Dive-Monster Rhoody

Life is easy, beautiful, wonderful and full of energy… Seems, everything is fine and everything is simple… that’s the situations I saw when I pass in the small community..You will see in there appearance, face and how they’re look, that these kids are happy…

The kids thinking…. Everything is no big deal…. Specially  if there  both parents are professional , have a good sources of income that they can give everything for their kids…  food,  clothes, good educations, enough time, family bonding, and sharing their thought…. Then I could consider it a really nice life…
In other part of the place within slum area … there also stories of some families, which are living in poor places….

Life is also easy for them, having rice and soy sauce on their plate, some beer while relaxing, watching TV, singing in the videoke, sitting on the street and having so much chika chika to their neighbor is their easy life… and at the end this family just show to there children how life is easy, no dreams, no obligations, no plants in life…. Each time of the day they are happy, being like this…

Its seems like even one of the member of this family have a  dreams and plan for their life nothing will work out as he/she  is alone for this dream he/she want for the future ….. How sad that life could be….? Then you will see the result, when He/she had a own kids but he/she cant give good future for them…… because  not everybody are gifted and lucky to have a family that can give more support financial , emotional , good educations, Love and respect from each of every one of the family…. How so sad to think that, why there is a kids hopping to have a real good life and happy family…. But there is no change…… it’s just because, since birth he/she is in this life and situations? …

This is  the life  everybody  don’t want to happen for  their own  kids… as long as we can do more just to hang  on and fight  for  leaving…. And be alive….
But what everybody should do if, they born in this kind of life and this broken family…?
And as a being a kid on that time they can’t decide for there parents life?…
As also they don’t know what life they could have in the future….
As they just don’t have good education… the main reason that it’s hard to find a better job with a good source of  income….

That they are in the place where you can’t think properly … and asking why I have this kind of life… and….

What life I can give to my kids?….

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Hence, this is my first day to work in this kind of field. I felt a little bit nervous if I can do the task he has given…but I should not entertain it coz it will just destruct my focus.

First task he has given was to write an article to a different tourist spots here in Dumaguete. And happily ends up to be a successful task ‘coz I did it with myself even it has some kind of changes on some of the sentences of each paragraph. The secret in working to be efficient on the job is to have a self-confidence then things just follows.

The task was so challenging since I’m just new on this field. And I’m still on the process of learning into it.

When things will work-on then maybe this the time that I need to decide which I’m gonna prioritize since I have two jobs now. Even if I’m in a management position at one of biggest cell shop store here in Dumaguete I have to decide which one I will choose and to work with.

I am so grateful that I met these guys who they became my friends as well. I’m sure I will learn more things weather if it is bad or good.

gelmzie

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My daughter is so exited to her back to school and its her first day… as a kid she is happy that she have will meet again her old classmates and new friends as well….. We woke up very early, as we know the roads are broken and many under constructions… and that the main reason also that the start of this years class  is delayed and the vacations for students are extended.

Not only that is the problem, also the tricycle driver’s here in Dumaguete are taking advantage of these situations…

As the road is broken some of this tricycle driver’s ask for more rates of fare.., complaining, and just leave with out saying anything, and some of those are just run away… as long as they don’t like the price you offer for them ….

It’s sad … but it’s happening right now in the city of gentle people…

My daughter   is sad, that maybe she get late in her school… and being exited to this first day of school her excitement turn out to become sadness, disappointment,  and then she cries….

I talk to my daughter and explain, that not all tricycle driver are like that and some of those are honest even we experience to be being ignored of this crazy driver’s and to be not lucky to catch a honest, responsible driver and most of all a friendly and gentle man.. as we are in a city of gentle people… or maybe not …

Maldita

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I had a dive student last week here in Dumaguete. Her name is Michelle Tricca and she is a professional photographer working out of Florida. After the last dive Michelle Tricca asked me if she can take some pictures of my little little one and I agreed.

Michelle picked up her camera, which was surprisingly a small digital camera and looked more like point and shoot and not like a monster-SLR I was expecting. She took pictures of my little one for about 10 minutes or so.

Well, seeing the camera I did not expect a lot, but I asked if I can have a copy of the shots. Two days later Michelle handed me a flashdrive with over 200 pictures.

I want to share some of them here. They are all raw (meaning like taken… no Photoshop or any work on it)

Why I am scared of the future? That little cutie is 8 years. I guess in about 6 years or so boy’s falling in line in front of my house and Rhoody can’t work anymore as he has enough to do to get rid of them. Maybe I will build a electric fence around my home, or look on ebay for some of this self-defensive shooting thingies I can install on the walls and fences.

anyway, lets see what the time brings. I just wanna thank Michelle Tricca for her great work.  If you guys wanna see more of her impressive work, feel free to visit her website : http://michelletricca.com/

cheers

Rhoody

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I found the following article recently on philstar.com. Living and diving here since 8 year made recognize many changes in the underwater world around the Philippines. While some Coral Reefs are well protected, others got destroyed. Many regions change their rules and regulations, but read the article first…

During the last world war, Filipino and American soldiers made their final stand in Bataan before the country fell to Japanese invaders. Today Bataan is again a battleground, with defenders of the environment fighting to preserve its dwindling marine resources.

A study conducted in the coastal areas of Bataan last month by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines and the Manila Ocean Park found that the once extensive coral network of the province is in “a dismal state” and has become “a barren graveyard of broken algae-encrusted coral rubble.” The destruction is most extensive in the area around the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. WWF-Philippines and the MOP blamed the destruction on cyanide and dynamite fishing as well as typhoons.

While the lost corals are irretrievable, it is possible to save what is left of Bataan’s reefs, sea grass beds and mangroves. Environment groups are heartened by the results of conservation efforts in Palawan’s world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs. The annual fish biomass in Tubbataha has risen from 166 to 318 metric tons per square kilometer — a yield that is seven times higher than that of a typical healthy coral reef. The WWF credits this to effective coastal management, which has also boosted tourism in Palawan.

Similar efforts are being undertaken in places such as the Verde Island Passage near Mindoro, which has been described by the US Smithsonian Institute as “the center of the center” of the world’s marine biodiversity. Some 300 species of corals and rock canyons that host an estimated 60 percent of the world’s known shorefish species are endangered by destructive forms of fishing and the use of the Verde Island Passage for commercial shipping. Environment groups are moving to divert commercial vessels away from the coral reefs and guard against destructive fishing methods.

Conservation efforts succeed only in areas where communities participate. Residents of Palawan, whose economy is dependent on tourism, are involved in protecting their coastal resources. In coastal communities around the Albay Gulf, residents are reaping the benefits of a healthy marine environment that invites regular visits from whale sharks and dolphins. With similar conservation efforts, the remaining coastal resources of Bataan can still be saved. This is a battle that can be won.

I like the last sentence a lot, but sometimes I have the feeling that the officials go only one way. All rules and regulations won’t help if they don’t go along with education. It is just not working out to tell a traditional fisher-family “Stop fishing now”.

Those families do that since generations and won’t change behavior due to an announcement or a piece of paper. Additionally many municipalities just don’t care what has been decided in Manila and just working into their own pocket.

We all have to work together to protect the pristine coral reefs and underwater world in the Philippines. Everybody can do a little bit. Communication is one of the biggest factor for reaching that that goal. Helping people to understand why we need to put a lot of effort into reef-conservation. It is a never ending process and a hard battle which can only be won if we all pull on the same side of the string…

cheers

Rhoody

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After my Malapascua adventure The Dane, Mike their Girls an I were flying back to Angeles City where we stood 2 days before Kim and me were heading for a Visa Run from Clark to Singapore.

The Dane found a flight for around 100 Dollar with Tiger Air to Singapore. It is very convenient to fly from the Clark Airport and it seems that there is still some american influence as the whole procedure from arriving to departure runs way smoother than in most other destinations in the Philippines.

We had the pleasure to stay in an apartment of Kims friend (who also picked us up at the airport), where (for what ever reason ) I had the room with the only working Aircon. Of course I offered my big danish friend to change the rooms, but he rejected my offer.

After a quick shower we headed to the next MRT Station, bought a 3-day-tourist ticket and drove down to little India to have a snack. I love Indian food and my friend the Dane knew his way around in that area. I can die for all this dips, breads and variety of tastes. Our snack turned out to be bigger than I usually eat in one day and while Kim and Tic Tac were on the way to fulfill a Filipina-dream (Malling in a real country and real Mall abroad) I went back to the apartment to have a rest.

On that evening we went with our host to a wonderful seafood restaurant named Jumbo and had a dinner. That dinner was just like the Indian stuff absolutely gorgeous and I just could not stop eating.

After that feast, we rolled back to the car to hit some Singaporean Nightspots. One very good thing about that dinner was, that I  was so stuffed that there was not much space for beer. So I went almost sober through the night and had a good rest for the next day. Our plan was to hit Santosa Island, a whole Island with several attractions and a great location to spend a whole day of fun and enjoyment… more about my Visa Run from Clark to Singapore the next days…

cheers

Rhoody

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There are quite some things in life people just should not do. I am always the guy testing my limits and I discovered another NONO.

I was in Subic with Mike my Typhoon diver and my good friend Kim Beermonster. Those who read my blog frequently heard about the Beermonsters abilities to drink whole Islands dry. After a wonderful day and an awesome dive with dolphins and a false killerwhale, we left our Hotel in Subic to go out for dinner and a “small” barhop.

As I made a wrong comment during the day somewhen, I saw in the mean smile of the Beermonster that he was on a mission to destroy me and make me forget my mother language and to sound Danish in the final stages.

It all started quite well with a dinner at Blue Rock Resort. After that we hit the bars along the road. The beginning of the end came when we were invited by some bar manager to have a couple of shooters. I can drink tons of beer, but one shooter just kicks me out off my shoes.

I remember the second shooter some when at 1 am in the morning was a black Sambuca… not that I did it like the taste, but I felt my vision narrowing on the spot after drinking it.

It was like in a old movie theater at the end of the movie when the big curtain is closing slowly. The only difference was that in my case the lights were switched off after closing the curtain. Witnesses told me that I sneaked out around 2 am and headed towards my Hotel.

The next thing I remember was waking up in my room. I did a body-check to find out happily that no major outer damage was done. I ignored the headache and went for a late breakfast around 12:30pm.

Around 1pm the Beermonster came into the restaurant. Somehow he still had the same mean grin on his face I remembered from 15 hours ago… In his hands a bottle of SMB…

Hey, wait a minute the Beermonster does not drink SMB, he drinks that nasty rice-beer SML.

He placed the SMB in front of my Hang-over-nose and explained me that I left a full open SMB on the table when sneaking out. According to his law this can’t happened and he decided that the SMB will follow me wherever I go until I drink it.

So here I sit now… headache, hang-over, with a lukewarm 12 hour open SMB in front and a nasty grinning Beermonster next to me. I try to negotiate and find another solution but after about starring 20 minutes at the bubble-less yellow liquid I saw no other way out than pouring it down…  the rest is history…

Bottom-line: Lesson learned… don’t go out with the Beermonster if you can’t follow the rules…

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