Thanks

Thanksgiving

It’s been a long time since I’ve been away for Thanksgiving. It feels so strange not being able to give thanks along with my dear family. I will miss the giant, golden brown turkey made by my dad and brothers, or one of my charming uncles. I will miss my mom’s gourmet and perfect side dishes that literally took her hours of love and thoughtfulness to make. I will miss my grandma Wildish’s ambrosia salad (though I can no longer eat it, I still can’t understand why it’s so green and delicious!). I will miss reminiscing about my grandparents that have passed, they will always be in my heart. I will miss playing charades with my crazy family; ganging up on my dad who still has no idea how to sign for a movie. Though we poke fun, we would not have it any other way. I will miss practicing jingle bell rock over and over and over again with my dad so we can play it for everyone at every gathering during the holidays: ) I will miss opting out of yet another game of euchre..... I will always refuse to learn how to play! ;) I will miss meeting my nephew for the first time, what could be more angelic than a precious newborn? I will miss giggling and squeezing my two nieces....for they are the joy of my heart. I will miss every aspect of Thanksgiving at home; except cleaning up the mess!

As I get older, I have to be grateful for the moments I DO have, not the moments I am missing out on. I have had the most incredible journey these past 11 months, and I have a hell of a lot to be thankful for. I cannot express what this moment in time has done for me. I have seen parts of the world I had never expected to see. I have embraced many cultures; here on the ship and out in the world. I have been fearless, something I know I could not have said before coming on this contract (some of you know how much of a stress ball I have been before! :)) I have learned how little difference there really is between people, once you take away all the backgrounds, religions, and cultural upbringings. I have gained so much love from the many people I have met on this journey. I have written music that means something, and I am grateful for that. I have fallen in love with life and friends. I have learned from every person who has been on this journey with me. I have learned that no matter how far away I am from home, I still have the love and support of my family and friends. I am the luckiest girl in the world. And that’s my thanks. 

Paradis en Iles des pines, New Caledonia

11/19/11

New Caledonia, Ile des Pines

Today we got on the tender boat ride off the ship and on to the most glorious island beach. This island looked like the best kept secret. You know when people ask, “if you were stuck on a deserted island....” well, I wouldn’t mind at all being on THIS remote island. It was a white sand beach, surrounded by the most stunning and intricate trees. They were all wind blown and stuck together, making a perfect entrance archway to the beach. I stood in awe of the trees. A bunch of crew members played games in the water, and truly soaked up the sun. They speak french here, so I definitely tried to brush that up again. It’s amazing how much of it I have lost, but if you don’t use it, you lose it! I wandered a bit by myself before heading back to the ship. I tried some exotic food, cooked in banana leaves, and tried to have a conversation with a local. I had to head back early, because I was going to eat some pretty amazing 5 star ship food. We have this restaurant on board, where you can get the most amazing 5 course meal for only 25 bucks....it’s really a steal. So, sometimes, you just go to get some good eats while on board. The night, after we had left, was pretty magical. The stars were unbelievably bright, and we got to see the southern cross, which you really can only see on this side of the world. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the sky. 

Aussie's get a little feisty when they drink :)

Melbourne November 13th

Today, A few of us rented bikes and headed for the Melbourne Zoo. I mean, we just had to see some quintessential aussie Roo’s and Koala’s, right? Let me tell you though, it was a maze getting to the zoo. It took us 2 hours to get there and two hours back. I was pretty sore! And it was raining for the latter part of the day. But besides that, it felt great to get on a bike again. Melbourne was beautiful, too. The beginning the day started with a few laughs. We all stopped to get coffee, and asked for a regular coffee. The Aussie servers looked at us funny and said, do you mean a latte? And we tried to explain....umm, an americano? or just a regular coffee? And then finally she said, “oh, half black”. Turns out, that was a very strong expresso, but I wasn’t going to argue. In so  

many ways, Australia is so similar to the US, however, not in the convenient way we order our morning Joe. Then we saw a common street pigeon begging us for food, and it only had one leg.....then Jess commented saying “I bet that one legged pigeon is just faking it to get some crumbs”. And sure enough, he was......he put down his other leg right then and there.....guess you had to be there! After stopping for coffee, we got lost on the way to the zoo, but finally made it. We loved all the animals, but in my opinion, I have seen cooler zoo’s in San Diego. But really, it was quite nice to be in the Melbourne zoo of all places. 

Sydney November 15th and 16th

At promptly 6 am in the morning, I got up to watch our ship dock at the most brilliant and epic sail in I have ever seen. This was a sight to see. The sky was unbelievably clear, just waking up for the day. We could see the iconic Sydney opera house and the bridge in all of it’s beautiful glory. I had IPM for the first day in Sydney, but I was lucky enough to be able to get off around 2 p.m. due to switching with other people. Both Jess and I were on IPM, then released, so we went off together in search of an adventure. We wandered around town, and found some nice Aussies to tell us where we could find some good food and art. Let me just say, almost every Aussie I met has been oober friendly. They all go out of their way to help foreigners. It’s really refreshing. Anywho, back on course. We get to this area called Surry Hills and wander for a bit to find some food and internet for a bit. We then got some amazing, fresh, organic and gluten free food from this really neat nepalese restaurant. Such an feast for my taste buds. And so healthy! Then we headed back to the ship to change our clothes into something more classy. We got tickets to see “The Merry Widow” ballet at the Sydney opera house. Are you kidding me? The most iconic piece of architecture known to Sydney.....and we got tickets for a ballet there. I know they were kind of pricey, but to me, it was worth it. We got there, and I started to feel really nostalgic. It made me think of the Orange County Performing Arts Center back at home. There were tons of other sections of the huge opera house that had events going on. It was so full of energy and class. I felt like I was a young girl again, going to see some magic on stage. Jess and I sat a little further back than Eli, but they were still great seats! When the orchestra began to play, I was mesmerized. It has been so long since I have heard this many live musicians play classical music. And not only that, I am very familiar with the music of The Merry Widow, having studied it many times before. The dancers moved effortlessly, though I know their art form is demanding on the body and spirit. They were so expressive, too, because they could not use words to convey the story. The supporting couple were my favorite. The lead female was also exquisite. For some reason, I think the male lead was weak (I didn’t really notice so much, but Eli said he lacked precision). When the song “Vilia” began to play, I teared up. I was so nostalgic. I remembered all the countless times I learned this song. I am so blessed that I have learned to appreciate this beautiful classical art form. I felt rejuvenated, and it made me want to study classical music again.....who knows, maybe I will. :) I know I will never forget my love for classical music. The night out was simple, but effective. Watching the ship and the stars from a park bench across the bridge was a pretty captivating end to the night. :)

Sydney Day 2

Today, Sam and I rented bikes and went around town all day. In the afternoon, it began to rain, but it still was a very special day. I love riding a bike because I feel so free :) We got coffee in the morning, and I tried to convince him that Starbucks is great, but we should support local coffee. Turns out, the local coffee was really awful, and we ended up conforming...haha once again! So, we sat and drank our morning coffee while people watching and playing with my camera. Then, we hopped back on to our bikes and into the free botanical gardens. It was so lovely! We then saw several huge bats hanging from the trees. We must have watched them for a half hour at least! They were so unique! I mean, it’s not every day we get a chance to see a whole lot of bats hanging in broad daylight from several trees. We then plopped on the grass, and took shelter while the rain dripped slowly. After that, we wanted to find the artsy part of town, once again. So we asked several locals which way we could bike to Surry Hills. Then, after biking into what looked like a cool part of town, we stopped and ate delicious Thai food for lunch. After lunch, we saw some very angry Aussie’s get into a street brawl. We knew they were just drunk, so it was more funny than scary. This was a nice part of town too. I  always heard that Aussie’s get feisty when they drink, and I got to see it happen, right across the street. There was no actual violence, just very violent threats and words. And a ton of screaming, and punching of walls. I felt bad for the guy that was just trying to be on his way. He was just a skinny little fella who was wearing flip- flops. Not proper shoe-wear for a street brawl, I say. Anywho, the guy got in trouble, but I got a matinee of entertainment during my lunch. Overall, the day was wonderful. I felt so relaxed and happy to be alive. 

We come to the end of our contract soon. It really hasn’t hit me yet. I mean, it’s about time to face some real life things. When you are at sea, it seems like everything is so far out of reach. Life takes on a different pace here. You get to know so many people as family, because your family is so far out of reach. You also get used to meeting people, and then losing them really quickly. Getting attached to familiar faces is a really difficult thing to get over here. I have learned to give my heart fully to everyone I meet, but know that I may not see some of these people again, or for a really long time. I know every single one of these brilliant people have come into my life for a reason. I am so grateful I have had this opportunity. What a life! And when I get home, I am taking a trip a few places before I settle. First Portland, then Idaho, and then home sweet home, I know it seems forever, but I will be home the whole month of January. I miss you all so much. Soon!

Do Roly Pollie's still exist, or did I just get taller?

11/4/11 Bali, Indonesia

Today was the most glorious day. A group of us took a 15 dollar taxi to a white sand beach the moment we were able to get off the ship. This beach was incredible. We got some snorkels and got to spend some time going through the water staring at the beautiful fishies. It was almost unreal. I didn’t want to leave. We didn’t have more than an hour, but you better believe, we were all basking in the delicious sunshine. The sand was painfully hot and it made us jump like crazy people trying to get to a cooler area. It was like the sand in Costa Rica....where you think you are fine....and then it slowly creeps up on you until you scram, jump and laugh at the same time.....haha. I enjoyed a large coconut water and spent the last few moments taking the whole day in. I was in paradise.

November 6th

Exmouth Australia

I guess when I think of Australia’s land, I think of the outback and dry desert sands with a beach. And that is exactly what Exmouth looked like. I was able to get some time off in Exmouth, even though I was on IPM. So, I jumped right into the water and continued to walk far out into the shallow warm waters and play for the day. The water was perfect and the company was even greater. A group of crew just sat outside and played frisbee with a really flimsy frisbee and enjoyed the sun. Not much to say about this port, except that it was an excellent beach day. The only thing that would have made it perfect would have been an australian bbq and some cold drinks ;)

November 8th and 9th

Perth, Australia

We had a drill at 2:30 in the afternoon, so it really cut into the first day in this port, which was kind of a huge bummer, so thanks cap’n :) Anywho, today we were to celebrate Eli’s 21st birthday and we took the train into Perth (we docked in Fremantle) and Eli and I shared some delicious Australian wine. We then went shopping and found some really cool vintage shops and great places just to look at things. I would have to say, Perth is very fashionable. Everyone I saw looked like they came out of an Urban Outfitters store. We went into one place where this chick was wearing these awesome combat brown boots (which all of you know I love) and I commented on them. She said, “oh these boots have seen the world, they are my trekking boots”. That made me smile, since I always call my boots trekking boots. To me, boots have to have a story, and so far my boots have alot to say because they too have seen the world :) We then wandered around some more and I went off by myself for a bit and went in to a great store where the ginger bearded manager greeted me with a perfect australian accent. He was so cool, he offered to play my favorite music. Since he didn’t own any Mumford and Sons or Led Zeppelin, he played some Bob Dylan while I tried on some clothes. Smart thinking, man ! He also told me of some places to go eat and go out! And, I guess Eli did some good research, cause the same places he mentioned were the same as where we were going. We then all met up at this amazing restaurant with all recycled material and organic food, called the Green House, and ate the most amazing meal. It was Tapas style, so we all shared bits and pieces of this glorious food. Every bite was sensational. I  tried this thing called black pudding (some kind of blood sausage) and some tomato gelatin (sounds gross, but it was good) and the best dish which was stewed chickpeas and pumpkin with a green chili yogurt. It was all divine. We also shared spectacular wine and good conversation. It wasn’t alot of food, and it was very expensive, but quite a change from Lido food (no complaints for the free food, but you know what I mean :)).

Then, we all went to a bar in Fremantle that was called Little Creatures, and it was an old warehouse turned into a bar. Overall, the night was a culinary and taste-bud delight. And a very happy birthday to Eli.

The next day, I got up really early with Sam, and we wandered around Fremantle and got some amazing breakfast. I got the best gluten- free breakfast ever. I was such a happy eater :) We didn’t have much time to wander, because all aboard was at 11:30, but it was nice to see the sunshine in the morning. That is something I am so looking forward to when I go home. Waking up to the sun ! :) Next stop, Melbourne

Singapore and Indonesia

October 29th and 30th Singapore

Today I had IPM during the day, but luckily was able to go off during the night since the next day we had to leave by 10 am. Eli and I were both stuck on board until 4, but then wandered into the terminal (which was a huge mall) to look for Jess. We really just wanted to go and get food, so of course, thinking with our tummies, we wandered to a part of town called Clark Key (not sure how to spell that). Eli had explained that this was the best place to go get drinks and food. When we got there, it looked alot like a swanky outdoor mall. Kind of like the Block of Orange. It had really wonderful cultural restaurants everywhere, but all of them were pretty pricey. All of a sudden, we had a hankering for good indian food. So, we took a taxi to a part of town called India Town. In Singapore, they have all sorts of cultures meshing together and several little areas dedicated to specific cultures. So, we got to this amazing area, which looked like it came out of Mumbai, but it was less scary. They were still celebrating deepavali, so it was beautifully lit up with lights and colors. I was brought back to India with the scrumptious vegetarian meal we shared. After that, we wandered around town a little longer and went shopping. I didn’t buy much, but it was fun to look. Then we got into a cab and asked them to take us to Sentosa island, where a night of halloween festivities awaited us. Our cab driver was this funny old man who played Madonna and made us laugh. When we got to Sentosa, however, the haunted house was sold out. We decided to look around anyway, even though we really just wanted to be spooked by some asian horror. Come-on, we all know that asian horror films are the best.....anyone seen ringu? (the ring) or the grudge that they did? Way scarier.....if you didn’t know that, rent them:) We were kind of disappointed with the island. Though it was really cool with indoor skydiving and some pretty killer theme park attractions, it all seemed so fake. I wasn’t about that. We then went down to the beach on the island and found this cool restaurant on the ocean, where a Singaporean Adele was crooning us for a while until we had to leave because we saw the price of the drinks. It was short lived, but she really did sound and kind of look like Adele. So that was pretty cool. After that, we knew that it was Halloween here in Singapore, so we went back to Clark Key for some Halloween festivities. We got there, and everything was so busy! We couldn’t find one restaurant outside near the band to sit at. We were all pretty tired, and the drinks were expensive, so we didn’t stay long. Just long enough to have one drink and people watch all of the crazy costumes of the night. 

After a full night of wandering and exploring, I started to wonder if Singapore had any of it’s own culture. I really didn’t see much of what Singapore had to offer, with such limited time, but really it was not very thrilling. It was very western and very clean. Give me the slums of India, the marshy waters of Vietnam or the raw culture of Brazil any day. I feel the same way about Singapore as I do Dubai. Same Same. I think culture is what excites me. Different is far more interesting. 

Jakarta, Indoniesia

11/1/11

Today I was also on IPM (I have alot since we left China) but I was ok with having it today. Today, I was a lucky crew member because I got the opportunity to help several of the crew members onboard the ship with family from Jakarta sign their families on the ship for the day. I kid you not, this was a love fest. I was tearing up because I saw fathers meet their babies for the first time, daughters being re-united with their mothers after 11 months of hard work and brothers holding each other so tight. It was a blessing to be a part of this re-union. Ericka, one of my close friends on the ship had her whole family on. I got a chance to meet her elegant mother and family full of boys. I was their tour guide for the afternoon and later Ericka told me that her family had no idea what I was talking about and they thought I was funny cause I laughed all the time and my face turned red. haha nice. I also got a chance to meet Yulien’s (another one of my friends on the ship) father and nephew. Her father said “I love you” to me. I laughed and smiled.        

The whole day was a thrill, and I am so thankful I got to witness these glorious reunions.  

I know what it is like to be gone from family for a very long time, but they have it much harder on the ship. I am very fortunate to have the time to spend with my family. Every moment counts. I miss you guys. Soon I will be home to hug and kiss you all.

Java (Borobudur) 11/2/11

Today I took a trip to the ancient building of Borobudur. It took Brad, David and I about 2 hours to get there and 3 hours back. It was breathtaking. And I met a couple from Aliso Viejo, which is right next door to me at home. It reminded me that the world is incredibly small...once again. When we walked in. they gave us wraps to cover our legs....it was incredibly hot, I just had to wear shorts. But this was a holy place and it was rude to not be covered. But Brad and David had to wear the cover too :) 

Next stop Bali! in other words....heaven! We have our last performance of Las Vegas Nights tomorrow.....so it’s the last time I will be wearing my lovely Dolly Parton costume and wig.....I may cry.