Week 27: Airplanes in the deep sea (Oct 3 - 9)

What an exciting weekend!! I was able to dive down into the deep blue sea and there at the bottom was a large collection airplanes. I lost count at 6, but would guess that we saw about 10+. It was such a surreal feeling seeing all the planes nestled in the sand and covered with life. One of the wings must have had a large anemone living inside because every little hole had pink anemone peaking out and a couple of Nemo's friend darting in and out. The same wing had a large crown of thorns starfish camped out on it and looking content as could be. I am always in awe of how quietly beautiful it is underwater and how grounded I become when I am focused on what is around me and my steady breathing. Sometimes I think diving is so much work when I have to pull all the gear out of the closet, make sure that it is work, haul it and tanks down at the dock, but the moment I hit the water I know that it was worth it.

This same weekend also involved a Roi Oktoberfest Party and some good fun with friends. I am so thankful that the life I am blessed with allows for such wonderful and exciting experiences. I am excited to see what each new day brings and the challenges and triumph that I will encounter in the years to come!

Week 26: Half Century Dive (Sept 26-Oct 2)

It has taken over two years and I wondered if I would ever make it to dive number 50, but I made it!!! My 50th dive was at a place called Troy's Coral Head in the middle of the Kwaj Lagoon. Troy's is known for having an abundance of sharks in a variety of species. On this particular day the sharks only numbered about 8, but there were gray reef, white tip, and a nurse shark. The white tips were resting in the sand and just chillin' like some villains.

The best part of the dive was a beautiful medium-sized sea turtle just snacking away on some coral. We were able to get just a couple feet away and watched him for about 10 minutes as he kept munching and every so often he would look up and check us out. I was in awe of his beauty and just couldn't take me eyes off him. What a spectacular sight it was!?! I feel so blessed to have been able to witness this creature in his natural habitat.

I have tried not to post too many dive posts, but already know that next week will be another dive related experience. On Sunday, I will be diving on Roi-Namur and seeing my first airplane (hopefully many) ever at the Airplane Graveyard up there. Thrilled can't describe how I feel about my dives this coming weekend.

This past week I also hit 30.5 years of life. I didn't celebrate my half birthday, but had quite an enjoyable night nonetheless. My 30th year of life is proving to be quite an amazing year and I am loving every minute of it. If 30 is this great, I can't wait to see what 31 brings!

Week 22: Jobwa Stick Dancing and Giant Clams (August 29-Sept 4)

Giant Clams!! I am officially part of a weekly dive group and excited that I can rely on them to take me to places that I have never dove before. I am closing in on 50 dives. One would think I should have more after 2 years out here:(, but it isn't always easy to get into a regular dive group. I am glad that I have my 3 buddies and this week they took me to a coral head near Victor Buoy, it is a location known for its giant clams. We saw several that were 4+ feet across. They are just amazing creatures and I can never get enough of the brilliant colors they display as they are resting open waiting for a chance snack. (Just so you know, I can't pass up going by any size clam with out trying to make it snap shut, the same goes for getting Christmas Tree Worms to suck in to their holes!)

The island was blessed this week with the performance of the Marshallese Jobwa Stick Dance. The Jobwa Stick Dance can only be performed with the permission of the high chief. The local king, Imata(?) Kabua, gave permission for the performance to happen here on Kwaj. It was an amazing site to see these young men performing and young women chanting, while sticks were flying up on stage.

Here is some background info from Yokwe Online
As told by Iroij (Chief) Michael Kabua to Jan Waddell, Hourglass Reporter

Jobwa Stick Dance started in Ujae Atoll and it is a very old story. A man went to sleep and slept for a very long time. He had no food or water.

As he slept, he started to dream, and a group of nonieap, which are spirits you can’t see but can hear, came to the man and showed him the Jobwa Stick Dance.

The man woke, and when the people asked why he had slept so long, he told them about his dream and taught them the dance the nonieaps had shown him.

When the men were performing the dance, a Dri ikjiet, which is a good spirit that lives under the ground, came up from a well.

He was a very handsome man.

The women, whose job it was to beat the drums for the Jobwa and chant, stopped paying attention to their drums and chants and started to pay attention to the Dri ikjiet.

When the women started to pay attention to the Dri ikjiet, their drumming and chanting became very bad, or dubwebie, which means their beat was wrong.

The Iroij became very angry that the women were paying attention to the Dri ikjiet and not to their drumming and chanting.

The Dri ikjiet was also paying a lot of attention to the women, which also made the Iroij angry.

The Iroij wanted to get rid of the Dri ikjiet, so he spoke with the Jobwa dancers and told them at the end of the dance, instead of holding their sticks to the sky to hold their sticks to the ground.

When the Dri ikjiet was dancing with the Jobwa stick dancers, he held his stick to the sky when all the other men held their sticks to the ground.

This gave the Iroij a reason to kill the Dri ikjiet.