1st Pool Diving Session, Bad Climbing Day & New CD

D & I had our first diving pool session yesterday from 1.30-6.30pm. We were not exactly sure if the session was on, as HK experienced its first Typhoon Signal yesterday afternoon due to the approaching Tropical Storm Sanvu.

Well, I am looking forward to what Typhoon Signal 8 is like, as long as I am safely at home and not have to hole up somewhere till the danger is over. Apparently, if Typhoon Signal 8 is raised, everyone has to pack up and go home (holiday especially if it's a working day). Usually this signal is raised at least a few hours earlier, so that people have sufficient time to rush home.

BTW, it was pouring and I was feeling kinda lazy on a wet and slow Saturday, so I did hope that the lesson will be cancelled.

Anyway, it was on and was held at the indoor swimming pool at South Island School. It was quite an interesting experience breathing through the regulator and inflating/deflating the BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) in order to float or maintain neutral buoyancy in the water (ie neither float at the surface or sink to the bottom). No pics this time, didn't have time to take anyway.

As usual, being the Clumsy Gecko in the family, I couldn't quite stay still at the bottom of the pool during the sign-language-enhanced lesson, which made D laugh quite a bit in the water. Imagine the seaweed or kelp swaying in the water, well, that was me. I couldn't quite kneel as I kept keeling over either to the left or right; and when I managed to sit down at the bottom of the pool, my heavy tank would pull me backwards. The instructor had to repeatedly hold me down and get me to hold someone's hand. Gee, so embarrasing... as it is, I am already clumsy on the ground, I can't believe I am equally so underwater. Drats.

After the break, I finally got the hang of it and managed to stay balance without looking like a silly kelp.

Today, we were supposed to go to church at YMCA and some climbing in the same building after the service. However, we were late for service, and since I don't like to attend church as a latecomer, we did climbing instead. Anyway, I kept making silly mistakes and my technique was in a mess, which pissed D off quite a bit. He was like the instructor from hell, and I know he meant well by pointing out my mistakes and telling me how to go about improving it, but seriously, I didn't quite like him then.

I am actually more pissed with myself for not doing things right, giving up too easily (especially after getting a lecture from D), not using my silly legs, banging my left knee repeatedly into the holds (a big ugly bruise has formed and going down the stairs hurt), fingers are sore and flaking skin, tired upper arms and neck, and more importantly a hurt ego.

D said if he didn't tell me off, I wouldn't learn and he wants me to learn so that I will not hurt myself. But he could have sounded a little nicer, a bit friendlier and sigh, I felt like I was a little girl being reprimanded by the father. And he knows by prodding my ego, I would have to prove him wrong.

After a 2 and a half climbing session, we dropped by at HMV 'cos I needed to look for the Deep Forest album which has the song "Sweet Lullaby". Yes, it's quite an old recording... old in the sense that it is a song from the nineties. Anyway, I did find the album (HKD 115) and was about to get it but reckoned I should check out compilation albums, especially those lounge/chillout kinds. And I managed to find this 3-CD album set called "Angel Beach The Third Wave" with a good selection of lounge/chillout music, and "Sweet Lullaby" is in it too... and all that for HKD88.

Excellent price, especially since I used my $50 HMV gift voucher to offset the original price. Yeah, I still buy CDs and rip the music to MP3 before downloading to my Ipod Mini... so I am quite legal in that sense.

Here's the list of songs, quite good stuff:

CD 1: Take Me To The Clouds Above - LMC & U2 Somebody To Love - Boogie Pimps Lady (Hear Me Tonight) - Modjo American Dream - Jakatta At Night - Shakedown Time Is Now - Moloko Turn On Tune In Cop Out - Freakpower Praise You - Fatboy Slim Teardrops - Lovestation More Than This - Emmie Summer In The Studio - Kinobe Good Life (Buene Vida) - Inner City Looking For Love - Lopez, Jay Far Away In San Antonio - Eden & Astrud Gilberto Les Nuits - Nightmares On Wax

CD 2: High And Dry - Cullum, Jamie Ruler Of My Heart - DDBB & Norah Jones Don't Know Why - Gilberto, Regina Night And Day - Everything But The Girl Fallin' - Holloway, Oleta Summer Sun - Koop Way You Dream - 1 Giant Leap & Michael Stipe/Asha Bhosle Aqua Marine - Santana Light My Fire - Feliciano, Jose Deep In It - St. Germain Mais Que Nada - Fernandes, Joao Friendly Pressure - Jhelisa Garden Of Earthly Delights - D'Note Moments In Love - Scirocco Sea...Eventually - Beautiful People

CD 3: Seven Seconds - N'Dour, Youssou & Neneh Cherry Give Me The Sunshine - Leo's Starshipp Facing East - Thievery Corporation Bob - Gilberto, Bebel & Otto Sweet Lullaby - Deep Forest When You Gonna Learn - Moreno, Clara Felicidade - Suba Outro Lado - Zuco 103 Crickets Sing For Anamaria - Bossa Nostra Going To California - David, John & Clear Spirit Tereh Bin Nahin Lagda - Partners In Rhyme Magaya - Spheeris, Chris Sunset - Goa Trance Authority Slow - Miami DJ Collective