Semester 11 Chapter XXII: More Shit

Hi everybody, you know what this is… We’re back at it, it’s Monday morning, the vibes a proper and it’s that time again. Shanghai Czech-in back on. Last week was pretty eventful yet again so let’s try to collect all the pieces and put together this one… 

 

When it comes to diving, I got into the water four times. I did a Navigation Specialty in El Porris, I did some fun dives in Alcala, I did an Advanced an some Divemaster skills in Tabaiba and I did a boat dive by Palm-Mar. All pretty fucking awesome. Plus I found out that I’m capable of organizing boat dives including gear rental all by myself. Which is a good fucking thing to be able to do. 

 

I was out quite a lot too. To tell the truth, I’ve had like one evening for myself throughout the past three weeks. Shit is still intense. So yeah… 33 Vueltas, drinks, hangouts at apartments. On Thursday, my dad arrived and ever since then my main focus was on him and his partner. I picked them up at the airport and drove them to their apartment. We did some drink in the evening and walked their area a little bit. Since I stayed there last year, it’s all very familiar. I took them to Medano the next day, we had dinner at the Chinese joint, got some ice cream and hopped back in the car to check my spot. From there we proceeded to 33 and got joined by my UK friend. On Saturday, I put some more gas in the Punto and we did a whole day trip around the island. Started out in Anaga up north, continued to La Laguna and then all around the north shore to Garachico and back through Santiago del Teide. We drove to my dad’s friend’s house close to Los Gigantes and spent the rest of the day there, eventually wrapping it all up at this restaurant in Gigantes. On Sunday, I took them up to Adeje and we did a hike up the hill. Fucking beautiful. Crazy shit tho… Calima is back. Unbelievable… Anyways, afterwards I took them to Cristianos for some beer and ice cream, the UK friend joined again and we all went to their apartment for a home cooked dinner and some wine. All good. 

 

This week looks pretty calm at this point. I’m booked for a Rescue Course next weekend but apart from that it’s pretty quiet. So it’s gonna be mostly the seniors, teaching and hopefully slightly more me time. Everything is okay over here tho and I do hope you guys are well too. One! 

 

Highlights:

• Diving.
• Road trips.
• My dad being here.

Semester 11 Chapter XXI: Dreams From The Gutter

What the fuck is up everybody. Sunday evening, new Youngboy NBA in the headphones… I’m fresh off an evening class with one of my long-time students and I’m chilling. Finally. I feel like my body and brain have been on full speed these past 10 days. And I mean it in the best possible way. Everything that went down was fucking awesome. It’s just that I had very little me time. And even though I don’t require as much of it as I used to, I still appreciate some. So being back in my room without anywhere to rush and simply listening to some new rap feels kinda like a retreat. 

 

I loved everything about my sis’ visit over here. We hung out a lot but not too much. They had a chance to spend some time with their friends who happened to be on the island around the same time, I had a chance to do some diving and work… But we were meeting on the daily at least for a bit. For talks, walks, coffee or food. One day, we had a dinner at my friend’s in Los Cris, I took them to Montaňa Amarilla and to 33 Vueltas for their last evening… Shit was great. Thanks to them I visited the veggie market which takes place in Medano every Wednesday. In addition to bunch of local veggies, they got some locally produced chilli sauces made out of cacti. That was an easy buy. Thanks to them I also found arguably the best vegan ice cream joint on the island. Also in Medano, it’s called Mordisquitos and that shit is something else. 

 

But the highlight was turning my sis into an Open Water Diver. The weather was shit for the first half of the week and most of the dive centers actually shut down. Calima started fading out Wednesday so Thursday I drove my sis to Abades. That spot didn’t look diveable at all so we moved to El Porris. A friend recommended this Playa Grande and it was a great choice. Pool-like conditions, awesome for some skill circuits. The next day, we completed everything in Abades. The crazy shit tho… Couple of days of impossible wind and wind turned the beach divers use to enter into a slippery rocky bullshit nonsense. No sand patches left. Shit looks unbelievable. Conditions weren’t he best but it was good enough and we caught a ray and a turtle on the first dive. Fucking epic. So yeah, I have certified my sister… Mission accomplished. 

 

I did some diving work too. Tuesday I got contacted by this German dude who runs a shop in Puerto Colon and he asked whether I’m available the following day for a Rescue Course. I politely asked him if he’s aware of the fact the whole ocean looks like a hellhole and he reassured me that since they can dive in Puerto Colon in cases like these and it never really gets crazy there, we should be good. And he was right. I did the course with this guy and their intern. This lovely girl who was born in fucking 2003. Small shit like that makes you feel ancient. Anyways… I enjoyed it, they liked my performance too, they pay almost twice as much as people usually do on the island, and I’m doing a navigation specialty with them tomorrow. Happy days. Over the weekend I did some diving with the other center I’m affiliated with (not the Czech one tho) which was a bit demanding but I managed. 

 

Oh, and I got myself a new phone. It had been barely working for months (most of the screen was no longer responding to touch) and my nephew solved the problem once and for all when he decided to smash it against the floor. So I went to my Indian guy in Costa del Silencio whom I got the local data sim card from a while back to see what he got. He showed me a phone and told me the price, I looked online and told him that I can easily get it like 50 EUR cheaper, he suggested a price somewhere in between and since I wanna support my local suppliers, I went for it. So yeah. New fucking phone. Which is a fucking pain when you don’t back up shit and forget like 60% of your passwords. Oh well…

So yeah… I appreciate all the talks with my sis. I’m trying to re-calibrate some things based on what we talked about. I also suggested for her to come by herself for a longer weekend at some point so we can spend some more time together. Haven’t done that in centuries and I like the idea of that. Bottom line being, I feel extremely grateful for having those people and that energy in my life. Sending love from Tenerife. One!

Highlights:

• Certifying my sis.
• Diving.
• Hangouts.

Semester 11 Chapter XX: Catching Vibes

Hey y’all, it’s Sunday again and that can only mean one thing. We’re back at this. New FKA Twigs in the headphones, fucking calima all over the island… I’m quite pleasantly tired but before I park it to the bed, I’m gonna share some of the moments form this past week. 

It’s been a lot of diving. Monday, I did two day of fun diving in Marazul, I did a whole Rescue Course in Abades and I started a Deep Diver course back in Marazul on Friday. All of that shit was enjoyable and I love the fact I’m getting pretty interesting gigs. On the sad note, I’ve witnessed a fatal accident while in Abades. When we were throwing gear back into the van on Thursday, I saw a fellow instructor from another dive shop rushing to their van to grab their first aid kit and then speeding back to beach. I ran after him to see if there’s anything I can help with. The whole shit was very well organized, there were already at least 5 people assisting and the ambulance was on their way. Oxygen was applied and there was a girl performing CPR for the whole time before it came. The fact that the guy wasn’t responsive the whole time didn’t seem promising and later on I found out he didn’t make it. I can only guess here but I’m pretty sure it was a heart attack. Diving is super safe and fucked up shit always happens either because people push the limits or because they are not physically fit. From what I’ve seen, I would bet on the latter. My thoughts are with everyone affected by it tho. It was heavy. 

Well… The good thing is, my sister, her fiancee and the nephew have arrived. I picked them up Thursday evening at the airport and drove them to Medano. I managed to pick up keys from their place beforehand so the actual settling in was smooth as fuck. Ever since then, we’ve been hanging out quite a lot. Mostly in Medano but today, we did a great trip to Santa Cruz along with my diver friend. We explored a bit of the town and it made me think I should drive there once in a while to get a bit of that city vibe. It’s lovely. I also introduced them to my people over there, the vibes have been on point. 

Overall, I’ve been extremely social. With my UK friend (some cookouts and movies), with my diver friend (an awesome hike on Saturday and some cool ass evenings) and I even managed to see my Lithuanian friend who got to the island for couple of days. Totally on some social butterfly shit over here. 

 

The only fucked up thing about the week is this calima thing. It happens in Canaries once in a while and it’s basically sand from Sahara covering the whole island. It usually comes with heavy wind so you got that plus crazy waves plus zero visibility both out and in water plus terrible air quality. Which means no diving. Which means I haven’t been able to start the course with my sis yet. And the forecast for the next couple of days look shit too. Let’s hope for the best tho… 

 

So yeah, doesn’t seem like I’m gonna dive the following days but I’ll have more time to chill with my loved ones and to finish some work I have been postponing for a while. Everything is good and I hope you guys are doing well too. No matter what, don’t entertain bullshit and keep shit positive. One! 

 

Highlights:

• My sis here.
• The hike.
• All the miles in the car. I’ve been driving like crazy lately.

Semester 11 Chapter XIX: Soaking Wet

Hey y’all. It’s that time of the week again and you already know what this is. Shanghai Czech-in back in this motherfucker! Vibes are still aight, energy levels are good, it’s Sunday night and finally made it back home. This past week was rather eventful so let me get right to it… 

 

I have been diving quite a lot. I did a dive for the new dive center on Monday and then I did 4 diving days for the old one. I was approached by them and after giving it some thought (and discussing it with some people whose opinion I respect), I decided to give it a go. The dives weren’t anything special. Finishing an Open Water course, doing some try dives… The most enjoyable was the one I did today. I got this Irish dude and we went to Las Eras for a fun dive. Even though the conditions weren’t amazing, visibility was mediocre and current was strong, it ended up being a pretty nice thing. We had a good talk and the challenge in the water was actually enjoyable. I’m kinda happy I’m back in water this frequent… Both because I love it and also because it’s some extra pocket change. All good. 

I also spent some more time with my UK friend. We did a dinner at my place once more after which we watched the original Matrix. See, we decided to catch the new one in the movies on Friday so we wanted to recollect the classic beforehand. As for the new one, let me put it like this. Did the original Matrix need any of the sequels? Fuck no. Are they as horrible as people say they are? I don’t really think so… The thing is… When they announced the new one, everybody got excited. And my question is: What exactly did you guys expect? Where were they supposed to go for you to be happy about it? All I’m trying to say, I’m giving the movie some credit for being somewhat self-reflexive, being able to make fun of itself and approaching the whole thing from an angle that was neither obvious nor expected. Again, world could survive without it in the first place, but it wasn’t that bad. Just my two cents. 

I also did a really nice hike with the girl on Saturday. She texted me in the morning suggesting Chyniero Volcano Loop somewhere up north so I jumped in my car, picked her up and off we went. I don’t really think I had taken my car that high up before but it managed. The hike itself was super nice, easy and convenient. And the views were spectacular. We stopped by at this nice restaurant for a beer on the way back and we wrapped up the whole day with some ice cream in Los Cris.

What else… I caught up with my diver friend too. We met up for some chat and movie. We watched Don’t Look Up (my second go on this one) and it made me double down on my initial opinion. The movie is good. I understand that it’s quite obvious and straightforward but if you realize that we live in the world where motherfuckers like Trupm, Jobs, Bezos and whole lotta other pieces of shit actually exist (I mean for real, they are real people with ridiculous resources and power) and being celebrated whereas scientists with some actual data and solutions are being neglected or ridiculed, you realize two things. One, political satire is dead. And two, it is probably time to keep on repeating the simplest messages. So yeah, the asteroid is climate change, Streep is Trump, blah blah blah. But it’s good to repeat that blah blah blah cause it’s kind of an important one. Plus that shit is real fun. That thing with the general selling free shit in the white house is hysterical. 

 

I haven’t really had too much classes as many of my students were still on the winter vacay but since I had more diving, I didn’t really mind. More time to do some other work, more time to catch up with some of my loved ones, more time to chill. Hope you guys are well too. Shout to all my readers. One! 

 Highlights:

• The hike.
• The dives.
• The Matrix.

Semester 11 Chapter XVIII: Whole Lotta Something

Okay, 2022 on deck. Socially, politically and economically, the expectation are at the all time low. Plus we got this covid still. So that’s that. Personally, I am kinda excited about some things tho. I’m pretty sure I’ll get so see some people I haven’t seen since Shanghai somewhere down the road, I’m curious about what my Tenerife life turns out to be and I’m happy about my family visiting soon. I also prolonged my membership with PADI so I will stay active with both them and SSI. Gonna give this diving one more go. The industry is full of crooks and idiots who have zero idea on how to conduct business (taking advantage of the fact mothertfuckers are often willing to do this for close to nothing) and zero idea on how to communicate with people (yes, you know exactly who you are) but the activity itself is the shit and here and there you meet some people who keep your hope alive. I don’t need diving as a job, I just really want it, and I want to believe it’s doable without all the drama and headache. 

Let me get on my appreciation shit tho. So 2021… Thank you to all my people. Family, bros, sisters, friends… So much love back and forth. We’re still coming strong. And it makes me happy as fuck. Special shout out to my sister. Watching her operate makes me respect her more and more every passing day for the past like forever. Shout out to all the new people I met. Some came and went, some might stay for a minute. But there’s definitely moments I’m keeping. Shout out to all the spineless snakes I ran into as well… You see, the older I get, the more I realize, there’s really no Ls. There’s only lessons. I’m good, I’m chilling, I’m authentic enough not to go crazy when I look in the mirror in the morning. Not sure what the fuck y’all doing. Wish you the best regardless! Shout out to all my students and all the divers I had the pleasure spending some time with. The fact my name is forever on so many people’s certifications as the gateway guy to this thing feels great. And one more time for my gang gang. You know what time it is, you know what we’re doing and you know this shit is here to stay. It’s all love! 

 

Okay last week… I did a lot. I spent quite some time with my UK friend. We went to the movies to catch the new Spiderman (not bad), we did a hike in Puertito de Gumar which was super nice. We also did some diving. Once in El Tablado and then a New Year’s Eve one in Las Eras. Same as last year. Just to rub the Buddha’s belly. We met up in the evening again to make some Chinese dumplings. I was really just helping out but the outcome was on point. Hadn’t had these since China. After those and some drinks, we went to Costa Del Silencio for the midnight drink. Initially, we were aiming at 33 Vueltas but since they were closed for whatever reason, we ended up at Black Sheep where I had my 2021/2022 Leffe. Afterwards, I drove my friend home and made it back around 1am. Not a crazy night but who needs crazy when the vibes are right. 

 

What else, I went snorkeling with the dive center I used to dive with over here previously. Since they don’t really give me any dives anymore, since we don’t really communicate and since I’m not really feeling any of that, I’m pretty sure my days with them are over. Never say never, it’s just really what it feels like now. I went to check couple of other dive centers and today, I already led a dive with a different one. This Finnish couple went for a fun dive and another Finish girl, who is doing her Divemaster internship, joined us to assist. We went to Abades and it went super smooth. Perfect weather, no wind, nice visibility, some rays, some cuttlefish… Happy days. Oh, and I recently picked up a baby seat for my car. Getting ready for my sis to visit; that’s happening in 10 days. 

 

Outside of that, it’s been the same old. Some movies, lotta music, some workouts. Whole lotta rap. Yesterday, I got myself a haircut… Shit’s proper. Hope your 2022 has started in a nice fashion and let’s make this motherfucker count. We can all start just by being nicer to one another, right? We are human after all. One!

Highlights:

• All the time with my UK friend.
• The hike.
• The New Year’s dinner.