It has taken me ages to write about this trip. In part due to the shock of being back at home and work after such a long break (longest ever for me actually). And I find I’m a little prone to post holiday melancholia. It didn’t help that I had a Dementor disguised as a man working for me and a difficult boss. It didn’t help that I had something like 4,000 holiday snaps, most of which were ordinary, and none of which I knew what to do with. It really didn’t help that I was now in a permanent “wish I was somewhere else” state of mind. And it didn’t help that the cat was acting like a psycho.

Whithering look from Cat

So I did what all right thinking people do – I spent time in the consulting rooms, with Norm (www.indepthscuba.com.au). I don’t know what it is about Norm but just hanging out with Norm can make things better.

Norm, just makes things better

Like the long, hot trip back from Apo Island

Norm with Josh, who also makes things better

Who, at that time, were making my first dive with sharks better. True I had to be wrangled into the water –

Wrangled by daughter

Well, it was hair raising. It was gloomy down there and, to get to the entrance of the cave, we had to cross a channel that 30 or so grey nurse sharks were patrolling. But that’s all a different story. How was I to know that diving with sharks would turn out to be one of life’s great pleasures. Norm knew.

This is how Josh makes things better –

Thanks Josh, I feel way better now

This is how Norm makes things better –

It really was a dark and stormy night at sea

Turn it into a pyjama party – sweet

It worked a treat. Underwater, those Felix the Cat pjs glowed the most beautiful luminous purple I forgot all about the dark and stormy sea.

That’s Damo kneeling down in front. He makes things better by telling you to go eat some concrete.

This is how Phoebe makes things better –

Haha – drink concrete Damo

And really, I was in a complete post holiday funk.

I felt like this all the time, not just Mondays

Sigh. Norm makes things better by smiling and saying things like “How good’s that Jenster!”. Slowly, quality time with coffee, portuguese tarts and Norm worked its magic and I stopped being such a cry-baby. I decided it wasn’t so bad that I’d discovered diving so late. I decided it wasn’t so bad that I had a job, that paid enough to go diving. I gave the Dementor what-for in his performance appraisal and I decided to be the best 2iC that boss ever had (and then leave Bwahahaha). I bought Lightroom and spent a long time trying figure that out. I decided I never did like that cat much anyway. And I booked onto another dive trip.

I love you Normie.

But look, it’s passed midnight and I still haven’t written about the Wetpixel trip.

For the avoidance of any doubt, the Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia 2011 trip was fantastic, the people were not just sensational photographers and knowers of all things oceanic, they were great people, funny, generous, easy to be with (and that’s my highest compliment), the itinerary was to die for, the boat luxurious, the cruise director (the now famous “The Mighty Bevan”) a total scream and the guides had eyes in the back of their heads.

Sigh. I’ll have another crack at a trip report on the weekend (maybe I’ll sub-title it “How Come My Photos Just Got Better“) and leave you with an Indonesian sunset to go on with.

World famous photographers know when it is the right time to start climbing a hill so as not to miss the light, I miss them

J.

Postscript – I’m back dating the publish dates of this so that it appears in the right order. Shoot me. It’s my blog, made by my daughter Claire, because that’s how she makes things better.