After a two hour journey past the biggest palm oil farms in the world, and a quick stop off the road at a delicious fruit stand, we finally arrived at the jetty to head off to Sea Gypsy Village at Pulau Sibu. It was a 15 minute boat ride with bewildering views of lush green volcanic islands dotted all around us. Since I’ve now been here for four days, I’ll give you some quick highlights on the experience of living on a tiny secluded island in the Red China Sea.
Snorkeling
Every baggi (morning) at 10am, approximately 15 guests, a boatman, and myself head off to a new island to go snorkeling. We dock the boat on the beach, throw out an anchor, and enjoy the morning looking at coral and colorful tropical fish. My most memorable moment was snorkeling with Biology Major Tom as he picked up a rock and proceeded to smash an oyster to bits. Immediately we were surrounded by fish as the entire reef tried to fight for a sniff of the juicy goodness. Since he was headed fishing that afternoon, he took some of the tasty bait for later! My worst snorkeling day had terrible visibility after an enormous heavy rainstorm churned up all the sand and there was hardly anything to see. But I did hear something!! A bit of an ‘oooommm’, ‘ooommmm,’ that people say may have been a dugong (manatee) munching on some seagrass nearby.
Makkan (food)
Speaking of om nom nom…mmmmmm the food is delicious! Friday night was Hari Raya, the end of fasting for the Muslims on the island, so there was a big delicious feast at sundown followed by fireworks and festivity. Saturday is BBQ night and roti canai is still my favorite breakfast food. I have trouble at every meal because I have to try at least one bite of everything I see. The most difficult food to eat, however, is the clumpy rice that comes intricately wrapped in bamboo.
But let’s not forget about the drinks! We (and almost everyone else I’ve seen) have a 100 Plus (isotonic sports drink) with every meal. After working in the sun all day, a nice cold energy drink tastes a bit like heaven. After dinner, we head to the bar and chat over some Tiger beers and whatever funky concoction Richard feels like mixing up at the time. So far, my favorite is the Painkiller…it’s what piña coladas would taste like if piña coladas could taste even better than they already are!
Scuba diving
I am now on my fourth of five diving theory courses and I have successfully passed the first session in the water. Yesterday we learned all the ways that diving can kill us, and today we learned all the ways not to die…so I think I’m covering all the bases. 🙂 During the day I help out at the dive base, so my dive course is enhanced by learning things such as how to take care of all the gear and how to fix a broken regulator. I should be out in the open water in a few days.
Animals/Insects/Beasts
Itchy, itchy, eek, AH! My first morning here, the manager sat at the breakfast table with a mug of what I presumed was coffee. NOPE! It was a scorpion that he had caught in his shower that morning. Parmin (the knowledgeable monkey man who climbs the coconut trees) says that it won’t kill you…but you’d be sick for three days if you were stung. Awesome. Apart from that, the day is generally spent listening to geckos click in the walls, itching one of my many bug bites from mosquitos/sea lice/sand flies, ducking when I hear a coconut fall (one just did as I was writing this, nice of it to remind me), and praying that one of the wild boar won’t charge me. It truly is wild out here! The upside to the diversity of the jungle, however, is that I am able to see so many new plants and animals in both sea and on land. Did you know, for example, that sea sucumbers emit a white goopy gunk when you squeeze them (I didn’t try this, by the way, that just sounds cruel)? Or that geckos are able to climb flat surfaces because they use static electricity in their feet!
People
As foreign as my experience feels with the many wild animals of the jungle and sea, the people are probably the most bewildering part of it all. The staff wake up on a tiny secluded island every morning, with little to no communication with the outside world or home. Their perseverance and strength amazes me and they all have terrific and terrifying stories to share of their experiences here and elsewhere. As for the guests, they’ve been fantastic (so far!). It was nice to get a bit nostalgic about odd things from home with a lovely American expat couple. I am truly having the experience of a lifetime.
And me
Now back with a bit of wifi, I’ve received news that I have been accepted to study a Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology at Bangor University in September. I was also offered a research coordinator position at the University of Miami next spring. So, yes. You could say that life right now is pretty ridiculously pagoos (good).
Selamat (safe) wishes to you all!
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