Well, today is a big day! We had Coast Guard inspection this morning, which turned out to be almost laughably easy. We had been training hard and expecting lots of interrogation by the officers, but none of them even came to our muster station during the drill! Oh well - better easy than hard, I guess. But I can't help feeling like all the extra training we've been doing was for nothing.
The new cast comes on today to begin rehearsing to take over in a week when the old cast leaves. One of the lounge bands finished their contract, and since we are still waiting on their replacements, our band has to do some extra sets around the ship tonight. One of them will be dixie, which I am looking forward to, even though it means we won't finish until after midnight. I actually need to start heading back to the ship now for an early set as well, so this post will be a bit short. In fact, its pretty much over! So long! :-)
Here is the link to my latest photo album, and also to some of my parents' pictures from their time with me on the Summit.
http://apu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050133&l=26bcd&id=56903845
http://apu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050132&l=cf54b&id=56903845
Mont Blanc
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Arrrrruuuuuuuuuba!
Yesterday was such an awesome day. We were in Bonaire, and I got off the ship with some guys in the band (Karl, Manuel, and Pierre) and we took a watertaxi to a small island called Klein Bonaire right off the coast of the main island. I have been wanting to go there ever since I arrived and yesterday we finally got the chance. The snorkling there was amazing! I was out swimming for over an hour totally absorbed in everything I was seeing. I saw my favorite fish again! It is called a baby yellowtail damselfish, although when its a baby there is nothing yellow about its tail or any other part of it. I saw many other amazing fish, too, that I hope to look up and identify online. The quest to see a sea turtle is still unsatisfied, though. We all had a good time there - snorkling, tanning, talking, smoking cigars (not me!), collecting shells and ambushing big sand crabs.
On the taxi ride we met a nice family from New York, with two young boys who kept saying the funniest things in their thick New York accents and making us laugh. About half the folks in our water taxi turned up for our set that night, which was really neat. I think they had a hard time reconciling the black-suited musicians with the sand-covered vagabonds with whom they had shared a watertaxi.
The set itself was really fun. We only had one set, and it was dixieland again, for the second time since I've been here. It was all new music though, that Andy had brought from home. So we set up in the Cova Cafe onboard and sightread. I love gigs like that. And dixie is so fun because you can embellish and make things up - you can play what you feel like playing a lot of the time. I played an 8 measure solo in "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans", and the audience went crazy for me. They all clapped even though it was just a little solo in the middle of the tune - it wasn't even a feature. Andy teased me later that it was just because I'm a girl and a novelty. But it was actually a really rewarding experience to be heard and appreciated personally. I was walking on air the rest of the night. The Cova was packed with people who were listening, and they were so enthusiastic after every tune. The rest of the night I relaxed a bit, and got to take a look at the eclipse from the ship, which was a cool end to a great day.
Today I got off the ship early in the morning so I would have some time to use the internet here at the Dunkin' Donuts before I need to be back on board for some extra boat drill trainings. The coast guard is doing their big inspection on Saturday, so everyone is very worked up about it. We have two extra trainings just today, after which I have to go straight to rehearsal for the Broadway show tonight. I am going to crash hard when today is finally over, and it is going to feel really good. :-)
One more thing before I go - if you get a chance please pray for me as I have a big decision to make regarding my next contract. Andy is impressed with me and wants to bring me with him when he returns to Norwegian Cruise Line in July. It would be HUGE pay raise and I love working with him, but the itinerary isn't quite as good as the Century, and I wouldn't be with my good friend Marie, which we were both looking forward to. I will be praying as well that God will lead me in the direction he wants me to go and give me wisdom. I appreciate your prayers and advice!
On the taxi ride we met a nice family from New York, with two young boys who kept saying the funniest things in their thick New York accents and making us laugh. About half the folks in our water taxi turned up for our set that night, which was really neat. I think they had a hard time reconciling the black-suited musicians with the sand-covered vagabonds with whom they had shared a watertaxi.
The set itself was really fun. We only had one set, and it was dixieland again, for the second time since I've been here. It was all new music though, that Andy had brought from home. So we set up in the Cova Cafe onboard and sightread. I love gigs like that. And dixie is so fun because you can embellish and make things up - you can play what you feel like playing a lot of the time. I played an 8 measure solo in "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans", and the audience went crazy for me. They all clapped even though it was just a little solo in the middle of the tune - it wasn't even a feature. Andy teased me later that it was just because I'm a girl and a novelty. But it was actually a really rewarding experience to be heard and appreciated personally. I was walking on air the rest of the night. The Cova was packed with people who were listening, and they were so enthusiastic after every tune. The rest of the night I relaxed a bit, and got to take a look at the eclipse from the ship, which was a cool end to a great day.
Today I got off the ship early in the morning so I would have some time to use the internet here at the Dunkin' Donuts before I need to be back on board for some extra boat drill trainings. The coast guard is doing their big inspection on Saturday, so everyone is very worked up about it. We have two extra trainings just today, after which I have to go straight to rehearsal for the Broadway show tonight. I am going to crash hard when today is finally over, and it is going to feel really good. :-)
One more thing before I go - if you get a chance please pray for me as I have a big decision to make regarding my next contract. Andy is impressed with me and wants to bring me with him when he returns to Norwegian Cruise Line in July. It would be HUGE pay raise and I love working with him, but the itinerary isn't quite as good as the Century, and I wouldn't be with my good friend Marie, which we were both looking forward to. I will be praying as well that God will lead me in the direction he wants me to go and give me wisdom. I appreciate your prayers and advice!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Dominica - Rituals Coffeehouse
Yesterday we were in port with the Galaxy again, which meant a fun day for me. I met up with Natalie, one of the dancers, and we had lunch and spent the afternoon together catching up. It was really nice. One of the neatest things was that while I was waiting for her near the gangway on the Galaxy, I saw about half a dozen of the guys from my church. One of them was even tearing up he was so excited to see me. They all gave me huge hugs and talked with me for a while. It was so uplifting to be surrounded by them again. They all tried to convince me to jump ships and stay on the Galaxy, and wanted to hear all about how things are on the Summit, and how my vacation was, and how my family is. They asked about Chelsea, and they are all going to be in prayer for her surgery tomorrow. I know me meeting them was no coincidence. We will be in port with them one more time in March, and I look forward to it.
Tonight we will have two big band sets in the Rendevous, and I'm actually pretty excited, cause we didn't get to do it last cruise. But we don't play until 10pm, so I have most of the day to myself. I had lunch with Shaun from the Acapella group, and right not I'm sitting with him and Joey (another member of the group) in the coffeehouse here. At the moment both of them are singing, which is making me laugh. One of them sings a riff, and then the other answers. Its pretty hysterical. I'm afraid I don't have any other news more interesting than that. So until next time!
Tonight we will have two big band sets in the Rendevous, and I'm actually pretty excited, cause we didn't get to do it last cruise. But we don't play until 10pm, so I have most of the day to myself. I had lunch with Shaun from the Acapella group, and right not I'm sitting with him and Joey (another member of the group) in the coffeehouse here. At the moment both of them are singing, which is making me laugh. One of them sings a riff, and then the other answers. Its pretty hysterical. I'm afraid I don't have any other news more interesting than that. So until next time!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Home port
I have finally posted a photo album, so here is the link for those of you who don't have facebook. Enjoy!
http://apu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049546&l=0984b&id=56903845
There have been a lot of changes in the past week. As of yesterday I now have a roommate. Her name is Kimberly and she is on the youth staff. I actually met her on the Galaxy last year, and she is really cool and actually a Christian! The funny thing is that the night before she was assigned to my room, we had bumped into each other and talked for about an hour, and decided we needed to spend more time together. Now we have no choice! :-) She may not be with me for long, but this next cruise should be fun. Her fiancé comes on with the new cast next week, so she might be moving in with him then - we'll just have to wait and see. But if I had to get a roommate, I'm glad it was her!
Another big change that was really shocking to us is that the party band from England was sent home today. They didn't do anything wrong, but apparently some of the senior management didn't like them, and thought they weren't a good fit for this ship and itinerary. They only found out yesterday that they were fired, and even though they're being given a week's extra pay, it was inconsiderate of the company not to give them notice. I guess they wanted to make sure that the knowledge wouldn't negatively affect their performances during their last week. Everyone is pretty upset about it, and I know I personally am going to miss those guys a lot. They were so much fun, and their eccentricities always made me laugh. They kept a pretty good attitude about the whole situation, though - the guitarist lived across from me and I heard him playing his acoustic guitar making up a song about getting fired, and "I'm going home tomorrow." He says he and the wife (his guitar) are going to try to find some work at home. I will definitely miss them - I can't believe they are gone.
Today I went on a quest on my own - to find a thrift store I had seen on a taxi ride last time we were here in San Juan. I wanted to get a quilt or comforter for my bed for cheap - so I wouldn't feel bad leaving it behind. I found the thrift store - or "Econotienda" ok, and felt right at home. :-) Unfortunately, they didn't have any bedding, but I got a bunch of books to read, some VHS videos to watch, and a couple of shirts. At the counter I saw a little piano music box, and asked if I could get it. Apparently they had a bunch of them, but had just ran out, and the lady at the counter didn't want to sell me that one cause it had a defect. I said ok, and paid for my other things, but she slipped it into my bag and didn't charge me for it. :-) While waiting in line I met a Puerto Rican woman named Wanda, and we chatted quite a bit. She is really nice, and ended up giving me a ride here to Starbucks so I wouldn't have to walk. We exchanged phone numbers, and next week we might meet up. I'm so excited to finally have a friend who is a local, and I hope she'll take me around next week! I have promised to call her. Woohoo!
http://apu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049546&l=0984b&id=56903845
There have been a lot of changes in the past week. As of yesterday I now have a roommate. Her name is Kimberly and she is on the youth staff. I actually met her on the Galaxy last year, and she is really cool and actually a Christian! The funny thing is that the night before she was assigned to my room, we had bumped into each other and talked for about an hour, and decided we needed to spend more time together. Now we have no choice! :-) She may not be with me for long, but this next cruise should be fun. Her fiancé comes on with the new cast next week, so she might be moving in with him then - we'll just have to wait and see. But if I had to get a roommate, I'm glad it was her!
Another big change that was really shocking to us is that the party band from England was sent home today. They didn't do anything wrong, but apparently some of the senior management didn't like them, and thought they weren't a good fit for this ship and itinerary. They only found out yesterday that they were fired, and even though they're being given a week's extra pay, it was inconsiderate of the company not to give them notice. I guess they wanted to make sure that the knowledge wouldn't negatively affect their performances during their last week. Everyone is pretty upset about it, and I know I personally am going to miss those guys a lot. They were so much fun, and their eccentricities always made me laugh. They kept a pretty good attitude about the whole situation, though - the guitarist lived across from me and I heard him playing his acoustic guitar making up a song about getting fired, and "I'm going home tomorrow." He says he and the wife (his guitar) are going to try to find some work at home. I will definitely miss them - I can't believe they are gone.
Today I went on a quest on my own - to find a thrift store I had seen on a taxi ride last time we were here in San Juan. I wanted to get a quilt or comforter for my bed for cheap - so I wouldn't feel bad leaving it behind. I found the thrift store - or "Econotienda" ok, and felt right at home. :-) Unfortunately, they didn't have any bedding, but I got a bunch of books to read, some VHS videos to watch, and a couple of shirts. At the counter I saw a little piano music box, and asked if I could get it. Apparently they had a bunch of them, but had just ran out, and the lady at the counter didn't want to sell me that one cause it had a defect. I said ok, and paid for my other things, but she slipped it into my bag and didn't charge me for it. :-) While waiting in line I met a Puerto Rican woman named Wanda, and we chatted quite a bit. She is really nice, and ended up giving me a ride here to Starbucks so I wouldn't have to walk. We exchanged phone numbers, and next week we might meet up. I'm so excited to finally have a friend who is a local, and I hope she'll take me around next week! I have promised to call her. Woohoo!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Dominica again
Well, here I am at a coffeeshop - starting another trend of using free internet whenever possible. :-) We actually have the day off, which is incredible. I thought we weren't going to have another one for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately there's no easy beach to get to in Dominica. But there is a free wireless spot! Woohoo! So I've been catching up a bit on emails, and doing a little research on the ports that I've been meaning to do. Looking at all of the snorkle and fish identification sites is getting me really excited. I think I might make a small hobby out of fish watching since there are so many great snorkle places. I think it would be really fun to learn the names of all the fish.
The schedule is back to normal now that the superbowl is over, so last night we had the broadway show. Unfortunately a lot of people are sick - including the aerialists and one of the dancers. As a result the cast has had to be pretty creative with the show and fill in the missing spaces. I'm sure no-one in the audience can tell that three people are missing, although the one couple that is going around again (two cruises in a row) might be wondering what happened to the aerialists that usually did their own choreographed version of "Can you feel the love tonight". Now the two vocalists just stand there and sing, and have added a bit more choreography to give the scene some interest. Its strange for me to see such a different version of the show than I'm used to.
Yesterday I had a really productive day, and began what I hope to be a routine of getting some really good practice time in. It felt great to take a long time warming up. This ship offers a lot of practice space backstage - there is always somewhere you can go to practice and not interfere with anything or be overheard. I appreciate that a lot. On the Galaxy it was much harder to do - we were always fighting for one or two spots. I think my practice spot of choice is back in the "cages" - a huge area that resembles a warehouse, filled with random props for the shows, random lighting and sound equipment, and the occasional upright bass stuffed in a corner.
The schedule is back to normal now that the superbowl is over, so last night we had the broadway show. Unfortunately a lot of people are sick - including the aerialists and one of the dancers. As a result the cast has had to be pretty creative with the show and fill in the missing spaces. I'm sure no-one in the audience can tell that three people are missing, although the one couple that is going around again (two cruises in a row) might be wondering what happened to the aerialists that usually did their own choreographed version of "Can you feel the love tonight". Now the two vocalists just stand there and sing, and have added a bit more choreography to give the scene some interest. Its strange for me to see such a different version of the show than I'm used to.
Yesterday I had a really productive day, and began what I hope to be a routine of getting some really good practice time in. It felt great to take a long time warming up. This ship offers a lot of practice space backstage - there is always somewhere you can go to practice and not interfere with anything or be overheard. I appreciate that a lot. On the Galaxy it was much harder to do - we were always fighting for one or two spots. I think my practice spot of choice is back in the "cages" - a huge area that resembles a warehouse, filled with random props for the shows, random lighting and sound equipment, and the occasional upright bass stuffed in a corner.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
San Juan, Puerto Rico
First of all, for those who have been bugging me, I can be reached at:
Andrea Smith
Entertainment: Orchestra Musician
Summit
P.O. Box 019158 (USA)
Miami, FL 33101-9158
Today the sad day came all too soon and I had to say goodbye to my parents at the terminal in San Juan. I can’t believe how quickly the week went by, looking back. I am SO glad they came. I had so much fun. To recap the week a little since my last posting in Dominica:
Grenada: We took a leisurely but somewhat wet water-taxi ride to a great beach, where all three of us acquired the worst sunburns we’ve had in a while. Then we had a little bit of time to wander around town and the famous spice market before I had to be back at the ship for rehearsal.
Bonaire: This was one of the best days. We slept in since the ship doesn’t arrive in port until 1pm, then took a taxi to a beach that is known for its great snorkeling – if fact we met several organized tours there. We took turns with my little kid-sized snorkel mask, and were absolutely stunned by what we saw. Bonaire protects its coral reefs, and their beauty was astounding, as was the variety and colorfulness of the abundant fish. It was amazing, and reminded me of the one chance I had to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. Apparently there are even sea turtles at another snorkel site, and I have duly promised my parents that I will go and see them in the future. Also, I had my first official day off since I’ve been here, so I got to go to the show (a comedian) with my parents just like a normal person. ☺ We also watched a beautiful sunset and took lots of pictures. It was pretty wonderful.
Aruba: We hopped onto a reasonably priced island tour, and got to see a lot of the island, including the Caribisi rock formation, the “California” lighthouse, and some of the nicer beaches. Since I had some responsibilities on the ship, my parents did some exploring on their own, including parasailing! I still can’t believe they did it. They are brave, and I am jealous. ☺
Sea day: Obviously, lots of relaxing took place this day! I even took a nap in the middle of the day to prepare for the long day that would follow next. All week including this day I have enjoyed meeting my parents for breakfast at the buffet. I will miss that a lot! (My parents, not the buffet☺) My dad and I did a little shopping in the shops on board, and he picked out a nice hat. After the farewell show we all went to bed early, because….
San Juan: …..I had to be at immigration for U.S. customs at 5:15am. Yikes! Apparently no matter how recently you have signed on and passed through immigration, U.S. Customs mandates that periodically all crew have to go through again, on the same day. Which, obviously, is a bit of a logistical nightmare. I was finished by 6:30 am (in time to eat breakfast with my parents again), but due to miscommunications and errors, the last crew member didn’t complete it until almost 1:30pm, which in turn menat that all crew were confined to the ship until that time. I finally got to join my parents in San Juan around 2pm, which was later than I would have liked, but we still had a good time. We had a great lunch where we tried a lot of Puerto Rican food. It was all good, and interesting and different. We took pictures of it, too. ☺ We walked around for over an hour after that and saw some of San Juan’s charming corners. The day ended all too soon, and as I write this they are already at the airport getting ready to board their plane. ☹
It was such a wonderful week. It totally changes your perspective to be able to share the ship with family for even a week. We did a lot of things I might never have done otherwise, and it definitely revived a lot of excitement in me about traveling. Ha ha, one of the lounge singers Michelle said something cool to me – when she found out that my parents were on board, she said it explained a lot: she had been wondering why I looked “super gorgeous, even more than usual. Its because your parents are here, and you are glowing!” I think she was right.
Andrea Smith
Entertainment: Orchestra Musician
Summit
P.O. Box 019158 (USA)
Miami, FL 33101-9158
Today the sad day came all too soon and I had to say goodbye to my parents at the terminal in San Juan. I can’t believe how quickly the week went by, looking back. I am SO glad they came. I had so much fun. To recap the week a little since my last posting in Dominica:
Grenada: We took a leisurely but somewhat wet water-taxi ride to a great beach, where all three of us acquired the worst sunburns we’ve had in a while. Then we had a little bit of time to wander around town and the famous spice market before I had to be back at the ship for rehearsal.
Bonaire: This was one of the best days. We slept in since the ship doesn’t arrive in port until 1pm, then took a taxi to a beach that is known for its great snorkeling – if fact we met several organized tours there. We took turns with my little kid-sized snorkel mask, and were absolutely stunned by what we saw. Bonaire protects its coral reefs, and their beauty was astounding, as was the variety and colorfulness of the abundant fish. It was amazing, and reminded me of the one chance I had to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. Apparently there are even sea turtles at another snorkel site, and I have duly promised my parents that I will go and see them in the future. Also, I had my first official day off since I’ve been here, so I got to go to the show (a comedian) with my parents just like a normal person. ☺ We also watched a beautiful sunset and took lots of pictures. It was pretty wonderful.
Aruba: We hopped onto a reasonably priced island tour, and got to see a lot of the island, including the Caribisi rock formation, the “California” lighthouse, and some of the nicer beaches. Since I had some responsibilities on the ship, my parents did some exploring on their own, including parasailing! I still can’t believe they did it. They are brave, and I am jealous. ☺
Sea day: Obviously, lots of relaxing took place this day! I even took a nap in the middle of the day to prepare for the long day that would follow next. All week including this day I have enjoyed meeting my parents for breakfast at the buffet. I will miss that a lot! (My parents, not the buffet☺) My dad and I did a little shopping in the shops on board, and he picked out a nice hat. After the farewell show we all went to bed early, because….
San Juan: …..I had to be at immigration for U.S. customs at 5:15am. Yikes! Apparently no matter how recently you have signed on and passed through immigration, U.S. Customs mandates that periodically all crew have to go through again, on the same day. Which, obviously, is a bit of a logistical nightmare. I was finished by 6:30 am (in time to eat breakfast with my parents again), but due to miscommunications and errors, the last crew member didn’t complete it until almost 1:30pm, which in turn menat that all crew were confined to the ship until that time. I finally got to join my parents in San Juan around 2pm, which was later than I would have liked, but we still had a good time. We had a great lunch where we tried a lot of Puerto Rican food. It was all good, and interesting and different. We took pictures of it, too. ☺ We walked around for over an hour after that and saw some of San Juan’s charming corners. The day ended all too soon, and as I write this they are already at the airport getting ready to board their plane. ☹
It was such a wonderful week. It totally changes your perspective to be able to share the ship with family for even a week. We did a lot of things I might never have done otherwise, and it definitely revived a lot of excitement in me about traveling. Ha ha, one of the lounge singers Michelle said something cool to me – when she found out that my parents were on board, she said it explained a lot: she had been wondering why I looked “super gorgeous, even more than usual. Its because your parents are here, and you are glowing!” I think she was right.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Dominica
Well, I’m having too much fun with my parents to have time left over to blog! But I am making a sacrifice and staying up just a little bit later so I can tell you how I’ve been. My parents got in and on the cruise safe and sound, and I’ve been enjoying experiencing the cruise more from a guest’s perspective as a result. I’ve been able to eat in the restaurant a couple times already (yummy!) and staying out late in the lounges listening to the other music groups with my mom.
Yesterday in St. Maarten we walked around the small town of Philipsburg and did a bit of shopping. One of the specialties of the island is products made from guavaberry, and my mom and I tried a few of those. We only enjoyed one of them, though (she knows which ones I mean). ☺ As we wandered through the heart of town, the familiar strains of the main title from Star Wars caught our ears. We followed it to the source: a little hole-in-the-wall shop of rare Star Wars memorabilia owned by “that yoda guy” Nick Maley, who apparently was one of the original designers of the Yoda puppets/anamatronics used in the movies. It turned out that it was our lucky day – Nick actually happened to be there, so we got to meet him, which was cool. There was a lot of neat stuff in the shop, like pages from the original script and autographed posters. Nick claimed that he could get us an autographed poster of ANY movie we wanted. Apparently the guy has connections. Anyway, after that little sidetrack, we enjoyed some refreshingly cold fruit smoothies on the beach, followed by my first submersion in Caribbean waters!
Today the adventures continued in Dominica. We had such an amazing day. We decided on a couple of places we were interested in seeing, and then on the pier negotiated the lowest tour price we could get from the local agency. We ended up in the back of a little van, and had a really great tour that included Trafalgar Falls, the Sulfer Springs, some shopping, and some lookout points. Our guide was a lot of fun, and had a tendency to randomly break out singing or dancing. ☺ The rainforests of Dominica are so lush and green, the whole drive was absolutely beautiful, and I could talk about the things we saw and experienced for pages and pages….so I’ll just list a couple of highlights: tasting a cacao seed, drinking coconut juice with a straw right out of the coconut, feeling hot air seep out of vents in a rock, watching a “wilting fern” wilt at the touch, and exploring the falls far beyond the sign that suggested one go no further for one’s own safety. ☺ We returned to the pier earlier than planned due to a miscommunication, but that gave us a chance to experience something truly unique: the Dominican Carnivale. Since 3am this morning the locals have been having a continuous parade, all dressed in unique and colorful costumes (pictures to com soon!!), dancing to deafening calypso music broadcasted from dozens of speakers strapped onto moving vehicles. Not only do the parade participants dance, but everyone (of all ages!!) is out in the streets, dancing with abandon and loving it. There was even a steel drum band float. It was really a sight to see. Apparently this will continue all night and into tomorrow. It was incredible, and so lucky that we happened to be there on that one day! Anyway, I am exhausted and ready to sleep. Tomorrow the plan is to hit the beach!
Yesterday in St. Maarten we walked around the small town of Philipsburg and did a bit of shopping. One of the specialties of the island is products made from guavaberry, and my mom and I tried a few of those. We only enjoyed one of them, though (she knows which ones I mean). ☺ As we wandered through the heart of town, the familiar strains of the main title from Star Wars caught our ears. We followed it to the source: a little hole-in-the-wall shop of rare Star Wars memorabilia owned by “that yoda guy” Nick Maley, who apparently was one of the original designers of the Yoda puppets/anamatronics used in the movies. It turned out that it was our lucky day – Nick actually happened to be there, so we got to meet him, which was cool. There was a lot of neat stuff in the shop, like pages from the original script and autographed posters. Nick claimed that he could get us an autographed poster of ANY movie we wanted. Apparently the guy has connections. Anyway, after that little sidetrack, we enjoyed some refreshingly cold fruit smoothies on the beach, followed by my first submersion in Caribbean waters!
Today the adventures continued in Dominica. We had such an amazing day. We decided on a couple of places we were interested in seeing, and then on the pier negotiated the lowest tour price we could get from the local agency. We ended up in the back of a little van, and had a really great tour that included Trafalgar Falls, the Sulfer Springs, some shopping, and some lookout points. Our guide was a lot of fun, and had a tendency to randomly break out singing or dancing. ☺ The rainforests of Dominica are so lush and green, the whole drive was absolutely beautiful, and I could talk about the things we saw and experienced for pages and pages….so I’ll just list a couple of highlights: tasting a cacao seed, drinking coconut juice with a straw right out of the coconut, feeling hot air seep out of vents in a rock, watching a “wilting fern” wilt at the touch, and exploring the falls far beyond the sign that suggested one go no further for one’s own safety. ☺ We returned to the pier earlier than planned due to a miscommunication, but that gave us a chance to experience something truly unique: the Dominican Carnivale. Since 3am this morning the locals have been having a continuous parade, all dressed in unique and colorful costumes (pictures to com soon!!), dancing to deafening calypso music broadcasted from dozens of speakers strapped onto moving vehicles. Not only do the parade participants dance, but everyone (of all ages!!) is out in the streets, dancing with abandon and loving it. There was even a steel drum band float. It was really a sight to see. Apparently this will continue all night and into tomorrow. It was incredible, and so lucky that we happened to be there on that one day! Anyway, I am exhausted and ready to sleep. Tomorrow the plan is to hit the beach!
Friday, February 1, 2008
The past few days
Yesterday we had our first “Dixieland” set – something I never did on the Galaxy. We played Dixie-style tunes for about an hour. Basically what playing Dixieland music means is you make it all up. ☺ I had a pile of lead-sheets (melody only, with chord changes), and was told not to play the melody and do lots of glissandos. Which I did, and took a lot of solos. We would play through the lead sheet – trumpet basically playing the melody (with his own interpretation, flourishes, etc), with the rest of us making up stuff that fit the changes. Then we’d take turns taking solos. We never really talked about anything, just played and took our cues from Andy – like who should solo when, how may times we took repeats, and when/how to end the song. Everything was spontaneous. It was actually really fun – like a jam session. Only that people were watching while drinking their coffee. Good times. Today the acapella guys were telling me how much they enjoyed it – they had happened to walk by, and said it was the best thing they’ve heard the orchestra do.
On my last contract there were organized bible studies, and the same is true here. Unfortunately, though, there has been a scheduling conflict with every single one of them so far. They have all been scheduled on formal nights, and start at 11pm, which is the same time I start playing the second production show. I finish playing around the same time the bible study ends. I hope this unfortunate trend doesn’t continue, but I have been able to meet some fellow Christians here, and although fellowshipping with them isn’t the same as worshipping together, it is the next best thing. Having my own cabin is helping me to have plenty of private devotional time. I know that the Lord will take care of my spiritual needs and growth if I am just willing and setting time aside for Him.
I had a bit of an adventure the other day in Grenada. A friend and I were walking around and exploring the town, trying to take some good pictures despite a light drizzle. The further we got from the ship, the harder it began to rain. The odd thing about tropical climates is that there really is no predicting the weather. We were certain it was going to stop soon because we could see plenty of blue skies above us. We were wrong – all of a sudden it began to pour torrentially. I felt like someone was dumping a bucket of water on my head. There was no shelter anywhere nearby, and we were afraid of ruining our cameras and such, so we took off running. We took the first available shelter we could find - some abandoned bright red phonebooths, which didn’t actually have any phones inside them, or doors. It never did stop raining, until we reached the gangway of the Summit – go figure, but we huddled in the phonebooths until the downpour had subsided to acceptable levels. I know rain isn’t really dangerous, but it felt like an adventure to me!!
One last thing – my parents are coming tomorrow to take a cruise with me, and I absolutely can’t wait!!
On my last contract there were organized bible studies, and the same is true here. Unfortunately, though, there has been a scheduling conflict with every single one of them so far. They have all been scheduled on formal nights, and start at 11pm, which is the same time I start playing the second production show. I finish playing around the same time the bible study ends. I hope this unfortunate trend doesn’t continue, but I have been able to meet some fellow Christians here, and although fellowshipping with them isn’t the same as worshipping together, it is the next best thing. Having my own cabin is helping me to have plenty of private devotional time. I know that the Lord will take care of my spiritual needs and growth if I am just willing and setting time aside for Him.
I had a bit of an adventure the other day in Grenada. A friend and I were walking around and exploring the town, trying to take some good pictures despite a light drizzle. The further we got from the ship, the harder it began to rain. The odd thing about tropical climates is that there really is no predicting the weather. We were certain it was going to stop soon because we could see plenty of blue skies above us. We were wrong – all of a sudden it began to pour torrentially. I felt like someone was dumping a bucket of water on my head. There was no shelter anywhere nearby, and we were afraid of ruining our cameras and such, so we took off running. We took the first available shelter we could find - some abandoned bright red phonebooths, which didn’t actually have any phones inside them, or doors. It never did stop raining, until we reached the gangway of the Summit – go figure, but we huddled in the phonebooths until the downpour had subsided to acceptable levels. I know rain isn’t really dangerous, but it felt like an adventure to me!!
One last thing – my parents are coming tomorrow to take a cruise with me, and I absolutely can’t wait!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
