Captain's Dinner and Rough Seas

The last few days at sea have been rough. The seas outside of Cape Town were full of choppy waves, and because of cyclones north of Madagascar we’ve all been feeling it. The Captain changed our course and we hugged the coastline of South Africa as long as we could to try and find calm seas. Once we veered towards Madagascar, we were really moving. The cabin stewards had to go into the rooms on my deck and use special wrenches to close and lock the portholes just to make sure no water seeped in accidentally. They complained, but didn’t find much sympathy from me since my porthole is permanently closed (since I don’t have one). He he.

We’re all gearing up for the Sea Olympics which will be taking place the first day back from Mauritius. The events are wide ranging, and I will gladly describe them after the big day. My folks in the Aegean Sea will be donning green for the day. They have decided to name themselves the Ninja Turtles. Even though there are a ton of events, they are o excited that people filled every spot and I won’t be competing. That suits me just fine since I get to be a judge for the Tug-of-War, the Synchronized Swim, and the Lip Sync Contest. They should all be pretty fun to watch. Even though I bought a green t-shirt in Cape Town (for the Cape Town Springboks, local Rugby team) I don’t like it very much. I think I may be treating myself to a S@S t shirt tomorrow. I think it will be a more fitting uniform for the big day.

I was invited to my Captain’s Dinner this past week. It was quite the resplendent affair. I dressed up as fancy as I could in my black suit, with black shirt and silver tie. I was lookin’ pretty damn nice. I made a point of swinging past the Student Life Desk to collect a couple of compliments (b/c face it, we all like to get compliments). The evening began in the Faculty/Staff Lounge where we received cocktails and delicious hor d’ouerves. This dinner was attended by a few faculty, and a number of staff members. When we got to the dining room, I learned I was seated at the Captain’s Table. On one side was my friend Nurse Emily, and on the other was Phoebe Amante, the wife of one of my favorite professors David Amante (who led the protests on Apartheid Day and began the “Down with Drew” chants) Phoebe is also a sweet and funny lady. I was glad with my seat, especially once I learned that Emily had our friend Matt (the IT guy) swap my seat assignment before we sat down. Evidently Emily wanted better company, and I was happy to provide it. Captain Jeremy told us stories of his many many years as a Captain, and his life traveling the world. His new bride joined our ship in Cape Town and made her first public appearance at the dinner. She and the Captain were seated across from me. My guess is that the Captain is in his late 50s. His wife (Apple, is her name) on the other hand, cannot be more than 20 or 25 at most. Evidently she is a model in the Philippines. The two have been married for only 6 months, and this is her first time on the ocean. He seas were pretty darn rough that night, so I can’t imagine she was enjoying her trip very much. She wasn’t able to eat a single bite, and excused herself after 30 minutes or so in order to lie down. She seemed very nice, but had a green pallor thanks to the waves. I wish her luck adjusting. Even now, having gained my sea legs, I have felt a little green from all the motion of the ocean.

The dinner we were served was mouthwateringly awesome. We started with cantelope and Serrano ham, Next we had French Onion Soup, followed by an excellent Caesar Salad, and the main course of either perfectly cooked Beef Wellington, or Blackened Red Snapper (I had the Wellington, but got to taste the Snapper and both were great). Dessert was a Chocolate Brûlée. After dinner, many of uf moved back to the Faculty/Staff Lounge for after dinner cocktails. I purchased my first alcoholic beverage on the ship and got a Sambuca (I was thinking of you the whole time Dad). Then the staff members from dinner brought everyone down to the staff area on Deck 3 forward and the party continued on until late in the evening. I finally went off to bed at 2am.

The next morning was Global Studies Exam #2 for the students, which meant Staff Pool Party #2. Sadly, due to the rocky seas, the pool had been emptied. Grrrr… Wasn’t meant to be. Instead we sat on the deck and sunned ourselves without the students. I read some books and enjoyed the quiet… till they finished the exam. The last few days I have been reading a lot more. I’ve managed to finish 3 books, including the Alchemist. It was really great. I don’t remember who gave me the recommendation, but thank you! I have also developed a new addiction for Spider Solitaire. It is on the computer at the Student Life Desk and during my shifts I rarely take my eyes off the screen. Sadly, I learned I also have Spider Solitaire on my laptop. I may never power it down again!

Our arrival in Port Louis, Mauritius is going to be behind schedule. The storms in the Indian Ocean have made it so choppy that we can’t reach the speeds we need to get there on time. Initially we were going to be almost a full day late, but now it seems we’ll only be late by 4-5 hours. Everyone seems to be thinking of Mauritius like Spring Break. Even I am having a hard time planning beyond the beach and snorkeling. Ahh.. why fight it. We all need to relax a bit. Another week and a half from now and we’ll be reaching the halfway point in our voyage. It’s too depressing to think about, so I will choose to just end this update and head to bed. Mauritius awaits us tomorrow. Love to all at home.

-Drew