Have you ever felt like this before? :-P

As if the world on land is not big and exciting enough for me, that I actually want to submerge myself to the world of underwater. It is just not the same, let me tell ya, the serenity, the weightless-ness and the drastically different scenery is intoxicatingly addictive!

We had our first SCUBA diving experience in Sanya, China -- the so called Hawaii of the Orients. Despite the unusual rough water that reduced the visibility that day, it was still an experience that I captivated me.

Since I am due to go to Maui this Dec with Vivian, swimming amongst the coral reefs is on the top of list of things to do for us once we get there. We want to be able to truly enjoy our time in the warm sea without having a diving instructor constantly lurking behind, and hence, we need to be certified to dive, PADI Open Water Certified that is.

We are going to check out the diving school in Santa Clara tomorrow. And hopefully get properly licensed prior to our trip to Hawaii. I am giddy as a school boy, anticipating the douche tomorrow.

Travel anywhere outside of California, one will truly appreciate what California has to offer -- pho, dim sum, pad tai, curry, steak, burrito and kim-chi, one can sample food around the globe minutes away from home; genuine and fairly priced. If the food itself is not enough to justify the ever increasing cost of living, the weather usually does the trick. Somewhere between the crisp air, abundant sun, mild humidity and comfy temperature, you’d begin to feel that all the extra taxes and premium you pay was well justified, and might even feel the desire to shell out few more bucks to show just how much you love this state!

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Last week I had to go to Atlanta for the third time in the past month. The second day I got there, it started pouring. I am not talking about the misty drizzles or the warm localized showers we got here in California during the winter season. I am talking about torrential storm with streams of giantic water beads shot out of the low hovering clouds in massive quantities, accompanied by strong gusty wind that blew the droplets left, right and sideways. As if Zeus, Poseidon and the entire Olympia gods/goddesses posse each armed with an industrial strength god-grade Super-Soaker and decided to gang up and open fire on us immortals for entertainment.

Being from California, I first thought all the raining and wind howling pretty impressive and pretty cute! It was a change from all those predictable, non-changing sunshine we got back in Cali. But by the second day of raining, all the “cuteness” was gone as I watched my new white A|X jacket was repeatly getting half-soaked as I ran to and from the car; and by the third day of raining, I was started to curse openly at the gods/goddesses, co-workers, signal lights, piled up traffic jams, and failing window shield wipers.

I am ready for the sun baked California again!

Drinking with colleagues in Atlanta after dark...