Friday at sea

April 22 2010


The sun was very bright as the ship is going north and the sun rises on starboard side now. Ed was up creeping around for a long while and eventually went to the gym. I headed to the library.
Library
The one on this ship is quite nice with perhaps well over a thousand volumes not counting those donated by passengers, some hardcover, as the cruise progresses. There is an area where folks put jig saw puzzles together. Another table where the daily quiz and Sudoku challenge are put out for folks to pick up. A large world globe is in the center but it is almost as old as the one Columbus used; well maybe the one Magellan created. There are windows on three sides that look out; one onto the jogging track and in the distance, the pool.
As I was typing, I kept hearing his very quiet clicking sound and I wanted to see where it was coming from as it had become annoying. Turns out it’s a man who’s asleep in a chair. It is not uncommon, no matter what time of the day, to see folks snoozing away in the chairs which are pretty comfortable actually; some even have foot stools.
Ed went to the gym this morning—at least that’s what it looked like. I enter this information in here as Nancy is keeping track. Also, we have sat with a couple from New Orleans and an older man who now lives in Slidell but has the NO accent and attitude.
Port Talk: Mumbai (Bombay)
We’ve been here twice before and haven’t even scratched the surface of this fascinating city. We recognized many of the places discussed and heard about some we have yet to visit. We will be taking different tours. Ed was ill last trip and thus did not see Elephanta Island which is really a must see. I will be doing the tour of the shrines and temples so lots of taking off and putting on of shoes.
Trivia
We didn’t win this morning but we did OK. We were terrible this afternoon but we had plenty of company!
Lunch
It is still interesting to meet and talk with people from various places who are on this cruise. And it is still amazing to us that we meet people we do not recall having seen around the ship before. We all have this experience so it’s not just us.
I read while Ed did some Sudoku and then we went to the lecture.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Myth and Reality
This speaker, Judith Kipper, is such an interesting person to hear. She does not use notes but has some powerpoint slides, perhaps 2-3 for each talk. She knows all the major players and understand the culture and politics very well. The questions are fielded in a straightforward and honest manner. Disagreements are fine but you’d need to be much more knowledgeable than she is to hold your ground. I learned a lot about this kingdom from her perspective.
Computer practice lab was for an hour and I tried again to do a composite photo from some we had taken. Thank goodness it is just for learning as I go so far and then can’t figure out the missing step and have to keep going until I get past that part. Trying to do precision work on a bouncing ship doesn’t help either. I’ll need to look at books when I get back and practice, practice, practice.
Plastic surgery post operative
This was offered during the same time as the practice lab. Some folks brought it up but they also had not gone to hear the fellow passenger who has had 8 surgeries at a cost of $45K and 16 hours in the OR. I’ll keep asking, as will others, about this story. But I’m surprised I haven’t been able to identify someone who’s had that much work done. Wonder if it was worth it psychologically and otherwise.
Dinner
Just Ed and I and one other couple. This was an easier discussion time and I actually enjoyed it. There was much more give and take and no so much grabbing of “air time”. Ed observed the dynamics are different particularly between the two women. As we left the dining room, two of the dancers were dressed up in Chinese attire and photos were being taken. I have no idea why that theme or tonite. This is the first time they’ve done this on this cruise or perhaps even on this ship! Tonite is 50s and 60s night but I don’t think they’ll see Ed and I or many others either. The staff will probably have a good time by themselves.
Kaitlyn Carr
This is the Scottish singer who is really cute and of course has a cute accent. She sang songs by many folks: Rogers and Hammerstein, Bette Midler, Josh Grogan, Andrew Lloyd Weber. She’s perky and upbeat and of course very young compared to the rest of us and did I say, very pretty.
Recurring themes as we travel
Immigration: Every country is struggling with an immigration problem of one form or another. And citizens struggle also with how strict to be and what criteria to use to exclude some and not others. The issue of educated versus unskilled, while not always being mentioned explicitly, is certainly a part of the fabric of any conversation. As an example, the elite (think upper middle class and above) in many of these countries have all their education paid for by their governments. The prime example is Saudi Arabia. But almost all of these countries also have a substantial problem with poverty (yes, even in Saudi Arabia!) and importation of a large ex-pat community to perform jobs that their population is unwilling or unskilled enough to do.
But when one thinks of terrorists, the focus is often on those who are uneducated. But consider those who are the most visible among the terrorists: all are highly educated and many have been physicians (I am reminded here of Che Guevara yet once more…but back to the Middle East and today’s terrorists). The poor are recruited to be single suicide bombers and the grunts on the front lines.
Demographics: Most of these countries are top heavy with young people. Think of a pyramid where you have 40-60 percent under 20 or 25 y/o. Read that again as it’s important. Then think of those countries who are developed or developing and what their population pyramid would look like. China already is dealing with elderly people and who will care for them; Japan as well. In the US I think our birthrate is fast approaching a point where we won’t be achieving a replacement rate. I’m not advocating changing the birth rates in developed nations, but we do need to recognize the significance and implications for future geopolitical events. These young people need jobs. They need elders to move aside so they can be employed. In several of the countries we’ve just seen, the retirement age for those in salaried jobs is 55. It is 60 in China. Many of our age group view this with glee as Ed and I obviously have, but it becries the need for the input of wisdom which is acquired with age.
I will add some gender implications here as well. In Saudi Arabia, they are building huge universities solely for women. More women than men are becoming college graduates there. The latter is true many places in the world including the US. In some countries such as India, women are being empowered to earn their own income via small entrepreneurial endeavors such as cell phones for long distance calls and making of local products. They funnel that money back into their families and children; they do not gamble or drink it away. Thus the overall health of the family is improved in such situations. And we cannot ignore the impact of birth control where a woman can devote her energies to maintaining a proper home and nurturing children who will be stronger adults. I do have concerns about the lack of male role models for both boys and girls however and we do need to find a way to address this fact even in the US.
Poverty: running through all of this is the theme of poverty. Education pays off for the whole society because along with education comes health, stability, and success. Research has repeatedly shown that in those nations where the range between the high income and the low income is narrow, the overall health and stability of the population is impressive. We need to be alert to this in the US for a wide range as you see in many countries, foments rebellion and insurgencies.
End of observations and professorial lecture for today.