Emersyn signed up for the Marine Ecology Research Program trip to Phuket, Thailand. Two high school teachers, Mr. Klammer and Mr. Umphenour, take a group of ten students to Thailand to do research on a reef. This is the fifth and final trip to this reef. The data is collected and sent to an University for further study. The age limit is 12. Emersyn turns 12 just ten days before the trip. She is the youngest in the group. On March 24 & March 25, she will begin water training with pool dives. We purchased all her dive equipment in Australia at Christmas.
To prepare for the dives and to be open water certified, the students meet twice a week from 7:00 – 8:45pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two months. The students take a quiz on Thursdays from the material on Tuesdays. Jim attended the first class to see what it was all about. The teachers asked if he wanted to continue to join the class and get dive certified. Jim jumped on that one. The cost to Jim is 1, 500rmb ($235). The teachers are both PADI dive certified instructions. They do not charge for their time they give to the students. Jim misses about a class a week since his travel schedule has been more demanding. Emersyn has enjoyed having him in the class. Anytime the teachers need a test subject, the class has fun using Jim.
Jim will miss the pool dive because he will be off playing at Hong Kong 7’s. Mr. Klammer has arranged for him to do the dive the following weekend. Jim did point out the fact that Emersyn has her own dive equipment, but he has none. He wasn’t on the dive team when we were in Australia. He will try to join the class for two days of diving in Thailand to complete his certification. He can not stay on the boat as it is full. However, he is fine in a “backpacker special”.
The experience has been so positive for Emersyn. She has a new interest in science – teachers do make a difference in a child’s life. Mr. Klammer and Mr. Umphenour are those kinds of teachers. They love science and make it fun. Soon, Jim and Emersyn will be off diving on our next beach holiday…because they can!