SCUBA WORLD News

Author Interview: Wendy Taylor on Thailand's Islands & Beaches
I was mugged on Ko Pha-Ngan while riding a motorbike. A real bummer, as it really rarely happens in Thailand. I made the mistake of keeping my bag in the front basket. Also, I found the city of Pattaya seedy and gross. What were the defining moments, people, places you encountered on the road? I chatted with a nun in a Petchaburi temple for about half an hour while she mended a shirt, and even though we didn't understand each other's languages, we understood each other. Every once in a while, she would put down her sewing to pick up a slingshot and chuck a rock at a monkey trying to get into the sacred building.

Ben and Jen in romantic comedy
Screenwriter John Hamburg directs his second film (since his 1998 debut Safe Men) with the romantic comedy Along Came Polly. Ben Stiller plays Reuben Feffer, a professional risk assessor who never takes chances in any aspect of his life. When his new bride, Lisa (Debra Messing), leaves him for a European scuba instructor named Claude (Hank Azaria), he finally decides to take a risk of his own. At a party he meets free-spirited Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), whom he remembers from the seventh grade. Unlike the control-freak Reuben, she's spent her life living on the edge.

New Jersey kids going to Everest
Mountain Link Joe and Liz' website New Jersey kids going to Everest 13:48 p.m. EST Mar 9, 2004 Over two thousand school children will head to Everest's summit this spring. Ok, maybe not, but they will be following the progress of two local climbers. Joe Hughes and his partner, Liz Pace, are going to Everest this month and the New Jersey grade-schoolers will follow their every move via downloadable audio dispatches from audible.com. Joe was born and raised just across the river from ExplorersWeb, in New Jersey. As a child he spent more time reading about Sir Edmund Hillary and Jacque Cousteau than playing catch with his classmates.

Cuan Law Will Host School at Sea
The luxury sailing trimaran Cuan Law will host a PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) from August 29 to September 6; a second program will be offered in December. An Instructor Exam (IE) will follow each program. Unlike traditional seven-day Instructor courses, the Cuan Law programs are nine days to include an IDC prep day and an IE prep day. A Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep course is offered after the September IE. Participants will experience a variety of secluded islands for confined and open-water diving, with time for fun dives -- caverns, wrecks and the captain's favorites -- as well as sailing and kayaking.

Across the threshold
Honeymoons range from low-budget camping trips to extravagant $900 per night over-water bungalow packages in the Tahitian islands. Decide how much you want to spend, and stick to your budget. Going into debt on the honeymoon is a stressful way to begin a marriage. All inclusive packages to Mexico often start at $1,300 per person for a week, said Val Sundell from Breckenridge Travel. As of Jan. 3, charter flights offer direct service to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, said Suzi Mirus, manager of Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Frisco. All inclusive trips to these destinations range from $1,500-2,000 per person.

Northwest Indiana News: nwitimes.com - Features
Big brothers and sisters, ages 2 to 6, can attend a one-hour program that helps them understand what it will be like to have a new baby in the house. Family Affair Sibling Class will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, 5454 Hohman Ave. Fee is $5 per family. To register, call (219) 933-2100 or (708) 891-9111. Families create magnets together Animal Face Magnets craft program will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, 6201 Parrish Ave. This program will allow participants to create a magnet using their own creative genius. Cost is $1. To register, call (219) 844-3188.

DIVERNET- Bubbling February 2004
DEEP STOPS Incorporating Bruce Wienke's RGBM modified Mares algorithm, said to make diving safer by incorporating deeper deco stops, the new Mares MI Airlab is a nitrox diving computer that integrates with your breathing-gas supply by means of a high-pressure hose to your regulator first stage. The MI RGBM was well-liked during our recent computer comparison and this M1 AirLab gives the added safety of helping you manage your air-supply properly. The Mares M1 AirLab costs 365. Blandford Sub-Aqua 01923 801572 GOT SOME GOOD PICS?