April 29 2010
The temperature for today and tomorrow is predicted to exceed 100 degrees F. You can bet we’ll be inside!
We are sailing SW so while the sunrise is very bright, it isn’t as bad as we would expect. I went up to the library to finish my internet stuff before the piracy drill. Ed was cleaning up as I left. As I left, I saw that the little sign we put out on our door to signal the cabin steward, had been put out saying that the cabin was ready to be cleaned up. Good thing I got out early enough to see it and change it. Of course, by now poor Edison knows the cabin probably won’t be ready for him until after 9 am on sea days.
In the library each time I come up, there is a man who is sitting asleep in the same chair each time. Also, on the tours, many of the men, usually travelling alone, will be fast asleep in their seat as we move from place to place. Seems a shame to come all this way and miss most things!
Piracy drill
I’m amazed that folks do not follow directions. I could hear the cabin steward knocking on doors and often having to do it several times before they could determine that the occupants were there. We were supposed to have our cabin doors open at that time as we were being counted off. Eventually, the names of two passengers were called over the loud speaker and asked to call in. We spoke with one woman who was in the medical clinic waiting to be seen when the MD came out and, gruffly she said, shooed them all off to their cabins because of this mandatory drill. She was upset and I kept my mouth shut, but Daauuuh! What if it had been real?
I was disappointed however, because I was waiting to see how it felt to be on a ship that was rapidly zig sagging. We are travelling very slowly but our next port is pretty close to Dubai so that doesn’t seem to be related.
We read in the cabin until it was time for me to go to audit my computer class. Since another person showed up to take the class, I was able to audit. Ed went to trivia and when I saw him, he immediately asked me who St. Agatha was as a patron saint. Nursing but we also sometimes claim Camillus. While I’m on the subject of trivia: this afternoon it was done by a fellow passenger, a woman who, while she has a lovely speaking voice, is not particularly well liked by many. And you know how we feel about trivia being done by other passengers. This was awful. We all swore an oath that we’d refuse to show up if passengers do the trivia. And just to wrap up this part, I was also able to audit the afternoon computer class. I’m at the point where I need help remembering which tool is the best for what purpose. I’m hoping a book at home will help me when I start practicing there with Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Lunch
Again Ed and I had our wires crossed but he eventually did find me at the Panorama Buffet since I had a short time for lunch. We were joined by our dining room table mates with whom we such a fun conversation last evening. They are cribbage “students” so they had to leave early.
Spectacular culinary demonstration
The Commandatore joined the ship again in Dubai and so he wowed us with two main dishes involving pasta and a demonstration of how to make tiramisu. It all looks so easy but it takes hours to prepare the ingredients in all the little containers so he just pops things into the pot or pan.
More precious than gold: a short history of the spice trade
This is a new speaker on board. She’s very attractive, probably in her late 40s or 50s, with a PhD in anthropology. I assume it was her husband who read an overly long introduction for her. Her graphics were clever and the content was interesting. But she has a rather monotonous delivery voice and it sounded like this was a very well written book from which she was reading. Since she’s published several books, perhaps this was one. If so it’s narrative is very interesting and well written but overly ponderous when it’s read. Still I’ll attend her next lecture and be aware that you have to listen carefully for the pearls.
Dinner
All present. Much less tension though the conversation is still somewhat strained to me. I try to think in advance of questions to ask the others that I think would be of interest to them and are designed to draw them out about their activities. You always learn something. And after the tension of the trivia session this afternoon, I told Ed I’d share a bottle of wine with him. Don’t misunderstand, each of us had a single glass of wine and we’ll finish the bottle over the next few weeks. Just so you don’t think Trivia has turned us to the bottle.
Tonite’s entertainment
This was a mentalist and while I don’t have a clue as to how they do “it”, but he was very good. He used about 20 people of all stripes from the audience and would admit when something wasn’t working (he usually had two folks during these skits so he was exonerated when he nailed the thoughts of the remaining person.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Happy Birthday Lana!
Dubai
Room service arrived right on time. Since we got an extra hour back last night (Yeah!) we were both awake. The ship docked around the same time. Originally we were scheduled to leave at 5 pm. For reasons we aren’t told, it was changed at some point to 11 pm. They did refuel here but that was finished by 2 pm.
Maps
There is an interesting thing I’ve noticed about the maps we are getting about this area of the world. We have come from the Arabian Sea past the Gulf of Oman and the straits of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf—not the Persian Gulf. I have never heard or seen it listed as “Arabian” Gulf. All of the resources I brought with me use the label “Persian” Gulf. Hmmm
Piracy drill
We’ve received a notice about a piracy drill to be held tomorrow. Basically we will be asked to go back to our staterooms by the closed interior passageways only, pull the drapes shut, stay away from the windows and sit by the door after propping our cabin doors open so we can hear instructions from our cabin stewards. Use handrails as you walk to be prepared for sudden unexpected movements by the ship since it will be zig zagging. The ship will also travel in a convoy and in case of any incident, helicopters will appear within 20 minutes on both sides of the ship.
CNN
We still don’t “get” it. “CNN live” was blaring in the cruise terminal but our cabin TV still shows the same tired message about not being available because of the satellite on the ship. Go figure!
No internet
We have no internet access in many ports and this is one of them. You can pay for internet access in the terminal and I understand it’s quite reasonable. Since we have been in port from 7 am to 11 pm tonite, it simply means we have no access.
New ship’s terminal
Two years ago there was a rather ordinary, ten year old terminal for cruise ships here. In the intervening two years, that one was razed and an entirely new building was erected in modified Middle Eastern style. I had great expectations for this new terminal but I was really disappointed. I like the old one better even if it was (only) slightly smaller. There are two ships in port today: ours of course and the QE2 which generates such warm memories for the people who have sailed on her.
Weather
While it was awfully hot here today, well over 90 and as high as 100, it wasn’t as wearing as the heat and humidity we’ve had in other ports. For one thing, it’s drier here and there are breezes. Also, many of our stops involved going into air conditioned buildings. My tour did walk a few blocks where there were rows of local shops but it wasn’t bad.
Smells
I simply can’t describe the wonderful aromas you experience in these Middle East markets. And the bags piled high with products of various colors and shapes. It is a wonderful memory I love to experience anew in Middle Eastern cities.
Ed’s tour
He went to the world’s tallest building which just recently opened. It has 200 + levels and it’s about half a mile high. It is called Burg Kalifi. It’s free to walk the stairs to the observation deck—or so the rumor goes-- or it costs $30-40 USD to ride the elevator in less than 2 min. to the observation deck at level 120. They also went to the indoor ski slope, and two different huge malls with expensive shops. We’re talking very upscale, Rodeo Drive shops.
Lunch
I went to the dining room but tried to phone for Ed twice. The DR closes at 1:30 and I had only 5 min. before it closed. So I ate a rice dish and then went up to the Panorama Buffet where I found him; we had missed each other by a few minutes in the room. So I shared fruit with him for dessert.
Movies
There was a movie in the Cabaret Lounge at 2 pm: Knowing. Then this evening another: Serious Moonlight. And then on the TV from 8 pm onward: State of Play. There are always Leonard Maltin and some TNT movies. I passed on all of them but Ed went down to the Cabaret Lounge for Serious Moonlight. He’ll watch any movie but I suspect he’ll really enjoy this one since Meg Ryan is in it.
My tour
Our guide was Issam whom I can only describe as a mischievous Arab genie. We had such fun with him. He could sell any toothpaste his smile was so sparkling. He is Yemeni and lived for 7 yrs in Germany so he is also fluent in that language. (While in one of the souks, I saw a tall man dressed in Arab attire speaking perfect Spanish and he took some folks around; it seemed so odd) Our driver was Santos from India; I never got a chance to ask him if he was from Goa as these folks are Christian, usually Catholic, and the name “Santos” is hardly Hindu.
We went to one of the adjacent emirates, Sharjriah which is hailed as the “Pearl of the Gulf.” It is less pretentious than Dubai but still shows the impact of all the building and development. Most people live in Sharjriah and commute to Dubia, right across the bridge, as housing costs in Dubai are about 3 x more costly. There are 4 (?) million people in the United Arab Emirates (there are seven emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjriah are the only ones I’ve ever heard of). Think of the UAE as = US and each of these emirates = state. 87% of the people in UAE are UAE residents but not citizens and will almost no chance of ever becoming a citizen. The government(s) have gradually tightened their restrictions over the years to prevent being overwhelmed by outsiders. One thing Issam said that perked me up is that very soon, compulsory health insurance will be required for everyone. The laborers will be the most grateful for that I’m sure.
There was a question about the women’s clothing and I thought he answered it in a thoughtful way. He did finish by saying that in the 13th and 14th centuries, European women were also covered and now they are not. He predicted that one day, Muslim women would not be covered. Indeed there are many here who were not draped head to foot in black though you saw all versions of that. The funniest to me was a woman totally covered except for her glasses sticking out. Ed said he saw two head to toe black clad women in a shop selling bikinis. What a photo that would have been!
Mosques
We saw many gorgeous mosques but none so breathtaking as those we saw in Brunei and Malaysia. These are, we are told, quite elegant inside and the photos suggest that too.
Souks
After we went by the old city of Sharjriah, we were taken to the old souk. I wasn’t looking forward to walking dusty, hot streets. It turns out they’ve closed it in and it’s air conditioned. So we had 30 minutes to wander around here and see all the gorgeous stuff. I did eventually purchase two items and couldn’t tell if I overpaid (you have to bargain and that is not my strength and Ed was elsewhere) but clearly I paid less than I would have in LA so I’m not looking back. I probably should be carrying a pocket calculator as many people do but I’ve been working it out the old fashioned way: on paper. When Ed’s around, he does it in his head quicker than I can line up the idea in my mind.
After the old souk, we eventually found our way to a modern, huge mall but it’s their local souk. There were scads of shops selling gold and silver jewelry mostly. Let me tell you, the Arabs here know about BLING! No red hatter could match them ever. Some of the solid gold (22 K usually) necklaces are as big as a nun’s wimple. They must weigh you down and that’s before the rings, bracelets, anklets, and whatever else they can think of.
There were many rug merchants and I had a sense that most were expats. In fact, many of the shoppers were clearly not from the UAE: lots of gorgeous saris (that’s redundant in my experience: they are all gorgeous), western teen wear, Pakistanis, and Indians of all stripes.
In the old souk, I picked up something you can wear around your hips. It has two strings to tie it in the front. So I was trying to show Ed how to wear it and it keeps falling to my ankles. Clearly either it’s WAY too big, or I’m not doing it right (or these women have humungous hips because mine are not small by any stretch of the imagination!). So I’ll worry about it when I get to LA.
Walking the streets
During our walk of several blocks, we saw stores selling all kinds of electric appliances. The “vessels” (we’d just call them pots) range from a simple saucepan to something big enough to bathe a family! Makes you wonder how they’re used. Several stores selling only candy; another with various nuts. Some folks bought some nuts and I heard they were confiscated before they could reboard the ship. I was hoping we’d be given a few dates to nibble along the way but no such luck. This is the place in the world to get delicious dates in several varieties.
Ed’s neck
We know that Ed has severe arthritis in his neck and he’s having increasing problems with it lately. He shouldn’t be laying with pillows under his head or bending over doing his Sudoku but it’s hard to remember and there’s a quality of life issue. But he’s got numbness in 3 of his fingers though the motor function is intact. And then of course, there’s the discomfort so he started on his arthritis medication yesterday but it might take much longer to get on top of it this way assuming it makes a difference at all. And then there’s the issue of the stomach irritation. He’s already had problems with that for years for various reasons including the other meds he’s taking and the diabetes. So I can only hope things improve for him as this isn’t fun.
Afternoon tea/dinner
Since we were here, I suggested we go down to tea. There was only one other couple there and so we visited with them while we enjoyed the goodies. I actually went for the scones and jam. Mmmmmm
Ed watched TV and worked on his Sudoku while I kept reading the book written by our table mate. Then he wanted to go to dinner on the early side, even though we were still full of scones from tea, because he wanted to go to the movie in the Cabaret Lounge tonite. It is open seating tonite because we are in port late, but Ed suggested we go to our assigned table anyway and one couple was there. We had a great time discussing the sights around this area, and later moved onto funny movies to see. This led to a discussion of dysfunctional family members and sad story childhoods, since the movies we were discussing were based on such situations. Lots of laughs and I think this is the most fun we had at table on this leg of the cruise. Quite a nice treat.
I had downloaded the photos, recharged the batteries, formatted the memory cards, and selected a few photos to piddle with and put aside to upload tomorrow. Ed met some of the crew staff at a few of the locations on his tour so I downloaded those photos to a thumb drive and sent it on to those kids here on the ship so they could have the photos.
And now I’ll get back to finishing this novel….
Room service arrived right on time. Since we got an extra hour back last night (Yeah!) we were both awake. The ship docked around the same time. Originally we were scheduled to leave at 5 pm. For reasons we aren’t told, it was changed at some point to 11 pm. They did refuel here but that was finished by 2 pm.
Maps
There is an interesting thing I’ve noticed about the maps we are getting about this area of the world. We have come from the Arabian Sea past the Gulf of Oman and the straits of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf—not the Persian Gulf. I have never heard or seen it listed as “Arabian” Gulf. All of the resources I brought with me use the label “Persian” Gulf. Hmmm
Piracy drill
We’ve received a notice about a piracy drill to be held tomorrow. Basically we will be asked to go back to our staterooms by the closed interior passageways only, pull the drapes shut, stay away from the windows and sit by the door after propping our cabin doors open so we can hear instructions from our cabin stewards. Use handrails as you walk to be prepared for sudden unexpected movements by the ship since it will be zig zagging. The ship will also travel in a convoy and in case of any incident, helicopters will appear within 20 minutes on both sides of the ship.
CNN
We still don’t “get” it. “CNN live” was blaring in the cruise terminal but our cabin TV still shows the same tired message about not being available because of the satellite on the ship. Go figure!
No internet
We have no internet access in many ports and this is one of them. You can pay for internet access in the terminal and I understand it’s quite reasonable. Since we have been in port from 7 am to 11 pm tonite, it simply means we have no access.
New ship’s terminal
Two years ago there was a rather ordinary, ten year old terminal for cruise ships here. In the intervening two years, that one was razed and an entirely new building was erected in modified Middle Eastern style. I had great expectations for this new terminal but I was really disappointed. I like the old one better even if it was (only) slightly smaller. There are two ships in port today: ours of course and the QE2 which generates such warm memories for the people who have sailed on her.
Weather
While it was awfully hot here today, well over 90 and as high as 100, it wasn’t as wearing as the heat and humidity we’ve had in other ports. For one thing, it’s drier here and there are breezes. Also, many of our stops involved going into air conditioned buildings. My tour did walk a few blocks where there were rows of local shops but it wasn’t bad.
Smells
I simply can’t describe the wonderful aromas you experience in these Middle East markets. And the bags piled high with products of various colors and shapes. It is a wonderful memory I love to experience anew in Middle Eastern cities.
Ed’s tour
He went to the world’s tallest building which just recently opened. It has 200 + levels and it’s about half a mile high. It is called Burg Kalifi. It’s free to walk the stairs to the observation deck—or so the rumor goes-- or it costs $30-40 USD to ride the elevator in less than 2 min. to the observation deck at level 120. They also went to the indoor ski slope, and two different huge malls with expensive shops. We’re talking very upscale, Rodeo Drive shops.
Lunch
I went to the dining room but tried to phone for Ed twice. The DR closes at 1:30 and I had only 5 min. before it closed. So I ate a rice dish and then went up to the Panorama Buffet where I found him; we had missed each other by a few minutes in the room. So I shared fruit with him for dessert.
Movies
There was a movie in the Cabaret Lounge at 2 pm: Knowing. Then this evening another: Serious Moonlight. And then on the TV from 8 pm onward: State of Play. There are always Leonard Maltin and some TNT movies. I passed on all of them but Ed went down to the Cabaret Lounge for Serious Moonlight. He’ll watch any movie but I suspect he’ll really enjoy this one since Meg Ryan is in it.
My tour
Our guide was Issam whom I can only describe as a mischievous Arab genie. We had such fun with him. He could sell any toothpaste his smile was so sparkling. He is Yemeni and lived for 7 yrs in Germany so he is also fluent in that language. (While in one of the souks, I saw a tall man dressed in Arab attire speaking perfect Spanish and he took some folks around; it seemed so odd) Our driver was Santos from India; I never got a chance to ask him if he was from Goa as these folks are Christian, usually Catholic, and the name “Santos” is hardly Hindu.
We went to one of the adjacent emirates, Sharjriah which is hailed as the “Pearl of the Gulf.” It is less pretentious than Dubai but still shows the impact of all the building and development. Most people live in Sharjriah and commute to Dubia, right across the bridge, as housing costs in Dubai are about 3 x more costly. There are 4 (?) million people in the United Arab Emirates (there are seven emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjriah are the only ones I’ve ever heard of). Think of the UAE as = US and each of these emirates = state. 87% of the people in UAE are UAE residents but not citizens and will almost no chance of ever becoming a citizen. The government(s) have gradually tightened their restrictions over the years to prevent being overwhelmed by outsiders. One thing Issam said that perked me up is that very soon, compulsory health insurance will be required for everyone. The laborers will be the most grateful for that I’m sure.
There was a question about the women’s clothing and I thought he answered it in a thoughtful way. He did finish by saying that in the 13th and 14th centuries, European women were also covered and now they are not. He predicted that one day, Muslim women would not be covered. Indeed there are many here who were not draped head to foot in black though you saw all versions of that. The funniest to me was a woman totally covered except for her glasses sticking out. Ed said he saw two head to toe black clad women in a shop selling bikinis. What a photo that would have been!
Mosques
We saw many gorgeous mosques but none so breathtaking as those we saw in Brunei and Malaysia. These are, we are told, quite elegant inside and the photos suggest that too.
Souks
After we went by the old city of Sharjriah, we were taken to the old souk. I wasn’t looking forward to walking dusty, hot streets. It turns out they’ve closed it in and it’s air conditioned. So we had 30 minutes to wander around here and see all the gorgeous stuff. I did eventually purchase two items and couldn’t tell if I overpaid (you have to bargain and that is not my strength and Ed was elsewhere) but clearly I paid less than I would have in LA so I’m not looking back. I probably should be carrying a pocket calculator as many people do but I’ve been working it out the old fashioned way: on paper. When Ed’s around, he does it in his head quicker than I can line up the idea in my mind.
After the old souk, we eventually found our way to a modern, huge mall but it’s their local souk. There were scads of shops selling gold and silver jewelry mostly. Let me tell you, the Arabs here know about BLING! No red hatter could match them ever. Some of the solid gold (22 K usually) necklaces are as big as a nun’s wimple. They must weigh you down and that’s before the rings, bracelets, anklets, and whatever else they can think of.
There were many rug merchants and I had a sense that most were expats. In fact, many of the shoppers were clearly not from the UAE: lots of gorgeous saris (that’s redundant in my experience: they are all gorgeous), western teen wear, Pakistanis, and Indians of all stripes.
In the old souk, I picked up something you can wear around your hips. It has two strings to tie it in the front. So I was trying to show Ed how to wear it and it keeps falling to my ankles. Clearly either it’s WAY too big, or I’m not doing it right (or these women have humungous hips because mine are not small by any stretch of the imagination!). So I’ll worry about it when I get to LA.
Walking the streets
During our walk of several blocks, we saw stores selling all kinds of electric appliances. The “vessels” (we’d just call them pots) range from a simple saucepan to something big enough to bathe a family! Makes you wonder how they’re used. Several stores selling only candy; another with various nuts. Some folks bought some nuts and I heard they were confiscated before they could reboard the ship. I was hoping we’d be given a few dates to nibble along the way but no such luck. This is the place in the world to get delicious dates in several varieties.
Ed’s neck
We know that Ed has severe arthritis in his neck and he’s having increasing problems with it lately. He shouldn’t be laying with pillows under his head or bending over doing his Sudoku but it’s hard to remember and there’s a quality of life issue. But he’s got numbness in 3 of his fingers though the motor function is intact. And then of course, there’s the discomfort so he started on his arthritis medication yesterday but it might take much longer to get on top of it this way assuming it makes a difference at all. And then there’s the issue of the stomach irritation. He’s already had problems with that for years for various reasons including the other meds he’s taking and the diabetes. So I can only hope things improve for him as this isn’t fun.
Afternoon tea/dinner
Since we were here, I suggested we go down to tea. There was only one other couple there and so we visited with them while we enjoyed the goodies. I actually went for the scones and jam. Mmmmmm
Ed watched TV and worked on his Sudoku while I kept reading the book written by our table mate. Then he wanted to go to dinner on the early side, even though we were still full of scones from tea, because he wanted to go to the movie in the Cabaret Lounge tonite. It is open seating tonite because we are in port late, but Ed suggested we go to our assigned table anyway and one couple was there. We had a great time discussing the sights around this area, and later moved onto funny movies to see. This led to a discussion of dysfunctional family members and sad story childhoods, since the movies we were discussing were based on such situations. Lots of laughs and I think this is the most fun we had at table on this leg of the cruise. Quite a nice treat.
I had downloaded the photos, recharged the batteries, formatted the memory cards, and selected a few photos to piddle with and put aside to upload tomorrow. Ed met some of the crew staff at a few of the locations on his tour so I downloaded those photos to a thumb drive and sent it on to those kids here on the ship so they could have the photos.
And now I’ll get back to finishing this novel….
Monday, April 26, 2010
Dubai tomorrow
April 26 2010
Ed was out of bed before I was and he went to the gym while I watched some animal planet shows trying to build up my energy. I went to the library and dropped off some books.
Computer audits
I was about to give up on a new student showing up for “Beyond Photoshop Basics” but a lady rushed in and so I was able to audit this class once more. I learn or master something better each time so I’m not sorry about the time. There wasn’t much of interest going on this morning anyway. This afternoon, Chuck (one of our trivia team) and I came to audit another of the computer classes we had taken but again no newbie showed up, so it wasn’t possible to audit.
Trivia
Since no one showed up for the 11 am class, there was no opportunity to audit so I whizzed over and joined my trivia group. We were no threat to the winners. Some of the answers were clearly wrong but folks are getting mildly better about not becoming ballistic when the person calling trivia has an incorrect answer. This afternoon there were only 5 of us and we started off on a roll with all of the first 10 correct. We could hear the folks grading our answer sheet cluck clucking about how well we were doing. However, it ain’t over til the fat lady sings and in the end we were no threat to the winners.
Lunch
We joined some folks we’ve lunched with before, the lady with her 90+ y/o, sharp as a tack, father. Another couple was farther down the table and so it was a loose series of discussions. One woman has macular degeneration and so I listened as that was discussed. They’ve been travelling pretty steady since she was first diagnosed. She has some vision but it’s compromised increasingly and I can certainly identify with that. Her husband is hard of hearing so there were chuckles about them. The other lady plans trips for her sorority and so we discussed trips she’s taken and those planned for the future.
Taj trip feedback
We’ve been hearing various versions of this trip but the stories include the fact that Princess is refunding $200 USD because of problems. Specifically, the India air plane they were to use had problems and so they sat for 2 hrs in the airport lobby until there was a proper plane. The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was high as well. They had an hour at the Taj itself. There was supposed to be a stop at the Red Fort which was downgraded to a photo stop. It turns out only one bus truly did stop for photos there. So all in all, we are glad we decided not to go.
Bucket list
This was a lecture with the port talker and he covered 50 must see places in the world. This was part of what we were discussing at lunch speculating on what would be in each person’s top 50. We have seen all but 16 on his list and one of those, Petra, is on our schedule for this trip.
Show us what you bought
At one point today, while I was doing other things, I was in the Casino Lounge and there was this program going on. It’s astonishing what, and how much, many of these folks have purchased. And these aren’t folks for whom this is their first world cruise. I’m wide eyed at some of the things that folks believe they got at a good bargain. But if they’re happy… I can still see the smile on the face of the vendors who sold them the items. Some of these folks, mostly women, spend all of their time in port shopping. My Lord, how much can one buy? Well actually we all know the answer to that.
Dinner
All present tonite. One lady had purchased a 7 strand ruby necklace in the terminal shop and she was showing it off tonite. I’m glad she likes it and that’s enough said. The book written by the other lady was passed to me this evening and so I’ve started it. You can tell it’s her “voice” as I read. The font isn’t super large, but in good light, it’s OK for my reading. My “cheaters” seem to be working pretty well for me and I think my contacts are in the correct eyes now and that whatever was going on has stabilized for the time being. I’ll be curious to see what my tests show when I return.
David Copperfield
This is an older British (Scottish but without a heavy brogue) man who is “not the illusionist but the “unusualist” the original all around entertainer from across the pond.” We had a lot of belly laughs with this guy who involved folks all over the audience. He poked fun by doing some of the magic tricks we’ve all grown super tired of by making them unexpected and hilarious. He also did several songs in crazy ways and he has a good voice. It’s impossible to describe adequately his show, but the time passed very quickly. We sat next to our luncheon tablemates and the father had on a bright red blazer that was impossible to miss. He looks so adorable. She is also very sweet and fun to talk with.
Technology Hurrahs
Ed has often been able to speak with various family members via VOIP (Voice over internet protocol) using his iPhone. (I’m afraid to turn mine on given the $300 charges the Marine carrier tried to charge me in Dec. because I couldn’t figure out how to use the iPhone without incurring those charges!) I can’t understand, given his enthusiasm for that, why he won’t let me put Skype on here (the computer does have a built in camera) so we can use that. I have seen some people using it on board though not many. And despite the fact that the ship won’t support these technologies, it doesn’t mean you can’t successfully use them all other things being equal.
So at least we don’t feel totally and completely shut off from the world while we are, as the Captain frequently says, “in the middle of nowhere.”
Ed was out of bed before I was and he went to the gym while I watched some animal planet shows trying to build up my energy. I went to the library and dropped off some books.
Computer audits
I was about to give up on a new student showing up for “Beyond Photoshop Basics” but a lady rushed in and so I was able to audit this class once more. I learn or master something better each time so I’m not sorry about the time. There wasn’t much of interest going on this morning anyway. This afternoon, Chuck (one of our trivia team) and I came to audit another of the computer classes we had taken but again no newbie showed up, so it wasn’t possible to audit.
Trivia
Since no one showed up for the 11 am class, there was no opportunity to audit so I whizzed over and joined my trivia group. We were no threat to the winners. Some of the answers were clearly wrong but folks are getting mildly better about not becoming ballistic when the person calling trivia has an incorrect answer. This afternoon there were only 5 of us and we started off on a roll with all of the first 10 correct. We could hear the folks grading our answer sheet cluck clucking about how well we were doing. However, it ain’t over til the fat lady sings and in the end we were no threat to the winners.
Lunch
We joined some folks we’ve lunched with before, the lady with her 90+ y/o, sharp as a tack, father. Another couple was farther down the table and so it was a loose series of discussions. One woman has macular degeneration and so I listened as that was discussed. They’ve been travelling pretty steady since she was first diagnosed. She has some vision but it’s compromised increasingly and I can certainly identify with that. Her husband is hard of hearing so there were chuckles about them. The other lady plans trips for her sorority and so we discussed trips she’s taken and those planned for the future.
Taj trip feedback
We’ve been hearing various versions of this trip but the stories include the fact that Princess is refunding $200 USD because of problems. Specifically, the India air plane they were to use had problems and so they sat for 2 hrs in the airport lobby until there was a proper plane. The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was high as well. They had an hour at the Taj itself. There was supposed to be a stop at the Red Fort which was downgraded to a photo stop. It turns out only one bus truly did stop for photos there. So all in all, we are glad we decided not to go.
Bucket list
This was a lecture with the port talker and he covered 50 must see places in the world. This was part of what we were discussing at lunch speculating on what would be in each person’s top 50. We have seen all but 16 on his list and one of those, Petra, is on our schedule for this trip.
Show us what you bought
At one point today, while I was doing other things, I was in the Casino Lounge and there was this program going on. It’s astonishing what, and how much, many of these folks have purchased. And these aren’t folks for whom this is their first world cruise. I’m wide eyed at some of the things that folks believe they got at a good bargain. But if they’re happy… I can still see the smile on the face of the vendors who sold them the items. Some of these folks, mostly women, spend all of their time in port shopping. My Lord, how much can one buy? Well actually we all know the answer to that.
Dinner
All present tonite. One lady had purchased a 7 strand ruby necklace in the terminal shop and she was showing it off tonite. I’m glad she likes it and that’s enough said. The book written by the other lady was passed to me this evening and so I’ve started it. You can tell it’s her “voice” as I read. The font isn’t super large, but in good light, it’s OK for my reading. My “cheaters” seem to be working pretty well for me and I think my contacts are in the correct eyes now and that whatever was going on has stabilized for the time being. I’ll be curious to see what my tests show when I return.
David Copperfield
This is an older British (Scottish but without a heavy brogue) man who is “not the illusionist but the “unusualist” the original all around entertainer from across the pond.” We had a lot of belly laughs with this guy who involved folks all over the audience. He poked fun by doing some of the magic tricks we’ve all grown super tired of by making them unexpected and hilarious. He also did several songs in crazy ways and he has a good voice. It’s impossible to describe adequately his show, but the time passed very quickly. We sat next to our luncheon tablemates and the father had on a bright red blazer that was impossible to miss. He looks so adorable. She is also very sweet and fun to talk with.
Technology Hurrahs
Ed has often been able to speak with various family members via VOIP (Voice over internet protocol) using his iPhone. (I’m afraid to turn mine on given the $300 charges the Marine carrier tried to charge me in Dec. because I couldn’t figure out how to use the iPhone without incurring those charges!) I can’t understand, given his enthusiasm for that, why he won’t let me put Skype on here (the computer does have a built in camera) so we can use that. I have seen some people using it on board though not many. And despite the fact that the ship won’t support these technologies, it doesn’t mean you can’t successfully use them all other things being equal.
So at least we don’t feel totally and completely shut off from the world while we are, as the Captain frequently says, “in the middle of nowhere.”
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday night
April 25, 2010
It took Ed a while to stir around. He’s been having some neck pain and as we all often do, he’s waited too long to go back on the medication he has brought with him. I got ready and finally went to the Cabaret Lounge to use the hot spot there and be in place for the speaker.
Port Talk: Dubai
I was interested in this because I haven’t yet decided on what tour I want to take. I was almost stunned the find that Dubai (of ALL places!) now has a hop-on hop-off bus route! I went to the library to get a book on Dubai to help me out but I think the place has changed so much (or it’s simply not a good book) and there wasn’t much in there.
Clearly a lot has changed in Dubai since we were there two years ago and the recession isn’t the only story. The ship’s terminal that we were in 2 yrs ago, which was then 10y/o, had become too small for the 130+ ships coming in there so they tore it down! And built a completely new, large, elegant one that opened in February. So I can’t wait to see it.
The economic situation is also of great interest and is not yet resolved by a long shot. Ed is taking the tour to see the building that is by FAR the tallest in the world; there are other stops on the tour but that’s his real goal.
Trivia
We won handily this morning but were pathetic this afternoon. The team who graded this afternoon’s sheet said we were “over thinking.” They were too kind. Still we have lots of laughs.
Lunch
Today was the Sunday brunch and while it wasn’t horribly crowded when we got there around noon, still one has to be careful of the sharp elbows. You’d think these folks weren’t going to get enough to eat! During the visits to the various stations, I found that our junior waiter, a lovely young woman who’s husband is a full waiter in the dining room, has now been promoted to a full waiter. We are all rooting for her. So that means we have a new junior waiter, a nice young man who got on in Mombai and is Indian. He’s lucky to have Max, our waiter, as his mentor.
There was almost nothing that interested us this afternoon so Ed did some stuff on the computer and then slept while I finished one of the stories in the last large print Reader’s Digest Select Editions I brought alone and leave in the library for others. There are some large print books in the library but I’ve told you the selections are strange sometimes.
I then spent some time looking over the 1000+ photos that Ed and I took related to Mombai. I learn the Picasa software a little more each time so we’ll see how I do. Ed got some very cute photos of monkeys. I picked out some that I hope will give you some sense of what it is like there.
Sounds and smells
One of the things I love about places like Mombai is the fragrances everywhere. No sewer smell anywhere we went. Lots of floral odors in various places, and incense near the temples and neighborhood/street shrines. And the smells in the marketplaces where they sell spices, fruits and vegetables are just marvelous. I feel like a dog sometimes who’s being led around by the nose.
And the sounds are dominated by the honking of horns. Driving here is a game of chicken and they could not survive without their horns of various tunes. And the soft voices; no yelling heard anywhere. The laughter of children is so cute as it is everywhere in the world.
Dinner
We saw one couple in the hallway and they told us they weren’t going to the dining room as they weren’t doing great. Nothing extreme, just a tad down. The other couple showed up and it’s interesting to hear what’s important to others. I’ve finally identified that there is a great discomfort with formal education and all that implies on the part of the wife. She, at least per her conversation and I have no reason to doubt this, is very accomplished in her own right. She has no need to be defensive (and thus aggressive) about her background compared to others. There were a few more nervous gestures and gasping breathing as she spoke tonite, but not as much as when the table is full. I’ve gotten to where I keep my eyes on her husband and try to hear what he is saying even when she starts talking as if he wasn’t saying a thing. He doesn’t speak that often for obvious reasons. So it’s everyone she does that to. Sad really. It is a test of my character to find ways to be kind and pleasant through this all.
Tonite’s entertainment
It’s a juggler. You know how excited I am about jugglers so I’m going to upload photos and perhaps even this blog before I go back to the room to read before going to sleep.
There is a “Taste of India” deck party tonite and that includes a buffet at 10:30 pm but Lord do we need more food even if it is exotic and related to the part of the world where we are at this time? There will be an Indian costume parade. Those are fun to see but I can’t see killing myself to find something Indian and buying it just to have it to wear for this event. Still folks enjoy that as a focus and I love seeing how beautifully it all is when they are dressed up. There was a fellow passenger today who was giving lessons on how to fit a sari. I hope none fall to the floor unexpectedly tonite.
It took Ed a while to stir around. He’s been having some neck pain and as we all often do, he’s waited too long to go back on the medication he has brought with him. I got ready and finally went to the Cabaret Lounge to use the hot spot there and be in place for the speaker.
Port Talk: Dubai
I was interested in this because I haven’t yet decided on what tour I want to take. I was almost stunned the find that Dubai (of ALL places!) now has a hop-on hop-off bus route! I went to the library to get a book on Dubai to help me out but I think the place has changed so much (or it’s simply not a good book) and there wasn’t much in there.
Clearly a lot has changed in Dubai since we were there two years ago and the recession isn’t the only story. The ship’s terminal that we were in 2 yrs ago, which was then 10y/o, had become too small for the 130+ ships coming in there so they tore it down! And built a completely new, large, elegant one that opened in February. So I can’t wait to see it.
The economic situation is also of great interest and is not yet resolved by a long shot. Ed is taking the tour to see the building that is by FAR the tallest in the world; there are other stops on the tour but that’s his real goal.
Trivia
We won handily this morning but were pathetic this afternoon. The team who graded this afternoon’s sheet said we were “over thinking.” They were too kind. Still we have lots of laughs.
Lunch
Today was the Sunday brunch and while it wasn’t horribly crowded when we got there around noon, still one has to be careful of the sharp elbows. You’d think these folks weren’t going to get enough to eat! During the visits to the various stations, I found that our junior waiter, a lovely young woman who’s husband is a full waiter in the dining room, has now been promoted to a full waiter. We are all rooting for her. So that means we have a new junior waiter, a nice young man who got on in Mombai and is Indian. He’s lucky to have Max, our waiter, as his mentor.
There was almost nothing that interested us this afternoon so Ed did some stuff on the computer and then slept while I finished one of the stories in the last large print Reader’s Digest Select Editions I brought alone and leave in the library for others. There are some large print books in the library but I’ve told you the selections are strange sometimes.
I then spent some time looking over the 1000+ photos that Ed and I took related to Mombai. I learn the Picasa software a little more each time so we’ll see how I do. Ed got some very cute photos of monkeys. I picked out some that I hope will give you some sense of what it is like there.
Sounds and smells
One of the things I love about places like Mombai is the fragrances everywhere. No sewer smell anywhere we went. Lots of floral odors in various places, and incense near the temples and neighborhood/street shrines. And the smells in the marketplaces where they sell spices, fruits and vegetables are just marvelous. I feel like a dog sometimes who’s being led around by the nose.
And the sounds are dominated by the honking of horns. Driving here is a game of chicken and they could not survive without their horns of various tunes. And the soft voices; no yelling heard anywhere. The laughter of children is so cute as it is everywhere in the world.
Dinner
We saw one couple in the hallway and they told us they weren’t going to the dining room as they weren’t doing great. Nothing extreme, just a tad down. The other couple showed up and it’s interesting to hear what’s important to others. I’ve finally identified that there is a great discomfort with formal education and all that implies on the part of the wife. She, at least per her conversation and I have no reason to doubt this, is very accomplished in her own right. She has no need to be defensive (and thus aggressive) about her background compared to others. There were a few more nervous gestures and gasping breathing as she spoke tonite, but not as much as when the table is full. I’ve gotten to where I keep my eyes on her husband and try to hear what he is saying even when she starts talking as if he wasn’t saying a thing. He doesn’t speak that often for obvious reasons. So it’s everyone she does that to. Sad really. It is a test of my character to find ways to be kind and pleasant through this all.
Tonite’s entertainment
It’s a juggler. You know how excited I am about jugglers so I’m going to upload photos and perhaps even this blog before I go back to the room to read before going to sleep.
There is a “Taste of India” deck party tonite and that includes a buffet at 10:30 pm but Lord do we need more food even if it is exotic and related to the part of the world where we are at this time? There will be an Indian costume parade. Those are fun to see but I can’t see killing myself to find something Indian and buying it just to have it to wear for this event. Still folks enjoy that as a focus and I love seeing how beautifully it all is when they are dressed up. There was a fellow passenger today who was giving lessons on how to fit a sari. I hope none fall to the floor unexpectedly tonite.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
On to Dubai in 3 days
Mombai
The ship was docked by 7 am. We had room service and watched the ship snuggle up to the pier and the various officials gather to begin the process of clearing the ship and all the passengers and crew. They sent 10 immigration officers on board this time. As I was nearing the officer, another fellow was checking our paperwork to be sure everything was in order to expedite the time. He saw that I had a 10 yr. Indian visa (something very new this year and only a few dollars more) and this BIG smile came over his face. You can envision it: dark skin, gleaming white teeth. He says with glee:”2019!”
Ed and I went on different tours. Last time we were here, he wasn’t feeling well and so I went to Elephanta Island. Fr. Sean had recommended it and it is definitely a “must see.” So that’s where he went and he wasn’t disappointed.
Shrines and temples tour
The tour was to gather in the ship terminal and with my eyes it’s very hard for me to see where things are these days. I finally latched onto another couple who were also signed up for this tour and after some fits and starts, we were finally accurately routed to the appropriate bus. It turns out we bypassed getting the stickers we wear when on tour. Since there were only twenty of us, the guide said it wasn’t going to be a problem. The two front seats were reserved for handicapped and so everyone else had bypassed them and chosen seats farther back. This included some folks with some problems. The obnoxious couple about whom I’ve written before, marched onto bus—the woman is always the worst and always ahead of him—sneered at the sign, put it aside behind the seat and sat down. That’s where they stayed the whole day. One fellow passed them, looked and said: I don’t see any handicap! They’re oblivious of course. It’s not very nice but I told that fellow later that I felt like coming onto the bus early, sitting in the seat and when she objected (as she surely will since this is her pattern), I’d show her my arm with my compression sleeves and say:”but I have a REAL handicap!” Of course I didn’t do it but I was surely tempted! I’m stewing about it and considering going to the tour office onboard and complaining. A woman had turned her ankle and the Queen did not budge and the lady went back further in the bus. One could make the argument that she managed to ambulate to the temples so why did she need a seat in the front of the bus? For me, it’s a matter of courtesy and respect for others.
As we see examples of such behavior which takes advantage of our concern for those with handicaps, I often think that those who are taking advantage should experience a substantial handicap themselves and then experience others treating them as if it didn’t matter.
Ok. Enough of that crap.
I took the shrines and temples tour and was not disappointed either. I had not seen any of the shrines before. And one of the major advantages, is that we went into areas we otherwise would not explore. In most instances, we had to leave the bus and walk through neighborhoods to reach these temples.
Our port talker had explained that tipping is usually for the tour guide and perhaps the driver. But there is also a fellow who hopes to be a driver one day who must prove his dedication for EIGHT years by being what’s called a “conductor”. He suggested we also give him a modest tip. This guy puts the extra step down, shoos away beggars annoying us, helps us down with his hand and such. But there were two other women also on the bus. I never quite figured out what their role(s) were and wondered about the etiquette of tipping them. In the end, I didn’t since I didn’t have the proper money along with me.
Public Buildings
The architecture is among the most interesting in the world. It includes old British colonial, Gothic, much less modern but still there especially among the new high rises. There is tremendous pollution here so the buildings show the gray discoloration and black streaking over many decades.
In recent years, the public buildings have acquired Indian names but no one uses them because they are so long. So the train terminal, seen in the movie “slum dog millionaire”, is still called Victoria. We passed many lovely beaches; I couldn’t recreate any of their names. Indians don’t sunbathe or swim on the beaches. They stroll and play with their kids there.
Taj Hotel and Gate of India
I’m making comparisons with our trip two years ago where there was much construction at the Gate of India. All of that is finished and the area is gorgeous. This is the huge Hindu and Muslim symbol of Mumbai. There are less beggars and they are better managed than in the past. The areas around the ship’s pier and this area have also been cleaned up considerably over the years.
The Taj Hotel is still gorgeous but going into it is a very different experience. There is only one door man dressed in that gorgeous uniform and it looks like he’s largely ceremonial. There used to be several there and they were actually door men with a few porters. There are still a few porters in ordinary wear, but there are a large contingent of men who are in and out of law enforcement uniforms. You must go through a scanner to go into the lobby. And the middle of that gorgeous, huge lobby, is blocked off with a wall. I found in conversation later that it is there to camouflage the repairs being done after the terrorist attack. The guest rooms involved are still under repair as well. The terrorists attacked old symbolic sites in Mombai including some favorite tourist restaurants such as the Leopold.
The remaining terrorist who was not killed is awaiting the verdict after a very long protracted trial. Pakistan has denied that any of their citizens were involved though the guide said that they knew exactly which village the dead men came from. Their bodies have been in a morgue for the past year waiting for Pakistan to claim them, which it won’t do because that would mean admitting it was their citizens who carried out the violence. So the Indians buried them in an unknown site where they couldn’t be found.
Terrorists
You can see the impact of this everywhere. There was always a police presence in Mombai but it is “in your face” now. I described the Taj Hotel and the Gate of India (they are across the street from each other) have a very visible presence. But you see them everywhere with their assault rifles at hand. Shopping areas also show this as do temples.
Beggars
This is a sore spot for many travelers of course. They can be quite aggressive and swarm you quickly. One fellow was passing out candy to the kids and the police and others were very pointed that he stop it. We only see the surface of course. The port speaker told us that women will rent babies by the hour because they can get more money that way. And the kids are kept in awful looking states as they can get more money that way too. And of course, they’ve all learned to look pathetic. But the most disturbing part is that they don’t get to keep that money; it’s like a pimp system.
The guide, as they have done in many countries, talked about the kind of work these women could be doing such as housework which doesn’t require much training. Many prefer to beg; that’s probably true more often than we’d like to admit but we simply don’t know much about all the details. I have learned over the years not to give directly to beggars but instead to give to groups who help them with food, lodging and education. They keep doing it because it works and thus I really have problems with people who insist on doing that. If they’re selling something, I find that less offensive though the way some of the tourists bargain them down is often shameful and in many instances, after this time when the person doesn’t have the opportunity to sell to someone else, the bargainer will walk away without buying anything.
Haji Ali Dagah
This is a place on an island in the middle of the bay which is reached by a bridge of some kind. It is a beautiful white structure and those who can’t go to Mecca, go here instead. There’s more the story but that’s the gist of it all.
Dabba Walas
This is an amazing system unique in all the world and is found only in Mombai. Basically, a woman anywhere in the Mombai area, and Mombai has 14 million people, prepares lunches for her kids at school, her husband at work, etc. About 11:15 in the morning she has it in a bag outside her door and the Dabba Wala, a man with a bicycle equipped with about 40 hooks to hold these bags, picks up the bags from the housewives or maids. He then takes them to a terminus where they are then transported via train usually to their destination. At the schools, they arrive about 15 minutes before the kids break for lunch and then the kids come to get their lunch. In each instance, the dabba walla waits for the bags to be returned to him and they are then returned to the housewife before 3 pm. They get paid a modest flat fee to do this and can still work another job around it. The accuracy rate exceeds 99.9%. They give lectures at management schools in Universities. I’d love to hear one of those lectures. The logistics must be amazing.
Dhobe Wat
This is also a uniquely Mombai service. It is an enormous outdoor laundry. Dirty laundry is picked up, processed here – no washers (except human), no dryers, no mangles—and delivered pristine clean to the owners within two days I think. How do they do it?
Lunch
We had this at a place on one of the beaches called Sand and Surf. It wasn’t very impressive but the food, a buffet, was terrific. It didn’t take us long to finish and so we didn’t stay as long as they had originally planned—mercifully.
ISKON temple
This is the Hare Kirshna temple and it is a bright white newer temple. There are three large windows inside an open structure and when the drapes open over these idol niches, people fling themselves onto the floor and much more. And there are a lot of people here. The music, disappointingly, was coming from a boom box. I saw only one of the traditionally attired Hare Krishnas we see in the US: shaved head with a small braided top knot, draped robes, barefoot…and he was a few blocks from the temple as we walked through the neighborhood.
Mumba Devi temple
We saw two other temples and I can’t recall which one this is. But one was a Southern Hindu temple that was very close, and dark, and with many nooks and crannies. There were many icons with worshipers at each one. There were also signs everywhere warning you in large English printing, to beware of pickpockets and such.
The other temple involved taking a “lift” or climbing a lot of stairs which was what I did. We went through some fascinating hovel neighborhoods to get here though and that was a real experience. At the top of the stairs, as you always do when going into these temples, you take off your shoes. But in this temple, the floors are often wet. This is because at the center of this temple is a lingam, a phallic symbol. They are more sanguine about genital symbols in many parts of Asia. People bring milk (the symbolism was not lost on me) and water to pour over this.
Shoes at temples
You must take off your shoes and so most people wear some kind of slip on. It is an ordeal to remove our tennis shoes, which most of us wear for stability and convenience. There are rarely seats or any other place to sit to take off, or as important, put your shoes back on. In many places, there are people who “look after” your shoes (because shoes have been known to be stolen from these places) and they of course expect a tip for this service. When you are on tour, all such tips are taken care of and it simplifies things considerably. The guide also prevents you from making any gaffs in speech or behavior too. I used to carry “temple socks”, those airline slippers you’re given on long flights, but it is still as much trouble to take them on and off, carry them, etc. In most places, the floor are pristine but in many of these older temples, the pigeon poop must be dodged between the shoe storage place and the inside of the temple.
Shopping
This was for 30 minutes and we were told we could only go into three shops in a row because of a concern about terrorists. The guide said there was an advisory out and each store had a guard who also spent time running the beggars away. But many folks believe it was so that the guide would get her kickback. Backshish (bribery and kickbacks) are so common in many parts of the world; You come to assume it’s going on even if you are not directly approached. Some folks went across the street (itself a suicidal mission given the traffic!) to buy, of all things, alcohol. One guy is collecting it in many ports to take home wherever that is. The baggage costs will surely off set his savings…for alcohol???
The stores had beautiful jewelry, clothing, rugs, and a few more expensive souvenirs. I looked at some clothing which was admittedly gorgeous and appeared to be well made, but $3-600 USD is way over priced! Most others agreed. One couple bought a chess set of some kind for no small price and I had the same questions about size and weight in getting it home. In most instances, all of these things are available in the US though admittedly, the cost might be much higher. But that might be offset by hassle factor and baggage costs, never mind customs fees as many folks are clearly going over those limits. Although the clerks are gentle and soft spoken, they still haunt you and so I didn’t stay long. The driver didn’t have the a/c on; we suspected it was to ensure that we stayed in the shops longer.
Stores in ship’s terminal
There are many lovely things here but few good bargains. And I’m never quite sure of the quality so unless it had really been a great deal, I wasn’t interested. And so I bought nothing. I keep telling myself, I could probably find the same stuff in LA, again perhaps at the same price.
Dinner
This was open seating and Ed and I opted against going out after dark in Mombai to have dinner somewhere unknown. We sat near the window to see the harbor and so this meant that we didn’t have our usual wait staff. Max saw us anyway and suddenly the plate of lemons appeared (I make lemonade) and Ed’s wine.
We decided to forego dessert to go to the early Folklorico Show on board. Later, we went up to the buffet and were busted. Max was laughing as he saw us getting dessert up there; the dining room was slow so he went to the buffet. These guys know all our secrets.
Folklorico Show
This was the same troupe we’ve seen before but the dances were new to me. And the costumes! So gorgeous. I’ll never be able to figure out how they can move around as well as they do in those clothes which are wrapped and tucked. Mine would be on the floor after the first twist. And as Hazel and I remarked, one of the dancers had to be 6 mos along though with all the drapery you had to look closely. Very clever. And speaking of which, that’s the only pregnant woman I’ve seen in India. Most of those with whom I spoke, have only two kids.
The ship was docked by 7 am. We had room service and watched the ship snuggle up to the pier and the various officials gather to begin the process of clearing the ship and all the passengers and crew. They sent 10 immigration officers on board this time. As I was nearing the officer, another fellow was checking our paperwork to be sure everything was in order to expedite the time. He saw that I had a 10 yr. Indian visa (something very new this year and only a few dollars more) and this BIG smile came over his face. You can envision it: dark skin, gleaming white teeth. He says with glee:”2019!”
Ed and I went on different tours. Last time we were here, he wasn’t feeling well and so I went to Elephanta Island. Fr. Sean had recommended it and it is definitely a “must see.” So that’s where he went and he wasn’t disappointed.
Shrines and temples tour
The tour was to gather in the ship terminal and with my eyes it’s very hard for me to see where things are these days. I finally latched onto another couple who were also signed up for this tour and after some fits and starts, we were finally accurately routed to the appropriate bus. It turns out we bypassed getting the stickers we wear when on tour. Since there were only twenty of us, the guide said it wasn’t going to be a problem. The two front seats were reserved for handicapped and so everyone else had bypassed them and chosen seats farther back. This included some folks with some problems. The obnoxious couple about whom I’ve written before, marched onto bus—the woman is always the worst and always ahead of him—sneered at the sign, put it aside behind the seat and sat down. That’s where they stayed the whole day. One fellow passed them, looked and said: I don’t see any handicap! They’re oblivious of course. It’s not very nice but I told that fellow later that I felt like coming onto the bus early, sitting in the seat and when she objected (as she surely will since this is her pattern), I’d show her my arm with my compression sleeves and say:”but I have a REAL handicap!” Of course I didn’t do it but I was surely tempted! I’m stewing about it and considering going to the tour office onboard and complaining. A woman had turned her ankle and the Queen did not budge and the lady went back further in the bus. One could make the argument that she managed to ambulate to the temples so why did she need a seat in the front of the bus? For me, it’s a matter of courtesy and respect for others.
As we see examples of such behavior which takes advantage of our concern for those with handicaps, I often think that those who are taking advantage should experience a substantial handicap themselves and then experience others treating them as if it didn’t matter.
Ok. Enough of that crap.
I took the shrines and temples tour and was not disappointed either. I had not seen any of the shrines before. And one of the major advantages, is that we went into areas we otherwise would not explore. In most instances, we had to leave the bus and walk through neighborhoods to reach these temples.
Our port talker had explained that tipping is usually for the tour guide and perhaps the driver. But there is also a fellow who hopes to be a driver one day who must prove his dedication for EIGHT years by being what’s called a “conductor”. He suggested we also give him a modest tip. This guy puts the extra step down, shoos away beggars annoying us, helps us down with his hand and such. But there were two other women also on the bus. I never quite figured out what their role(s) were and wondered about the etiquette of tipping them. In the end, I didn’t since I didn’t have the proper money along with me.
Public Buildings
The architecture is among the most interesting in the world. It includes old British colonial, Gothic, much less modern but still there especially among the new high rises. There is tremendous pollution here so the buildings show the gray discoloration and black streaking over many decades.
In recent years, the public buildings have acquired Indian names but no one uses them because they are so long. So the train terminal, seen in the movie “slum dog millionaire”, is still called Victoria. We passed many lovely beaches; I couldn’t recreate any of their names. Indians don’t sunbathe or swim on the beaches. They stroll and play with their kids there.
Taj Hotel and Gate of India
I’m making comparisons with our trip two years ago where there was much construction at the Gate of India. All of that is finished and the area is gorgeous. This is the huge Hindu and Muslim symbol of Mumbai. There are less beggars and they are better managed than in the past. The areas around the ship’s pier and this area have also been cleaned up considerably over the years.
The Taj Hotel is still gorgeous but going into it is a very different experience. There is only one door man dressed in that gorgeous uniform and it looks like he’s largely ceremonial. There used to be several there and they were actually door men with a few porters. There are still a few porters in ordinary wear, but there are a large contingent of men who are in and out of law enforcement uniforms. You must go through a scanner to go into the lobby. And the middle of that gorgeous, huge lobby, is blocked off with a wall. I found in conversation later that it is there to camouflage the repairs being done after the terrorist attack. The guest rooms involved are still under repair as well. The terrorists attacked old symbolic sites in Mombai including some favorite tourist restaurants such as the Leopold.
The remaining terrorist who was not killed is awaiting the verdict after a very long protracted trial. Pakistan has denied that any of their citizens were involved though the guide said that they knew exactly which village the dead men came from. Their bodies have been in a morgue for the past year waiting for Pakistan to claim them, which it won’t do because that would mean admitting it was their citizens who carried out the violence. So the Indians buried them in an unknown site where they couldn’t be found.
Terrorists
You can see the impact of this everywhere. There was always a police presence in Mombai but it is “in your face” now. I described the Taj Hotel and the Gate of India (they are across the street from each other) have a very visible presence. But you see them everywhere with their assault rifles at hand. Shopping areas also show this as do temples.
Beggars
This is a sore spot for many travelers of course. They can be quite aggressive and swarm you quickly. One fellow was passing out candy to the kids and the police and others were very pointed that he stop it. We only see the surface of course. The port speaker told us that women will rent babies by the hour because they can get more money that way. And the kids are kept in awful looking states as they can get more money that way too. And of course, they’ve all learned to look pathetic. But the most disturbing part is that they don’t get to keep that money; it’s like a pimp system.
The guide, as they have done in many countries, talked about the kind of work these women could be doing such as housework which doesn’t require much training. Many prefer to beg; that’s probably true more often than we’d like to admit but we simply don’t know much about all the details. I have learned over the years not to give directly to beggars but instead to give to groups who help them with food, lodging and education. They keep doing it because it works and thus I really have problems with people who insist on doing that. If they’re selling something, I find that less offensive though the way some of the tourists bargain them down is often shameful and in many instances, after this time when the person doesn’t have the opportunity to sell to someone else, the bargainer will walk away without buying anything.
Haji Ali Dagah
This is a place on an island in the middle of the bay which is reached by a bridge of some kind. It is a beautiful white structure and those who can’t go to Mecca, go here instead. There’s more the story but that’s the gist of it all.
Dabba Walas
This is an amazing system unique in all the world and is found only in Mombai. Basically, a woman anywhere in the Mombai area, and Mombai has 14 million people, prepares lunches for her kids at school, her husband at work, etc. About 11:15 in the morning she has it in a bag outside her door and the Dabba Wala, a man with a bicycle equipped with about 40 hooks to hold these bags, picks up the bags from the housewives or maids. He then takes them to a terminus where they are then transported via train usually to their destination. At the schools, they arrive about 15 minutes before the kids break for lunch and then the kids come to get their lunch. In each instance, the dabba walla waits for the bags to be returned to him and they are then returned to the housewife before 3 pm. They get paid a modest flat fee to do this and can still work another job around it. The accuracy rate exceeds 99.9%. They give lectures at management schools in Universities. I’d love to hear one of those lectures. The logistics must be amazing.
Dhobe Wat
This is also a uniquely Mombai service. It is an enormous outdoor laundry. Dirty laundry is picked up, processed here – no washers (except human), no dryers, no mangles—and delivered pristine clean to the owners within two days I think. How do they do it?
Lunch
We had this at a place on one of the beaches called Sand and Surf. It wasn’t very impressive but the food, a buffet, was terrific. It didn’t take us long to finish and so we didn’t stay as long as they had originally planned—mercifully.
ISKON temple
This is the Hare Kirshna temple and it is a bright white newer temple. There are three large windows inside an open structure and when the drapes open over these idol niches, people fling themselves onto the floor and much more. And there are a lot of people here. The music, disappointingly, was coming from a boom box. I saw only one of the traditionally attired Hare Krishnas we see in the US: shaved head with a small braided top knot, draped robes, barefoot…and he was a few blocks from the temple as we walked through the neighborhood.
Mumba Devi temple
We saw two other temples and I can’t recall which one this is. But one was a Southern Hindu temple that was very close, and dark, and with many nooks and crannies. There were many icons with worshipers at each one. There were also signs everywhere warning you in large English printing, to beware of pickpockets and such.
The other temple involved taking a “lift” or climbing a lot of stairs which was what I did. We went through some fascinating hovel neighborhoods to get here though and that was a real experience. At the top of the stairs, as you always do when going into these temples, you take off your shoes. But in this temple, the floors are often wet. This is because at the center of this temple is a lingam, a phallic symbol. They are more sanguine about genital symbols in many parts of Asia. People bring milk (the symbolism was not lost on me) and water to pour over this.
Shoes at temples
You must take off your shoes and so most people wear some kind of slip on. It is an ordeal to remove our tennis shoes, which most of us wear for stability and convenience. There are rarely seats or any other place to sit to take off, or as important, put your shoes back on. In many places, there are people who “look after” your shoes (because shoes have been known to be stolen from these places) and they of course expect a tip for this service. When you are on tour, all such tips are taken care of and it simplifies things considerably. The guide also prevents you from making any gaffs in speech or behavior too. I used to carry “temple socks”, those airline slippers you’re given on long flights, but it is still as much trouble to take them on and off, carry them, etc. In most places, the floor are pristine but in many of these older temples, the pigeon poop must be dodged between the shoe storage place and the inside of the temple.
Shopping
This was for 30 minutes and we were told we could only go into three shops in a row because of a concern about terrorists. The guide said there was an advisory out and each store had a guard who also spent time running the beggars away. But many folks believe it was so that the guide would get her kickback. Backshish (bribery and kickbacks) are so common in many parts of the world; You come to assume it’s going on even if you are not directly approached. Some folks went across the street (itself a suicidal mission given the traffic!) to buy, of all things, alcohol. One guy is collecting it in many ports to take home wherever that is. The baggage costs will surely off set his savings…for alcohol???
The stores had beautiful jewelry, clothing, rugs, and a few more expensive souvenirs. I looked at some clothing which was admittedly gorgeous and appeared to be well made, but $3-600 USD is way over priced! Most others agreed. One couple bought a chess set of some kind for no small price and I had the same questions about size and weight in getting it home. In most instances, all of these things are available in the US though admittedly, the cost might be much higher. But that might be offset by hassle factor and baggage costs, never mind customs fees as many folks are clearly going over those limits. Although the clerks are gentle and soft spoken, they still haunt you and so I didn’t stay long. The driver didn’t have the a/c on; we suspected it was to ensure that we stayed in the shops longer.
Stores in ship’s terminal
There are many lovely things here but few good bargains. And I’m never quite sure of the quality so unless it had really been a great deal, I wasn’t interested. And so I bought nothing. I keep telling myself, I could probably find the same stuff in LA, again perhaps at the same price.
Dinner
This was open seating and Ed and I opted against going out after dark in Mombai to have dinner somewhere unknown. We sat near the window to see the harbor and so this meant that we didn’t have our usual wait staff. Max saw us anyway and suddenly the plate of lemons appeared (I make lemonade) and Ed’s wine.
We decided to forego dessert to go to the early Folklorico Show on board. Later, we went up to the buffet and were busted. Max was laughing as he saw us getting dessert up there; the dining room was slow so he went to the buffet. These guys know all our secrets.
Folklorico Show
This was the same troupe we’ve seen before but the dances were new to me. And the costumes! So gorgeous. I’ll never be able to figure out how they can move around as well as they do in those clothes which are wrapped and tucked. Mine would be on the floor after the first twist. And as Hazel and I remarked, one of the dancers had to be 6 mos along though with all the drapery you had to look closely. Very clever. And speaking of which, that’s the only pregnant woman I’ve seen in India. Most of those with whom I spoke, have only two kids.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Mombai tomorrow
Mombai tomorrow
I heard Ed moving around. It sounded like someone unwrapping candy in a theatre. Finally I gave up trying to get more sleep and he left for the gym. I watched a program on capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica for a while and then got myself ready. I went to the library and found that I couldn’t get an internet connection. I presume the ship’s position, going north, is a problem for the satellite connection. These north south trajectories on this ship block the signal from the satellite a lot. So I decided I’d try again later. I am so dependent on the internet at home but on a ship in the middle of nowhere, it becomes our life line as does the TV signals we can get.
And speaking of TV signals, we don’t get CNN again. We do, however, have MSNBC so Ed is happy and of course the ubiquitous FOX news is always present. BBC is available more regularly now as well. The ship also has many channels with sitcom reruns, reruns of the lectures on board, movies of several kinds and other miscellany. As it is at home, the thing you want to watch at that time is often not available.
And regarding the library, I forgot to tell you that the travel books are locked up and must be checked out. All the other books are on the honor system. I suppose that’s to be expected.
Sugar creations
Eventually I took the computer and went to the Casino Lounge where there was a demonstration about how they make these incredible sugar creations. Today it was two glorious swans. The chef used a hair dryer from the cab in and a squeeze bulb on a rubber tube from the medical center on board. I’m not making this stuff up. These are not to eat so why not. It takes 3 hrs to make these often so you just know it’s not something we’re going to be doing at home.!
Trivia
We won big time! The other teams were giving us hazzahs. There were six of us. The team dynamics are the fun part though. And we always lament that we don’t get a perfect score. This morning’s trivia was a tough one too. This afternoon there were only 4 of us and we thought we were pretty awful until we graded another team’s answer sheet. The winning team blew us all out of the water so it didn’t matter in the end.
Lunch
We sat with an older woman and her 90+ dapper looking father (her husband didn’t want to go on this cruise, so she took her Dad!). The on board priest also sat with us and we had a ball. He runs a food bank in Ft. Lauderdale that serves 4,200 people a month who are HIV+. Most are elderly. He has no illusions about how all of this comes about and he is very resourceful in getting funding and keeping it going.
He is a Franciscan friar who is originally from Canada and lived in the No Calif Bay Area for many years where he taught high school. He has such a wry way of describing events and his life has been filled with lots of fun. He’s had his share of sorrow as well. We finally heard the full story of his trek to join this ship and it’s too long to recount here but it would have tested the body and soul of someone a third his age. He laughed about having to fight the urge to rejoin some vocabulary he thought he had put away years ago. He will celebrate 50 yrs of priesthood later this year. He has 8 siblings still living and so many nieces and nephews that he’s lost count. A thoroughly delightful luncheon experience as the lady and her father were charming as well.
US Foreign Policy: In an age of globalization, can we adapt?
This is a very talented speaker. She is a straight talker. From what I can see, her facts are flawless. Questions are fielded without shirking and with solid perspectives. She separates actions into politically instigated versus others. Her knowledge of the cultures and motivations of the folks in the middle east is extraordinary. She has been a consultant with many new media and travelled with Peter Jennings in particular. She has met with almost every leader in the middle east.
Princess Grapevine
We sat with a fellow from San Francisco who loves “Two Buck Chuck” and a lady from Venezuela. There were a few new wines. I still don’t like reds but I’ve come to “appreciate” Martin and Rossi Asti Spumonti and of course there’s always the little souvenir glasses we get at the end. And the cheeses are always fresh and delicious so it’s never a loss.
I was going to go to the practice lab for the computer but spending this time enjoying these events with Ed, things we don’t ordinarily do, is one of the fun parts of cruising like this.
Dinner
Only the second couple were at the table tonite and I think Ed is right that the two women usually feed off of each other and not in comfortable ways. I tried to focus on asking them questions about things I knew interested them. He is an architect, so I asked questions about what he thought of the architecture in various places. And for her, what places she most enjoyed in the world. That kind of thing. It was a much more pleasant meal than I would have predicted. Fewer nervous mannerisms and gasping talking actions. Ed thinks she has a need to be “accepted”; I’m not sure what the dynamic is but it was a much calmer experience and not unpleasant in the way meals have been before.
Rikki Jay, comedian
This guy is so hyper and so funny. He reminds me of Robin Williams when he’s off his meds. He is very funny though and not just verbally. He can imitate how someone would behave and you are transfixed as if you were watching it in real time.
Here’s one of his verbal jokes I can recall (and it was Ed’s favorite)—answer at end of blog:
What’s hospice?
Today’s weather
It started off bright and sunny but quickly deteriorated to dreary, hot and muggy. It is gray and the ocean while amazing, isn’t as striking as I think of it ordinarily. I hope the little fishies are having a good time underwater.
Mumbai time
For reasons that are a blank to me, Mombai is on a half hour change instead of the usual one hour. The ship has not had us change our time as it would simply mean returning to our pre-Mombai time. So we are using ship’s time while in port. That means ignoring the clocks and paying attention to your own. Not hard but for some it’s very confusing.
Answer: About four liters.
I heard Ed moving around. It sounded like someone unwrapping candy in a theatre. Finally I gave up trying to get more sleep and he left for the gym. I watched a program on capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica for a while and then got myself ready. I went to the library and found that I couldn’t get an internet connection. I presume the ship’s position, going north, is a problem for the satellite connection. These north south trajectories on this ship block the signal from the satellite a lot. So I decided I’d try again later. I am so dependent on the internet at home but on a ship in the middle of nowhere, it becomes our life line as does the TV signals we can get.
And speaking of TV signals, we don’t get CNN again. We do, however, have MSNBC so Ed is happy and of course the ubiquitous FOX news is always present. BBC is available more regularly now as well. The ship also has many channels with sitcom reruns, reruns of the lectures on board, movies of several kinds and other miscellany. As it is at home, the thing you want to watch at that time is often not available.
And regarding the library, I forgot to tell you that the travel books are locked up and must be checked out. All the other books are on the honor system. I suppose that’s to be expected.
Sugar creations
Eventually I took the computer and went to the Casino Lounge where there was a demonstration about how they make these incredible sugar creations. Today it was two glorious swans. The chef used a hair dryer from the cab in and a squeeze bulb on a rubber tube from the medical center on board. I’m not making this stuff up. These are not to eat so why not. It takes 3 hrs to make these often so you just know it’s not something we’re going to be doing at home.!
Trivia
We won big time! The other teams were giving us hazzahs. There were six of us. The team dynamics are the fun part though. And we always lament that we don’t get a perfect score. This morning’s trivia was a tough one too. This afternoon there were only 4 of us and we thought we were pretty awful until we graded another team’s answer sheet. The winning team blew us all out of the water so it didn’t matter in the end.
Lunch
We sat with an older woman and her 90+ dapper looking father (her husband didn’t want to go on this cruise, so she took her Dad!). The on board priest also sat with us and we had a ball. He runs a food bank in Ft. Lauderdale that serves 4,200 people a month who are HIV+. Most are elderly. He has no illusions about how all of this comes about and he is very resourceful in getting funding and keeping it going.
He is a Franciscan friar who is originally from Canada and lived in the No Calif Bay Area for many years where he taught high school. He has such a wry way of describing events and his life has been filled with lots of fun. He’s had his share of sorrow as well. We finally heard the full story of his trek to join this ship and it’s too long to recount here but it would have tested the body and soul of someone a third his age. He laughed about having to fight the urge to rejoin some vocabulary he thought he had put away years ago. He will celebrate 50 yrs of priesthood later this year. He has 8 siblings still living and so many nieces and nephews that he’s lost count. A thoroughly delightful luncheon experience as the lady and her father were charming as well.
US Foreign Policy: In an age of globalization, can we adapt?
This is a very talented speaker. She is a straight talker. From what I can see, her facts are flawless. Questions are fielded without shirking and with solid perspectives. She separates actions into politically instigated versus others. Her knowledge of the cultures and motivations of the folks in the middle east is extraordinary. She has been a consultant with many new media and travelled with Peter Jennings in particular. She has met with almost every leader in the middle east.
Princess Grapevine
We sat with a fellow from San Francisco who loves “Two Buck Chuck” and a lady from Venezuela. There were a few new wines. I still don’t like reds but I’ve come to “appreciate” Martin and Rossi Asti Spumonti and of course there’s always the little souvenir glasses we get at the end. And the cheeses are always fresh and delicious so it’s never a loss.
I was going to go to the practice lab for the computer but spending this time enjoying these events with Ed, things we don’t ordinarily do, is one of the fun parts of cruising like this.
Dinner
Only the second couple were at the table tonite and I think Ed is right that the two women usually feed off of each other and not in comfortable ways. I tried to focus on asking them questions about things I knew interested them. He is an architect, so I asked questions about what he thought of the architecture in various places. And for her, what places she most enjoyed in the world. That kind of thing. It was a much more pleasant meal than I would have predicted. Fewer nervous mannerisms and gasping talking actions. Ed thinks she has a need to be “accepted”; I’m not sure what the dynamic is but it was a much calmer experience and not unpleasant in the way meals have been before.
Rikki Jay, comedian
This guy is so hyper and so funny. He reminds me of Robin Williams when he’s off his meds. He is very funny though and not just verbally. He can imitate how someone would behave and you are transfixed as if you were watching it in real time.
Here’s one of his verbal jokes I can recall (and it was Ed’s favorite)—answer at end of blog:
What’s hospice?
Today’s weather
It started off bright and sunny but quickly deteriorated to dreary, hot and muggy. It is gray and the ocean while amazing, isn’t as striking as I think of it ordinarily. I hope the little fishies are having a good time underwater.
Mumbai time
For reasons that are a blank to me, Mombai is on a half hour change instead of the usual one hour. The ship has not had us change our time as it would simply mean returning to our pre-Mombai time. So we are using ship’s time while in port. That means ignoring the clocks and paying attention to your own. Not hard but for some it’s very confusing.
Answer: About four liters.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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.
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.
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