#AdventurerMelly || Dive at Tioman

With the temperatures rising and seasons changing, it reminds me of some time last year when I decided to take a plunge in doing something rather adventurous. It all took place during the first quarter of my twenty first year when I wanted to try something different and exciting. With the 3 criterias, travel, sun and sea, met, I decided to take up scuba diving. 

As I was still a student, diving isn't the most budget friendly sport thus I had to work during the holidays to save up for the trip. While working, it made me realise how a sport like diving could forge friendships easily. My then boss used to be an avid diver and would share his diving experiences with me to get me all pumped up for my first dive. 

Having taking part in a slightly more dangerous sport, choosing a dive school that is reliable is very important. This gives me the assurance that I will be well taken care of by highly qualified instructors and is provided top quality equipments. Thus I signed up at Singapore's main dive school,Gill Divers. I described it as the main school because even though you sign up with other school, all theory lessons will be conducted at and by Gill Divers. 

The basic open water course at Tioman lasts for 2D2N, over the weekends. Though schedule was tight, there was a great balance of diving, leisure and sleep. Upon arriving at the jetty in the wee hours of the morning, we were greeted by a sky full of stars while being whisked off to the dive site. It was definitely a magical site as I have never seen so many stars twinkling in the night sky. 

Heading out to the middle of the sea

Endless ocean

Goggles removal exercise

With my dive buddy, Yoon Jung

MELLY THE MERMAID

Dive group

Dawn breaks and our first dive commences. Excited and nervous all at the same time, I jumped into my suit not knowing what to expect from the bottomless ocean. The first dive was to get us acquainted with our diving gears, surroundings and partners. We had to go through a series of mini tests on safety measures/actions taken during an emergency; hand signals, clearing of water in the eye mask, removal of regulators and so on. Thereafter, the real adventure begins. The ocean was an endless pit of life and serenity. Just like the movies; corals filled the seabed, fishes swam freely and weird objects found along the way. I was in awe with my surroundings. It opened up a whole new dimension of the world. With the constant hustle and bustle of my everyday life, breathing underwater gave me peace. I could only hear my own thoughts, focus on what's present and not worry about tomorrow. However, unlike the movies or sea aquariums, water visibility was not always perfectly clear, corals and sea anemones weren't all brightly coloured and a lot of luck was required to spot sea creatures. Being fooled by the special effects and magnified glass panels in movies and aquariums, everything underneath felt so raw, authentic and fragile. We had a total of five dives and on the fourth dive, we were greeted by a lone turtle swimming back to its family. It was definitely a well deserved reward after the dive as finding one was not easy. Dive mates and I were amazed and overwhelmed. My friend even managed to swim alongside it.

Kampong style

Accommodation at the dive site was similar to a malay kampong. We stayed in huts with minimal amenities. We had a sea view, roosters crowing at the break of sunlight and communal water and eating point. All these proved that the simplest things in life are not measured in material form. Night life was at the local bar along the beach. It sold cheap booze and bbq food. The corn maze was perfect on that breezy night. Friendships were forged and laughter filled the atmosphere. 

Thanks for the memories

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The fun was short lived but had greatly impacted my perspective on my life, actions and surroundings. One of the most important lesson I have learnt was to always remain calm in a difficult situations. There was no point panicking when I couldn't breath properly or always having foggy goggles. It would only worsen the situation. This also applies to everyday life; keep calm and find a solution to the problem. Also, I would like to thank my dearest friends for their company. The experience would not be the same if it won't for you guys. 

If you have the means, I highly recommend everyone to take up diving. The world underneath us is nothing you will imagine until you experience it yourself. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to get my advance certification. 

#MellyEats || Sunday Folks

My recent visit to Sunday Folks got me thinking about this phrase people use most often than not about how "change is the only constant". Because, it is. There has been so much growth in this little cafe that it's heart warming to see another local business soar. Let me break down the changes I've noticed.

1. Seats availability
In the past, consumers will wait around in the tiny cafe to "chop" seats. That made the place look very chaotic and unsightly. It was crammed and had hardly any personal space. They fixed that by installing a mechanical queue counter, which I think is a brilliant idea. It's a little standee, placed at the entrance, that virtually accounts for the number of people waiting in line for a table. It will notify you, via SMS, once there's availability. This way you don't have to wait impatiently at the table. What I would do is to get my groceries done while waiting for my turn.

2. Menu selection
Cake and waffle selections have doubled. There used to be two squares of waffle in each serving, which can be quite filling for a dessert. Now, we have a choice of one or two squares for each serving. That's a great excuse to eat and spend lesser. There are more cakes on display but I always stick to their specialty, soft serve ice creams. Another favourite of mine is the waffle cone. It is fuss free,don't have to wait around for a table, and more generous with the toppings.

Pistachio in cone

Some constants that keep consumers coming back for more are:
1. Soft serve ice cream
With a concise number of flavours, they did their best in making them appetizing and keep people wanting for more. Don't judge me but I have tried all the flavours, in separate occasions of course, and they don't disappoint sweet tooth like mine. My favourites are pistachio and chocolate.

2. Friendly staff
In my opinion, what constitutes to a memorable cafe visit is the awesome possum food and pleasant service and Sunday Folks managed to tick those boxes. Their service staff were all smiles, very welcoming and helpful.

With that said, take a trip to the west and give it a try.