March 07, 2008

Koh Tao (THAILAND)

Wrapping up Coursework and Examinations, and Leaving Koh Tao for Bangkok

I have adopted an easy routine for mornings on Koh Tao: rise with the sun at around 6:45 am, ride my motorbike into town where I can use the free wireless internet at one of several coffee shops (Cafe Corner is my favorite, although they erred on the word order for their name), and enjoy a cafe americano with toast while I check emails and work on my diving coursework. CNN International news is usually playing in the background so I can also get my daily dose of world events, which is never a bad thing. At the same time, it is easy to distance myself from global troubles knowing that my life will stay as stress-free as I choose to keep it. Such is the beauty of life on Koh Tao, and it probably contributes to why some people have spent years on the island: Mike, my Scottish dive instructor from last summer, has been here for seven years - completing Ironman Triathlons on a near-monthly basis.

At 10:00 am I met Brad at the New Way dive shop and we reviewed all the coursework before wrapping things up so I could take the final examination. Most of the questions were straightforward, and I passed with a 94%. After having a few photos taken by a tour agent across the street, I completed the necessary forms and became a certified PADI Rescue Diver. (The world can now sleep easy.)

Sadly, with a 16:00 ferry ticket and onward bus connection to Bangkok, today was my last day on the island. I was hoping to spend it snorkeling off the southern coast where there are regular 1-1.5 meter black tip sharks sightings, but the weather was not cooperative and those plans never materialized. Instead, while a constant, yet light, rain showered the island, I sat on the patio of a small cafe drinking cheep Chang beer, enjoying Tom Yum Koong (a kind of spicy Thai soup with prawns), and debating all manners of topics with David and Neil. I have an horrible track record when it comes to debating with a cool head, but I have been making steady progress to accept that I will not win every argument; some people simply lack the mental capacity to keep up with me. (It is sad, really.)

After wrapping up all my affairs, such as saying goodbye to everyone I befriended on the island, grabbing snacks for the road, and returning my motorbike, Neil, David, and I caught a free ride down to the docks to wait for our ferry departure. We probably attracted our fair share of attention as we spent the 45 minute wait debating the merits of a capitalist society versus a socialist one, although by the end it was fairly obvious that we all shared the same general ideas: capitalist economic structure with a liberal social system. All of this contributes to why I am not against any of the presidential candidates, although the idea of universal healthcare and bigger government do turn me off from the Democratic candidates, just as the idea of a greater international military presence is worrying with the Republicans.

I recently received an email containing the following quotes from Ronald Reagan (conservative American president during the 1980s), which I couldn't help smiling at:

- 'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'

- 'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it' s just that they know so much that isn't so.'

- 'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. Was too strong.'

- 'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.'

- 'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.'