Coral Gone Dry

Coral has gone dry! How long will it survive without the moisture of the ocean water? Wouldn't you like to know!  I'd like to know too.  Counting back, been submerged about 42 times the past 4 months.  How active was Coral!!  Time to consider Operation Rescue Diver.

BTW, Coral aka Moi is now the name of the blog.  I figured after so many years, maybe it's time for a change.  Essentially, it is still my name, albeit a translated version of my chinese name.  Funny how I never thought my chinese name meant anything until people started asking what it means and I just figured - Split the words and translate them!  Of course, you have thousands of characters in the Chinese Language that it is not easy to exactly match each word to a meaning but my Chinese name 典珊, when broken down can mean 字典的典，珊瑚的珊(i.e. part of the word that forms dictionary and part of the word that forms corals)。That's how I came up with Dictionary of Corals.  Coincidentally, my surname has the same sound as FISH in Mandarin.  So how apt it is that my name can literally mean Dictionary of Corals and Fish (beautiful and colourful corals and fish I may add).  Of course, I can tell you the Korean meaning of my name Yeo Jeon Sun - Which means Female Warrior.  Imagine the Female Warrior of the Dictionary of Corals and Fish.  I feel like a mystical creature now.

 

So back to life.  Coral has gone dry for 1 week now.  The last time Coral went dry, she survived for 1.5months before immersing herself again, and after that another 2 months past before she iched for the sea again.  Matter of coincidence or convenience? Maybe a bit of both.  Now donning the business attire with my heels and projecting a professional demeanour needs some getting used to.  Especially for a so-called unconventional auditor that is Coral.  How's things at the new environment? Not sure.  A little disappointed at some stuff but also nervous and excited about the complexity that follows.  Would my disappointment outweigh my excitement? Only time will tell.  

 

Somehow, my heart is taking a long long time to get down to business.  In the past, holiday withdrawal syndrome only lasts a flicker of an eye blink.  Now it gets harder and harder to swallow.  Why do I still dream and think about mingling with sea turtles, trevalis and Manta Ray when I'm typing away on my computer?  If there's a job to audit the underwater sea life, I'll be the first in line!

 

Coral: Hey sea turtle, you are not following protoccol! Underwater manual says that you don't give a fuck and you should just lazily swim around, not scurrying away!  I give you a RED!

 

Sea Turtle: Management oversight Coral.  We will immediately implement your recommendation.  You will see the next time you do a follow up audit that we will comply.

 

How fun would that be!

 

Now, my coral orientation marks have kinda peeled off 90%.  Still have a few painful blots that can't be peeled off but soon.  Now it's time for OPERATION VANITY PROJECT.  Despite the fact that I like roughing it out, I also like the fact that I maintain smooth flawless skin and legs that make people green with envy!  Call me vain or sissy, I don't care! I can endure the pain but I wouldn't endure the ugly scars that remain.  So Vitamin E and Aloe Oil are my friends for now. 

 

On another note, I hurt my lower back when I was in Labuan.  I figured I probably hurt it when I dived into the water.  But who knows.  Things happen to me when I have no idea how, and when the pain starts or bruises show, I then realize I had done something or something happened.  And this is killing me!  Not the pain, the pain I can bear.  I didn't even blink my eyes when corals started chasing me and left their marks on me.  But this lower back thing is really irritating me much.  Makes me unable to perform in my yoga class when I KNOW for a fact that I always ace those poses.  Crunching my face and taking deep breathes, I tried and tried to bend greater than the current 30 degrees to reach my optimal but the pain shoots me up.  And it kills me deep that I can't do it anymore.  Damn you back!  Maybe I shouldn't have gone back to Yoga knowing for a fact that my lower back hurts, but me being me, I don't give up and obviously I didn't let a tiny ache stop me.  But probably I should now.  Think my yoga teacher unknowingly tried to contort me further and I almost screamed.  So I guess no yoga for me tomorrow, but I'll definitely go for a swim.  Can't just sit and be an invalid.  Hopefully I can be well again for next week.

 

Funny how the 1.5H daily commute each way to office is not as "fun" as the 2H ride to the dive sites.  "Your 1st dive site will be a 2H boat ride away" Okie Dokie, not a problem! 1.5H on the train, well ok I'll take it.  I know, I signed up for it knowing it would be like this.  So I've gotta man up and accept it.  Still, who knows?!?!  Everyone has a breaking point.  I broke mine a couple of times before at different stages of my life.  Who is to say when it will break again this time.

Ah another milestone.  My photo montages have hit 30 pieces!  Beginning from 2005 till date, excluding business trips.  Nice!

 

Coral needs to get it's edges realigned again now.  Cross fingers and hope this monthly realignment will come to an end soon and Coral can shine bright and pretty!