Farewell (to ships) Again
Sunday, August 31st, 2008Yes, it has been ten days or so since my last entry. I will choose to blame that on the numbness that has resulted from all of these days at sea, not on some sudden immense workload that has required my attention, mainly because my workload has remained at a level that still allows me to spend my evenings in the sauna.
But alas, the final countdown has begun! Normally, the countdown to the day my contract ends begins a good two months in advance, but given the short duration of this stint on board, I did not begin mine until August 23rd, some ten days before my sign-off date of September 4th.
An ‘end of contract countdown’ does not simply involve marking each passing day on the calendar with a big red ‘x’. Of course that is part of it, but its just not the whole process. During lunch or dinner, someone is bound to be sitting all alone, staring off into the distance with an expressionless face, occasionally chewing their mashed peas in mechanical fashion. Someone will approach them, just as I did to the Chief Sommelier yesterday evening, and ask the simple question, “Are you ok?” The response I received was one that I have heard so often before. “27 damn days left!” our wine expert declared.