Lieutenant's Log #7

February 22, 2017

Lieutenant's Log #7

Most of the staff have a two weeks on and a two weeks off schedule. So daily, folks are coming and going. I'm reminded of certain characters I'd soon avoid. Like this one guy I usually run into in the mess. He looks extremely intense and he never smiles. I'm pretty sure he's a hitman. Man-bun and all.  Which reminds me. There's actually a jail on the ship. Imagine that? Perhaps the hitman has escaped. Again.  And there's an exceptionally beautiful transgender Asian woman. She avoids eye contact and looks like she's VERY pissed, probably at the hitman. 

Compared to my last trip, it's helpful to know that making friends is a very difficult option on the ship, except with other musicians and a couple of clowns. And clowns can be dangerous. There's simply no time. Everyone works long and hard days. When they have free time, they sleep or smoke. It should be noted that introverts are very comfortable in these conditions. 

Again, compared to my last trip, I'm not even trying to make friends, which for an introvert is less stressful.  Perhaps I understand the hitman.  

 

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I talk a lot about the mess. I failed to mention the "Day Room." That's the staff social gathering room to relax. You can sit in one of those fancy "get a message" chair, they're great, watch a movie in an adjacent room or simply chill on a comfy couch. On my first trip, the Day Room was always occupied, because it was also the only room for staff to access the internet. Now the internet can be access from our cabins as well.  Because the internet is available in our rooms, the Day Room isn't as busy. Most used to spend all of their free time in the Day Room hoping to get a connection. Now we wait in our rooms hoping to get a connection.  Like before, the internet is the worst, whether on the sea or land. 

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(An early, empty promenade.)

Color Line workers are on strike today. Wow!  Apparently in politics, there's a labor consideration to hire cheaper workers possibly from the Phillipines and fire the more expensive Norwegian staff (and a few others). So today while in Oslo, a great number of Color Line staffers took a chartered bus to the Oslo capital building to protest from 10am to 1pm. This will delay the ships departure for about an hour. Heaven help the cleaning staff.  

In September, Norway will hold it's elections. We'll see...