Long way home

It's been a trying week. And just when I thought I was getting on top of it it ended badly again today.

Which then had me debating as I left school at 4.45 - should I ring Teresa to see if she wants to have a drink so I can drown my sorrows? or should I leave her be to go to the gym?

I nobly opted to go it alone - so was wandering the local supermkt for a beer and some food for dinner when Teresa called and said "fancy a beer?"

Minutes later we were ensconced on 'our' bench in the park downing our beers - one each mind - tho' we do buy the biggest cans we can get.

Then some 'whiteys' walked past -we had briefly talked to the American teacher before but this time he was accompanied by another teacher - the first Aussie I have encountered here.

5 hours after leaving school I finally made it home... ah the joy of teaching comrades. I feel a lot better now.

Cat on a chain

This cat gets to hang out at our dive base - instructor also runs a seafood restaurant over the road so I think it is pretty well-fed.

And its mate.
I just can't figure out the chain - it is a very friendly cat...

More Sunday diving

Summer is fading fast - it is down to 15C at night and cardigans have been hauled out from the bottom of drawers. But the days are still 20-25C and generally sunny.

We are still at the snorkelling stage - and everyone is now pretty familiar with clearing their masks and kicking in the approved manner as we swim around in circles.

On Wednesday we swam at night with just a big spotlight on the water.

Above is our lovely new gear - the instructor went out and bought brand new wetsuits, booties, fins, masks and snorkels for the 5 women. Roger, as the sole bloke, gets the pre-used stuff.

Today it was back to the island. Low tide - if you click to enlarge you can see women down looking for wee crabs - about an inch or so wide. They pickle them for a month or so in soy sauce. The beach looks pretty junky - and there is a lot of litter about.

This is the beginnings of a new bridge...

"Son saeng nim" - instructor - on the leaft. And the official photographer ! - on the right.

sub-normal

Since the start of the new school term last week all students have their temperature checked every morning before entering school. More swine flu precautions. Except that they don't check the teachers' - so I volunteered anyway yesterday - at 35.8C I am a bit worried (the norm is 37)- that's almost hypothermic.

The general attitude to illness here is very stoic - you go to school/work regardless - so it's easy to see how swine flu, once started, could rapidly spread.

I must go down the to the sea again...

Saturday morning - had especially not drunk (too) much the night before, had gone home before midnight and then arisen really early. I had to get a bus out of Changwon and get off after the tunnel at a department store and get a taxi to McDonalds (hoping it is the right McDonalds). I knew I was in the right place when I started seeing lots of sailors in their lovely white uniforms roaming the streets. This is Jinhae - a naval base and today is the beginning of a dive course. We will dive every day at the weekend for 7 sessions.

After the others get to McDonalds (there are 6 of us all up) we taxi down to the waterfront to meet our instructor.

It is beautifully calm and is exciting to be back on the coast even if this is more of a harbour.

Just click on the shots to get a better idea.

These guys were preparing to go out.
We didn't move quite so quickly. In fact we spent the next hour or two discussing if we would do the course and then when we would do the course.We definitely wouldn't be diving today. Fortunately there are 2 Koreans in our group because the instructor doesn't speak a lot of English though he has been trained by a Kiwi so I score points there. I actually have my 'ticket' and am just along for the ride - which is also cheaper. We finally establish a series of dates that will work for us all - it is going to be Wednesday nights and Sundays. I get to be an assistant?

Then, just as I figure we'll head back to Changwon, we jump in a boat with 3 other divers and head out.
The sun has burnt off the clouds and there are lots of small islands/outcrops. On the one above they have a hut for shelter/lunch etc. After dropping the divers into the sea we land here and go have a coffee.
Then back to collect the divers (who have caught a big flounder and also have an octopus and various other)and head back to base as one of our group needs to go back to work in the afternoon.

We pass this - it is something like the biggest ship building place in the world.

Back ashore the rest of us head to the instructor's handy seafood restaurant - just over the road. Then it is back home - away from the sea....I'd forgotten how it smells - I miss it.