Surface Time with Stephanie

S5 Ep6: The Year-End Reset & Launch 2026 with Clarity

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0800

What if I told you that 2026 will rewrite rules of the games? It will stress-test leaders (i.e. all of us) as well as be the launchpad for visionaries!

Let's dive in!

The eBook - "The Power of Unseen Leadership" - is now available on Amazon, Apple Books and Kobo.

====================================

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

====================================

S4 Ep9: Fi Dinh on Work is Love Made Visible (Part 2)

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:30:00 +0800

Welcome back. This is the second part of the dialogue with Fi Dinh.

Continuing on the subject of personal transformation and spirituality development, we delve deeper on terms like “Divine Feminine” and “Divine Masculine”. And how you embody them as you sail through your day. In essence, these would be another expression of “Authenticity” and “Authentic Leadership”.

For the longest time, like over 20 centuries, most human have been wired to separate materiality from spirituality. As if they are two different entities. And you can have only one at a time.

That wiring is so fundamentally flawed.

In truth, materiality and spirituality co-exist and interdependent. We can and we should live life by embracing and embodying the harmonious connectivity between materiality and spirituality.

Fi’s courage and candidness in sharing her personal transformation and spirituality development is contagious. It is much needed, especially for those who are already walking the path of embodying their intuitive and spiritual intelligence.

“You are not alone!”

In fact, now is the moment for you to lead by example. Become the vibration of gratitude and bring that wholesomeness with you.

Here is something for you to ponder:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep9: Fi Dinh on Work is Love Made Visible (Part 1)

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:30:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I spoke with Fi Dinh, a senior executive in the fund finance world, with the heart of the Ocean.

I first met Fi through Women in Fund Finance, where she serves as the co-chair for APAC region. Very quickly the original agenda of our meeting got cast aside. Instead, we spoke at length about personal transformation, wellness management and the pursuit of spiritual growth.

It is refreshing and precious for me. Her unapologetic confidence and openness in sharing her spiritual journey is captivating. She is consistent, regardless whether it is at a cosy lunch, work place or a business networking event. And her Out of Office message.

At the same time, it tickles my curiosity. I wonder where she got her confidence from.

It is also deliberate to split this dialogue with Fi into two parts. So that my dear listeners, you can pause and take time to process.

Here is a thought:

If we can attract curious creatures like Dolphins with the “OM” sound while underwater, what else can we do with the vibrations that we carry with us?

By vibrations, it can be vibration of gratitude, sadness, FOMO, self-confidence and self-doubt.

What vibration are you carrying today?

When you are ready, tune in to Part 2.

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

S5 Ep5: What's Right About Being OCD?

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0800

Something about the ocean water. It somehow gets your happy hormones flowing. And activate your sense of wonder, curiosity and imagination.

And today, let’s hear from Stephanie about the side effects that you may get from scuba diving.

Key Messages

In scuba diving, being OCD about your dive equipment is paramount to ensure your personal safety.
It is about self-control.
To know yourself is true wisdom. To master yourself is true power.
We all have the power to create impact and the result can be constructive or destructive.

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

Voiceover by Shelley Avellino (a real person!)

W: www.shelleyavellino.com

FB: @shelley.avellino

LK: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyavellino

IG: @shelleyavellino

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/M1Hu1

S5 Ep4: Creation of a Team

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:15:00 +0800

In last episode, we were reminded that how everyone processes things differently at own timeline and the importance of adjusting our communication approach. Whether it is in the context of scuba diving or work environment.

Today, Stephanie will talk about team. Yep, when scuba diving with your buddy, you are a team together. Let’s hear more from her.

Key Messages

Establish the Common Point of Reference and Rules of Engagement.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships
Best Team v.s. Worst Team
Foster healthy conflicts and debates to keep Creative Tension alive

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

Voiceover by Shelley Avellino (a real person!)

W: www.shelleyavellino.com

FB: @shelley.avellino

LK: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyavellino

IG: @shelleyavellino

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/M1Hu1

S5 Ep3: I Hear, I Forget. I See, I Remember. I Do, I Understand.

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 15:15:00 +0800

I hope that you have been practicing mindful breathing since the last episode. Even better, you have completed your Confidence Builder Worksheet and got personalised guidance from Stephanie.

Today she will delve deeper into the topic of leadership. In particular, how scuba diving has impacted on her leadership attitude and style.

Key Messages

Everyone processes information differently. Everyone is on his or her own timeline.
To enhance water confidence, first build new muscle memories.
Situational leadership style – adjust communication approach in accordance with the level of experience and confidence of each individual.
What is it that you are looking to achieve here? Like what outcome have you in mind?

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

Voiceover by Shelley Avellino (a real person!)

W: www.shelleyavellino.com

FB: @shelley.avellino

LK: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyavellino

IG: @shelleyavellino

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/M1Hu1

S5 Ep2: Bonus Track - 7-Minute Guided Mindful Breathing Practice

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 05:30:00 +0800

A bonus track of Guided Mindful Breathing Practice. This is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners.

Save this to your favourite. When you feel like a pick-me-up, use this track.

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

S5 Ep2: Breathe! Never Hold Your Breath!

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 05:15:00 +0800

In the last episode, Stephanie shared some tactics on managing fear. Have you managed to complete and send in your Confidence Builder Worksheet?

So today, she will talk about the importance of breathing consciously. Apparently, NITROX is the happy gas for scuba diving. Let’s find out why from her.

Key Messages

To live, we need to breathe. To feel alive, we need to breathe consciously.
Never hold your breath underwater.
Oxygen is a powerful medicine.
Better alternative to calm a person down, “Breathe”.
“Taking a deep breath” is a power tactic to break a heated discussion or tough negotiation.
Mindful breathing

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

Voiceover by Shelley Avellino (a real person!)

W: www.shelleyavellino.com

FB: @shelley.avellino

LK: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyavellino

IG: @shelleyavellino

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/M1Hu1

S5 Ep1: What is Your Greatest Fear?

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:45:00 +0800

In this new series, Stephanie has curated a collection of transferrable experiences from scuba diving. Essentially, these are expressions demonstrating different perspective about life. Which are all intricately connected to all the roles we play.

In this episode, the topic is about Fear. The little bugger that can be so powerful, it can paralyse us.

Stephanie has found some hacks to deal with Fear. Let’s hear from her.

Key Messages

Fear’s full name is False Expectation Appearing Real.
Fear can be managed by Confidence.
7Ps = Proper Prior Planning and Preparation Prevent Poor Performance
In scuba diving, following safety protocol is the key to ensure that we are competent and confidence enough to manage our fear.
Between Fear of Failure and Fear of Success, which is the greater devil?

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

Voiceover by Shelley Avellino (a real person!)

W: www.shelleyavellino.com

FB: @shelley.avellino

LK: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyavellino

IG: @shelleyavellino

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/M1Hu1

Series 5: Living Life Fully with Transferable Experiences from Scuba Diving

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:15:00 +0800

Instead of my usual chinwag with other Diving Junkies, for this Series, I have curated a collection of transferrable experiences from scuba diving. Essentially, these are expressions demonstrating different perspective about life. They are all intricately connected to all the roles we play.

About Surface Time, Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Collections of conversations about scuba diving, our love for the blue ocean and underwater world as well as the land side…everything that can inspire you to love life more.

Book 30-Minute Free Consultation with Stephanie:

F: https://forms.gle/DEQ8ojuFitVoi73k7

E: stephanie.luo@noeticleaders.com

SUBSCRIBE to get constant inspirations:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/WVZ8Y

Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/DwVYT

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/qfx3U

Connect with us:

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

X: @surfacetimechat (no “s”, they are stingy with space!)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep8: Adriana Basques on Creating Transferrable Life Experiences

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Adriana Basques, a corporate executive turned wildlife photographer. She has been using her camera to document moments of her encounters of beautiful creatures both on land and underwater. In fact, her photography specialty is split landscape photo – where top part is the land and bottom part is underwater. This allows her to share with everyone the wonders and beauties of this fragile blue planet. Through her work, she gives people a greater understanding and appreciation for the conservation.

Perhaps it’s her Brazilian gene plus many other charms. Her passion for life is highly contagious. She is living her life fully and creating transferrable life experiences.

A passionate campaigner in raising conservation awareness through her photography and teasing everyone’s curiosity with the wonders and beauties of this blue planet. And as a passionate advocate and mentor for women empowerment, she is influencing the new standard of behaviour, inside and outside the corporate world.

On the note of women leadership, I have observed that the mentality has been shifting constructively. There is still a huge gap to close. And to narrow or even close this gap, it is down to each of us to raise the quality of our own self-awareness, self-confidence and self-compassion. This is part of the journey of creating transferrable life experiences. So what would you say to these questions:

“What moves me?”

“What drives me?”

From there, you should be able to start connecting the dots from the past to present and from present to future.

Connect with Adriana Basques

W: https://adrianabasques.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AdrianaBasquesPhotography

IG: https://www.instagram.com/basques/

E: info@adrianabasques.com

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep7: Flora Camiros, Michiko Fusato & Sherrie Garcia being Lady Pirate Divers

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Recently, I went diving in Coron, Philippines. This place is famous for wreck diving where you get to explore some Japanese ships that were sunk by US Task Force during World War II in 1944.

We dived with Pirate Divers for a week. I think on the second or third day after we finished diving for the day and on the way back to the resort, the lady crew members of Pirate Divers – Michiko and Sherrie - were making some concoction that is made mostly with Tanduay, Filipino national pride rum.

Our DM Flora Camiros told me that they are making jungle juice. Then handed me a cup to try.

After a few more rounds of jungle juice, I told them about Surface Time and asked if they would take part in Women who Scuba series. So after we wrapped up our last dive, we went to Black Island for BBQ…and this time some Jungle Juice made with Filipino Gin.

This was an impromptu recording with Flora Camiros, Michiko Fusato and Sherrie Garcia from Pirate Divers on the beach of Black Island. By impromptu, all I had was my iPhone and the Voice Memo app and hope that the software will edit out some background noise.

I love that they were spontaneous and generous in sharing their stories. We definitely have 3 intelligent women. Each holds a deep well of inner strength, resilience and big heart. Driven by their own passion. They are distinctively different from each other; yet we can find them relatable. And it further validates the beauty of having scuba diving as the common language.

Speaking of spontaneity, have you ever acted on an impulse? What did you do when you were last being spontaneous? What did you gain or lose for being spontaneous?

Connect with Pirate Divers

W: https://piratediverscoron.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/piratediversbusuanga/

IG: @pirate.divers.busuanga

E: info@piratediverscoron.com

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep6: Carrie Miller on Being Powered by Tenacity

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Carrie Miller, Storyteller, Author, Traveller. You may recognise her name from the previous episode with her and her husband, Chris Taylor, sharing their stories behind the book, A Diver’s Guide to the World. By the way, I was particularly delighted to find my birth country, Taiwan with Kenting National Park as one of the 50 destinations in the book.

Anyhoo, so Carrie is back and be part of the Women Who Scuba series. This time we chatted more on her journey of becoming a writer for National Geographic, her experiences of solo travelling and how those life experiences have shaped her as a person and as a woman.

She certainly is the living expression of “tenacity”. Being is a gifted storyteller, she generously shared her stories and stories of people, places and culture that she encountered.

In essence, stories are expressions of different life experiences. So through her words, we get to experience these vicariously. Also we may resonate with the stories and even identify the similarities and differences when comparing to our own. In that process, this is when inspiration, imagination and new perspective happen. And often we would refine our life narrative as a result.

So, think of a time when something happened – whether it’s reading a quote from a book, a movie or an incident, anything – but this something may be small and yet so significant that it changed your perception about life. What is your story there? What details would you like to share with your audience? And why is that?

Connect with Carrie Miller

W: https://beneaththesurface.media/

IG: @beneaththesurfacemedia | @carrimiller_writer

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep5: Hester Ross on Seeing the Big Picture

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Hester was the person who got me off my procrastinating mode and started to produce Surface Time. When we did the recording, she has been on the “mummy’s break” from scuba diving for some time. I am sure that all mums who happen to be scuba divers can relate.

One thing that really rings true to me from our chat is the Big Picture. Always take a step or more steps back and look at the greater version of the picture.

Her trip to Tonga and swim with Humpback Whale while being 6 months pregnant was originally intended as a “baby moon”. However, her narrative changes when she was floating in the water resonating with Humpback singing. It turns out to be the first big adventure of the family together. Her attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro became the life changing experience. The takeaway was that when you focus so much on the end-goal and become obsessed with not achieving that end-goal, you are actually depriving yourself from appreciating and enjoying what life is in the present moment.

Here is a little tip that you could try, especially, when you are dealing with any challenges…What would you say in completing this sentence: I don’t like the circumstance that I am in right now. However, if this difficulty did not happen, I would not have….

Connect with Hester Ross

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amasianheroines/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep4: Kate Padget-Koh on Self Expression

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Kate expresses her creativity through many media, including paintings and upcycling. Water is an element that plays a huge part in her life and how she shapes her own autobiography. I love what she said: we can all be a piece of art ourselves.

Speaking as a woman, when a woman knows herself well and is comfortable in her own skin, she can express her thoughts and visions more effectively. This applies to men as well. The journey of getting to know yourself is part of your life experiences. In that process, as you encounter various people, they can help you to refine your narratives. In Kate’s case, she uses her art and love for fashion as her medium to communicate who she is.

What represents your own self-expression?

Connect with Kate Padget-Koh

W: https://www.katepadgetkoh.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/katepadgetkoh/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep3: Katherine Lu on Fuelling Life with Passion

Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Katherine’s passion for photography fuels her, whether it is for underwater, wildlife or otherwise. Let’s listen to her recounting the incredible experience of diving in Anilao, Philippine when Taal Volcano erupted and the spectacular black water dives when she captured the award-winning photo.

When listening to the length that she would go to fine-tune her photography skills and her work, I could feel the joy of being immersed in what she feels passionate for. It reminds me of this quote:

Doing what you want is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness.

So what fuels your curiosity? What drives your passion?

Connect with Katherine Lu

W: https://katherineluphotography.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/katherineluphotography/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep2: Bei Zhou on Money & Investment

Wed, 24 May 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Since money and investment are the two words naturally connected to her profession as a private banker, it is inevitable that we chatted at length about them.

The word “investment” tends to be given a meaning limited monetary terms. When we talk about returns of investment, it tends to be the penny-for-penny calculation on the growth.

If we take a step back and look at a bigger picture, it is important to take into account of the “impact” that the original capital has created.

Say, you are the CEO of the company. When you decide to spend money and time to enhance your physical health and mental wellbeing, you would be able to lead your company more effectively. This is because you have the physical and mental capacity to be present and, therefore, make the sound decisions all the time.

It is fair to make the bold statement that the best investment you can make is on yourself. What have you been investing in yourself lately? What will you invest in yourself next?

Connect with Bei Zhou

W: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beizhou/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S4 Ep1: Karolina Isberg on Free-Floating Attention

Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 +0800

You may recall from the episode with Magnus Akerblom-Wiker, where we spoke about one of his editorial photo of a diver holding a bunch of balloon in the Cenote, Mexico. Oh well, Karolina was that diver. My curiosity had to hear from her side of the story, her personal experience in that place.

In this mind-opening dialogue, we spoken about creativity, power of imagination, being in the state of free-floating attention. If diving is a form of experiential learning, I love the way she has put it “one dive is a symbol of how we approach life in very many ways”. In essence, it is all about being present in the moment, allowing yourself to process and filter information and refining the narrative of your life.

For every dive, we do a safety stop before we surface. Depending on your dive profile, it is normally about 3 minutes in the range of 3-5 metre depth. This is an important transition period. On the one hand, we would be savouring the last moments of the dive. On the other hand, we are getting ready to return to land.

The same ritual can be applied in other aspects of life. When would you take your “safety stop”? What would you do during that safety stop?

Connect with Karolina Isberg:

W: http://www.starfishdesign.se/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Series 4 on Women Who Scuba

Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 +0800

When I first started producing Surface Time, my intention was simply to share the kind of heart-opening dialogues between divers through podcast forum.

After producing a few episodes, I started to think that it would be a good forum to get more women who scuba to share their stories and wisdom. Getting guests to produce the episodes has been straightforward.

My mental block or challenge was to articulate succinctly “Why do I want to produce a series with just women who scuba?” and “What am I looking to achieve?”

Obviously, there are tons of books, speeches and resources about feminism, femininity, female empowerment etc. They can be useful because of new expressions of ideas, principles and practices. They are also useless because there are still some negative connotations embedded in between lines.

Then my mental block was made disappeared when I came across a podcast show called The Higher Self by Danny Morel. He described beautifully what women’s true power and value is and what it means when a woman is in her divine feminine.

He said that:

A woman’s true power and value is in her intuition, her wisdom, her womb, her ability to create.

When a woman is in her divine feminine, she is a being that is so powerful. That she can literally just sit there on her throne and just attract anything that she wants. Just sheerly with her energy and her inner power.

If you go back thousands of years, this is probably how women were. Men decided that women are too powerful. So, men make women compete with each other; make them forget how powerful they are; instead of valuing women for what’s inside, women are valued for what’s outside.

My first reaction was, Wow! That was probably the best expression about women’s power that I have heard to date." I immediately felt a profound resonance with this message. Every now and then I replay in my mind as a reminder to myself.

It also helps me to articulate this new series of “Women who Scuba”. That is: to convey the power and value of women through this collection of dialogues with women who scuba.

The society today is what it is. The existence of the controversies has its own merits because we will only see change of behaviours and mindset when the status quo is challenged or even rebutted.

So here is a notion: we all have both divine feminine and divine masculine in ourselves, whether you are a woman or a man. Whatever that means, it is for you to find out for yourself.

It is universal that intelligent women are perceived as powerful. They are very attractive and sexy. We can choose how we respond to such powerful presence.

We can choose to be intimidated by their magnetism. This means that we start to be judgemental and even discredit their confidence and achievement.

Or we can choose to accept and even embrace such powerful magnetism. Overtime, we will stop being our own worst critique and start appreciating our own power and value. This is for both men and women.

When you listen to each dialogue, ask yourself “what would my life feel like or look like when I am in my divine feminine?”

I hope that these dialogues are providing you with new perspectives about yourself and your life.

Enjoy the confessions from “Women who scuba”. Ciao

========================================

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S3 Ep5: Sam Shu Qin & David Jones on Diving Against Debris in Singapore

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I spoke with Sam Shu Qin (founder of Our Singapore Reefs) and David Jones (from Jackson Square Aviation) about their collaboration in the project, Dive Against Debris in 2022. It started off with David’s shower idea about doing something that can help to protect the coastal underwater environment, by engaging local community and leveraging available resources from his company. Little did he know at the time, there are already some unsung heroes, like Our Singapore Reefs and The Submersibles, doing the dirty work of sea clean-up.

Sam and her co-founding partners are marine biologist, specialising in coral restorations in Singapore Reefs. So they have the first-hand experiences of watching how the health of the reefs, especially corals, is damaged by waste. Waste that cannot be managed because they were created and thrown away into the water mostly by inconsiderate people.

I participated the costal clean-up with them. After we cleaned ourselves up nicely, we sat down to look at the data collected by Sam and her team just in 2022. This is like the end-of year performance review.

There are so many takeaways from this chat. First, although diving in Singapore water is like diving in miso soup, the biodiversity is truly incredible. Yet it is so vulnerable. In order to improve the ecosystem, it requires a lot of resources, especially, manpower, financial support and time. The collaborations between Our Singapore Reefs, The Submersibles and Jackson Square Aviation has started to set the changes on course. It is important to continue the momentum in order to maintain the sustainability.

And the most obvious and powerful force would be the Corporate (especially multinational ones). They have the resources to help drive the changes. When setting the ESG policies and guidelines (ESG standards for environmental, social and governance), the focus and emphasis should be on what we can do to create a positive and sustainable impact. Whether it is on the environment, the community or even the way we conduct our business. A wholistic approach should be taken in order to define your stance. As a company, other than making a donation, make your most valuable assets available. That is: your employees.

Naturally, as an employee, if you too like David tend to sprout ideas during shower, it would be good to explore these shower ideas before writing-off as fleeting thoughts. You’ll never know what the outcome will look like until you take the first step and follow through.

Connect with Our Singapore Reefs

FB: https://www.facebook.com/oursingaporereefs

IG: https://www.instagram.com/oursingaporereefs/

Connect with The Submersibles

W: https://www.thesubmersibles.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/submersibles

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thesubmersibles/

WhatsApp: +65 8013 8445

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S3 Ep4: Rob Christie, Alex Grioni and Andy Niven on being the Orderly Chaos Department of South China Diving Club

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I Skyped with the Dynamic Trio from South China Diving Club in Hong Kong. Rob Christie, Alex Grioni and Andy Niven.

All four of us shared a special memorable dive trip to Timor Leste back in 2010. All of them have returned for a second visit. It just felt right to reminisce the trip and hear their stories on their returned-visit to that country.

Just a quick caveat – these 3 have known each other for a long time, counting by decades. So when an American, an Italian and a Scot are in the same room, we will call that the Orderly Chaos Department. Feel free to pause and pour yourself a glass of vin before you continue listening to their stories.

Behind all the banters, their friendships have been forged and deepened over the years through their shared passion for scuba diving and the engagements in the club, from running the training to leading dives. And naturally, socialising with one another on their weekly Thursday club nights.

The club has been and still is a delightful place to meet other like-minded people. If you live in Hong Kong or are visiting Hong Kong and want to meet them, just go to Aberdeen Boat Club (that is the building right next to Aberdeen Marina Club) on a Thursday night. You will definitely be greeted and welcomed warmly by the club members. Go and connect with them.

Connect with

W: https://www.scdc.org.hk/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/scdc1097

IG: https://www.instagram.com/south_china_diving_club/

E: info@scdc.org.hk

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S3 Ep3: Jonny Ma on being a Lifelong Learner

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I sat down with my friend Jonny Ma who was visiting Singapore, en route to London. We first met through Project X Team where we did all sorts of adventurous activities like rock climbing and scuba diving. Over the years, we kind of adopt one another as the “unofficial” extended family members. This is one of the occasions where we get to have this “sibling-like” chats about life in general. But first, we need to set the tone clear on one thing...

By the way, if you happen to be one of his students and find that he swears a lot, just put this down as your privilege of getting to see the fuller version of Jonny, which only shows up when he is in a comfortable and non-judgmental company. You may find him even more relatable.

Joking aside, I really love when Jonny highlighted that rock climbing and continue to doing it has been a positive and profound life experience for him. I could relate to that both in rock climbing and scuba diving, even though between the two, I would pick scuba diving first.

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S3 Ep2: Matt Reed & David Joyce : Business Relationship like a Marriage

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 07:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I spoke with David Joyce and Matt Reed of Evolution Dive Resort in Malapascua, Philippines. So, for all shark-loving divers, Malapascua is the place to go for sightings of thresher sharks. It is a remote island with limited resources. Tourism, especially, scuba diving plays a significant role in the livelihood of the island.

When David and Matt first established Evolution, it was never meant to be just another dive resort. Their sweat and tears have earned not only the accolade of being a 5-Star Dive Resort rightfully, but also a special mention in the National Geographic book “A Diver’s Guide to the World” by Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor. Here is “what”, “how” and “why” it is one of my favourite dive resorts in Philippines.

Having listened to their stories, it has further validated my belief that the making of a great business is more than about making money. While making money is still a priority, it is equally important to incorporate personal values and life philosophy into the business.

In doing so, it creates circular benefits, like the butterfly effect, spreading the feel-good factor across to all the stakeholders. We as the travellers and scuba divers visit the island, which helps to improve local economy. The island residents get to enjoy better quality of life and, therefore, continue to making the effort to protect the environment. In turns, the environment and ecosystem above and beneath the surface bounce back and continue to thrive. And circle back to us, scuba divers, get to enjoy the healthy marine environment, warm connections with the residents, making more new memories. In other words, it’s karma – what goes out there will come back to you; and often in multiples.

By the way, the Craic House does take the hospitality very seriously. You must experience it yourself.

Connect with Evolution in Malapascua

W: https://evolution.com.ph/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/evolutiondivingmalapascua/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/evolutiondivingmalapascua/

E: Info@evolution.com.ph

T: +63 917 631 2179

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S3 Ep1: Carrie Miller & Chris Taylor : A Diver's Guide to the World

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0800

Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor, the wife-husband team who have written a book called “A Diver’s Guide to the World”, published by National Geographic. The book is out in the U.S. on 6 December 2022. Before the chat, I was given a preview to one of the chapters. Immediately, I could see that this book is written with the special and purposeful intentions. It reads more like a story book, rather than the typical guidebook. Yet I can also sense the emotions about the place and experiences embedded in between the lines. There are definitely more stories to be uncovered.

Connect with

W: https://beneaththesurface.media/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/beneaththesurfacemedia

IG: https://www.instagram.com/beneaththesurfacemedia/

E: team@beneaththesurface.media

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Series 3 is all about the Power of Human Connections

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0800

Hello. I am Stephanie Luo. Welcome to "Surface Time : Confessions of a Diving Junkie", Series 3.

In producing this passion project, one of the motivations that have kept my enthusiasm going is the ongoing effort to express and articulate “why it is so easy to open up and make friends with other scuba divers?”.

It is a fact that our need to connect with others is fundamental to our well-being, be it with people, animals, nature and even the supernatural beings (in whatever terms that you prefer to call such as god, angels, spirit or Universe).

In Series 3, what immediately stands out as a common theme is the “power of human connection”. When we travel, we connect with people, whether it is a brief shared moment or whether it is the beginning of a long-term relationship or to deepen a relationship. When we connect, it means that we choose to trust them, with or without reservations. The amazing part is that we are all travellers from different parts of the world and yet we are all about seeking new experiences, learning new things, meeting new people and exchanging positive energy with our stories. When we walk away, we do get inspired one way or another.

The extra specialness for scuba divers is that when scuba divers connect with one another, the bond would be formed immediately. This is because there are already some shared values and understandings derived from being under the water. This is the magical moment when we set aside our mental and emotional baggage and embrace collectively and individually as human.

In each episode, we will hear about the impact that has been created with the power of human connection.

With the annual festive celebrations, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year, all are happening in the coming 6-7 weeks, it is the special time to connect with your loved ones, whether in person or by phone, to show some love and share enjoyable moments.

Tune in to each episode and let your curiosity and imaginations wonder along.

And it will be fab to show us some love by sharing Surface Time with your friends and family. I am certain that this podcast will be a great antidote to small talks and can be a nice ice-breaker or even a great conversation for your endless social gatherings.

Thank you for listening. Enjoy the Confessions. Ciao!

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Rounding off Series 2...and Series 3 coming soon

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0800

Hello, I am Stephanie Luo. Welcome to “Surface Time : Confessions of a Diving Junkie”.

I hope that the dialogues in Series 2 have given you different perspectives about “following your heart”.

For me, when I listened back to each episode, I really love the excitement and passions radiating the guests as they recount their stories. And that happy vibe can be contagious. Probably enough to make you to look at your life differently, especial if you happen to be contemplating on some issues or ideas. And it would be great, if the happy vibe has made you plug up the courage and start exploring the unchartered path in life.

By default, we tend to be programmed to want a life with stability, comfort, certainty, feeling secured etc. At the same time, we are constantly craving for new life experiences and adventures. It is an oxymoron. In that, taking risks can be dauntingly exhilarating and yet very liberating for the soul. All of these are important ingredients to our wellbeing.

Using diving as an example. Going underwater is totally unnatural for our physical body. For the most obvious reason, we cannot breathe underwater like a fish. When water gets inside our lungs, our chances of survival get reduced drastically by the second. I think the technical term for that is drowning.

So some people would decide to play safe, stay away from open water and possibly never experience what it would be like being underwater. Some of us may choose to go free diving by training to hold the breath for as long as possible. Others, like me, prefer using scuba gears to explore the underwater, especially, when I can use NITROX, that is my go-to happy gas.

In a way, we can say that the regular act of going underwater is a constant practice of testing and expanding the boundaries of our own comfort zone. There are risks involved. Real tangible risks. Yet these are manageable as long as we follow the safety protocol and control our fear, like staying calm at all time would be great.

When we go underwater, we are simply intoxicating ourselves with the wonders of this Blue Planet. Many of us keep going back for more. You may ask "why?".

One of the reasons is that when we are underwater, we have to stay calm at all time. The calmer we are, the easier we breathe. The more awareness we have about ourselves and the surrounding. The more clarity we have in our head. And speaking from personal experience, and I am very confident that many scuba divers would agree, that every hour spent underwater is a Happy Hour! We can continue the same sensation when we are on land.

Oh by the way, we should never talk about getting outside of our own comfort zone because that is just too heavy and scary for our mind to process. Hence, we need tell our mind that we are just expanding the coverage area of our comfort zone as we experience something new. Essentially, we are tricking our mind that we are taking risks within our comfort zone.

For non-divers, if you are still on the fence about scuba diving, why not just give it a go? You won’t know if you will become a diving junkie until you have tried it. For new divers, keep diving. The more you do it, the better you get. Dive with different people. Learn new techniques. Optimise your safe diving practices. For well-seasoned with salt and pepper experienced divers, keep sharing your passion.

We will be back before Christmas for the next Series. Until then, I will leave you to ponder a couple of questions:

If you are to recount a “wow” moment from listening to Surface Time, what was that? And why is that?

Looking at your life now, what is lighting you up? What do you want to do more to light yourself up?

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and comments on our IG account @surfacetimechats.

In the meantime, stay curious and let your heart leads you to the next adventure.

Ciao!

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S2 Ep5: Gary Tyson on being a hustler in life

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I spoke with Gary Tyson, a British Army veteran turned chronic diving junkie. He called himself a hustler in life as he experiments different ways of making photos and videos. Land and underwater. And more importantly, finding ways to fund his love for travels and gadgets. When you hear him explaining why shooting a wedding is more stressful than shooting in Iraq, you may find “being a hustler in life” is an understatement.

Gary has found scuba diving to be the best solution for him to satisfy his OCD, his passion for photography, his gift for teaching and his addiction to the ocean water. If you are planning a scuba diving trip in the Philippines, do look him up. There is no doubt that he would be utterly useless in translating Tagalog. Luckily, his gold standard diving practice and may be charm should make up for it.

Connect with Gary Tyson

W: www.f8.photography

FB: www.facebook.com/GaryTysonphotographer

IG: @garytysonunderwater/ @garytysonphotographer

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S2 Ep4: Natasha Grabner learning life skills through fun

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I managed to Skype in with Natasha Grabner. She was my first junior scuba diver student. When I certified her, she just turned 10. 5 years on, she has had accumulated enough diving experiences than many adult divers in their life time. Like her father once described her fondly: this girl has more balls than the boys in her class.

To date, my youngest guest on the show. It was clear that we could be having a marine biologist and a renown underwater documentariste in the making, assuming the role as an influencer raising awareness constructively through photography, scuba diving and her passion for ocean waters.

Follow Natasha's Journey via IG

IG: www.instagram.com/underwater_wonders_by_tasha/

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S2 Ep3: Gary Stokes on Ocean CSI

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I caught up with Gary Stokes in Discovery Bay of Hong Kong. He is a veteran crew member of Sea Shepherd until they left Asia. He then founded OceansAsia to continue with the “intelligence-based” conservation work in the region. He and his team have been investigating and exposing the bad guys who have committed wildlife crimes and seeing justice done.

He has given us some insight to how he and his team have been creating the impact, raising awareness and seeing sustainable and constructive changes to our environment. It is in a way, a thank-less job, which mission can only be achieved by integrity and commitment to do good. Ironically, we do wish him all the best that he will be out of this job sooner rather than later.

Connect with OceansAsia

W: www.oceansasia.org/

FB: www.facebook.com/oceansasia.org

IG: www.instagram.com/oceansasia/

E: gary@oceansasia.org

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S2 Ep2: Emma Dabbadie getting up close and personal with Microbiome

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I had the joy of catching up with a dear friend, Emma Dabbadie, who has been living in Cape Town, South Africa for some time, in pursuit of her marine science research and discoveries. When we spoke, she was fresh off the scientific schooner called Tara from an expedition along the West Africa coast, as part of the Mission Microbiome, where they are uncovering the benefits of the ocean microbiome and the interactions with the climate and pollution. Hopefully, her research will lead to some magical ways of reversing the climate emergency and global warming.

To Learn more about Fondation Tara Ocean

W: https://fondationtaraocean.org/en/home/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fondationtaraocean/

https://www.instagram.com/maevabardy/)

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S2 Ep1: Kay Burn Lim about being Inspector Gadget

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0800

During the Surface Time today, I caught up with Kay Burn Lim for some coffee while he was transiting through Singapore for a quick dip in Sipadan, Malaysia. We first met at an underwater photography competition in Timor Leste over 10 years ago. Back then he was a hobbyist photographer and clearly a talented one as he participated and won the competition. My little claim of fame is that I was his support diver. So a decade on, he is now an award-winning cinematographer and highly regarded Mr. Inspector Gadget.

It was amazing to hear how he has evolved from a hobbyist photographer to cinematographer, contributing to several shows that many of us have enjoyed in our own living room. He has certainly left an impression that “travelling light” could be a reality for scuba divers. So we shall see.

Connect with Kay Burn Lim

W: https://www.kayburn.blog

VM: https://vimeo.com/kayburn

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kayburn/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Welcome to Series 2 - Following Your Heart

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0800

Hello. I am Stephanie Luo. Welcome to Series 2 of "Surface Time : Confessions of a Diving Junkie".

Series 1 was a complete whirlwind. It started with me sharing the idea of creating this passion project with a few close friends who happen to be scuba divers.

Somewhat half-heartedly at the time as I was not sure how to kick things off. Then within the following weeks, I found myself connecting with the old friends, making new acquaintances and starting to create the content. Everyone has been generous with their time, suggestions and supports. They literally gave me no room for self-doubt or even procrastination.

When you listen to each episode, you will find that scuba diving is always the starting point of dialogue. Beside that it is distinctively noticeable that perhaps because of the shared love for the underwater world, people are naturally very generous in sharing their stories and experiences.

Poetically, we could call each episode a love letter to life and conscious living. Even if you're not a scuba diver, you could still somehow relate to or resonate with the stories and life philosophies. I have also noticed that each series shares a subtle common theme, piecing all episodes together. In Series 2, that common theme is "Following Your Heart". In essence my guests were sharing their own version of "Following Your Heart".

Like Kay Burn Lim, in the space of a decade, he has evolved from a non-diving related business owner to an award-winning cinematographer.

Emma Dabbadie, a Marine biologist, who has dreamt for a long time to get on Tara, a floating research laboratory, to do more scientific research on microbiomes.

For Gary Stokes of OceansAsia, his heart has led him to adopt "Aggressive non-violence" approach to raise awareness and save the environment.

The future generation leader, Natasha Grabner, at the tender age of 15 has already set her mind on "work should be fun".

Gary Tyson who used to be a land-based professional photographer has now taken his creativity into the underwater world.

Tune in to hear their stories in full.

Let their stories tickle your curiosity and imaginations. Be inspired to live your life with courage, love, and joy.

And it will be fab to show us some love by sharing Surface Time with your friends and family, and even your worst enemy, if you have one. Just to soften them up.

And thank you for listening. Enjoy the Confessions. Ciao!

Connect with us:

W: www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

That's a wrap for Series 1...and we will be back in Autumn

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0800

It has been a bit of whirlwind ride to produce "Surface Time : Confessions of a Diving Junkie". In this last episode of Series 1, Stephanie is sharing her answers to questions from her guests.

We hope that you have enjoyed the dialogues in Series 1. In the meantime, we would like to leave you with something to ponder, contemplate or even procrastinate on:

30-40 years from now, when you look back on everything you’ve done, what do you want to be?

We will be back in late August / early September for Series 2 with more fun and entertaining stories.

In the meantime:

Connect with Stephanie

If you would like to learn scuba diving or go diving with Stephanie, please feel free to get in touch by DM to:

IG: @stephaniepalmo

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Five Insight from Sharon Kwok

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0800

In this follow up episode, Sharon Kwok answers the 5 insightful questions that Stephanie asks all her guests:

1) Aside your diving gears, what are the 3 items that you always take on a diving trip?

2) What are your 3 top-tip on safe-diving practice?

3) What is your greatest fear?

4) What is your greatest extravagance?

5) What do you value most in friend?

Connect with Sharon

W: https://www.aquameridian.org/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AquaMeridianHK

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sharon_kwok_aquameridian/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S1 Ep5: Sharon Kwok on Love Nature & Respect Life

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0800

I sat down with Sharon Kwok for a cuppa as she was fresh off the boat from Raja Ampat and en route back to Hong Kong. Sharon is an artist well-known in Hong Kong public broadcasting and cinematic fields. As a conservationist, she unapologetically leverages her connections with public and private sectors to support her marine and wildlife conservation works and to influence changes. Her passion and commitment to marine and wildlife conservation is infectious. It is totally cool to catch this bug.

Connect with Sharon

W: https://www.aquameridian.org/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AquaMeridianHK

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sharon_kwok_aquameridian/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Five Insight from Magnus Akerblom-Wiker

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0800

In this follow up episode, Magnus answers the 5 insightful questions that Stephanie asks all her guests:

1) Aside your diving gears, what are the 3 items that you always take on a diving trip?

2) What are your 3 top-tip on safe-diving practice?

3) What is your greatest fear?

4) What is your greatest extravagance?

5) What do you value most in friend?

Connect with Magnus

W: https://500px.com/p/wiker?view=photos

IG: https://www.instagram.com/photowiker/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S1 Ep4: Magnus Akerblom-Wiker on Creative Process

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0800

Magnus Akerblom-Wiker is passionate about creating and collecting memorable moments and convey these through his photography. At work, he leads a team of software engineers to develop solutions for many world problems. To him, the creative process that he has to go through as a software engineer is the same as when he works for his editorial photographs. You start with nothing and create something out of it. The word “explorer” is an understatement when we use it to describe him. His love to learn new things is purely driven by his curiosity. His commitment to stay curious so that he can stay creative is inspiring.

Connect with Magnus

W: https://500px.com/p/wiker?view=photos

IG: https://www.instagram.com/photowiker/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Five Insight from Margaret Murphy

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

In this follow up episode, Margaret answers the 5 insightful questions that Stephanie asks all her guests:

1) Aside your diving gears, what are the 3 items that you always take on a diving trip?

2) What are your 3 top-tip on safe-diving practice?

3) What is your greatest fear?

4) What is your greatest extravagance?

5) What do you value most in friend?

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S1 Ep3: Margaret Murphy on Plastic Pollution & Climate Emergency

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

Surface Time with my dear friend Margaret Murphy, who is a scientist, trained in zoology and toxicology and now works in the space of science policies in Washington DC, the epic centre of US politics. Although she claims to be a reluctant diver, her scientist-curiosity has always kept her entertained and fascinated by the marine diversity. I probed for her view on plastic pollution and vegetarianism, and I genuinely love how she shared a well-balanced and objective executive summary of these complex topics. In short, if we want to live a life where our blue planet remains a beautiful place or even better, we need to do our part in dealing with climate emergency, starting from right now.

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Five Insight from Nico de Rouge

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

In this follow up episode, Nico answers the 5 insightful questions that Stephanie asks all her guests:

1) Aside your diving gears, what are the 3 items that you always take on a diving trip?

2) What are your 3 top-tip on safe-diving practice?

3) What is your greatest fear?

4) What is your greatest extravagance?

5) What do you value most in friend?

Connect with Nico

W: https://nicoderouge.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicoderouge.photo/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S1 Ep2: Nico de Rouge on Thinks Less about Convention

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

Nico de Rouge, a French photographer and PADI Instructor living in Shanghai, had recently published his work on major publications like The Economist. He first caught the travel bug at the impressionable age of 19 and has since lived and travelled across North and South America, Africa and South East Asia. When we spoke, he was caught in the middle of the lockdown in Shanghai. Somehow he has managed to walk around the streets of Shanghai and documented the events happening during the lockdown in April 2022. His curiosity and willingness to take risks have taken him places for new experiences.

Connect with Nico

W: https://nicoderouge.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicoderouge.photo/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Five Insight from Tony Wu

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

In this follow up episode, Tony answers the 5 insightful questions that Stephanie asks all her guests:

1) Aside your diving gears, what are the 3 items that you always take on a diving trip?

2) What are your 3 top-tip on safe-diving practice?

3) What is your greatest fear?

4) What is your greatest extravagance?

5) What do you value most in friend?

Connect with Tony

W: https://www.tony-wu.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonywu98/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

S1 Ep1: Tony Wu on Poop of Wild Wide Whale

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 11:30:00 +0800

Tony Wu, an award-winning wildlife photographer with a long list of accolade, has shared with us what he got up to in Japan water while the rest of the world dealt with international travel restrictions. A remarkable gentleman who wears his heart on his sleeves and is motivated by his curiosity in pursuit of new discoveries like the courtship and the spawning of cardinal fish and the importance of Whale poop to our ecosystem. His captivating images have not only inspired many people, but also contributed significantly to the research scientists community.

Connect with Tony

W: https://www.tony-wu.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonywu98/

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com

Welcome to Surface Time : Confessions of a Diving Junkie

Thu, 26 May 2022 00:00:00 +0800

Hello, I am Stephanie Luo. Welcome to my podcast “Surface Time” (aka “Confessions of a Diving Junkie”), where I chinwag with people who are like me scuba diver and chronic addict to being underwater.

I think it is a universal sentiment amongst scuba divers. “Scuba diving” is the best social icebreaker. Whether you’ve just met each other on a dive trip or at a “much-dreaded” work event. Once “scuba diving” comes into the dialogue, you instantly connect with each other and want to continue chatting. The conversation would easily evolve from scuba diving to many other things. Often you become friends for life.

During Surface Time, I am speaking with other diver-friends. Most of them don’t make a living out of diving. Instead, diving makes their living more meaningful. I want to find out from them what led them to diving, what keeps them going diving, what good has diving done for them in their personal life and in their workplace; and everything else other than diving.

Like the importance of photographing whale poop [Tony Wu]
Snippet of being locked down in Shanghai, 2 years into Covid-pandemic [Nico de Rouge]
Why plastic pollution is a climate emergency? [Margaret Murphy]
Insight to a software engineer’s creative process [Magnus Akerblom-Wiker]
What you should know before getting a parrot as pet [Sharon Kwok]

These are stories of people doing amazing things and living life to the fullest. I hope that whether you are a diver or not, they will stimulate and inspire you one way or another.

Thank you. Enjoy the confessions.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Connect with us:

W: https://www.surfacetimechats.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/surfacetimechats

IG: @surfacetimechats or https://www.instagram.com/surfacetimechats/

TG: https://t.me/surfacetimechats

TW: @surfacetimechat (no “s”)

E: faith@surfacetimechats.com