Life on board

DATE: Wed. 11th February
Course: 135 degrees
Lat: 04 degrees 14.5 S
Long: 004 degrees 8.7 W
Time: 06.46 am

Yesterday was a routine day for us and I truly don't want to bore you. However in case you're interested in a so called "routine day" this is roughly how it goes.

George has an 8 am class so we are usually up early.
Breakfast in the garden dining room on deck 6 (for Evelyn's benefit!). We have to choose from: eggs, ham, home fries, a Danish, porridge, bread rolls, biscuits and grits (yup! translation scones with some strange white sauce), fruit, orange juice. Yes we're being spoiled and getting plump.

Then we have mandatory Global Studies in the Union when one or more profs lecture us on different aspects of our voyage and the countries we visit. Unless they're good I have the worst time staying awake and I'm not the only one. I looked along our line of chairs once and there were at least 4 or 5 nodding heads! I think it must be the light or ecoustics or the fact that one can't sometimes see the speaker but whatever it is the atmosphere can be soporific. Some lecturers though are excellent and this doesn't happen!

Today I have an Shakespeare class at 10.45 and i hope we are to watch Ian Mclellan's Richard III. Yesterday we played games in introduction to theatre which was great fun and I enjoy getting to know the students this way. I'm the only 'grown up' who is in the Theatre classes which surprises me....does it really? Perhaps not... we've always known the rest of the world think us a little strange haven't we?!

Then lunch: Always Salad, vegetarian stuff (which is yummy), rice or potatoes, meat or fish and a piece of fruit (which I sneak into my cabin against the rules) bread rolls, cheese and dessert.

Study lines or read on our sunny warm balcony or somewhere on deck in the afternoon. Drinks in the Faculty lounge 5 -6 pm, supper which has the same choices as lunch but on deck 5 you can order wine....guess where George often drags me?! I have a rehearsal most nights from 7.30 to bed time. occasionally we go for a late drink after 9 pm in the faculty lounge. The students congregate in the piano bar or Union for music, study and fun.

Off to breakfast....check in later.