The Routine of the Sea

Day 48, Grand Asia 2017

Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017 – At Sea

Writer’s Block. It’s something that can happen when you commit to writing a blog post a day, and you are on your 23^rd sea day – each of which is essentially the same.

Despite a full complement of activities, some days it seems there isn’t much you want to do. I recall summer days during my childhood when I would whine to my mother, “there’s nothing to do.” She was probably busy doing laundry, cleaning, cooking and other household chores and wasn’t too sympathetic.

Here on the ship we have no chores to complete. While I am at breakfast, my cabin stewards make my bed, provide fresh towels and perform any other housecleaning chores. They do the same again while I am at dinner. Each night, a different towel art animal graces my bed.

I put my laundry in a bag and it shows up the next day on hangers or wrapped in tissue in a wicker basket. I can eat when I choose from a wide variety of foods, and someone takes my dishes away almost before I put my fork down.

I usually bring a few projects on a cruise that has a number of sea days. One common project is to sort through digital photographs, discarding the bad ones rating the best.

I brought two books by Tristine Rainer on writing memoirs and journals (The New Diary and Your Life as Story). I’ve worked my way through the early exercises of the latter, but somehow find that rather than being reflective, my days at sea seem to exist in a netherworld that makes it hard to examine my 60-ish years of life.

The lectures just seem to get better and better on this trip. Terry Greenberg’s latest series looks at the differences in the east and the west – in philosophies based in Greek thought on the one hand and Confucius on the other. By better understanding our worldviews and perceptions, we better understand those who share this planet. As previously reported, Kate Ross gives detailed talks on trade routes in the Indian Ocean and the history and cultures of Southeast Asia.

As you can probably tell, there just isn’t much new to report on our sea days.

I’m very interested in what themes on cruise travel – and particularly on long voyages – interest you. Please put any suggestions, comments or questions in the comment section. I’ll have an opportunity to address them on our remaining 16 sea days.

Meanwhile, I will leave you with a Snapchat photo of my two Siamese cats, Callie and Cooper, sitting with my sister’s black and white Jessie back at home They obviously miss me….