Hiking up a Storm!!

What a Saturday!

My buddy Jordan and I tackled half of the Baden Powell Trail today. The trail took a bit longer than planned (6:23:53) but considering we hiked from Deep Cove, through Lynn Canyon, halfway up the BCMC and then to the base of Grouse Mountain, we're pretty pumped.

Definitely a great hike and something I'd be up to do again next summer. Here were some highlights of the day.

• Seeing the sunrise at around 5:14am this morning

• Following the Fleur-de-Lis all day.

• The epic view of deep cove the cliffs.

• Rocking out to the Jurassic Park theme song.
• Hustling down hill, avoiding narrowly avoiding sprained ankles.
• Running across the Lynn Canyon Suspensions bridge and scaring some lady.

• Bailing in frontof some tourists. They were scared.
• Laughing at the fact that my dad gave me some supplies: toilet paper (just in case).
• Using said supplies I had previously laughed at. Thankfully Bolivia has prepared me well for the asian squat technique.
• Epic Momma Gildersleeve muffin's with rhubarb from Jordan's backyard.
• Riddles.

• The three crazy girls.
• Choosing the "more legit looking path" and ending up half way up the BCMC. fml.
• Finishing.

It's taking a day like today to realize that vacations are important, but when you live Vancouver, a vacation is just a few steps away.

- Conor

"Memories, Journeys, Pies & Clapping"

On June 2nd, I delivered my valedictorian address to the Sauder School of Business 2010 graduating class. I know a few people weren't able to make it or watch it via video stream so I figured the text will do it justice until I upload the actual video (late July). I had a lot of fun writing and delivering it and this was a fantastic way to cap off my years...and years at University.

(insert audience-clap schtick here)

On a formal occasion such as this - I’ll start with just that: the formalities. So I would like to announce the gifts on behalf of the graduating class:

• $10,000 to the AMS Bursary Programme
• $10,000 to the UBC Alumni Association, for student directed programming on University Square
• $5,000 to the UBC Learning Exchange

Chancellor Morgan-Silvester, President Toope, Dean Dan, Distinguished Faculty, Incredible Staff, Mom & Dad, and to my friends, the graduating class of 2010.

As I stared at the blank word document on my desktop, only accompanied by the tormenting blink of the cursor - trying to fill the page with something insightful, heartfelt yet not cliched, it occurred to me that writing this speech alone in my room wasn't going to do the Sauder experience justice. So I took a walk, and on that walk - it became crystal clear that there were four things I had to speak to you about today: memories, journeys, pies and well... clapping . I'd like for you to come on this walk with me - but first, please close your eyes.

I walked across Wesbrook Mall along University Boulevard - memories of pints of Guinness at Mahoney's on my left and foggier memories of jumping off 10 meter diving boards on my right. I strafed north bound walking past the Student Union Building, which overflowed with memories of students. Everything from club meetings, heated council discussions, to laughter in the Gallery and deep "thumping noise" from the PIT on a Wednesday night. As I continued west past memories of hippies making bon fires on knolls which was quickly drowned out by the screams of excitement in the south plaza as a team of five finally Stormed The Wall. I strolled by Ike Barber - where late nights filled with optimistic intentions of catching up on those chapters sometimes led to catching up on all my high school friend's photos on facebook instead. Both I’d argue both had value. It was then I slowly approached it, home. At the heart of this University lies our home: Henry Angus. We all have different memories and it is the creation and collection of those memories that define our experience as a graduating class.

For many it’s with professors like Brian Graham who taught you how to win a door prize by artfully crumpling up your paper entry or Dan Gardiner who astutely preaches parsimonious writing techniques through his simple acronym K-I-S-S: Keep-It-Simple-Stupid.

For others its training with alumni and professors for case competitions like The Inter-Collegiate Business Case Competition, JDC West, & the Champions Cup in New Zealand...and then traveling to those competitions and winning, again, and again...

For some it’s simply memories of POITS - the way it was.

What ever your memories are- they’re our memories and it is just that, that comm

on history that shapes and defines us as a class.

When I was in grade 8, I heard my father give a speech to my older sister's high school graduating class. He spoke about how "Success is the Journey: Not the Destination". At the time, they were simply words that didn't resonate. It really isn't until now, where we stand on the doorstep of our home, with the green and blue sauder door slowly closing behind us that I begin to realize how profound that concept truly is. For the first time in our young lives it appears as if there’s no set target: there’s no high school graduation, and after today - no convocation. With no set direction we will each carve our own future and to some, those end points may be promotions, titles and mortgages - but I’d like to think we’d focus on destinations such connecting with loved ones and putting more into this world than we take from her. So far… it seems to hold true that it's not what you know or feel that matters, but what you do with the people you love that matters most.

Of the four things I said I would speak to at the beginning, the third of said four was pie. Although not pumpkin or apple - I assure you this figurative flavor will leave you with an equally satisfied pallet. A professor, mentor and close friend explained one class that in a world filled with daily negotiations, and compromises - everyone is fighting desperately to get their fair slice. “How do we win in a world with a growing population and a shrinking pie”? That answer is so simple it’s poetry: “Grow the Pie”. This can be done on a large scale such as saving the environment as exemplified by Sauder students who are enabling small communities to become energy independent and sell that energy back to the grid. “Growing the Pie” can be as simple as giving up your time and effort to help someone in need, not because you’re supposed to our because someone’s watching, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Through whatever means you choose - the message is the same: by shifting your thoughts form “What about me?” to “What about we?” you grow the pie. By how much is up to you.

So why the clapping at the beginning?

I figure as though each milestone in life has and will be littered with ceremonious formalities and the seriousness of purpose. To be honest - they should be. But to deny ourselves the excitement we feel, the energy that’s simply tingling to erupt - I suspect, will lead to the indescribably grave misfortune and utterly painstakingly unavoidable reality, namely: becoming our parents.

So as we make our transition into this “real world”, I’ll leave you with this - own your history, enjoy the journey, grow the pie, and well... (insert clap).

Thank You.

Project for Awesome

(insert excuse for not blogging since July here)

For those of you know don't know, I'm a very (VERY) big youtube.com nerd. Meaning I don't just go on to look at videos of cute kittens being surprised, or celebrities making fools of themselves (although I check those out from time to time), I like to consider myself an "active-observer" of the youtube community. What I mean is that although I don't post content, I subscribe, comment, rate and pass along what I think is worth passing along.

Once every year - the youtube community takes part in what's called the "Project for Awesome", where youtube users are encouraged to post a video and talk about a charity, a cause, a project that they think the rest of the world should know about. Think of it as a "do-gooders" expo where people sell you on the coolest projects and show you how you can contribute.

I wanted to share with you my favourite: Awesome World Foundtation

Artist & Writer Dallas Clayton has written a fantastic book aptly named "An Awesome Book".

Clayton's book is about linking the audacious dreams we have when we're sleeping to the dream we have when we're awake. The message is simple, yet so powerful.

Rather than go on...and on about how great this book is, I would like to invite you to spend the next 10 minutes and enjoy:

1. This three minute video explaining the book and the concept.

2. Give the book a read for yourself. If you like it, it could just be the perfect perfect Christmas present.

I hope you found this worth your time and would encourage you to share it with those, young or old, who need to be reminded of the power of dreams.

Cheers,

- Conor

525, 600 minutes later...

"525, 600 minutes

525, 600 moment so dear

525, 600 minutes

How do you measure... measure a year"

- Jonathon Larson

After my game of squash tonight at the Brixton Rec Centre in South London, I walked in the rain. To be fair, it wasn't the rain you see in Vancouver on October 6th. The kind that when you see it, you know that you're probably not going to see the sun again until the week before exams start, but still - I walked in the rain. I didn't run. I have no reason to run.

"¿Está usted de azúcar?"

"Are you made of sugar?"

I was asked this once when a huge downpour happened in Cuzco, Peru. I was frantically hunting for cover as rain pelted down. He had a point. It was just rain.

I was asked the other day how I felt about getting my degree two years late:

"Two years late for what?" (I asked - politely)

"Two years late. You'll be 24 when you have your degree. Aren't you worried about how it'll look?"

(Aside from sweet?) "How do you mean" (still polite)

"I mean all your friends will be out there working, and you'll show up and they'll all be well on their way to having professional careers, and you'll be, well, behind..."

(...your mom! zing. shhhh. be polite) "I guess I just see it differently. I see myself as being 40 years ahead. I effectively retired for a year. When someone retires they get the chance to reevaluate and reconnect with all the things they used to love. Sadly, they're either too old to remember what is was they once loved or they're physically/emotionally unable to reinvest the time to bring back those passions that seemed to fall by the wayside all those years ago. It seems that for many, not all, becoming a grown up means that you can't be a kid anymore.

This year brought me to tears at points. I had forgotten who I was. I had defined myself by my work and not by my behaviours and passions. I was a laundry list of achievements of my former self and was unable to understand why things I had loved most were left with a distant memory of me.

Lucky for me I'm 24. I'm 40 years ahead. I have my whole life to learn, love, listen, talk, play, smell, taste, kiss, hug, smile, laugh and involve all the people and activities that make those happen more often that not. The best part about this news - is that I'm not alone in being lucky to be ahead. You don't need to travel the world to realize/regain what's important - but it sure helps."

(awkward silence)

(except the rain & my footsteps)

(I am alone walking and talking with my former self)

(I walked in the rain. I didn't run. I have no reason to run)

Love you all. Thanks for reading.

- Conor

And just for giggles - here's a clip of me growing a beard!

Instead of a beer...

It`s the eve of yet another birthday, and in 13 hours I will be the oh-so-celebrated age of 23. I am in a positiong where I am able to reflect on the year and be grateful for everything I have been able to experience, while eager for everything that is yet to come. I get told by many people how lucky I am to be doing what I`m doing and not a day goes by where I don`t stop to think about taking as much as I can in from seeing the world.

Although I AM lucky for everything that I currently have on my plate, it is important that you (yes, you) are able to take the time as well to consider how lucky you are for everything that you have: a home, a bed, clothes, food, a friend, a sense of self-worth...

Some of you might know that last year I participated in a charity and awareness initiative called 5 Days for the Homeless. It is in the middle of this year`s "5 Days", and I was hoping to try and make an impact even though I am unable to be there in person. Ever since I was in university the most common present that I`ve received for my birthday has been a beer at the bar. Don`t get me wrong...I love beer, but seeing as how I am not in town and all of you are unable to fulfill your beer giving duties, I would like to ask that you put your beer fund that you have saved up for my birthday towards a much better cause...that`s right kids: a donation.

I am not asking you to empty your wallet, but if I was a bar with you tonight, I am pretty sure you would buy me a beer. Maybe there`s a drink special and the beer was only $2 or it was a fancy beer and shot and you might have paid $10. Whatever it is that you would have paid on me, I want you to donate to 5 Days for the Homeless. I would prefer that you support the Vancouver crew, but as long as you put your beer money towards the grand total you will make me a happy man.

Click here to donate now

It only takes a couple minutes, and it would make me feel like I did something useful on my day of birth.

I have 2 more favours to ask...

• If you do contribute, please let me know with either a comment on this post or an email. I just want to see if this actually works.

• If you feel the need to go the extra step, copy and paste the line below in your facebook status.
  

just got Conor Topley the best birthday present EVER. Check it out.

Make sure the link for "check it out" links to the facebook note of blog so that people can easily have a look.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and for your help on spreading the word.

Love from Colombia,

- Conor

Dad. Can I ask you something...?

A few weeks before I took off to Singapore, my dad and I went for a walk down to Edgemont Village to grab a coffee at our favourite spot, Delaney`s Coffee House. I of course had a steamed milk with extra vanila because I refuse to consume coffee. I like to think it`s some act of defiance against my becoming an adult.

I`ve done this walk to the village with my dad dozens of times as I was growing up, but this time was different. The months leading up to the walk, I had this feeling like we were becoming closer than we had been in a long time. Its one of those beautiful things about a father-son relationship to watch the shift in the relationship become less parental-focused to one that feels like a good friend and mentor.

I realized quite a while ago that I was similar to my father in more ways then I would have liked to admit. I could see myself becoming him, but I was focusing on the qualities that frustrated me, rather then the many qualities that he possed that makes him the great man that he is. For whatever reason, I recently felt myself beginning to appreciate his efforts to be a part of my life as I knew there was so much that I could learn about the man that I am bound to become from who he is and was.

After the more standard conversation segments we found ourselves settling in at Delaney´s. I started asking him about how his relationship was with my mom. This was triggered by a moving speech given by an older couple that I witnessed while attending UBC convocation a few weeks back. The couple spoke at length about finding creative ways at the different points in their lives to grow in their love. My dad dove into the question with an honesty I don´t in most people. I´m not sure if it was the months of us startring to feel closer to each other, or it was just one of those off the cuff situations, or if he´d been waiting to answer all along and all I needed to do was ask.

The conversation continued. I began asking him all kinds of obscure questions about his life. I knew a good chunk of his story, which I will not share on here...after all, it´s his story, but he filled in all the parts that matter. The important details about how it impacted his life. He talked about the different stages: growing up, his youth, traveling the world, marriage, kids, career. As he went on, he let me interject with more in depth questions about why he was making decisions, what he was feeling. I got the full story with very limited edits and the information was invigorating. It really let me see him in a raw state that was refreshing and shed a lot of light on who he his, who I am and who I´m ultimately going to become. I´m not suggesting that I´m pre-determined to become my father, but the similarities in our strengths and weaknesses give me enough to trust that our paths are going to me similar. Different...but similar.

I´ve been away (with the exception of Christmas) for 6 months, and I am able to reflect on this conversation very fondly. It feels like the perfect way to have left our relationship and only gets me excited for where we will be able to take it upon my return.

Now to you – the person who was interested enough in this story to make it this far.

Have you asked your father or mother for their story?

I mean the whole thing. The funny bits, the sad bits. Their shinning moments and low points that taught them about their place in the world. If you have yet to have a conversation, or series of conversations like this, I encourage you to take a chance and ask. Maybe your relationship isn´t that close, and asking those types of questions will seem forced and uncomfortable. No excuse. Take the time to build your relationship to a point where it´s less uncomfortable. When you get beyond this conversation, you will see how it will change how you see them and undoubtebly how they see you.

If its not to much to ask – I´d like you to post a comment and let me (and others) know how it went when you summon the courage to ask your parents for their story. If not – send me an email or shoot a message to my facebook inbox. I think its a fascinating opportunity that can significantly improve how you understand your parents and oddly enough... yourself.

How much time do you have left to connect with them?
Reallly. How much?

All the best and lots of love from Brazil.

- Conor

PS – Mom. I´m excited to get the whole story from you when I get back.

Hope for LDRs

I feel guilty everytime I sit down to write here. Everytime I write I promise myself (and you) that I will be better (more consistent) about blogging and sharing my experiences. Yet everytime months go by until I find the need to log on and share.

For those of you that are interested in the my stories from South East Asia, you need not worry, as I will be compiling them and posting them in time. There were times where I wanted to share stories, experiences etc, but was worried that they wouldn´t fit into the time sequence and that it would get all disorganized. Then I would constantly put off sharing. I´ve finally realized that I should be less worried about how organized everything is and more focused on the content. When it´s there, I´ll share...and when it´s not, you´ll wait.

Due to my aformentioned constant avoiding there´s a small bank of thoughts and stories that I could share, and since my time is limited in that I need to catch a bus soon, I´ll try and keep it focused (or at least as focused as I tend to keep things...which usually isn´t very focused I´ve been told).

I´ve often been very skeptical of LDRs (Long Distance Relationships). Maybe its because they never work in movies, or maybe its because I rarely hear many success stories. Either way, they always seem to be a sticky subject because no matter how many times they arise, people find that their situation has variables that are unique and warrant evaluation.

Prior to my departure to Singapore, I ended a very healthy relationship with my girlfriend, Lindsey. The end of the relationship had been planned out for a while. Reading that sentence again sounds weird, but that´s how it was. Lindsey and I started to get serious around the same time that me running around the world for 13 months also became serious. As the opportunities (travel and the relationship) became a reality, I didn´t really see how I´d be able to succeed at one, while doing the other. As the months went by we seemed to be on the same page in that we shouldn´t cut our relationship short even though we knew there was an end date. We really enjoyed spending time with each other and figured that we should make the most of it while we were in the same continent.

I was able to consult my best friend, Spenser for some much needed advice on the situation of whether we should stay together or not. After building a decent inventory of reasons as to why the relationship wouldn´t work, it only seemed to make sense to go ahead with the break up as planned. And we did.

Flash forward 5.5 months and you´ll find me, the happiest man alive because I´m lucky to be in a relationship with someone who is perfect for me: Lindsey. Sure, you could say that I´m happy because I´ve spent the last couple weeks traveling Argentina, or that when I look at the calendar, I still have another 3.2 months left of traveling in South America. But a large part of why I´m so happy is that about 5 weeks after I left for Singapore, Lindsey had the balls (and I guess in her case ovaries) to say that I was wrong and do something about it.

But how could I be wrong? They´re my feelings, not hers! She doesn´t know me better then I do! I had a list of reasons why a LDR wouldn´t work. I had my own experience from when I left highschool and had what I thought at the time was a long distance relationship (North Vancouver to Point Grey) and knew that I needed more than that. I didn´t want to miss out on all that the world had waiting for me and be stuck in my room on skype. I didn´t want to miss out on potential love interests around the world. I didn´t want to be in a relationship that wasn´t able to grow because we were able to share new experiences together.

The problem with all my reasons was that they were all about me, and I never took the time to appreciate what her position was on the situation. Isn´t that what a relationship is about? Looking at both sides and doing what´s best for both of us. It turns out that she never really felt like we had broken up, and it was only until I sent her a message saying "no" to her request to get back together did she feel like it was over. She demanded more justification for why I said "no" and when I went to my trusted inventory of reasons they all fell apart because I realized that none of them were worth as much as having her in my life.

We set rules, commitments and a grounding of honesty to make sure that if we were going to try and make this LDR work, we were going to give it everything he had. After the drama and the confusion of figuring out if it was going to work out, it turned out to be easy (or at least as easy has a relationship through internet video can be). We made it to Christmas where we were able to spend 6 days together with my family and our friends and we´re apart again... for now.

As University comes to a close, or we set out on new career paths this situation could be something that you might face. Its not something that anyone wants to face but there are some truths that I have learned from the situation.

LDRs CAN work. You have to realize they will definetly different and that both of you must adjust your expectations, but they can work.

LDRs catalyze you to really think about how the relationship impacts your life. Many people are not able to work through a LDR because in reality their relationship was faltering before one of them left and the distance only highlighted the problems.

LDRs are not for everyone. I´m not saying that his situation is fun. It´s a matter of coping with a reality. Lindsey and I will do whatever we can (everything!) to avoid a similar stiuation in the future. It´s not fair to either of us.



If you have someone you love in your life, whether it s a boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, mother, best friend... make sure you make the most of all the time you spend with them. Play a game. Pretent like one of you is going away for a year and next week all is the last week you have with them. How will you change how you act? Would you take them to that fancy restaurant you´ve always wanted to. Would you make sure you stayed awake so that you could watch them fall asleep? Would you pay extra attention to the little details of why you love them, knowing that you´ll be missing it soon?

Lindsey and I had 6 days together to make a reltionship last for 8 months. What would you do with 6 days?

Take care,

Love,

Conor

Under the Sea & Howling at the Moon - Koh Tao, Thailand (August 11 - August 19)

Land Ho!

I woke up on August 11th to the grumbling of engines, the slapping of waves on the side of the boat and the inescapable smell of gasoline. My "Chang-Over" ("Chang Beer" Hangover) was in full effect, but the excitement of being so close to the island was overpowering and I waited patiently (of course) by walking up and down the cabin trying not to step on anyone's feet. I hung my head out the side of the boat like a puppy and snapped some shots of my destination. The skies were grey, but I was hopeful that it would clear up as soon as I arrived to my slice of paradise. I trotted back to my 2.5 foot wide bed, did my final check before debarking and I waited at the bow of the boat alongside stacks of eggs and toilet paper; the island's daily inventory. The wooden door opened, I escaped the boat and allowed my eyes to adjust to the sunlight. I was surrounded by Thai men offering me accommodation, scuba lessons and taxis for "cheap price", but I was quick to pick out Paul at the end of the dock who had woken up just before 6am to greet me, even though the boat didn't dock until seven. (Thanks Paul!)

We grabbed some much needed breakfast and made our way to Paul's room at "Mr. J's Bungalow" which was adorned with helpful "advice" courtesy of Mr. J. After a quick look around the main area of Koh Tao that we'd be staying in, Mae Haad, we went and registered for our PADI Open Water Course that Paul had penciled us into with Crystal Dive. The class didn't start until the afternoon so we were able to check into our room ($3CDN / night) and enjoy a quick swim. The water was exactly what I needed after 1.5 days of traveling. Floating in the warm, aqua blue water made it all worth it... and I haven't even dived yet. I felt like I was back on Castaway Island in Fiji and the only thought on my mind was when was going to jump on the banana boat ride next.

Koh Tao: "Turtle Island"
Koh Tao is a beautiful slice of paradise. There' s something about the island that made my worries melt away. Time ceased to exist and I found myself not needing the common distractions of everyday life and enjoying the simple pleasures of taking the longer path to get to my destination. The feeling of not being in a rush is fantastic and I'm trying to find ways to apply it to my life in the "real world". Koh Tao isn't a place where I really got a cultural experience, but the dynamic was interesting none-the less. The labour is divided between ex-pats and Thai people: the former taking care of the diving and the latter handling pretty much everything else. After talking to a few of the diving instructors, I learned that the majority of the island is apparently owned by corrupt Thai businesses men, likened to a Thai mob. The majority of the Thai people working on the island are family members and friends there to capitalize on tourists. The island's most common commodities consist of taxis, massages and pancakes. You can't walk two steps without having a someone hawking their product to you, all of whom claim that their offering is "the best". I wondered how so many people can offer exactly the same product and expect to stand out. I guess when the throughput of tourists is so high, even winning a small percentage is enough to get by.
Skipping School to Attend Class: PADI Certification
After grabbing some lunch, and taking a quick peek at our Dive Manuals, we made our way down to Crystal Dive for our lessons. Paul and I were directed up to the air conditioned (yes!) classroom that was for some reason positioned right near some open sewage pipes that made the exterior of the classroom smell like...poop(no!). The first day of classes was with a big group, which would subsequently be divided the next day for our final lessons and confined water dive. We met Danny, a Brit from Essex, who Paul and I found out later, would be our diving instructor for the rest of the week. The rest of the class was partitioned based on nationality (Team Ireland, Team Spain/other) and our core group consisted of:

Mark & Claire: a couple from Scotland
Peter: a bloke from Wales
Ben: a guy from England
Kimmie: from Denmark
Team Canada: Paul and I

After the first day of classes ended, we made our way over to Haad Sairee (25 minute walk north on the West Coast of Koh Tao) to meet up with a friend of Paul who he'd met traveling in other parts of South East Asia. We went to this hole-in-the-wall joint for Thai food and it was great (we went back a few more times). After dinner the three of us opted to do drinks and a movie at "Choppers" bar. If you ever wondered, watching the Last King of Scotland on a buzz is still as intense as it normally is.

Into the Deep
The next morning we wrapped up our lectures, which featured the worst educational videos I've ever been forced to sit through. Lucky for us, their swimming pool was having some problems with the water, so we got to do our confined water dive in the ocean! After lunch, the crew loaded up on the boat we made our way out to the Japanese Gardens (a popular dive spot near an island of the northwest coast of Koh Tao called Koh Nangyuan). The island is more like two islands joined by a long strip of sand with bright, blue water on either side.

After doing our buddy check, using the all-to-true mnemonic "Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas" to guide us through the steps, Paul, the rest of the gang and I jumped into the water and made our way to a shallow section about 3 or 4 meters to perform a bunch of tasks to improve our confidence with the equipment underwater and practice useful skills like buoyancy control, so that you can navigate yourself through the water without damaging the coral or floating to the top. Initially, one of the more challenging ones was fully removing my mask while underwater. As I took of my mask and could feel water gush it's way in, the panic set in as did my instinct to swim to the surface. My heart raced as I just repeated in my head over and over "Just breath through your mouth. Just breath through your mouth". It became my mantra. I could feel my heart rate dropping and my muscles relaxing. I guided my mask back over my eyes and nose, tilted my head back and blew the water out. I was back.

Fight Night
Once we got back on the boat, our group really started to click. There's just something about breathing underwater that brings people closer together I guess. On the boat back to to the island we organized our plans for the night amongst our jokes about how cool we looked underwater. The plan was set: meet up in Sairee for Muay Thai Boxing. After a quick feast of red curry and banana milkshake, we made our way to the boxing arena. We got there pretty early, so we got some great seats where we could see the entire ring. Although I spent most of my time yawning (not from lack of entertainment, but lack of sleep) I really enjoyed the fights. My two favourite bouts were between a couple of really quick Thai kids and then another one between some huge German and someone half his size. Each of the next two days on the island consisted of waking up early for my morning dives, enjoying an omelette, banana milkshake and gearing up on the boat to explore the ocean. We got to know our team and some of their stories. Our instructor Danny was great. He offered enough guidance to make sure we could take care of ourselves, but he didn't spend his time nagging us. He's has some interesting plans in the next couple years to head down to South Africa to become a certified skipper, with hopes to operate his own business doing dives off a luxury boat. Not a bad plan. Claire works in the lab at the University of Dundee, and although Mark never got into his profession, judging by his size I'm pretty sure he's an assassin. Pete was heading back to the UK to find out what his placement was going to be in the Royal Air Force. Neat.
Nitrogen Narcosis & Other Oceanic Observations
Amongst all the diving, Paul and I had our eyes set on our plans for the weekend to hit up Koh Phangan on Saturday for the Full Moon Party. These parties are world renowned and bring 30,000+ people from around the world to spend the night partying on of the island's main beaches, Hat Rin. The parties are equally infamous for drug abuse, injuries, and pick-pocketing (as Mom reminded me via e-mail before I attended). As the days flew by and the more time we spent under water, Paul and I decided to sign up for the next certification level. We made some inquires at one of the travel offices and we'd be able to catch a boat out to Koh Phangan on the night of the full moon and get a boat back the next morning. We figured that was our best option as it allowed us to sign up to do our Advanced Open Water dive.

We wrapped up our Open Water Certification with a big party at Crystal Dive and feasted at a restaurant on the beach called "The Whitening", where everything was painted white. We had our dinner with another class that was with us from the beginning that had a bunch of people my age from Ireland who we decided to get absolutely smashed with, as well as June, who joined our group fro the Advanced Certification. After a night that included a few buckets and a couple beer, I was feeling it for most of the next day. I thought I would have a horrible time diving with how I felt, but ironically the weightlessness I experienced while diving saved the day.
I was lucky to see some amazing things while diving. We were able to cover some great dive sites around the island including White Rock, Green Rock, Light House, Southwest Pinnacle. My favourite sight was the school of Chevron Barracuda. Their movement was so graceful, and their presence was captivating. Words can't really explain so I hope the photos below capture how breathtaking it was. During our advance certification our group decided to do a night dive. We loaded the boat during sunset and we descended into the water just as the sun had gone down. As the minutes passed, the only source of light came from our flashlights. I couldn't help but feel like I was on some covert operation and infiltrating some evil facility to obtain the classified documents. Danny took us to a sandy section near White Rock and instructed us to push the flashlights against our chests. We did this and it went pitch black. Suddenly - the water lit up green as Danny started waving his hand around madly. We all started doing it and our circle was illuminated by the beauty that is phosphorescence. So cool!

The Full Moon Party
We wrapped up dive classes on Saturday the 16th and had a few hours to relax before we boarded the Party Boat to Koh Phangan for an event I believe everyone should experience in their lifetime. Assuming there would be more than enough alcohol for us to drink on the island, I opted for 2 big bottles of water, to hydrate myself for the night. I got stares from those who were downing bottles of beer. "It's Vodka" I lied. While waiting for the boat, we chatted with Phil, a German who was in a concurrent class alongside us through the past week. He was pretty much going solo, so the three of us decided to party together because the more the merrier.

The boat itself was fairly uneventful aside from the odd person who had too much to drink already. We got off the boat and there was an army of pre-paid taxis waiting for us in the parking lot. We loaded the back of one and were joined by a pack of Italian girls who were well on their way to an enjoyable night. We enjoyed the roller coaster ride on the island highway, shouting out as many italian stereotypes and catch phrases as we could. Phil diligently memorized all of their names in the hopes that he'd be able to impress one of the hotter ones. Impressed as they may have been, finding a hot italian amongst tens of thousands of people was wishful thinking.

We picked up a quick bite to eat and made our way to the beach. I was happy that Paul and I decided to travel light. I brought shoes instead of sandals (Mom's orders so that I didn't step on needles/broken glass), some money, and my return ticket. Streets were crowded with people all looking to have a ridiculous night. It felt like I didn't even need to drink because everyone's energy was so infectious. We were handed dozens of flyers as we passed which encouraged us to attend the "Original Full Moon Party". We eventually found our way to Haad Rin and the masses had just begun to congregate. Rather than bunkering down in one spot we went for a hike from one end of the beach, to another. Every 30 meters of sand would have you engulfed by a different crowd and different vibe - but the common factor was that you could always feel your chest vibrating from the base in the sound systems.

We made our way back to the entrance where the beach was lined with overzealous Thais selling buckets, trying to attract us with big smiles, shouting "Hello my friend! Cheap price for you!" They attempted to differentiated themselves from each other through the messages on their sales booth, each of which claimed to sell a bucket that would get you more intoxicated than the next. My favourite one was aptly titled "GET F***ED BUCKET". We each got our buckets, making sure that we got to screw off the top to the bottle of vodka before it was poured in to make sure that it was actually sealed. A worthwhile precaution.

A bucket and a half later we were dancing the night away on some raised platforms. On the highest one, you could see the stretch of the beach massed with people crammed shoulder to shoulder. In the distance, I could see some locals doing a fire show, accompanied with a huge flaming jump rope that attracted drunk idiots to try their best at a game of deadly double dutch. Even from far away, you could see people walking away with injuries after being hit by the rope in the face. I ended up losing Paul (primarily because he drunkenly stumbled off somewhere) and Phil (because he has found...company). I met up with Paul later at our meet up point; outside the fake 7-11. By the time we made our way back to the return ferry to Koh Tao, I was dead tired. I took of my shoes and slept on the floor of the boat all the way home.

Delay. Hurray!
Paul and I slept till mid-day and I stumbled out of bed to make the most off my last afternoon on the island. I headed down to Crystal Dive to say my goodbyes to some of the crew. When I got there I ran into Mark, who encouraged me to take his quad for a spin around the island. I was happy to oblige. He gave me some directions to a lookout point on the island for a great view I couldn't miss. I was clearly too excited at the opportunity to drive the quad around, and missed most of what he said. I headed straight for the "highway" and drove north. I drove all the way until I hit a section where the road got to hectic for me to continue driving. I turned around to head to the southern section of the island. I felt free driving around. The wind blowing in my face while blurs of bright green passed me by. When I got back and explained how I couldn't find the lookout, Mark hauled me up there on the back. I'm glad he did. When we got to the lookout, it felt like I was looking down on a sight from the Pirates of the Caribbean and that some ships were just about to pull into port.

After dinner I went to check load the night boat back to Surat Thani. I waited around for a bit, and the "agent" I had bought the ticket on asked what I was doing there. He explained that I had already missed the boat. Turns out there had been some miscommunication the actual departure time of the boat. He was pretty helpful and arranged for me to get on the next nights boat. I was a little frustrated that I wasn't going to get back to Singapore on time, but I wasn't going to argue with spending one more day in paradise.