Wednesday 27 October 2010

Far from the maddening crowds

It hasn't been too bad lately. Life's not been entirely devoid of drama, but said drama being mostly somewhat vicarious in nature, it has been pretty okay all in all :). For us, not for the subjects of the drama, of course.
It occurred to me that I don't often take pictures of the inside of the boat. Beyond the first trip enthusiasm of 'Oh! This is where I lived for the last month!' etc. I spend enough time lugging my camera(s) through these spaces as it is, so figured I'd snap a few.
Seeing how other things have elevated themselves somewhat off our minds and allowed most of the crew some idle time, the matter of most popular and vigorous discussion these days is, obviously, crew-change :). Unfortunately details are still far beyond the horizon. (That is if, in fact, they do at all exist.)That is not to say that there is a dearth of possibilities by any means. Anything and everything from boats, buses, ferries and planes, Jeddah, Egypt and Jordan even! It's all being considered, apparently.
Our venerable Irish chief mate Tom and I decided we'd start our own rumour: possibilities of crew-change through Israel!! Unfortunately, even the most gullible of the crew refused to fall for that one :). (In case you didn't know, previous or even intended travel to Israel automatically bans one from entry to The Kingdom.)
Right, so let's see what comes up in the next couple of weeks.

Currently: en'trance'd
Listening to: Chicane - Lost you somewhere

Thursday 21 October 2010

So far out to sea

So I've been thinking... (Yes, I've now got plenty of time to think, most days.) Once the mad rush of the job start abated, there's been more or less a slightly strained sort of calm. But calm nonetheless. Plus, they tell us that we might, in fact, make crew change on time!I have been around too long however, to take that last bit at face value :-<. But, we've been told that to avoid the devilish complications of getting some hundred odd people in and out through Jeddah at the precise time of the Haj pilgrimage, we will be flying out through Egypt! However, further details at this point are like the proverbial footprints on desert sands. None of it seems to last for long :). I suppose it's good to have things to look forward to. Scratch that, it's quite necessary to have things to look forward to. But some things, once you begin to look forward to them, they grab you and refuse to let go. Not necessarily a bad thing, but a bit of extra stress I could do without I suppose :-<. In the mean time, it's all about keeping it low on the drama and high on the boring :). Oh, and to all those that it makes sense to, Shubho Bijoya!

Currently:
okay, sort of...
Listening to: Chicane - Poppiholla (5am mix)

Friday 15 October 2010

Surviving on Giants, and not much else

I've been better. Then again, I've been worse. But not often and not by much. It's getting better though. Sort of. I have a little breathing space. The fact that I have no idea when I will touch dry land again isn't looming as large in my mind as it ordinarily would, or should I suppose, 'cos I'm simply too tired to go into the implications.
Flashback to the start of the month, and I was quite happily surprised to find the entry into Saudi Arabia and the subsequent trip out to the boat, which was tied up alongside Jeddah at the time, to be quite painless really! Much better than Angola, thankyouverymuch! The first day of steaming out of port was expectedly peaceful.Things sort of went downhill from there. I was so deep into the deployment muck that even the fact that my newest trainee (and only helping hand on shift) has a name starting with X, didn't strike me till only yesterday. I needn't have bothered, he assured me that X.Z. were perfectly common initials. Numerous even :|.It's hot here! And this is well into the nice and cool part of the year, apparently!

I've been reading a bit these days. Starting with the time I was at home really! Haven't finished a whole book in less than a day in a couple of years. But just had to get through Second Foundation double quick on my last day home just so I could carry the last two Foundation books with me when I left. It helped that I didn't remember much of the details from the last time I read them all, over seven years back.

Unfortunately it's been down to a couple of pages a day just before I pass out over these last weeks. I think I've said this before. I like the four other books of Foundation better than the original trilogy, somehow :).
Oh well. It's comforting to feel the muted thunder of the guns reverberating through the boat to reach me in my cabin, which is about as far away from any outer bulkhead of the boat as physically possible. Sweet lullaby. The better part of a year, we are supposed to be here. Oh boy.
Oh! Been taking some pictures! Not many. Just enough to keep the shutters from sticking shut with disuse :). It's Durga Pujo time back home.

Currently: wishing I could catch up on some of that sleep I've lost these last 2 weeks!
Listening to: Chicane - From where I stand