Also!!! iPhone now works with mr-monkey.com so expect regular updates!

Weather forecasts for the UK look pretty bad! Good luck guys! The monsoon is over I think although it did rain today for an hour or so.

Not really getting any emails from people in the UK with what you’ve all been up to so either Facebook me or reply to this or even email! Still got the thai number so you can always text that – its on facebook, I can’t remember it.

Gotta go, got more Advanced divers starting today so we’re rolling the course into ours and adding the numbers. Orientation starts in 10. Happy new year!

Laptop is still being fixed, as is camera, sorry guys, for photos you’ll just have to look around facebook for those that I’m friends with most recently if they share photos. Been very busy with the Instructor Exam etc and since then have been doing open water courses – massive group of 19 started 3 days ago with me and 2 other instructors. It finishes today at 12.30 when the morning boat returns and I’m already scheduled for poolwork this afternoon with another group of OW students starting this afternoon – should be good as it will finish on the 31st so a good party to be had on completion!!!

Non-diving related, not a vast amount has been going on, maybe it has… New band at the fishbowl really good! Christmas dinner on the 24th was really cool. Went to the grand opening of the new Koh Tao cinema last night – I think it is www.screeningroomkohtao.com but don’t hold me to that – pretty cool, played wii games on the massive screen. Should have some pretty good films on so something else to do. New Years plans are looking pretty good and the stage has been left on the beach since Christmas so I presume Ban’s has something pretty big planned.

Did some deep diving, can’t remember if I said that in the last post – my dive watch hated it so much it is now in Bangkok being repaired but is promised back in the next few days.

Right, off to work! Happy Christmas to all and here’s hoping you have a wicked new year!!! xxx

Right, so on with the brief history of the last couple of weeks. You haven’t heard anything in a while as I’ve been doing my Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam… which I have passed so am now a diving instructor. Think a lot of exams, theory, physics and not much diving. Now I’ll be chilling on the beach until Christmas and then moving onto Master Scuba Diver Trainer so I can teach Nitrox etc. Ben has left and has a present for Charlie with him… so watch out Charlie

I hear it’s been snowing in the UK, its 33 degrees today but cloudy so nice to just lie on the beach until the afternoon boat leaves to Southwest and Shark Island – a nice deep dive followed by a pretty good bay with a couple of instructors and master instructors. Best wishes for Christmas and all that – it all seems a long way away from here although we are going diving on Christmas day with hats and christmas tree etc so should be some good photos if my camera is alive by then!

Oh, how about this for cheap. Got my bike serviced today, they re-adjusted the back wheel as the chain had stretched, bent out the brake pedal as I’d never noticed it was in the wrong place, added foot pegs (taking the frame to bits and building new ones) and something else… the bill came to 100 baht – so that’s 1.80 in UK money. Did I mention that it also costs about that much once ever 2 weeks in fuel?

Happy Christmas guys! I’ll probably have moved house since then as I want to live on the south side of the island for a bit.

The monsoon still can’t really make up its mind so we’ve had another few days of rain with no real storms – fine by me as I’m spending most of my time in the classroom. One vague highlight… my bank cards finally turned up! Maybe now I’ll buy a wetsuit as it is getting nippy here – amazing how after a while 28 degrees in the sea and 30 degrees on land seems cold.

Maybe more news in a few days.

I’ve been out of the water letting all the mosquito bites heal and have done pretty much all the exams except one which I’ll do after the lecture at 13.30. Yes, I know, amazing, lectures in paradise – but they are held in the bar and you do get bought irish coffee so its OK. The holes in my feet are looking pretty good so I may even do my 800m swim out to the boat and back today – I’m literally running out of stuff to do on the Dive Master program. Few more course assists, 2 more lead dives and that’s it! Then just fun diving until christmas.

Debbie’s adopted a kitten that turned up at Phoenix Divers a few days ago. We took Woo Kitty to the vet yesterday, she’s 800 grams and probably about 7 weeks old – sadly no photos as my camera is allergic to paradise and is currently enjoying a flight back to the UK.

Pip sent me a link to the BBC and the weather you’ve been having over here – seems a bit over the top even for the UK. The monsoon season here hasn’t really done a lot, 3 days of rain and a couple of wicked storms but that’s about it. We’re still in monsoon season for another couple of weeks but as I write this from the deck chair on the beach outside Ban’s it is 32 degrees and sunny and it isn’t even lunchtime yet.

Productive afternoon planned, we need to track down a bbq for Debbie’s leaving do and Elizer’s birthday. I don’t hold out much hope for the quality of the food as when I inspected the kitchen in my new house (oh yeah, I moved 3 days ago) I discovered I have 1 fork, 7 plastic knives and a pan. All useful things for making kebabs I’m sure.

Some of you know that Ben is out here – probably one of the reasons I haven’t been in the water for a week – I really should do some diving before I forget everything! Took an exam this morning and was convinced I’d failed – I actually got 95%!

I’m sure there is a lot of stuff that has happened in the last week that I could write here, but I can’t remember so this will have to do. Finished reading ‘The Beach’, what a piece of crap. Right…. lunch time.

Anyway, continued assisting on courses (going to an Open Water course dinner tonight) and working my way through my Dive Master course – I’m now most of the way through it so there are a couple more things to do but the next IDC starts in 2 days so I can dive for free all the way through until January and get paid to lead / assist. There could be worse places to be!

I’m tickled when I read on Facebook the Monday morning posts and those comments as you all edge towards the weekend – Here the courses start every day so there is never a weekend, actually maybe its more like there is never a weekday? Went to a tiny bar up the mountain last night and Ben and Connor turned up with guitars and entertained for a while. I love the bars here, turn up… take the place over… order food from another bar to be delivered… eventually they close and you need a new bar.

A few days ago we were invited by one of the waiters at AC to his wedding (Burmese wedding) on the other side of the island just passed Mae Had. It was totally amazing and there are LOADS of photos which I may well get onto Facebook at some point – It will be a while as Debbie took 210 photos and I need to delete a lot of them!

Diving-wise, there’s been some good stuff here recently including turtles but because of the monsoon the viz has been crap and diving is hard work in places and really unpredictable. A friend came on the first dive yesterday and decided to stay on the boat for the second… which was the best dive yet! Damn shame. Anyway, snorkel party starting soon so best get out of here and get sorted for tonight. Oh yeah, bought a reg. Anyone wanting ideas for christmas presents feel free to donate, it was 27700 baht (55 baht to £)

Its been a manic week so far with house hunting, various nights out and assisting on Open Water, Advanced Open Water and EFR / Rescue. Just completed my second skill circuit (think giving instructions and explaining to students how to do things but underwater). Also this week I’ve done the 400m swim and the 15 minute hover amongst others.

There’s been some good photos which will be up on facebook shortly or maybe already?!? can’t remember.

Went to the most amazing restaurant last night with the guys from Phoenix. You go up the mountain on the concrete road, it then turns into a dirt track, you keep going. The track gets smaller and steeper and only accessible by bike. Eventually you turn up at this clearing next to a wall with a door. Once through the door you enter this cosy lounge / terrace with views overlooking the south side of the island. Fillet steak is 220 baht – (4 quid) with everything.

The night before I went with the guys and gals from Bans to a place called “Kitchen for you” – literally the front room of someone’s house. There were 9 of us and only 1 table in the place and only 4 menus. The staff (mother and a couple of daughters) cook the food while you help yourself to drinks from their fridge.  Amazing food, then back down to the beach for dessert at Seashell Resort  which Lisa highly recommends for their milkshakes – she’s not wrong!

Right…. off ot the beach.

Open Water course final day today so out to White Rock and Twins for 2 dives to 17.9 meters – getting pretty accurate now! Rescue divers also on our boat so lots of ketchup smeared on wounds and people falling over the side – pity no one told our open water students who looked worried! Came back for a rushed lunch and then straight into Skills with Dave, Lisa, Steve and another who’s name escapes me.

At the end of the skills session I had to do an equipment swap underwater as a stress test – the stress being that no octopi were supposed to work and we assumed Lisa’s reg didn’t work so it was undo all releases, swap kit including fins and weight belt while buddy breather from one reg! So much fun – I had the shortest first stage in the world so we were 12 inches from each other with 2 BDC’s. To top it off Lisa’s my height but tiny so I end up trying to wear an XS bcd. Nearly got stuck with no hands and my reg in her mouth running out of air – you can’t hold your breath – you have to breathe out all the time to show you are doing it right. Crazy.

Meeting my Open Water course guys and gals tonight for their meal and some drinks, then hopefully home nice and early for some sleep. I even get a lie in tomorrow before Advance assists. Amazing.