Hong Kong!

My last couple of days here have been so great! On our last sea day we had a farewell variety show, with some pretty challenging stuff from the two entertainers still on board, including the singer Gregg Arthur and violinist Vincenzo Gentile.  After the show I went to one of the lounges to listen to Jim Badger, the solo pianist, do his thing - which is kind of a mix of piano playing, singing, singalongs, and standup comedy.  Gregg Arthur was there too, and we ended up chatting a bit.  I bought him a drink to say thank you for buying all of us lunch the other day, and he also got up and sang a few songs impromptu with Jim, who would also randomly insert the word "trombone" into his songs because I was there.  It was a really fun night, lots of laughter.  

We arrived in Hong Kong early yesterday morning, and I got up early to watch the sail-in through Victoria harbor - unfortunately I got cold and gave up. :-)  I met up with my friends here around 11:30 and spent the whole day with them.  Not only are the guys from Metro here, and my friend Candace who is Cody's wife, and my friend Megan is also visiting them.  They took me all over Hong Kong yesterday, which is an intense city!!  Its really amazing.  We had lunch at their favorite noodle place, went up to a viewpoint on a skyscraper, went shopping in the ladies market and electronics market, visited their apartment, and had dinner at the Peak, which is an overlook of the whole harbor.  From there we watched the light show that happens every night at 8pm with all the city lights on the skyscrapers around he harbor - incredible!  After leaving those friends, I stopped by the Four Seasons to visit another friend of mine - Phillip Brandon, who was in the a cappella group on the Summit.  His mom is in town to visit him, and they were at the hotel listening to a trio play.  It was so great to see him!  He's in Hong Kong working for Disney - playing Scar in their Lion King show.  He got up and sang a couple songs with the trio, which was really great to hear.  I got back to the ship about 12:15am, and packed my stuff. 

Today I'm about to sign off and go to the airport, where hopefully I will be able to change my flight to a later date.  If it doesn't work out, I'll still be grateful that I got to spend a fantastic day with all my friends.  I'll let you know from the airport (free wifi, I hear...) when I know what's going to happen.  

Halong Bay, day 2

Well, the tour I signed up for got cancelled, so I foraged out on my own and paid for my own tour to ride a boat in Halong Bay.  I tried to go with a group, but they were taking too long and I couldn't risk being late, so they gave me my own boat!  It was just me on this big junk made for maybe 20 or 30 people.  It was kinda fun.  The trip lasted shorter than I expected, and I thought I would see more, but he did take me to a big island where there are some famous caves.  But I felt better having gotten off and done something, rather than just staying on the Quest all day.  I would have liked to have gone to Hanoi, but it is three hours away!!  And I had to back for rehearsal, so no Hanoi.  Oh well, who knows - maybe someday I'll be back. :-)

Tonight we have the final production show with the cast - its called Sing it and Swing it. Big Band era tribute, of course.  Should be fun.  Again, there's only one showtime, which is really nice.  We have rehearsal pretty soon.  I met two more of the singers today while out and about in town, and ended up sitting down for a vietnamese coffee with them.  A coffee is actually quite complicated.  First, a small bowl of hot water, inside of which is your glass, with about a half inch of condensed milk in it.  On top of the glass is a little contraption that holds espresso grounds.  They pour more hot water into that, which slowly percolates into your glass.  After it finishes, you remove the contraption, stir your glass to mix the espresso with the condensed milk, and ta-da!! Vietnamese coffee.  Not bad at all. 

Sea day, Hoi An, and Halong Bay

The sea day after we left Ho Chi Minh City turned out to be extremely rough - everyone was saying it was the worst seas they've yet experienced, and a lot of people who have never been seasick were having a hard time.  I didn't get sick, but it was not fun for me either.  Nonetheless we all turned up for rehearsal around 3pm, and got about 15 minutes into the rehearsal before the show was called off.  In those few minutes the guest violinist had ran to the nearest toilet half a dozen times to throw up, poor guy.  He was really trying to make it through, but he was in bad shape.  As a result the show was called off - the cruise director figured not many guests would be feeling up to coming to a show anyway because the rocking was so bad.  So I had my second night off this cruise, which brings the total number of working days this contract down to 9, unless you count those 20 minutes as a work day - ha ha. 

The next day we arrived in Danang, the port city where most American troops landed during the war here, and the location of China Beach, where they spent all their leisure hours.  There was boat drill scheduled for that day, but thanks to the cruise director and safety officer being really nice to me, I was allowed to escort a tour instead, to nearby Hoi An.  It was an "on your own" tour, which is perfect for me.  We had about four hours in this really gorgeous, charming little town.  There is a neat covered Japanese bridge, a big river, numerous Chinese temples, and great food.  I had such a great day wandering around - shopping, eating, and taking pictures.  I tried one of the local specialties, "white rose cake", which is basically little dumplings that lie open to resemble flowers, with some kind of meat in the middle.  They were really good - I even did ok with the chopsticks and dipping them in the spicy sauce they came with.  I also tried the local black tea, and had yet another amazing mango drink....basically pure mange pulp.  Wow.  Anyway enough about food - lets just say it was an exceptional day.  That night the show was a singer - Gregg Arthur, who did a lot of crooner stuff, mostly Sinatra and Tony Bennet, etc.  Great song choices, but some charts were written weird for the horns.  Gregg has a fantastic voice, though.  After the show I went out with most of the band and others, and had a great talk with one of the girl singers in the cast.  It was fun hanging out with everyone until pretty late. 

Today we had a morning rehearsal for the violinist's show (rescheduled) and then we arrived in Halong Bay in the afternoon.  I went out with a big group of people to a favorite restaurant of theirs.  Wow, did they have great food.  Afterwards I couldn't resist trying another version of mango shake - they are just too good here!!!  Gregg Arthur the singer from last night was with us, and he shocked us all by picking up the bill for the entire lunch and sneaking off.  We didn't believe it at first - there were at least 15 of us there, and we had a lot of food and drinks.  I need to find a way to thank him later.  After lunch I wandered a bit, on the beach and in the market.  I bought myself a cheap little suitcase so I can bring home all the stuff I've been buying....which is really a ridiculous amount of stuff.  Yikes.  Tonight we stay overnight in Halong Bay, and I'll probably hop on a tour tomorrow.

SAIGON (recently aka Ho Chi Minh City)

...but first to catch up: Yesterday was a sea day, and it was nice in a way not to have the pressure of getting off the ship and seeing as much as I could.  I ate breakfast upstairs again - something I could really get used to - and shared a table with a couple of guests - the first ones I had actually met.  The day was really relaxing, and the night was petty easy, too.  I played my first production show, called Twisted T.V., but we only did one showtime instead of the normal two.  I liked the show - after hearing some of the lyrics I realized it is really clever and funny, something I wouldn't have gathered from its uninspiring title.  There are only five cast members on the ship, all singers, two guys and three girls. The band is on the literal stage, which is fairly small, while the singers work the center floor - basically a dance floor that is encircled by the chairs and tables in the room.  It is at floor level, not raised at all, giving the venue a really intimate feel.  (Hence its name - Cabaret? hmmm) Anyway I enjoyed the show, although it feels weird to only have one crack at something.  I'll likely never play it again.  Aftewards we had a late night rehearsal for the next day's show (more on that show later). 

Ok! So Ho Chi Minh!  I was planning on just going out with a couple of people in the band and tagging along with them, but since I wasn't sure when or where they were going, I decided to go on a tour.  I hadn't planned it, but in the morning during breakfast I found out they might still need people, so I rushed up to the dispatch desk and was able to get a spot on Highlights of Ho Chi Minh City.  I'm really glad I went - it was such a full day.  We visited the old President's house, which is now called Reunification Palace (a lot of history there), a Vietnamese museum, saw a vietnamese folk water-puppet show (you might have to see the pictures to understand - I don't think I can explain it well), visited a temple in Chinatown, the historic post office, Notre Dome Cathedral (from the French occupation), and so much more.  My favorite part of the day was just watching all the people.  It is Chinese New Year's Eve today, and the city is crowded!  Also, EVERYONE rides motorcycles - the traffic is really chaotic! There don't seem to be many rules.  The people themselves were fascinating to me.  I could not get enough pictures of them.   But almost every time I saw something that really made my jaw drop or made me laugh, it was over too quickly for me to get a photo. :-( But they will be some good mental pictures....memories...I saw a man somehow sleeping sprawled across an upright motorbike, an old woman in a hammock making herself swing by pushing off a fire hydrant, numerous sleeping rickshaw drivers curled up in their rickshaws, kids waving at the bus, and a man pulling a cart piled so high with cloth and rags that it looked physically impossible for it not to be tipping over.   And people really do wear those round, pointed hats here.  I bought a lot of stuff today - everything is so cheap you wouldn't believe.  Anyway I could say so much more about the city - but really it was just an incredible experience.  I wouldn't mind visiting again someday and just wandering around and eating food - the only things I missed out on today.  

So then tonight we had one show only, but what a show!  Our trumpet player Nate Collinsworth is a phenomenal performer, and actually has his own show.  It is largely Jazz based, and so cool - I haven't played such a musically satisfying show in a while.  Maybe ever.  Such neat stuff....he has some really great, interesting arrangements of classic tunes like Caravan, Scarborough Fair and Georgia on my Mind, as well as a couple originals.  Everything is really creative and interesting.  He has a great sound.  Tonight we did the arrangements that are the most easily digested by the masses - the guys in the band say the rest of his charts are even cooler, but I guess the cruise director wanted to keep things as uninteresting as possible so as not to overwhelm the average Joe Cruiser....Lame!!  I wish I had a chance to do his other stuff as well.  But it was really a great show, and fun to play.  I was featured on Georgia - played the bridge as a solo.  Ok, this post is much too long, I know.  Too much information!  Bye for now. 

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

I had a really great day at the beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  I got off the ship around 1pm with a couple of other band members, and we caught a Tuk-Tuk (the only way to travel) to the beach.  As soon as the shuttle bus arrived in town, tuk-tuk drivers had converged on the bus, knocking on windows and waving to get our attention.  Dan picked our tuk-tuk driver on the basis of our entertainment at the fact that he was waving a sign saying "welcome tuk tuk" but it was upside down.  We got to the beach and met almost all the musicians on board at their favorite beachside barbecue.  We sat and relaxed there for a while, and I had some really good panang shrimp curry....mmmm.  I was brave enough to try some of Dan's squid since the seafood is so fresh and good there. The place also served freshly made mango shakes.....for only a dollar each.  So good!  I had two.  :-)  I had heard people joking about the "Happy Shakes" at the beach, but thought they were just joking....then I saw the menu and you can make any shake alcoholic for two dollars more, or make it "happy" for $2.50.  Your guess is as good as mine as to what is actually in a "happy" shake, and whether or not it would be legal in the United States.  

 The beach is known as Serendipity beach, and it is the most popular with tourists - there are comfy beach chairs and umbrellas everywhere that you don't have to pay for (unless you don't buy anything from the barbecues).  But scores of women, children, and cripples haunt the beaches and harass the tourists, alternately selling things, offering massages, manicures and pedicures, or begging.  It was a strange atmosphere.  Children also forage around the tables to eat extra food and ask you for your cans, so they can recycle them for money.  I felt guilty that I was having a leisurely day at the beach, while they were having to do anything to make money.  I ended up finally giving in to one woman who came by - so I now have a manicure and pedicure, plus had a half hour back massage which felt great.  Dan teased me for being taken in....but all of that only cost me $15 dollars total so I almost felt like I was cheating her.  But I guess dollars go a long way in Cambodia.  Since we didn't have to work until 8pm that night, a few of us stayed on the beach to watch the sunset, which was gorgeous.  I got to hang out a bit with Tyler's friend Dan Blum, and met a few new friends that I really hit it off with.  The restaurants set up chairs facing the sunset, and everyone sets off fireworks once it has disappeared.  Mom, you'll be jealous - I had a pina colada right out of a giant coconut. :-)  We ate barbecued chicken, pork, and even baracuda (not bad!).   We stayed as long as we could, just enjoying the beauty of the evening and everything about our day....we really didn't want to go back to the ship.  But we finally did, taking a tuk-tuk all the way back.  

I barely had time to wash off the sand before we started work for the evening.  It consisted of two big band sets in the Cabaret, both the same set of music repeated.   I messed up a bit on the first set, since it was all sight reading and I didn't get the music until right before, but did better on the second.  I had an improv solo in one tune, and did pretty well both times, thank goodness.  The guys all gave me the thumbs up afterwards and said it sounded great.  (that was a sigh of relief....later the trumpet player Nate informed me that they've all decided I should stay.  They'll call the guy that is supposed to sign on in Hong Kong and tell him not to come. :-) I was flattered.) Jim Badger, the solo pianist entertainer, came and sang a couple of songs with us in the set, which was fun.  He is totally hilarious....when he is in a lounge performing it isn't just song after song, he starts and stops and inserts funny remarks everywhere, and really interacts with the crowd.  They love him.   We finished after 11, and by then I was so worn out from the day in the sun and from not napping (I usually start drooping around 5 in the afternoon cause it feels like 2am in my brain) that I just went straight to bed.  

The story so far...

Ok! So I'm here!  My flights all went surprisingly well - everything happened as scheduled, which is wonderful.  The flight to Bangkok from Tokyo went by pretty fast because I had a cool seating buddy and we talked almost the whole way.   I was picked up at the airport and driven to the Yamato Hotel about a half hour away, where I tried to get  couple hours sleep.  The next morning it was an hour and a half drive to the port, where I boarded the Quest.  I met my bandmaster right away - his name is Dan, and he's the pianist.  He's a really nice and easygoing guy, quite a change from my last contract.  He showed me all around, and then told me the amazing news - I had the night off!  I can't believe they're paying me for this....:-) Anyway it was so great not to have to play right away.  Instead I settled in, practiced, had a quick workout, and then watched the Inauguration live on TV, which was really cool.  I kindof felt like I was there.  

Tonight we have a show - and it happens to be Helen Jayne, whose show I've played several times before, so no real stress, although it is a lot of playing to start out with, and made me tired.   I hope I make it through the second show before my chops give out.  :-)

My cabin is pretty nice, really close to the Cabaret, which is our main performance venue.  My roommate is our bass player, Carina, and she is really chill and easy to get along with.  I like her a lot.  I've already met a lot of people, and feel really accepted.  The people here generally seem a tighter group than on the bigger ships I'm used to.  I like the atmosphere a lot so far.   The food is better generally all over the ship.  I had fresh sliced mangoes with my breakfast!!  Even in the mess hall things are better than Celebrity.  One perk is that the staff and officers share the same mess, which means it has to be good enough for the captain. :-) On Celebrity the Officers had their own, very nice mess hall.  So the combo mess is a good thing for staff like me.  The ship doesn't really feel as small as I expected - it feels perfect.  

Tomorrow we'll be in Cambodia, and apparently the thing to do there is go to the beach.  Everyone seems to be going, and I think I'll tag along.  Should be fun to hang out with everyone, and there is supposed to be really good food there.  Looking forward to it!!

Here's the latest!

Alright, all you avid followers of my blog, who have been missing hearing about all my adventures....Ha ha.  I've spent the month at home in Lake Arrowhead with family, working a few days a week in the Village at my little gift store.  We spent a week over New Year's in Lake Havasu as a family, which was a lot of fun.  I've been doing pretty well at keeping up with my practicing and keeping my resolutions....at least half of them, anyway.  :-)  I am still on track to work for Norwegian Cruise Line in March, and have started working on all the paperwork required by NCL for new hires.  But in the meantime there is some other news - 

My original agent called me a couple days ago to ask if I would mind filling in on short notice for an emergency opening they have on the Azamara Quest.  Azamara is affiliated with Celebrity, but is a smaller, more upscale luxury line.  Smaller ships, less passengers, etc.  I visited their other ship, the Journey, when we happened to be docked together in Livorno.  I liked the atmosphere, although it feels claustrophobic after being on Celebrity's big ships.  I am excited about having the chance to experience life on a smaller, nicer ship without having to commit to a 6 month contract.  And the ports were also a big draw (see current pic for specifics).  So they are flying me out to Bangkok to join the ship on the 20th, then my contract finishes in Hong Kong on the 31st.  Its crazy to think that they'd fly me all the way out to Asia for an 11 day contract!  I'm also excited to visit some friends of mine in Hong Kong, and maybe spend an extra night there.  So off I go again!  Just for a couple weeks, though, then I'll be back in Arrowhead, home sweet home.