My sea sick experience

The night before we head out to sea, I was determined to go for a dip into the tantalizing waters at Koh Tao. We set of from the Samui at around 8 in the morning and what a memorable journey it was for me. Within the next hour sea sickness struck! From then on I was laid down on the seat for the rest of the journey.

When Michael, our director, called out, "We need sound for this!" I tried to be as professional as possible to give him what he wanted but I could hardly lift my self off the lying position. The last time I felt this way was when I was pissed drunk 10 years ago. Thankfully the speedboat we were one had a low ceiling and I can't place the boom over the heads to Angela and Edmund (Dive Instructor), so I had to boom them from the bottom in a seated position. What a relief!!!

At around 2pm that afternoon we boarded the Catamaran. It was a beautiful boat and it was suppose to be a smooth sail in the sun, but with the choppy waters and the storm that blew over, yes, I spent most of the time on it lying down again. Lunch on the catamaran was superb (looks to me), but I could only eat half a Kebab because anymore would cause me to vomit. Michael called for sound again. This time it was around the boat and I had to boom them over their heads. I had Wee Keong (Ben) grabing my belt in case I fall over. After that shot I went back to lie down.

9 hours after we set off to sea we finally returned back to Samui and immediately the sea sickness was gone. I am determined to be prepared for the next trip and I will definitely take a dive into the water for the next one!

Prop Plane

Nobody believed we arrived in a prop plane... not even myself.

I'm glad that we flew from in from phuket... the budget terminal in Changi wasn't too bad except that they insist we need to feel the difference. Plastic chairs and paper cups.

Basically we landed in a resort, not an airport. I wished the people in Singapore who refused to release their camera to us get to see this. There were definitely corrupted custom officers who want to steal our camera. We're too careful sometimes and no work gets done... can't be film-makers like this.

Do you dare to take the risk and make a difference?

 
 
  

Almost Reaching Koh Phangan

Our edit session is almost reaching Koh Phangan and that's where it all started when the film ends... memories fade and we continue in our journey until something fun comes along again.

There was no camera to shoot on I remember, so our soundman Jan decided to be a photographer for the day. I guess he was the only one who was sensitive to the cry of the ladies amidst the sounds of the crashing waves. But couldn't they tell that he is a sound-dude? Ha...

There was also a colourful dog on the big boat and we had to guess what the owner does. All I can say is that I think it was some kind of experiment. I don't think the captain of the boat cared how many people he packed in that day and it left us wondering is this one of those articles you see in the newspapers that a couple of hundred people was lost at sea when some boat in a faraway land capsized.

I guess we were lucky to be back on the shore of Koh Phangan that day, to enjoy a quick lunch on a side store, sipped in some milkshakes and continued the rest of our 5-day journey.

We did see the colouful dog again on the island. Not me personally but someone told me.

When things begin, they also end.

 
 
 
 

When things end, they begin again. 

2 COKE LIGHTS and 1 CHANG

Edit has started and its funny how you remember some moments when you scan through the footages.

So this is what I remember about Ange on the food table... coke light. The Chang beer is obviously not for her. Possibly once she took a sip of the Chang, celebrated the completion of our open water dives. Edmund drank some and started talking a little more.

I pull off a coke light during lunch today and it's still pretty sweet for me. Sugar-free? I guess sugar and sweetness have nothing to do with each other these days. Diluting it with a bit of ice and I'll continue with the edit tomorrow...

 
 
  

Celebrity Death Match

Who will know that Ange will fight a two-time world champion in Muay Thai Boxing?

The moment started when Ange walked down the streets of Haadrin, dressed in her Muay Thai boxing outfit. People look on, curious of the camera following our star to the beach.

A make-shift boxing ring by the beach did not attract much crowd... it's still too early for any form of activity to be happening. We wanted the fight to happen at night when the full moon party is on but it might get too rowdy.

As the sun sets we put the two fighter in the ring. The crowd cheered and I could hear bits of "Singapore" coming out from some of them. Obviously it will not be a fair match but one that will be etched in the memory of 360. We were still dreaming when we conceive the crazy idea of having a boxing match on the beach and now we have it on tape...

A Celebrity Muay Thai Boxing Match on Haadrin Beach.

Who would think that our Wee Keong can pull off such a stunt? Call him the best...

SURVIVOR

 

I guess I have to start the stories from behind and trace our journey all the way to the beginning... but memories do not come to us in any order. Random thoughts that occupy our restless mind. So what the heck?

Sam is a survivor... that's what Ange said. He's got a fracture on his left shoulder and dislocated his right one. The left is his fault and the right is the tripod. Heard he tried to put pain killers and 4 bottles of Chang beer to ease the pain the night before we left...

A survivor alright and aren't we all?

Jan survived the sea-sickness on the way to Koh Tao. CK survived the dive with laden weight. Wee Keong survived the drugged water from the full-moon party. Edmund survived eating 3/4 of a chicken and some calbees prawn crackers. Mon survived the canopy-ride, shooting with the HDCAM 100 feet off the ground. The driver (sick I forget his name) survived the long drive from Samui back to Bangkok. Ange survived the boxing match and I survived the menancing stones near the sandbar but lost my soul in the process...

 
 
  

Back From Samui

 
I took so many pics from my phone in Samui... this is my favourite one.

Now I'm back home and tomorrow I'll wake up on my own bed without the smell of the sea, without sands on my feet, and I'm already feeling funny knowing that i'll wake up without the necessity to pick a dress for ange, work out the links, call for roll camera and shout for action.

Cut.

The city will encapsulate me as I try to recall the stories in Samui.

Memories... they tease me. 

WHATEVER

When the whatever sign is out, you know you're in trouble.

We're not shooting on the P2 anymore and CK scrambled for a Varicam. $8000 for rental. Grace is still scrambling to get the custom done. What a pain! Nobody tells us what to do. So whatever.

Whatever happens, there is always a solution.

The packing's done and we're ready to go. Up the mountains, down the sea and with a special underwater housing, a ziplock-look-a-like bag that cost $900, the images will be beautiful I hope.

Whatever the story, we're still going to have a blast.

  
 
 
 

FIT

Always hard to find a perfect fit but I think Angela looks better in her own design. More comfortable perhaps... she told me yesterday that it is a happy people store and of course I'm trying to be sensitive if you're wondering.

Samui is tomorrow... and some of the crew are leaving today. Wee Keong is laying the ground and preparing the road. The fight is on!


 
 
  

Hantu and Alive

Wee Keong left for Samui today… going there first to tie up some loose ends so that when we get there, we’re ready to shoot.

Angela, CK and me on the other hand came back from Hantu alive… visibility one arm length. It’s easy to lose sight of your buddy… easy to lose yourself in those waters. A moment of fear struck my heart when we could not locate Angela and CK. Are they alright? What if…?

There are many what ifs, but the most important thing is that we’re all safe from our first experience in the open sea and I’m beginning to feel natural in the waters, like I should. We’re all born of waters.

A surreal moment occurs on my first ascend, looking up… seeing light peering through the surface, almost shimmering white, brighter as you get closer, bigger until your head catches the air above. I wonder if this is the light we see when we pass on to the next life, our soul catches air above.

Samui is a few days away… the party, the people, the process.

I float to my sleep when I got home, drifted far from reality but no dreams came, only tranquility, reminiscence of the beautiful moments that captured me.

Breathless...

 
 
 
 

There are somethings that leave you breathless and diving I think is one of them. The unnatural breathing method through the mouth is uncomfortable. Everything is cumbersome.

We're suppose to learn diving in a few lessons and go shoot under the sea, capturing beautiful images with Angela swimming happily. I wonder... it'll be a miracle if we make it through alive with our equipment intact.

A week more to go before we head off to Samui and everything seems to be coming together.

Wee Keong in getting along with the first draft and hopefully he'll be able to setup the big fight during the full moon beach party. It'll be awesome...

Are we really going to dive in Pulau Hantu? Visibility is bad and currents will be blowing us away.

One more thing... pray that the weather will be good when we shoot in Thailand. The forecast is crap weather.