies, and Books

Michael Jackson

I watched a lot of movie

《三国演义》

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

2 feb 2015, Thailand. I went for a picnic with 3 lovely girls. Things was great we enjoy food and sunshine, lying on beach and making bad jokes. Then it rains, for 10 mins. Cold and nothing to do, i suddenly decide to take a challenge, swimming circle koh ma island alone. If you look at map, you will find koh ma is at north west corner of koh phangan, a beautiful site good for snorkeling and diving.

I started from west side of the sand bridge which connecting koh ma to koh phangan. The first 1/4 was really easy. Water calm like a lake. There are people snorkeling, and boats full of tourists on board.

Keep going, when the boats are getting smaller and smaller then disappear, the 2/4 of journey was magnificent, clean blue water, green island, you hear nothing but the waves hitting reef on shore gently..

Up front, I saw a float with a blue flag, maybe it is used to mark good location for diving, I thought. Getting closer, there are white waves breaking on reef. There are some big stones and from where I was, I cannot see anything beyond. Finally I am near the big stones, I realized that the waves here are huge, man height, and the current is strong. If I swim through that, high chance that there are reefs underwater and I might get pushed into reefs by the big waves. Oh shit, what to do now? I decide to land onto reefs before those big stones, where the wave are not that big. Carefully, I climbed up to the reefs, and try to walk and climb over the big stones, avoid the waves down here. After I crossed over the biggest stone, I saw the other side of the koh ma, and also koh phangan in distance. Well until now, 50% of the job is done, I thought.

The blue flag float, was not meant to mark good diving site, but to warn ships for fast current and reefs underwater.

I reach another stone, and there is no way to go.. Cliff on the right, underwater reefs with big waves on my left. I cannot go back now. In front of me, is another big stone 3-4 meter away, and water in between. I cannot make 4 meter leap without assist run. I didn't wear shoes, even if I could make 4 meter jump, the landing will be ugly and bloody. The only option, seems to be the water down here, which looks pure blue, waves didn't break into white color, suggesting that there is no shallow reef down here. But the waves here is about man height, push in, hit on the cliff on my right, retreat back to the sea, come again, back again... Oh man, I gonna to do this. I stretched my arms and legs, took some deep breath, watching the wave reaching the highest point, and made my jump! Lucky I didn't hit anything hard. But once in water I swim away from the cliff as fast as i can, so that the next wave won't push me to the cliff or big rocks in front or behind. Quick quick quick! Haha I survived from the risk of hitting reefs, but this is just the beginning of the horrifying 3/4 journey.

I must swim against strong current now. If I don't keep my pace up, I am actually moving backwards. And I just want to stay away from the rocks behind me.. So swim I swim, soon I feel tired, and I can feel signs of my legs getting into cramp. There is another blue flag float in front of me, maybe 50m away. That's where I need to be to take a rest, shore around this area is not an option. This 50m feels like 500m, the most difficult swim I ever had. As a kid who spend every summer by beach in hometown, I figured out how to swim when I was 8 or 9. I love beach, sea breeze, seafood, ocean. I never scared of water. But now I was thinking, why you want to do this man?

After resting a bit by the float, I set off again. There are rain cloud in sky, and it was 3:45pm when I started this. By now it might be 4:45 more or less I guess, and with my speed I am not sure whether I can get back before dark. If it rains things will just get worse. I don't have time to waste.

Swim I swim, keep on going. I kept talking to myself, I don't remember what shit I was telling myself but in general is to keep body as relax as possible while not compromise the pace, and my mind peaceful. Getting panic doesn't help.

I hear boat in distance. Look up, yeah, there is a boat far away. First thing crossed my mind, is to yell HELP. I looked back, the blue flag float is already some distance away. I may moving slowly but I am moving. I can see koh phangan island is much closer. The current and wave are not as strong as just now. Can I complete circle swimming the island? Shall I give up? Errrr f*ck it. I kept swimming with my mouth shut.

I have been in water alone for a while, somehow I was like into mediation, time seems slow down, and nothing really matters now. I just do what I need to do, simple...

The 4/4 part of journey, was high lighted by the last 50 meters, where the water was just knee deep, but all small rocks down here. I got my hands and feet cut, bleeding. The joy of returning into safety was ruined by pain. I don't know I should laugh or cry. It is nice to see people again, the sand bridge is just ahead. I AM BACK.

When I walk passing by sand bridge, my eyes meet another girl's eyes, she is pretty, and hot. We smiled to each other, but I didn't start a conversation. I don't feel like talking now. Today is one day before full moon party and other dudes are busy getting to know as many chicks as they could.

Well, I do feel exhausted, but also proud. I put my life into hands of nature and survived. I conquered my own fear, handle the critical situation calmly. I love the movie "into the wild", maybe now I can say that I have that spirit, into the wild.

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Won full scholarship for study and became completely financially independent, at age of 18.

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And guess what have I done on top of the great wall?

Teach, Learn, Share

The best part I love about traveling is to meet new friends and listen to their stories. It is impossible for one person to visit every corner of the world within one life time. But it is possible to gain good amount of knowledge from others experiences.

What I Can Share with Hosts

make you laugh.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Serbia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Egypt, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Viet Nam