Gili Trawangan

This year I want to go around Indonesia.. that’s what my resolution for 2013 before I become Mrs. Paul Scharf next year .This early march I went to Gili trawangan to try the dive in there and thanks to ci Lina, we managed to go for3 days!!!  Well the journey start just because there is long holiday on mid march coz of silent day so we couldn’t go to bali. After several choices, we decided to go to Gili trawangan, Lombok.

I booked the ticket, the hotel and the dives straightly! Unfortunately made will not be around because he celebrated the silent day so he went back to Lombok with his family. Well but we manage to see each other for couple hours. Anyway  first we booked  the early morning flight and last flight for return from lion air but 4 days before departure they dismissed the morning flight and the night flight return so they noticed us to use around 9am flight, oh well we didn’t have any other choice than that right. 

Two days before depart, my students asked me what I gonna do on long weekend and I simply said that I will go to Lombok.  After several hours, they just ask about the flight and everything. They want to join the trip with me. First they said its only 6 of them so its ok, but on the day I just  know that there will be 12 people go to this trip.. LOL, big group again!

All the baggage and boarding pass already managed by my student so its really a good details. Not only the flight but also they all manage the boat, the dive so its really an easy journey for me. Arrive in Lombok after 1 hour delayed, we got Lombok culinary lunch;  bebalung and ayam taliwang. Bebalung is like a beef ribs with clear soup. Nice to try if you went to Lombok. Finish lunch we drive around 1 hour to bangsal to go to gili. The boat already wait for us in there, stand by with 12 people on board ;) it took only 15 minutes to reach Gili Trawangan.

In Gili there is no motor vehicle, they only use the horse cart or bicycle to go around the island. My place “ big bubble” isn’t far from the villa ombak pier so we took our stuff and walk for 5 min to find the place. it’s a good place for a diver, quite and simple. It will be our home for 2 days. I just check in and see the schedule for night dive. Andddd Made came to meet me!! So happy to see him again after so long. Anyway he is become a real gentleman now also have tattoo :P

I just notice that in Gili they do scheduled dive everyday. So they will show in front of the dive center where will they go and the time. In big bubble they only have 3 dives – 2 day dives and 1 night dive; And we cant go beside than that time ! My students are open water and they want to try the night dives but unfortunately they didn’t allow them to do the night dive before watch the video. Well so its only 2 of us who manage to do the night dives then.

Setting all the equipment and we are ready to jump! Well this is my first time to Gili but seems everybody know about my program “ zero to hero” program, feel a bit shock when they know you even you haven’t been there before.  We went to biorock for the night dive, it was nice but the coral is already dead. We saw lots of lionfishes, cuttlefish and puffer. Steve and Andes were our guide.  Steve just finished his divemaster and guide us that day. Andes also just become instructor and guess who is his CD!! Holly Macleod! Wow its really a small world :P Finish the dive, we went to blue marlin to have some dinner and met holly in there, we cant chat much because the next day she need to work and I will go diving. It was nice to see her smile again J

The next day we manage a private boat for our group, my students manage to get the boat and instructor for us. We will do 4 dives – which cant be happened if we take the regular group lol… anyway the four dives are amazing – even the coral is pretty damage – we play around with the scooter ( my first time and I LOVE IT!), camera, new go pro, and buoyancy for sure. I really love to see them getting better and better. Almost all of my student got addicted with diving – in positive way! 

Lots of turtle around and they didn’t scare with us, especially when they were eating, in the current we also found hands up turtle, maybe because he didn’t want to get something in his face so he put his hands up. So funny! The 2 best things are “mermaid”, centeng, she is really good with buoyancy if there is camera around, if not she looks like cycling all around hehehehe… And Lina officially I can consider as a rescuer now! She helped centeng alot when we dive.

Done!  5 dives in Gili T, now time for PARTY!!!! We took dinner and go around ( only a half) the island and hang out with the rest of the group. Drinking, chilling out, also partying underneath the star! Some fire dancing show that night and I got some bruises because the big rock in the beach lol… everytime I went to some new place I always got this thing on my body!

Last day of the holiday, I hate it but need to go back to work. We just use the same boat to go back to main island and go around Lombok for awhile before the flight depart. I and Lina manage to do culinary again, we tried another bebalung, ayam taliwang, telur asin bakar, and nasi puyung. We also have time to see Lombok craft, they made some furniture from the pearl skin. Nice to see Indonesia creativity and well known in the world.

Time to go home! Same with our flight to Lombok, they also delay for 1 hour.. but the time flies really fast, I met new people, make some friends and know a new place. that’s looks like PADI slogan but its real and I enjoy myself in diving world especially when I see so many smile around me. Hope can make another great trip again <3 

MSDT

Almost 4 months since my new life in Jakarta started and I already settle down with the change from Bali to the big city - Jakarta. Yes! It’s still crowded but life must go on right:) I have many students in here, sometimes in big group or maybe small group of one family. I am trying to make them comfortable and feel save when dive with me because the first impression is always matter. I still remember my very first diving with my "big sister" Miss Minni  and since that moment I fall in love with diving.

I tried to care each of my students and pay attention to what they need and how they handle diving. They are nervous in the first time but after the first dive I was really happy to hear their excitement under the water and how they amaze with diving.

I have many kind of student, from 10 years old until older one. Their expressions are almost the same! They love it. Some of them become addicted in diving - of course I'm glad they like it. 

From the regular class until private classes with people who want to dive but they have limited time. Each of them has their own personality but one thing is the same: THEY LOVE TO DIVE.

I, myself, try to make all my student put a little smile (big also ok :P ) on their face after we finish every lesson. And after 4 months teaching, I got achievement after all the thing I had done. I got my Master Scuba Diver Trainer level and for sure I will not stop J  Thank you to all my students to make my dream nearer and nearer. Thank you also for the friendship, the excitement and the diving of course. I hope we can do another dives again someday! ^.^

Back To The Big City

My new life after become instructor is really amazing. I used to plan to work in Bali as diving instructor but the place that I want first didn’t accept me – well there are so many offers as well in Bali but at the end I choose to come back to Jakarta. I had time to teach in Crystal Divers before move to another dive center. My (first) student was a referral student from USA. She has done the theory and pool session before so this time only open water left. She really nervous and decided will not dive because that time she didn’t really feel ok to do that. I tried so many ways to take her down but after three times encourage her; she gave up and asked to go back to the boat. That time I was really disappointed but that’s out of my reach.

Then turn out my real first student also a referral from USA again but this time was a young guy – a firefighter. It makes my confident back again after some incident before!! I love when they satisfy with the dive J I got 2 students when I was in Crystal Divers and they were really happy when finished the course. Time to go from Crystal Divers L I got a new job at Divemasters Jakarta. I got training for 1 week first at Divemasters Bali for the product knowledge.

Jakarta… Jakarta… Jakarta… I have been left this city for 1 year already, many things have change but only one thing never (will) change is THE TRAFFIC!! Its suck a lot :P It took me about 1,5 -2 hours from home to office. I used to plan to stay near my office but there was family issue that didn’t let me to move out. So 3-4 hours in traffic here I come! First week here I tried to use the bus but there are really rare bus passing to my office so need to drive own car than use a taxi all the time.

My first week in Divemasters was not so busy coz I still need to know the condition and how to make the schedule. Diving in Jakarta is different with Bali, especially the course schedule. There are private and regular classes here. Regular class consists of 5 meetings ( theory and pool) and 2 days in island. Private class (you maybe already know from the name :p) consists of 3-5 days theory and pool class, and also 2 days in island. We can do 2-3 days for full day or 4-5 days for half day with flexible time – with appointment of course. The other different is the time! We do the class at night time after office hour. As you know Jakarta is a big city and a lot people will still work/ school during the day.

I am working with Mr. Andi Zul as a Course Director here and also Rakhmat as a diving instructor here. Almost 2 months I have been worked in here and I have quite many students want to dive. I got so many background why they want to dive from the person who scare to the sea but after seawalker, he amaze and try to learn  how to dive; coz they want to dive with their kids; and also bad experience with cowboy instructor. So many background why they want to dive before their holiday and also because they fall in love with hidden city, underwater world. One thing I never regret that I got this scholarship and teach a proper diving J

Every End Has A Start

I watched one movie series and it was about intern doctors who need to find another place to get more experience, they did that in the 5^th year of their education. In that movie, one of the attending didn’t want to let go the intern, and another intern didn’t want to move to another place. But at the end all needed to move on to gain another experience beside the place we called “home”. It is the same with all of us here, the seven interns, we need to go to somewhere else than our home, we need to grow up to face the world but at some point we will go home.

Almost one month ago we finished our internship with CRYSTAL DIVERS as diving instructor. It has been a pleasure to be part of this program. I have so many new friends,a new family,a new life and great moments in my life.  Allow me to give big gratitude to all the people who helped me in diving and also non diving.

To my fellow interns, thank you for your friendship. I can call you all my sisters and brothers. You will always be part – one of the best parts in my life. It was also a pleasure to work with you guys, hand in hand. I haven’t said a proper good-bye last time because it’s not a permanent good bye. We will gather together – all of us – in some point in our life.

Vintty, oneng -my beautiful roommate and my only sister in this internship, she always said it’s ok for everything to me, especially in cooking. She also always helped us to learn about diving, a good teacher can I say especially for one of us (you know what I mean right ;)) . Good luck with your new job in Absolute Scuba! I’m sure we will meet again someday.

Eri, the commandant, don’t be worry so much.. Today is today, tomorrows problem just be tomorrows problems. That’s what Eri always said to me. Don’t be worried too much, life is easy. He also always gives us a place when we do over night trip to Tulamben because he is the owner of Tulamben :p Good luck for your job at Tulamben Wreck divers!!  I will come to you if I go to Tulamben.

Jink, the golden boy, we had some problem before, during the internship, but after several moments all the things got back to normal. Well its part of our journey maybe but we are fine now. He always entertains us with his jokes, because it is in his blood. From serious problems, he can also make it into a joke.  Take good care of your health seriously bro. Don’t mess up with it again ok ;) Good luck with your dive and we will meet again soon!

Nico, the adventurer, he really got many experiences in his life from bad things until good things. He also have someone special and finally he got the girl ;) Way to go Nico!! You are a good instructor, believe that and don’t worry about people talking about you. Just show them that you can do it, no need to say it. Good luck with Crystal Divers and take good care of crystal bro!

Imam, the thinker, he is a good person but at some times he tends to make simple things to be really complicated. Remember KISS imam and don’t think too much ok. He is a friend who is always there for you when you need it and he's a hard working guy. Thank you for the bike and I wish you all the luck in Gili Air! You need to take me diving if I go there ;)

Made, the little brother, first time he always thought that it’s too hard and everything, but the good thing is that he wants to be success so he learns harder every day. Sometimes he didn’t want to listen to everybody and locked himself in his room. He is a good diver but always get cold – eat more ya made ;), a good bartender, and also a good chef. Good luck in Big Bubble Made! I will see you in Gili!!!

I also can’t express my gratitude enough to Crystal Divers. You gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity that   I will never regret in my life. Opportunities to know a hidden world, to know many people from around the world, to know the meaning of life. I would not know all the things if I didn’t take this chance. All the instructors, dive masters, instructor trainee, guests, the girls, equipment boys, room boys, all the drivers, boat crew.  Thank you thank you thank you for the friendship. I am pleased to know each of you and you always have a place in my heart. Keep contact and all the best for your plans in the future. Also a big thank you to PADI, Dive Master, DAN and all the person who sponsored us. We will not be like today if without your help also.

I want to thank especially to Minni , who gave us this wonderful opportunity. It would not be like this, if you didn’t have trust, support and dream. You have all the trust to us even sometimes we even didn’t trust ourselves. You raiseed us like you raiseed your own baby. You love us from deep inside your heart. You taught us about diving and also life, courage, dream, and drinking. Now we need to grow up and face the world but you keep open your arms to hold us if something happen to us. You are our mom, our angel, our savior. We can’t pay you but we can show you that your hard work will not be used less. Someday we will make you more proud to seven of us and we will try to not let you down. 

This post will be the last blog for my journey in crystal diver because the program is over and we need to face the world in front of us as good instructors for our next generation. I, myself will go back to Jakarta to a new work place, Dive Master Jakarta. If someday you go to Jakarta don’t forget to contact me there;)  I wish you all good luck and I hope we keep in contact <3 <3 <3

Instructor Development Course

IDC... Instructor Development Courses! Finally after 1 year we have been studying in here, we made it to the critical stage. We have been studying for 16 days to fulfill the entire requirement. We were studying about theory (5 theories we learnt in Dive Master) and PADI standards, Class Presentation, Pool Presentation, and Open water Presentation. Other than that we also listened to some presentation about Marketing, Rush Hour, Business in Diving, etc. We sit on the classroom for few days with also pool and open water session but mainly we spent the time in the class and pool.

It was fun and tired course actually but it all paid with our good score during the course. Minni, Holly, Taka, Giovanni (as Staff Instructor Candidate), Else, and Paul presented and helped us through this course. We already know a little bit about the IDC because we have been here for 1 year and we saw many IDC before our own IDC but still it’s different from sit backside to front seat. Some of us joined two times IDC so they know and more confident to make some presentation and the theory as well.

Our progress was really good. All the mark was more than passing score. Maybe one or two mistake on the pool presentation because of breaking standard but it’s a learning process. We knew what the mistakes were and we learnt to avoid that in the future. Thanks to the entire instructor who patiently taught us to be better instructor. This course is different from other courses, we need to stand in front of the class to talk about mistake question, selling some con-ed and dive equipments. We need to identify the mistake on the pool or open water that usually new students have it.

One more step to be a diving instructor and all of us would achieve a good score and wouldn’t let down the entire person who already spent many time to teach, trust, and support us all. Three days of IE started on 2^nd of April and like Minni said not good luck because we all have the knowledge already.

MAPPING TRIP

Mapping is one of the Dive Master requirement, we need to make an underwater map of one dive side in Bali. Seven of us will make one dive site map and the choice goes to TULAMBEN DROP OFF “The fantasy wall”. Minni helped us out to make a choice this time because almost all other dive sites have been made before. So we need to prepare all the things to bring to Tulamben because we wouldn’t do only the paper map, we would also make the 3D map so need more preparation than others right. We planned what we need to do, the tools we need to bring, the equipment to make the 3D structure, transport, tank and the accommodation. We haven't been going in one go because we will be in the car with the other customer so it saved some transport money. Three of us – me, jink and imam – went first because we need to do the deep specialty before we begin our Mapping diving. The second group planned to arrive in Tulamben at night with motor bike and the last group would be arriving next morning with motorbike as well.

First day...

We were ready to do the first dive now!

The first group is me and Eri, the second group is Jink and Vintty, and the last group is Nico, Imam, and Made. Each group have their own duty. My group’s duty was checking the compass heading, finding the distance for the place we mapped, and surface compass heading from entry point. We did the dive for 60 minutes and we had lunch with Minni and Tony (from PADI). We were talking a lot about what we gonna do after we finished this course and he adviced us about how to find a job. It’s really a good advice for us and a reward for our 1 year course. The second dive, my group need to count the kick cycle from the wall, the details of the wall, and the distance from the block. We were done with the diving for day 1 now! We made the structure for the 3D Drop- Off map. We have been doing it together and it looks like we are a good team. We made it from cement and all of us have our own speciality in this thing Like Nico is good in mixing the cement First structure was done in first day and we need to make it dry then we can continue to the next structure. Not an easy time because if we use cement for all of the structure it will be really heavy (it’s still heavy like hell even with the steroform inside!!).

Second day...

This dive was focusing in the wall contour and the interesting points. We need to find the distance and the depth for all of that. It took us not so long to do that because Eri and Jink already familiar with Drop Off. We were finished earlier that day and we were playing in the beach for a while collecting the rocks, the sand for our map and Jink took us to the edge of the beach and we dug a hole about a couple meters from the sea and yes, the water indeed not salty. It’s so weird but that is the mystery of Tulamben. The rest of the day we spent to finish the contour of the 3D Map. We discussed a lot about the contour and we need, is to wait again to do the next dive because there was still something missing in our mind. We also went to the hill on sunset, Eri showed us the place where we can see the Agung Mount and the sea in high place. It was a good view and really nice to end our Mapping Trip to Tulamben. We also a made sketch for the paper map that night. We had fish grill dinner like always and Eri’s family and friends came to join us there and we had a little party that night because this is the end of our trip to Tulamben. Thank you for the hospitality of Eri’s Family!

Third day...

Final dive today because some of us will go home today and we needed to finish the contour at Crystal. We were diving for 1 hour to make sure again the interesting point of the place. And that was it. We finished our mapping dive and time to go home now. We were separated into 3 groups again to go home...

This Journey was also the first journey for all of us and it tightened our friendship. We will do it again for celebrating our Instructor maybe That was our 3 days Journey to Tulamben and for finalizing the map we were doing it in Crystal with our document. We put the rock and the sand to the structure, made Jukung miniature, the coral, sponge and paint it. The hardest part was searching for the material for the miniature because we can’t use play-do! The play-do cant be hard and we need something that last forever. So we need to skip this part first and focus to another map. The paper map is not so hard to be finished because its only drawing so we finish it in less than a week.

I was searching the material to create the miniature and with Milan help, I found the shop where they sell CLAY! I could move forward then. I made some miniature of jukung, coral, sponge, and the block. We put all the miniature in the place and paint it. It Looks pretty cool now and we need 1 month to finish all the things.

BIOROCK by Vintty Koloay

• Suatu kesempatan yang sangat berarti saya bisa ikut serta dalam program Gaia Discovery Partners Big Bubble for Coral Reef Restoration With Biorock® Technology

• Selama 1 minggu Saya bisa bertemu dengan teman-teman baru, menyelam, belajar lingkungan laut Bersama Delphine Robbe dan saat ini saya merindukan mereka semua.

• Kami melakukan aksi yang sederhana, namun kita dapat membantu menyelamatkan terumbu karang dan lingkungan laut yang semakin terancam.

• Bukan hanya menyenangkan namun saya memperoleh bayak pengetahuan baru tentang terumbu karang.

• pengamatan sederhana dari belajar membedakan Coral, sponge, hydroid, dan ascidian..

mengenal predator coral yaitu Drupella Snail dan Crown of Thorns Starfish dan cara mengambilnya.

• Saya sangat menikmati kegiatan Coral Gardening dimana kita dapat membenarkan posisi terumbu karang yang mungkin terbalik dan patah karena badai dan Coral watch pengamatan kesehatan terumbu karang bedasarkan slide yg ada. Dan yang paling meyenangkan saat kita membuat biorock, membentuk besi-besi menjadi Starfish, menenggelamkannya dan meletakkan terumbu karang di biorock kami. Besar harapan semoga terumbu karang dapat bertumbuh sehat dan ikan berdatangan dan tinggal di sana.

• Aksi lokal di Gili Trawangan akan berdampak Global ketika kita kembali ke daerah dan negara kita masing-masing karna nantinya kitapun akan turut memberi contoh yang baik dan mengajari apa yg telah kita dapatkan kepada teman-teman di tempat asal kita nantinya.

• Menyelam di tempat baru dapat memberikan pengalaman berbeda bagi saya, sensasi menyelam keliling 3 Gili bersama tradisional boat,

Atraksi shark dan turtles yang benar benar berkesan. Dan jika anda ingin belajar tentang biorock di Gili Trawanganlah tempatnya, anda bidsa melihat puluhan biorock dari berbagai bentuk dan bermacam-macam terumbu karang dan ikan yang sudah hidup di sana.

• ini adalah pengalaman yang sangat menyenangkan dan tak kan terlupakan bagi saya, banya terima kasih saya kepada Mallika Naguran yang telah mensponsori saya untuk mengikuti progam ini.

• semoga program seperti ini akan terus berlanjut, sehingga semakin banyak orang yang melihat betapa indahnya dunia bawah laut agar kita semakin menyadari pentingnya menjaga dan melestarikan lingkungan laut bagi kita dan generasi yang akan datang ;)