Baby Steps to Divemaster

This is going to pretty tough - divemaster is going to be great fun, but also a pretty decent challenge. There are all kinds of academic modules, diving modules, fitness modules, and leadership work. I have my final rescue test tomorrow (the one in the water, I passed the academic already) and I passed physiology two days ago, so we're off to a good start. Rescue is pretty tough as we had to share a regulator while swapping all our gear under water, twice. Apparently next time there will be instructors swirling around us blowing air at us and ripping our masks off etc to "add stress." Yay.
I have done some fun diving too since I have to rack up a certain number of dives. The first day was pretty bad, but it was all new equipment so that's to be expected really. Since then it's been going much better and I've managed to drop a weight and was even asked to follow a fun dive group as an assistant. A DM will lead the group and we put a trainee in the back to make sure no one wanders off if the group is mostly inexperienced divers.
In two weeks I'm hoping I'll be ready to assist on courses and I'm hoping I'll have lots of the academic modules done. I'm working on my Emergency Assistance Plan tonight, so that will knock another thing off the list.
On the non-diving side there has been a rather gratuitous amount of alcohol ;) I did my homework last night on a bucket of rum, shots, and beer and the night before I did it after 5 shots of vodka. It's actually not a great idea because I dive the next day and it could make me sick, but, you're not supposed to smoke either and everyone here seems to have a pack a day habit.
Speaking of the people, they are really cool. If there was any way I could I would stay here and work at BANS for 8-9 months. You can get bartending shifts and once I got my instructorship I could take classes that way too. Rent is only USD 150 a months so it's not like life's particularly expensive.
Oh, haha, it's almost all guys here too so...college 70% male, banking, 75% male, koh tao DMT population 70 % male. Hehe, I know how to pick em ;)
I don't want to leave! The mosquitos and ants I could live without though.