Lesley's Birthday / Beginnings of Asia

Hello everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a good March…I know that I've had quite the busy and excited end to my month. I can't believe that we're almost to April…everything is moving SO fast. 

On to the blog:

Saturday, March 12th and Sunday, March 13th we were at sea….and to be quite honest…it was the fastest two seas day that we have had in quite some time. HOLD ON A MINUTE….am I okay? Did I just say that the sea days were okay…WOW. Anyway….I think what made the days go quicker was all the news about Japan and the horrible earthquake / tsunami….I still can't believe that happened and I was close to it…hmmm. Also, we were so excited to get to Bali to celebrate Lesley's 25th birthday!!!!

Monday, March 14th (HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLEY!!!!) we were in Benoa, Bali, Indonesia and had a great day. Lesley and I decided to get off early and scope out the place so that she could decide what she wanted to do for her birthday. Getting out of the terminal was a nightmare…with all the rain (that kept going on and off all day….wasn't horrible rain but just was a nuisance) and with all the locals trying to get us to take their taxis. I have NEVER in my life been so uncomfortable in my life. They were SWARMING us and Lesley and I didn't know what to do or where to go. We just kept walking and I just had to be rude and stern and say, "NO". Eventually we got to a place in the road where we were trying to talk to each other and collect our thoughts when out of no where this man said…."I'll take you to where you want to go…I understand that you don't like the crazy people…if you would like to come with me, you can…if not, I understand"…and I think because he was so honest and nice with us…we took his cab. He took us into town to get some money (which that right there was a joke) its 1 US dollar is 8,718 Indonesian dollars, so we were confused on how much to take out…it was a mess. Eventually our guide took us to a beach and we asked him to meet us back there at 4:00 to be back on board at the right time. We walked up to the beach and it was PORING down rain…like it was comical. Lesley and I took a picture of us in the rain and then decided to walk into a cafe and have a drink. We were looking at the different prices for everything and comparing it to the US dollar….their most expensive thing…which I think was a HUGE steak was $12.00…thats just how it work out to be…it was CRAZY. Afterwards, we decided to walk up to the main part of the road cause we saw some nicer places to eat and such. Walking up there, it was very strange to think that I was in Bali…someplace that I read about in Eat, Pray, Love….was just cool. Once we got to this restaurant called, "Arcade" Jodie, Greg and Emily were there and were excited to celebrate with us. We had a GREAT meal at "Arcade" (actually a lot better than I was expecting) but what made us laugh was when the bill came back and the total was over one million Indonesian dollars!!! We all laughed a loud and said, "Damn Les, you're expensive…that better have been the best meal ever if it was over a million dollars. Was just strange to say, "oh yeah…my bill wasn't bad..only 2 million dollars…HAHA". After we paid our check, our taxi guy (who had brought Jodie, Greg and Emily) asked us if we wanted to go to a few markets. It was raining at the time and we thought, there isn't anything better to do…why not. So, off we went to a fabric market first…which was so cool. All of these shirts and dresses and knick knack stuff that was all homemade by the people in the shop…was really awesome. We all bought a few things and then we were off to the wood market. On our way, we got to see all sorts of cool buildings and a little bit of the jungle…was just an awesome ride. We all had our cameras out and ready to take pictures that we thought looked awesome. When we got to the wood market…it was absolutely beautiful. Everything in the whole shop was made by the people there and actually, people were in the back making things as we were there….and actually got a few pictures of them working…was just amazing. They had all these animal carvings and cool musical instruments. What caught me off guard was how obsessed they were about the male…how can I make this politically correct….member? They had carvings all over the place of them…even "member" bottle openers…it was hilarious…haha. Everyone (except myself) got a wood carving and were very happy with their buys. Once we got back in the taxi, we were running a little later than we needed to, to get back on the ship at the right time. Our taxi guy said, No worries…I'll get you there in time. OH MY LORD, I have never been more nervous in a car in my entire life. I really don't understand why they had white lines on the road because no one payed ANY attention to them. It was a two lane road but with all the different cars / bikes all over the place…there were about 4 or 5. Sometimes he got a little TOO close for comfort and we all would hold our breath and grab onto each other. I asked our taxi guy in the middle of the craziness (and just to be funny), "So…have you ever been in an accident…cause this is crazy"….HE HASN'T!!!! Wow…thats impressive because if would have seen what we were doing….you wouldn't have believed it. Also, I thought….if anyone drove like this in American…you would be shot. He did get us back with our lives and 2 minutes to spare…what an adventure.

Tuesday, March 15th and Wednesday, March 16th were another quick sea days….I don't know whats wrong with me…maybe I'm getting use to the sea days. One the second day, we had another equator crossing celebration….meaning that we have to take bed sheets and wrap it around ourselves and parade in front of all the guests as the rulers of the sea (so stupid…haha). One fun thing though, we get to dump flour, whip cream, eggs on the guests and make them kiss a fish….oh the joys of my job…haha. 

Thursday, March 17th we were in Sandakan, Malaysia and what an eye opening experience that was. It started off kinda crappy because we had missed the last shuttle that we wanted to take before we needed to be back on board. Our boss, Jean Ann Ryan and her husband were joining us for the remainder of the cruise and we had a rehearsal that day. Greg and I decided just to get off anyway….to get away from the ship for a little while. It was shocking when we got into the town and just how dirty it was and how run down it all looked. Its hard to explain what we were feeling because we couldn't wrap our minds around the fact that people actually lived and survived in a place like this. I feel bad for these people only in the sense of knowing where I come from and what I have….but at the same time (as Lesley says) don't feel bad for them…they don't know any different…and thats true. Experiencing this place made me totally appreciate everything that I have back home. I now know (knew before but its cemented in me now) not to take ANYTHING for granted…personal items, money, a roof over your head and most importantly, the people that you love. You cant take that for granted because we are truly blessed to have what we have and live the lives that we live in America. Well, Greg and I walked around….smelling the HORRIBLE smells…just bad. What made Greg and I laugh was the fact that we found air freshers in a grocery store but the grocery store itself smelled like a fish hole…just awful…we laughed about that all day. We found a KFC (which confused us) and thought…I think this is the only thing that we can have to eat and to tell you the truth…it was REALLY good, I was shocked. What I thought was so cool…when Greg had ordered something to take away….and while we were waiting…the man that took our order gave us a little drink while we waiting. I thought that it was AWESOME business to give us a drink while we waited…for free. It was a good day over all….and once we got back to the ship, we had a rehearsal with our boss, Jean Ann and it was nice to do the show for someone different again….I enjoyed the rehearsal process. Overall…had a great day in Sandakan, Malaysia.

Friday, March 18th we were at sea heading out to Manila, Philippines. Just the normal sea day except the fact that we had another rehearsal for our shows this night….to make some changes and fix a few problems….all in all a good day.

Saturday, March 19th we were in Manila, Philippines and this morning we had an early rehearsal before we went out for the day. After rehearsal, Greg, Jodie, Emily, Jen and myself went off into Manila…to the 4th largest mall in the world called "Mall of Asia". When we arrived there…I was just overwhelmed with the size of this place. It was a mixture of an outdoor mall and an indoor mall…it would take a LONG time to get use to this place…I'm sure of it. We first went to a store called, "Zara" and we bought a few things…it was nice. Afterwards, the girls went into another shop and Greg and myself went and checked out the indoor ice rink….yes, I said in door ice rink. I told everyone that I had never been ice skating before and they thought I was crazy….I didn't get to do it that day either….maybe NYC when I get back. We heard that they had a TGI Fridays in the mall so we all decided to go have a great lunch there and it sure was. We had a great time together just enjoying each others company and talking about stuff. After lunch, the girls wanted to go to a few shops so Greg and I walked around the mall, just window shopping and if something caught our eye…we went and looked at it. After a long day at the mall, we decided to head back to the ship. On our way back, we were talking about what people are called from different places (eg. People from Rome = Romans) and talking about all this stuff. I had said that I could name all the states in America and they didn't believe me. I was SO proud of myself that I got all the states except stupid Connecticut….ehhh, if I had a map…I could have done it but I was pretty proud of myself. Getting back to the ship, we all had early socializing duties this evening and we all went out in full force and I met some lovely people on the cruise….some that have been on for a while and have been coming to each and every show that we've had. What a great day in Manila.

Sunday, March 20th we were at sea….our last sea day for this voyage….YES…on our way to Hong Kong, China. We had another day of duties and rehearsals in the evening….getting ready for our days in Hong Kong….I'm so excited!!! Something during the day which surprised me was how foggy it was and I had asked someone what that was and they said, "The pollution from Hong Kong"…HOLY CRAP!!!

Monday, March 21st we finally were ending our cruise in Hong Kong, China. I was on IPM which was nice cause we had rehearsals all day long with our boss, Jean Ann. I went outside at one point and I looked at the skyline of Hong Kong and you know what….it wasn't what I thought it was going to be like. I thought that it was going to be massive…like 2 or 3 NYC's but it wasn't. Granted we were docked in a horrible place in Hong Kong but still….it wasn't what I thought..hmmm, interesting. Later this night we had a great meal in the main dinning room with our boss, Jean Ann and her husband Howard. It was great to have them on board and I had a great time talking with them both. That night, everyone else (who wasn't on IPM) went out to the night market on the Kowloon side of the city…which they said was AWESOME. I was a little jealous cause they all came back with this awesome presents and stuff….oh well….can't do everything in life…haha.

Tuesday, March 22nd was another day in Hong Kong and the embarkation day for the new cruise. It was sad to say goodbye to some of the half world cruisers and others that were so pleasant but happy to say goodbye to some of those people that made our life hell on the ship….ehhhh. Before my embarkation duty, I went out with Lesley and Jen to see some of the city and to my surprise, Mickki Brown (our stars club singer) got on the shuttle bus to come out as well. It was great to see Mickki again since it had been 2 months since I last saw her. We talked for a while and she asked us where we wanted to go / wanted to see. She took us to the Hong Kong Island side of the city and we walked around for a while with each other. Lesley and Jen had decided to go down a few other side alley's to get a few things cause they had to be back earlier than myself…so Mickki and I had a great day together walking around. She use to work in Hong Kong at a very nice hotel not far from where we were. She took me on one of the above ground subways just to get a sense of what Hong Kong was about…it was a great time. We walked around, we got a few things at the 7/11 that was on one of the corners (I had to put that it in the blog…I joked with her about that) and then we made it to her hotel area that she use to work out. She told me a very funny story that I won't put here (love you Mickki) because I told her I wouldn't but it was quite funny and we laughed about it for a while. Had a great lunch in the mall that was connected to where she use to work and finally got to go to the hotel, the Island Shangri-La. It was a BEAUTIFUL hotel…very high class. It was cool (Mickki mentioned to me) that in the elevator…the carpet was changed everyday to say the day on the floor (eg. Tuesday, Wednesday…) which I thought was pretty cool. After the hotel, we took a taxi back to the area that we started in…I bought something cute for my niece and Mickki bought a few things before we headed back to the ship. She pointed out to me the two places that they shot "Dark Knight" in Hong Kong…which I thought was AWESOME and then we made it back to the ship so I could start my embarkation duties for the day. What a great day and wonderful way to end the LONGEST cruise that I've had during this contract…whoosh.

The next cruise's itinerary is: At Sea / Haiphong, Vietnam on March 23rd / Haiphong, Vietnam on March March 24th / Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on March 25th / At Sea on March 26th / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam on March 27th and 28th / At Sea on March 29th / Bangkok, Thailand on March 30 and 31st / Ko Samui, Thailand on April 1st / At Sea on April 2nd and ending this part of the world cruise in Singapore, Singapore on April 3rd.

I am so excited to be able to say now that I've officially been to 6 of the 7 continents on the earth…which I still can't believe.  Like I've said many times that I've always dreamed to be able to travel the world and see different places and now I think (funny that its taken this long) that its starting to sink in how much I've seen and how truly blest I am to have this experience….very overwhelming at times but I'm very grateful for it.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 2

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a great couple of weeks since the last blog….I know that I have been enjoying my time on the ship. 

Lets not waste any time:

Thursday, March 3rd was the first of MANY MANY sea days that we have had during this cruise. This is the longest cruise that I've had since I've been on the ship and thats nuts….21 day cruise. The normal things happened on the sea day….just the normal duties. Kinda bummed that the weather has been kinda crap lately…I hope that its better throughout this cruise.

Friday, March 4th we were in Brisbane, Australia and had a very good day in the city and then off on tour. I woke up in the morning and wanted to see the city of Brisbane (also, to get a good meal as well…haha). The city of Brisbane, is just like every other city in the world….streets, buildings…the works. I walked around their city mall and just enjoyed my time alone in the city. If you remember the last blog, I talked about Hungry Jack's (the wannabe Burger King)…well, I decided this day to have a meal there….just to see what it was like. I have to say, they are a lot fresher and nicer there….which is hard for me to say…I am a Burger King fan…but I have to give it to Hungry Jack's…they impressed me…HAHA!!! After my satisfying meal (haha), I made my way back to the ship for my afternoon tour that I was escorting to the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's Zoo). Got on the bus and had a great drive into Australia to make my way there. It was POURING down rain…like REALLY hard, but I was so excited to make it to the Zoo. On the drive there, I kept thinking about my Dad and when I was younger…we would watch the Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet together all the time…so going to the Australian Zoo…where I would see it all the time on the TV…finally being there, brought back a lot of great memories with my Dad….it was nice. Yeah, I know that it was a little random but meant something to me. When I got to the zoo, it was absolutely POURING down rain…I have never experienced this kind of rain before. I didn't have an umbrella this day (BIG MISTAKE) so needless to say, I got wet. We went on the trolley to the Elephant feeding on the far side of the park. I got to feed an Elephant named Siam and it was so strange….someone made a great point to me…its like feeding the fruit to a person's nose….needless to say, I needed to wash my hands afterwards..haha. We headed off to the Tiger cage next but they wanted NOTHING to do with the people there…had their backs to us the entire time…made me laugh. We then took the trolley over to the crocodile area where we thought we were going to witness a croc feeding…just like Steve Irwin did when he first began everything, but when we got there…they told us that the feeding wouldn't be happening because the crocs get very excited in the rain…so it wasn't safe for the croc handlers….so that was a little upsetting but I understood. Next, we went over to the main area…where the Crocoseum was (this is the place where Steve Irwin's funeral was on TV…if you can remember that) and it was just strange to be somewhere I saw on TV and now, I'm there. After that, I found out that one of the guests had bought an opportunity for me to get a picture with a Koala…which was so nice of them. I was so strange to hold them…the Koala, not the guests haha…they are A LOT heavier than I thought but nice and soft….what a cool experience and I got a 8 x 10 picture with it…possible new headshot??? (Haha) After a great time at the zoo, we had to make it back to the bus to get us back to the ship for our departure from Brisbane. What a wonderful day…rainy…but wonderful. 

Saturday, March 5th we were, AGAIN, at sea. This cruise is going to be SO long with all these sea days…I can't believe that we have so many…ehhh. Again, we had another day full of duties and RAIN. I'm REALLY get sick of the rain and I don't understand why it is raining ALL the time. The people on the ship so far have not really been so much fun because on the sea day…we like to do water volleyball with the guests but no one on the ship seems to be interested….this is going to be a LONG cruise…haha. 

Sunday, March 6th we were suppose to go to Hardy Reef, Australia but again, due to the storms / tide…we couldn't do there…so you guessed it…ANOTHER sea day. EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….SEA DAYS are SOOOOO boring. At least I'm getting my rest….haha.

Monday, March 7th we were in Cairns, Australia but I was ever so lucky to be on IPM so again…I couldn't get off the ship. I had the normal day of duties and then I decided to go upstairs and enjoy the fresh air…sometimes you need that…haha. It has been so humid lately (98% humidity) and it was so cool to see this storm coming towards the ship so since it was SO humid, you could see the rain in the distance. I thought that it was so cool…eventually when it got closer, you could see the rain but at the same time…hear the rain…kinda soothing. THIS was the highlight of my day….rain….has it really come to this Silver Spirit…really? (haha).

Tuesday, March 8th….sea day….SO sick of them…haha.

Wednesday, March 9th we were in Thursday Island, Australia and marking our 200th day on the ship (wow). We got off the ship early since we were leaving quite early from the port. There wasn't anything too exciting happening in this town but we walked around just trying to find somewhere to eat. We made our way to a pub that looked promising and walked in. We asked the lady there (which she was the only one there) if they had a menu and she said, "We don't serve food until 12:00 noon"…strange…so we walked off to this place that said, "THE BEST RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALIA" and guess what…they didn't serve food until 12:00 noon either….good job Thursday Island. Eventually we made it back to this little side restaurant and had a really good chicken and cheese sandwich. Afterwards, Lesley and I walked around and just enjoyed our time off the ship before we had back to the tender. Strange day here in Thursday Island….haha.

Thursday, March 10th is ANOTHER SEA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know…it doesn't seem like its a huge deal probably that we are at sea for the day but you have to understand that there is NOTHING else to do on the ship…so you sit in your room, watching TV or taking a nap…all day LONG…24 hours…whoosh. I can't wait to get done with this cruise…don't like having so many sea days.

Friday, March 11th we were in Darwin, Australia our last day in Australia and marks my 3 months till I come home. This day we had a half embarkation day so I had to work the terminal in the morning…only welcoming 2 guests in the 2 hours I stood there….boring. I will say though that there was this cute older lady that reminded me of my Grandma (Nene) that I found out is a world cruiser…so she is on for quite some time. She sat there with me for about 40 mins and we just talked and it was a good time…let the time fly by. She is a very sweet woman and I hope to have dinner with her during the world cruise sometime. Afterwards, the cast got off and we got a great meal in town…we needed it. Had a great time sitting there talking with each other and reflecting on great but very rainy time in Australia. Afterwards, we took our computers over to an internet cafe and spent the rest of the day talking online and uploading pictures…something that I needed to do…which was nice. I stayed a little longer than the rest of the cast and eventually looked at my clock and saw that I had 10 mins to be back on board the ship. Mom, don't worry…we have to be back on board an hour before sail away….haha. I defiantly had my work out this day…because I ran back the whole way…it was quite the run…whoosh and I was only 5 mins late…I was very proud of myself because I was quite far away. After we had sailed away, we found out about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and that the entire Pacific ocean was on a Tsunami alert. It was strange that the Captain was talking about the fact that we were safe and that we wouldn't be in danger…especially out a sea. I say that it was strange because you don't think that you will see something so horrible on the news like this and actually be in the danger zone…that it could possibly reach us. It was crazy to see all of this stuff on the news and know that I'm not that far away from where it actually was….just crazy. We had been in Christchurch a week before the horrible earthquake there and now having been so close to this next natural disaster…so crazy. Hopefully, we wont have to experience anything more.

The rest of the cruise's itinerary is: At Sea on March 12 and 13th / Benoa, Bali, Indonesia on March 14th (Lesley's Birthday) / At Sea on March 15th and 16th / Sandakan, Malaysia on March 17th / At Sea on March 18th / Manila, Philippines on March 19th / At Sea on March 20th and ending our longest cruise with an overnight in Hong Kong, China on March 21st and March 22nd. 

I hope that everyone has had a great March so far and make sure that you keep those people in Japan in your thoughts….they need all the support that they can get.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 1

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful end of February and has now started March off…with a bang! Well, when I last left you, I had finished my time in New Zealand (which again…just a beautiful country…so clean and new looking….very nice) and I was about to make my way to Australia!!!

Saturday, February 19th and Sunday, February 20th were the WORST SEA DAYS….EVER!!!!!! I have NEVER experienced such rough sea…in the 6 months I have been on this ship. We were all warned by the captain that the Tasmanian Sea was known for this sort of stuff but I didn't think that it would be that bad. At night, it was impossible to sleep because you were thrown around SO bad and you were sick to your stomach. To get the feeling that I was feeling, lay in bed and have someone push down on your shoulders, chest, legs as far as they can and at the same time….move yourself in a circle…NOT a fun time. Thank the lord that we didn't have a show on those two days…I don't think that we would have been able to do them. Lesley and I one of the days went outside (which was SO windy…it was crazy) and saw how high the waves were. We were on the 5 deck and the waves were getting close to that level….we were told that they were about 10 feet swells, which I think that they were higher than that…but boy, did we ever feel them. 

Monday, February 21st we were finally on land at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia….the little island off the southern coast of Australia. The cast had decided to do the crew outing that the ship had scheduled for us…so we all went to this wildlife park. It took us about 40 minutes to get there but it was a great time…seeing all the sights and the beautiful mountains that took over the landscape…just great. Once we got to the wildlife park…we were given a bag of food and told all about the kangaroos, how to feed them and how to scratch their chests…they love it. We got a little guided tour at the beginning and we saw the Tasmanian Devils. They are cute little animals…really misunderstood by the world…haha. They aren't very quick apparently and the only way they can warn off predators is to make this HORRIBLE sound that they make…haha…but its cute at the same time. Then we walked over to where the Koala's were…it was so cool to see one that close. They are a lot bigger than I expected and apparently they can give you quite a bite if you make them upset. Eventually we finally made our way over to the open area where the kangaroos were all laying around. It was a little nerve racking at first…because they are big animals and you never know what they might do. I kept thinking about that show "Dangerous Animal Encounters" where the Kangaroo jumps and punches the guy in the chest….so I was a little nervous to say the least. Eventually, I thought to myself that they were so use to the people around the park all the time that they weren't going to do anything. It was so great to sit there and feed a Kangaroo….I bet I fed about 25 of them when I was there. Some were very nice but others were really greedy. One of them was so greedy, he ripped the food bag right out of my hands and started to eat the bag….he wasn't very nice…haha. I wanted to see what they would do if I scratched them on their chests like the guide said and it was the funniest thing. They would lean their bodies closer and closer to the ground and then put their heads back in the air, with their eyes closed…they must really like it. After we spent our time with the Kangaroos, it was time to head back to the ship area. Once we returned to the port, we all had a great lunch at a restaurant right next to the ship….what a great day!!! 

Tuesday, February 22nd…guess what…we were at sea…AGAIN!!!! Not as rough as the last sea days…but wasn't the calmest. The rough seas made everyone want to just lay in bed and close your eyes…thats all you can do on these days to make yourself feel better. It was a joke to get up and go to our normal duties of shuffleboard or golf because no one in their right mind would be playing these games on a rough sea day…so, back to bed we went…haha.

Wednesday, February 23rd, we had a great day off in Kingcote, Kangaroo Island, Australia. Today, Lesley, Greg, Jodie, Adam and myself got off the ship via a 45 minute tender ride (puke!). Today was a COLDER day than we were use to but the sun was shinning all day…so at least we had that. We all were starving so we headed to a pizza place up the street of this tiny little country town….looked like I was in an old west town…haha. The meal was great and we were all stuffed. We headed back up the street and did some shopping…bought a few presents for people back home and finally, after 6 months on the ship…bought myself a pair of sunglasses…haha. After we did our shopping, we headed back to catch the last tender that we could get to the ship. We had to wait quite a long time, so we sat there and threw rocks into the sea, we were that bored. We were trying to hit this buoy that was out in the middle of the bay….I almost got it a few times. OH…I almost forgot…there were the BIGGEST pelicans at this place. I have NEVER in my LIFE seen a bird that big and I'm sure that it would scare the crap out you if it landed near you. Once we got on the tender, we had another 45 minute tender ride back to the ship…to be greeted by one of the most beautiful sunsets. Good job southern hemisphere…you have pretty awesome sunsets so far. 

Thursday, February 24th…we had a GREAT day in Adelaide, Australia. What a beautiful day we had with the best weather we have had in quite some time. We all headed into the main town…where there was a HUGE shopping center. At first, I wasn't going to buy anything because for some reason, I haven't felt like spending my money. Some of the cast were like…Jason, come on…you don't buy yourself anything…you can do it. So, I bought myself a few things this day. I bought a great new audition outfit and I can't wait to get back to the city and wear it for auditions. Bought a shirt that was a yellow long sleeve shirt…never thought that I would buy a shirt this color…but I like it. I was in a weird shopping mood…I normally don't do shopping too much…but I did this day. I felt bad for the other guys…cause they weren't really buying anything anywhere, but I kept going into to places…the places that caught my eye. The girls were off this day, getting their hair done and stuff…so us guys just walked around all day. It was a GREAT day and I made some great choices…I was really happy. Once we got back to the ship, after our wonderful day, I went up to the top deck to watch the sunset…and holy crap, what a BEAUTIFUL sunset. Once again (I know that I keep repeating myself but) I can't get over the sunsets during this experience. I truly think that is going to be something that I miss once this contract is over…the sunsets. 

Friday, February 25th…once again…we were at sea…heading to Geelong, Australia and Melbourne, Australia. We have some funny people on the ship this cruise…one in particular from Australia, Merv. What a funny guy he was…he would come to a lot of our games that we would play and just make fun of us, himself and the other guests that take the games WAY to seriously. His wife was always smiling and laughing, so they were such a wonderful couple to have on board. They came to every show that we had and would always give us great praise. At one of the shuffleboards that I was hosting, they were all trying to decide what rules they wanted to play by and everything and he looked at me and said, "Do you have any idea how to play this game?" "I have NOT a clue..sorry". He said, "Good…me neither"…haha…what a great guy.

Saturday, February 26th…was my IPM day but we made it to Geelong, Australia in the morning. It looked like a lovely little coast town that had a beautiful park right on the river front. The weather was great and I sat outside for a while…enjoying the sun as much as I could. In the afternoon, it was time to head off to Melbourne…which was apparently 80 kn/m away. I sat outside for a while and watched us sail away from Geelong…heading to Melbourne. As we got closer and closer to the Melbourne…the weather got worse and worse. Finally arriving to the city, the city looked beautiful but the only problem was the rain…it was hard to see the city for what it was…apparently it was a nice view from the port. I felt bad for the cast this night because we were overnight here and they went out and tried to have a good time (which they did) but it just rained the entire time. I had an early night of watching a movie and then heading off to bed.

Sunday, February 27th we were in Melbourne for our second day. Lesley and I had a day off together and it was great fun. We took the above ground trolly into town and that was a lot of fun…haven't been on one of those since 2001 in San Francisco (remember Mom?). Something that has been screwing me up for the past couple places is the fact that they drive on the other side of the road…so I never look the correct way when I'm crossing the street…thank the lord that I have Lesley there with me. Its even worse walking down the street on the sidewalks…because everyone walks on the other side too…I may have caused a few collisions on the sidewalk…sorry!!! We had a great meal before walking around the shopping district. Lesley was in the shopping mood, so I helped her pick out a few things….which was fun. We stopped at a GREAT little cupcake place that was in this side alley. Had to be one of the best cupcakes that I have had…and reminded me of some of the places back home/NYC that I like so much. After awhile in the downtown shopping center, we made our way to another outlet mall that we were told about. There were shops EVERYWHERE and we were a little bummed that we didn't get to have more time in the outlet mall. Funny thing though, I found a place called, "Hungry Jacks" here in Australia…which is their version of Burger King….with the same logo and everything…haha…I thought that it was funny…I wonder if it tastes the same??? Once we left the outlet mall, we went to this little shop that was right outside our ship, to get the ship essentials. Lesley and I have made a GREAT meal on the ship now and we can't have a enough of it. We have to keep restocking our shelves with these items because we keep making our meals all the time…ummmm, so good. 

Monday, February 28th…our last sea day before we get to Sydney, Australia. I can't believe that this day has finally come…coming to Sydney. It holds so much meaning to me because of my Mom and Dad. When my father was alive, he and my Mom would talk about how they always would want to vacation to Australia when my brother and myself were older and moved away. So growing up, I became interested in this beautiful place too because my parents were so passionate about it. Unfortunately, my father passed away before they were able to visit Australia, which makes my coming here that much more special to myself but more to my Mom. This time in Australia has been quite emotional for many reasons but my Mom and Dad are finally getting to sea Australia….through my eyes. They are both with me EVERY DAY…everything that I experience…they will experience too. These are the times that I am even more grateful for this experience than I normally am. Going to a part of the world that holds a lot of meaning to my family. 

Tuesday, March 1st was a early started day due to sailing into Sydney. I was told before I went to bed that I needed to get up early and see the sail into Sydney Harbor…that it was one of the most beautiful sail in's that you'll experience….and I couldn't agree more. I walked outside at 6:45am (by the way, it was already 80 degree out…wow) and was greeted by a beautiful sunrise…just stunning. I make my way to the front of the ship and EVERYONE else is there, waiting for this beautiful view. Once we passed this cliff, the city appeared and FINALLY I saw the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. I got chills and started to get quite emotional…I just couldn't believe that I was finally here. Only 2 months ago, I watched the new years fireworks on the TV in my cabin and here I was. I kept thinking of the times that I would watch the Dick Clarks New Years Rockin' Eve (haha…Mom) and seeing that very place with my family, never really thinking that I would make it there, but there it was…right in front of me. One of the guest, that I told the story about my Dad and Mom wanting to come to Australia but never getting the chance to because of his passing came up to me and said, "This one's for your dad". WHOOSH…that made me just cry even more. I just can't explain the just "awed" feeling I felt seeing the Opera House…this beautifully, constructed masterpiece that is so iconic when you think of Sydney…and there it was…not on a Tv or a picture online…but right there in front of me…just an awesome, AWESOME experience and something that I'll hold on to for a long time. When we finally made it to our dock…I was so drained, I headed back to bed…haha. Slept for another two hours and then I decided I needed to eat some lunch before I started my embarkation duties. I headed off the ship alone, into Sydney (just so awesome). I headed to the Darling Harbor and had a great meal sitting on a park bench…just enjoying my day. I had a quick embarkation duty (I think that I was just excited to be there, so I wasn't thinking about the time) and then I headed off the ship with some of the cast to have a great night in Sydney. Once we got downtown, we walked around for a while…just enjoying our time in the city. We walked to this part where there were these things hanging in the trees….they were BATS!!! I haven't seen a bat that close and whoosh…they are ugly things but have a HUGE wingspan…just incredible. After we were creeped out by the bats, haha…we eventually made our way over to the Opera House. I walked there, up the steps, by myself because I really wanted to take it in and appreciate what I was experiencing….it was a great time. Eventually, everyone got really hungry, so we headed off to a bar and had a great meal…it was a great time. After our meal, we headed back to the opera house and then headed to a park that is right behind it and sat down. We all were quite tired and didn't feel like going out on the town…we just sat there and enjoyed our view. We all got a little tired, so we decided to head back to the ship but I wanted to walk back to the ship. So Lesley, Cody, Adam and I took the almost 50 minute walk back to the ship. I had an idea of how to get back but I liked the fact of getting lost in the city…just enjoying the weather, seeing places of the city that you don't get to see, just being there…in SYDNEY. 

Wednesday, March 2nd we again were in Sydney and had another great day. Lesley and I headed off the ship quite early so that we could get some stuff done before we met everyone else for our picnic in the Botanical Gardens later in the day. Lesley went off to the shopping area to find something that she was looking for and Adam and myself headed to the Apple store so I could upload some new pictures that I needed to put online (check them out if you haven't already). Eventually, it was time to head to our picnic and we had a great time. First, we had a wonderful surprise when we spotted some wild cockatoos in the park and we fed them and actually got them up on our arms and took pictures with them..what a great surprise. Then we headed a spot in the garden and started our lunch…unfortunately we were followed by this really odd looking birds and some annoying little birds that actually keep dive bombing Jodie's head….it was VERY funny, but Jodie didn't think so…haha. After our great lunch, we headed to the souvenirs store and got some stuff for our families. Wow, Sydney (or let me say, Australia) is not a cheap place…whoosh. After we did our shopping, we got some Starbucks and said our goodbyes to a great time in the wonderful city of Sydney. 

Sorry that his blog was so long but this time in Australia so far has just been so incredible and I have been enjoying myself so much. For the next blog, I'm going to talk about the following days of the next itinerary: At Sea on March 3rd / Brisbane, Australia on March 4th / At Sea on March 5th / Whitsunday Islands, Australia on March 6th / Cairns, Australia on March 7th / At Sea on March 8th / Thursday Island, Australia on March 9th / Sea Day on March 10th and end the blog with Darwin on March 11th the halfway mark to Hong Kong and marking my 7 months on the ship….wow.

Until Next Time, 

Jason