Pictures Galore - Europe

Ok, so I am trying to do this via the Blogger app on my iPad. So we'll see how this goes. I don't know if I have the option to write captions and space the pictures how I want, but basically these pictures are a bit of everything - Rome (the first and 2nd time) including St. Peter's Basilica and bits of the Vatican Museum; the red sand beach of Santorini; sunset in our unexpected overnight in Kusadasi, Turkey; Pisa ; and Athens. Has anyone been to these places? Any recommendations on when I return there over the next couple of months?

Leave some comments and share the blog if you like the pics! Take care everyone. More to come on my adventures in Europe with my sister! Ciao!

"Love in Any Language"

Well, we are coming to the close of our 6th 12 day cruise and as usual, at the end of the embarkation talk, we sing "Love in Any Language" which is at the same time both touching and cliche. Today, however, it was more touching than cliche for me. I think because of what is happening in the world at the moment (with the anti-Islam video circulating YouTube and the subsequent riots and unrest in the countries of Northern Africa and the Middle East and then thinking of the inevitable backlash from THOSE actions to create more fear and hatred in the general American public towards the Middle East in general - which is VERY unfortunate) and the fact that my ship was supposed to be sailing to that part of the world - and can't now because of the violence and the company wanting to look after its passengers and crew - it just made that song hit home.

"I love you" may be said so differently in different places and those places may be so different from each other, but love is love anywhere and everywhere. It is interesting, to me, to think about the inherent differences in the cultures and regions of the world because of their societies and the traditions born of them. Yet, so many things in our human core are so similar. Instinctually and naturally we are all very similar - we have the same needs and same desires.

Now let's face it - culturally, religiously, politically, philosophically we may never agree on what's "right" or "acceptable" but if you look around at the world, people are living and functioning in varying societies that have been in existence for many years. We don't have to agree on everything, but if we could love our neighbor despite our differences and respect one another, imagine the difference that could be made in the world. All of that to say, I was touched by "Love in Any Language" today - it may be pure cheese, but it's got a great message to ponder!

And speaking of cruising, do you all (all 5 of my avid readers :-P) think that people tend to just turn their brains off when they go on vacation, or do you think the average cruiser is just not the brightest tool in the shed? Maybe I'm not talking necessarily about actual knowledge and smarts, but perhaps more about how you act in public around people - manners and such. I hear/see so many people just coughing all over the place without covering their mouths, using hands to touch food and things at the buffet, being rude to their fellow guests and generally impolite to the service staff. It just baffles me - were they not brought up right? Or do you think people pay money for a vacation and the thought is "well I paid for this, I'm entitled" and thus it subconsciously pushes some of their manners out the door?

Anything else of note going on in my life? Well, we've gotten into a general routine now that all cast members are caught up on choreography. Every 3 cruises, we repeat itineraries and most of our ports are Greek and Italian in origin, so it's kind of fun when we come back to Barcelona - tomorrow will only be my 3rd day there! AND…I'm picking up my sister for this next 7 day cruise! She is studying abroad in Munich, Germany this next year and she just moved there earlier this week, but she doesn't start classes until October. She still has some things to do to get fully situated and ready for classes, but she had free time during this cruise!

There are just not enough hours in the day to do everything I want, though. Despite getting into more of a routine as far as waking around the same time, going to bed around the same time, going to the gym or doing tech/shows around the same time, I'm still not able to do everything I'd like as I'm trying to take advantage (at least to some extent) of being in Europe while I have this opportunity. To put things into perspective, we are in the Mediterranean for about 4 months and do about 11 cruises (most of them 12 day cruises) and when we get to the Caribbean, we are there for 5.5 months and do only 7 day cruises…so there will be a lot more repeating, and from what I hear, a lot less to do as far as sightseeing goes. It's more about beaches, water-sports, and relaxing (and, in my case, saving money :) ). That is why blogs have been in short supply lately. I'm trying to maximize my daytime experiences…and typing blogs on the iPad, while possible, are highly impractical without a bluetooth keyboard.

Other updates - I went to Rome again. This time by myself and I only went to the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. It was gorgeous and a lot less stressful - and I saw rain!! The 2nd time only in about 4 months. I still kinda felt on edge the whole time until I got on a train headed back for the port, but it was much less stressful overall. I also went to The Pinnacle restaurant on the ship for the first time this cruise (and the Tamarind for the 3rd time). It was delicious and nearly everything a nice meal should be. Also, heading back towards Barcelona, we've experienced more fall-like temperatures. While we won't get to watch leaves change, probably, Greece is a bearable temperature, Turkey and most of Italy is just downright perfect as far as temperature (despite higher risks of rain). I think we'll be heading to the Caribbean at just the right time.

We also have lost several friends and a couple of stagehands along the way. Ship life is weird like that - you live in a bubble (a floating hotel) and every 7-12 days the guests change, the staff is constantly changing as well. Peoples' contracts may be 4-12 months long in general, but it's all rotational, so every cruise we are losing people and getting new ones. My life is constantly in transition here and reminds me that my time traveling with this ship and these people is transient. On a deeper level, I suppose it is a reminder that life itself is transient and we are all here for (in the grand scheme of things) merely the blink of an eye. I sometimes find myself sad and feeling even slightly lonely or homesick when I think of how my world is constantly changing and people are coming and going, but whether I'm here or on land, people are always going to come and go at some point in my life. I think it's natural to feel that way, but also healthy to remember to be grateful for the time that you are given with the people in your life and just to be grateful for life and health in general. Amen?

Alright, that's about all of note that I have right now. To the gym I go. I get to see my sister in less than 24 hours!

Life After Install

Venice!!

Hello friends and family!

Well, we've had almost 9 days of life after install. I know they didn't leave that long ago, but our install team consisting of Thomas, Gavin, and Erika, plus our lovely costume ladies is gone and it seems like ages since I've seen them already! It's crazy how skewed your perception of time can be when so much of your time with people is so condensed (living, working, eating, and playing with your co-workers all the time!) I think another reason that it seems like a while is because we have been filling the days as much as we can with happenings.

Since being on the ship, I have gone to the night club, had a pool party with passengers, traveled and seen just about every part of the ship that I'm allowed to go, had a massage at the spa (YES!), eaten at one of the specialty restaurants called the Tamarind - DELICIOUS Asian-fusion food that filled me and my comrades to near bursting - and a myriad of other day to day type things.

As I said in my last post, I'm doing some ports that I did during my last cruise and I can't tell you how thrilling it is to step off of my ship in cities that helped change my outlook on life and the world (and finally give me a feel of how Europe truly is for the first time) and have all of those memories come flooding back. In some places, I'm even remembering paths that I took and restaurants/cafes/shops that I visited. I think one of the ports that I'm the most excited about having come back to is Istanbul. That is such a cool city with such a vibrant way of life that is so different from ours back home.

So in brief, since I last wrote, we've been to Istanbul and overnighted. During that overnight, we went out to the hipper part of town at night and walked around and sang karaoke at a bar until about 1 am and made our way back to the ship by 2. We went to Mykonos and had fun at our production manager's hotel and the beach, put up our last show in Kusadasi, Turkey (where Ephesus is), took ATVs out and covered the whole northern half of the island of Santorini, went to a new port for me in Croatia (called Split) and did some complimentary internet over lunch, back to Venice and had a great day and night romping around, went to Dubrovnik and cliff dove for the afternoon and went to a water park in Kerkira, Corfu (a part of Greece). Some of these things are things that I waited to do until the end or didn't ever do on my last contract, so to get to do them now at the beginning leaves room for other things. That makes me REALLY excited for my time here in Europe!



                                       

Pic above: Thomas's hotel in Mykonos

We also met a few really cool people in Dubrovnik - both were from Australia. One was Ben (or Dan?…pretty sure it was Ben) who seemed to be about my age and one was Taso who seemed a little older. Ben/(Dan) couldn't stick around long because he had to meet a friend of his, but Taso stayed the whole time we were there. By the end of it all, we had all swapped life stories, jumped off cliffs together, taken pictures, and generally began to feel like he was part of our group. It was truly bittersweet a couple of hours later when we had to part ways and walk back to our ship. For whatever reason we all felt like we were abandoning one of our own. Needless to say, that was one of those cool meetings that it seems is fairly unique to world traveling when people are placed completely outside of their own social/cultural norms and have nothing but each other to gravitate towards to try and make sense of and share their current life experience.

Breakfast in Venice (same place I found with my friend MK 4 years ago!)

Tonight we perform our show, Garage Band. We finished the first show already and considering all of the technical things that weren't quite supposed to happen, I'd say we did a fine job of staying on our toes, listening to each other to figure out what to do, and improvising when the occasion arose. One more to go! I think that's all I have for now. Tomorrow we are in beautiful Santorini and I think I'm going to spend my day exploring the main town of Thira, perhaps buy a piece of art, and sit at a cafe on the cliffs and generally enjoy my time in the sunny Cyclades of Greece!

My friend, Joey, doing the splits in Split, Croatia!

Coming soon - More pictures of my travels and a blog on things that being a performer/gypsy/life-observer have taught me or made me realize!! Check back soon :) Thanks for reading guys and gals!