So, I was in Ice Bar tonight and there was some guy painting tattoos on people. I got really excited and got tatted up and down my face, neck and arm! And then i was officially the belle of the ball!

 I've had some days off work to just hang out and do whatever. I'm crashing at my bosses' house. This is their backyard- no retouching involved!

Dom also had a few days off so we headed down to Natadola for some fun diving and hang-out time. I love this girl a lot!

On Monday I head out to Manta Ray Island for 6 days, followed by a stint at Amanuca. Should be an interesting ride. I just want to get back to Reef Endeavor where I belong!

More soon!

See how gracefully he husks the coconut....

You know what really makes my day?? When you rock up on Tivua Island and there’s a bajillion green coconuts just sitting there in a pile waiting for you to collect them! I could only carry six in my bucket so that was all I took. And then, coconut party at the stern!!! We busted out a machete and let the coconut husking begin! Hooray!  Some were really immature and there wasn’t much meat inside them, but there was a lot of juice and it was delicious!

We’re not really having a lot of divers lately because the weather hasn’t been wonderful, but yesterday we took one guy out for a dive on Yaqeta island and we saw a turtle and two sharks!  It was my first turtle on a dive in Fiji so I was stoked.  Good times, good times…

So assuming my bosses still like me in 4 months, I’m thinking I’m going to extend my visa until my birthday and have a super awesome Fijian birthday in june! The weather will be great, the diving will be great and the people will be great! Buy your tickets now people! Go! Go! Go!

Send me addresses and I’ll send you  postcards. LOVE!!!!

Ni Sa Bula!

Well! I’ve been here for two months and even though the weather is currently shit (read: hurricane season), I’m still loving it. I’m finishing up a dive course with this couple, Warren and Marie, from Australia and they’re awesome. A week ago I had a completely different experience, one I hope to never repeat:

I had a diver who was very much on Fiji time. He wanted to do his course, but he didn’t want to actually do anything. If I said to meet at 8, he’d show up at 8:30 and say he had to do something first before we could start.  I was stressing because I wanted to make sure we got everything done that needed to be. Then on  what was supposed to be his last dive, we knelt down in the sand at 12.6 meters and were doing skills. He was removing and replacing his mask, a skill he'd never had problems with, and he started to cough into his regulator. Then, he claims, he couldn’t clear his reg and couldn’t breathe and started to panic.  Then he tries to bolt for the surface. At 12m this is not a wise idea. I’m fighting to keep him down and get him under control, and slowly bring him to the surface. When we get there he gasps for air like he couldn’t get enough. It was petrifying for him I’m sure, but for ME, well I just kept saying to myself “I can’t believe this is happening to me, I can’t believe this is happening to me…”

He was fine and I was fine and we did another dive where he did his skills again and everything was okay and we talked at length about what he’d do in the future were this to happen again. Dear G-d, please don’t let that happen again. Marie and Warren are star pupils and I have no worries about them. But guy-from-last-week, I worry about him a little.

Back on-board the ship I’ve been having little tiffs with the Hospitality Manager. He likes to nit pick and yell at me for things, even though the things he yells about are part of my job description.  So that’s no fun.

And I think I may have had a pilondial cyst, which has ruptured and gone away but was painful and gross when I had it. I’m glad the internet exists so I can pretend like I know what things are and look them up if I don’t.

Additionally, a 70 year old guy from Fort Myers was on this past cruise and he kept hitting on my the whole time. The best was when he told me i was Drop Dead Gorgeous and gave me his phone number. His wife, who was standing right there, she loved it. Not really. But i though it was pretty amusing.

Other than that, I’m happy and buzzed on wine and heading off to bed… More updates soon!

one thousand words:

Happy November!

So the next two cruises are complete opposites. The next one: 17 passengers, the one after: 120 passengers. Whew! It’s going to be an interesting week!  Hopefully my sales will be decent on this next one. We shall see.

I’ve been taking photos with my new camera and am working on a slide show to present to pasengers as part of a Reef Talk that I give on every cruise.  I just talk to everyone about the reef, and different fish and whatnot. But now I’m trying to use my own photos. I downloaded some random photo editing program off the internet, and am now playing around with some of the images I like but are not necessarily usable for the slideshow…

Also I was supposed to have days off, but we’re short staffed so I offered to work for a while longer. Not that I mind! Now I don’t have to worry about packing, finding a place to stay, making my own food, nothing! Whew. Who thought days off would be so stressful??

Nothing much new to report. Lovin’ life. Come visit! Serious!!!!!!!!!!! xx

It's almost Halloween!!!

I always seem to be away for Halloween… I love Halloween with all my heart. Any holiday where you knock on random people’s doors and they happily give you handfuls of candy cannot be bad! Add costumes and decorations into the mix and well, it’s like Chanukkah come early! Funnily enough, Halloween was the first time I’d ever heard of Kira, as my freshman yeah of high school we were both throwing Halloween parties on the same night. All of my new friends who went to middle school with her felt obliged to go to her party, not mine, so I immediately hated her. Oh how times have changed. I love you HLM!!!!

This year I’ve scraped together a cowgirl costume, which is really just clothes I already had, plus a hat, that’s not really a cowboy hat, but close enough. I will be the only one on the ship in costume, but I don’t care! Halloween rules! (Pictures forthcoming!)

In other news, Fiji is awesome and you should all come visit. The diving is beautiful, the weather is still great, the food is delish, and the people are amazing.  Why havent you booked a ticket yet??? I think everyone should come in March and we’ll have a super awesome Fiji party! Do it! Do it! Do it!

Here’s pictures, since there are several requests for them:

A beautiful sunset, one of many…

Andrew and Kay, my bosses. (Kay is in Australia this week and she promises to bring back several bags of chocolate chips for all my cookie baking needs. Yes that’s correct, there are no chocolate chips here. Travesty.)

One of the many islands we cruise past during our 3- and 4-day trips through the Yasawa Islands of Fiji. 

ME!!!! 

Bula!!!

After a week anfd a half on the cruise ship I’m perfectly content! It’s a lot of fun, they feed me amazing food, the diving is great, the people are awesome, and I get to teach courses! It’s a bit challenging to teach on board when you want them to still feel like they’re cruising, but it’s fun! I’ve just certified three students, while juggling intro divers and certified divers in case I wasn’t busy enough. I‘m back in NadI for half a day in between.

I’m loving it, and want to stay here, but I’m sure that as soon as Fabian gets back from holiday, I’ll be back on Tivua with good ol’ RaMarama. Oh well.

Dominique gets here so soon!!!! I’m excited.

Also, I’m getting over a terrible sore throat. It was extremely painful and I am now on antibiotics to squash it. I think in the next day or so I will be 100%. Thank god, because this has sucked.

Miss everyone!

xx