wow… it is already/finally the halfway point! it always feels like it goes fast yet takes forever at the same time… i know that doesn’t sound like it makes any sense, and it doesn’t feel like it makes sense either… it is always such a mixed bag of feelings one carries around while at sea… the primary emotion that runs like an undercurrent to everything is missing my family. i can realize with my head that this is the best opportunity for me to provide what is needed and still feel in my heart very conflicted about being away… i try to focus on the other aspects of the experience, the interesting highlights and ever-changing, mostly beautiful backdrop of travels and foreign lands, playing music and writing each day, and being as fully present for the guests as i can be, not only to do a good job, but to have a clear point of focus in order to cope well while away…
i do enjoy my job more than any other job i’ve had (maybe tied with summer camp, where i also had to miss my family), and do feel that getting to focus fully on that while i am here allows me to do, what i feel, is the very best job i can do… and the beautiful flip side of that is getting to feel that when i do go home, i can be as fully at home and plugged completely into being there… the hidden gift of the high price tag of being away is surely the deep level of appreciation of home and family that i now have, and the quality of life and relationship that not taking each other for granted affords us all… i also know that with bob arriving in less than a week, i will instantly feel more grounded and more at home even though i am away, and it will make it sooooo much easier having him here; i will still be keeping a vigilant countdown to getting home to nino… being on the downhill side helps, and planning upcoming summer adventures with him is also giving me a lot to look forward to and keeps my spirits quite high just thinking about it… as my folks gear up towards getting a second home in the middle of nowhere, colorado, i will also be trying to maximize the time i have with them when i am home not knowing how long they will be nearby… i think they are planning to spend at least part of the year in the northwest, but they won’t be 5 minutes away all the time anymore… i am certainly grateful each day for the modern conveniences of satellite telephones and the internet so that i can stay close to everyone at home as best as i can and can let everyone know what i am up to… technology is truly magic! missing everyone at home loads, and looking forward to the second half of this journey with bob! it will amp up the enjoyment level of these experiences to the stratosphere and i will feel much more centered!
had lunch with a friend from alaskan cruise who is here… she is a dear lady and is already booked for the fall on the grand voyage bob and i are doing then, and i am glad… her name is sharon goldsmith, and she is delightful. she had her 80th birthday with all her kids on the ship with me this past summer and even includes me on her family and friends mailing list… i think i mentioned her before, when she sang on open mic night; she sings like a bird, and i am hoping she will do the next open mic show on the night before we arrive in hong kong. i feel bad for her as she suffered a horrible accident before she and i even met (hit by a car, broken pelvis, other injuries) and is in a lot of pain most of the time… she gets around on a walker quite well, and doesn’t seem to let it affect her cheerful attitude… she comes in to the piano bar regularly, sometimes even quite late, and we have been trying to have lunch together once a week on a sea day… fascinating lady – she is the widow of famed film composer jerry goldsmith (‘patton’ and many more), has traveled a lot and has many stories, and lives in new england near bob’s old stomping grounds. if i make it to camp in 2012, i will certainly go visit her there if she’s not globe trotting somewhere…
i was excited to negotiate some in-port manning trades with friends to stay on in hong kong (since bob is arriving then and will be stuck a couple of days here before he can get a ship i.d. card and get out) and get both days of singapore off… i watched the anthony bourdain ‘no reservations’ show episode about singapore, also read about it while on the plane to florida, and apparently it is the ‘it’ spot in asia right now on many fronts… arts, clubs, fusion cuisine… glad we’ll be overnight there, and having a couple of exciting days and a late night there with bob is something cool to look forward to…
we have still not heard any final verdict on our middle east itinerary… with so much going on in many of the places we are slated to go (egypt, oman, jordan), they are leaving many decisions ‘til the final moments before we go – naturally they are developing a ‘plan b,’ but most folks, including our ceo, are fairly certain that we will at least be allowed to push through the suez canal and into the mediterranean even if we can’t stop in some of those spots… i hope we do get at least one of our three projected egyptian ports, but it is still anyone’s guess… my prediction is that we will still make most of our ports of call and will just have amped up security escorts and that the maritime security level may be bumped from a 1 to a 2 or 3… that’s my guess… we’ll have to wait and see, i guess!
cocktail hour was a little subdued, and hardly anyone at the beginning of happy hour – i was just wondering aloud where folks might be and they started coming in until we were quite full, and i even kept a fairly good late night crowd… my theme tonight was “come rain or come shine,” which was, of course, songs about weather. i came up with about 55 main themes and a few special ones (st. patty’s, mardi gras, etc.) for specific dates, so some of the core themes will now get their second run. if any of you ever have a cool theme idea you haven’t seen here, please feel free to let me know – i am always looking for new ideas! cheers, di (mama)
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