Feb. 27th, Day Ten – at Sea… still

A Russian, Andre, a Polish ice dancer, Shameck, and my roommate, Adriana, are playing cards on the back deck (aka the crew bar). I am sitting beside them writing this sentence and admiring their game and their frequent outbursts of laughs and remarks. They learn that I am documenting my days on the ship via a blog. Shameck is surprised that I still have something to write about.

It is my tenth day (and the 3^rd day of my second week) on board, and it is a week of changes. There is a new ice cast install; meaning that the contract of the ice cast who are performing in the Ice Odyssey shows now expires soon, and that a new group of ice dancers are going to learn the show and take over when the old troupe leaves. It is going to be a busy and stressful week for everyone, including the old troupe –even though they are probably more excited about going home in a couple of weeks’ time.

The trio moves upstairs to indulge in dinner while I find a spot on the couch in the crew day lounge/ activity room to minimize my second-hand smoke intake. The smoking percentage among crew members is ridiculous (and rather unfortunate for my health); almost every second person I meet smokes. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’ll be like when we make our way toAsiaand 50% of all crew members are Asian. That’s one of the regulating policies for cruises to go inAsia: at least 50% of their crew needs to be Asian, which also means that a lot of people I’ve met so far are going to be transferred soon. So much for making new friends! Who knewAsiawould be such a big market for cruises?

The stress was prominent in our two shows this afternoon. Lots of tension among the cast –my roommate took a fall in the 2^nd show… my heart skipped a beat for her. She was devastated after the show, and I didn’t know how to cheer her up. I wasn’t surprised to find her on the back deck smoking and playing cards. It is also the second time I ran the show alone backstage right, and the first time with a full cast (one skater was sick and didn’t perform in the last few shows). The full house audience’s anticipation only added to the stress, and the new cast was watching the show for the first time. Pressure and expectation: perfect combination for stress. There was also a dresser who I haven’t worked with before. She wasn’t as good as the last one; she didn’t know what to do during certain changeovers, which made my job more difficult. Guess I should’ve talked to her beforehand.

Studio B, aka the ice rink on board (and the place I work)

At lunch I sat with the blackshirts (aka techies and stage staff) and confessed to them how much I love my roommate. One of them warned against getting attached too easily. It isn’t a sentiment you’d want to carry on ships. I suppose he’s right. It makes a lot of sense, especially seeing how I might never see any of these people again, ever, in 4 to 6 months! It’s scary and sad just thinking about it. But I can’t help who I am. I’d like to make some more new friends on the ship (mostly so I have people to hang out with other than my roommate and work buddies), and shall do so later tonight… wish me luck!

 

Feb. 26th, Day Nine – at Sea

      The ship is rocking a lot today. I’ve worked for less than 3 hours in total, and am now sitting in my cabin watching Academy Awards pre-show. The rocking back and forth combined with smells of perfume and cleaning products on the ship is making me dizzy. Or maybe I’m in just taking in too much radiation in a small space. I’m feeling claustrophobic, but don’t know where else to go. I haven’t found another place on the ship other than my cabin where I can relax outside of work (dress code is strict). Even my thoughts aren’t coherent. I don’t think I’m sea-sick. I just need to get out more…

One thing about working on the ship and living 2mins away from where you work is that you never really leave. It’s all right for a stage hand, I suppose. I don’t take work home with me because there isn’t anything for me to think about overnight. For the production managers, however, their brain never stops thinking. I don’t know if I want to do that… heck, I don’t even know if I want to come back for another contract at the moment. We’ll see in September.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the other day, when Adriana was working at the Slop Chest (aka the crew convenience store), I visited and found a guitar and amp behind the counter. My fingers were itching, and I was thereafter granted permission to play guitar in the shop. I sang songs to crew members who were buyingmidnightsnacks or necessities to get through the night. They were pleasantly surprised (including my roommate, who found me extremely amusing and requested a song in Mandarin). So now I am known to some people as ‘the singing girl’.

 

Feb 25th, Day Eight – New Orleans, USA

I love my roommate. She can be mean some times, but she means well and is fun and hilarious. She has a liquor cabinet filled with alcohol obtained from all sorts of places. Today when I got back to the cabin from a work shift, she had both of her suitcases laid out in our tiny room. She was so excited about having only two weeks left in her contract that she has already started packing. She excitedly showed me her finds at the mall; I showed her my watch –my proudest purchase today- and compared her items with my boring black polos shirts, pants, and socks for work. I’d like to think we’re a pretty good fit for roommates. She makes me laugh, and I make her laugh; it’s really too bad she’s leaving in 14 days. I am using my camera to catch every moment of her hilarity. The other night, I asked her why she’s only eating half of her oreos (one piece of cracker and the crème), she replied, “because that’s half the fat!” She refuses my offer of Prinkles and says she’s on a diet. Oh, I am going to miss her terribly (and measure all other roommates up to her)

new orleans port

We docked atNew Orleanstoday (hence the shopping), which means it’s been a full week since I’ve been on the ship. I’ve made a trip to theCaribbeanand back, and am now departing for another trip there from where I first boarded the Voyager of the Seas. It feels like I’ve been on the ship for months already. I am starting to have deja-vu’s about certain staircases, which makes me feel like I’ve crossed it before I boarded the ship. Even my roommate is surprised at how well I am settling in. I am able to find the staff and crew mess, the crew lounge, the slop chest (crews’ convenience store), and both theatres where I work. I am thankful that I am not directionally challenged. I am able to navigate the crew areas well, and have found the shortest ways around from place to place. But it’s a different story once I get up onto decks six and above, where crew isn’t allowed to go on a regular basis (unless you work there).

The learning curve this past week has been steep, but once you learn all the different tasks a stage staff is responsible for, it’s easy to fall into a routine. It’s not a challenge at all, really, and I fear that I will get bored of the work in a couple of weeks. The production managers say they encourage people to learn about lighting or sound, but, really, unless you are best friends with the lighting or sound technician (or if you’re really proactive or keen), it’s hard. They keep their own schedule and have different responsibilities than anyone else. They pretty much work by themselves unless there is maintenance in the theatre. Since the shows have been installed on the ship for ages, there are not many changes. Cues are already programmed and the performers have been performing the same set for five months.

There are two parades each trip, and the shows have been running on the ship for who knows how long, so all I had to do was learn it and be a superb running crew. Everything on board is very commercial (including the shows, unfortunately). I miss being able to install a new lighting hang every other week, or troubleshooting technical difficulties. Ghis and I have a running joke that the theatre is operated like IATSE, which means that everyone has their specialties, and unless you are ‘qualified’ or assigned to that certain task, you’re not allowed to help others do their job. In other words, Ghis got in trouble for me helping him with a few lighting fixes. I can do small tasks related to lighting – like changing a lamp, but anything like bringing down a broken moving light is a big no-no. We both found the protocol to be quite ridiculous. It wasn’t how we used to work back in our perspective homes. (But in some respects I am actually relieved, because that meant less work for me).

Also, the long hours they mentioned aren’t really “long hours”. They are short hours, long days. For instance, you can have a task to do at nine in the morning for an hour, then a two hour break before your next task. So they are little tasks divided throughout the day. Your day could begin at8amand end atmidnightwith a whole bunch of small little breaks in between. Everyone on the ship has automatically acquired the ability to nap here and there because sometimes you don’t get enough sleep at night. Speaking of which, I’ve got another 45 minutes before my next call for the parade, so I think I’ll get some rest.

 

Feb. 21st, Day Four – Georgetown, Grand Cayman

sooo i didn’t write anything for this day, but i have picture(s) to show you!

batman at cayman islands

 Why do I have my batman? I am bringing him to every destination I arrive at and taking a picture to say that I’ve been there (and so has my batman). It is a little trip project of mine. My ship-mates find it rather amusing. I have more, and will upload them when I get the chance!

 

Feb 20th, Day Three – Cozumel, Mexico

Today’s training didn’t take as long as I thought it would. And it was sort of fun. I learned how to extinguish fires by using a fire extinguisher and a hose (like a firefighter!). But it was also scary to learn that the greatest threat to life on board is human failure… if a crew didn’t receive proper safety training, or if they didn’t follow the right procedures, they could put rest of the people on board in danger in a case of emergency.

Ghis and I decided we should take the chance to get off the ship to explore Cozumel after an entertaining morning (what with the bazooka fire-fighting device and high-pressure jets of water). It felt unreal: it was only my third day on the ship, and I already have time off to see places?! I basked in the sun the whole walk to downtownCozumelfrom the port, where our destination was Mega, a superstore). It was a much needed stop because I have been living without a hairbrush or shampoo this entire trip (well, the last four days). In fact, I have been using my roommate’s hairbrush without her permission, and (this is going to make you laugh -) washing my hair with my mango bar of soap. Yeah. It wasn’t the best of situations, but at least I smelled great!

So,Cozumel. Alcohol was extremely cheap! A six-pack cost only $5, and two bottles of medium-sized (1L?) Jose Cuervo gold is only $23. Cold, single-serving beers (in bottles) are only one or two dollar apiece; and you can drink while you stroll on the street! The atmosphere’s pretty awesome. Though from the traffic, the locals, and the sketchy houses in-between mansions, there is a sense of insecurity. I probably wouldn’t feel safe walking alone – I shouldn’t anyway, ship rules suggested.

the cozumel port

 

Feb 19th, Day Two – At Sea: Working onboard is a cultural shock

Three sleep-deprived nights in a row and what do you get? A 40-min tardiness to a training session to start your day. Yup, my supervisor called my cabin attwenty past eightto wake me up and asked why I wasn’t at my scheduled training. Oh, fuck; just the way I wanted to start my work term! Quickly I got dressed (good thing I had the foresight to get my outfit ready the night before) and dashed to the training room. The Asian lady who was teaching the session refused to let me in since she was more than halfway in to her lecture and told me to come back on the hour. So in that respect I was lucky, because I had about twenty minutes to indulge in some tasty breakfast.

Let me tell you a little bit about the crew on the ship: they are from all over the world. Rarely do you find people from the same city as you. If you think Vancouver is diverse, think again… EVERYONE here knows at least two languages; one being English and the other their mother tongue. In that respect it is very similar to a cultural shock. I’ve never seen so many nationalities being represented in one place at once – I think the number is something like 60 nationalities on board! I’ve met three other Canadians: Soura from Toronto and works as a youth staff (and the boyfriend of another youth staff, Irena, from Macedonia, who is in the same training session as me), Shandell from Ottawa and is also a youth staff, and Ghislain (Ghis for short) from Quebec and is an experienced light tech who will be working with me a lot. (Yeah, the other thing about diversity is it takes double the time to learn their names because they’re all so unique). There seems to be a majority of Filipino and Chinese people. And by majority, I only mean like 3 out of 10. But that’s just from observation. There are about 1200 crew members on board and approximately 3500 guests.

Ghis looks about early-to-late-30s. He has a tattoo on his neck and left calf. He comes from 10+ years of working in the industry, including the 2010 Olympics inVancouver, Christie Lights, Epic, and most recently came off of programming lights for the NHL All-Star games. I believe he has taken it on himself to look after me. He would pick my stuff up when he’s picking up his own stuff at the HR office; he knocks on my door to see if I’m doing all right; and he volunteered to give me a morning call when I was late this morning. Seems like he’s doing above and beyond ‘friend duties’ – and as such has been dubbed ‘my boyfriend’ in my roommate’s books, and she suspects that he’s “in love with me”. (Great, just what I wanted…) But all joking aside, I am very lucky to have met such a knowledgeable technician – and I will make the most of it because I would like to learn how to fix a moving light!

I want to tell you about my roommate, too. Though that would probably make this already long post longer… I’ll just list some facts: she’s an ice dancer (cool eh?) fromPolandwho has been on this ship for five months (which means she’ll be ending her term in three weeks, and I’ll get a new roomie). She is a curly redhead and a smoker. I am her third roommate, and she has a lot of stuff in the room… 70% of shelving and cabinet space is filled with her stuff. She’s particular about some things and knows what she’s doing. She isn’t one to hold back her thoughts either. When I asked if she would mind if I took a shower after my shift had ended at half-past-midnight yesterday, she replied, “no, I’d appreciate it actually.” Then she said something about ‘smell’. I didn’t quite catch it with her accent. I’m sure I didn’t smell too terribly last night! I mean, sure, my deodorant was worn off, but I didn’t stink! Anyway… from our conversations thus far, we get along all right. She told me her secrets, and I’m keeping my mouth shut, but we’re not best friends. Last night she told me she was going out for a couple of drinks and was gone by the time I got out of the shower. Then she didn’t come back to the cabin until 4 in the morning (with her drunk friend in tow)! At this point I am still getting to know her and trying to find out her boundaries.

dorky me at the forward of the ship

Lastly, allow me to end on a light note and tell you an inside joke: how do you know if someone’s drunk on board? Answer: if they’re walking straight, they’re drunk. (Why? The ship rolls subtly when it’s sailing, so ‘wobbling’ is normal. Sometimes it would be hard to stay standing in one spot because the ship is swaying so much that you lose your balance. They call it ‘the sea legs’.)

 

The REAL Day 1 – Sign-On (at New Orleans)

Feburary 18^th, 10:25pm – The REAL day one: I am sitting on a chair in my cabin and watching Thor with my roommate. As expected, the TV runs continuously without any commercial breaks. There is a different channel for each of the different types of programming: movie, soap operas, cartoons, and even a special family program created by and for Royal Caribbean Cruises. It shows happy families and people who are skinny and pretty having a grand time on board one of the RCC ships. Superficial and ironic, I know. My first day on the ship has already showed me enough to know that it is just all a ploy to greater the passengers’ “vacation of a lifetime”.

It has been a long day. A rushed but delicious breakfast at 7:45 before waiting for the cruise shuttle at 8:15am (The hotel was super luxurious!!! More than I can ever afford) But like my plane delay yesterday, the shuttle didn’t show for an hour. By that time I had already met the other crew members who are also starting to work today (though there is only one other new hire; all others have worked on ships before). We decided to take a taxi and be reimbursed later.

I can’t quite put into words what my day has been like – there is a lot going on, and there is a lot of information to take in. Just navigating through the ship and the crew vs guest areas is a lot to handle. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing, and boy, do they ever recognize a new hire when they see one…

 

a beginning always follows an end – day 1

My last undergrad semester ended with an exam on Wednesday afternoon back in the first week of December. Before that I wrote a 4-pages-too-short and 3-hours-late paper for my women’s studies class, and, with my production classmates, implemented a lighting hang for a performance the day before that. Those were the last two hurdles I had to manoeuvre through before I was “freed”. Funny, this notion of freedom come up quite a few times towards the end of last year that I realize my definition has morphed as well.

Procrastination isn’t a guilty pleasure anymore. You could actually be bored and REALLY having nothing to do. You are on your own terms & schedule; you are not driven by deadlines. You have to find the motivation that moves you to do the things you want to do. You have to be a go-getter and get things done because no one cares if you don’t; you are your own life manager. Your own successes and failures depend on your actions, behaviour, and attitude.

And now, a full two months of release from 18 continuous years of schooling, I am embarking on an experience of a lifetime – working on board the Voyager of the Seas for Royal Caribbean Cruises as a technical stage hand. I have no idea what my next six months will be like work-wise until I board the ship tomorrow (Sat, Feb.18th). I will be working hard, but I will also be able to play hard, too. Before I left Vancouver, everyone who came to bid me bon voyage seemed to be more excited than I was. Granted, I am feeling nervous, anxious, and homesick (already!), but I also know that it will be an fantastic trip – keeping in mind all the places I will go (check out my tentative itinerary)!

All is in great anticipation. I couldn’t stop the tears when my plane departed Vancouver. The next time I’ll see beautiful British Columbia won’t be until September, and the thought of being away for that long is unbearable. Thinking of all my friends and family at home… don’t worry, I will be fine. I’m sure nothing’s going to be worse than this three-hour connecting flight delay in Salt Lake City!!! Curses.