May 13, 2009
Since I wrote last I have received some WONDERFUL news. I emailed the home office and asked to have my contract shortened. I’m supposed to be here until July 28. They are working everyone more than they ever have and my time off the ship during the day is about half of what its been in the past. And I’ve been doing this for long enough as it is. I’m burned out and it’s time to come home. I wasn’t sure what they would say since I’ve already complained to them about changing things up on me. But I got an excited response from them that said, “Sure.” But I got what I wanted, so I am a happy camper.
I’ve had the pleasure of going on two shore excursions since the last time I wrote. One in the port of Naples, Italy where I visited the ruins of Pompeii and one today, in Katakalon, Greece where I got to visit the site of the original Olympics.
Naples is the 3rd largest city in Italy, right behind Rome and Milan. The entire city was built on the lava from Mt. Vesuvias. From Naples we drove about 30 mintues to reach the old city of Pompeii. When we got in and walked around with the guide it felt like a pretty big city. Much larger than I expected it to be. The guide said it was 600 acres and about 2 miles around the outside walls. Now all the information I’m going to give you is what I remember from the guide, he, or my rewording could very possibly be wrong. Here’s what I remember. The city was originally built by the Greeks, until it was destroyed by a massive earthquake in AD 62. It was rebuilt by the Romans, but was having a bad two decades because shortly after it was put back together Mt. Vesuvias erupted, in AD 79 and covered the city in 20 feet of ash. There were approximately 20,000 people living in the city at the time and over 5,000 were killed. There are casts of bodies that were found. One was of a pregnant woman caught in the ash. Although many people died the city is still in pretty good shape since it was only the ash the covered the city. No lava came Pompeii’s way. Unlike Herculaneum, another city near Naples and Pompeii, that was covered in 60 feet of lava and less of it remains.
The guide pointed out that they know Mt. Vesuvius was active in the past because the entire city of Pompeii was built on lava and the original builders used lava as the main building material in many of the structures. It was easy to see which buildings were rebuilt by the Romans because they used different building materials. Romans used concrete and bricks, so on many of the buildings you could see the lava material on the bottom half and then bricks on the top so it was obvious to see the reconstruction by the Romans. You could also see the ruts that were cut into the cobblestone streets from the chariots they rode around in. It was a long day of walking and lots of ruins, I was knackered by the end but glad to have gotten off the ship and seen some of the sights!
Today we were in Katakalon, Greece. There isn’t much in Katakalon, the only reason we stop at the port is to visit Olympia. So visit I did. Here’s the history — I feel like I’m writing a report, but I’m sure I’ll be glad I wrote about it someday when I look back on all this. Our guide was FULL of information and told us about all the history and stories of this god and that god. Unfortunately I can’t remember all that. Here’s what I do remember. What they call the very first Olympic games was held in 776 BC. The games branched from regular chariot races that were held, but the leader at the time wanted the activities to be open to everyone. Only the wealthy were able to afford chariots and a horse team, so by turning the races into foot races they were opened up to every common man. Women were not allowed to enter the races, or even the stadium, and the penalty was death. The games were dedicated to Zeus and on the grounds is a huge temple built to honor Zeus. Inside was a 40 foot seated statue of him made of marble and gold which was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. But it disappeared somewhere along the way. Nearby is the long flat field they call the stadium. In the time of the games the field was decribed as being 1 stadium long. A stadium is 600 feet or 192 meters. The unit of measurement later became the name and meaning we know it as now. The first year of the Olympics they only had a 1 stadium foot race. The next year they added a 2 stadium race, the year after a 24 stadium race. Along with other competitions like discus, short and long jump, chariot races and the pankration, which he described as something like UFC fighting.
We wandered around the site and looked at all the ruins. Some of them have been stacked back up with recreations added to make it easier to imagine. This was done for the Athens Olympics in 2004. Zeus’ temple seemed like the largest with huge columns. The base of a column has a diameter of about 9 feet. The other large temple on the site was the one for Hera, Zeus’ wife. The women weren’t allowed in the mens games, but apparently they held games for women only (spectators included) in the years the men weren’t having one. Outside of the temples were many concrete and marble pedestals. Our guide, Criton, explained that these were to hold gifts and statues meant to be offerings to Zeus and Hera by wealthy people. In the time of the Greeks they left them out in the streets unguarded, because no person would be crazy enough to steal from the gods. So they were not stolen. However, when the Romans moved in they had no fear of the gods so the city was looted and all the offerings disappeared. However many of the pedestals still remain. You can tell what it held by the shape of the top. There is a concave hold for big marble pieces and for bronze statues there are two holes shaped like feet. After the tour ended we had some time to wander around and take pictures. I took the opportunity to break out my gorilla pod and shoot myself running the stadium. I won.
Afterwards we went to Hotel Europa for some Greek food and Zorba dancing. I thought it was going to be a show, but turned into a more participatory experience, so me and Paul (cast member I know from another ship) got involved and danced around yelling “opa”. It was a lot of fun. Greek food is so basic, but oh so good. We ate feta cheese, tomatoes, and carrots, with tzaziki sauce and meatballs and delicious bread. MMMM good.
The weather here has officially turned warm, on the verge of hot. I wore shorts and a tank top this morning and my tan is coming along nicely. Since I found out my contract is going to be shortened my mood has improved immensely just knowing the end is near. I only have four more cruises including this one. So it makes me realize I need to get out there and see things even though I don’t have much time.
In other news, I am looking for a job. A real one. I have started looking online and am finding that what I want to do is called a ______ Coordinator. Event, Program, Office, etc. Job descriptions sound something like this, “This position is ideal for an organized, detail oriented person who is responsible for the planning, organizing, implementation and evaluation of social, recreational and community relations programs.” Or “Identify, coordinate and manage promtions and events”. Anything in event or office planning and organization sounds interesting and would be compatible with what I’ve been doing lately. So keep your ears open. And forward me anything you think I might be interested in. I’ve already sent some resumes out. Let me know if you know someone and I’ll send you a resume to pass on. You guys are the best resources I have and I need a real job if I’m going to move (and stay for a while) home. I’ll also be looking for something part time right away as soon as I get home, like Stabucks or waitressing, that will bring in some money while I look for a job that I really want. So if you have a lead for me there and know someone that could help too. I’ll be home June 18th, so I’m looking to start something partime by the beginning of July. And full time as soon as I can find something I’ll love! Or at least like.
April 28, 2009
We’ve just about completed our first 10 day cruise. This contract will be made up of the same two 10 day cruises over and over again. So the places I didn’t get to see this time, hopefully I’ll get a chance to see in the next couple times we’re here. I am extremely frustrated with the way things are going with the job and everyday some perk of the job gets taken away which makes me even angrier. So job wise (and the opportunity to get off the ship), things are not going well. However, in this particular email I’m going to talk about just the good things I’ve been able to do and see so far.
We got off in Dubrovnik, Croatia, but I think I already wrote about that stop. Went to the old city. A walled city with big cobblestone streets. Ate lunch, delicious. Drank some local white wine. Not so delicious. The plate in front was a local meat item. Some name I have no hope at pronouncing. It was like a meat ball/sausage with a crispy outside. Mmmm.
The next place I was able to get off the ship was Santorini. It was my first time stepping foot on Greek land. I only had a little over 2 hours so we went for lunch at a Greek restaurant the Travel Guide, Tom suggested. We ordered Oyzo to drink, which is a liquor similar to Sambuka or Jagermeister. Powerful stuff. That was my least favorite part of the meal. But it’s a Greek classic. So we had to try it. I had a local wine, which was delicious and Rienus had their beer, although it wasn’t anything too exciting. Amstel. We ordered way too much and the food just kept on coming, but everything was really good. In the picture is Fava, which is smooshed yellow peas (or maybe chick peas, not sure through translation) mixed with olive oil and onions and served with bread. The other thing is made of tomato and dough and fried. We had calamari, Souvlaki (which was just skewers really with lettuce and tomato and pita) a greek version of a kebab. The other people we were with got Greek meatballs, which are a squished, crispier version than back home, and an order of olives. Greek olives in Greece. Who woulda thought?
After lunch we made our way up the steep, steep cliff to the part of Santorini called Fira town. Your choices are a donkey ride up the switch backing trail or the gondola. We were short on time so we opted for the gondola, but next time I’m going donkey. Once you get to the tip its narrow cobblestone walkways, lots of curved arches. White buildings, old cracks running up the sides. The views were gorgeous and you could see the entire island. The island is a crater rim and is a crescent moon shape. I only had enough time for a quick look around and we headed back down, but it was beautiful and hopefully I’ll get some more time next time we are there to sit down, and enjoy the view and some shopping.
We had one stop in Kusadasi, Turkey. This is the port near Ephesus. I didn’t have enough time to go and see Ephesus ( and I want to do some reading up on it so I know some of the history before I go) so we just walked around the port area. It reminded me of the tourist areas in Morocco and China. You are just bombarded with offers and comments. They all say something about what you’re wearing or “special for you”, “just take a look”. It’s exceedingly obnoxious, but I’ve gotten to a point where it doesn’t phase me all that much. I’ve always known you just ignore them, but I’ve gotten to the point where I can do it AND not feel bad about it. In Kusadasi they have “genuine fake” everything, watches, purses, bags, clothes, everything. That morning the Event Manager and Cruise Director confirmed that I can wear my own clothes in the evening instead of a horrendous blue blazer from the 90’s with shoulder pads and a khaki skirt. So I bought a couple tops when we were out. It’ll definitely be my shopping port. It’s a crew members favorite kind of port. They have all sorts of shop less than a 5 minute walk from the gangway. We sat down at a restaurant for lunch with Mike and Lola, Mike works with Rienus, Lola works in the salon. The girls got Rose wine and the boys ordered the local beer, Effe. Both were delicious and on the way back to the ship we picked up another bottle of the Rose’. I’ve enjoyed trying the local wine at all our meal stops. Lunch was the mixed kebab plate for me. Rice, lettuce, tomate, pita bread, lamb and chicken meat sliced off the massive kebab they have roasting in the back of the shop, and lots and lots of garlic sauce. He brought a huge bowl out for the four of us and we were scraping the bottom by the time we were nearly done. On the way back the boys decided to buy themselves the ridiculous fez hats with the Turkish Lira they had left. Ridiculous.
Today I had an hour to walk around Messina in Sicily. My goal was a canoli for Rienus and I and to take some pictures and check out Sicily. Canoli – Check. I definitely learned that the Sicilian’s like to sleep in. I went out at 8:45am and about 1 in 5 stores were open by the time I got back to the ship around 9:45am. I just walked around, saw the buildings, jay walked, took some pictures and walked back to the ship. Hopefully next time I”ll be able to see more. The buildings were beautiful and the canoli and brioche flowed like wine.
The last two and a half weeks on the Noordam have been amazing. I felt like an absolute rockstar the whole time. I really am not sure why, but I feel like I made some really good friends much quicker than I normally do. There just were some great people. I had a leg up since I’d been there for one week earlier this summer, so I knew a few people already, which made getting to know people a bit easier. But everyone was wonderful and wanted to be my friend just as much as I wanted to be theirs. I talked with a lot of people about meeting up when I’m backpacking in Europe and everyone was up for it. Friends and a place to stay in London, Hungary, Holland, and Italy!
I spent a lot of time with the deck and engine officers these past weeks. I’m not gonna lie, I love just hanging out with the boys. There is only one female deck officer and I hit if off with her and talked about having to be around the guys all the time. Sounded great to me. On my last contract I spent most my time with the musicians and entertainment departments, but I see now that there are perks with the officers. At one point I tried to get off the ship with a couple of them, but when I got to the gangway I found out I was on IPM (which means you can’t get off the ship for the day). Usually that would be the end of it. But I didn’t even move and my tall, dark, handsome officer friend, made a phone call, ran up to the bridge, and took care of it. J So it turned into a wonderful evening in Victoria BC. Other than that night I only got off the ship to go to the library for free Internet or make a run to the store. But I was content with where I was the whole time, and, well, isn’t that what everyone is looking to feel anyway.
I had gone on the ship as Youth Staff, but was switched to library/Event Staff when one girl got sick and had to be sent home. So the last 2 weeks I spent in the library answering questions about the Internet and DVD’s. I really enjoyed both jobs…for the short time I was there. The kids were great for the 4 days I worked with them. And I’ll enjoy working with kids for the next couple months if I do get on another ship. I’ve always said I don’t really like kids, but I find myself smiling and talking with little kids I see around me more and more. So for all of you that were with me in the “Sarah HATES kids” phase of my life (that’s lasted most my life), it’s over. But then when I was moved to the library I realized how much I like knowing a few sets of guests and being able to have adult conversations with them occasionally. When I moved to Event Staff I got to do some activities and game shows around the ship. I decided that my job as Cruise Staff I had on my last ship definitely was the right one for me. It suits me better, and even though there are parts of the job I really get tired of, overall it’s a lot of fun. Sadly, the company got rid of that position, so…..
I’m not sure what is next for me. Despite several efforts I was not able to extend on the Noordam, though I really wanted to, and so did everyone I worked with on the ship. But the powers that be had made up their minds. I’m hoping I will be put on another ship, but until you are standing on the ship with a contract signed you never know if things are going to really happen.
While I’m home I’ll be doing all the things I didn’t do on the ship. Sleeping. Working out. Playing on the Internet. Then back tosea…
Well I’m definitely back into the groove of ship life. I think as of late I am averaging about 5 hours of sleep a day. That’s how things work. You wake up, work all day, maybe have some time off, but everyone else is working, so the only time to hang out with everyone is at night after midnight. So you stay up until you can’t stay awake anymore, then go to bed and do it all over again, except you maybe throw in a nap.
Last night me and Sergei, one of the engineers, took a trip to the Bridge so I could drive for awhile (and by drive I mean look at the officers driving). I feel like I’ve managed to make some decent friends in a pretty short amount of time. I think it’s a combo of me making some efforts to really meet and have a conversation with everyone, but also that people on this ship are just really friendly and open. Which I’m, obviously, greatful for. There quite a mix of people, as there always is on ships, but I never stop loving it. The first couple nights I hung out with a guy from Hungary so I spent some time reading int he library about Hungary and looking it up in the Atlas, then I spent some meals talking to a guy from South Africa about how things are there, and now I’m reading a book on New Zealand since another officer I get along with is from there. It’s just the extra push to find out new things. Plus I’m sitting in the library ALL DAY LONG. With very little to do, so it fills the time.
That is a new development. I was working with the kids program, but half way through last cruise one of the two librarians (also known as Event Staff) got seriously sick and had to leave the ship. So I was asked to fill in for her. Which is fabulous because her contract wasn’t up until we go through the Panama Canal and end up in New York, which I would LOVE to do. So I left the kids (which actually, I’m rather fond of) and headed downstairs to the library. I think both jobs have there ups and downs. The library (or Explorations Cafe = EC) is a place where I get to talk with guests and sometimes have real conversations with people. I also usually know my hours multiple days ahead of time and can makes plans because of that. As you all know how much I like to make plans. The bad end of things is that I’m just sitting all day long and when it’s not busy (while we’re in port) it really does feel long. Luckily the coffee shop is ten feet from my desk so I can talk with the coffee man, who is a friend named Manny from the last ship I worked on, or drink coffee and eat pastries when I’m absolutely at a loss for things to do.
This is our last week in Alaska and I’m ready for the sun! I really hope it comes through that I am able to stay for the Panama Canal and on up to New York. But we’ll just have to wait and see!
Let me know if you have questions or topics I can talk about, because sometimes I don’t write because I can’t think of anything interesting to say.
Hope you’re all doing well!
Today I’m in cloudly, rainy Juneau, AK. I got on this ship on Sunday and we’ve been at sea and in Glacier Bay the last two days. So first day on solid ground. The first couple days are always awkward, putting on my social face and trying to get people to hang out with you. I just have to keep reminding myself that it doesn’t take that long and to suck it up. And really people on ships are extremely open if you put yourself out there. You just have to, well, put yourself out there.
It’s nice to be doing something. The last couple days at home were so choatic with losing my original contract and being really upset about that and trying to just go with the flow and packing and some needed conversations. It’s good to have a new setting.
There’s a pair of boys this week that are from Australia and have the most adorable accents. They are 4 adn 6 and are sweet and (surprisingly) really like me. Although it’s A LOT of time with the kids, I’ve been enjoying it and trying something that I don’t normally do.
The thing with free internet is that you’re on a time clock. So i’ve got to go! More the next time it’s free!
