Puppypuppynou's blog

"Just do it" were the last words i heard from my instructor as i finally tumbled backwards off the side of the boat into the indian ocean.I don't blame him for getting slightly firm with me.I had after all been balancing precariously for a good five minutes on the edge of the boat debating whether i had the guts to take the plunge.I was the youngest of all and was almost shivering on my own on the boat!
I had a 'regulator' jammed in my mouth,a mask menacingly enclosing my nose and eyes,a 12litre tank of air dragging down on my back and a pair of ungainly flippers encasing my feet.It was not exactly the most pleasurable experience i could imagine,especially since i'm scared of the sea.
If i'm being honest,things did not get much better after hitting the water.While to my great surprise,having emerged upright from a swirling mass of bubbles,i was still alive,i was hyperventilating like crazy and had an overriding desire to simply rip off every piece of equipment and jump back on the boat.
"What finally triggered my decision to 'go for it'?,was i wondering.An act of madness or faith?"As my breathing calmed down,I realised that it had indeed been faith.Faith in the fact that my scuba diving instructor,Gerald,really thought that i could do it.
Or rather,he knew i could do it.Like any scuba diving instructor on the island,it is more than what their job and reputation are worth to transfer any beginner from basic sub-aqua training exercises during which you familiarise yourself with equipment and the basic principles of the sport in the safety of a pool to the sea without an implicit belief that you can cope with the underwater challenges ahead.
And so it was time to actually descend.Little by little,down we went and the deeper we went,the bigger my eyes became and the more rapidly fear was replaced with awe and wonder.The equipment,so alien and ungainly on dry land,is carried effortlessly under the ocean.And,as you glide peacefully through this extraordinary subterranean world,one of the things that strikes you most is the noise.Or rather the lack of it.
No mobiles ringing or bleeping to grab your attention and tell you of an incoming text!No car or plane engine roaring.No sirens.No voices.Everything under water is communicated through sign language,which that there is just the genle,regular,rhythmic sound of your breathing and the bubbles this produces as you float peacefully suspended by the water.The slow,deep breaths in diving have often been compared to those experienced when practising yoga.I can see what they mean.
Then,there is what you see.Precisely what you see,of course,depends where you dive in Mauritius.But in the beautiful sites off the Flic en Flac coast to which i was taken,there is wonder all around.In the soft blue light,which is naturally gentle on the eyes,big grey Eagle rays sweep by,their 'wings' carrying them effortlessly on.Octopuses pulsate past and fascinatingly ugly stone fish stare staight at you before returning to the camouflage of their rocks.Majestic,orange lion fish with translucent spines float by while orange-n-white-striped clown fish(think of Nemo!)peep from their violet anemone and bright turqouise surgeon fish dash about their daily tasks blissfully unaware of their beauty.A little further,glided by the currents,a schoal of zebra fish awaiting us.Down below,I saw clamps and kept waiting if it would open itself.Not very far were lying beauties of the indian ocean.There were reef fish,carp schools and the famous cathedral.The cathedral is an enormous cave with light filtering through a crack in the ceiling,it is one of the most incredibly atmosphere and you think-am i really seeing this?I ventured 13 metres down and saw giant murray eels,lobsters,an extraordinary number of kingfish and other murray eels hiding,rarely seen in this world-famous dive site.WOW
I have asked many experienced divers whether they still feel stunned by what they see.The answer is always a resounding 'yes'.
The sight never lose their thrill.I was amazed by the intricate patterns,the astonishinglyvibrant colours and the sheer beauty of life underwater.
No fashion designer could in their most imaginative dreams dress fish more elegantly,it's a gift to humans from god simply.Add to this corals,the sea fans and the breathtaking architecture of rock formations and when you are in the presence of such natural beauty and tranquility it helps to see the world in perspective.This was only 50 minutes of precious peace.
Back onto the boat and preparing a barbeque on board(unusual but true),a cold exotic cocktail drink in my hand and i wondered.......long before ascending from my first dive i knew that i too would be going back to experience more and more of this extraordinary world...I promise,if i can learn to dive anyone can.When you visit Mauritius,abandon the sun lounger,as my instructor said..."just do it"....a whole new world is waiting for you in underwater Mauritius!

Sites to discover-main catch points
*The North-underwater visibility is good in the dive sites but is mainly for snorkling.These include Merville patches and aquarium-a channel of sand in between two reefs,a real delight.
Others in the North are shark point which is surrounded by rocks with circling reef sharks and whale rock which is a unique combination of only black and white marine life.
*The East Coast-the sea can be rough but great adventures.These include Belle Mare Passe:sharks,schools of fish including barracuda and other sea monsters and sea valley:a dive full of tuna,dolphins and huge Marlins.
*Another lovely site in the south Blue Bay where we've got the biggest Brain Coral in the Indian ocean.

TIPS
*Diving helps you lose weight.We burn as many as calories diving as during an energetic tennis match.This is mostly because we use lots of calories heating up the cool air breathed from the tank to body temperature.
*you cannot dive with a cold or ear infection.So,eat plenty of the wonderful Mauritius fresh fruits,vegetables and garlic to boost vitamin C and to ward off colds.Also chew the root of fresh ginger on your way to the diving site if you get seasick.The super nutrients gingeriols in ginger quell travel sickness.

Well folks,again it's long but it takes less than 5 minutes to read through.Hope you visit Mauritius-the paradise island one day.There's plenty much to say about this tiny island,it's history,it's beauties....Read more about it!
your comments are most welcomed:)

Well,i tried to find a subject matter that will personally help many of you here on the broth because most of the ones i know here are in their late 20's,an age where they are shaping their dreams and looking for jobs.so here are some tips which might help you..

*Picture two mirrors-an 'unchanging' mirror and a wonderful mirror.Look into the unchanging mirror and see yourself in five years with nothing changed.Then look into the wonderful mirror and see your life as you want it.What have you done to get to that stage?This process unlocks your ideas and strategies will come to mind.

*Think about what activities took your attention as a child-this will give you clues as to where your passion lies

*Imagine you're famous-what would it be for?This will help you see what you want to do

*Write down people you admire and focus on the skills they possess.Once you realise what is important to you and what you admire,it's easier to find out what jobs are right for you.

*Get hold of a careers encyclopedia .Notice which jobs you are drawn to and ask yourself 'what is it about this job that interests me?'

*Get motivated by thinking how much happier a better job will make you.Imagine yourself working there-what sort of things would you be doing?These tiny details will make your dream job a reality.

*There's a big difference between goals and daydreams.A daydream may never come true but a goal is something you can realistically work towards.So write down your dreams and try to figure out what goals can you extract from them?

*Think about your personal interests-what intrigues and inspires you?For example if you love food and are always giving dinner parties,you might want to explore catering as a career.

*Write a list of the companies or products which reflect your personal values about life.If you like the image of certain company then incorporate working for them into your personal goals

*Start a support group with friends who are also bored with their current situations.The much needed support you'll give each other will keep you motivating up when your job search gets tough

*Often fear prevents us from moving forward,so write down aspirations you've avoided because you are scared of failure.Accompany each with an action step you can take to move forward.

*If you're waiting for things to happen,you may not be giving your best in the here and now.So for the next month,throw yourself into your current job and wait to see what happens because when you give your best,you'll naturally graduate onto new opportunities.

*Write a list of the things you enjoy in your job and think how you can expand these areas in particular.Then arrange a meeting with your boss and ask if this would be possible.

*Often we focus on things we don't want.So write two lists:a list of the things you dislike about your situation and another on everything you aspire to.You'll find your horizons naturally expand.

*Break new ground and create more firsts in your life by doing something different like mountain hiking or ice-skating.Once you get used to breaking your routine,you'll find it easier to look for a new job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love your job
*Nurture your ideas-All success starts as an idea,so keep a journal of all your inspirations and review them regularly.See which are fleeting and which one which won't go away
*Absorb information-read books about people who have achieved the kinds of goals you are aiming at,see what you can learn,the steps they took,the strategies they took,the odds they overcome...
*Surround yourself with dreambuilders-not dreambashers,begin to embrace more positive people in your life and spend less time with those who put you down or hold you back.
*Take small steps-a jouney of 1000 miles starts with the first steps so take one action every day that brings your dreams closer to fruition.
*Grow through your fears-if we face,rather than avoid our fears,we grow in self-belief and self-confidence.Every time we move outside our comfort zone,we develop our personal power.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Discover your dreams
*Uncover your dreams-pinpoint your dreams and work out which one's you'd like to become reality
*Tell someone-make your dreams take shape by bringing them into a conversation with someone supportive to test how feasible they are.
*Explore-start to reseach your dream,find out what you'll need to make it happen.work out how long it will take and what resources you'll need.
*Follow your heart-when it comes to making the jump,as long as you've done your research just switch off your logical brain and listen to your heart,it will help you make the right choice.
*Love yourself-establish your goal,give yourself permission to change,be disciplined and reward yourself in the long run by giving yourself little treats and incentives.

Hope you like it and make good use of these tips!:)
your comments are most welcome.

We're girls and proud of it.Now's our chance to celebrate the female behaviour that makes us so special....

Ever notice howmen have this amazing talent for turning every strange quirk into something to be proud of?Drinking milk out of the carton or applying athlete's foot cream.They're not ashamed of their species' tendencies,which begs the question:why should we hide our womanly ways?Those fundamentally female habits we try to disguise like gossiping for hours or travelling in pairs to the bathroom.It's what makes being a girl so fantastic and unique!
Take an indulgent look at this list of female conduct that you have every right to get away with...

Keep a wedding file
even though you don't have a fiance or even a boyfriend.Men hold on to back issues of car and gadget magazines for decades in preparation for their blissful moment of purchase,so what's the difference?

Secretly wondering
what you'd like with a boob job or some liposuction,even though you're not planning on going through with it.

Getting panicked
Hehe we have to admit it-girls are not very good at hiding their emotions and have a greater tendency to cry,be emotionally upset and get nervous and depressed or panicked-perhaps due to their motherly nature,while men tend to take a different approach,the poor ones just hold on to a bottle of beer to evade their problems!!

Female instincts
Neither should one fool with girls nor lie!!You'll,by hook or by crook be caught in the net somehow...a plus for girls!

Academically
Shall we say that girls are academically inferior to boys?Yes,no,maybe...i don't know!Reseach has proved that small girls can be more hard working than boys and produce better results but as girls grow older,it's all the way round.But exceptions do exist

Spending ages
in the bathroom.Your lengthy shower-and-spruce routine is the only real me-time you have during the day.So enjoy it.And anyway,when you feel great,you're doing the world a favour.

Window-shopping
You're flat broke and your credit cards are up to their limit,but you can spend an entire afternoon in the shops browsing and ogling pretty things without making a purchase.It's not pathetic...it's ingenious.This is a skill worthy of listing on your cv!

Looking at other women
Biologically speaking,it's natural to check out the competition.

Buying a slightly too small pair of shoes
Why?Because they were gorgeous and in the sale.Your rationale?They might work if you don't have to walk.Or they might fit your best friend.Or your daughter could wear them one day.The bottom line is,you're being thrifty and simply kindly thinking of others.

Divulging everything
to your friends,even things you don't tell him-that makes you mysterious but secretive sometimes...

Keeping a stash of survival gear
in your handbag(think extra batteries plasters,a sewing kit,hair slides,a nail file,extra undies,eyedrops,painkillers,earplugs,low-cal salads,sweets)that would make the A-team look like scouts.You might need a forklift to carry your bag around town,but in the mortal words of mums everywhere..."you never know"

Giving yourself the royal treatment
Getting manicures,massages and facials may seem self-indulgent,but a bit of 'me,me,me' generates positive emotions that can boost your immune system,enhance your metabolism and soothe your mind.So it feels good and is oh-so good for you.What exactly was frivolous about pampering again?

Taking one of his t-shirts
so you can sleep in it and smell him all night long

Going in herds to the toilet
You never know when you'll need back-up,like extra toilet paper from another cubicle or some chewing gum for fresh breath.Besides,hanging out with your friends in that impossibly long toilet queue is much more fun than having yet another cliched conversation with a complete stranger about how there should be more cubicles.And your friends will always be your look-out when you dash into the men's toilets to have a pee!

Rambling on
about your emotions or how something makes you feel.It's this skill and honesty that separates women from men

Going to see soppy films alone
and sobbing.It's dark and everyone's looking at Meg Ryan-not you.Cry into your tub of popcorn.

Having an unexplained bond
with your mobile phone,ie,checking voicemail 10 times a day every day.Every girl needs to stay connected in our chaotic world.

Knowing and showing
your good side in photographs.Posing with your headtilted up so your neck skin doesn't bunch under your chin,or angling to keep your eyes from squinting is a great skill that eliminates a lot of mental anguish later-and the impulse to panic and snatch the ugly pictures out of the hands of sexy men.

Making lists
Whereas the male mentality is,'if i can't remember it,it must not be important',we write down those trivial to-dos,like 'do the washing' and take out the rubbish' because it makes us feel more productive.Then we can allow ourselves more time to devote to the truly important things in life,like baths,George Clooney films and chocolate!

Raving to your friends
about how great he is.They may roll their eyes and make gagging noises,but don't let that keep you from complaining your man.You spend a fair amount of time complaining about irritating man tendencies and getting emotional about his latest lapses,so your friends need to hear the nice stuff too-whether they like it or not.

Thinking 'i have nothing to wear'
as you stare into a wardrobe stuffed with clothes

Gossiping
We all do it,and frankly,it's fascinating.But gossip is also good for your health.Gossip is to humans what grooming is to primates-it's a form of social bonding,which has been shown to relieve stress,boost the immune system and stimulate the release of endorphins.Men gossip as much as women.So there.

Calling your mum
when things get tough.Bad break-ups,issues at work-whatever the problem she has the ability to make you feel better without making you feel stupid.

Having occasion underwear
like buying flirty lingerie.Hey,we've got the shops at our service....

Being openly sarcastic
about an over-disciplined friend's diet and exercise routine but secretly wanting to know her little tricks for sticking to the programme.How does she manage to say no to evenings of pizza and red wine?

Asking friends
to check your teeth and nostrils to make sure you don't have any unsightly cling ons-that is to the extreme!!

Watching Trisha
You feel all warm inside from watching all those survivor stories about everyday women who triumph over tragedy,overcome the odds and self-motivate to succeed.But it's also reassuring to see that someone else's life is more twisted or tough than yours.

Sleeping with the light on
when your man or flatmate is away

Taking an entire cupboard
for 'products'.Between the hair mousse,the body sprays,those 8000 bottles of nail polish,the soaps that look like sweets,the free samples of perfume and make-up you'll never use,and the powders,cleansers,masks,scrubs and expensive perfumes you can imagine,you have a department store's worth a rubbish in there.Beautiful.

Feeling guilty
about killing insects and spiders,but expecting someone else to do it for you

Asking lots of questions
Curiosity is a sign of intelligence,not ignorance.Staying silent when you're clueless is as bad as pretending you know the score.

Getting dressed up
to go on errands.There's nothing worse than bumping into your ex or that perfect girl you hated in school when you're in tracky bottoms!And it's not as if showering or wearing a skirt to the local shop flies in the face of feminism and all things 'girl power'.

Dancing with your friends
or by yourself.Men with good rhythm are so rare and in demand,what choice do we have??John Travolta is unique!

Seing the big picture
Men are more 'here and now' orientated,so we take flack for having a five-year plan or dumping a man because he's rude to a waiter.But the fact is,we see the future or at least what might be and we try to prepare for it.Like when you pack an umbrella to go on holiday and your man accuses you of being anal.But then,there he is ,standing next to you underneath it when you get hit by a downpour.

Packing a month's worth
of clothing for a weekend away.Let's face it:a woman needs options.

Happily spending hours
analysing a friend's odd relationship without getting bored for a second.On some level,you're striving for a better understanding of your subject.Anthropologists do it too.

9 SIGNS YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR
Feminineis one thing,but moves like these give 'ladylike' a bad name.
*wearing so many ruffles and lace that you might set sail if there is a gust of wind
*Applying lipstick or powdering your face at the table during a date,thinking he finds it sexy
*Demurely ordering a salad for dinner,then eating your man's starter when it arrives
*Strutting in uncomfortable but sexy shoes and complaining after walking down one street
*Sending your boyfriend off to the chemist to buy sanitary towels or other stuffs when you know it will embarass him to death
*Saying in a sweet Scarlett O'Hara voice that you can't go out in yhe rain without an umbrella
*Acting absolutely miffed when a man doesn't open a door for you
*Gasping in disapproval when a friend tells you about her sexploits when you are guilty too(not for girls please:))
*Critiquing other girl's chin gair,as if you don't have a stray strand or two somewhere.
.......And off course,do not forget the good etiquettes!!

The above is however not entirely a description of my personality and character.I've depicted these girlie traits and quirks from different girls,from others manerism.It's a little long but worth reading,hope you like it:)
Please post some comments