Yes, I am good to go back to work in Zambia........

As I saw Dr. Friedrich on February 16th, after we discussed the cons and pros on my reconstruction plastic surgery now or another year+ from now, we concluded that:

1. I can go back to work in Zambia now for the surgery can take up at least another two, three months of my time in Seattle.

2. Even if I have the reconstruction plastic surgery now, that my wounds are all healed up and good to go for the surgery, but the circulation is still at the rebuilding stage, the leg is still has a little swelling and will take another year or so before it could become completely normal, that I might still need another reconstruction surgery a year later.

So the final conclusion was that Dr. Friedrich released me back to work in Zambia, after March 25, 2012.

For whatever reason, after I have this expected out come from February 16th doctor's visit, I just can't bring myself to post this news on the blog.......whatever emotion issue that was........

Went scuba diving with Northwest Dive Club Sunday and talked to many people about my return to Zambia soon and still took me whole day today to face this reality on my blog.....might as well share to you couple pictures from yesterday's dive at Redondo Beach, Federal Way, Washington State. They were baby wolf eel and Cockerell's Dorid Nudibranch. Cheng 2-19-2012

Maldives big critters - Bob's pictures

These big critters pictures were from Bob's catches that divers had to stay down deep and in the strong current that divers have to use the reef hook to anchor onesselves. I did it once and I did not trust that thin line will keep me afloat so I was basically holding tight on the hook never relaxed, that hurted my fingers a lot. I was almost like hugging on the brain carol head the whole time, besides taking pictures of other divers I didn't catch any worthwhile large images.....

Therefore I choose not to do the later big critter dives, instead once I went on to a little island for snorkel but I didn't do good to relax with snorkel either.....I walked around the little island and it was way too hot, so I had to come back to the boat earlier than other divers who did not go for the big critter dives.........

Early on at the trip, we encountered the whale sharks. These big critters are shy and do not like noises of bubbles so all had to snorkel to see it and catch pictures. You see how large the Whale Shark was and how little the divers were at the left upper corner of the last picture.

I thought I was not strong enough for the excitment yet, I just realized that I was actually not good on the snorkel......later I found it while visiting the little island.......Lucky that Bob got his pictures and happy enough to come back to check on me, while I was almost at the point of losing my confidence to be on the DEEP water and "snorkeling".......Thanks, Bob. Cheng 2/13/2012

Maldives diving pictures - 3

Besides Bob's birthday celebration we had one beach dinner under the almost full moon. The boat crew used whitle and black sand to make a whale shark that I thought was real until they lite the candles around and two stirno fir for its blue eyes.

There were tons tourists from Main Land China and few tour guides were printed in Chinese; also there was a library donated by Chinese in Male City.

Okay, these were for my play time. Coming Thursday I will see Dr. Friedrich and I shall know a date when I can come back to Zambia to continue my work. Cheng 2/11/2012

Maldives diving pictures - 2

My camera did not work well with the strobe most of time, I had Bob edited most of these pictures. Thanks, Bob.

A few more on next posting......Cheng 2/11/2012

Bob's birthday scuba diving trip to Maldives.

Since my doctor's appointment got rescheduled to February 16th, this trip to Maldives became no comflicts. This 60th birthday scuba diving celebration trip for Jim, Janet, me and Bob had started eight years ago and Bob is the youngest of the four. There were 11 other divers from Seattle areas came to dive in the same baot with us, that we just found out while transitting in Singapore Airport and Bob knew most of them. On the boat - Carpe Vita, there were another couple from Germany on vacation with us, so 17 of us to share for this 10 days, 11 nights diving trip.

The north tip of Maldives is at about 250 miles west from Sri Lenka. It has more than five atolls with 1190+ islands, population 300,000 and 2/3 of it are in the capital city (island) Male, the size of the whole country is about 825KM north to south and 130KM east to west. If we were not travel on baot it would not be easy to see that much of the Atolls. The red line on the map were where we had traveled, anchored and dove. Each "Atoll" were the shallow sandy bottom ocean with few higher point stick out of water that has a few coconut tresses and bushes on it for the out side, in a circle. Most islands has no people living on it.

While we were in boat on the Indian Ocean diving, Maldives had its politcal uprising. The day of our departure we went into Male, the capital island, beautiful newly built high raisers all over, it was a peaceful window of time, until we got back to the airport island the riot continued in Male. Hope there were no one really got hurt.

The continuing couple of my postings are to share a few of catches from my camera. Maldives is an area for the stronger divers for the big hunts. There were whale sharks, manta, eagle ray, sting ray, Napolenos, , large school of sharks of black tips, white tips, reef shark, nurse shark, tuna as big as sharks, turtles and large school of all sorts of reef fishes, etc., etc.... Over all, fishes are more shy from camera and carols were not as colorful as those in Indonesia waters......but divers came here are for the huge critters.....sorry that I didn't do those challenged dives for I still need to concern with my strength, not to put burdon on to other divers.

Yes, I am truly thankful that I was able to come celebrate Bob's birthday and did the 29 dives, from the total of 32 dives for everyone. Cheng 2/11/2012