Saturday 7th February (12.00 am Sat your time, 4 pm Sat ours.) We go back another hour tonight. It's great doing the journey this way round; last year we were going forward an hour all the time and were exhausted!
My birthday dinner was wonderful: a beautifully set table, a room almost to ourselves (there was one other 'special' table), and amazing service from our two stewards. I felt so spoiled, as did we all. In fact we unanimously decided to celebrate in this way with each new Ocean. That gives us...let me see..we go next into the Indian Ocean and then the Atlantic after South Africa...so another 2 special dinners. I tried to make a case for the China Sea but as we are treated to a special dinner between Shanghai and Hong Kong anyway we took it off the list. So few people remain on board between those two ports (most are off seeing the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta Warriers) that those of us who are get special treatment. Oh I forgot to mention the Captain's dinner to which all faculty and hangers on like me, Life Long Learners and Staff are invited over the course of the voyage. When you think of all the exotic meals we shall probably have ashore we don't do too badly do we? (stop throwing cabbages!)
Back to the Menu: (Bet you thought I had forgotten) Hors D'oeuvres (a variety on a plate), Shrimp cocktails, Artichoke Salad, Crab & Corn soup, Poached Salmon or Medallions of Beef and Cherries Jubilee or Ice cream. It all tasted wonderful but so much was in the presentation. I'll tell you who I suspect might have enjoyed it more than anyone...Audie. She was positively lit up!
Yeserday's Dean's memo, a daily bulletin we receive on line (with only ship board information in it) has warned us that we are sailing into rough seas tonight. We have sailed a long way South to avoid a storm but now have to turn north into it or we'll completely miss Japan and end up somewhere else...George says the Phillipines! That said we have had a lovely day, mostly very calm . Now though, as the sun sinks lower, the clouds are gathering and the wind strengthening and the sea has turned grey with whitecaps.....so it looks as though my optimism might be misplaced. Crispen now trusts George to tie up our deck furniture.....SAS-ites will appreciate that.
We had what was supposed to be a debate today in Sino/Amer. relations. The motion was Will the United States and China go to war before 2020? For and against. The problem was that at least one of the participants didn't understand the concept and ended up saying during and after her speech 'Well I agree with the previous apeaker really!' The next two were better and ultimately a fairly good discussion was held and their points challened. However no final vote was taken as I had expected so who knows who won!? Tomorrow we are to divide into 4 teams representing America, China, Taiwan and International and try to negotiate a plan for peace. I'm on the International team....more tomorrow.
It's 5 pm so I don't have to tell you why I have to stop...George has already left. He asked me what I'd like to drink and I said 'Scotch and soda' I added 'I seem to tolerate that better than wine' he left saying out of the side of his mouth 'you seem to tolerate it extremely well....'! What can he mean?
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