Post#6: I was bitten by Hong Kong Nemo

...yes.....I was.....Read on to find out how (and if you're lucky, perhaps why).

But first *please* look to the right side of this page and try to figure out where the quote came from. No fair googling it......I will know if you do! =========>

Place: Off the coast of Hong Kong. It's raining with a taste of thunder but that didn't stop the Pro-Dive boat full of Scuba Diver's from arriving at the first dive spot (of three). I was given a diving buddy to watch my back (and vice versa) and was preparing to enter the sea......Ponder this: Is it possible for two people to actually watch each others backs? Maybe if you used mirrors.....Hmmm...

Let's rewind....or fast foward depending if you are on the other side of the International Date Line.

Scuba Diving equals Boats, Oceans, Coral, Fish, Purple Sunsets, cocktails, giggles and smiles. And this is available right off the coast of HK. Here's the path I took to get to the boat:

Elevator => Taxi => Subway (one switch) => Bus => Dive Boat

All this for one hour and 15 min. Stupendously close.

A few important things to note:

• The dive briefing was 10 minutes long and all in Cantonese. The English version (which was just for me) consisted of "Don't forget to breathe and come back to the boat". I have been on lots of dives and this was the most informative.
• Luckily communicating under water is by hand signals so nothing will get missed in the English-Cantonese translation. For example, pointing up usually means up in any language (except for the North Polean language in which it means "Cheque Please")
• My Favourite: Lunch was Cantonese style. An old bent-over woman who I think dates back to 1800's made fresh dumplings and soup. I watched her mix meat and vegetables together and hand make each dumpling. I couldn't have been happier.....But, the smile was soon to fade as I made my third dive...

Usually when I am swimming through a school of fish they scatter from me. Sometimes there are so many fish that even when they scatter it still is like I'm swimming with them. Very cool. But this time there two smallish fish that didn't shy away. I poked out my finger and they just kinda stayed there.

And than it happened.....

One of the fish made a lounging move and came right at the index finger on my right hand and took a nibble. Nothing was actually removed from the finger (though he might have tasted a bit of Pea Soup we had for lunch....I didn't ask) but I did pull back slightly startled. I started swimming away and they followed me like a Pigeon in the MacDonald's parking lot in downtown Portland.

So I ended the dive and told the captain what happened. He than informed me that the fish who got rough with me was a clown fish and has the moniker "Hong Kong Nemo".

So friends, tell your kids who have watched Finding Nemo for the 1051st time that there really is a Nemo and he lives in the waters off of Hong Kong.

Until next time when I will discuss New Delhi Dora....

Here's to those who wish us well. Wherever they may be....And oh yeah....Celtics will take game 4 in LA......