Thursday, January 20, 2011

On the joys of being wanted

It's the oddest things that make you feel part of a place. In this case it was a friend saying their partner had taken the car to play Golf, and the car was now stuck, unstarting, at the Sports Club. Could we give him a lift down there? Now it was a very small ask, and a pleasure to help out - a minor paying back of some of the kindnesses we've recieved... but it felt good to think that someone here regarded us as good enough mates to ask to help out. It also leaves you feeling that well, if need be, we could ask them to help out. It's odd how important little things like this become when you're far from the support system you grew up with.

We had an island farewell this evening and then Scottish dancing, which was more cosmopolitan than ever (we had South Africans, Irish, English, Chinese, Philipino, Indian, American... and a minority of those really unusual ones, Australians born-and-bred). I still have two left feet.

James and I spent two hours or so diving this morning - or rather, James diving and shooting fish, me bobbing and missing them and fighting the current. It was very strong, and I was trying out my 'new'(second hand $10) 7 mm longjohn and 7mm hooded top. I am still using my weightbelt for the old gear, and have no new weights yet. I was warm... but battling to get down. We swam upcurrent (so it would wash us back to our entry point, but it was HARD work, and constant swimming. I broke the rubber on my handspear, and really need to buy a roll of the stuff. Not sure where to get it, but I bet it's cheap - whereas the made up ones are a expensive for surgical rubber, a piece of netcord and two cable ties.

1 comment: