Upside-down

So far, this trip hasn't been very nice. Granted, it could be worse, but then it could always be worse, so that's not saying much. The trip to the boat wouldn't have been too bad, even with the unexpected nine-hour wait at Duba. Except that I was then informed I was to do day shifts this trip instead of nights.

I suppose on the face of it, it's not that big a deal. However, take into consideration that I've done nights for the last five years, and it becomes somewhat significant. Habits, I tell you, they are at once brilliant and terrible things :(.

For one thing, it took me a while to get used to the fact that the sun is up way before I wake up every morning! And of course, there are way too many people up and about at midday, which puts in rather sharp contrast my usually groggy appearance at work. Then there is the food situation. Lunch has turned into breakfast, dinner into lunch and breakfast has disappeared altogether :|.

Sunrises have been replaced by sunsets. Not unexpectedly, decent examples if the latter aren't any less elusive than of the former.

But the worst part really is how at the end of shift there's no longer the forays into sunshine. There's only darkness through the port holes. And since sunset, there's only the slow trudging progress towards eventual slumber...

True, there are the charms of the clear night sky. But that presupposes decent weather at night. Which is sadly lacking these days. And to top it off, I, along with at least a third of the crew, am in the clutches of a rather annoying bout of cold :(.

Sounds rather miserable doesn't it? After five days, it's beginning to get a little better I think. One set of habits grudgingly giving way to another. I shudder to think what will happen when, eventually, I get bumped off to another boat altogether :-S.

Currently: sore and sniffing :(
Listening to: Massive Attack - Teardrop