Life in the Sea

One of my dream job is working as a stewardess in a cruise ship, enjoying the cruise while earning money because I have this notion that working in a ship is like discovering a gold mine. You can have a free tour around while working. Roaming around the world, traveling, learning new culture and meeting people of the different races are some of my wildest dreams that is why learning about how this people works (seafarer) always brings my curiosity up. How the cope up traveling in a sea for how many days or even months without seeing an island? How this guys manage their feelings of separation from their love ones? Those are simple questions that always lingers in my mind then. 

Until I allow this one guy to be a part of me that totally changed my perception on their nature of work. I know working in a cruise ship is a bit different from working in a cargo vessel. But for me it's the same since the are working on-board in a ship.

This guy introduce me to the nature of their work by telling me what he was up when they are sailing for several days in the ocean. Where sky and the ocean are the only things you can see. No expected phone calls from love ones. No Facebook to post their status. The bridge is the only place they can determine if they are near in their desired destination where radars and other gadgets that determines their location and coarse are located. Roaming from popa to proa, playing mahjong (a card game), listening music from an mp3 player before bedtime are some of those stuff he used to do with his colleagues.

During his few days in the sea, he mentioned that he used to puke when the waves as huge as their ship tried rock their ship. I laughed at him when he told me that because he was not that type of person who easily vomits. Even an anti-emetics drug (medications that prevent nausea and vomiting) can't help him from puking. When he was assigned in the kitchen one time, he got minor burns when he tried to hold the pot of the food his cooking from spilling because of the waves. He also works in a graveyard shift like call-center agents and medical professionals on-duty in hospitals. 

Things that makes me change my mind of dreaming working on-board:

• Total no communications from love ones for how many days or even months. I personally don't like the feeling being left alone, it's hard. But it's harder when you are the one who left for the sake of your family. It's a big sacrifice for you.
• Total no updates from what's happening around the world. No television and internet.
• You might end up being bored of seeing sky and water alone. So, I thought of fulfilling my dreams in other way without being stuck in a ship for how many months without seeing an island.

But one thing I admired most of these men, they tend to live their life happily as much as they can. Maybe to stay strong and not to crack when urge of loneliness struck them.

By the way, heere are some photos courtesy from a high school friend who also shares the same passion as him:

I'm so thankful to this friend of mine, Noel,  for allowing me to post some of his photos in this blog. And to that special person who inspires me to wrote this one. I hope you learn to love more what you are doing because that is the path you've choose. I hope I can't hear you again saying "maypa wa ko nag-seaman".